USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Pittsford > History of the town of Pittsford, Vt., with biographical sketches and family records > Part 16
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Ebenezer Hopkins, son of Nehemiah, another of the returned captives, married Rachel, daughter of Stephen Mead, Decem- ber 2d, 1783, and located in a house which he had built, about ten rods east of his father's residence. It stood on the bank of the brook about one rod north of the present residence of John Stevens and near the bridge. It would appear that for a few years he assisted his father in the care of the mill and culti-
* Hendee's MS.
t Elisha Field was born in Sunderland, Mass., 1717, married Betsey Pratt in 1753, and located in Leverett, from which place he removed to Bennington, Vt., in 1761. In 1782, he came to Pittsford and resided one year on the farm afterwards owned by Col. Hammond, and then moved to Cornwall where he died in 1791. Betsey, his widow, died in 1809. Their children were-1st, Lydia, (Mrs. Stevens,) born in 1760 ; 2, Elisha, born March 3d, 1763, married Ruth Kirkham, March 10th, 1790; 3d, Asahel, born March 25th, 1765. The children of Elisha and Ruth Field were- 1st, Clarissa, born Dec. 26th, 1790; 2d, Orrin, born June 12th, 1792; 3d, Luman, born March 28th, 1794; 4th, Norman, born in 1800.
199
JOSHUA MORSE-ADONIJAH AND RUFUS MONTAGUE.
vating some land in the vicinity ; but on the 12th of May, 1789, his father sold to him and his brother, Ashbel, the grist-mill and twenty-seven acres and forty-nine rods of land, and the two brothers, having a joint interest in the property, labored together till the death of Ashbel, about the year 1793, when Ebenezer bought his brother's share of the property. In 1795, he sold the mill and other real estate to John Penfield, and May 4th, 1802, bought the Morse farm-so called-of Robert Brown and Peter Ludlow. This farm at that time consisted of one hundred and forty acres, and included the land now owned by Capen Leonard and William P. Ward. The house into which Mr. Hopkins moved, stood on the east side of the road and about twenty-five rods north of the present residence of Mr. Leonard.
Joshua Morse came here this year. He was from Water- town, Conn., and purchased one hundred and seventy acres of land which included the third-division lot of the right of Joshua Arms, and the same which had been purchased by and surveyed to Gideon Cooley. The deed from Cooley to Morse bears date Feb. 23d, 1783, and covers the land now owned by Capen Leonard, William P. Ward and Mrs. Fargo. He built a log house about fifty rods in a northeasterly direction from the house now owned by Mr. Leonard, and into this he moved his family the following summer. A few years later he built a frame house several rods west of this and near the road. He occupied this house till March 17th, 1792, when he sold his farm to a Mr. Graham, of Rutland, who sold it to Brown and Ludlow, and these gentlemen sold it to Ebenezer Hopkins as already stated.
Adonijah and Rufus Montague, sons of Samuel, who has been mentioned as one of the early settlers, came here from Bennington about this time. They were weavers by trade, and had been brought up to this occupation by their father, but to what extent they practiced it is not now known. Both had
200
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
served in the army, and were in the battle of Bennington. The exposures of camp life had seriously impaired the health of Adonijah, and this was never fully recovered. It is not now known where they spent the first few years of their residence here, but, quite likely, it was on the place which had been vacated by their father. August 9, 1783, Rufus bought of his brother-in-law, Jonathan Fassett, one lot, (one hundred and ten acres,) lying on Otter Creek, and north of the lot which had been owned and occupied by Roger Stevens, Jr., but now just purchased by Benjamin Stevens, Jr. This was a third-division lot of the right of Theodore Atkinson, and included the farm now owned by Orlin Smith. But Montague made no improve- ments on this lot. He afterwards sold it to Abraham Owen. January 22d, 1790, the brothers, Adonijah and Rufus, bought of Jonathan Fassett another lot of land which included what is now the farm owned by Abraham Potter, and divided the land, Rufus taking the north half, and Adonijah the south half, of the lot. Rufus built a house about where Mr. Potter's house now stands, and Adonijah built one on the south side of the . road nearly opposite his brother's. It is evident that they had made improvements on this land, and had resided there some time before they obtained a deed of the same from Fassett, for only three days after the date of that deed, Adonijah deeded his half of the land to Adgate Lothrop, and the deed of con- veyance describes it as "the land said Montague's house now stands on, and bounded on the north by Rufus Montague's land he now lives on." The first year of their residence in the town was one of considerable suffering on account of the scarcity of provisions. The young men had been in the army, agriculture had been neglected, and the stock of provisions was scarcely sufficient for the families that had for some time resided here, so that those who came into the town immediately after the war, were obliged for a time to look elsewhere for their daily supply. Adonijah, being in feeble health, could hardly
201 .
JUSTUS BREWSTER-ELIJAH BROWN.
provide for his family, and more than once did their provisions run so low that Mrs. Montague was compelled-her husband not being able-to go to Bennington, about sixty miles, on horseback, guided some part of the distance by marked trees, over hills, through valleys and across streams, in many instances without bridges, to procure flour with which to relieve their urgent necessities. Adonijah went from Pittsford to Pawlet, where he resided several years, and then moved to Cambridge, where he died. Rufus also spent the last of his days in Cam- bridge and died there.
Justus Brewster, from Coventry, Conn., came here this year, and built a log house near where Charles Stiles' house now stands. This was a second-division lot of the right of Ashbel Stiles, and was purchased of Eleazer Davis, the deed bearing date December 28, 1782. It is supposed that he removed his family here in the fall.
The Brown family came from Connecticut. Elijah Brown, of Coventry, married Lydia Garry of Sanners, Feb. 12th, 1755, and had the following children, born in Coventry :
Elijah, born March 28, 1756.
Abraham, born March 11, 1758, and died the 24th of the same month.
Bethiah, born June 3, 1759, and died July 30, 1760.
Eli, born Dec. 8, 1760.
James, born Dec. 24, 1762.
Noah, born April 2, 1765.
Ephraim, born June 20, 1767.
Allen, born Aug. 29, 1769.
Elisha, born Dec. 31, 1771. Cyrenius, born April 30, 1774 .*
Elijah Brown, Jr., above mentioned, married Sarah Adams of Coventry, and their eldest child, Sarah, was born in that town January 16, 1779. The following year they removed to
* Coventry Records.
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
Rutland, Vt., where their second child, Elijah, was born, April 15, 1781. The time when they came to Pittsford, and the exact place where they first located here, are not now known, but their third child, Oliver, was born here, Dec. 23d, 1783 .. It is possible that he made his first improvements and built a house where he was afterwards known to have lived, on the plat of ground some sixty rods east of the present residence of Demas Chaffee ; if so, he probably did it on the strength of the promise of a deed of the land from Elisha Rich, which was not executed till May 21, 1784. This deed covered two hundred and twenty acres of land which was bounded as follows, viz. : "Begin- ning at a hemlock tree standing on the east line of Pittsford, two rods north of what is called Mill River, thence west 20° South to a beech tree, thence east 20º North 160 to a stake in the town line, thence north 20° West on the town line 200 rods to the first bounds, to the original right of Elihu Hall." The consideration was £82 10s. L. M.
David Starks was the son of Zephaniah who was born in England, came to America when a young man, married Martha Edgerton of Conn., and located in that state. They had two children, David and Eunice, born in Connecticut. The father died on the voyage to Nova Scotia; the mother died in Nova Scotia. David, born in 1765, bought one hundred and ten acres of land in Pittsford in 1783, which land included the farm now owned by Hawkins Hart. He made a clearing, built a house, and married Jennie,* daughter of Stephen Mead of Pittsford, in 1785. Mr. Starks died in this town in 1805 ; Mrs .. Starks died in Buffalo, N. Y., in 1834.
The Adams family, consisting of the father and mother- Elisha and Sarah - and sons, Elijah, Samuel, Thomas and Elisha, and daughter Anne, John Fenn, Elias Hall and Noah Hopkins, located here in 1784.
* Jennie Mead was the first female child born in Manchester (1767).
203
ADAMS FAMILY.
Elisha Adams married Sarah Taylor, but where he first located we are not informed. " He bought land of the agents of the Governor of the colony of Connecticut, located in Coventry, on the 2d day of June, 1771." He "leased a small farm in Coventry, Nov. 30th, 1771." He "sold and conveyed land in Coventry, Feb. 17th, 1774." He "bought land in Coventry of Samuel Ladd, Aug. 29th, 1778." " Thomas and Elisha Adams sold and conveyed land in Coventry, Aug. 29th, 1778. Elisha Adams sold land in Coventry, April 29th, 1779."*
The following is the record of Elisha Adams' family :
Elisha Adams, 2d, born Dec. 1, 1757, and died the 28th of April.
Sarah Adams, born May 30, 1759.
Elisha Adams, 3d, born March 14, 1762, and died May 9, 1773.
Elijah Adams, born October 9, 1764.
Samuel Adams, born March 23, 1767.
Thomas Adams, born Nov. 8, 1770.
Anne Adams, born May 8, 1772, and died August 5th, the same year.
Anne Adams, 2d, born May 1, 1775.
Elisha Adams, 4th, born May 19, 1778.
The above were all born in Connecticut."
Whether this family came directly from Coventry to Pitts- ford, or stopped by the way as did the Brown family, we have no means of knowing. Their earliest deed of land in the township of which a record exists, was one of one hundred and ten acres, from Elisha Rich to Thomas and Samuel Adams, and is dated May 21, 1784. As will be seen, the former was seven- teen and the latter a little more than thirteen years of age. The boundaries of this lot were marked by perishable objects,
* Coventry Records.
204
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
no vestige of which now exists, consequently it is impossible to fix its exact limits, but it is known to have been on or near East Branch brook, and to have included a part of the high land east of Furnace Flat. As no mention is made of the mill in this deed, and as it is known that Elisha Adams, the father, owned this a few months later, it is highly probable that he purchased this with some land in the vicinity in his own name, but the deed was never recorded. Not long after he purchased the grist-mill, he built a saw-mill a few rods below it, and both were kept in operation some years by some member or mem- bers of the Adams family. They first moved into the house built by Elisha Rich, but they soon constructed another log house, on the hill, about six rods west of the present residence of Mrs. Carrigan. Elijah Adams married Ruth, daughter of Elder E. Rich, and resided some years on the farm which has been mentioned as first improved by Abraham Owen, Sen., (O. Smith place,) then occupied for a few years the farm which had been improved by Richard Hendee, (Willis place,) but finally moved to Buffalo, N. Y. "He was highly respected, had a large family, and for the last twenty years of his life, was unable to labor, being nearly blind."*
Samuel Adams married Polly Baird, and resided for a time with his parents in the log house on the hill, east of Furnace Flat, but afterwards built the red house, now owned by A. G. Allen, and this, then became the home of himself and parents. Elisha, the father, for the last few years of his life, was blind.
Thomas Adams married Polly Cole,t and located on the farm now owned by his son, Elias T. Adams, and built the easterly part of the present house about the year 1792. He took that farm in a state of nature, and the most of the improve- ments on it are due to his labors.
Elisha Adams, 4th, married Stella, daughter of Oliver Bogue,
* Hendee's MS.
t Miss Cole was born in Woodbury, Ct.
205
JOHN FENN-ELIAS HALL-NOAH HOPKINS.
resided a few years in the village and kept a store in company with John Merriam, but afterwards left town.
John Fenn of Waterbury, Conn., bought of Gideon Cooley one hundred and seven acres of land, eighty-six of which were on the right of Elhanan Fox, and twenty-one on the right of Daniel Dreggs, the deed bearing date Feb. 7, 1784. This included the most of the farm now owned by Fobes Manley, but it was then an unbroken forest. Mr. Fenn and his sons cleared a few acres and built a house near where the present house stands, and the farm was occupied by the family or some members of it, till it was sold to John Hitchcock, Jr.
Elias Hall was born in Southington, Conn., but the year is not given. In the French war he enlisted in the army of Lord Amherst, at Hartford, and was assigned to the regiment com- manded by Col. Whiting, He was on duty at Ticonderoga and Crown Point till the fall of 1759, when he was taken sick with rheumatism and had permission to return home. After the war he married Sarah Hitchcock and located in New Cheshire, New Haven County, Conn. On the second day of May, 1783, he purchased* of Gideon Cooley thirty-three acres of land in Pittsford, which included what is now known as the Joshua Bates place. He built a house some forty or fifty rods west of the present house and near the old military road, and removed his family here in the spring of 1784. About the year 1795, he sold this place and resided a few years in the house which then stood about where the Baptist meeting house now stands. He removed to Williston where he died October . 29, 1820 ; Mrs. Hall died in 1815.
Noah Hopkins was a cousin of Nehemiah, his father being a brother of Ebenezer, Sen., one of the early settlers who has been mentioned. He was born about the year 1745, but we are not informed of the place of his birth or marriage, though he resided for a time, at least, in Nine Partners, Dutchess Co.,
* This deed was made out in the name of Sarah Hall, wife of Elias.
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
N. Y., where his sons, Hiram,* Noah, Jr., and Samuel were born. He came to Pittsford, probably, through the influence of his relatives, and purchased the real estate which had belonged to his uncle, then deceased. The deed of this purchase was. never recorded and we have no means of knowing its date.
Among the number who located here in 1785, were Richard. Hendee, John Hitchcock and son John, Israel Lake, Thomas. Hammond, Daniel Stevens, James Stevens, and Samuel Waters, Jr.
Richard Hendee was a son of Jonathan, and brother of Deacon Caleb, both of whom have been mentioned. He mar- ried Hannah Parsons, of Windsor, Conn., where he resided some years, and then moved to Shaftsbury, Vt., from which town he came to Pittsford in 1785, and located on a lotf. of land upon which a little improvement had been made- by a man named Wright. When he came here his property consisted of a few hundred dollars in Continental money which: had so depreciated that it was of little value, and to assist him to begin the world anew financially, his brother Caleb gave him this lot of land. In raising a barn for Capt. Milton Potter in 1797, Mr. Hendee fell from the frame and was instantly killed. He was about six feet high, well proportioned, though not fleshy, and weighed one hundred and eighty pounds. He left a widow and eight children, the former of whom afterwards married David June of Brandon, where she resided till his death, and then went to the western part of the State of New York to live with her children. The eldest son, Richard, mar- ried Phebe, daughter of Capt. Nathaniel Rich of Shoreham, resided some years on the homestead, and then moved to Ticonderoga .¿
John Hitchcock, a tanner by trade, was a native of Con-
* Hiram Hopkins was born January 16, 1772.
t The farm now owned by N, Willis.
# Hendee's MS.
207
JOHN HITCHCOCK.
necticut, where the most of his early life was spent. He married Abigail Chapman and located in Saybrook, where were born the following children, viz .: John, Remembrance, Joseph, Chapman, Benjamin, Abigail, Lydia and Anna. About the year 1780, he removed from Saybrook to Surry, N. H., where he resided till 1785, when he bought of Samuel Drury, said to be of Alstead, N. H., one right of land, minus one hundred and ten acres, in Pittsford, the deed being dated the 10th of May, and it was in consideration of £16 L. M. He pitched one hundred and ten acres of this right-the third-division lot of the right of Jedediah Winslow-on the northwest slope of what has since been known as "Corn Hill." It covered the farm now owned by Amos C. Kellogg. This he deeded to his son John, May 23, 1785, and then purchased the lot forming the farm now owned by his grandson Capt. Charles Hitchcock. He assisted his son in clearing the land and building a house on the side of the hill some eighty rods east of the present residence of Mr. A. C. Kellogg, and they transplanted an orchard near the house, some of the trees of which are still standing. At that time the road leading north from Joshua Morse's, passed some rods west of the present road, and on through land owned by Amos Kellogg, and a branch of it crossed Sucker Brook a few rods below the saw-mill. The family came here as soon as comfortable quarters could be pre- pared, and it is evident that they resided here together for a time, or until a small clearing and a house could be made on the other lot where Capt. Charles Hitchcock now lives; and then the father and other members of the family removed to the latter place, while the eldest son, John, who had married Hannah Weed, remained on the former place of which he had a deed.
In 1784, John Hitchcock, Sen., and Amos Kellogg exchanged farms for one year, though they never exchanged deeds. While Mr. Hitchcock was residing on the Kellogg farm, the house he
208
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
occupied took fire and was consumed with all its contents, fur- niture and provisions. But with the assistance of his sons he soon had a new house, and at the expiration of the year he and Mr. Kellogg re-exchanged locations, each occupying his own land.
Of the ancestry of Israel Lake no information has been obtained. That he became a resident of this town in 1785, the records conclusively show, though we are unable to learn from whence he came. He purchased of Caleb Hendee fifty- five acres of land-a part of the right of Alexander Scott-for which he paid £6, L. M., and the deed was dated "June 8th, in the 9th year of American Independence 1785." This appears to have been located west of Richard Hendee's lot; and about the same time Mr. Lake pitched fifty acres more of the same right bordering on the west bank of Otter Creek. This proba- bly included the land upon which Pittsford Quarry Co.'s depot now stands. He built a house about one hundred rods in a northwesterly direction from the residence of Richard Hendee, and perhaps occupied it alone for a time, as the record states that " Israel Lake and Hannah June were married to each other the tenth day of May, 1787."
Thomas Hammond was born in Newton, Mass., Feb. 20, 1762, and at the age of four years, was taken from his parents and carried* to Leicester, where he was bound to a farmer by the name of Denny and remained there the most of the following sixteen years. In 1778, he enlisted in the Continental army, and was stationed some months at West Point, where he served as fifth corporal, a position of which, as he used to say, he felt prouder, than of any he ever afterward held. He served but nine months in the army and then returned to Leicester. In 1782, he came to Shaftsbury, Bennington County, Vt., and married Hannah, daughter of Ichabod Cross, March 25, 1784.
* He rode horseback behind a man, forty miles the first day.
209
THOMAS HAMMOND-DANIEL STEVENS.
The following year his father-in-law* gave him one hundred and ten acres of land in Pittsford which lay south of and adjoining the lot owned by William Cox .; He built a small house about twelve rods south of the Cox fort-Fort Mott-just across the ravine, and resided there three or four years, then cleared the land and built a house in what is now the southeast corner of the field on the west side of the road and about fifteen rods north of the brook on the town farm. This was a frame house, clapboarded and shingled, and was used some years as a tavern. After residing here some seven years he built a house a few rods north of the present house on the town farm, and in this he resided till 1814, when he bought of Isaac and James Matson the farm now owned by Isaac C. Wheaton. The large house on that farm was built by Col. Hammond, in 1814. During the early years of his residence here, as also later, he kept a large flock of sheep, and the wolves sometimes made sad havoc among them. During one night they killed thirty and another night forty.
Daniel Stevens, eldest son of Benjamin, Sen., married Mary Rowe, of Manchester, but where he first located is not now known, though in 1793, he purchased the farm then owned by his brother Benjamin Stevens, Jr., and the same that is now owned by his grandson, Benjamin Stevens, 3d. He built a house on the east side of the road and about twelve rods north- east of the one which had been the residence of his brother. He resided here till his death, June 1st, 1829.
* Ichabod Cross was born in Mansfield, Conn., but was one of the early settlers of Shaftsbury, Vt., was in the battle of Hubbardton, and as our forces were seat- tered he was taken prisoner by some Indians. As our soldiers were retreating, he stopped at a spring to drink, and a wounded soldier lying near, he dipped up some water in his hat and passed it to his dying comrade. While in this act, four Indians rushed up and seized him, carrying him off, one holding each arm, one forward and another behind him, with their guns, and in this way they pro- ceeded till they came to a thick growth of trees, when he threw up his arms and, freeing himself from their grasp, sprang into the woods. The Indians stood amazed, and attempted neither to pursue nor shoot him. He ran some distance, and then divested himself of the most of his clothing which he put under a log, in order to weaken their hold of him should they attempt to sieze him again. He made good his escape, and after the war returned home where he died Feb. 8, 1827, aged ninety years and some months.
t The deed bears date Dec. 21, 1785.
15
210
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
James Stevens, also a son of Benjamin, on the 1st of May, 1784, pitched one hundred acres of land adjoining the north- east part of Gideon Sheldon's land. This was a second-division lot of the right of Daniel McFarland, and included the westerly part of what is now known as the " Bresee farm," owned by Benjamin Stevens, 3d. He cleared the land on the south slope of the hill, and built a house and barn about ten rods west of the brook, and about the same distance north of the east-and- west road. Some vestiges of these buildings may still be seen in the pasture. He married -- - Douglas, and resided here from 1785 to 1794, when he sold his real estate in Pittsford, and removed to Upper Canada.
Samuel Waters, Jr., the eldest son of Samuel Waters, married and settled on the farm now owned by Marshall Howland in Whipple Hollow. He purchased that lot of his father in 1783, made the first improvements on it and resided some years in a log house which stood on the east side of the road near where Mr. Howland's barn now stands. His wife died, and he afterwards married Prudence Moses.
The following persons are known to have located in the township in 1786, viz .: Jacob Weed, Jeremiah Powers, Simeon Stevens, Reuben Allen, Lot Keeler, Israel Ellsworth, Abraham Owen, Nathan Webster, Amos Webster, William Orcutt, Jere- miah Sheldon and Samuel Sheldon.
Jacob Weed was from Lanesboro, Mass., where he married Sarah Kittersfield of that town, and had the following children, viz. : Amasa, John and Mercy. He bought one lot (one hun- dred and ten acres) of land of Stephen Jenner, June 21, 1786. This was a second-division lot of the right of William Nutting, and included a part of the farm now owned by Cyrus Dike and the land adjoining on the south, now owned by Seba F. Smith. He made a clearing and built a house immediately south of the brook on the west side of the road about where a house now stands, and to this he removed his family.
211
JEREMIAH POWERS-SIMEON STEVENS.
Jeremiah Powers was the son of Jeremiah, of Greenwich, Mass., who was the third generation from the early settler of this name in that township, and who was originally from Ireland. Jeremiah, 3d, married Elizabeth, daughter of Benja- min Cooley, of Greenwich, and resided some years in that township where the following children were born, viz .: Jere- miah, Justus, Joab, Charles, George, Prudence, Montgomery and Gardner. The eldest son, Jeremiah, born in 1760, at the age of sixteen years enlisted in the army and served as a soldier, during a part of the Revolutionary war. After the war he was employed to assist in the survey of the township of Leicester, Addison County, Vt., and he purchased nine hun- dred acres in that township. But by mistakes in the early surveys only about two-thirds of the township were ever obtained, and from this circumstance Mr. Powers lost his title, and came to Pittsford, where he purchased of Gideon Cooley one hundred acres, for which he paid £100, the deed bearing date Oct. 15, 1785. This included the place now owned by E. M. Bailey, and the land extending southward upon the north slope of the hill, and adjoining Amasa Ladd's on the east. He built a house and barn on the south side of the Crown Point or military road, and about one hundred rods south of the house now owned by Mr. Bailey. To this place he removed his family in the spring of 1786. This house, built of logs, was occupied till 1804, when Mr. Powers built the house where Mr. Bailey now resides. Into this he removed his family, and died here in February, 1845, aged eighty-five years.
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