USA > Vermont > Windsor County > History of Windsor County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 85
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F LETCHER, HON. RYLAND, the youngest child of Dr. Asaph Fletcher, was born in Cavendish, February 18, 1799. His early opportunities for an education were limited to the common schools of
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
his native town and a brief attendance upon the military academy of Captain Alden Partridge, at Norwich, Vt. At the age of seventeen he taught the winter terms of school for five years, the rest of the year being spent in laboring upon his father's farm. He early took a great interest in the militia of the State, and at his first appearance for parade was chosen a sergeant in the militia company in his native town. He was then eighteen years of age. The following year he was made a lieu- tenant, and two years afterwards a captain. In December, 1826, he was commissioned a major, in July, 1828, a lieutenant-colonel, and in No- vember, 1830, colonel of his regiment. He attained the rank of brig- adier-general in November, 1835, which position he filled a year, when he resigned. In early days of temperance and temperance legislation he became an active worker in the cause. He became prominently known in his native State, and also abroad, for his positive opinions on the questions of slavery and temperance ; and was a co-laborer with Gar- rison, Phillips, Birney, Slade and other prominent agitators for freedom of the slave, being actively engaged in the cause from 1837 until Abra- ham Lincoln proclaimed that slavery was no more. In politics Gover- nor Fletcher was an active Whig, but became identified with the Free Soil party, and in 1854 received the nomination as lieutenant governor on the coalition of the Whig and Free Soil parties in Vermont. He was elected lieutenant-governor in 1854 and 1855, and in 1856 governor, holding the latter position two years. At the time of the election of Governor Fletcher as the chief executive of the State the law requir- ing the enrolled militia to do military duty, excepting in cases of insur- rections and wars, had been repealed for more than fifteen years. The State had ceased to make appropriations for the support of the militia, and the uniformed companies had one by one disbanded, so in 1856 there had not been for ten years a semblance of a military organization. Governor Fletcher, having the foresight to see that slavery was bound to throw the country into a civil war, also having been connected with the militia under the old régime, felt a strong interest in its revival. In the summer of 1858 an invitation was extended to the various com- panies in the State to muster at Brandon for inspection and review. Nine companies responded to this invitation, and about 450 muskets
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were mustered on this occasion. During the second day a sham battle was given, the governor taking the command of the forces. This mus- ter generated a public interest in military affairs throughout the State, and company after company was formed, and thereby Vermont was in position to successfully fill her quota on the first call for troops made in 1861 by President Lincoln. Governor Fletcher, in his first message, speaking in regard to slavery, said as follows: " The change in the re- lation of slavery to the National government is total and complete. At first it was merely a local institution admitted to be an evil, its exist- ence deeply deplored and only tolerated on account of the supposed difficulty and danger of its sudden abolition, while on the other hand its extension was universally depreciated and positively prohibited. Now it has become an aggressive and powerful principle which has taken pos- session of every department of the Federal government except the pop- ular branch of the Legislature." In the same message he recommended improvements and efficiency in the State militia, which were acted upon, also the establishing of a reform school for juvenile offenders, previously to this they having been consigned to the State prison as a place of con- finement. During his administration the State House was burned and he called an extra session of the Legislature, which passed the bill build- ing the present edifice. Governor Fletcher's administrations were noted for their economy and progress. At the close of his term of office he returned to Cavendish, occupying his time in farming. He became a member of the Vermont House of Representatives in 1862 and 1863, and was a member of the Constitutional Convention of 1870. He at- tended two National Republican Conventions, and was a member of the Electoral College of 1864. Governor Fletcher married Mary Ann, daughter of Eleazer May, of Westminster, Vt., and had three children, viz .: Addison, died young ; Ann May, died unmarried; and Henry Addison. Governor Fletcher died from a disease of the heart, Decem- ber 19, 1885, loved and respected by all who knew him.
Henry Addison Fletcher was born in Cavendish, December 11, 1839. He received his education in the common schools of his native town and in Chester and Ludlow Academies. He enlisted as a private in August, 1862, being mustered into the United States service October
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
22, 1862, as first sergeant of Company C, Sixteenth Vermont Regiment. He was appointed March 9, 1863, sergeant-major, and commissioned April 2, 1863, second lieutenant of Company C ; mustered out August 10, 1863, on the expiration of his term of enlistment. He represented Cavendish in the General Assembly of 1867-68, 1878-80, and 1882, and served on the general committee in 1878, on the revision of laws in 1880, and as chairman of the committee on banks in 1882. He was appointed by Governor Redfield Proctor aid-de-camp on his staff, with the rank of colonel. In 1886-87 he was one of the senators to the popular branch of the Legislature from Windsor county. He is the present lieutenant-governor of the State of Vermont, having been elected to that office on the Republican ticket in 1890. He resides on the farm which was settled by his grandfather, and follows the occu . pation of a farmer.
S TEELE, FRED E., M. D., of Stockbridge, son of Samuel Warren Steele, was born in Northfield, Vt., May 28, 1859. His great- grandfather, James, was born in New Hampshire, and moved from there and settled in Roxbury, Vt. James, his son, born in New Hampshire, came to Vermont with his father, married Esther Smith and had six children. Samuel Warren Steele married March 10, 1857, Martha L Cram, who was born in Williamstown, Vt., April 15, 1838. Their four children were Clarence W., Fred E., Henry D., and Flora E. Samuel Warren Steele is a tinsmith by trade and resides in Northfield. Fred E., after attending the common schools of Northfield, was a student in the Northfield High School, and afterward for one year at the Norwich University. He commenced the study of medicine with Dr. W. B. Mayo, of Northfield, who was his preceptor for three years. During that period he attended two courses of lectures at the Hahnemann Medi- cal College and Hospital at Chicago, and secured his diploma from that institution February, 1882. He has been much interested in the cause of education, was superintendent of schools from 1883 to 1887, and rep- resented the town of Stockbridge in the State Legislature in 1890. The March following he located in the village of Gaysville, where he
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has since continued in the practice of his chosen profession. He was united in marriage to Luna May, daughter of Josiah P. and Fanny (Densmore) Brooks, who was born on the 29th of August, 1860. They have had born to them two children, namely, Fred E., who was born September II, 1883; and Roy, who was born September 17, 1889, and died September 19, 1889.
R OBBINS, OTIS, was born in Templeton, Mass., June 13, 1805. He passed his early life in Chester, attending the common schools, and in 1822 he went to Cavendish village and became a clerk with Ingalls & Fletcher, they being located at the old red store in that village. The senior member of the above firm retiring from the business in 1827, his interest was purchased by Mr. Robbins and the firm became Fletcher & Robbins. The death of Mr. Fletcher necessitated another change in the firm, and Mr. Robbins took as a partner Mr. Williams, who after a few years removed West, and Joseph A. White became a partner, the style of the firm being Robbins & White. This firm carried on business at Cavendish village for over forty years, and was dissolved on account of the death of its junior member. Mr. Robbins carried on the business till 1881, but during the latter years of his life retired from active business. He held the office of town clerk of Cavendish for over sixteen years, and during his term of office the records are exceptional specimens of pen- manship and neatness. Mr. Robbins was also for a number of years one of the board of selectmen of Cavendish. He married in 1835 Susan White, and there was no issue of the marriage. Mrs. Robbins died February 24, 1883. Mr. Robbins died at Cavendish, Vermont, on the 7th of March, 1887.
T AYLOR, JAMES C., was born in West Windsor, September 22, 1845. Abram, his great-grandfather, married a Miss Davis, of Reading, came to West Windsor prior to 1800, located on the farm now
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
owned and occupied by Charles Stearns, where he reared a family of ten children, nine of whom reached adult age, viz .: Levi, Simeon, John, Reuben, Justin, Lois, Chloe, Olive, and Sally. Abram and his wife died in this place, and were buried in the Sheddsville burying ground, West Windsor. Levi, of the above, married Sally Robinson, and after his marriage purchased what was then known as the Wilson place, and lived there until his death, which occurred October 17, 1864. His wife died there January 20, 1879. Of his children only one is living (1890), viz .: Susan Maria, born April 20, 1817, widow of Jonas V. Bowers. She has four children living, viz : Oscar, Arletta, De Forest, and Alma. She resides with the latter, now Mrs. E. B. Lord. James Madison, father of James C., born in West Windsor, August 29, 1812, was the only one of Levi's sons who reached adult age. He married Emeline Elvira, born January 13, 1818, daughter of Noah and Hannah (Davis) Cady. Upon the death of his father he came into the possession of the home farm, and built in 1849 the present stone farm house. He died there February 12, 1888 ; his wife died December 3, 1880. They had three children: Adelaide Ann, born March 12, 1842, married March 13, 1864, W. H. H. Ralph, farmer living in West Windsor, and has two children, Etta Emeline and Hugh Henry; James Clinton, born Septem - ber 22, 1845; and Albert Cady, born October 12, 1854, died July 7, 1864. James Clinton has always lived on the farm named above, which came into his possession on the death of his father, consisting then of upwards of 200 acres, to which he has added, by purchase, 100. He is a Republican in politics, and has taken an active part in the public in- terests of the town. He has filled the positions of lister, selectman, and represented the town in the Legislature of 1886-87, also 1890-91. In religious belief Mr. Taylor is a Universalist. He married, January 12, 1870, Charlotte A, daughter of Bezaleel and Emily Sophia (Bagley) Bridge, born June 6, 1849. Of her nine brothers and sisters only two are living, viz .: Corodon S., a provision merchant in Boston, and George Colamer, farmer living in West Windsor. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor have had five children : the eldest two died infants unnamed. Those living are Luna Mabel, born December 15, 1872; Guy Cady, born May 31, 1878; and Emily Gertrude, born September 4, 1884.
J. C. Taylor
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
November 12, 1848, died September 24, 1849. Sumner A. Webber died at Rochester, May 20, 1862, and his wife died there September 29, 1860.
W ALKER, HON. WILLIAM HARRIS, of Vermont, was born in Windham, Vt., February 2, 1832, and is the second son of Eph- raim and Lydia (Harris) Walker. His mother was a sister of the late Judge William Harris, for whom our subject was named. After attend- ing the Leland Academy of Townshend, Vt., for one term, he entered Black River Academy in 1852, where he remained one year. His clas- sical education was attained at Middlebury College, from which he grad- uated with full honors, and has been one of its trustees for many years. He then accepted the position of principal of the Little Falls Academy at Little Falls, N. Y., being engaged there two years. While filling the above position his leisure hours were employed in studying law in the office of Judge Arphaxed Loomis, a prominent attorney of Little Falls. Judge Walker came to Ludlow in the fall of 1860 and completed his studies with Hon. F. C. Robbins, and became a member of the Windsor County Bar in the fall of 1861. The practice of his profession was com- menced in Ludlow the year he was admitted, and has been continued to the present time. Judge Walker has not only been called by his towns- men but by the citizens of his native State to fill various positions of political and judicial trust. He was Assistant Secretary of the Senate in 1857, member of the Vermont House of Representatives of 1865-66 and 1884, member of the State Senate from Windsor county in 1867-68. State's Attorney in 1874-76, Supervisor of the Insane 1878-80, Probate Judge of Windsor District from 1878 to 1884, and in the latter year was elected by the Legislature a member of the Supreme Bench, which po- sition he was obliged to resign in 1887 on account of ill-health. Judge Walker married Ann Eliza, daughter of Dr. Ardain G. Taylor, of Lud- low, and has one child, Frank A.
Walker, Frank A., was born in Londonderry, Vt., March 7, 1860. He took an academical course at Black River Academy ; graduated from Middlebury College in 1882. He studied law with his father and Mar-
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
tin H. Goddard, became a member of the Windsor County Bar in 1886, and resides and practices law at Ludlow, Vt. He married Miss Jennie A. Leland, and has one child, Carmen.
W ARNER, HIRAM LINDSAY, was born in Mount Holly, Vt., July 4, 1825, and is the youngest son of Aaron and Esther (Pierce) Warner. His father was a farmer, and our subject only had the benefit of a common school education. Before he became of age he purchased a mountain covered with timber in his native town, and from that time till 1864 he was engaged in lumbering and farming. In the latter year he enlisted in Company I, Second Vermont Regiment, and served till the close of the war. He then returned to his native town, and in the spring of 1866 came to Ludlow and was employed by Lawson Dawley, at that time proprietor of the Ludlow House. He was in Mr. Dawley's employ seven or eight months, and in 1867 he purchased a hotel at East Wallingford, Vt., which he carried on about nine years. Mr. Warner then spent some months traveling in the West, but re- turned to Athol, Mass., and in December, 1876, rented the Batchelder House at North Brookfield, Mass., which he ran for five years. He then went West again, remaining a short time, and returned to Winsted, Conn., and carried on the Beardsley House for about six months. In 1882 he bought the Ludlow House, and successfully ran the same for five years, when he rented the property, and built a residence two miles from Ludlow village, and engaged in farming. Mr. Warner was a Re- publican in politics till 1884, in which year he voted for Grover Cleve- land for President, and has since affiliated with the Democrats. He was the first Democratic member of the Vermont House of Representatives ever elected from Ludlow, representing the town in 1890. He is one of the present selectmen of the town, and was a member of the Board of 1889 Mr. Warner married, May, 1849, Drusilla, daughter of Ethan and Hannah (Dawley) Priest. She was born in Mount Holly, June 27, 1830. They have two children : Ina L., born in Mount Holly, Au- gust 5, 1853, is the widow of Eugene Dickerman, and has one child,
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
Lindsay M., born in East Wallingford, April 26, 1884; Irwin, born in Mount Holly, December 7, 1856, married Mattie Holt, and has two children : William L., born in North Brookfield, Mass., October 5, 1879, and Arthur E., born in Mount Holly, July 23, 1881.
M ACKENZIE FAMILY, THE. Among the old families of Scot- land were the Monros and Mackenzies. Captain David Monro, who was shot at the Battle of the Boyne, July 1, 1690, married Mary, daughter of Sir John Davis, of Whitehall, Carrickfergus. They had one son, Joseph, who in 1695 married Elizabeth Ross of Balblain. They had two children, David and Margaret. David became a distinguished lawyer in Edinburgh, and was a writer to the Signet. From 1720 to 1760 he was a prominent and successful business man of Edinburgh and thereby was enabled to redeem his ancestral estate, which, during his father's life, had suffered from lawsuits and various unjust attempts that were made on the property. Included in his purchase was the estate of Mickle Allan. He died in 1767, unmarried. Margaret, the sister of David, married John Mackenzie, who owned corn-mills and resided near Inverness. Five sons were the issue of this marriage, viz .: David, Mal- comb, Alexander, Charles and Joseph. Charles, mentioned above, at the request of his uncle, David Monro, took his name and settled on the estate of Mickle Allan. He married, first, Mary MacLeod, daughter of Laird of Granils, in 1769. She died in 1800, leaving no issue, and he married, second, Catharine, eldest daughter of Hugh Houston, esq., of Craik, Sutherlandshire. They had a family of two sons and four daugh- ters. Charles died in 1818. David, son of Charles, served for a few years as ensign in H. M. 76th Regiment, and married Elizabeth, only daughter of William Bennett, esq. Of their family of eight children, six were sons, viz .: Charles, born in 1834, was a lieutenant in the Fourth Bombay Rifles, and died in 1855 on board the steamship Euxine, and was buried in the Bay of Biscay ; William served as ensign in the Seventy-sixth Regiment ; David, a lieutenant in the Madras Staff Corps
-
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
and inspector-general of Constabulary of Scotland, married Louisa, daughter of Hon. Charles Pelly of the Madras Civil Service ; Francis, captain in the Madras army, married Eugenia, daughter of Charles Mac- key, an officer of the Madras Civil Service, by whom he had one child, Archie Claude Allen Monro, born at Ræpore, India, February 28, 1872, was adopted in 1881 by Frank S. Mackenzie, and resides in Woodstock, Vt .; Robert Clifford Lloyd was lost at sea in January, 1855, when a midshipman on the Madagascar ; George Alexander Ross, lieutenant Fourth King's Own Regiment, died in the twenty-first year of his age. Joseph, son of John and Margaret (Monro) Mackenzie, was born at Paisley, Scotland, January 1, 1733, and married December 7, 1761, Elizabeth Calhoun, who was born in Edinburgh, March 23, 1744. He learned the weaver's trade in Edinburgh, and in June, 1775, embarked with his family from Greenwich, England, for America. The British at this time occupied Boston Harbor, and after a voyage of sixteen weeks Mr. Mackenzie landed at Marblehead, Mass. He finally came to Lon- donderry, N. H., where he remained nine years, then removed to New Boston, N. H. After eight years' residence at the latter place he re- moved to Hartland, Vt, where he died July 30, 1825 ; his wife Janu- ary 10, 1827. He had a family of nine children, viz .: John and David died in infancy ; Charles, born November 29, 1768, died at Hartland, January 5, 1847 ; Peter, born July 20, 1771, died at Berlin, Vt., June 4, 1810 ; John, born January 3, 1774, became a blacksmith, and settled in Woodstock, where he died July 29, 1854 ; Joseph; Betsey, born Sep- tember 22, 1779, died at Hartland, August 11, 1858 ; Margaret, born March 23, 1782, died at Woodstock, March 2, 1848 ; and David, born November 15, 1785, died at Hartland, November 13, 1800. Joseph, above, born at Londonderry, N. H., August 11, 1776, married Septem- ber 5, 1805, Mercy, daughter of George Thomas of Woodstock. Her father was a Revolutionary soldier, and purchased the farm now occu - pied by Joseph C. Mackenzie in Woodstock with Continental money re- ceived for his services during the war. Joseph Mackenzie came to Woodstock in 1799 as apprentice to his brother John, and from that time till his death, December 16, 1869, was a resident of the town. His wife died June 28, 1856, aged seventy-two years. Their children were
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HISTORY OF WINDSOR COUNTY.
Mary, born July 20, 1806, married Bela F. Simmons, and died in Wood- stock; George T., born in 1808, married Angeline Comstock, and in 1835 settled at Adrian, Mich., where he died ; Joseph C. and John F., twins, born April 11, 1813 ; the former resides in Woodstock ; the latter died August 13, 1841 ; Justin F .; Theresa, born October 24, 1819, mar- ried Ransom M. Russell, and resides in Woodstock; Harriet, born Feb- ruary 10, 1822, married R. C. M. Howe and resides at St. Johnsbury, Vt .; and Valucia, died in infancy. Justin F., of the above family, was born in Woodstock, May 5, 1816, and lived till he was eighteen years of age on his father's farm. In May, 1834, he emigrated West with his brother, locating at Adrian, Mich. The following year he returned to his native town, having contracted fever and ague in Michigan. In 1836 he was employed by Jasper Strong, at Quechee, in erecting a woolen - mill at that point, and with A. G. Dewey made all the leather belts by hand used in supplying the mill. Mr. Mackenzie continued to be em- ployed at these mills till the spring of 1838, when, owing to financial difficulties, they were shut down. From this time till the fall of 1839 he had charge of the dye house of Mallory & Co., at Quechee, and from the latter date till 1842 he was employed by Francis Kidder & Co., of Bristol, N. H., as head dyer. On account of the failure of Messrs. Kid- der & Co. Mr. Mackenzie returned to Quechee, and for a short time was employed in the mills there ; but in the latter part of 1842 he pur- chased a farm in the north western part of Woodstock. From this time till 1858 he was engaged in farming, though at different intervals he was employed in woolen -mills ; from 1854 to 1858 he had charge of the dye- ing at the Woodward mills. In the winter of 1858 Mr. Mackenzie formed a partnership with A. G. Dewey and William S. Carter, under the firm name of A. G. Dewey & Co., and manufactured woolens at the lower mill in Quechee. He retained this interest till his death, July 25, 1889. Mr. Mackenzie married, December 26, 1842, Mary, daughter of John Dewey. They had two children, Frank S. and Charles. He re- moved from his farm to Quechee, where he continued to reside till the winter of 1869, when he came to Woodstock village, purchasing the property situated at the head of the park, the house having been built by the late Dr. John D. Powers. Mr. Mackenzie was largely interested
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BIOGRAPHICAL.
in the building of the Woodstock railroad, and was at the time of his death its vice-president. He represented Woodstock in the Vermont House of Representatives in 1884. In 1885 he superintended the build- ing of the Norman Williams Memorial Library, and also obtained the charter for the Woodstock Aqueduct Company.
ORRISON, MARQUIS F., was born in Windsor, Vt., March 2,
M 1825. He descends the fifth generation from (1) Robert, prob- ably born in Ireland, died in Londonderry, N. H .; settled there in 1719, was one of the 119 persons to whom the charter of the town was given. His wife's name was Elizabeth. They had three children, viz .: Robert, William and Sally. Robert, born in Ireland in 1714, was half owner with his brother William of the homestead farm in Londonderry, an elder in the West Parish church, never married, and died February 7, 1794. Sally married a Mr. Coburn, and lived and died in Derry, N. H. (2) William, born in Londonderry, November 30, 1726, died February 28, 1788. His wife was Jane Rogers ; she died in 1794. Their chil - dren were : Robert, Hannah, Jane, Lizzie, David and Mary. Of these (3) David, grandfather of Marquis F., born in Londonderry, October 14, 1756, settled in Windsor, Vt., about 1794, and died there January 5, 1826. He took a deed of his farm in Windsor, October 12, 1795. His wife was Margaret McGrath, born in Portsmouth, N. H., July 5, 1766. Her father was a native of Ireland. In February, 1781, he went as a soldier in the army of the Revolution. She died August 30, 1843, aged seventy-seven years. The children of David and Margaret Morrison were William, Hannah, John Bush, Eliza, Daniel, Diadama, Relief and Lorenzo. Of these children (4) Daniel, father of Marquis F., was born in Windsor, November 9, 1796, and died there January 12, 1839. He married, June 2, 1822, Chloe Bishop, born in Barre, Vt., June 12, 1800. She died June 10, 1852. Daniel Morrison was a shoemaker as well as farmer, working at his trade after his day's work on the farm was done. Their children were Solon, Marquis F., Lorenzo and David. Solon, born April 14, 1823, was educated at the academy at Unity, N. H., at
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