USA > Vermont > Addison County > Middlebury > History of the town of Middlebury, in the county of Addison, Vermont > Part 18
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38
William Goodrich, the other son of Stephen, about the year 1787, settled on a second hundred acre lot, extending from Otter Creek eastwardly, where he built a small house and kept a tavern for travelers on the creek, on the site of the cottage afterwards built by Austin Johnson, Esq., and since occupied by his widow. In . the year 1791 Goodrich purchased the west half of the second hundred acre division on the minister's right, now owned by Jacob W. Conroe, east of Dr. Bass's, on the opposite side of the road, built him a small house and lived there a few years. In that year his wife opened, at her house, or in a small school-house, on the opposite side of the road, built about that time, the first school for children kept in the neighborhood of the village. Mr. Goodrich, for several years afterwards occupied the mill house and tended the saw mill of Judge Painter. After that he erected the brick house now owned by the Episcopal Society, as a parsonage, where he lived until his death. In the meantime he was chosen town clerk annually from 1797 to 1812, except one year. He died in the last mentioned year, of the epidemic, at the age of fifty-seven.
In 1785, Robert Huston from Voluntown, Conn., settled on the north half of the Oliver Evarts' pitch, about a mile northeast of the village. Evarts, an original proprietor, in the controversy be- tween the colonies and the mother country, adhered to the cause of the latter. He had resided for a time in Castleton, Rutland ·County. Like many others, he probably stood on neutral ground until the invasion of Burgoyne, which produced a general panic, and to the faint hearted a discouragement as to the prospect of the colonies. He about that time went over to the enemy, and was
208
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
residing in Canada after the war. As usual, his land was promptly confiscated by the authorities of the State. On the 24th of August 1778, James Claghorn of Rutland, "commissioner for the sale of confiscated estates, in the probate district of Rutland in the County of Bennington," " in the name and behalf of the representatives of the freemen of the State of Vermont," granted to Robert Hus- ton the whole of Evarts' land, including his pitch, except one hun- dred acres before sold to William Hopkins, which land "was the property of Oliver Evarts, and now forfeit to this State by his trea- sonable conduct." Here Mr. Huston continued to reside until the time of his death in 1827, at the age of seventy-seven. His son, Robert Huston Jun., who had always resided with him, continued the possession for several years, and sold the farm and removed to the west. It was until lately the residence of Edwin Hammond, Esq. It has now by an exchange, become the residence of the widow of William S. Hammond. Robert Huston Senior, at the second town meeting in 1787, was chosen town clerk, and continued in that office until 1797. He was also the first postmaster, and held sev- eral important trusts in town.
Ebenezer Johnson, from Wells, Rutland County, the same year, went into possession of lot No. 10, of the second hundred acre division, which lies next north of No. 9, of the same division, about a mile east of the village. Johnson continued his possession until 1794. It was afterwards owned by Josiah Stowell, from Mansfield, Conn., and was occupied from 1804 to 1812 by his son, Alfred Stowell, who built the present house. At the latter date, Josiah Stowell went into possession himself. It is now owned and occupied by Dea. Eli Mathews. Josiah Stowell also owned a part of No. 9, on which the house of Millen Stowell, another son, stands.
Elijah Buttolph came into town as early as 1786, and perhaps the year before. His son says, that, at the time, there were only sixteen families settled in town after the war. Ile soon married the widow of Joseph Plumley, who had taken possession of the farm, on which her husband had commenced a settlement before the war. He occupied her farm until the daughter came of age, and had the use of a part afterwards as the dower of his wife. Buttolph after-
209
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
wards purchased several pieces of land, and a small piece of the Plumley lot, on which he built his two story house, now owned by his son Elijah Buttolph, next south of the Plumley farm. Elijah Buttolph senior, died in the year 1835, aged ninety-four years. The daughter of Joseph Plumley married John A. Sumner of New Haven, and they sold her farm on her coming of age. It has since been owned, successively by Billy Manning, who resided on it sev- eral years, and by John Simmons Esq. It is now owned by Reu- ben Wright.
Abraham Kirby from Litchfield, Conn., father of Ephraim Kirby, a distinguished politician of that State, moved with his family into town in February 1786, and settled on a lot, which he had, on the 25th of March previous, pitched on the right of Rufus Marsh, lying next south of a lot pitched on the same day for Joshua Hyde. John S. Kirby, a son of Abraham, remained through the season of 1785, and cleared four or five acres and sowed it to wheat, on his father's pitch. In the year 1790, Mr. Kirby purchased for his son Joseph, who had settled in Lanesborough, Mass., a lot lying next south of his and next north of Moses Hale's farm. His son, in January 1792, moved on his family and took possession of his land. He and his father occupied together the house which the latter had built, and which still remains on the farm. In the spring of 1787, the year after his removal here, Mr. Kirby sent his son, John S., to Pittsford, in company with some other men, to procure apple trees, for the commencement of an orchard, which was the second planted in town. They went up the creek in a canoe, and on their return, ran into the rapids above the falls before they were aware of it, and the current was so strong that they were unable to run their canoe ashore, and were rapidly approaching the falls and expecting to be carried over and dashed to pieces on the rocks below. As they passed under the bridge, which was then building in the place where it now stands, Kirby caught hold of one of the timbers, and clung to it and delayed the course of the canoe, until some men, who were present, came to their relief and rescued them from their impending death.
In January 1791, Mary Kirby, a daughter of Abraham Kirby,
210
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
was married to Samuel Severance, son of Ebenezer Severance, an early settler, who will be mentioned hereafter. After their marriage they settled on Hyde's pitch, next north of Kirby's farm, commenced a clearing, built a house and resided on it six years. Afterwards Severance and John S. Kirby exchanged lands, and Kirby took possession of Severance's farm, and lived on it until, at an advanced age, he went to reside with his son in Ripton, where he remained until his death in 1848, aged eighty-five years.
Abraham Kirby, the father, died in 1796 at the age of sixty- five years. After his death, his sons Joseph and John divided the farm, of which he remained the owner, Joseph remaining in possession of the homestead, until his death in 1831, at the age of sixty-three years. The house and farm are now occupied by his son Ephraim Kirby, and the farm of John S. Kirby is owned and cultivated by Alvin Ball. All this family were among the most respectable citizens of the town and members of the Congregational Church. Joseph was one of its earliest deacons.
In 1786 Benjamin Sumner, of Claremont, New Hampshire, having a deed of the governor's right from Martha Wentworth, daughter and heir of Governor Benning Wentworth, and her husband, Michael Wentworth, Col. William B. Sumner, his son, settled on that lot, cleared it up, and built the large house now standing on it. He remained in possession of this farm until within a few years he sold it to Jonathan Wainwright and went to the west to reside with his daughter. For some years he kept a house of public entertainment. Previous to his final sale, he had sold about one hundred acres, which has been owned successively by Juba Olmstead and Henry and Lucius Barrows, sons of Lucius Barrows, and now by Charles H. Wicker. Col. Sumner also sold a small tract, at the south end, which is owned by John A. Hummond. The remainder of the lot was set off to the widow and heirs of Jonathan Wainwright, and most of it is occupied by a tenant under the widow,
Jonathan Preston, from New Canaan, N. Y., was the first who commenced a settlement on Munger Street. In 1786, he went into possession of home lot No. 42, cleared a piece and sowed it to
211
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
wheat. The next spring he moved his family, built a log house on his land, and afterwards the present frame house.
Mr. Asa Preston, his son, who is still living, and was then a member of the family, states that there was no clearing between his father's and the village, except on the rising ground where Robert Huston had just located himself, and where Edwin Hummond has since lived, and that, as far as this place they traveled wholly by marked trees. From Huston's the trees were cut away for a road. The path which they traveled through the woods was full of roots, and, in many places, the mud was deep between the roots. Mr. Preston says, that while riding through at one time on horse- back, his horse stepped one of his feet between two birch roots, and was held fast. He struggled to extricate himself, but could not until Preston obtained a lever and pried the roots apart sufficiently to let the horse's foot out. There was a sort of bridge across Muddy Branch, where they passed, made with poles placed length- wise across the stream, and just wide enough for a single horse to pass. As Mr. Preston was riding to mill with his grist on horse- back, his horse, on account of some defect in his limbs, traveled a little sideways, and stepped one foot over the bridge and tumbled, with rider and grist, into the stream. Preston picked himself up, drew his bags out of the water and went on.
It was at that time all woods, Mr. Preston says, on the east side of the falls, where the village now is, except a small clearing about Painter's mill, and a small plank house where the miller lived. On the west side of the creek, there was a saw mill belonging to Stillman Foot. The house built by him was then new, probably built the year before, and is the same, with additions and alterations, in which Daniel Henshaw lived for many years.
Jonathan Preston continued to occupy the farm on which he first settled until his death in 1809, at the age of sixty-three years. Since that event it has been owned and is still occupied by his son Asa Preston.
Nathaniel Munger, and his son-in-law Nathan Case, from Nor- folk, Conn., commenced a settlement on home lot 43, next south of Preston's, in 1787. Case was a blacksmith, and he and Mr.
212
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
Munger had each a log house on the lot. Mr. Munger boarded with Mr. Preston in 1787, when he commenced clearing his farm. He afterwards built the frame house in which Hiram Munger now lives. After a few years Mr. Case moved to No. 12, in the east tier of home' lots, where Dudley Munger had commenced a clearing ; and Nathaniel Munger continued to occupy and cultivate the farm on which he first settled until the time of his death in 1830, at the age of eighty years.
Edmund Munger, in 1788 or 1789, settled on lot No. 44, next south of Nathaniel Munger's, partly cleared it, and resided on it a few years, and sold it to Alpheus Brooks, who occupied it until his death, and it is now owned by Hiram Munger.
Jonathan Munger, about the same time, commenced a settlement on 41, next north of Preston's. It was afterwards, for many years, owned and cultivated by Capt. David Chittenden, and it is now. owned and in the possession of David Hooker. Edmund and Jonathan Munger, as early as 1797, removed to Ohio, and on their journey stopped at Cincinnati, when there were only four log houses there.
Previous to 1792, Dudley Munger, a brother of the others of that name, had made considerable improvements on No. 12, and in that year sold it to Nathan Case, and removed to No. 45, next south of Edmund Munger, on which he settled. Phineas Phelps. had before made a beginning on that lot and built a log house. Munger soon after built the present two-story house and resided on the lot until the death of his wife, when at an advanced age he went to reside in the family of his only. son Hiram Munger, Esq., on the Nathaniel Munger farm. The farm on which he lived is now owned by Samuel N. Brooks.
Reuben Munger, another brother, came to Middlebury about the year 1789. His first settlement in Vermont was at Fair Haven. He settled on No. 40, the north lot on the west tier of home lots. He lived on this lot until his death in 1828, at the age of 72.
Seymour Sellick, from Salisbury Conn., settled on No. 46, belonging to the right of Bethel Sellick, his father, an original proprietor. This lot lies south of and adjoining Dudley Munger's
.
.
213
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
farm, and Sellick was in possession of it before Munger had taken possession of his. Munger about that time married Sellick's sister. While they lived there, they each built a two story house, of the . same dimensions, only a few rods apart. Both were raised on the same day, and both painted red. Mr. Sellick continued to culti- vate his farm until his death. It has since been owned by different persons, and among others by Dea. Salmon Moulton from Orwell, who lived on it several years. While in his possession in 1834, the house built by Sellick was burnt, and the present house was built by him. It is now owned by Chauncey Moore.
These seven families constituted the neighborhood of Munger Street, came into town near the same time, and settled within an average distance of fifty rods of each other, occupying the whole land on both sides of the street,-their farms being fifty rods wide on the road, and one mile in length, east and west. The five Mungers, with Elizur Munger, who spent only one year in town, constituted the six sons of Elizur Munger of Norfolk, Conn., and were among the most respectable citizens of Middlebury, as were also Mr. Preston and Mr. Sellick.
There has been no permanent settlement on home lot No. 47, next south of Seymour Sellick's. But Philip Foot, at an early day, built a saw mill on the west end of the lot, which is now owned by Nichols and Wheeler, and used in connection with their chair factory. It has been owned, and the houses in the neighborhood, occupied, at different times, by different individuals.
Abel Case, a brother of Nathan Case, at an early day settled on home lot 48. He built the house now standing on it, and continued his residence there until 1831, when he was thrown from his wag- gon while returning home from the village in the evening, and de- scending the hill north of Edwin Hammond's. When discovered he was dead. His son-in-law, George Smith, now owns and lives on the farm.
.. Daniel Sellick, a brother of Seymour Sellick, at an early day, settled on the second hundred acre division on the right of his father, Bethel Sellick, about a mile southerly from the village. He had resided a year or two with his brother Seymour, and in the mean- 11
214
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
time was married to Eleanor Goff from Winchester, Conn., then re- siding with her brother-in-law, Abel Case. He built a log house on the lot then entirely new, cleared it and resided on it until he died in January 1813, of the epidemic. His widow afterwards re- sided with her son Bethel and a daughter on the same farm, and died October 27, 1856, aged ninety-seven years.
Mrs. Sellick in her life time stated that when they settled on their farm, Judge Painter, Dr. Matthews, John Deming and Samuel Miller resided in the village,-the last in a small office. The vil- lage, she says, was not cleared except around the houses ; that & road was then open from their house northerly, to the road which passes Dr. Bass's, a little east of Mr. Conroe's barn ; but was open no further south, except a wood road in winter, which was travelled only on horseback in summer until the Centre Turnpike was built. She states, that while she lived at Abel Case's, she, with Mr. Case and others, in the winter, started on an ox sled through the woods to attend meeting at Daniel Foot's. The sled, on the way, run over the end of a log, and turned them over, and her arm was broken. Religious meetings were then held in Daniel Foot's large barn.
As early as 1785, Hezekiah Wadsworth, a brother of Israel Wadsworth, owned a second hundred acre lot, lying north of the farm formerly owned by Dea. Simon Farr. He afterwards settled on it, built a house and resided there for several years, and after- wards resided on the Harris farm, on the west side of the creek, then in Cornwall, now owned by Mr. Shackett. The Wadsworth lot was afterwards owned by Samuel Miller, as a part of his home farm. The house, which Wadsworth built, stood on the road men- tioned by Mrs. Sellick ; and was afterwards moved by Mr. Miller to the turnpike, a little south of the dwelling house lately owned by Seymour J. Dewey, and now occupied by the widow of Gideon Carpenter, who died November 22, 1858, aged 66 years. The house has been known as Miller's farm house. The lot is now owned by Gen. Nash, and the house by Louis Hope.
About the year 1790, Dea. Simon Farr settled on a farm lying south of Wadsworth's, and north of Daniel Sellick's, where he re- sided for many years, until he removed to New Haven. The farm
215
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY,
had for many years, been owned by Mr. Roswell Fitch, since deceased, and is now owned by Augustus H. Matthews.
Martin Evarts, Esq., settled on home lot 64, lying next north of Martin Foot's farm, as early as 1788, cleared it up and built the two story house, in which he resided until the time of his death. It is now owned by Gardner C. Cady, who resides on it.
Ebenezer Severance, from Northfield, Mass., moved into town as early as the spring of 1790, and settled on the' west end of home lots 16 and 17. These he cleared and cultivated, as his home farm until the time of his death in 1812, at the age of seventy-three. Ile owned also the west half of 18 and 19, and the east half of 55 in the west tier of home lots, lying west of and adjoining No. 18. By an arrangement between his son Samuel Severance, and his son- in-law John S. Kirby, he deeded to the former the three lots last mentioned, and Samuel Severance deeded to Kirby the lot on which he had commenced and resided, and took possession of the lands received from his father. And, as before mentioned, John S. Kirby took possession of the lot next north of his father, Abraham Kirby, received from Severance.
Samuel Severance settled on the east end of 55, and cleared 18 and 19, which were entirely wild. Here he resided until 1851, when he died at the age of eighty-six years. The farm is now owned by his sons Smith Severance and Darius Severance, each of whom has a house on the premises. The widow of Samuel Sever- ance is a daughter of Abraham Kirby, as we have before intimated, and is still living at the age of eighty-five, with a remarkable in- telligence and memory for her age. From her we have derived many facts in relation to the early settlement.
Enos Severance, another son of Ebenezer Severance, settled on the west end of home lots 14 and 15, next north of his father, built the present house, now occupied by his widow, and remained until his death in 1842, at an advanced age.
Moses Severance, another son, who came into town with his father, after residing elsewhere for several years, returned to Middle- bury with his family, and lived in the house with his father, and took care of him in his old age, and remained in possession of the
216
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
farm until his death. The farm'is now owned and cultivated by David E. Boyce, son of Dea. David Boyce.
John Tillotson, a young man from Long Island, came to Middle- bury in 1784, with no capital but his hands, and an enterprising disposition. The following year he married the daughter of Sim- eon Chandler, then a resident, and for several years remained in the family of his father-in-law. In the meantime he labored for dif- ferent persons, and thus supported his family, and accumulated property sufficient to enable him to buy land for himself. He first began and built a log house on home lot No. 29. He soon moved to No. 28, where Philo Achley had commenced a clearing and built a plank house. On this lot he built the present house and adjoin- ing buildings. Here he resided until October 1855, when he died at the age of ninety-three. The farm has been recently sold by his heirs to E. K. Severance, who now owns it.
About the time of John Tillotson's purchase, his brother Silas Tillotson settled on No. 30, next south. He remained several years in possession of this lot, and moved from town. The farm is now owned by William P. Huntington.
Deacon Ebenezer Sumner, in 1787, settled on home lot 36 oppo- site the house of Philip Foot, where he resided until his death. The following is a part of the story of his widow as related to Mr. Battell in 1850, when she was ninety-one years old. She died in 1853, at the age of ninety-four.
She was a native of Chatham, Conn., and her name was Hall. Her husband was from Middletown. They were married in 1780, and ten days after they accompanied his father to Wells, in Rutland County. After remaining there seven years. the difficulty of main- taining a religious organization, in so broken a town, led her hus- band to remove. They came to Middlebury with their children, and settled near the north end of Foot Street. Their log house stood with the wood so darkening around it, that they could not see the road on the left; and seemed shut off from it, and it was at first very gloomy. After mentioning the organization of the church, she says, that there was subsequently much interest, with a part of
217
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
the people, in religious things. The women and children came to meeting on sleds from Munger Street, and old Mr. Weeks and wife came six miles from Salisbury. Four or five professors, within two miles, among whom was her husband, would meet once a fortnight, at each other's houses for prayer and conversation. She does not remember the names of the first preachers. Dr. Swift preached two or three times a year before Mr. Barnet came. Mr. Barnet was ordained in a barn ; Dr. Merrill in the Court House. Mr. Barnet lived in her own neighborhood. One summer Mr. Foot did not like to be troubled with the meetings, he said, and they were held in her husband's barn.
The stake for the centre of the town was set south of them on Foot Street; but Mr. Foot would not set out fifty acres in lots. and Judge Painter said they must go to the village. When they did this finally, father Foot left the church and joined the Baptists, and was immersed in Lemon Fair. Mrs. Sumner thought him a good man, but he was irritable and strong tempered. His wife was an excellent woman. Her name was stillman, and she had two sis- ters in Middletown, one of whom was the mother of Mr. Daniel Henshaw. Mrs. Foot used to tell of being here before the war. The summer before they left, their beds were packed every morning ready for a start. Mr. Foot finally left and staid in Washington, Berkshire County.
Dr. Willard was the first physician she saw here. The people used to doctor one another. Hearing of the sickness of others, and supposing some remedy would be useful, they communicated it. Watchers went two miles and more. She remembered the dysen- tery as an epidemic about forty years ago. A grave was opened in town every day for four weeks, and on two Sundays of those, a man and child were buried. She used formerly to visit Connecticut, at least as often as once in five years, travelling by sleigh or waggon, and sometimes on horseback. She had ridden, in this way, the whole distance, going about forty miles a day.
Mr. Sumner was one of the first deacons in the congregational church, and was regarded as a very pious man, and a faithful sup-
-
218
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
porter of religious institutions. His death occurred in August 1844, at the age of eighty-seven years .*
Elijah Olmstead of Bolton, Conn., in 1787 owned lots 11 and 12 of the second hundred acre division, lying east of the governor's lot. These two lots belonged to Oliver Evarts, at the time his property was confiscated for ' treasonable conduct," and seem not to have been discovered by the authorities of Vermont. Olmstead settled on No. 12, cleared it, built the two story house still stand- ing, and continued to occupy it for many years. In 1814 he sold this farm to Col. Eleazer Claghorn, then residing in Salisbury, who continued his possession of it until his death in 1813, at the age of sixty-eight. It is now owned by Harry Goodrich Esq.
Lot No. 11 was purchased by Samuel Little, who, with his brother, James Little, went into possession of it, cleared it, and each built a plank or log house, one on the north part, where Mr. Barrows' house stands, and the other on the south half. Eleazer Barrows in 1796 purchased the whole lot, and resided on it with his family until his death in 1840, at the age of seventy-one. In the meantime he built the present two story house. Mr. Lucius Barrows, his son, has occupied the farm since his death.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.