USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Pittsford > History of the town of Pittsford, Vt., with biographical sketches and family records > Part 27
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* This house was formerly John and Henry Simonds' store, and stood on the ground now occupied by the brick store in the village.
+ Daughter of John Dimick, formerly of Sullivan, N. H.
Asher Burdett
347
LUKE DEAN-CAPEN LEONARD ..
and Charlotte. Asher, born March 31, 1788, married Melinda Davis, of Chester, Vt., March 24, 1814. The following year he came to Pittsford and located on the farm now owned by his son Ransom. He had purchased fifty acres, a part of the first-division lot of the right of Alexander Scott, November 17, 1814. This included the most of the land in that farm lying on the west side of the road, and Mr. Burditt occupied the house which stood on the same ground where once stood the log cabin of Samuel Crippen. On the 11th of May, 1826, Mr. Burditt bought of Jason Harwood thirty-three acres on the east side of the road, including the house now occupied by Austin Chingreau, and which had been built by Mr. Harwood. Mr. Burditt resided in this house till 1846, when he bought of Harris Bogue the farm now owned by his son, Franklin Burditt, and there he resided till his death, October 22, 1855. He was twice married ; his wife Melinda having died Feb. 21, 1832, he married Mrs. Damaris C. Deming, daughter of Oliver Bogue, in 1834.
Luke Dean, son of James, married Mary Thomas, January 12, 1815. He located on the farm north of and adjoining Enos Bailey's farm, the place that Nathaniel Willis recently bought of Augustus Bailey. Mr. Dean occupied an old house that formerly stood where the present house stands.
Capen Leonard, son of Jacob, was born in Easton, Mass., in 1782, and in 1802 he married Mehitable Forbes who was born in Bridgewater in 1778. They located in Chittenden, Vt., but removed to Pittsford in 1815, and settled on the farm first improved by Chapman Hitchcock-now the Alexander place. They afterwards resided on the Blair place at Mill Village, but returned to the Alexander place, where Mr. Leon- ard died, December 10, 1845. Mrs. Leonard died May 21, 1863.
Asa Moon, son of Jesse, married Tamar Salisbury, Octo-
348
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
1
ber 31, 1816, and resided about one year with his father-in- law, Benjamin Salisbury, and then moved to the West.
Andrew Sutherland, born in 1776, son of Peter Suther- land, of Rutland, married Naomi, daughter of Col. Benjamin Cooley, January 6, 1807, and located with his parents at Suth- erland's Falls. After the death of Col. Cooley his estate was divided among his heirs. Mrs. Sutherland inherited a part of her father's property, and in January, 1816, her husband bought of "Noah Beach and his wife Eunice" - another daughter of Col. Cooley-their interest in the estate, and then moved on to the Cooley farm in this town. But in the fall of the same year they sold all of their real estate in Pittsford to Asher Burditt, Jason Harwood, R. M. Powers, and Harris and Alexander Bogue, and the following spring moved to the west- ern part of the State of New York.
James D. Butler, born July 25, 1795, son of Anthony, married, Oct. 6, 1816, Rispah, daughter of Samuel Morgan, and soon after located on the farm with his father-in-law. Mr. Butler has continued to occupy and improve that farm.
Ebenezer Conant, born June 5, 1777, married Fanny,* daughter of Edward Clifford, and located in Brandon. In 1816, he purchased of Elisha Cox the farm which had been the homestead of his deceased father, William Cox. MI Conant removed his family here this year, and soon after built the stone house-now the residence of Junia Sargent-and made other improvements on the farm. He removed from the town in 1833, and for some years has resided in Geneva, Ill.
Charles G. Boardman is a descendant of Timothy, who was born in Weathersfield, Conn., December 2, 1727, and on the 14th day of November, 1750, married Jemima Johnson, who was born in the month of August, 1732. They located
* Born February, 1780.
349
DANIEL HALL-LYMAN HITCHCOCK.
in Middletown, where were born to them the following chil- dren, viz .: Timothy, Oliver, Mary, Elisha, Betsey, Joseph, Sarah and William. Timothy, the father, died in 1792; Jemima, the mother, in 1798. Timothy, the eldest son, born Jan. 20, 1754, married, Sept. 28, 1783, Mary Ward who was born October 21, 1753. They located in West Rutland, Vt., and had the following children, viz .: Hannah, Timothy, Mary, Samuel W., Elijah, Charles G. and Betsey. The mother died in West Rutland in December 1836; the father died in Middle- bury, April 3, 1839. Charles G. the sixth child, married Submit Watkins, of Rutland, and located on the Abraham Drury farm in Pittsford-now owned by Frank B. Barnes. 'This farm, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, had been purchased by his father, April 24, 1816, and now, 1817, he (Charles G.) took possession of it and kept a public house. He was assisted, however, by his older brother, Samuel W., who shared with him the profits. On the 5th of March, 1823, Timothy Boardman deeded to his son, Charles G., the tavern- stand and sixteen acres of land, and to his son Samuel W., eighty-four acres of the north part of the Drury farm. Charles G. kept the hotel till 1837, when he sold it to Nehemiah Barnes and removed to Rutland, where he now resides.
David Hall, Jr., son of John, of Newport, N. H., was a stone-cutter by occupation, having learned his trade of his cousin, John Hall, of Sudbury. On the 10th of March, 1817, he married his cousin Abigail, daughter of David Hall, Sen., of Pittsford, and resided a short time in Brandon, and also in Sudbury, from which town he came to Pittsford and occupied the house built by Dr. Frisbie, then standing on land now owned by Bradley Burditt. He removed to London, Michi- gan, about the year 1830.
Lyman Hitchcock, eldest son of Remembrance, was born in 1796, married Parthena Weed, in December, 1817, and located with his parents on the farm now owned by George N.
350
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
Eayres. He resided a few years in Rutland, but the most of his married life was spent in Chittenden. He died while on a visit at the residence of Henry Merrill in Pittsford, in January, 1846.
Enos Bailey, son of Enos, married Relief Johnson, Janu- ary 1, 1818, and resided a few years with his parents on the farm now owned by H. C. Stetson. The first improvements on that farm were made by Enos Bailey, Sen., and the house was built by him about the year 1806. His son Enos resided there but a limited period after his- marriage.
Jabez Luther, from Rhode Island, came here in 1818, and resided a short time on the Daniel Stevens farm. He had had one arm amputated just above the elbow, and the other at the wrist; nevertheless he could do almost any kind of work; and the feats he performed were subjects of general remark. He changed his residence quite often while a citizen of the town, and removed to Dorset in 1830.
Timothy Lester, a blacksmith, from Hartford, Vt., came here in 1818, and bought of Amasa Weed the farm* now owned by Amos C. Kellogg. He built the brick house in 1831, and made other improvements on that farm which he sold to Samuel H. and Amos C. Kellogg in 1837, and removed from the town. He returned to this town and resided some four years in the house recently owned by Parker Kemp, then removed to the West.
Ansel Burr, son of Rufus and Lydia Burr, was born in Massachusetts, May 2, 1796, married Esther in 1818, and located on the farm now owned by Harvey Jackson. Both died in this town, Mr. Burr, Feb. 3, 1871; Mrs. Burr, some years earlier.
Nathaniel K. Andrews,t son of Kellogg, married Eunice, daughter of John Barnes, January 3, 1819. He resided a
* The John Hitchcock farm.
+ Born in 1794.
351
JUNIA SARGENT.
short time on the place formerly owned by James Hopkins, then bought the farm now owned by Charles Stiles, and after residing there about one year, he exchanged farms with his brother-in-law, Nehemiah Barnes, who had purchased the David Hall farm, now owned by Alexander Parmelee. After residing on the latter place a short time he purchased of Jonathan Dike what is now the town farm, and there he resided till his death, June 8, 1855.
Junia Sargent was the son of Timothy C., who was born at sea, on the voyage from England to America, in 1751, and whose early life was spent in Williamstown, Mass. In 1770, he married Ann Horton, of Londonderry, Vt., who was born . in 1755, and they located in that town. At the commence- ment of the Revolutionary war Mr. Sargent enlisted in the army, and as he enlisted from Williamstown it is quite likely that he had returned to that town before enlisting. But he had had a little military experience before enlisting in the regu- lar service, and probably before he removed from Londonderry, as it is known that he went with Allen to Ticonderoga and wit- nessed the capture of that fortress in 1775. After entering the regular army he was stationed some time at Fort Edward, shared in most of the military movements in the vicinity of North River, was one of the number detailed to escort Andre from prison to the place of execution, and after serving through the war was honorably discharged, and returned to his family. He had five sons, Timothy, Enoch, Ephraim, Junia and Ira ; and five daughters, Alice, Lucinda, Nancy, Jerusha and Eunice. Junia, the fourth son, born in Londonderry, July 5, 1788, married, February 17, 1806, Sally, daughter of Thomas Clark, of Fitzwilliam, N. H., and located in Rutland, Vt. In 1819, he came to Pittsford and located on the Rood farm now owned by D. A. and J. Richardson. In 1821, he removed to the Caleb Hendee farm where he resided two years, and after changing his residence several times in this town, bought a
352
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
farm in Hubbardton, whither he removed and resided six or seven years, and then returned to this town and spent the remainder of his life with his son Leonard. He died May 20, 1869 .* Mrs. Sally Sargent died April 12, 1863.
Job Winslow, brother of Thomas, married Lucy, daughter of William Spencer, in 1819, and located on the south part of the Rice farm. He had, as early as the 28th of January, 1809, bought of Peter Rice (who had married his widowed mother) fifteeen acres from the south part of his farm, and soon after built the houset which, after his marriage, he oceu- pied till his death, in 1828. Mrs. Winslow died in 1824.
Henry Simonds located here in 1819. He was a descend- ant of William Simonds who settled in Woburn, Mass., about 1644, near a place still known by the name of Dry Brook. He (William) married, Jan. 18, 1643, Judith Hayward, widow of James Hayward, who had married her, when Judith Phippen, a fell-passenger and a fellow-servant, on board the " Planter," from London, 1635. The house Simonds built and occupied in Woburn was used as a fort during the Indian wars. He was one of the proprietors of that town and became a consid- erable landholder. He was denominated a planter. He served, as most of the men of that day did, in the current military movements. He was admitted a freeman in 1670, and died the same year. His widow survived him twenty years, and died January 5, 1690. They had eleven children. Caleb, the eldest son, born. Aug. 26, 1649, married, Sept., 1677, Sarah Bacon. To them were born -- 1st, Samuel, June 60, 1678 ; 2d, James, January 15, 1683; 3d, Sarah, Nov. 11, 1687. Caleb Simonds died Nov. 4, 1712. Wid. Sarah Simonds died April 12, 1727. James, by his wife Lydia, had James, Caleb, Sarah, Lydia, Abigail and Susanna. James Simonds, the eldest son
* He had resided about two years on the Benjamin Stevens farm, now owned by R. and E. Hendee, and while there his aged father went to live with him, and died there in 1827. His wife, Ann, died in Hubbardton in 1829.
t This was the house now standing about one hundred rods south of Ransom Burditt's.
353
JOHN AND HENRY SIMONDS.
of James and Lydia Simonds, was born April 22, 1714, and married Ann Convers about August, 1745. To them were born Anne, Jude, Esther, Hazael (" Asahel"), Ebenezer and Keziah. Hazael, above mentioned, was born December 28, +
1752, married Mary --- and settled in Charlestown, New
Hampshire. Their children were : Josiah, Henry, Jolın, Joseph, William, Hannah, Fanny, Esther and Caroline. Josiah married and settled in Whiting, Vt. Henry, born May 2, 1791, married Mary Jones, of Claremont, N. H. On the 17th of November, 1819, in company with his brothers, Josiah of Whiting, and John, he purchased of William Barnes, of Rut- land, the Merriam store* and the place now occupied by John Leonard. The firm took the name of "J. Simonds & Co.," and after trading a short time, Henry and John bought Josiah's interest in their Pittsford property and continued business under the firm-name of "Simonds & Co." In 1826, they bought of Whipple Spooner the place now owned by the heirs of Henry Simonds and occupied by his widow. They lived in an old house which, at that time, stood near where the horse-barn now stands, and had a distillery a few rods southwest of the house. In 1834, John sold his share of the property to his brother, Henry, who continued the mercantile business. About the year 1840, he built the house now on the premises, and sold the old house which was removed to the lot now owned by John Fleming, and was soon after burnt. Mr. Simonds was married three times. His wife Mary died Aug. 25, 1825, and he married, May, 1826, Sarah, daughter of Caleb Hendee ; she died October 19, 1833, and he married, May 2, 1834, Betsey, daughter of Martin Leach. Mr. Simonds, died December 4, 1865.
The period from 1809 to 1820, is distinguished by no very marked transaction in the civil affairs of the town, though
* This store was built by Elisha Ladd.
24
354
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
every year brought with it some change, the necessity for which was made apparent by experience.
The General Assembly at its session in October, 1810, passed an act making it the "duty of the selectmen of the several towns in this state to assess a tax of one cent on a dollar on the list of the polls and ratable estate of the inhab- itants of their respective towns for the purpose of schooling ;" and a provision was made that, "any town at any meeting warned for that purpose, may by vote direct the collection of such tax in such articles of produce, as may be most advan- tageous to such towns. The Selectmen called a meeting of the legal voters of Pittsford on the 31st day of December follow- ing, "To see if the Inhabitants will have a mind to vote to pay the cent tax on the Dollar, assessed by an act of the Legis- lature at their Session at Montpelier in October last, in produce agreeably to the provisions of said act." At this meeting the town "voted to raise one half Cent or five Mills on the Dollar of the list of the present year, payable in grain to be appro- priated for the support of schools, as provided in the act men- tioned in the warning." At this meeting the town also "voted to appropriate twenty Dollars out of the Town's money for the purpose of repairing the Bridge across Otter Creek near Tilly Walker's." .
At a special meeting held on the 28th of March, 1811, the town "voted to admit the Small Pox in Town by Enoculation next fall, to be under the direction of the Selectmen and authority of sd Town."
At Freemen's Meeting on the first Tuesday of September, 1811, the following persons were admitted as frecmen, viz .: Daniel Tucker, Orin Strong, William House, Eli Mead, John Blanden, John Hall, Francis Leclare, Hiram Ives, William Pearse, William Stevens, Joshua Ray, John Hudson, Azariah
355
THE GREAT FLOOD.
Cooley, Samuel Masters, George N. Gilbert, Daniel Lincoln, Jr., and Ebenezer Smith.
About the 11th of July, this year, occurred one of the most remarkable floods that has ever visited this section of the country. It commenced early in the morning with a succes- sion of thunder showers. Towards noon the clouds gathered blackness, the rain descended in torrents, and during the after- noon and following night it seemed as though "the fountains of the great deep were broken up." The next morning the rain ceased and the clouds cleared away; but the roads were so washed in many places as to be impassable, and the streams were overflowing their banks, spreading devastation and ruin in every direction. Otter Creek rose to an unprecedented height, the waters overflowing the intervale to a vast extent on either side. When at the highest pitch, they washed the door sills of the house of Stephen Mead on the west side, and boats were propelled on the line of the highway from Milton Potter's to Mr. Mead's. The bridge near Mrs. Cooley's,* as well as the Walker and Hammond bridges on Otter Creek, were swept away; but the Mead bridge was, by great exertions, saved, though its structure was greatly damaged. When it was perceived that this was seriously endangered, the neighbor- ing inhabitants turned out, and having taken up the planks, piled heavy timbers upon the rails, so that the superincumbent weight was sufficient to resist the force and uplifting power of water.
In the midst of these operations, the following little episode occurred : Several hours of hard labor had been passed in the heat of the sun when the fatigued and thirsty men, conform- ably to the customs of the time, bethought themselves of a potation stronger than water. But there was no liquor at hand, nor could it be obtained at any point nearer than the Village, and as there was no boat near, how to obtain it was a
* The widow of Col. Benjamin Cooley.
356
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
puzzling question. At length a courageous young man pro- posed to swim the Creek and obtain the liquor on condition that others would pay the bill. The proposition was acceded to, and our adventurous hero, stripping himself of all gar- ments except his shirt and pants, plunged into the flood and gradually worked his way to the eastern shore, coming out at Gen. Hendee's barn near the present depot. He then went to Merriam's store, obtained a five gallon cask filled with rum, and placing it upon his shoulders set out on his return. In order to take advantage of the current, he proceeded south to the farm owned by Adget Lathrop-now D. K. Hall's-and there turned west and went upon the high point of land extend- ing out into the water-as it was then-and upon the western extremity he procured a large plank, upon which he lashed his cask, and committing it to the water he swam with it abreast, intending to come out near the workmen at the bridge. The current was so strong, however, that he was carried several rods below, where he came out safe upon terra firma amidst the shouts of the multitude. This was a daring feat, and such as few young men at the present day would be willing to undertake. The young man who accomplished it was William Stevens, son of Daniel, and grandson of Benjamin, Sen. We may suppose that the workinen had a jovial time during the remainder of the day.
At a special meeting called on the 3d of September the town "voted to raise two cents on a Dollar on the list of 1811, payable in Grain first of January, 1812, and two cents on a Dollar on the list of 1812, payable in Grain first of January, 1813, to Rebuild and Repair the four large Bridges in sd Town carried off by the late freshet and to defray other expenses. Voted that the Selectmen, with the addition of Adget Lathrop, and Ashbel Lee, be a committee to superintend the Building and Repairing the Bridges aforesaid. Voted that the Select- men be and they are hereby authorized to put up the Town
357
REPAIRS OF BRIDGES AND ROADS.
Poor to be kept at Public Auction to the best bidder."
At the annual meeting in March, 1812, the town "voted that the Selectmen be a Committee to hear and grant the Request of Israel Brewster, Jr., Samuel Dutton, Zelotes Andrews, Josiah Parsons, Ira Parsons, Nathaniel Anson, Jason Ladd, Justus Powers, Artemas and Caleb Carpenter to be exonerated from paying their proportion for building the three Bridges over Otter Creek and the one over Mill River by Widow Cooley's, where the old ones were carried off by the late freshet, on account of their building Bridges over East Creek near where they live.
Voted to Relinquish the Poll Tax of Christopher Bresee, Jr., for the year 1811, on account of his being equipped in the Militia as the law directs.
At the annual meeting of the 8th of March, 1814, the town chose a committee consisting of the Selectmen-Thomas Hammond, Samuel Fairfield, Ebenezer Beach, Nathan Gibbs, Samuel Smith and Oliver Bogue-to explore and see what alterations it is necessary to make in the road from Strong's Tavern to John Penfield's, also from Holland Weeks' to the Mead Bridge, so called.
"At Freeman Meeting, September 5, 1815, the following persons were admitted freemen by taking the prescribed oath, viz .: Orin Ives, Francis Goodale, Aloy Churchill, Cyrus Chase, Jacob Sheldon, Asa Moon, Levi Stratton, Oliver Wolcott, Jr., Horatio Walker, Azor Dickerman, Nathan H. Wescott, Ger- man Hammond, Jedediah Bugbee, John Gillitt, Jr., James Wheelock, Robert L. Loveland, Theophilus Capen, Jr., John Olds, Jr., George C. Ridle, Nathaniel K. Andrews, John Dean, James Bowen, and Jonathan Tilson. Nathan Pratt and Samuel H. Bottom, from a foreign government, were admitted and took the oath of Allegiance to this State and to support the Constitution of the United States as well as the Freemen's oath."
358
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
At a meeting held December 11, 1815, " the Selectmen having stated the debts and credits of the town, on motion, voted to raise one Cent on the Dollar of the present year's list, to be added to the Tax voted last March meeting, to defray the necessary expenses of the town.
Voted not to prosecute the Bail of Ozem Strong till after next March Meeting.
Voted that the Meeting House Bell be rung till next March meeting on Sundays and Funeral Occasions at the expense of the town."
The following is found upon the records of 1817 :
" Received of Peter Powers and Tilly Walker their Notes to the amount of four Hundred and twenty Six dollars which is in full of the demands of the Town of Pittsford for Bonds entered for Ozem Strong, Constable, and the said Peter and Tilly are hereby discharged from said Bonds in full.
Pittsford, December 1, 1817.
ISAAC WHEDON, Selectmen of
SAMUEL SMITH, the Town
ANDREW LEACH, of Pittsford.
Received the above on Record December 2d, 1817.
Attest, CALEB HENDEE, JR., T. Clerk."
At Freemen's meeting, Sept. 1, 1818, the following persons were admitted freemen and took the customary oath, viz. : Elias Hayward, Augustus Bailey, Jr., Levi F. Hayward, Recompence Wadsworth, Arba Bassett, Luther Wicker, Jr., John Van Allen, Jr., John Cooley, Bradford Andrews, Daniel Priest, Marquis D. F. Gibbs, Jeremiah Morse, Jr., John Sim- son, Isaac K. Drury, Dexter Babbit, William Hunter, Graten Jackson and Thomas Adams, Jr.
The most exciting event of this period was the second war with Great Britain, commencing in June, 1812, and ter- minating with the ratification of the treaty of Ghent in Febru-
359
SECOND WAR WITH ENGLAND.
ary, 1815. Although public sentiment in this State was divided in respect to the policy pursued by the dominant party of the country, yet when the national flag was insulted and the national honor at stake, party feeling was laid aside and the people, with great unanimity, rallied to the support of the government. It is very much to be regretted that so much of the necessary material for writing a full history of this war should be inaccessible. None of the muster rolls of the soldiers, with the exception of those of the Plattsburgh volun- teers are to be found in the archives of the State. Some years since they were transferred to Washington, and all efforts to recover them have, thus far, been unavailing. Consequently, with the exception above mentioned, we are unable to give the time of enlistment or term of service of the volunteers from Pittsford, and as the most of these have passed away from the earth, we can do little more than give a list of their names with a few incidents in their military experience, as they are - found in the memories of their descendants. The following list of the names of persons, known to have served for a longer or shorter period in the regular army, has been gathered from various sources, and though probably not complete, yet it is as nearly so as we can make it without access to the origi- nal rolls :
·
John Axtell,
Amherst Lee, John Lampson.
John Barnes, Jr.,
Israel Burditt,
Samuel Miller.
David L. Beebe,
Rufus Bur,
Bildad Orcutt,
Enos Bailey, Jr.,
Amasa Owen.
John Betts,
Elisha Cox,
R. M. Powers, R. M. Powers, Jr.,
-
360
HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
Samuel Cook.
John Dean, Asa Durgee, Ezra Day, Justin Darling.
Leonard Fargo.
Joab Powers, Gardner Powers, Zebulon Pond.
Nathaniel Rand.
William Spencer, Gideon Sheldon.
Lucas Thomas.
W. D. Hitchcock, Samuel P. Hawes.
Reuben Jackson,
Graton Jackson.
John H. Lincoln,
Abel Wheeler, Samuel Wheeler, Arden Weller, Edward Wheeler, Robert Wright.
Early in September, 1814, the Governor General of Can- ada, with an army of fourteen thousand men, some of whom had had the advantage of military experience in the wars of * Europe, invaded the northern frontier of the United States, by · way of Lake Champlain. Intelligence of this invasion spread rapidly through Vermont, producing the most intense excite- ment, and arousing the patriotism of the people, who at once determined to drive back the foe and to defend their posses- sions. To contest the advance of the enemy upon Plattsburgh, Rutland County furnished two hundred and seventy-four men, of whom one hundred and six were from Pittsford. On Friday afternoon, the 9th of September, Col. Hammond received notice of the invasion, with the request that he would collect as many men as possible, and hasten to the assistance of his countrymen. The Colonel mounted his horse and pro- ceeded to the residence of his neighbor General Hendee, with whom he had a short consultation, and they either went or
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