History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 83

Author: Aldrich, Lewis Cass. ed. cn; Holmes, Frank R
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1260

USA > Vermont > Windsor County > History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 83

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D. F. Rugy MeLO

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man of the Board of Censors for the State of Vermont. He has been a member of the order I. O. O. F. since 1883. A Republican in politics the doctor takes an active part in the local politics of his locality. He was town superintendent of schools three years, and is a member of the County Board of Education and its present secretary. The doctor mar- ried, December 28, 1881, Julia A., daughter of Albert D. and Sarah (Goddard) Hager, born in Proctorsville, Vt., August 21, 1853. Her father was State geologist for Vermont for a number of years. Mrs. Rugg was his eldest daughter. Her sister, Sarah, is the wife of Charles Goddard, of Ludlow. Her brother, Charles C., lives with his mother at Proctorsville. The doctor and Mrs. Rugg have but one child, Harold Goddard, born January 21, 1883.

S LACK, JOHN A., was born in Springfield, December 29, 1818, and was the youngest child, and only son, in a family of five children of John and Hannah (Taylor) Slack. His father purchased the farm on which John A. now resides, and settled on the same in 1805. It is pleasantly situated on Black River, and is now known as Riverview. The daughters of John and Hannah (Taylor) Slack were Sally, who died sin- gle ; Emily (deceased), married Stephen P. Cady, of West Windsor, Vt .; Pluma, a widow, resides in Clinton, Ia .; and Hannah (deceased), married John W. Heath. John A. Slack, after attending the district schools, became a student at Kimball Union Academy, at Meriden, N. H. His early life was spent on his father's farm, and at the age of twenty- one he went to Lowell, Mass., and was for about two years employed in the carding- room of the Tremont Cotton-Mills in that city. Returning to his native town till 1846 he carried on farming, besides working in the cotton-mill of Fullerton & Martin. In the spring of that year he learned the trade of machinist, and has ever since been engaged with the Parks & Woolson Machine Co. An old-time Whig in politics, he cast his first presidential vote for General William Henry Harrison. Since the or- ganization of the Republican party he has always voted that ticket. Mr. Slack has been for about fifty years a member of the Methodist church. He married, first, January 1, 1843, at Lowell, Mass., Miss Mary A. Mc- Allister, a native of Fryeburg, Me. The result of this union was six

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children, viz .: William H. H., senior member of the firm of Slack Bros., shoddy manufacturers, of Springfield; Eliza, wife of J. P. Way, of Springfield ; Frances A., wife of Professor J. W. Freley, of Wells Col- lege, Aurora, N. Y .; Ella, wife of W. R. Jacobs, of Springfield ; John T., born in Springfield, August 3, 1857, married Lilla E. Bowman, and is a member of the firm of Slack Bros., of Springfield ; and Effie H., wife of Elmer T. Merritt, of Springfield. Mr. Slack married, second, January I, 1870, Mrs. Jane C. Jacobs, nee Knights, and was united in marriage the third time June 1, 1881, to Miss Emma M. Cady.

V AIL, THE FAMILY. The first settler of the family in Pomfret was Thomas Vail, known as "Leftenant Vail." He was of the fifth gen- eration from Jeremiah Vail, the emigrant ancestor of the Vail family. Jeremiah landed at Salem Mass, in 1644, and subsequently removed to Southampton, Long Island. Four generations bearing the family name Jeremiah lived in Southold and Oyster Pond, Long Island. jeremiah, the father of the first settler in Pomfret, married April 16, 1732, Eliza- beth, daughter of Judge Joshua Young, who was a descendant of Rev. John Young, the first minister of Southold. Thomas, the second son of this marriage, was born at Southold, August 18, 1734. He was sergeant in Captain Terry's company of Colonel De Lancy's New York battalion, and was at the capture of Fort Niagara in the summer of 1759. The following year he was promoted to lieutenant and served under General Amherst, and was present at the siege of Fort Levi and the capture of Montreal. At the time of Thomas Vail's service under Amherst he had been married two years to Hannah, daughter of Richard and Hannah (Hawkes) Brown, of Oyster Pond (now Orient, L. I.). At the close of the war Lientenant Vail settled on Long Island and engaged in farming, and some twelve years later removed to Lebanon, Conn. Here he purchased of the original grantees of Pomfret, Vt., their rights to land in that town. Lot 52 was purchased by John Abbe for eleven pounds, being originally owned by Edward Holyoke, president of Harvard College. On Janu- ary 27, 1773, he purchased from William Newcomb a lot originally drawn in the name of John Winchester. A knoll on the farm has since been known as Newcomb Camp; this was probably the first clearing on the

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Portrait of Joshua Vail and view of the Vail Homestead in Pomfret.

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farm which was occupied by Thomas Vail in June, 1771, and has been held by his descendants ever since. Under date of May 8, 1776, Thomas Vail was commissioned lieutenant of militia company of foot in Pomfret by the Provincial Congress of New York. He cleared his farm and built a large frame house and died on the Vail homestead in Pomfret at the age of seventy-five years. He had a family of ten children ; the eldest six were born at Oyster Pond, Long Island, the others in Pomfret. Thomas, born January 11, 1760, died in Pomfret, in March, 1820 ; Gamaliel, born January 7, 1762, studied medicine and probably died at Charlestown, Ind .; Hannah, born November 18, 1763, married Ransom Durkee; Eliz- abeth, born September 17, 1765, married John W. Throop, and died at Baton Rouge, La .; Augustus, born September 6, 1767 ; Cynthia, born August 12, 1770, died unmarried ; Anna, born June 18, 1772, married John Hutchinson, and died near Batavia, N. Y .; Mehitable, born July 28, 1774, married Benjamin Merritt; Samuel, born January 1, 1778, printed the first paper issued at Louisville, Ky., in 1800 He afterwards joined the United States army and was breveted major for gallant conduct at the battle of New Orleans. He died at Baton Rouge, La., in 1848. Joshua was born Sept. 7, 1779, the date of his death not known. Au- gustus, of the above family, followed farming and carried on the home- stead farm in Pomfret. He married Lavinia Leonard, who was born at Bridgewater, Mass., May 6, 1777. They had nine children, the eldest two died in infancy. They adopted Sybele (Parsons) Vail, born January, 1798, and died February 26, 1813. Their other children were Hiram, born June 3, 1800, died October 7, 1826; Joshua, born February 10, 1804; Elvira, born November 17, 1806, died August 27, 1826; Thomas, born August 5, 1809, died March 1, 1813; Hannah, born March 29, 1812, died March 12, 1886; Harry, born April 29, 1815, died Febru- ary 28, 1889, without issue ; and Fanny, born December 21, 1818, died March 17, 1819. Augustus Vail was an easy, good humored man, short, and in his old age somewhat fleshy. He was known as Captain Vail from his rank in the militia. He died in Pomfret. Joshua, mentioned above, was born in Pomfret, and married at Royalton, Vt., June 1, 1836, Harriet Warren, daughter of Jonas Warren and Elizabeth Russell. She was born June 12, 1814. The issue of this marriage was George Thomas,

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born June 15, 1837, removed to Clinton, Mo., in 1868; the following year he went to the Pacific coast, locating in California ; from there he went to Alaska. He finally settled near Joseph, Union county, Oregon, where he has a horse ranch. He is unmarried. Henry Hobart, born May 27, 1839, graduated at Middlebury College in 1860 and went to Ohio; taught school at Dayton, served in the 131st Regiment, O. V. I., in the civil war, became a resident of Cincinnati in 1866, where he became a pub- lisher, and moved to New York in 1890. He married, October 10, 1867, Minerva Elizabeth, eldest daughter of Major Sylvester M. and Catherine (Miles) Hewitt. She was born June 10, 1846. Their children were Cora Lucy, born July 7, 1868, died January 2, 1884; Bessie Hewitt, born August 27, 1869; Mary Catherine, born June 9, 1872 ; and Clara Warren, born November 3, 1875. Homer Warren, born August 5, 1842, married March 9, 1880, Sarah Angier, daughter of Jackson A. and Sa- rah H. (Angier) Vail. She was born in Montpelier, Vt., April 18, 1852. Their children are Ralph Warren, born June 9, 1881, died June 20, 1881 ; Solon Joshua, born August 23, 1884; Henry George, born November 14, 1886; and Homer Jackson, born June 19, 1890. Homer Vail is widely known throughout the State. He served two terms in the Legislature, and has been a useful member of the State Board of Agriculture. Laura Matilda, born July 28, 1844, married July 12, 1870, Andrew Price Mor- gan. They reside at Preston, O. Clara Warren, born December 10, 1849, married Robert Perkins, and resides at Rutland, Vt .; Lucia Harriet, born December 13, 1853, married Edward George O'Connor, and resides at Montreal, Canada; Mary Elizabeth, born August 7, 1855, married Oc- tober 5, 1882, John Thompson Snodgrass. They reside at Riverside, Ill. Joshua Vail was a man of excellent business qualifications and held office as justice of the peace and as selectman. He was a member of the Vermont Legislature in 1849 and 1851. He died at Pomfret, Decem- ber 30, 1871.

W ASHBURN, HON. PETER THACHER, was born in Lynn, Mass., September 7, 1814, and in 1817 his father's family moved to Cav- endish. After attending the district school he became a student in the Black River Academy and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1835. 103

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Immediately after his graduation he commenced the study of law with his father, where he remained excepting some three months, when he was in the office of Hon. William Upham, an eminent lawyer of Mont- pelier, until admitted to the Windsor County Bar in the December term of 1838. In January of the following year he began the practice of his profession at Ludlow. In 1844 he moved to Woodstock and entered into partnership with Charles P. Marsh, and the law firm of Washburn & Marsh became one of the most widely known in the State. This partnership continued until his death, February 7, 1870. General Washburn, by which title he was better known throughout Vermont, held many political offices. He was from October, 1844, to October, 1851, inclusive, reporter of the decisions of the Supreme Court, and represented Woodstock in the Legislature of 1853-54. On the breaking out of the war he went to the front as captain of the Woodstock Light Infantry, was subsequently lieutenant-colonel, and at the close of his services was colonel of his regiment. He fully intended to continue in the service, but on account of his health it was thought by him and his friends that he could do better service in the place to which he was ap- pointed soon after his return to Vermont. In October, 1861, he was appointed adjutant and inspector-general of Vermont, which position he filled until the close of the war. The character of his work as adjutant and inspector-general was exceptional in its extent and thoroughness, and his reports were models of their kind. At the State election held in September, 1869, General Washburn was chosen governor of Vermont and was in office at the time of his death ; he was also at this time trustee of the University of Vermont and State Agricultural College, and presi- dent of the Woodstock Railroad. He always took an active interest in the political and educational interests of the State. Governor Washburn was twice married, his first wife being Miss Almira Ferris, of Swanton, Vt. By this marriage there were two children, viz .: Ferris Thacher. died at the age of eighteen, while a student of Dartmouth College ; Emily May, died at the age of six years. His second wife was Miss Almira Hopkins, of Glens Falls, N. Y. Of their family of four children, three are living, viz .: Elizabeth Almira, wife of Prof. T. W. D. Worthen, of Dartmouth College ; Mary Hannah, wife of George B. Parkinson, an

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attorney of Cincinnati, O .; Charles Hopkins, engaged in the railroad business at St. Paul, Minn.

W TESTON, HORACE, was born in Rockingham, Vt., December 27, 1802. He was the second in a family of eight children of Jo- seph and Lucinda Weston. Joseph was born March 31, 1774, and mar- ried Lucinda Mather, February 5, 1801 ; the latter was born Novem- ber 17, 1780. Joseph died January 14, 1838. The brothers and sis- ters of Horace were Lewis, born October 14, 1801, married Sophia White, January 23, 1834, died in Springfield, Vt .; Horace ; Jehial, born July 31, 1804, married Almira Bates, January 23, 1834, died in Spring- field ; Randilla, born June 14, 1806, is the widow of Aaron Leland Thompson, and lives in Bellows Falls, Vt .; James, born January 24, 1808, married Mary A. Murray, November 12, 1835, died in Weathers- field, Vt .; Lucinda, born November 16, 1809, was the wife of William Dana, died in Charlestown, N. H .; Joseph, born October 1, 1813, mar- ried Marianna Savage, April 10, 1838, died in Weathersfield ; Reuben, born December 16, 1816, married April 2, 1839, Mary Jane Barrett, died in Windsor. James Weston and all his sons were farmers. Hor- ace received only a common school education. From the time he was old enough, and up to the time of his majority, he worked out, his wages going to the support of the family. When twenty-one years of age he hired out to John Davis, afterwards his father-in-law, for $150 per year, a large sum for those days. He worked for him until the time of his marriage. He married May 1, 1827, Mary, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Herrick) Davis. She was born November 16, 1804. After his marriage he bought on credit the " Asa Locke farm " in Rocking- ham, Vt., and stocked it with the money saved while in Mr. Davis's em- ploy. In 1834 he sold this farm, and purchased the farm of 150 acres in Springfield, known as " Parker's Place," on Parker Hill, south part of Springfield. Here he lived nineteen years, during which time he had paid for the farm, also another farm adjoining of 150 acres. In '1853 he sold out, and purchased in Windsor the property known as the " old Engolsal " farm consisting of 500 acres. The price paid was $15,000,

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all of which, except $3,000, he paid down. He carried on this farm up to the time of his death, which occurred May 20, 1871. The question often raised whether farming in Vermont pays, the above facts in the life of one of its successful farmers would seem to answer emphatically in the affirmative. Mr. Weston represented Springfield in the Legisla - ture of Vermont in 1852, and filled the positions of selectman and lister in both Springfield and Windsor. In physique he was large and robust with great power of endurance. His judgment in all business matters was sound. He was fond of reading, and a great home man. He was a member of the Universalist church in Springfield, one of its most active members, and a liberal contributor to its support. His children are: Albert Weston, born in Rockingham. Vt., August 19, 1830, married November 4, 1855, Almira, daughter of John and Anna Allison, of Weathersfield. She was born November 23, 1836. Her father, born in Dublin, N. H., February 26, 1790, married, first, Jerusha Sweet, of Hanover, N. H., born January 1, 1824, died July 23, 1829, and had three children, viz .: Boliver, James Stockwell, and Jerusha. He mar- ried, second, Mrs. Anna Mann, nec Porter, of Bradford, February, 1832. She was born December 16, 1800. The five children by this union were Lutetia, John Q., Almira, De Forest, and Cynthia Ann. Only one of the former and all of the latter set of children are living. Her father, Allison, died July 29, 1863 ; her mother died February 20, 1845. Al- bert and Almira Weston have had one child, John Albert, born Decem- ber 31, 1856, died August 30, 1870. Upon the death of his father Al- bert came into joint possession, with his brother Horace, of the home farm in Windsor, and until 1871 carried it on together. He then sold his interest to his brother. In 1885 he purchased the Stoughton man- sion in Windsor village, and has resided there ever since. Mr. and Mrs. Weston have spent their last eight winters in the South and California. They are members of the All Souls church at Windsor. Horace Wes- ton, born in Springfield, October 31, 1835, was eighteen years of age when his father moved to Windsor. He received his education in the common schools of Springfield, and fitted for college in the Wesleyan Seminary of that place, but decided not to take a college course. As before stated, he became sole owner of the large home farm in Windsor,

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and in addition thereto has purchased land in the town of Weathers- field amounting to 700 acres. He is one of the most extensive farmers in the region. He represented Windsor in the Legislature in 1872-73, was selectman seventeen years, fifteen years in succession, town lister thirteen years, and justice of the peace twenty years. He married De- cember 6, 1859, Sarah C, daughter of George and Susan (Wait) Dake. Mrs. Weston was born December 18, 1838, in Windsor. They have three children living, viz .: George D., born August 9, 1860, a graduate of Dartmouth College, in class of 1884, studied medicine, and received his diploma from the Medical Department of the Philadelphia University, and is now practicing his profession in Fort Payne, Ala .; Fred H., born April 7, 1863, was graduated from Dartmouth in 1885, is now head clerk for Joseph Whitcomb & Co, in Springfield, Mass .; Charles A., born October 19, 1873, a student in the High School at Windsor.

D AVIS, HON. GILBERT A., was born in Chester, Vt., December 18, 1835. He descends the fifth generation from William Davis, of Roxbury, Mass., born in England in 1617. His son, Jacob, the fourth child of eight children, born in Roxbury, September 17, 1742, married, October 30, 1764, Dorothy Baker of Dedham, Mass. Stephen, the eldest of eight children of Jacob, born in Roxbury, March 20, 1765, died March, 1821. He married Martha Tileston, and had eight chil- dren, of whom Asa, father of Gilbert A., born in Roxbury, August 22, 1789, married, October 12, 1815, Mary Hosmer, born in Chester, Vt., March 21, 1799, daughter of Amos and Sibbel (Parker) Hosmer, who came to Chester from Concord, Mass. They had children as follows : Charles L., Martha T., and Gilbert A. Asa Davis came to Chester, Vt., in 1812, and died in Reading, January 13, 1873, at the home of his son. He was a hatter by trade. His wife died in Chester, March 22, 1872. Gilbert A. received his education in the district school and at the Ches- ter Academy. When fifteen years of age he commenced teaching school in Vermont, and in 1852 went to New Jersey, where for four years he taught in Port Colden and Belvidere, in Warren county, and at Mount Pleasant, in Hunterdon county. When in Belvidere he began

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the study of law with the Hon. J. G. Shipman, a prominent lawyer of the latter place. Upon his return to Chester he continued the study with the Hon. William Rounds, of that place. In 1858-59 he studied in the office of Washburn & Marsh, at Woodstock, Vt., and was ad- mitted to the bar in the May term of the latter year in his native county. He remained with Washburn & Marsh until March, 1860. He then set tlen at Felchville, in Reading, where he first opened a law office, remain- ing there until June, 1879, when he removed to Windsor, where he has since resided, but has always kept a branch office at Felchville, where he has had a large clientage. Mr. Davis has been identified politically with the Republican party, and often a member of the county and State conventions. In 1858 and in 1861 he was assistant clerk of the House of Representatives, being assigned to the duty of making up the grand list. He was Register of the Probate Court of the District of Windsor, Vt., from December 1, 1864, to February, 1869. In addition to numerous minor offices he was town superintendent of schools, town agent, and auditor of Reading for ten consecutive years, represented the town of Reading in the State Legislature in 1872-74 and 1874-76, serving on Committee on Education, of which he was chairman at the latter session ; was State Senator in 1876-78, serving as chairman of the Committee on Education, and on the Judiciary, and State's Attorney for Windsor county from December 1, 1878, to December 1, 1880. By appointment of Governor Peck he compiled the " School Laws of Ver- mont" in 1875, and compiled and published the " History of Reading" in 1874, a publication requiring much patient research, and by it has been gathered many facts of local interest. He delivered the oration at the centennial celebration of the settlement of Reading, in 1872, and was also orator on the occasion of the centennial celebration of the adoption of the constitution and the name of the State, held at Wind- sor, August 9, 1877. He was a delegate from Vermont to the Anti Saloon Conference held at Chicago in 1887, serving on the Committee on Credentials, and was acting delegate from Vermont at the Chicago Republican Convention in 1888. He has been identified actively with the public improvements in Windsor ; was one of the commissioners to put in the water-works, and was trustee of the village in 1889-90; is a

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BIOGRAPHICAL.

director of the Windsor Electric Light Co., and the president, treasurer, director, and the largest stockholder in the Windsor Machine Company, a successful enterprise established in 1888, and is the largest resident taxpayer. He has a large and carefully selected law library, and has been a diligent student both of professional and miscellaneous topics. He has had with him from time to time young men who have pursued the study of the law under his supervision. Few men have been more often called upon to act as administrator, executor, guardian, trustee. His legal practice has taken a wide range in the courts of Ver- mont and New Hampshire, and in the United States courts, and before the Pension and Treasury Departments at Washington. His Vermont Supreme Court practice commenced in 1864, with the case of Town vs. Lamphere, reported 37 Vt., 52, February term, 1864, and cases with which he has been connected as counsel are to be found in every volume of Vermont reports since, and his briefs show careful study and prepa- ration. Mr. Davis is a member of the Congregational church at Wind- sor, its clerk, and Sabbath-school superintendent since 1881, one of its prudential committee, and has ever been ready to do whatever he could to promote its interests, to aid other churches of the Congregational faith, and when residing at Reading was for many years the superin- tendent of the Sunday-school there. He has for many years been an officer of the Vermont Historical Society, and taken an active interest in the preservation of the materials which go to make up the source of the history of the State and the towns and county where he has resided. He was a delegate to the Triennial Congregational Council held in Wor- cester, Mass., in 1889. He is a member of the Vermont Commandery, Knights Templar. Mr. Davis was married, April 13, 1862, by the Rev. J. T. Hanna, in the Methodist church at Turner. Du Page county, Ill.,

to Delia I., daughter of Lemuel and Mary A. (Weaver) Bolles. Mrs. Davis was born in Grafton, Vt., January 13, 1840. They have had four children, viz .: Charles Esek, born at Reading, January 10, 1864, died at Turner, Ill., August 24, 1865 ; George Gilbert, born at Reading, December 7, 1866, died at Reading, September 5, 1868 ; Mary Isabella, born at Reading, July 1, 1872, a graduate of Windsor High School, now a member of the Freshman class of Smith College, Northampton,

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Mass .; and Gilbert Franklin, born at Reading, June 19, 1877, living at home. For many years Mr. Davis has been active in the cause of temperance, having been frequently a speaker at temperance meetings, a member and officer of temperance organizations, the Sons of Temper- ance and I. O of G. T., and twice has been elected a delegate from Ver- mont to the Right Worthy Grand Lodge of Good Templars, but has each time been prevented by business from attending the session.

F MELD, HON. ABNER. The Field family was first settled in Wind- sor county by Pardon Field. He was born at Cranston, R. I., April 13, 1761, and was the son of James, who was the son of Jeremiah. He became a resident of Chester, Vt., between 1784-88. He married Eliza- beth Williams, who was descended from Roger Williams, being of the fifth generation. Their children were Hannah, who married John Kib- bling ; Lydia, married Robert Field ; James; Jeremiah; Abner; Joseph ; Sarah, married Stephen Austin; Welcome; Elizabeth; and Pardon. The pioneer of the family died October 28, 1842 Our subject was born in Chester, November 28, 1793. His education was limited to the com- mon schools of his native town. When twenty-two years of age he commenced his mercantile life by entering the store of Peter Adams, on " East Hill," in the town of Andover, where he remained seven years. He then returned to his native town and engaged in trade with Nathan- iel Fullerton. In 1831 he removed to North Springfield and formed a co-partnership with Sylvester Burke, and opened the store now occupied by his son. He continued business at this point till about 1845. It was through his instrumentality that a post-office was established at North Springfield, and he was appointed the first postmaster. He was one of the incorporators of the Windsor County Mutual Fire Insurance Com- pany, of the Springfield Savings Bank, and of the Bank of Black River, being for a number of years president of the latter institution. In poli- tics he was originally a Whig, and on the organization of the Republican party became one of its members. In 1835 and 1837 he represented Springfield in the General Assembly, and was Senator from Windsor

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History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 83

Author: Aldrich, Lewis Cass. ed. cn; Holmes, Frank R Publication date: 1891 Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., D. Mason & Co. Number of Pages: 1260

Author: Aldrich, Lewis Cass. ed. cn; Holmes, Frank R
Publication date: 1891
Publisher: Syracuse, N. Y., D. Mason & Co.
Number of Pages: 1260