USA > Vermont > Addison County > Middlebury > History of the town of Middlebury, in the county of Addison, Vermont > Part 19
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Abraham Vanduzer of Salisbury, Conn., came to Middlebury in 1789, with his eldest daughter and his son Harry Vanduzer, leav- ing his family behind for about two years. For two or three years he carried on the farm which Judge Painter left when he removed to the village. His son remained through the winter to take care of the cattle, and boarded at Capt. Thomas Chipman's, the nearest resident family. In 1793, Vanduzer purchased of Col. Sloan the south half of the Slasson pitch and settled on it. While, living there he built the small house, in which he resided at the time of
*Dea. Sumner at an early day deeded to his son, James Sumner, home lot. 22. In 1811 he began to clear it, then in an entirely wild state. On this lot he has since resided with his family. His son, J A. Sumner occupies with him the new house recently built. Dea. Sumner also deeded to his son Samuel lot No. 20, who cleared it and resided on it for several years, and afterwards removed from town. Charles Landon Jun., occupies the south half and Charles Sullens the north half.
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his death, which occurred in 1795, at the age of fifty-three. His widow survived him many years and resided in the same house.
Harry Vanduzer, son of Abraham, in 1794 began a clearing on home lot 58, on the right of Noah Chittenden, the whole of which his father previously owned, built a log cabin on it, and resided there with his family. In the meantime Samuel Vanduzer had built the two story house now standing on the homestead of his father. In the year 1806, Harry, having purchased the interest of Samuel in the premises, removed to that farm and resided on it until the year 1825, when he removed to Oneida County, N. Y., where he died in 1829. Mrs. Dorrance, widow of Martin S. Dor- rance, is his daughter The whole farm, on which Abraham Van- . duzer first settled, is now owned by the town, as a poor house and farm.
Jolin Vanduzer, another son of Abraham, settled on the second hundred acre lot, on the right owned by his father, lying east of and adjoining the Slasson pitch and north of the Loomis lot. He cleared this farm and built the present house which has since been altered and repaired. He removed from the State in 1814, and was succeeded by Capt. Timothy Matthews. The farm is now owned by John Vallett, residing in the village.
Rev. John Barnet, who was ordained as the pastor of the Con- gregational Society in 1790, and, as " the first settled minister," was entitled to a whole right, instead of selecting either lot on that right for a residence, settled on home lot 57, in the neighborhood, which it was supposed would be established as the centre of the town. On this lot he resided while he remained in town. This lot and the lot south of it, on which Harry Vanduzer first settled, were united in one farm by Dr. William Bass, and constituted the farm lately owned by Jacob W. Conroe and now by Smith K. Seeley.
Cyrus Starkweather had commenced a settlement on the lot after- wards occupied by Mr. Barnet. He then settled on the east half of the second hundred acre lot on the minister's right, built a house there and in 1793, sold the premises to John Deming.
Moses Boardman, about the year 1788, settled on No. 3 of the second hundred acre division, and after residing on it for several
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years sold the farm to Ichabod Morton, who continued to occupy it until his death, and in the meantime built the present two story house. He died in 1826, at the age of sixty-four years.
Billy Munger, about the same time, settled on No. 1, east of Mo- ses Boardman's, and adjoining the home lots. He cleared this lot, built a house and resided on it until his death in 1822, at the age of sixty-eight. This lot and the preceding were afterwards occupied by Ichabod M. Cushman as his home farm, until the time of his death, residing in the house built by Morton. The widow of Mr. Cushman retains her dower in the farm, and the remainder is owned by his son-in-law, John Hacket, who resides with the widow on the homestead.
Bethuel Goodrich, about the year 1790 settled and built a house on No. 4, lying north of Boardman's lot, and resided on it until his death in 1829 at the age of fifty-three years. The lot was after- wards owned by Austin Johnson, Esq., and now belongs to his es- tate.
Elnathan Hammond, from Lanesborough, Mass., in the year 1794, settled on a lot of about forty acres next north of Lucius Barrows' farm, on the west end of the second hundred acre division, on the right of John Howe. This was a long lot about forty rods wide, lying between the old and new line of New Haven. On this he commenced a clearing and built a plank house. This whole lot extended east a few rods over the Muddy Branch, and a small tract, including the falls, at the east end has been appropriated as a mill lot and is now owned, with the marble saw-mill and privileges, by Isaac Gibbs. Ephraim Spaulding for many years, and until his death owned and occupied the remainder as his home farm. It is now owned by Horatio Goodrich.
Mr. Hammond remained at the place of his first settlement only a year or two, and removed to that part of No. 13 next north of Robert Huston's lot, which lies east of the road. Here he built a house and resided with his family until the 10th of September 1856, when he died at the age of ninety-five. His sons, William S. and Edwin having grown up to maturity, have advantageously and prof- itably improved the farm, and from year to year have added to it,
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among other tracts, the remainder of the original lot, on which their father settled, and the whole of the Robert Huston farm. Edwin occupied the house on the latter, and William S .* in his lifetime re- cently built him a new house opposite to the old homestead, which by an exchange with his widow is now occupied by Edwin. John A. Hammond, another son, as elsewhere stated, resides on the south east corner of the governor's right, and owns a part of that with other lands.
Richard Hall from Mansfield Conn., purchased the lot on which Mr. Hammond first settled, with other adjoining lands in New Ha- ven, and occupied them as his home farm until 1799, when he was succeeded by Dea. Samuel Craft. After Deacon Craft's sons, Pearl Craft and William Craft arrived at mature age and had families of their own, his father divided his farm between them; but they suc- cessively sold their lands and removed to the west. While they lived here, Deacon Craft and his son Pearl lived together in the old plank house, which is now demolished, and William built the pres- ent house for his residence. This house, with the adjoining lands, is owned by Almon Farnsworth.
Eleazer Conant from Mansfield, Conn., in 1794, purchased the south half of the Bentley pitch and a part of the Risley pitch, and went into possession of it with his family; and the same year his brother John Conant purchased of Elisha Fuller, and went into pos- session of the north half of the Bently lot. Eleazer Conant resi- ded on his farm for many years, until his sons had grown up and settled in the west, among whom was Hon. Shubael Conant of De- troit. Soon after in 1819 he and his wife went to visit their child- ren, and both died, while making their visit at the residence of their son, Hon. Horatio Conant, at Maumee, Ohio. His farm is now owned by different persons. The dwelling house and land above the road belongs to the estate of John Simmons Esq. . John Conant continued on his farm until his death. It has since
*William S. Hammond died of a lung fever, after a short but distressing illnees, on the 27th May, 1858, universally lamented. He was a deacon of the Congrega- tional Church, and as a man was universally respected and loved.
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been owned by Gen. Hastings Warren, and afterwards by William Y. Ripley, and now by Edward Muzzey.
Abisha Washburn, in 1793, received from his son-in-law John Chipman, a deed of the farm on which Jonathan Chipman first set- tled, and in 1796 deeded it to his son-in-law, Freedom Loomis, then of Sunderland, on the condition of receiving for himself and wife, during their lives, such sums as they might need for their support. They continued to reside here together until the time of their re- spective deaths. Mr. Washburn died in 1813, aged 91 years ; his wife in 1815, aged 87, and Mr Loomis in 1822, at the age of 56. George C. Loomis, son of Mr. Loomis, continued in possession of the farm for several years. It is now owned by Smith K. Seeley. The two story house built by Mr. Loomis was burnt in 1838 or 1839, and has not been rebuilt.
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CHAPTER VII.
JAMES CRANE AND BROTHER-GIDEON ABBEY-NATHAN CASE- DARIUS TUPPER-DEA. BOYCE-EAST MIDDLEBURY VILLAGE- INCIDENTS OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENTS-FAMINE.
JAMES CRANE was the first settler in the neighborhood, constitu- ting the north part of the east tier of home lots. He and his broth- er Jeremiah in 1790, commenced on different parts of No. 11. That year they worked on their land and the next year removed their families. The first year there was no family, on any road leading to that neighborhood, nearer than Joshua Hyde's; and the brothers went there to get their clothes washed. Jeremiah Crane continued to cultivate his farm until his death, which took place many years ago. After four or five years, James Crane removed from his farm, and it was afterwards owned successively by Waldo Carey and Elea- zer Abbey, and is now owned by his son, Warren Abbey. When he left this farm he settled on the east half of No. 8, with some ad- joining lands. On this farm he resided until his death in 1845, at about the age of eighty. The farm is now owned by Luther C. Fales and Joseph Fales.
Nathan Case about the year 1792, settled on lot No. 12, on which Dudley Munger had commenced. Here he built the present dwel- ling-house and resided until his death, at an advanced age. Before his death, his son Abel P. Case occupied a house, which had been built on a part of the same farm, and continued the possession of the whole farm for several years, and moved to the west. The farm has since been divided and is now owned severally by Sidney Mead, Warren Abbey and D. W. Chittenden.
Home lot No. 51 was also owned by Nathan Case, and constitu- ted a part of his home farm. Among other tenants. Major William
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Cummings lived for a time on the lot. He had been a school teach- er, and was poor and in feeble health, and was troubled to obtain food for his family. These circumstances occasioned a fatal depres- sion, which, it was thought, disturbed his mental faculties, and led him to commit suicide, by hanging himself on a tree near the house, in December, 1817, at the age of 47. The lot is now owned and occupied by Isaac Lovett.
Elisha Sheldon, about the year 1790, made a beginning on No. 9, and in the year 1794 was succeeded by Benjamin Maltbie, who remained in possession until 1797, when he removed, with Jonathan and Edmund Munger, to Ohio. At the last mentioned date, Gide- on Abbey, of Mansfield Conn. purchased and settled on this lot. He also had a perpetual lease of No. 10, on the right of the Society for Propagating the Gospel, and continued to occupy both the lots until his death at the age of 92 years. Mr. Abbey built, and while he lived, resided in the present dwelling house on No. 9. Theoda- tus Phelps now occupies the house and lot. Orin Abbey and Abel Abbey, and perhaps other heirs, severally own parts of No. 10.
The east road passes from south to north through nearly the whole length of the east tier of the home lots, and divides them into une- qual parts. The different parts of the same lot have been severed and added to parts of other lots, and all have frequently changed owners. This renders it perplexing for us to ascertain, or the read- er to understand correctly, the history of the settlement. And be- ing more recently settled, and not properly included in the " early settlements," we feel bound not to trespass longer on the patience of the reader, with these tiresome details, in the correctness of which neither they nor we can have much confidence. We are therefore obliged to abridge our materials as well as plan. This we regret the more, as the territory is fast rising in importance, and in public estimation.
We add only one or two cases in other parts of the town.
Darius Tupper from Charlotte, where he first settled in this State, in the winter of 1794-5, removed his family and settled on lot No. 23, a second hundred acre lot, lying south of home lot 66, then owned by Martin Foot, and north of Slasson's pitch. Mr. Tupper
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soon after built the present large house, for many years kopt a tav- ern and remained in possession until his death. He died in 1828, at the age of 74. Amos Boardman had previously commenced a settlement on this lot. Previous to his death a house had been built and occupied, on the opposite side of the road, by his son-in-law, James Champlain. After his decease, the farm was divided among his heirs, and that part lying east of the road, and a part of that on the west side, was for some years owned by Edwin B. Douglass and now by Ira B. Wicker. The remainder, with the large house, is occupied by Silas Perkins, a son-in-law.
Deacon David Boyce in 1814 had taken a permanent lease of the second hundred acre lot on the Glebe right, and owned thirty acres on home lot 53, north of and adjoining his leased lot, settled on the latter and built the brick house and other buildings now standing there, cleared both lots and occupied them as his home farm until his death. His widow and son Elijah S. Boyce now reside on the farm.
VILLAGE OF EAST MIDDLEBURY.
The west part of this village, as far east as Kneeland Olmstead's dwelling house, is located principally on home lot 35. The build- ings north of the road, leading from the school house to its junction with that which leads from the Torrance place, are on lot 34, for- merly owned by Eber Everts. That part of the village which lies east of Kneeland Olmstead's is on the mill lot pitched by Joshua Hyde. The village lies principally along the north border of Mid- dlebury River, and extends east to the foot of the mountain, where the river issues from a deep gorge.
The first application of the extensive water power at this place was the erection of a saw mill in 1790, by John Foot, on the south side of the river. The year following Foot built a house for the miller, which was occupied by the family of Nathan Carpenter, who had charge of the mill, and was father of Nathan and Gideon Car- penter. His was the first family which resided in East Middlebury. Joshua Hyde and Eber Everts, who then owned the mill lot, deeded to him one half of it, as a consideration for his crecting the mill. Hyde also soon after built a saw mill on the upper dam. Foot, at
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the time, resided on the west side of the falls, in Cornwall, and was concerned in the mills there. In 1811, Foot moved from New Ha- ven, as before mentioned, to the mill lot in East Middlebury, rebuilt the saw mill, and successively erected works for dressing cloth and carding wool, a grist mill and the gambrel roof house, a few rods south of Farr's tavern, in which he resided for several years.
Epaphras Jones, who had previously, in the name of the Ver- mont Glass Factory Company, erected a large establishment for manufacturing window glass, at Lake Dunmore in Salisbury, wish- ing to extend his operations, in the year 1812, erected in East Mid- dlebury, a little west of Farr's hotel, a large circular brick build- ing for the manufacture of glass ware. He also built two dwelling houses, near by and westerly for the accommodation of his workmen, and another building for a store and office This establishment en- couraged the hope, that the place, with its valuable water power, would soon become a place of extensive business. This hope induced Mr. Foot to build the large tavern house above mentioned. In this he opened and, for several years, continued a house of public enter- tainment, which is now occupied by Royal D. Farr. But Jones' es- tablishment, because he did not succeed well in the manufacture of glass, or for other reasons, broke up, and the brilliant prospects, which it had induced, vanished with it. The anticipated growth of the place was checked, but not wholly stopped by this disaster. Mr. Foot erected and repaired his works above mentioned, and rebuilt his grist mill, and died in 1849 at the age of 84 years. Other es- tablishments were successively erected, and the business and popula- tion of the village has been gradually increasing, until the present time. If there had been sufficient capital available, the increase would have been much larger.
Mr. Daniel L. Sessions settled in the village in 1821, and by his aid and that of Norman Tupper, Esq., we have been able to ascer- tain some facts relating to the growth since that year and its popu- lation and business at the present time. In 1821, there were ten dwelling houses, and a somewhat larger number of families. At this time the number of dwelling houses, in the compact part of the village, is fifty. Some of the houses being occupied by more than
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one family, the number of families is larger. David S. Church, Esq., who, as deputy marshall, enumerated the inhabitants in Mid- dlebury in 1850, at our request, has ascertained the number of in- habitants in that village to be four hundred and thirty. He proba- bly included some families, not embraced in the estimate of Messrs. Sessions and Tupper, but properly to be estimated, as belonging to the village.
There is also a neat church, owned by the Universalists, two stores, several mechanics and the following water-works: At the upper dam are a forge and saw mill, owned by Israel Davey. Next below is the tannery, owned by Horace, son of Parley Enos, who first established it many years ago, and a shop owned by David Olmstead, with machinery for boring, sawing and turning timber for waggons, which he manufactures. On the south side of the river are a saw mill, belonging to the estate of Norman Boardman, ยท and a machine for sawing shingles, owned by George Champlin. Still lower is a shop owned by Kneeland and Waldo Olmstead, for the manufacture of waggons, and machinery for fitting the timber for them, supplied by water from the river by a tube. Next below this is a grist mill. owned by Norman Tupper Esq., built in 1850, and below this a sash factory* owned by Almon P. Tupper, and a factory for sawing and fitting barrel staves for the Boston market, owned by E. Hayward & Co. The three last mentioned works are furnished with water conducted by a canal, without any dam across the river.
The Middlebury River, at this place, furnishes a large amount of water power, sufficient to operate works to a much greater extent than those now in operation. It is, like all mountain streams, very im- petuous, rises suddenly and is liable, in high freshets, to break through the barriers which confine it, and has occasionally done mischief in the village. The most considerable instance of this,
*This factory was established by Norman Tupper Esq. father of the present owner, who in 1830 invented the necessary machinery for making the mortices and manufacturing all other parts of window sash by water power; which is still in operation
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which we now call to mind, is the freshet of 1850, which we have elsewhere mentioned.
Besides the very valuable water power, this village is otherwise advantageously situated. The ground on which it stands is mostly level, and is connected with a level region of considerable extent, widening as it recedes from the mountain. The soil, where most of the village stands is gravelly, and the surrounding region is com- posed of an alluvial or intervale soil of a very productive character.
INCIDENTS OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENT.
Every body has heard something of the hardships and privations of a new settlement. But the experience of the present day gives no adequate impression of what such an adventure was in the days of our predecessors. Now families may carry with them all the comforts, and, if they wish, the luxuries of life, by steamboats, rail roads and other open and comfortable roads, to the newest settle- ments. And when they reach their destination, they find prairies already cleared to their hand, and ready for the plough; and, if they have not all the required comforts, they have easy access to them. But when Middlebury was settled, the people who came here were poor, as the whole country was, and were forced to make their way, as best they could, without roads and locate themselves in a dense forest. This was to be cleared away, with wasting labor, before they had room to plant their cabins, or fields for their first crop. As to provisions and furniture, they could bring but few ar- ticles, if they had them. Before the war and for several years after, there were no mills nearer than Pittsford or Ticonderoga, and there was no access to them, by roads passable with teams; and much of their grain for food was pounded in large wooden mortars made for that purpose.
Many of the incidents of the early settlements are recorded in our previous history ; and at the close of this part we add a few others.
Mrs. Loomis says, that her father's family had become, at one time, destitute of all kinds of flour and meal, and her father, Col. John Chipman, took a bag of grain on his shoulder, and carried it on foot to Ticonderoga to be ground and was gone several days ;
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and in the meantime the family lived wholly on milk. We learn from another source as coming from Mrs. Chipman, that after open- ing their log cabin for the entertainment of travellers, she had but one towel for her guests; and when travellers came, who appeared rather smart, she went to the river in the evening, washed and ironed it, to be ready for her guests in the morning. When Mr. John Deming was nominated for tavern-keeper, as mentioned elsewhere, he was like all the other settlers, destitute of the requisite furniture for the accommodation of his guests, and unable from the want of mechanics, to supply the deficiency. He needed especially bedsteads, and called on Judge Painter for the loan of one. "Oh yes," said the Judge, " but, in that case I shall be obliged to lie on the floor."
But the greatest scarcity of provisions was in 1790; and it was little short of a famine. It is said that sufficient provisions were raised the preceding year to supply the settlers ; but, on account of the famine in the counties north and in Canada, they had been car- ried away to feed the people in those places. Mr. Loomis of Bur- lington says the famine in that neighborhood was in 1789. Mr. Abraham Williamson was then fourteen years old, and recollects the famine here. His statement, confirmed by his wife, is that being wholly destitute of bread, the women went into the fields and cut off the heads of the wheat before it was ripe, dried them, shelled out the wheat and boiled it for food; that almost the only animal food was the fish taken in Lemon Fair creek, and he thinks that, with- out this supply, many of the people would have starved. He saw there, he says, larger collections of people from the neighboring coun- try, catching fish, than on any other occasion for many years after. He says that many were so enfeebled for want of food, that they could not go : but such as had strength went to the creek, built a fire, and, as they caught the fish, threw them into it, while yet show- ing signs of life, and when sufficiently cooked stripped off and ate the flesh, without disturbing the entrails. After their own appetites were satisfied, they caught and preserved the remainder for their friends at home. He states also, that many subsisted on the bulb- ous roots of locks, gathered in the woods, and some stripped the bark from oak trees, the inner bark of which they boiled and converted
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into a kind of food; and that he has seen many oak trees stripped of their bark, for that purpose, as high as men could reach. The first bread stuff, he says, brought into the country was Virginia corn.
The following anecdote is received from Mrs. Williamson. A farmer in the neighborhood had a larger supply of provisions than his neighbors, but not a proportionate share of benevolence. His wife was a benevolent woman, from a Quaker family, and educated in their principles. She was willing to share in the destitution of her neighbors, that they might share in her abundance. She gave to the destitute the bran of her wheat as long as her husband would consent; and she thought it none the worse for a little flour mixed with it. The recipients of her bounty sifted the bran, and made wholesome bread of the finer parts, and such flour as might be with it. One day, when preparing a batch of bread, in the absence of her husband, she took a loaf of the dough and carried it to a neigh- bor by the name of Thaddeus Palmer, an uncle of Mrs. Williamson, and living near her father, and said to him, "Thaddeus, thee take this and give part of it to Polly," and went home. Polly was the mother of Mrs. Williamson.
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