USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Pittsford > History of the town of Pittsford, Vt., with biographical sketches and family records > Part 31
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Joseph Kelley, the third son of Eliphalet, was born in Smithfield, February 19, 1795, and married, October 19, 1819, Anna M. Swett, who was born in Leicester, Vt., January 7, 1799. They located in Danby, but removed to Middletown, where they resided till they came to Pittsford. Mr. Kelley is a mechanic by occupation, and he worked some years at the
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
Furnace. In 1848, he bought of Chapman Hitchcock, the place which was, for some years, the residence of Heman Johnson. This has since been his home.
Seth Hudson, son of Eli, was born January 1, 1806. His trade was that of a carpenter and joiner. He married Lucy Lillie, May 23, 1836, and resided a short time in the family of Samuel A. Brown. He had changed his place of residence quite often previously to 1865, when he removed to the place he now occupies-the same that was once owned by Benjamin Booth.
Benajah Douglass Bates, son of Joshua, was born July 18, 1810, and married Jemima F., daughter of Samuel Warner, October 25, 1836. He resided several years on the home farm with his father. About the year 1835, he removed to the Titus farm which had been purchased by his father-in-law, Warner, who had occupied it some years. The old house at that time stood some few rods northeast of the present house, which was built by Mr. Bates. He died October 16, 1864, but the farm is still occupied by his heirs.
John Stevens is a descendant of Simon Stevens, who was born in Canterbury, Conn., December 15, 1736. At the com- mencement of the French war, Simon enlisted in the service of his country, in 1758, was taken prisoner by the Indians, on Lake George, and carried to Onodago, where he was confined more than a year. After enduring many hardships he made his escape, and located in Springfield, Vt., He was appointed Captain of a military company in 1766, was promoted to the rank of Major in the Revolutionary war, and was afterwards Lieutenant-Colonel of a regiment of State militia. He was the first Justice of the Peace in his adopted town, an office which he held more than fifty years. He was a member of the Provisional Congress, and for several years he represented his town in the General Assembly of the State. He married - - Willson, who died about 1778; and he married, in
John Stevens
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JOHN STEVENS-JOSIAH LEONARD-AUGUSTUS BAILEY.
March, 1780, Lydia Silsby, who died in February, 1781. Mr. Stevens married, for his third wife, Anna Fields. He died February 15, 1817, in the triumphs of the Christian faith. His children were Simon, John and Silsby. The last, born January 5, 1781, married, March 18, 1802, Abigail Wetherby, who was born in Lansingburg, Mass., Nov. 12, 1780, and they located in Acworth, N. H., where Mrs. Stevens died April 18, 1818. May 1, 1819, Mr. Stevens married Mary Ann Grimes, who was born in Windham, N. H., in 1782. She died October 10, 1839. Mr. Stevens died in Lynchburg, Ohio, in 1861, leaving three sons, viz .: John, Thomas and Ithiel .*
John Stevens, born August 4, 1804, came to Pittsford in 1836, and married, February 26, Melinda, daughter of Asher Burditt, and located in the house he now occupies, near the grist-mill in Mill Village. On the 29th of March, 1837, he purchased of Abel Penfield, one undivided third part of the grist-mill and mill privilege, on the 17th day of April follow- ing, of Allen Penfield another third, and on the 19th of November, 1838, of Sturges Penfield, the remainder. Mr. Stevens has continued to run the mill to the present time. About two years since he enlarged and greatly improved it, so that it is now one of the best in the State.
Josiah Leonard, born January 4, 1810, son of Isaac, mar- ried Olive P., daughter of Samuel Hendee, April 19, 1836, and located on the farm he had purchased of Samuel W. Boardman on the 16th of January the same year. He con- tinues to reside upon this farm, though he now occupies a house that was built especially for his parents.
Augustus Bailey, son of Enos, married Betsey Ray, May 15, 1836, and located on the Allen farm.t He had purchased this of Enoch Paine, June 8, 1833. Mr. Bailey built a barn
* These were his children by his first wife. By his second wife he had Abigail, Mary Ann, Sarah Jane, Lydia, Aaron, Caroline M. and James A.
t This farm has been mentioned as having been first improved by Reuben Allen.
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
on the farm, which was burnt, and he built another upon its site. He resided on the farm till 1865, when he sold it to Nathaniel Willis and removed to Brandon.
John Parmelee, a shoemaker, born about the year 1805, son of Hezekiah, married Ruth M., daughter of Robert Love- land, in 1827. He located in Malone, N. Y., but returned to Pittsford, in 1836, and resided at Mill Village till 1841, when he bought of Sylvester Sherman the place now owned by Simeon Smith. Mr. Sherman had purchased that place of Gilbert Cutler, who had purchased the land and removed upon it the old Derby house which he repaired. He resided there and worked at his trade till 1854, when he sold the place to Phineas Blood and removed to Lomira, Wis., where he died in 1860.
Caleb Rich Hendee, son of Gen. Caleb, was born Nov. 5, 1808, and received a large share of his early instruction from his father. He attended school at Castleton some time, after which he commenced the study of law in the office of John Pierpoint, Esq., then of Pittsford. He also spent some time in the office of Gordon Newell, Esq., after which he went to Zanesville, Ohio, where he completed his course of study and was admitted to the bar. He returned to Pittsford in 1836,
and on the 21st day of April, married Mary Ann Granger, who was born September 19, 1812. They resided in this town till the 6th of September, when they set out for Zanesville, Ohio, where Mr. Hendee practiced his profession about two years, when he returned to this town and located in a house which stood where Mr. Tiffany's house now stands, and devoted his attention to farming. On the 14th of February, 1840, his house was burned. The following year Mr. Hendee built the house which stands further south, and on the east side of the road, and is now occupied by his heirs. He died March 26, 1842.
The Fenton family located in Pittsford in 1836. Samuel
407
JOHN DUFFY-ASA NOURSE.
Fenton, son of John, was born in Rutland, Mass., February 22, 1774, and married, (in Rutland, Vt.,) in 1798, Cynthia Woods, who was born in Braintree, Mass., April 1, 1774. They located in Georgia, Vt. Their children were Dulcima, Joanna, John, Lydia, Sarah, Samuel T. and Anne W. The last two or three were born in Rutland where the family resided for a time. Samuel T. was born in Rutland, Aug. 25, 1810, married Miss A. R. Hall, of Chittenden, October 26, 1831, and settled in that town. In 1836, he bought of Sylves- ter Sherman the Martin Keeler farm,* now owned by Jeremiah Leonard, and here he removed his family and was joined by his father and mother, who resided with him till their death. His father died July 25, 1854 ; his mother died April 23, 1857. He sold that farm to Jeremiah Leonard in 1859, and at the same time purchased of Thomas H. Palmer the larger part of the Ripley farm, and on this he has since resided, occupying the Ripley house.
John Duffy was born in Meath county, Ireland, April 7, 1798. At the age of twenty-eight years he came to America, found his way to Pittsford, Vt., and worked a few years at the Furnace. On the 28th of October, 1834, he purchased of Reuben and Seth J. Wicker what was known as the Wicker farm. He married Mary Ratigan, April 9, 1837, and located on this farm, where he resided till his death, Feb. 12, 1869. Mrs. Duffy, born also in Meath county, Ireland, March 20, 1806, still occupies the farm. They had but one child, a daugh- ter, Margaret, who now resides with her mother.
Asa Nourse, son of Ebenezer, was born in Fitzwilliam, N. HI., May 9, 1801. At the age of ten years he went to
* This was a part of the Noah Waite farm. Martin Keeler married Hannah, youngest daughter of Noah Waite, and after the death of her father, the north part of the farm was set off to her and her husband. They resided some time in a log house which stood about ten rods north of the brook which runs from east to west through the original Waite farm. This was before there was a road in that section, and after the present road was laid out ten acres were purchased to give place for buildings near the road. The second house on that farm stood a little in the rear of the present one, now owned by Jeremiah Leonard.
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
Brookfield, Vt., to reside with his oldest brother, Josiah, who had located in that town. There he attended the district school in winter, and worked on the farm in summer. In the spring of 1819, his brother having purchased a farm in Pittsford, he came here to reside with him. He was a good scholar, and he taught school several successive winters, attended to agricul- tural pursuits at other seasons of the year. On the 25th of October, 1824, he purchased of John and Lyman Rockwood, " one equal undivided half" of the saw-mill, just north of what is now known as the Colburn bridge, together with one-half of the mill yard and privilege. On the first day of March, 1830, he purchased of Andrew Leach two and three-fourth acres of land with the buildings thereon, lying east of the said Leach's black- smith shop. This included land now owned by Mr. Nourse and the heirs of the late Jeffrey Barnes. The house then standing on it-the one now owned by Jeduthan Thomas-occupied about the site of the present house of Mr. Nourse. On the 12th day of February, 1835, he purchased of his brother William, the other half of the saw-mill, which had been deeded by Andrew Leach to the latter, January 20, 1829. He married Olive Cummings, March 9, 1837, and located in the house already mentioned. He removed this in 1844, and built the one he now occupies. Formerly a [considerable share of his time was improved in his saw-mill, but he sold this in 1865, and has since given the most of his attention to farming.
James R. Smith located here in 1837. He was the son of Cornelius Smith, and was born in Warren, New York, October 14, 1806. He married Emeline A., eldest daughter of Samuel Hendee, January 2, 1833, and located in Brandon ; but in 1837, Mr. Smith bought of Alvin Andrews what has long been known as the Andrews farm, now (1871) owned by Jud- son J. Smith. He resided on that farm till 1853, when he sold it to the town of Pittsford. The following year he bought of Orin Thomas the Woodruff farm, now owned by David
1
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Beny an Heveny
409
B. STEVENS-JUNIA SARGENT-CHARLES FAY.
Scofield. He sold this farm to George White in 1865, and bought the Edward Granger farm, January 25, 1867. Mr .. Smith died March 12, 1867, and never occupied the last pur- chased farm, though his family took possession of it soon after his death, and still reside on it.
Benjamin Stevens, 3d, located here in 1837. He is the eldest son of Eli Stevens who was the son of Daniel, who was. the son of Benjamin the early settler, of whom some account has been given. He was born in Pittsford and resided here the most of the time till 1833, when he married Nancy, daughter of James Burditt, and settled in Cornwall. He returned to Pittsford in 1837, and purchased the farm recently owned by Edwin Wheaton, and built the present house in 1842. He also built the barnes. He sold this farm to Mr. Wheaton and purchased the one next adjoining on the north and built the house he now occupies in 1861. The farm on which he now resides has been owned by three generations of his ancestors and occupied by two, his father and grandfather.
Junia Sargent, Jr., born in Ticonderoga, N. Y., May 20, 1809, son of Junia, married Harriet S., daughter of Ezra. Spencer, Nov. 29, 1838, and located on the Barlow farm which he had purchased of Mr. Spencer. He resided on that farm about seven years, and then bought of the heirs of Samuel Fairfield, the farm on which he now resides .* His wife Harriet S., died April 17, 1859, and February 4, 1862, he married Mary A. Richardson.
Charles Fay married Harriet Howland, January 10, 1838, and located in the northwest part of the town, on the road leading from John Ray's to Hubbardton. He had purchasedt of Leonard Wheeler, seventy-five acres of land in that part of the town upon which he built a house and made other improve- ments. Mr. Fay left town some years since.
* It will be remembered that this was the William Cox farm.
t The deed bears date July 15, 1832.
# The purchase was made of Deodat Brewster.
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
Nathan Smith Warner, born January 22, 1812, son of Samuel, married, August 26, 1838, Sarah G., daughter of R. M. Powers, and located on the Esty or Brewster farm which had been purchased; by himself, his father, and brother Chapin, in company. He resided there a few years and then, in company with his brother-in-law, Marshall Wood, he pur- chased the Kingsley tannery, and removed to the house now owned by Edward Ladderbouche. Here Mr. Warner worked at tanning and currying, a trade he had learned some years before. In 1852, he purchased a farm in the north part of Rutland, where he now resides.
Seth H. Hewitt, born in Pittsford in 1811, son of James, married, 1838, Lovina, born in 1812, daughter of Robert Loveland, and located on the homestead with his parents. He has continued to occupy and improve that farm to the present time.
Zebulon Pond became a citizen of Pittsford in 1838. His father, whose name was also Zebulon, was born in Wrentham, Mass., December 5, 1765, and, though quite young, served as a waiter to an officer in the Revolutionary war. After the war, he married Lucretia Ware, who was born in Wrentham, June 21, 1770. Soon after their marriage, they removed to Wilmington, Vt. Their children were Joseph, Alson, Benja- min, Diadama, Zebulon, Betsey, Lucretia and Daniel. Zebu- lon Jr. was born July 6, 1795, married Mary Smith, March 24, 1816, and located at Sutherland Falls, Vt. He afterwards removed to the south part of Brandon, where he resided till March 12, 1838, when he bought the Dike farm in Pittsford (Sugar Hollow) consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, the same now occupied by Martin Fitzpatrick. His father and mother came here to reside with him, the former of whom died September 20, 1844, and the latter March 30, 1843. Mr. Pond was a soldier in the war of 1812.
AMOS HITCHCOCK-JOHN M. AND JOHN M. GOODNOUGH. 411
Amos Hitchcock located here in 1838. He was the son of Chapman Hitchcock and was born October 27, 1803. He married Elizabeth Harwood,* September 4, 1838, and settled on the farm, a part of which is now owned by Frank Bresee. In 1850, he bought of Dr. E. V. N. Harwood the lot now owned by his heirs, and built upon it one of the handsomest houses in the town. He moved into this house on the 4th day of December. Mr. Hitchcock died September 3, 1852. He was a very industrious man, a model farmer and a good citizen. Few have left pleasanter memories.
John M. Goodnough settled here in 1838. His grand- father, Timothy Goodnough, was born in Charlestown, Mass., married Sally Lincoln and resided in that town. Their children were Daniel, Elijah, Asa, Willis, Abel, John, Experience, Louisa, Catharine, Abigail, Sally and Polly. Willis, the fifth son, was born March 25, 1781, and while a young man he went to Brandon, Vt., (then Neshobe). On the 25th of Jan- uary, 1802, he married Lydia Mott and located in that town. Miss Mott was the daughter of Deacon John Mott, and was born in Fort Vengeance, where her parents had taken refuge during the troublesome time of the Revolution. The children of Willis and Lydia Goodnough were Elijah, Daniel, Mary and John M. The father died in 1854, the mother in 1855.
John M. Goodnough, the youngest son of Willis, was born in Brandon, March 30, 1813. While a young man he was employed some part of the time as a clerk in a store. On the 30th of May, 1838, he married Sarah Ann Gorham, who was born in West Rutland, January 29, 1819. They have resided in this town since their marriage, and for several years have occupied the Harwood farm, a part of which was once owned by Mrs. Goodnough's father, Deming Gorham. Mr. Goodnough has built upon this farm a neat and convenient house and other
* Born in Hartford, Vt., Jan. 29, 1814.
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
substantial buildings. He is a man of energy and of uncommon sagacity, and, as a matter of course, has been very successful in business. He is "one of the solid men of the town."
Augustus Hammond, born June 5, 1800, son of Thomas, married, October 12, 1839, Mary, born June 2, 1807, daughter of Sturges Penfield, and located on the home farm with his parents. His father, with ample means and sound judgment, had brought the farm to a high state of cultivation, and at his death, left it to a son who has proved to be one of the worthiest citizens of the town. In 1867, he sold his farm to Isaac C. Wheaton and bought the homestead of his father-in-law, Pen- field, and upon this he now resides.
Martin Leach, Jr., born July 19, 1813, son of Martin, married, August 14, 1839, Harriet, born April 19, 1819, daughter of Asher Burditt, and located on the home farm with his parents. His father was a blacksmith, and the son was taught the same trade; but not having a taste for it, he has abandoned it altogether and given his attention to farming and horticulture. He sold his farm to Ashbel Humphrey, in 1857, and has since resided on the Lincoln, or Lucas, place at Mill Village.
John W. Hudson, son of Eli, married Jerusha Gorham, July 17, 1839, and located on the paternal homestead where he now resides. The house he occupies was commenced by his father, and completed by him in 1821.
Roswell Woodcock, son of Nathaniel, born in Jamaica, Vt., December 16, 1809, married Olive, daughter of Solomon Hendee, February 5, 1839, and located on the farm with his father-in-law. After the death of Mr. Hendee, Mr. Woodcock had the farm, the value of which he has very much enhanced by extensive improvements.
William F. Manley, son of William, was born in Chitten- den, December 16, 1811, married, October 10, 1839, Betsey, born December 19, 1816, daughter of Sturges Penfield, and
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EXTRACTS FROM RECORDS.
located in this town. He was a carpenter and joiner and some- times worked at house-painting. He built the house now owned by Henry Merrill, in 1843, and resided in it some time. Afterwards he built the house on the north side of the road, now owned by Miss Roach. He likewise built the house on the corner lot next west of the house last mentioned, and in this he resided some years, keeping a store in one part of it; but he afterwards remodelled the building, converting the whole of it into a dwelling house, and in this he resided till his death, March 24, 1865.
Elisha Pike located here in 1839. He was born in Clare- mont, N. H., in 1801, and resided there till he was twenty- three years of age. In 1824, he went to the State of New York, where he married Jane Harwood, June 3, 1830. In 1839, Mr. Pike bought the Hopkins farm in Pittsford, the one first occupied by Ebenezer Hopkins, Sen., but later by Josiah Nourse. Mrs. Jane Pike died, and Mr. Pike married Abigail Harwood, sister of his former wife, and continued to reside here till his death, January 28, 1846. Mrs. Abigail H. Pike now resides in Holley, New York.
During the past ten years, the usual number of town officers were elected from year to year, and the customary routine of business attended to, but very little that was memorable occurred in the civil affairs of the town.
At Freemen's meeting, Sept. 7, 1830, the following persons were admitted freemen, viz .: Ira Manley, William Cotting, John G. Newell, Caleb R. Hendee, James R. Newell, William Nourse, Anthony Willis, M. W. Nelson, Theron Hawes, Wil- liam Henry, Philip Stewart, William Mead, Francis Johnson, Ebenezer H. Squire, Junia Sargent, Jr., James R. Hewett and Orin Clark."
At a special meeting held Nov. 1, 1831, "a petition was presented by the Methodist society for leave to erect a meeting house on the Common."
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
The town "voted the prayer of the petitioners be granted' under proper restrictions : Provided the town have a legal right so to do.
Voted to appoint a committee of five persons to investigate the subject and report, next March meeting.
Chose Gordon Newell, Isaac Wheaton, Caleb Hendee, P. C. Barlow, Jeffrey Barnes, the above Committee."
At the March meeting the foregoing Committee made a report to the effect that the town had a legal right to grant the request of Methodist society, which report was accepted ; but for some reason the petitioners did not see fit to locate their house on the Common.
" At a meeting March 5, 1833, the following statement and resolution was read and accepted :
Pittsford, March 6, 1833. In Town Meeting :
Whereas, at a regular meeting of the Proprietors of the white meeting house in said Town, holden at the same, on the 2d Monday in February last, a Committee was appointed by said Proprietors to apply to the town at this meeting for some pecuniary aid towards the necessary repairs of said house, and the said committee having laid the subject before the meeting : And whereas, the town for nearly forty years have had the use and occupancy of said house for the purpose of holding their Town and Freemen's meetings, and will continue to want the use of the same for the purpose aforesaid: Therefore be it Resolved, that the selectmen be and they hereby are author- ized in this capacity, either separately or in conjunction with a committee of said proprietors, to make a suitable examination of said house, and ascertain what external repairs are neces- sary to make to prevent said house from going to decay, and lay out such a sum towards such repairs as they may deem reasonable for the town to advance, and draw an order on the Town Treasurer for the amount, who is hereby directed to pay the same out of any money in the treasury not otherwise
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appropriated : Provided that the sum so expended shall not exceed seventy-five dollars."
We make the following extract from the record of the pro- ceedings of Freemen's Meeting, the first Tuesday of Septem- ber, 1834 :- " And after balloting faithfully 9 times and until 12 o'clock without making choice of a Representative, the: meeting adjourned without day.
D. BREWSTER, First Constable. S. H. KELLOGG, T. Clerk."
The following is taken from the records of a special meet- ing held March 31, 1834 :
" On application of Ebenezer Brooks, Elijah Brown, Jr., and Benjamin H. Trowbridge to become Inn keepers and retailers of spirits and wine by small measure at their present. dwelling houses; voted to approbate them and assessed them in the sum of three dollars each, to be paid into the Treasury of said Town before taking licence.
On application of Charles G. Boardman to become an Inn keeper in his now dwelling house, without dealing in the arti- cle of ardent spirits or wine; voted that he be licensed according to the above application.
On application of Henry Simonds and Addison Buck to become retailers of ardent spirits in the stores they now occupy; voted to approbate them for a licence to become retailers as aforesaid, and assessed them in the sum of $10.00 each, to be paid into the Treasury of said Town, before taking said licence. All the aforesaid Licences to commence the first day of April, 1834, and continue one year."
The following is a copy of a license granted by the Select- men :
"Pittsford, September, 1836. Approbation is hereby given to R. Welch & Co., to exhibit their Arena and Amphitheatre
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
company in this town, on Satuday, the 1st day of October, 1836, for the sum of fifteen dollars.
HARRIS BOGUE, Selectmen of G. F. HENDEE, S Pittsford."
In the warrant for town meeting on the 6th day of March, 1838, were the following articles, viz .:
"5th. To see if the town will buy the East room on the lower floor in the white meeting house for a Town room.
6th. To see if the town will buy the upper part of said house, for a high school and other purposes."
Action was taken upon the foregoing articles as follows :
"Voted to raise a committee of five persons to examine and investigate the subjects embraced in the 5th and 6th arti- cles in the warning, who shall make a report at an adjourned meeting from this, and that when this meeting be adjourned, it be till 4 weeks from this day, at one o'clock P. M., at the Town room, or this place.
Voted, the moderator appoint the above committee.
The chair announced for said committee
JONATHAN WARNER, GORDON NEWELL, JEFFREY BARNES, DAVID RICHARDSON, S. H. KELLOGG."
At the adjourned meeting the above committee made the following report :
"The Inhabitants and voters of the Town of Pittsford in Town Meeting assembled by adjournment from their annual March meeting, A. D. 1838.
Your Committee, to whom was referred the subjects con- tained in the 5th article in the warning, in relation to the pur- chase of the East room, on the lower floor of the old white Meeting house, repaired by Capt. Harris Bogue the past sea-
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