USA > Vermont > Addison County > Middlebury > History of the town of Middlebury, in the county of Addison, Vermont > Part 21
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
242
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
the mill building was extended over it, and at the same time John Seymour, son of Benjamin, built the brick store, afterwards owned by Gen. Nash.
On the point of rock, which extended farther into the creek, Rog- ers erected a small separate building, which was occupied for sever- al years by Samuel Sargeant as a silver smith shop. This was re- moved during the enterprise for removing the obstructions to the free passage of the water over the falls .* Sargeant thereupon put up the brick building on the east side of the falls, on the point formed by the two roads around the park, and removed his shop there.
In September 1789, Painter deeded to Samuel Miller Esq. a half acre lot, on which he afterwards lived, and in December following, the meadow east of it. Miller had that year, before receiving his deed, put up an office, to which he afterwards built a front; and oc- cupied the whole as a dwelling house until the time of his death. The house was afterwards purchased by Edward D. Barber, repair- ed and altered and occupied by him and until recently belonged to his estate, and was occupied by Professor Robbins, and has lately been purchased and is now occupied by Mr. Z. Beckwith.
Samuel Miller was the first lawyer, who settled in Middlebury, and was among the most distinguished citizens, who have had a res- idence here. He was born in Springfield, Mass., April 2, 1764.
*Large tracts of low lands or swamps on the borders of the creek above the falls, were overflowed in the spring and other large freshets, and on account of the slug- gishness of the stream and the obstructions at the falls, the water remained so long on the lands as seriously to injure them. The rocks at the falls made a com- plete dam, and rendered an artificial one unnecessary. The channels for the water to the mills were cut through the rocks. The owners of the lands, in order to re- move the obstructions to the free passage of the water, in 1806 entered into a con- tract with the mill owners to lower their water courses. The legislature, at their session in 1804, had granted a tax on the lands to the amount of two thousand dol- lars to pay the expense. Much of the land was sold for the tax, and is still held under that title. This measure did not satisfy the land owners, and further expense was incurred in reducing the channel at the head of the rapids ; and among other obstructions, which needed to be removed, was the rock on which Sargeant's shop stood. For this purpose it was exchanged, in 1822 for the ground on which he erected his new shop. This point was not included in Painter's deed for a common, but was reserved as a part of his mill yard, and by his will became the property of the corporation of Middlebury College, and by their agent deeded to Mr. Sargeant.
24g
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
He came into the State in 1785, and resided in Wallingford. He never had the advantages of a collegiate education ; but this deficien- cy was well supplied by superior talents and a thirst for knowledge, which he early manifested. Independent of all external aid, he set himself to work to build up a character and influence by his own native energies. Before coming to Vermont he had made himself acquainted with some of the sciences, especially mathematics in its various branches. One object in devoting himself to this, science probably was to qualify himself, as a thorough practical surveyor in this new country. In this department, he was to some extent employed after he came to this place. But he aimed at a position of higher influence. . Soon after he came into the State he entered upon the study of the law and was licensed in the County of Rut- land. Immediately after, he located himself in Middlebury, when the site of the village was almost a wilderness.
Mr. Miller had a mind of unusual activity and vigor, and of very quick and discriminating perceptions. He immediately entered up- on an extensive practice, not only in this county, but in the western counties of the State, north and south of it. While he lived, he and Daniel Chipman occupied a similar rank, and stood at the head of the profession, in the several counties where they practiced. In these counties they were engaged in all the important disputed causes, together or in opposition. In his addresses to the jury, Mr. Miller's enunciation was rather rapid, but his argument was systematic, clear and forcible.
Mr. Miller was disinclined to enter into public life, but was known and had an extensive influence through the State. He was elected a representative to the General Assembly in 1797, and was a prom- inent and influential member. He had then been in town only eight years, and previous to that time Judge Painter had been the only representative, except one year. A leading politician of the opposite party, proposed to him to become their candidate for gov- ernor, with the assurance, that, in that case, he would be elected. But he declined, and we are not aware that he ever held any other public office in the State. His manners were courteous and gentleman- ly, and he was rather insinuating in his address. He was everywhere
244
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
recognized as a gentleman. While the prominent men of Middle- bury were urgently pressing, before the legislature and elswhere, the claims of their town, it was remarked by a politician of that day, that "the influence of Painter with his cunning, Chipman with his argument, and Miller with his courteous address, "if it were possible, would deceive the very elect."
Mr. Miller, like other prominent citizens, was devoted to the prosperity of the village, which he had adopted as his home, and liberally contributed to build up its institutions by his influence and money. Ile was especially active in procuring a charter for Mid- dlebury College, and in raising that institution to a state of pros- perity. Among other contributions he gave one thousand dollars to establish the first professorship. By the charter of that corporation, he was constituted one of its first members. He was no less devoted and active in sustaining the institutions of religion here and else- where. He was liberal, especially in his support of the Congrega- tional Society in its weakness and trials. When the legislature removed the foundation on which that and similar societies were formed, and left the support of religion entirely to voluntary asso- ciation, he afforded efficient aid in the organization and prosperity of the new society. In the year 1805, he united himself more closely to its interests, by becoming a member of the church. His co-ope- ration in all measures to promote the prosperity of the church and society was efficient and influential. In his will he left a legacy of one thousand dollars, the income of which was to be appropriated annually for the support of the gospel in the society, and five hun- dred dollars to the Vermont Missionary. Society.
On the 7th of October 1790, the next year after he commenced the practice of law in this place, Mr. Miller was married to Rebec- ca Mattocks, daughter of Hon. Samuel Mattocks, then residing in Tinmouth, and for many years treasurer of the state, and sister of Samuel Mattocks Jun. a distinguished citizen of this town. She was worthy of him, and made his home the centre of his affections:
Some years before his death, Mr. Miller was afflicted with a can- cerous sore, on one of his legs, which increased in virulence from year to year. No remedies checked its progress. Ile consulted
245
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY:
the most skilful surgeons, and among these, Dr. Nathan Smith then professor of Dartmouth College. He advised amputation as the only hope of avoiding a fatal termination, and he performed the painful operation. But it was inefficient as a remedy. The cancer broke out in another part of his body, and terminated his life on the 17th day of April 1810. His widow survived him many years, in her quiet and unostentatious acts of benevolence, and in leading others, by her influence and example, in every good work.
Hon. John Mattocks of Peacham, late governor of Vermont, and Hon. William Mattocks of Danville, were also brothers of Mrs. Miller, and pursued their professional studies under the tuition of Mr. Miller.
John Deming from Canaan Conn., purchased of Judge Painter ten acres, extending north from the south east corner of the Con- gregational church to the north line of the mill lot, and west from the same bounds to the west line of the late Hon. Horatio Seymour's garden, and the north end extending west in a narrow strip to the creek, thus forming an L. On this strip stands the house once oc- cupied by Ozias Seymour, south of the house in which he now re- sides. Deming at the same time purchased of Asa Fuller an addi- tional tract, north of the above, on the west side of the paper mill road. In order to bring together the several settlements on this early purchase of Mr. Deming, with as little confusion as possible, we shall be compelled to anticipate the dates of our history.
Deming was a blacksmith, and erected a building designed for his shop on the ground now occupied by Mr. Seymour's house. This he divided into two rooms for the residence of his family, while he was building a larger house for their accommodation. While he was residing in this building, the town nominated him as a tavern keeper, the duties of which he undertook to discharge, as best he could. One night his guests amounted to twenty-five, belonging to families moving into the country, and they all stopped for breakfast. Miss Althea Deming his daughter, from whom we received these de- tails, was born in the same house.
In 1790 Mr. Deming erected a large house on the ground now occupied by the Congregational church, the first two story house in
15
246
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
the village, and said, at the time, to be the largest house in the County. In this he lived and continued his tavern until the fall of 1794. In the meantime, in 1792 he sold to George Sloan, also a blacksmith, a small tract, on which stood the small house built for a blacksmith shop. He subsequently resided in Salisbury about a dozen years, and afterwards in Middlebury until 1813, when he re- moved to Crown Point, where he died in 1815, at the age of fifty- three. His widow and family then returned to Middlebury, and occupied the house, which he built during his last residence, on Seminary street, where his daughter Althea still resides. Here Mrs. Deming died in 1841 at the age of eighty-four.
Samuel Foot in 1794 purchased and took possession of the prem- ises left by Mr. Deming, and continued to occupy them until 1803. In the meantime he added to his land on the west side of the paper mill road a small tract, extending north and including Mr. Sey- mour's farm house. While in possession of the lands purchased of Deming, Foot sold, in 1797, to Dr. Joseph Clark, a small building lot next north of the houses now owned by Dr. Allen, where Clark built the two story house, in which he opened and kept a tavern, which has since been owned successively by Dr. William G. Hooker, Charles Bowen and others and is now owned by Mr. Bellows of Walpole. In 1799, he sold to William Coon the lot on which John Jackson now resides, occupying a part of the house for his residence and a part for his hat store. The south half of the house had been previously built and used for a school house. The north part was built by Hiram Seymour, a hatter from Canada, who resided here during the last British war. Foot had previously sold to Jonathan Nichols Jun. the lot next north of the last mentioned. On this lot Nichols moved a blacksmith shop and fitted it up for the residence of his father, Jonathan Nichols senior, who, after a short residence, resided with his son-in-law Billy Manning until his death in 1814, at the age of eighty-seven. Edward Eells, a goldsmith, afterwards owned this lot, resided on it several years and built the present two story house now occupied by Mr. Parker Cleveland. The old black- smith shop, in the meantime, was removed to the south side of the lot, and is still occupied as a residence.
247
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
The land which Foot owned on the west side of the paper mill road he sold in 1802 to Hon. Horatio Seymour, and the premises connected with his tavern stand in 1803, to Landon Case from Ad- dison. He then removed to Crown Point, in company with his brother-in-law Lewis McDonald. While Mr. Foot remained in town he kept a public house, but was principally employed in the duties of deputy sheriff.
Olcutt White in 1807 purchased of Loudon Case a lot north of the church on the New Haven road, on which had been previously built the south half of the building now standing there, and after- wards White built the north half. In this building he carried on the business of book binding, and had a small book store. It is now owned by Dr. Charles L. Allen, and the apartments are rented to various persons.
Mr. Seymour afterwards became the owner of all the lands on the west side of the paper mill road, and from him was derived the title to the numerous lots now occupied there for residences. The following are a few of the earlier lots disposed of by him. In 1803 he appropriated for a female seminary the lot, on which his son, Ozias Seymour Esq. lives. The two story building standing on it was that year built and for several years used for a female school, but is now fitted up for a residence. This lot Mr. Seymour deeded in 1806 to the corporation of Addison County Grammar School, for the use of a female seminary. In 1803 Benjamin Seymour pur- chased the lot on which he built the small brick house now owned by Gen. Nash. To this he removed his family, and resided in it until his death, but continued his business at the old stand below the bridge. In 1808 Martin Post Esq. an attorney settled in Corn- wall, who had then been appointed clerk of the county court, pur- chased the lot next north of the Female Seminary. Mr. Post built here the small house, which forms the kitchen of Dr. Moody's house. He died in 1811, at the age of thirty-two. He left a widow and ·several small children, two of whom are living and are Rev. Martin M. Post, a clergyman of standing in Indiana and Rev. Truman M. Post, D. D., of St. Louis Missouri.
248
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
CHAPTER X.
DARIUS MATTHEWS-CURTIS AND CAMPBELL-DR. WILLARD-H. SEYMOUR-D. CHIPMAN-J. ROGERS-A. RHODES-L. AND J. M' DONALD-S. MATTOCKS-W. YOUNG-F. HILL-DR. CLARK- N. AND I. STEWART-SEMINARY STREET-SLADE AND CO .- J. SIMMONS.
DARIUS MATTHEWS settled in Middlebury in 1789 as a physician, and the year following purchased of Judge Painter the lot next north of Samuel Miller's, and the same year built a small house, which constitutes the kitchen of Mrs. Merrill's residence. In No- vember of the same year, he was married to Abigail Porter, daugh- ler of Judge Porter of Tinmouth, and sister of the late Rev. Ebe- nezer Porter, D. D., professor and president of Andover Theolog- ical Seminary. He resided in this place until 1797, when he pur- chased of Col. Seth Storrs, an acre of land, on which he built the house afterwards occupied by Ethan Andrus, Esq. The lot is now owned by Jason Davenport, and is the site of his new dwelling house.
Hon. Darius Matthews was the second physician who settled in Middlebury, and among the most respectable of the early settlers. He was born in Cheshire, Conn., December 17, 1766. At the age of thirteen he removed to Tinmouth, in Rutland County, and having a fondness for study and perseverance in the pursuit of learning, he had obtained a sufficient education to engage in the responsible du- ties of school teaching at the age of fourteen. By the same persever- ing disposition and efforts, he made himself sufficiently acquainted with the science of medicine, under the tuition of Dr. Marvin of Tinmouth, to be licensed to practice at the age of twenty-one. At that at age he commenced the practice of his profession in Salisbury,
249
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
but removed to Middlebury in 1789. . In 1798, he was appointed clerk of the Supreme Court, in 1801 judge of probate for the Dis- trict of Addison, which then embraced the whole County, and in 1803, clerk of the County Court. From this time he relinquished the practice of his profession, and devoted his attention to the faith- ful and very satisfactory discharge of the duties of his several offi- ces. He continued in the offices of Judge of Probate and clerk of the Supreme Court until his death, and in the office of clerk the County Court until 1808. In that year he exchanged his house and lot in Middlebury for the farm of Ethan Andrus, Esq., in Cornwall, now occupied by his son, Rev. Lyman Matthews. He was elected a representative of Cornwall in the legislature from 1811 to 1817 inclusive. By the charter of Middlebury College, he was made one of the original members of that corporation, and continued a judi- cious and useful member and friend and helper of that institution until the close of his life. He was a member the Religious Con- gregational Church and Society in Middlebury as well as in Corn- wall, and everywhere a firm advocate and supporter of religious and literary institutions. He was somewhat reserved in his conversation and manners, and possessed an uncommonly cool and deliberate judgment, and a conservative disposition. By these traits he exert- ed, in all his relations, an extensive and salutary influence. He died Oct. 8, 1819, at the age of fifty-three years.
Curtis and Campbell purchased the house first built by Dr. Mat- thews and built the two story front. The south end was used for their store, and the remainder was occupied by Campbell for a res- idence. Their business was continued until the spring of 1801, when their partnership was dissolved. Daniel Campbell then took into partnership his brother William Campbell, and the business was continued in their name for several years ; and in 1804 they purchased the lot of Judge Painter where his grist miller's house stood and built the brick store now standing in the rear of the pres- ent Stewart store, and now occupied by Chapman and Barbour. In 1807 Dr. Merrill purchased Campbell's house and resided in it un- til his death in 1855, and it is now occupied by his widow.
Campbell's brick store was purchased by David Page, Jun. and
250
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
Luke Wheelock, under the firm of Page and Wheelock, and by them in 1812 sold to Noble and Ira Stewart. Page and Wheelock were from Jaffrey New Hampshire, and in this building, they car- ried on extensively the mercantile business for several years. While thus engaged, Mr. Wheelock visited Montreal, on business, and took the small pox, and on his return was seized with that disease and died on the 9th of April, 1810. This establishment was succeeded, under different names and by different persons, who had been in some way connected with the above. Joseph Ilough and Nathan Wood, who had been clerks to Mr. Page, prosecuted the business. for some time, and the late Jonathan Wheelock, brother of Luke Wheelock, was also for a time connected in the concern. All these have since been engaged in other business. Mr. Wood only has continued permanently in the mercantile business, and occupied the store in front of the mill until it was burnt.
Dr. John Willard was the first physician who settled in Middle- bury. He came to this place about the year 1787. When he com- menced practice the town was almost wholly a wilderness, and the roads, which had been opened, were nearly impassable, especially in muddy seasons. But he continued an extensive practice until he was called to the discharge of other duties. He resided first in a house built by Freeman Foot, on the south side of his farm, after- wards owned by Daniel Chipman. In 1791 he purchased of Judge Painter a small lot, next north of the tavern lot sold to Simeon Dudley, and built a house just back of the present bank building. Here he lived until 1797, when he sold it to Samuel Mattocks, and purchased of Stillman Foot the lot on which the late Judge Phelps resided. There was on it, at the time, a small house built by John Foot, and occupied by him as a dwelling house. Here Dr. Willard resided until, some years after, he built the brick house on the Corn- wall road, which constituted the late elegant homestead of Charles Linsley, Esq. In 1801, under the administration of Mr. Jefferson, he was appointed marshal of the District of Vermont. In this of- fice he continued until 1810. After this appointment he relinquished principally the practice of his profession. But, in the meantime, he became distinguished as a politician. He was for several years
251
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
at the head of the organization of the Republican party, as chair- man of its central committee. No man at that time probably had as much influence in controlling the measures of the party as he. On the establishment of the Vermont State Bank in 1806, he was appointed one of the directors and continued in that office, until the Branch at Middlebury was closed. In 1812, Dr. Willard was ap- pointed and officiated as Sheriff of the County.
Dr. Willard was born in 1759 at the town, then known as East Guilford, now Madison, Conn. His father, Capt. John Willard, a ship master, died when he was a child, and he was left in the care of his mother, and aided in carrying on her small farm. Not liking the drudgery of a farmer's boy, he went to sea. Toward the close of the revolutionary war he was taken by the British, on board an American privateer, and confined in, and subjected to the horrors of, the Jersey prison ship, lying at Walabout Bay. After he was re- leased and had regained the health and strength, which he had lost in prison, he received the appointment of quartermaster in a Con- necticut regiment of volunteers. At the close of the war, he en- tered upon the study of medicine under the tuition of Dr. Jonathan Todd, the principal physician in his native place. He had before had the limited advantages for education, of only a few months each year, at a district school in his childhood. But he was fond of study and made the most of the advantages he enjoyed. As an introduc- tion to his medical studies, he pursued, to a limited extent, classical studies with the pastor of the parish. After completing his medi- cal studies, he settled in the practice as before stated. In August 1809 he was married to Miss Emma Hart, then principal of the Female Seminary here, and who has since become distinguished in that department. After she opened her school at their residence, he co-operated with her in building it up and sustaining it. Hav- ing greater encouragement from friends in the State of New York, they removed their residence and school to Waterford in 1819, and two years afterwards to Troy. Dr. Willard's death took place May 25, 1825, at the age of sixty-six years.
In 1791, Elias Wilder a hatter, purchased of Judge Painter the lot next west of the land purchased by Deming, on which the
252
HISTORY OF MIDDLEBURY.
Brewster brick building stands. Here he built a house and shop, and continued his business about two years.
In the same year, Jabez Rogers, Jun., purchased a lot west of the Wilder lot, extending west on the common to the west line of the rail-road, north to the northern strip of land purchased by Dem- ing, and just north of the old house last occupied by Rogers, and west to the creek, embracing the land and rocks around and below the eddy. He also purchased the Wilder lot. On these lots he built the old house above mentioned, and in 1800, for the purpose of accommodating boarders attending the legislature that year, he erected the two story house, which was removed to make room for the rail road, next west of Brewster's block. He, at a later day, built the large brick house, north of Mr. Seymour's, now owned by Dr. William P. Russel. At an early day he established on the bor- ders of the eddy, a brewery, distillery and potash, which he con- ducted for several years, in company with his brother-in-law, Leb- beus Harris, father of the present Dr. Nathaniel Harris, a surgeon dentist. The elder Mr. Harris died in 1814, aged fifty years, and Mr. Rogers in 1816, at the age of seventy-five.
In the year 1793, the lot on which the brick house stands, now occupied by Nathan Wood, and extending to the creek, was pur- chased by Anthony Rhodes, who that year settled in Middlebury as a merchant. The year following, he purchased a small piece lying between the above and the south line of the common, and built on these lots a dwelling house, out houses and a potash. His house was near where the office of Mr. Starr stands. This he occupied until the fall of 1796. He then purchased about three acres on the corner made by the Cornwall and Weybridge roads. This lot was a part of the premises of Appleton Foot, and had been purchased the year before by Nehemiah Lawrence, who had put up on the land and partly finished the house now owned by Professor Twining. Rhodes finished the north part of the house for a residence, and the south part for a store, where he continued his business for a time, and in 1798 built a store on the lot where the Episcopal rectory stands, and removed his business there. In 1801 Rhodes sold his house to Ep. Jones, closed his business and left the State. He was
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.