USA > Vermont > Windsor County > History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 64
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Selectmen .- Amasa Piper, 1800-02 ; Augustus Pease, 1800; Henry Hall, 1800; William Howard, 1801-02; Alvin Simonds, 1801, 1804, 1806-07; David Spafford, jr., 1803-05 ; David Drury, 1803-04 ; John Hull, 1803 ; Samuel Peabody, 1805-07, 1812-14, 1819-20; John Win- ship, 1805-06; David Austin, 1807-11, 1824-25, 1827 ; Daniel Lamson, 1808; Josiah Winship, 1808-10; William Y. Henry, 1809-16; Thomas Piper, 1811 ; Peter Blanchard, 1812-14, 1822-23, 1829; Oliver Farrar, 1815-18; Henry Lovejoy, 1815-21 ; Amos N. Burton, 1818-25, 1827- 42; Harvey Carly, 1821, 1824-26; Parker Shattuck, 1822-23, 1830- 33; Jonathan Webster, 1826-28, 1831-33; William Turner, 1826; James Taylor, 1828 ; Silas Hill, 1829; Austin Fenn, 1830; Asa B. Fos- ter, 1834, 1838-40, 1849-50, 1852-54; John Wilder, 1834-37, 1843-44, 1851-57 ; Stephen Dow, 1835-36; Perkins N. Willey, 1837-40, 1845- 48, 1851-52, 1854; James Foster, 1841-43; 'Solon Richardson, 1841- 44, 1849, 1855-56, 1863-65; Sumner Rideout, 1844; Samuel Peabody, jr., 1845-48, 1852, 1858-62; Ives Holden, 1845-47 ; John Drury, 1848-50; James Bryant, 1849; H. I. Kimball, 1850; Joel Peabody, 1851, 1856-57 ; Asahel Ross, 1853-54; Ashley Shattuck, 1855; Enoch Pease, 1858-60; George W. Willey, 1858-62; Thomas Richardson, 1861-62; Artemas Dean, 1863-64; Simon Wilkinson, 1863-64, 1866 67 ; Joseph C. Fenn, 1865 ; Charles W. Sprague, 1865, 1871-74 ; M. C.
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TOWN OF WESTON.
Edmunds, 1866-67 ; John T. Bryant, 1866-67 ; Simeon D. Spaulding, 1868-70; James M. Taylor, 1868-74; Charles M. Piper, 1868-70 ; Harmon Holt. 1871 ; J. Quincy A. Cragin, 1872-73 ; Stedman E. Car- penter, 1874-81, 1883-84, 1888; William H. Jaquith, 1875-79, 1882- 83; Henry A. Hannum, 1875-76, 1887; Robert Wallace, 1877-78 ; William W. Manning, 1879-82, 1884-89; George E. Coleman, 1880-82 ; 1885-86; Lucius F. Hart, 1883-84, 1888; Edward Wilder, 1885-86; N. S. Colburn, 1887 ; W. S. Holt, 1887 ; W. R. Spaulding, 1889 ; Daniel L. Hannum, 1889.
Town Clerks .- At the organization of the town in ISoo Alvin Sim- mons was chosen town clerk and he filled the position until 1808, ex- cepting during the years 1803-05, when David Spafford, jr., was elected. The next town clerk was William Y. Henry, elected in 1808, who con- tinued to serve until 1819, when Ira Lamson was elected. In the fol- lowing year Amos N. Burton was chosen and filled the office until 1843, excepting the year 1826, when Harvey Caryl served. In 1843 and 1844 Edward S. Barrett was elected, but in the latter year, owing to his removal from the town, Samuel Peabody, jr., was adpointed ad interim, and in 1845 was elected to the office, which he continued to fill until his death, December 6, 1883, excepting in 1850-51, when Henry Kimball was elected; 1863, Joseph C. Fenn; and the years 1864 to 1870, during which time M. C. Edmunds occupied the position. Upon the death of Samuel Peabody, his daughter, Emma C. Peabody, was appointed ad interim, and at the next town meeting was chosen to fill the office. She has been elected each succeeding year.
Town Treasurers .- The first to be elected to this office was Augustus Pease in 1800, and he filled the post till 1819, when he was succeeded by James Taylor, who served till 1823. The next occupant was Harvey Caryl, and excepting the year 1826, when Amos N. Burton was chosen, he continued to fill the position till 1829, in which year he was succeeded by John Wilder, who remained till 1838. Asa B. Foster was town treasurer in 1838-40, and James Taylor in 1841 ; Franklin Farrar in 1842-44, and Emerson Ross in 1845-47. In 1848 Asa B. Foster was elected to fill the position and continued to serve till 1868, excepting in 1855, when J. Quincy A. Cragin, and in 1856, when Samuel Peabody, were town treasurers. Perkins N. Willey became treasurer in 1868
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
and filled the office until 1877, when Samuel Peabody was elected and served until his death in 1883. In 1884 A. D. Gilmore was elected, but was succeeded in 1885 by Warren D. Waite, who held the office till 1887, when the present incumbent, T. H. Richardson, was elected.
In the War of the Union .- The first action taken by the town in reference to giving any bounties for volunteers was on August 4, 1862, when it was voted to re-imburse those citizens of the town who had fur- nished ten dollars as bounty for those who had enlisted from the town in the United States service. On the same date a bounty of fifty dollars was offered for volunteers to go towards filling the town quota ; this was on September 22, 1862, increased to one hundred dollars. In response to the call for 300,000 men the town offered a bounty of twenty dollars a month as long as any soldier should remain in the United States serv- ice. During the month of July, 1864, the town was obliged to vote a bounty of five hundred dollars to secure volunteers in response to a call for 500,000 men. This bounty not proving adequate, the selectmen were empowered to pay as large a bounty as was necessary to fill the quota of the town.
The Post- Office .- The only post office in Weston is located at the village of Weston, which is in the southern part of the town. The first record of a postmaster we find is in the year 1830, when John Wilder occupied the office. He continued in the position till 1851, when he was succeeded by James H. Foster. Since then the following have been postmasters : G. P. Hannum, J. F. Wallace, H. C. Piper, C. M. Piper, A. H. Drury, C. W. Sprague, Seymour P. Fenn and James F. Austin. The present postmaster is A. D. Gilmore, who was appointed in 1889.
In 1797 the village consisted of three buildings-a saw-mill, a dwelling and a barn. There are now three churches, a graded school, about fifty dwellings and the usual number of stores and shops necessary for such a community. This has been the point for mercantile and other trades since the organization of the town. Among those who have been engaged in trade here may be mentioned Asa B. Foster, Ambrose Pease, Horace Brown, Matthew Wilkins, Perkins N. Willey, H. C. & C. M. Piper, H. I. Kimball, Austin & Fenn. The present merchants are Sprague & Richardson and H. A. Hannum. The manufactures of Weston have been mostly confined to lumber and woodenware. Very
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TOWN OF WESTON.
soon after the first settlement of the town her forests were invaded by the wood-chopper, and the wealth of the woodlands has been made into lumber and shipped to convenient markets.
Schools .- This town was originally divided into five school districts and in 1843 there were eleven districts. At the present time they have been consolidated so there are only nine, each having a suitable school building. There is an average attendance of 250 scholars.
Cemeteries .- As early as 1801 the town purchased a burial-place, which was located about half a mile east of Weston village. The lot was bought of Daniel Drury for eight dollars. In 1851 the cemetery lo- cated in the northern part of Weston village was laid out. Additions to it have since been made, and it now embraces about two acres.
Physicians .- The first physician in the town of whom we are able to give any definite account was Dr. Henry Gray, who practiced in the town as early as 1824, and continued until about 1838. The next regu- lar practitioner of the old school of medicine. was Dr. Timothy Carter, who began in 1836, and remained here ten years. During this period Drs. Josiah A. Martin and David F. Willey were botanic physicians and practiced in the town. During the year 1846 Drs. Heman Shaw and C. F. Adams began practice here, the latter remaining only a year, and the former until 1853. Among the others who have followed their pro- fession in Weston were Drs. M. Martin and F. Martin, both of the bo- tanic school, who were in Weston from 1846 to 1849; Dr. Horace P. Allen, of the eclectic school, practiced from 1848 to 1855; Dr. A. L. Fedd, also of the eclectic school, from 1851 to 1852; Dr. George W. Hunt from 1854 to 1858; Dr. J. M. Shaw, of the Thompsonian school, from 1856 to 1859; Drs. Z. G. and J. L. Harrington, the former being a resident of the town from 1858 to 1862, when he removed to the West ; the latter practiced from 1862 to 1864. In 1864 Dr. Merritt C. Ed- munds began the practice of medicine and continued until 1880, when he removed from the town. Dr. H. H. Howe, who is now a resident of the town, came to Weston in 1883. There have been other physicians in Weston, but their residence has been of brief duration.
Congregational Church .- This church was organized before the town of Weston was set off from Andover, by a council convened September 4-5, 1799. Of this council, Rev. William Hall, of Grafton, Vt., was
81
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
moderator, and Rev. Abel Fiske, of Wilton, N. H., scribe. The dele- gates were William Pierce, of Wilton ; Deacon James Ross, of Grafton ; and Deacon Daniel Kingsbury, of Keene, N. H. The original member- ship was fifteen males and fifteen females. On the organization of the church Christopher Martin was chosen moderator ; David Spafford, jr., clerk; Amasa Piper, Samuel Miller and Jonathan Cram, committee (probably deacons). Rev. Mr. Fiske remained for awhile as minister, and in two days baptized fifty children. Among the men who preached at an early day in Weston were the Revs William Hall, Abel Fiske, Peter Read, and Philetus Clark.
Upon the organization of the town of Weston the question was agi- tated of building a church in the center of the town, to be called a union church and to be used for town purposes. It was not until 1827 that the building was finished at Weston village ; and on October 4, 1821, articles of faith were adopted by the members of the Congregationalist Society, and on November 19, 1828, the Rev. Stillman Morgan was or- dained as the first settled minister of the society, and also the first one settled in the town. He remained pastor for a number of years, and was followed by the Revs. Justin Parsons and John Jones. The follow- ing persons have ministered to the society since that time : Edward S. Barrett, from February 9, 1841, to July 16, 1844 ; Samuel H. Tolman, from September 20, 1844, to May 30, 1847; Waters Warren, installed June 6, 1847 ; John Walker, from April, 1849, to September, 1855; L. S. Coburn, from fall of 1857 to September, 1866; J. W. C. Pike, from winter of 1867 to 1869; Arthur H. Adams, from May to Septem- ber, 1871, when he went as a missionary to Japan; Robert Samuels, from January 14, 1874, to May 12, 1875 ; S. J. Bryant, from May to Oc . tober, 1875 ; C. J. Switzer, from fall of 1876, to May, 1877 ; J. R. Flint. from June, 1879, to April, 1882 ; E. H. Sneath, from the summer of 1882 to fall of 1883 ; George A. Dutton, from November, 1883, to March, 1884; J. L. Barton, came in April, 1884, but remained only a few months, when he went as missionary to Turkey ; David H. Strong, from fall of 1884 to 1887. The present incumbent, W. R. Dugan, was installed in October, 1888.
The society continued to worship in the Union church until 1839, when the present frame meeting-house was erected in Weston village. It seats 200, and is valued at $4,000.
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TOWN OF WESTON.
The Methodist Episcopal Church .- This church is located in Weston village, and was organized at an early date. It is part of the charge that embraced Windhall, Andover, Landgrove, Mt. Tabor, Peru and London- derry. They worshipped in the Union church, and in 1867 the society purchased the upper half of the building, thoroughly repaired it and have used it ever since. The lower part of the building is used for town pur- poses. The following clergymen have, at different times, been appointed by the annual conferences as resident pastors : A. T. Bullard, Caleb Fales, John English, Israel Hutchinson, J. H. Stevens, Moses Adams, William Wickham, Jesse Barden, Oris Pier, John L. Smith, C. D. Ingra- ham, Joseph Enright, Dennis Wells, Justus Barrows, C. P. Flanders, C. H. Waller, W. R. Davenport, F. W. Lewis. There have been others, but their stay was short. The present pastor is Rev. D. C. Thatcher. The society has about ninety members, and a Sabbath-school with 150 scholars.
Universalist Church .- Previous to 1820 there was a society of this de- nomination in Weston, who were supplied by ministers from adjoining towns, the Rev. Warren Skinner, of Cavendish, officiating on a number of occasions. The Rev. S. C. Loveland was settled over the society from 1843 to 1851.
Baptist Church .- The early records of this church are not now in existence, rendering it impossible to compile its early history. In 1824 there was a Baptist society in the town, which worshipped in the Union church. There is now a Baptist church in the village, but at the pres- ent time no services are held. The following ministers have officiated in this pulpit : Rev. Samuel Pollard, from 1838 to 1843 ; Rev. G. S. Stock- well, from 1844 to 1846; Rev. Rufus Smith, from 1846 to 1851 ; Rev Lucius Chickering, from 1852 to 1855 ; Rev. J. H. Wood, from 1855 to 1859; Rev. G. J. Rugg, from 1859 to 1860; Rev. T. B. Eastman, from 1861 to 1866 ; Rev. L. Kinney, from 1866 to 1869 ; Rev. Charles Brooks, from 1869 to 1870.
Foster & Jaquith .- On the site now occupied by these works, which are situated on the east bank of the West River, about two miles north of Weston village, Warren S. Foster in 1865 erected a saw-mill 40 x 20 feet. Mr. Foster built a dam at this point, and the mill was equipped with only an upright saw, and a small quantity of lumber was manufactured annu-
-
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
ally. In the winter of 1867 W. A. Foster obtained an interest, and the firm became W. A. & W. S. Foster, and the manufacture of ash handles for agricultural tools was commenced; and during the time this firm was in existence two one-story wooden buildings were erected, one being 100 x 30 feet, and the other 25 x 30 feet. During the month of Feb- ruary, 1872, R. B. Jaquith purchased W. S. Foster's interest, and the firm became Foster & Jaquith, and the business was changed to the manufact- ure of chair-stock in the rough. The works continued to be run by water-power until 1875, when a portable twenty five horse-power engine was purchased, but owing to the increase of business it requires a two- hundred horse-power engine at the present time. Chair stock in the rough continued to be manufactured by this firm until 1882, when the product was changed to finished chair backs. One thousand cords of wood are now used annually in this manufacture. The works and yard cover four acres, and employment is given to forty hands. The value of the annual product is between $35,000 and $40,000. In December, 1880, the firm suffered a loss of $5,000 by the burning of a portable saw-mill, located in the northwestern part of the town. Spruce lumber is manufactured by this firm at a mill which they erected in the spring of 1889, about two miles north of their works, the product being 1,500,- 000 annually.
OLD FAMILIES.
It would be impossible within the compass of this work to give a genealogical sketch of each family that has been connected with the town. The remainder of this chapter is devoted to those who feel and have manifested an interest in preserving the records of their ancestors. For sketches received too late for insertion in this chapter please refer to a later chapter of this work.
Cragin .- The Cragin family of Weston are descendants from John Cragin, a native of Scotland, who came to Woburn, Mass,, about 1652. He married Sarah Dawes, and had a son, John, who married Deborah Skilton. Their son John married Judith Barker, and in their family was Benjamin, who married Mercy Robbins. Their son Benjamin, born in Temple, N. H., May 4, 1767, came to Weston in 1794. He married Rebecca Farrar, and they had the following family : Mercy, died young; Rebecca, died young; Benja- min, died in Ohio; Aaron, died in Weston; Oliver, died in Ohio; Rebecca (deceased), married Ivis Holden; Adna, died in Ludlow. Benjamin died January 25, 1804. His wife died January 31, 1834.
Cragin, Aaron, son of Benjamin, was born in Weston, December 31, 1769, and mar- ried Sarah Whitney, born October 15, 1798. He died March 23, 1881. Their children
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OLD FAMILIES.
were Hon. Aaron Harrison, lawyer, Member of Congress from New Hampshire from 1855 to 1859, represented the State in the United States Senate two terms, at present resides in Washington, D. C .; Sarah Helen, wife of John Wilder, of Winchester, Mass .; Richard Whitney, resides in Lebanon, N. H .; and John Quincy Adams.
Cragin, John Quincy Adams, son of Aaron, was born in Weston, March 20, 1828, and married Mary E. Pierce, and has two children, Charles Henry, a resident of Cawker City, Kan .; and Carrie, wife of H. P. Stimson, of Kansas City, Mo.
Foster, Jacob, was born in Temple, N. H., March 23, 1769, and came to Weston early in the present century. He married and had the following family : Amy (deceased), married Benjamin Smith; James, died in Weston, leaving no issue; John Kendall, died at Akron, O .; Polly, died single; Jeremiah; Laura (deceased), married Calvin P. Mead; Lydia (dleceased), married Gilman Austin; Jonas; Jonathan, resides in Akron, O .; Andrew Jackson; and Isaac, died young. Jacob died April 12, 1853.
Foster, Jeremiah, son of Jacob, was born in Weston, February 14, 1807, and married July 11, 1833, Mary Temple, who was born February 7, 1813. They had three children, viz .: Jeremiah M., died March 26, 1887 ; Edwin K., a resident of East Cornish, Me .; and Wells Atwood. Jeremiah died September 30, 1841.
Foster, Wells Atwood, son of Jeremiah, was born in Weston, April 8, 1837, and mar- ried Lovine Lois Benson. They have two children, viz .: Ella V., wife of Walter M. Wright, of Ashburnham, Mass .; and Vernie Atwood, born in Weston, August 7, 1876.
Jaquith, Rollin B., was born in Mount Holly, Vt., March 19, 1844, and is the second son of Isaac and Mary (Cole) Jaquith. He attended the local schools, and was for a short time a student in the Eastman Commercial College, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. His father having been a farmer, he also worked on a farm until he was twenty-one years of age, when he engaged in the mill business, and became a member of the firm of Foster & Jaquith. Mr. Jaquith is also a member of the firm of Jaquith, Bryant & Co., who operate a saw-mill in Peru, Vt., where 600,000 feet of lumber are annually manufact- ured into plain and rounded finished chair-stock. He married Miss Susan Shedd, and they have six children, viz .: Grace B., Harlan C., Maude L., Ray B., Arthur F., and Frank A.
Peabody, Samuel, was born in Wilton, N. H., February 20, 1774, and died April 21, 1852. He is of the seventh generation from John Peabody, the original English settler. He married Lucina Pease and had the following family : Samuel; Ephraim, died with- out issue; Lucina (deceased), married Smith Miles; Joel and Abial, both died without issue ; Tirzah (deceased), married a Mr. Benton; Harriet, died single; Maria, a Mrs. Hongh, resides in Omro, Wis .; Betsey, died single; William, died in Putnam, N. Y .; John, died young. Samuel died April 21, 1852.
Peabody, Samuel, son of Samuel, was born in Weston, March 9, 1803, and married for his first wife Eunice G. Lovejoy. Their only child, Eunice, died at the age of sev- teen years. His second wife was Betsey Lovejoy. Their children were Hannah ; Eliz- abeth, died at fifteen years of age ; Ellen Maria, died at twenty- five years of age ; Alma Eugenia, died young ; Emma Cornelia, resides at Weston ; Samuel Henry, died at seven years of age. Samuel died over eighty years of age, December 6, 1883.
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXXI.
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF ROCHESTER.
T HAT civil sub-division of the county of Windsor that is known by the name of Rochester occupies a position at the extreme north- west part of the county, and is bounded only on one side, the east, by any of Windsor's territory. In fact, Rochester occupies a somewhat singular position in the county, and bears a rather peculiar relation to it. Although one of the towns of the county, and one of the important ones, too, Rochester is unfortunately separated from the main body by an ex- tensive mountain range, and the nearest distance to any other of the trading centers of the county is eleven miles, wagon travel, and that over and across this mountainous elevation, while the distance around the mountain, by reasonably good wagon road, is eighteen miles. Thus is this town practically cut off from free intercourse with the balance of the county. And being so situated, the good people of the town have been compelled to build up for themselves and maintain a municipal being of their own; and the result of this is that to-day Rochester, notwithstand- ing its isolated position as part of Windsor county, has its own firmly established institutions, lives within itself, so to speak, and has become the center of a considerable district of land, having a location and situa- tion similar to that of our subject. To thus build up what may be termed this separate jurisdiction has been of great benefit to the town, and by reason of it the owners and occupants of adjoining lands have sought for and been received into the fellowship of town union with Rochester ; and the result of these several annexations has been to give to Rochester a larger area than any other town in the county of Windsor.
Some time ago it was written concerning Rochester, but without doubt in good-humored derision, that it was composed principally of mount- ains from the main chain through the State. The good-natured sally has more or less of truth in it, for the town does certainly rank among the more hilly ones of the county ; and while the majority of its agricult- ural lands are of the character that is usually termed hilly farms, there is still a fair portion of the town's area that is comparatively level, and
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TOWN OF ROCHESTER.
in a remarkable degree, and better than which cannot be found in the county. But it is a fact that Rochester is one of the mountain towns of the county, and has its territory more within the range of the Green Mountain system or chain than any other in the county.
The town, too, with its many other peculiarities of situation and con- dition, is by far the most irregular in bounding lines of any in the county ; but this is accounted for by the fact of the several annexations of parcels of land, formerly the territory of adjoining towns, the owners of which were desirous of becoming attached to some district where the advan- tages of good local government and good schools might be available to themselves and their families. The village of Rochester was the only desirable trading center in all this region, and as the neighboring resi- dents were in the habit of trading and doing all possible of their busi- ness within the town, it was wholly natural that a desire for annexation should be created ; in accordance with which the several unions were made.
As the town was originally chartered, it contained an aggregate of 23,040 acres, an amount not unlike many other towns, nor was the form of the town dissimilar to that of others The first addition to its extent in area was made in pursuance of an act passed in 1806, by which there was taken from Pittsfield, in Rutland county, and added to Rochester, lands to the amount of 1, 175 acres. The second annexation was made in 1814, by an act of the Legislature, which took from the town of Goshen 300 acres, and added them to the territory of Rochester. Ten years later, or in 1824, 1,500 acres were surrendered by Braintree, in Orange county, and added to the town of Rochester. This accounts for the peculiar projection to the northeast from this town. And at the same time 300 more acres were annexed from Pittsfield. In 1834 the town of Hancock, in Addison county, yielded 160 acres; and finally, in 1847, the mountain town of Goshen, also of Addison county, contributed to the town of Rochester to the large extent of 11,300 acres of land. The result of these several annexations has been to swell the area of Roches- ter from its chartered areage to its present aggregate of 38,325 acres, thus making it by considerably the largest town of Windsor county.
There appears to have been made no permanent settlements within the limits of the town of Rochester, as originally chartered, prior to the
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
year 1780; and it appears, furthermore, that his excellency, Benning Wentworth, governor of New Hampshire, had not, during his exercise of authority and jurisdiction over this region, taken into consideration the advisability of surveying and chartering these particular lands to any of his favorites, nor to have found proprietors who were willing to ac- quire these lands by purchase and hazard their improvements and set- tlement within the time required by the laws governing New Hampshire province. And there appears no record to show that the authorities of the royal province of New York ever attempted to exercise the right clainied by them over the lands now included within the old town of Rochester, as well as the lands of the whole State. But the habit and rule with New York was to oppose the settlement made by virtue of the New Hampshire charters, and not to make grants generally, at least in this locality, of unoccupied or unchartered lands. Therefore, there being no settlement nor charter of the territory of this particular locality, there could not of course have been any controversy over the title to the town's land.
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