USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Pittsford > History of the town of Pittsford, Vt., with biographical sketches and family records > Part 38
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Thomas J. Hennessy, son of Daniel, was born in Clare- mont, N. H., December 9, 1833, and came to Pittsford with his father's family, in 1841. He enlisted for the army in 1864, and was mustered into the United States service at New Haven, Conn., on the 23d of September. The quota of Pittsford being, at that time filled, he was credited to the town of Jamaica, and received from that town a bounty. He was attached to Company C, Tenth Vermont Regiment, which, at that time, was stationed at Cedar Creek, Virginia. In the battle which occurred there, October 16th, he was wounded in the shoulder by a musket ball, which made amputation at the shoulder joint necessary. This was successfully done fourteen hours after receiving the wound. He remained in the hospital at Winchester eight weeks, and was then transferred to Bur- lington, Vt., where he was discharged on the 16th of May. He is now receiving one hundred and eighty dollars per annum from the government.
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ROADS.
CHAPTER XV.
Roads ; Bridges ; Mills ; Tanners and Curriers' Works ; The Furnace ; Iron Foundries ; Potash Works ; Dis- tilleries; Marble Interests.
ROADS.
The early roads in the township, like those in other parts of the new country, were little better than rude paths in the wilderness. A narrow passage was made by cutting away trees and bushes, and streams that could not be easily forded were bridged with logs. No turnpike welcomed the weary traveler, and no toll-gatherer laid him under contribution ; his progress was measured by his strength and power of musucular endurance. The first highway in the township was the old military road which has already been described. This was cut through the forest some nine years before Pittsford could claim a civilized inhabitant. We hear nothing of other roads until nearly three years after the arrival of the first settler.
On the 14th of April, 1772, the Proprietors, at a meeting regularly warned, chose Isaac Rood, James Hopkins and Moses Olmstead, a committee to lay out land and highways. Mr. Rood being in feeble health, the Proprietors, at a meeting in July following, excused him from serving on this committee, and chose Benjamin Cooley in his place.
That several short roads were laid out by this committee, there is the best reason to believe, though no record of them exists. The most of them branched off from the old military road into different sections of the town.
In the south part of the town a road was laid out, extend-
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
ing from the military road, a little east of the residence of Gideon Cooley to the Great Falls.
Another road was laid out from Mr. Cooley's to Otter Creek, near the residence of Roger Stevens. The Creek was there crossed sometimes upon a jam of logs which then existed, and sometimes in a boat.
Further east, a road was laid out, commencing at the mili- tary road near the north line of Rutland, and extending to Noah Waite's; and this was afterwards continued northerly by Abraham Drury's to Joshua Woodward's.
Another road commenced at the military road, near the residence of Ebenezer Drury, extended northward to the site of Mill Village, and thence turning westerly, entered the mili- tary road, or main trunk, near Mill Brook.
Another road, which branched from the main trunk, com- menced near the residence of Aaron Parsons, and extended northward near the site of the house on the present Town Farm, north of which it continued considerably to the east of the present traveled road, till it reached the brook near the residence of Isaac Rood; thence it passed the residence of Caleb Hendee, and, bearing westerly, passed Jonathan Row- ley's, and, pursuing about the same course, crossed the Creek a little north of the town line, whence it continued on over Hawk Hill, in Brandon.
There was another road, perhaps not regularly laid out, leading from the east to the west side of the Creek. It com- menced at the military road, a little north of the residence of Ebenezer Hopkins, and passing down what is now known as Town Hill, crossed the Creek some thirty or forty rods east of the site of the Mead bridge, and entered the old road, near the residence of Mr. Mead. Sometimes the Creek at the place of crossing was fordable, at other times boats were in requi- sition.
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ROADS.
In the westerly part of the town, a road was cut from Rutland north line, near the present residence of Whipple Mills, in a northerly direction. This passed the residence of Gideon Sheldon, the sites of buildings now owned by Allen Mills, Hiram Bates, Joseph Wolcott, and through what is now known as the Beals, farm, to the military road near the resi- dence of Benjamin Stevens, Sen.
These were the principal roads existing before the Revolu- tionary war; but how many of them were regularly laid out by the Proprietor's committee, it is impossible, at this late day, to know.
The earliest survey of a road, of which a record exists, was in 1785. On the 30th of April, that year, Jonathan Sweet and John Barnes, as selectmen, laid out a road from the Creek road, on the west side of Otter Creek. It commenced a few rods south of Stephen Mead's, and, running westward by where Anthony Phillips afterwards resided, entered the road leading north from Whipple Hollow, near the south part of the farm now owned by James D. Butler.
On the 2d of May following, the same Board of Selectmen laid a road through the west part of the town, commencing at the south line of the town, about thirty rods west of Castleton river, and running north past the residences of Samuel Waters, Jr., David Gitchell, Jonathan Sweet and Nathaniel Fairfield, until it entered the old road, near Silas Mosher's. This was nearly identical with the road leading from Whipple Hollow by James D. Butler's to Richard and Charles Burditt's. That part of it leading from the latter point to the north road was, some time ago, discontinued.
On the 16th of the same month a road was laid out on the east side of the Creek, commencing at the Great Bridge (the Mead bridge) and running easterly until it entered the Great Road, some little distance south of the Village. This was evi-
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
dently a resurvey of an old road or path which had been traveled several years.
On the same day a road was laid out from the west road, beginning near Silas Mosher's, and extending westerly by the sites of the present residences of John Eggleston and Marshall Thomas, and continuing, in the same general direction, to Hubbardton line.
Prior to this time a road had been laid from Hopkins' mills through the site of Hitchcockville to the site of the Village, and thence to William Cox's, who, at that time, resided in a house which stood a few rods north of the present residence of James Falloon. On the 20th of April, 1786, Noah Hopkins and Benjamin Cooley, as selectmen and com- mittee, surveyed a continuation of this road from William Cox's to Brandon line.
About this time a road was laid out from Elisha Adams' to a point in the Great Road near Lieut. Olmstead's, and north of the Town Plot. This was, substantially, the road leading from the Furnace to the Baptist meeting house.
Another road was laid out from Hopkins' Mills, easterly, by the sites of the present residences of Abraham Potter, Matthew Lowth and Mrs. Duffy, to Chittenden. Also, another short road was laid out "from Ebenezer Lyman's, on the east side of Hopkins' mill stream, northwesterly across the stream, to a beech tree, on the east side of the road which leads from Hopkins' to Olmstead's mills."* This road passed near Stephen Jenner's to what is now Hitchcockville. It was discontinued many years ago.
On the 29th of April a road was laid out from Jonathan Warner's towards Abel Stevens'. This was the road now leading from Abner T. Reynolds' to John M. Goodnough's.
* Moses Olmstead, at that time, owned the Fassett saw-mill.
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ROADS.
On the 5th of May, 1788, a road was surveyed from Benja- min Stevens, Jr.'s, to Benjamin Stevens, Sen.'s. It commenced near the residence of the former, a little north of the residence of Benjamin Stevens, 3d, and running a northwesterly course, passed near the residence of Simeon Stevens, and thence turn- ing southwesterly it entered the old road a little north of the residence of the aforesaid Benjamin Stevens, Sen. If this road was made, it could have been used but a short time.
On the 9th of May, 1789, a road was laid out by Thomas Hammond and Amasa Ladd, as selectmen, which commenced at the old road, about eight rods southwest of the burying ground, and on the west side of the Creek, and ran north. The first part of it was a little west of the present highway. From Edwin Wheaton's present residence to N. Hand's, it was about identical with the present road; but at the latter point it ran west of it, and some rods west of the residence of Richard Hendee, now N. Willis', and continued on past where David Hall once resided, now Alexander Parmelee's, to the present residence of Roswell Woodcock. Thence it turned north of the present road, and passed the site of the old house once occupied by Samuel Montague; and a little south of the present residence of Seth Hewitt, it occupied about the same ground as the present Brandon road.
The old road from the burying ground northward, ran some seventy or eighty rods east of the present traveled road, passed near the residence of Roger Stevens, Jr., to the grist- mill, and thence northwesterly to what was afterwards the Adams place, now O. Smith's.
On the 20th of August, 1791, Caleb Cooley and Samuel Fairfield, as selectmen, laid out a road which began at the old road, some seventy-five or eighty rods south of the residence of Benjamin Stevens, Sen., and, running an easterly course, terminated at the north-and-south road near the residence of Benjamin Stevens, Jr. This was the road now traveled.
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
On the 24th of September, Caleb Cooley and Thomas Hammond laid out the road "from Mr. Burnett's dwelling house, in Sugar Hollow, to a large pine tree standing on the Common, northeasterly of the Log Meeting House." This was the present Sugar Hollow road.
On the 11th of April, 1795, a road was laid out from "the Starks road to Chittenden line, First bounds a pine tree in the hollow north of Mr. Miller's." Running easterly, it passed the residences of Israel Brewster, J. Wicker and J. Brewster, to the west line of Chittenden. This was the road now lead- ing from Simeon Smith's, eastward to Chittenden.
This year Phineas Ripley and Amos Kellogg, as selectmen, laid out a road from Amasa Ladd's, eastward by Abraham Stanton's to the north-and-south road, which passed David Starks'. This road was traveled many years, but is now given up.
On the 11th of April a road was laid out, which began at Samuel Adams' dwelling house, ran a short distance south- easterly, then southward to Simeon Tupper's, and thence con- tinued about the same course to Lot Keeler's land, entering the the Rutland road a little south of the residence of Timothy Morseman. This was the road which now leads from the Furnace by the residences of Michael O'Donnel and Eliza Connell to John R. Barnes': but that part of the road which extended farther south was long since discontinued.
In 1796, the road leading from Rutland past Penfield's* mills, and through the Village to William Cox's, was resur- veyed, and some parts of it considerably altered. The altera- tions were chiefly in that part of it which was between John Miller's and Penfield's mills, and they brought the road into its present line. The old road through a large part of this section was left considerably to the west.
* Mr. Penfield, at this time, owned what had been known as Hopkins' mills.
*
**
ROADS.
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In 1797, a stage or post road was surveyed from Rutland to Vergennes, passing through this town. This was surveyed and established by John Ramsdell, Jonathan Bell and Joel Linsley, a committee appointed for the purpose, in conformity to an act of the Legislature, passed at its session in Rutland that year. This road was laid out six rods wide, and from Rutland north line to Orcutt's* mill, it pursued, in most of its parts, the old, that is, the present traveled road. From Orcutt's it turned a little northwesterly, passed east of the Village, and re-entered the old road a little north of the Town Plot. It continued on in the general course of the old road, straightening and improv- ing it, however, in some parts, to Brandon south line. This road was put into good condition in all its parts. That section of it, however, which was laid east of the Village, was never built, and traveling was continued through the Village.
On the 9th of April, 1803, a road was laid out from the west to the east side of the Creek, " beginning near Elijah Adams', and leading easterly, across the Creek, by Isaac Matson's to the road leading from Elisha Rich's to William Spencer's." This was the road now leading eastward from O. Smith's by I. C. Wheaton's.
In 1807, a "Market Road" was laid out, in conformity to an act of the Legislature, from Salisbury to West Rutland, passing through this town on the west side of Otter Creek. It was surveyed four rods wide, and followed the course of the old road from Brandon line south, by the residences of Isaac Wheaton, Alfred Buck, John Barnes, Stephen Mead, Peter Rice, John May and Robert Wright, to Rutland line.
It is believed that the roads we have mentioned include the most important that existed here prior to the year 1808. Others have been surveyed and made at later periods, but these have been noticed in other parts of this volume. The road
*William Orcutt, at this time, resided where Charles T. Colburn now lives, and owned the saw-mill that was near the house,
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
leading south from the Village, by the residence of Col. Cooley, to the site of what is now known as the Gorham bridge, existed during the Revolutionary war, but we have not the date of its survey.
It should perhaps be mentioned that, before the war, Otter Creek was a common thoroughfare through the town. The most of the early settlers of the towns on the Creek north of Pittsford, were from Massachusetts and Connecticut, and they came on the old military road to Otter Creek in this town, and here they constructed rafts or boats and completed their journey by water.
BRIDGES.
At what time the first bridge was built over East Branch, at what is now Mill Village, will never be known. But that there was a foot bridge there, and also one over Mill Brook, near where William Orcutt afterwards resided, now C. T. Colburn's, before the Revolutionary war, there can be little doubt. And it is highly probable that these soon gave place. to more substantial structures, capable of sustaining the weight of loaded teams. The first bridge over Otter Creek in this town, as already stated, was built by the State for military pur- poses, in the spring of 1781. How long this remained and continued serviceable to the people of the town cannot now be determined, though probably not many years, as they found it necessary, in the spring of 1785, to build another bridge over the same stream ; but this was built below the former bridge, near what was known as the "Mead crossing," where it would better accommodate the people. This, when completed, was known as the " Mead bridge," and it stood some eight or ten rods above the site of the present bridge. In 1781, the Legis- lature had passed an act authorizing the collection of a "two- penny land-tax ;* and this bridge was built, in the main, with
* This tax was authorized expressly for the building of bridges.
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BRIDGES.
funds which had been raised in conformity to the provisions of this act. The bridge was built on trestle work, and was raised* in March.
The people in the south part of the town became clamor- ous for the building of a bridge on the site of the one first built ; and in March, 1796, the town "voted that the Commit- tee that shall build a good bridge over Orter Krick, near Mr. Daniel Lee's, when said bridge is well finished, shall draw fifteen pounds out of the Town Treasury."
At a meeting on the first of October, the same year, the town "voted that the Selectmen shall have liberty to draw ten pounds, in addition to the fifteen pounds out of the Treasury, that was given last March, for the purpose of building the bridge over Orter Krick, near Daniel Lec's, if said money is needed when said bridge is finished." This bridge was raised and finished in March, 1797. The same structure was repaired in 1802, in 1805, and in 1810.
At the annual meeting in March, 1803, the town "voted to build a bridge over Otter Crick near Mr. Matson's." In April, a road was laid out in connection with the bridge, and both were built the following summer.
The most of the bridges in the town were carried off by the freshet of 1811, and the few remaining were greatly dam- aged. The town, however, took active measures for rebuild-
* At the raising of this bridge an incident occurred which is, perhaps, worth recording. When the structure was partially raised, two of the workmen acci- dentally fell from one of the highest timbers. One of them was drowned, though it was supposed that he might have been killed by falling upon a fragment of floating ice, the other was rescued by Ephraim Stevens, who has already figured in this history as something of a hero. As the workmen fell, Stevens instantly lowered himself towards the water, suspending himself by one arm, the hand of which grasped the timber above. With the other hand he seized one of the sink- ing men, and, by his gigantic strength, drew him from the water and reinstated him upon the timber. The name of neither of these men is now known with certainty. Tradition asserts that the remains of the one that was drowned or killed, were buried in the burying ground, and that the grave is one of those on the north side of the enclosure. One of the head-stones there has this inscription :
"In memory of Mr. Dan Howlett, who was drowned on the 7th day of March, 1786, in the 57th year of his age."
If this was the man who lost his life at the raising of the Mead bridge, there must have been a mistake of one year in the date upon the head-stone ; for that this bridge had been built prior to the 16th of May, 1785, is as certain as the town records can make it.
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
ing or repairing them, and this involved an expenditure which drew quite heavily upon the resources of the people.
MILLS.
As soon as the primitive settlers began to gather their scanty crops, the product of diligent and protracted labor, they began to feel the need of a mill where their grain might be ground. One of their number, Samuel Crippen, a man of considerable enterprise and mechanical skill, proposed to build a grist-mill. To aid and encourage him in his efforts, the Proprietors, at a meeting Sept. 3, 1771, "voted to give Samuel Crippen fifty acres of land, upon his getting a good mill first, to grind by the first of December next; said land lying thirty acres on the brook, taking a convenient place for the said land not encroaching upon the saw-mill spot he shall choose with allowance for roads to said saw-mill ; twenty acres of said land lying on the north side of said Crippen's lot he now lives on."
" Voted that Isaac Rood, James Hopkins and Moses Olm- stead should be a committee to lay out the land."
It is evident that Mr. Crippen did not complete the build- ing of the grist-mill at the specified time, as we find that the Proprietors, at a meeting, April 14, 1772, " voted to give Mr. Crippen to the first of September next, to build the grist mill, and upon the condition that he builds a good mill."
The reader may be interested in learning what measures were taken in the early times to supply the want of a mill. For the first few years a portion of the grain used by the early settlers was procured from the older and more productive towns, and this was ground before it was brought hither. But the most of them were constrained to rely as much as possible upon their own resources, as they were not in circumstances to meet the expense of importation to any considerable extent.
Prior to the fall of 1772, the nearest accessible grist-mills were at Bennington and Number Four (Charlestown), some
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MILLS.
sixty miles away, but a portion of the grain raised in Pittsford was transported even this distance to be ground. Number Four was more easily reached than Bennington, from the fact that it was situated on the Military road, which was a much better thoroughfare than could be found between Pittsford and Bennington. Indeed, a part of the distance between the two latter towns had no semblance of a road, and the traveler from one to the other was guided only by a few marked trees. We can readily see that going to mill at that day was anything but a pleasure trip. It was a tax upon patience and strength, and was attended with no little danger. So great and difficult was the journey, that the early settlers carried but a small propor- tion of their corn to mill, but this article was ground or crushed in a mortar made in the following manner: The stump of a hard-wood tree was selected, and upon the centre of the top of it, some two or three feet from the ground, a fire was built. When, by a slow process of burning, an excavation had been made sufficiently deep, it was made smooth. Into this bowl the corn was poured and then pulverized with a stone or wooden pestle. Almost every family had its stump mortar ; and very much of the material used for bread passed through the process of pounding.
That Mr. Crippen finished building the grist-mill in the fall of 1772, there is little doubt The Proprietors, at a meeting, October 8, 1772, "Voted that Samuel Ellsworth, Thomas Tuttle and Moses Olmstead, should be a Committy to see when Samuel Crippen's mill is a good sufficient mill for business."
We find no report of this committee, but the Proprietors, at a meeting, December 1, 1772, "Voted that Samuel Crippen should have the land which was formerly given him by the proprietors of this place for building a grist-mill, upon condi- tion said Crippen keeps said grist-mill in good repair ten years from this time fit for grinding." The mill built by Mr. Crip- pen stood on " Mill Brook," now known as Sucker Brook,"
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HISTORY OF PITTSFORD.
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and about where William C. Cotting's turning mill now stands. The dam was some fifteen or twenty feet above the present dam. Where the mill-stones were obtained we do not know, but from the fact that most of the mill-stones used in this vicinity at a later period, were quarried in the neighborhood of Cox Mountain, it is quite likely Mr. Crippen obtained his from the same locality.
This mill was patronized by the inhabitants of the neigh- boring towns, and it was soon found that the business to be done exceeded the capacity of the mill. The Proprietors accordingly set apart sites, suitable for other mills, with the expectation that they would be improved as they should be needed.
On the second Tuesday of November, 1772, it was "Voted that twenty acres of land be laid out on East Branch flats for the use of the Town for the building of mills. Then voted that fifteen acres of land be laid out on the west side of the Creek, on the stream north of Roger Stevens, Jr.'s, lot, for the use of the Town for building mills."
On the 14th of April, the same year, the Proprietors had " Voted to give Felix Powell fifty acres lying upon the brook upon conditions he get a good saw-mill agoing by the first of December next, and keep it in repair five years."
For some reason Mr. Powell did not build the saw-mill which was contemplated in the above vote of the Proprietors, giving him fifty acres of land for such a purpose ; and at a meeting, April 20, 1773, they "Voted that Jonathan Fassett should have fifty acres of land upon condition said Fassett shall build a good saw-mill by the first of December next, said Jonathan Fassett's fifty acres of land is to be laid out where it was formerly given to Felix Powell for the building of the same saw-mill."
It appears that the grist-mill was in operation but a few months before it was found to be out of repair; and the Pro-
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MILLS.
prietors, at a meeting, March 8, 1774, " Voted that Samuel Crippen should have until the first day of May next to get his grist-mill in good repair; Likewise voted that Jonathan Fassett should have until the first day of May next to get his saw-mill in good repair.
Voted that Gideon Cooley, Moses Olmstead, Peleg Sunder- land, Samuel Ellsworth and Stephen Mead be a committy to view the grist-mill and saw-mill, and give their opinion whether the mills are according to the meaning of the proprietors' votes.
Voted that said committy finding the grist-mill in good repair, shall have power to take bonds of said Crippen for the maintaining of the grist-mill ten years, and make their report to the next meeting."
Quite likely the grist-mill was repaired and the saw-mill finished at the time proposed, as we find no other allusion to them upon the Proprietors' records. The saw-mill was built upon " Mill Brook," north of the grist-mill, and occupied the site of the mill now (1871) owned by Smith & Barber.
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