USA > Vermont > Rutland County > Pittsford > History of the town of Pittsford, Vt., with biographical sketches and family records > Part 45
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For nearly two years, after graduation, Dr. Walker served as House Physician in Bellevue Hospital, and at the close of this term of service, he spent a short period in professional observation and study in Europe.
He is now (1872) resident in New York city, engaged in successful practice.
Lyman B. Walker, Esq., should be mentioned in this con- nection, though we know but little about him. He was a native of Pittsford, a son of Abraham Walker, who resided some years in the village. He had not the advantages of a college education, but was known as an excellent scholar, and he early manifested a determination to make his mark in the world. He studied law, and settled in Newport, N. H., where he soon rose to eminence in his profession. For several years he held the office of Attorney General in his adopted State. He died some twenty years since.
William Warner, Esq., third son of Capt. Jonathan and Anna Warner, was born in Pittsford, January 28, 1812. His early life was spent with his parents on the farm. From a
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youth he was very active, full of generous impulses, fond of play, and was regarded as the leader of his young associates in all their active sports. When about twelve years of age, the boys in the town organized a military company, and chose him their captain. He led and drilled them so scientifically that the older people paid him many compliments.
He experienced religion, and united with the Congregational Church in 1830, and about that time he began to turn his atten- tion specially to study, and after going through a preparatory course he entered Middlebury College, and graduated there in 1837. With the ministry in view, he entered the Theological Seminary at Andover, but, after studying there about two years, a bronchial affection compelled him to abandon his intention of entering the ministry, and he turned his attention to business pursuits.
He became Treasurer of the University of Vermont, and after holding this office six years, he was chosen financial agent of the Vermont Central Railroad Company. In these positions he displayed talents of a high order. He was afterwards chosen President of the Sullivan Railroad Company. In 1855, he removed with his family from Burlington, Vt., to Detroit, Mich. There he was elected a deacon of the Congregational Church, and was a member of the State Legislature three successive years. In the Legislature he was regarded as having no superior in ability, business experience and varied scholarly acquirements. The intelligence and fairness with which he treated all subjects made his opinions much sought after. He was president and a leading stockholder of the Detroit Bridge and Iron Works Company, which carries on a very extensive business, and employed several hundred workmen. He died July 29, 1868, while superintending the construction of an iron bridge across the Mississippi river, at Quincy, Illinois. The press generally, secular and religious, contained notices of his death, with extended biographic and eulogistic articles.
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COLLEGE GRADUATES AND MEN OF NOTE.
His funeral, at Detroit, was very numerously attended by the citizens, and the workmen turned out en masse. Mr. Warner was twice married. His first wife was Harriet B., daughter of Andrew Leach. She died, and he married Fannie, sister of his former wife.
Horace S. Winslow, Esq., son of Elhanan S. and Elmina Winslow, was born in Pittsford, July 18, 1837. He attended for some time a select school in Pittsford, and afterwards the seminary in Brandon. He entered the Law School at Pough- keepsie, N. Y., in May, 1855, and graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Laws at the Ohio State and National Law School, Poland, Ohio, July 1, 1856.
Mr. Winslow was admitted to practice at Newton, Iowa, at the September Term of the District Court, 1856. At the October election, 1862, he was elected District Attorney of the Sixth Judicial District of Iowa, for four years. At the election in 1868, he was elected Judge of the Second Circuit of the Sixth District for four years. After serving in this capacity one year, he resigned, and returned to the active practice of the law. At the present time he is a member of the Republican State Central Committee. Mr. Winslow was married, Novem- ber 7, 1858, to Sarah E., daughter of Siloe and Elizabeth Dunklee, of this town. They have two children, Kate E., born April 14, 1860, and Jessie L., born April 21, 1862.
William Page Winslow, eldest son of Samuel Dana Wins- low, was born in Pittsford, February 17, 1847, fitted for college at the Rutland High School, and graduated at Williams Col- lege in 1869. He is now a clerk in the Rutland National Bank.
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CHAPTER XVIII.
The Medical Profession; Physician of the Town; Lawyers; The First Store; Other Stores and Merchants; The First Tavern; Other Taverns and Landlords.
When disease threatens, or pain racks the body, the medical profession is in highest esteem. The physician enters alike the dwellings of the rich and the poor, relieving the distressed, raising the prostrate, and dispensing blessings with a liberal hand. Even in diseases necessarily fatal, though he may not be able to arrest their progress, he alleviates the patient's suffer- ing, and smooths his pathway to the portals of the tomb. When fearful pestilence stalks abroad, hurling its deadly missiles among the terrified inhabitants of earth, and " crowded cities wail its stroke," the medical profession interposes, and by unfolding sanitary laws, and directing in their enforcement, disarms the foe and calms the public mind. It is no wonder that a calling which is so intimately connected with the welfare of our race should be ranked with the honored professions. But, like all other professions, it has connected with it many unworthy and incompetent persons, who have brought upon it a degree of reproach, and lowered it in public estimation. It is very much to be regretted that there should be found in its ranks any unprincipled men, practicing their deception upon a credulous class of the people ; but wise looks and windy pre- tensions seldom sway intelligent minds.
The men who have represented the medical profession in this town have generally been an honor to it. Until 1788, the people were obliged to send some distance for medical aid, and
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probably Drs. Porter and Reed of Rutland had most of the medical practice here up to that period. But early in the spring of that year, Dr. Abiathar Millard, a native of Reho- both, Mass., came here and established himself in business. Some account of him has already been given, and we have little to add here. He had married into the family of Ebenezer Hopkins, Sen., and it was probably through the influence of this family that he came to this town. We know nothing of his education, or of his ability as a practitioner, nor of the extent of his professional business, but it is evident from the records that much of his attention was given to land specula- tion. He removed from the town about the year 1808. His sixth daughter, Phebe, born August 11, 1781, married Nathaniel Fillmore, and was the mother of Ex-President Fillmore.
Dr. Alexander Ewings was the second physician who located in this town. He was a son of Rev. Alexander Ewings, and younger brother of James Ewings, both of whom have been mentioned. He studied his profession in Massachusetts, and married there. He probably came to this town by the solici- tation of his brother. He bought of Amos Webster the lot of land now owned by the heirs of the late George B. Armington, which then extended eastward, and included the house lot now occupied by John C. Leonard. The deed was dated February, 1792. He built a house at the west end of this lot the follow- ing summer, and the same is now standing, though it has under- gone many transformations. He also dealt quite largely in real estate, as the records show, but we know nothing of the extent of his professional business. On the 9th of May, 1805, he sold his real estate in this town to John Merriam, and removed to Canada.
Dr. William Frisbie was the third physician who located here. His father, William Frisbie, Sen., who is said to have been of Scotch origin, was born in Bethlehem, Conn., and was twice married. The maiden name of his first wife we have not
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obtained, but his second wife was a sister of Ithamar Hibbard, who died in Hubbardton in 1802. He removed from Connecti- cut to Stillwater, N. Y., where all his children were born. He had six children, three by his first wife, William, Sarah and Irene; and three by his second wife, Zenas, Anna and Betsey. He removed from Stillwater to Middletown, Vt., in 1781, where he lived till his death, which occurred in 1813, at the age of seventy-six years.
William, Jr., the eldest son, born in 1774, commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Ezra Clark, of Middletown, and attended several courses of lectures at the Medical School of Albany, N. Y., where he graduated. When a young man, he was not regarded as brilliant, yet was known as a superior scholar, and as possessing excellent judgment. He was also known as a firm adherent to right principles, and he became a member of the Congregational Church in Middletown at, or soon after, its organization in 1782. He commenced profes- sional practice in company with Dr. Clark, his preceptor, and remained with him till about the year 1803, when he removed to Pittsford. He bought a house lot a little south of the Web- ster Tavern, which lot included land now owned by Benjamin Kemp and Bradley Burditt, and upon this he built a house and stable, which stood from four to six rods south of the present residence of Mr. Kemp. He married Eliza Ann Davidson, and occupied this house till July 11, 1807, when he bought h e Stephen Avery place. On the 29th of February following, he sold the first mentioned place to Rev. Holland Weeks.
Dr. Frisbie was eminent in his profession, a man of great moral worth, and exerted a strong and healthful moral and religious influence in the town. He sold his location to Dr. Freeman H. Mott, February 2, 1819, and soon after removed to Phelps, Ontario county, N. Y.
HIe had two sons. The oldest, E. Willard, studied medi- cine, and graduated at Castleton about the time the family
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removed to Phelps. He went into practice there with his father, and as the former worked into business, the latter gradually retired.
Dr. Frisbie, Sen., continued steadfast in the maintenance of sound principles, beloved and honored until his decease, which occurred at Phelps in 1837.
Dr. Willard Frisbie has been dead nearly ten years. He was killed by the kick of a horse.
The second son of Dr. William Frisbie removed to Texas many years since. He is a large landholder, and a large dealer in lands and stocks.
Dr. Kenelm Winslow was the fourth physician who located in this town. His father, Samuel Winslow, was born in Roches- ter, Mass., April 6, 1735, and married, June 12, 1760, Martha Goodspeed, who was born in Barnstable, Mass., February 7, 1739. They located in Hardwick, but soon removed to War- wick, thence to Chesterfield, N. H., and thence, eventually, to Pomfret, Vt., where both died-Mr. Winslow, October 3, 1800 ; Mrs. Winslow, March 13, 1813.
Their children were Ebenezer, Elizabeth, Samuel, Mary, Thankful, Kenelm (who died in infancy), Joseph, Martha and Kenelm, 2d.
Kenelm, the youngest, was born in Pomfret, October 10, 1784, studied medicine with Dr. Trask, of Windsor, and mar- ried, May 1, 1809, Beulah Dana, who was born in Newton, Mass., February 11, 1785. After spending about two years in Hubbardton, he removed to Pittsford, and here he soon secured quite an extensive practice. His first purchase of real estate here included the Elijah Avery place, the same now owned by S. D. Winslow, Esq. Mr. Avery bought the land of Alex- ander Ewings, and built the house in 1798. After his death, his heirs sold the place to Dr. Winslow, the deed being dated August 23, 1822. The Doctor enlarged and repaired the house, bought additional land, and did quite an extensive busi-
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ness at farming. He was a man of correct habits, sound judgment, and exerted a healthful, moral influence in the town. He died January 4, 1861 ; Mrs. Beulah Winslow died April 8, 1858.
Dr. Freeman H. Mott was the fifth physician who located in this town. He was a son of Deacon John Mott, who was a soldier in the French war, and settled after the war in the south part of Neshobe (Brandon), where he took an active part, during the Revolutionary war, in the defense of the frontier settlers. His son, Freeman H., studied medicine with Dr. Luke Hale, of his native town, and commenced the practice of his profession in Pittsford, in 1819. After residing here a few years, he removed to the State of Ohio.
Dr. Aaron Baker was the sixth physician who settled in this town. He was a native of Rutland; studied medicine with Dr. Kittredge, of Walpole, N. H., married Amelia M., daughter of Col. Hammond, of Pittsford, and located in Ches- ter, but removed to Pittsford in the summer of 1819. He resided about two years in the family of Col. Hammond, and then bought the house which had been built by Gordon Newell in the Village. He resided here till his death, in 1825. He is reputed to have been a man of great energy, and of superior medical attainments. After his death, his widow married Joseph Eldridge, of Bridport.
Dr. Peleg C. Barlow was the seventh physician who settled in Pittsford. He was a son of William Barlow, of this town. He read medicine with Dr. Baker, and attended medical lectures at Castleton, where he graduated about the year 1822. He commenced practice here, but soon removed to Canada, where he spent one year, after which he returned to this town. He bought the house which is now the parsonage of the Baptist society, and married Lucy, daughter of Alfred Buck. He sold his place in 1831, and bought of Nathan Hawley the place now owned by Dr. E. H. Drury. Here he resided till Novem-
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ber 20, 1838, when he sold his real estate in this town to A. Robinson, and removed to the State of Illinois, where he died.
Dr. Anderson G. Dana was the eighth physician who located in this town. He was born September 17, 1791, at the homestead called Oak Hill, in that part of Cambridge which now constitutes the town of Newton, Massachusetts. His father was Rev. Nathan Dana, a Baptist clergyman, who came to this State and preached in Hubbardton and other places, and, after retiring from the ministry, resided in Pittsford until his death. It is understood that the Dana families in this country have a common ancestor, Richard Dana, who, in 1640, being then about thirty years of age, came to this country and settled in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where he was married. The subject of this notice was of the sixth generation in descent from Richard Dana, the early settler.
Young Dana, at the age of eighteen years, commenced the study of medicine with his brother-in-law, Dr. Kenelm Wins- low, with whom he remained a short time. He studied two years with Dr. Selah Gridley, of Castleton, and continued his preparatory course of study with Dr. Joel Green, of Brandon. After attending a course of lectures at the Philadelphia Medical College, he commenced practice with Dr. Green in the spring of 1813, and when the latter removed to Rutland, he succeeded him in practice. On account of certain financial interests, Dr. Dana removed to Salisbury, where he practised for several years. He left that place, intending to reside in Boston, Mass., where he opened an office and spent the summers of 1822-3. He was, however, induced to settle in Pittsford. He came here in 1824, and for some years occupied the house which was built by his father, and now owned by Mrs. Mary Barnes.
On the 11th of August, 1816, Dr. Dana married Miss Eliza A. Fuller, daughter of Roger Fuller, Esq., of Brandon, and a descendant of one of the pilgrims of the Mayflower. She is a
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lady of culture, and some of her poetical productions are of rare beauty.
Dr. Dana's biographer remarks that "he brought to the profession, of which he was a member, a mind of rare abilities, where quick perceptions, yet calm and careful judgments, were recognized in the most trying emergencies. His presence at the bedside of the sick gave that kind of satisfaction which perfect confidence inspires, often kindling hopes which his practised eye could not encourage, but meeting the just expec- tations of others with all the aid which human skill and sympathy could afford."
Dr. Dana took a deep interest in the political affairs of the country, and though he never sought office, he was elected a member of the State Senate in the years 1840, 1840-1, and his talents and familiarity with legislative proceedings enabled him to take a prominent part in the business of the sessions which he attended.
Middlebury College recognized his scholarship by conferring upon him, in 1860, the honorary degree of Doctor of Laws.
In 1843, Dr. Dana removed to Brandon, where he continued in the practice of his profession till near the close of his life. He died August 20, 1861.
Dr. George B. Armington was the ninth physician who settled in this town. The first of the family in this country was Joseph Armington, who was born on the Island of Guern- sey, in the English Channel, and came to America about 1728. He married Hannah Chaffee, May 27, 1729, and settled in Rhode Island. They had a son William, born November 19, 1746, who married Lucy Brown, by whom he had thirteen children. He died June 7, 1832. William, Jr., one of the sons of William, was born in Seekonk, now East Providence, October 22, 1774, and lived with his father until he became twenty-one years of age, when he spent about four years on
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the sea. After that he came to Vermont, married Elizabeth Hoar in 1801, and settled in Chester. They had three sons, George Brown, S. L. and B. F. Armington, and one daughter, Betsey. His wife, Elizabeth, died December 15, 1819, and he married Betsey Mussey in 1820, by whom he had one son, William P.
William Armington died September 21, 1847; Betsey, his wife, died August 23, 1864.
George Brown Armington, son of William, was born in Chester, October 14, 1801, studied medicine with Dr. Abra- ham Lowell, of his native town, married Abigail Tomlinson,* of Castleton, October 14, 1828, and settled in Wilmington, where he resided till 1831, when he removed to Pittsford and located at Furnace Village. He built the house now owned by the heirs of the late Eliab Randall. In 1847, he sold his location at Furnace Village, and purchased of Dr. James S. Ewings the house in the Village, formerly owned by Dr. Alex- ander Ewings. Here he resided till his death, which occurred May 4, 1863.
He was well educated, wholly devoted to his professional duties, and his patients found him both faithful and skillful.
Dr. James S. Ewings was the tenth physician who located in Pittsford. He was born in Haldimand, Canada West, April 13, 1812, the eldest son of James Ewings, Jr., who was the second son of James Ewings, of whom some account has been given. James Ewings, Jr., was born in Pittsford, and at the age of twenty-three years removed to Haldimand, C. W., where he married Polly, daughter of Moses Doolittle, once a resident of Pittsford. At the time of her marriage, Miss Doo- little was not quite fifteen years of age. Their children were Fidelia, Naomi, James Sullivan, Ira Doolittle, Almira, Edwin and Harriet Eliza.
* Born in Oxford, Conn., April 26, 1809.
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James Sullivan received his literary and a part of his medical education in Canada. He attended the medical school at Fairfield, N. Y., two terms, and graduated at the Castleton Medical College in the spring of 1835. In August, the same year, he married Betsey A., youngest daughter of Alfred Buck, of Pittsford, and located in Bridport, Addison county, but soon removed to Pittstord, and entered into partnership with his brother-in-law, Dr. Peleg C. Barlow. He purchased what had been the residence of Dr. Alexander Ewings, and occupied it till 1847, when he sold it to Dr. George B. Armington, and removed to the State of Wisconsin, where he has since resided, with the exception of two years spent in the army.
Dr. George Page was the eleventh physician who located in this town. He is the son of William Page, and was born in Rutland, May 22, 1820 ; graduated at Middlebury College in 1840, and commenced the study of medicine with Dr. James Porter. He attended his first course of medical lectures at Woodstock, and his second at New Haven, Conn., where he graduated in the spring of 1843. He located in Pittsford soon after his graduation, married Loraine H., daughter of Jonathan Dike, April 26, 1844, and occupied the Dana house in the Village. He left Pittsford in May, 1850, spent the summer in Rutland, and in the fall went to Cincinnati, Ohio, where he spent a year. In the fall of 1851, he removed to Crown Point, N. Y., where he now resides.
Dr. Ebenezer H. Drury was the twelfth physician who settled in this town. He is a son of Dea. Calvin Drury, and was born August 7, 1813. He studied medicine with Dr. A. G. Dana, of this town, and graduated at Castleton Medical College in June, 1842. He commenced the practice of medi- cine in Bethel, but returned to Pittsford, his native town, in 1843, where he continued in active practice till 1863, since which time he has devoted his attention mainly to agricultural pursuits, though he has felt constrained to continue his practice
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in a few families that were unwilling to excuse him from service. At present, however, in consequence of feeble health, he feels compelled to decline practice altogether.
Dr. Edson Gibbs was the thirteenth physician who located in this town. He was from the easterly part of the State, came here about the year 1855, and located in Hitchcockville. On the 12th of May, 1860, he purchased of William F. Manley a small lot of land, upon which he built a house, the same that is now owned by Ezra Spencer. Dr. Gibbs removed to Bran- don in 1864, and has since retired from professional business. He belonged to the school of the, so-called, botanic physicians.
Dr. Thomas J. Ketcham commenced the practice of medi- cine here in the spring of 1868. He is the son of Thomas and Sylvia Ketcham, and was born in Sudbury about the year 1818. He studied medicine with Dr. Charles Horton, of his native town, and attended lectures at the Castleton Medical College, at which he graduated in 1846. Afterwards he went to California, where he spent several months, but returned to Vermont and married Jane, daughter of Dr. Horton, with whom he formed a co-partnership in the practice of medicine. Mrs. Jane Ketcham died in 1854, and the Doctor then dis- solved his business connection with his father-in-law, and was afterwards employed for a limited time in other business at Hortonville. He married Mrs. Elvira Bogue, of Pittsford, October 28, 1855, and located in Brandon, where he again engaged in the practice of medicine. In the spring of 1857, he once more relinquished the practice of medicine, removed to Pittsford, and located on the farm which had formerly been the home of Oliver Bogue. Here he devoted his attention to farming till the spring of 1868, when he quit the farm, and has since boarded at the hotel in the Village, and been engaged in professional business.
Other physicians have resided here for longer or shorter periods, and some of these have, for a time, done considerable
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professional business. Among this number may be mentioned Drs. Leonard R. Sheldon, H. A. Crandall, Willard A. Child, A. A. Marshall* and - Sparhawk.t
LAWYERS.
The legal profession has had but few representatives in this town. Nathan B. Graham, Esq., was the first person who made the practice of law a professional business here. Some notice of him has already been taken in a former part of this work, but we have recently obtained more definite information. respecting him, by which we learn that we had been led into some slight errors, though, at the time, we supposed that our information was reliable. He was a son of Dr. Andrew and Martha (Curtis) Graham, was born in Woodbury, Conn., (date not given,) and was baptized December 20, 1767. He studied his profession with his brother, John A. Graham, then in the practice of law in Rutland, Vt., and was admitted to the bar about the year 1792. He commenced practice in Pittsford, and resided here till the spring of 1796, when he removed to Rutland. He did not, however, at once engage in professional business there, but went to England, quite likely in company with his brother, and remained in that country some months. He married Jean, daughter of James Lorimer, Esq., of Lon- don, March 27, 1797, and on returning to this country he ' opened an office in Rutland. He was an Assistant Judge of the County Court in the years 1804-5-6, and State's Attorney from 1806 to 1810. He removed to New York in 1810, and died there in 1832. He was a man of sound judgment, and of admirable social qualities, as well as an exemplary Christian.
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