USA > Vermont > Windsor County > Springfield > History of the town of Springfield, Vermont : with a genealogical record > Part 44
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54
(1). Thomas Valiant, b. in New York City, Dee. 12, 1863; m. Jan. 22, 1885, at Lineoln, Neb., Alice V. Gates. Moved to Long Island, Kansas. Two children :
[1]. Graee Whiteomb, b. April 5, 1886.
[2]. Frank Valiant, b. Aug. 25, 1888.
Thomas Valiant while residing in Long Island was justiee of the peace and real estate agent. Since the Cleveland administration he has received the appointment to a elerk- ship in the new United States Land Offiee recently estab- lished at Colby, Kansas.
3. Sarah Jane, b. Sept. 5, 1828; unm. ; res. in Springfield.
4. Mary Ann, b. Jan. 3, 1835; d. Jan. 30, 1837.
5. Harriet Ann, b. Ang. 5, 1837; m. Nov. 16, 1858, Hiland T. Bou- telle; res. in Springfield. Two children. (See Boutelle.)
6. Frederick Noble, b. March 16, 1840; went to New York; worked for his brothers as an apprentiee, finally was admitted as part- ner. He d. Dec. 24, 1889, in Springfield. He m. Maria C. Han- ilton of New York City. She d. Aug. 27, 1875. Had two ehil- dren :
(1). Frederick Ezekiel, b. in New York City, Sept. 22, 1863; came to live in Springfield when eight years of age;
494
HISTORY OF THE TOWN
attended school until he was fifteen; entered the employ of W. Il. Wheeler as clerk; afterwards attended College of Pharmacy in New York, and graduated with high honors. Travelled in the West and South, and finally settled in St. Louis as partner in the wholesale and retail drug business. He m. Dorothea H. Nussinan. One child : [1]. Frederick E., b. June 16, 1893.
(2). Katherine Anne, b. in New York City, Dec. 28, 1864. She came with her brother to live in Springfield ; attended high school, and graduated in class of 1884; d. April 16, 1887, of quick consumption, at age of 22 years.
7. Abbie Elizabeth, b. Jan. 23, 1843; m. June 1, 1871, John N. De- inary ; res. in Springfield.
8. James Knox Polk, b. July 28, 1844; res. in Springfield. During the enlistment and drilling of soldiers in 1861 he furnished the music for the meetings and parades.
IV. Moses, b. in Springfield, Feb. 8, 1804; m. I. C. Prentice of Canton, N. Y. ; d. in California. Two children.
V. Betsey, b. in Springfield, June 19, 1806; several years a teacher in Springfield ; m. Aug. 25, 1835, Daniel Woodbury; d. at Rochester, N. Y. (See Woodbury family.)
VI. Israel, b. in Springfield, March 27, 1808; lived on his father's farm, now owned by Frank J. Bell; m. Lucretia Brown, daughter of Luke and Elizabeth (Jackson) Brown. She d. June 17, 1869. He d. Nov. 17, 1883. Ch. :
1. Emerson E., b. - ; m. Mary Randel, daughter of Smith K. Ran- del; d. March 14, 1881; m. 2d,
2. Franklin B., b. March 8, 1840; m. Annette Washburn, daughter of Alphonso and Nancy (Hatch) Washburn. Enlisted in Co. H, 10th Reg't Vermont Volunteers; killed at the battle of Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 1864.
3. Albert, b. September, 1843; d. Aug. 30, 1854.
4. Levi, b. Aug. 6, 1849; d. March, 1850.
PEREZ WHITCOMB, son of Lot Whitcomb, was b. in Cohasset, Mass., in 1775. He served an apprenticeship of seven years to learn the shoemaker's trade, during which he lost one eye from an accident. After his term of ser- vice ended he began bnying cattle and sheep and driving to Brighton market, and extended his business into New Hampshire and Vermont. Abont 1798 he settled in Springfield, and in company with Josiah Litchfield bought the Smiley farm, but he lived on the Jairus Whitcomb place, now owned by William D. Whitcomb. Soon after he bonght the farm in the west part of the town, afterwards owned by his son, George C. Whitcomb, where he made his home the rest of his life. He continued to drive cattle to market nearly fifty years, and the " little man on horseback " was well known all along the road to Brighton. During all these years of travel over lonely roads, he was never robbed but once, and then lost only his pocketbook, his money being in a safer place. He d. in 1853. In 1798 he m. Priscilla Litchfield of Scituate, Mass .; shed. in 1843. Ch. :
495
OF SPRINGFIELD, VT.
I. Cummings P., b. Aug. 29, 1799; m. in 1823 Azubah Lockwood, daug'lı- ter of Samuel and Ruth (Bellows) Lockwood, b. March 10, 1803. Ile d. Feb. 13, 1847 ; his wife d. -. Ch. :
1. Ruth, b. Ang. 8, 1824; m. Enoch Cutler. (Sce Cutler.)
2. Foster H., b. May 12, 1826; m. June 1, 1854, Elizabeth Field, daugh- ter of Salathiel and Susan (Merritt) Field, b. Jan. 10, 1831. Ch. : (1). Carrie E., b. Aug. 27, 1855, at Lowell, Mass. ; d. July 6, 1861.
(2). Edgar F., b. Fcb. 4, 1860 at Lowell; m. June 2, 1886, Geor- gia Shipley. Ch. : [1]. Shipley, b .-
(3). Bertha A., b. July 18, 1862 at Lowell; teacher in Springfield.
(4). Charles H., b. in Springfield, May 17, 1869.
(5). Lewis A., b. in Springfield, Oct. 1, 1872.
(6). Enoch, b. April 22, 1875; d. in infancy.
3. Jane, b. June 16, 1827; m. Dec. 15, 1853, Jackson Demary.
4. Festus, b. April 6, 1830; m. Maria Spaulding.
5. Perez, b. Dec. 11, 1832; a prominent farmer; resides in west part of the town; m. Mary S. Bates, daughter of Job and Lamara (Field) Bates. Ch. :
(1). Walter R., b. Oct. 24, 1861; graduated from Spring- field High School, and from Dartmouth College in class of 1888 ; engaged . in teaching.
PEREZ WHITCOMB.
(2). Leonard A., b. Nov. 24, 1864; d. March 23, 1869. (3). Arthur Bates, b. Dec. 27, 1867 ; m. April 5, 1894, Jessie M. Arms, daughter of Henry M. and Sarah (Closson) Arms.
(4). May H., b. Sept. 9, 1869; teacher in Springfield.
(5). Philip G., b. April 24, 1879.
6. Lyman, b. June 10, 1835 ; m. April 11, 1861, Silence M. Shaw of Sanbornton, N. II .; she d. March 23, 1867. Ch .: -
496
HISTORY OF THE TOWN
(1). Azubah S., b. Sept. 17, 1862; m. May 16, 1883, George E. Gallup. Ch. :
[1]. Milan L., b. May 23, 1886.
[2]. Maud S., b. April 5, 1888.
(2). Stella A., b. JJune 30, 1865.
He m. 2d, Angila C. Kidder, daughter of Abel and Clarissa Kidder of Townshend. Ch. :
(3). Fred L., d. in infancy.
(4). Minnie A., b. Oct. 31, 1874; student at Bradford Academy, Haverhill, Mass.
7. Ansel, b. Nov. 2, 1837 ; d. Nov. 12, 1853.
S. Pratt, b. Oct. 16, 1839; m. Julia Weeks.
9. Priscilla. b. Oct. 26, 1841; m. William Johnson.
10. Myron C., b. March 20, 1847; m. Dec. 23, 1880, Edith Beagle, daughter of Henry and Eleanor (Peters) Beagle. Ch. :
(1). Rosco M., b. Jan. 27, 1882.
II. Lyman, b. Aug. 15, 1801 ; d. in 1818.
III. Olive, b. April 29, 1803; m. Joseph Selden, son of Deacon Joseph and Huldah (Bates) Selden.
IV. Salmon, b. March 13, 1805 ; m. Fanny Selden, daughter of Deacon Jo- seph and Huldah (Bates) Selden. Ch. :
1. Frances, b. July 26, 1832; m. Dec. 1, 1852, Benjamin Hall.
2. Calvin Selden, b. April 16, 1834; in. Sept. 26, 1866, Lizzie Bel- den ; she d. April 12, 1882 ; m. 2d, Mary A. Fiske.
3. Mary M., b. in Keene, N. II., July 19, 1836; m. James M. Fullam, Jr.
4. Julia E., b. in Keene, N. H., Jan. 21,1843; m. Herbert W. Jenkins
5. Henry, b. June 1, 1847; m. Emma Clark.
6. Joseph Selden, b. Nov. 19, 1852; m. Clara Filimore.
V. Fanny Litchfield, b. May 17, 1807; d. March 6, 1808.
VI. Elisha Lincoln, b. Jan. 14, 1809.
VII. George Cushing, b. July 6, 1814; m. Delia A. Merritt. She d. Sept. 8, 1859. Ch. :
1. Saralı L., b. in New York, Dec. 16, 1844; m. Oct. 11, 1868, Leonard T'. Allbe.
Ile m. 2d, Juliette Lockwood, daughter of Seymour and Lucy Allbe Lockwood. Ch. :
2. George S., b. April 25, 1862; m. Jan. 1, 1885, Cora A. Johnson.
3. James, d. in infancy.
4. Squire L., b. Feb. 12, 1867.
5. Everett H., b. Feb. 2, 1870.
VIII. Eliza, b .-.
IX. James L., b. Dec. 21, 1821; m. May 5, 1849, Martha E. Rogers of New York. Ch .:
1. Jame H., b. Feb. 12, 1850; d. April 19, 1857.
2. George C., b. Aug. 6, 1851; d. May 1, 1857.
3. Oscar, b. March 10, 1853; m. Jan. 22, 1879, Henrietta Wadleigh.
4. Albert, b. Feb. 28, 1855; d. May 18, 1855.
5. Frank, b. Feb. 10, 1857; d. Feb. 10, 1869 ..
497
OF SPRINGFIELD, VT.
SHUBAEL WHITCOMB, son of Joseph and Hannah (Nichols) Whitcomb, was b. in Cohasset, Mass., in 1771. His wife was Ruth Lincoln, b. in Cohasset in 1776. They were married in 1804, and settled in Watertown, Mass. In 1806 they moved to Boston, and in 1812 came to Springfield, and located on the farm now owned by William D. Whitcomb, and this is the Whitcomb homestead.
Of the eight children, seven were christened by Pastor Smiley, September, 1816, in the old church on the Common. They soon became scattered, and for fifty years the five boys were never all at home at the same time. At the end of fifty years they were all present at a dinner at the old homestead, and the five were never together again. Ch. :
I. Hannah, b. in Watertown, Mass., May 28, 1806; m. Jeremiah Ellis. (See Ellis family.)
II. Lincoln, b. in Boston, June 4, 1808 ; brick mason by trade. Worked many years in Springfield ; built the house now owned by James Hartness, where he d. -. He m. March 28, 1865, Emeline (Balch) Heath. Ch. :
1. William L., b. Aug. 14, 1866; in grocery business in Boston.
III. Henry, b. in Boston, April 8, 1810; a car- penter and builder; learned his trade in Boston and worked there some years. Has been three times to California across the Isthmus ; worked at house building in San Francisco. Has worked for sixty years at his trade, and never was hurt ; never lost a day on account of sickness ; never bought a glass of liquor nor smoked a cigar. He has travelled over sixty thousand miles by boat and train and never met with an accident. The work of repairs, altera- tions, and additions to the old hotel building was nearly HENRY WHITCOMB. all done by Mr. Whit- comb, and the amount expended on the hotel from 1834 until it was torn down in 1889 is over $15,000. He m. Dec. 3, 1833, Lucia Snell of Springfield. She d. Jan. 1, 1894. Ch. :
498
HISTORY OF THE TOWN
1. Lincoln L., b. Dec. 25, 1834; m. Oct. 12, 1872, Ida Mansfield. She d. Oct. 13, 1889.
2. George H., b. June 9, 1839. Unm.
3. Lucia, b. Jan. 9, 1844; d. March 18, 1846.
4. Irving H., b. May 26, 1849; m. June 1, 1875, Ida Putnam of Spring- field ; res. at Woodstock, where he is in livery business.
IV. Jairus, b. Aug. 19, 1812; lived on the homestead all his life. He d. Feb. 25, 1982, in the same room where he was born. It is said that he was never out of sight of the farmhouse chimney over ten days at auy one time during the seventy years of his life, and that length of time only once, when he went to the Centennial at Philadelphia. He m. June 27, 1843, Phebe Davis ; she d. -. Ch. :
1. William D., b. April 21, 1846; m. Nellie Bundy. Ch. :
(1). Frank J., I twins, b. Nov. 20, 1883.
(2). Fred E.,
(3). Ruth M., b. March 21, 1885.
2. Lucy, b. Dec. 17, 1851; m. March 25, 1883, Frank J. Bell. She d. November, 1892. Ch. :
(1). William, b.
V. Sarah, b. May 11, 1814; m. Nov. 1, 1836, John H. Spencer. She d. Sept. 11, 1838.
VI. Joseph, b. Aug. 25, 1816. He was engaged in trade at Weathersfield Bow with Bailey Bartlett in early life, and afterward engaged in the tobacco business in Springfield, Mass. He was eminently suc- cessful, and established a large wholesale and retail trade, having the confidence and esteem of all who knew him. He d. Feb. 6, 1877. The business has since been carried on by his sons. He m. Jan. 23, 1850, Susan A. (Haskell) Bowen. Ch .:
1. Joseph S., b. March 11, 1852; d. Sept. 22, 1859.
2. Henry L., b. Feb. 27, 1854.
3. Abram, b. Oct. 18, 1856; d. --.
4. Susan, b. June 31, 1858.
5. Frank D., b. June 17, 1860. 6. Louisa B., b. Sept. 20, 1865.
VII. Abram, b. Aug. 25, 1816. He and Joseph were twins. He was one of the pioneer settlers of Grinnell, lowa. He was one of the deacons of the church, and much respected. His family have been closely identified with the educational interests of the West.
He m. Sept. 1, 1848, Mary Fisher. She d. Feb. 27, 1881. He d. -. VIII. Ellen M., b. March 12, 1820; m. April 21, 1839, John H. Spencer.
SAMUEL WHITCOMB, the subject of this sketch, was of Puritan ancestry, and was b. in Hanover, Mass., Sept. 14, 1792, being of the seventh generation from the progenitor, John Whitcomb, who came from England in 1632 with the colony that first settled at Dorchester, Mass.
Shubael, Perez, and Jacob Whitcomb, referred to in this history, were de- scendants from John, and were cousins; and Jacob was uncle to Samuel.
In 1808 Mr. Whitcomb attended Derby Academy, at Hingham, Mass., where it is said of him, " he studied his favorite subjects, rhetoric being one of them,
499
OF SPRINGFIELD, VT.
and there he learned to express his thoughts in composition." His taste for reading works of history and biography was developed as he advanced in years, and a rapid acquisition of the knowledge of books and his early love of them led him to engage in their sale. As early as 1810, his health being somewhat impaired, he came to Vermont, going as far north as Pittsfield, making most of the journey on foot, his books being sent on from Boston by stage or teams to points in advance.
At this time he came to Springfield, and visited his uncle Jacob and other relatives. In. his diary mention is made of Rev. Robinson Smiley and inci- dents connected with his visit here.
It is related by the Hon. Solomon Lincoln in an article published April 11, 1879, in the Hingham Journal, that Mr. Whitcomb had not passed his minority when, his feelings being aroused by the conduct of Great Britain towards this country, he entered with ardent zeal upon the defence of Mr. Madison's ad- ministration.
It is related of him that in a conversation with Ensign Lincoln of Lincoln & Edmands, publishers at Boston, Mr. Whitcomb insisted that President Madison was doing his duty to his country, whereupon Mr. Lincoln said, " Young man, you favor the war so, you ought to enlist." "I'll do it, sir," replied young Whitcomb and went right off and enlisted. He joined the infantry, and marched to Pittsfield, Mass., thence to Lake Champlain, where he was in service for several months during that winter. In later life he was a pen- sioner of the War of 1812. In 1817 Mr. Whitcomb married Mrs. Mary Simonds Joy of Boston.
At this date the " Public Documents and State Papers " were published at Boston by Thomas B. Wait & Sons. During the years 1818-1822 Mr. Whit- comb was employed by them to travel west and south as agent for the sale of these works. This brought him in contact with the public and professional men of that day, among whom we may mention Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson, upon whom he called at their homes in Monticello, Va., and Nash- ville, Tenn., William Wirt, Cave Johnson, Felix Grundy, James Madison, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and many others. His subscription book, now in possession of the writer, contains the autographs of several hundred per- sons who were at some time of their lives distinguished among the country's notable men.
It may be mentioned that Mrs. Whitcomb with a young son journeyed with her husband, travelling wholly by private conveyance, a tandem team which they drove from Boston across the great State of Pennsylvania, over the "National Turnpike," via Philadelphia, Pittsburg, and Wheeling, West Virginia, crossing the Ohio at Marietta, thence via Cincinnati, down the Ohio into Ken- tucky and Tennessee, as far south as Huntsville, Ala. While at Murfreesboro, Tenn., the child died and was buried in Col. Ready's lot at Readyville.
Journeying north and west they took up their abode at Greenville, Ill., where Mrs. Whitcomb lived for months in a log house while her husband pros- ecuted his work in the South and West. Here their eldest daughter, Harriet Newell, was born. A reference to Mr. Whitcomb's diary of events and places, of personal interviews and experiences, would be of interest, as he was a close and careful observer of men and things, but they cannot be introduced here.
500
HISTORY OF THE TOWN
In their trip back to New England, and by the same means of conveyance, they visited Fort Dearborn, now Chicago, and Niagara Falls, and thence down the Erie Canal to the Hudson River, and across Massachusetts to Boston.
At this time Mr. Whitcomb had travelled more or less extensively in twenty- two of the States, and by such limited means of conveyance as was afforded at that early date. He was deeply interested in the internal improvements of the country.
An interview with Gov. Clinton of New York and his engineer led him to propose the building of a canal from Boston to Albany, there to connect with Gov. Clinton's or the Erie Canal. His articles which were published in the Boston Recorder (in 1824) were regarded as visionary, but he soon learned of English tramways, and urged the building of railroads, writing the first articles published on this subject. He was a frequent and vigorous writer on railroads, and was especially interested in the routes through Vermont and northern New York.
In 1825 he entered the Boston Custom House, and was foreign entry clerk for many years. He was clerk in the second comptroller's office, United States Treasury at Washington, and in 1841 was sent on a secret service by the Revenue Department, along the borders of the Canadas and the Provinces. He was in 1845 the Washington correspondent of the Boston Journal. In 1851 he acted as assistant marshal in taking the census for Vermont.
From 1829 to 1836, while living at Dorchester, he championed the high and graded school system, being in correspondence with the best authorities and minds in the country, having the support of Edward Everett, Horace Mann, and others.
When he moved his family to this town in 1836, he immediately made his presence felt in behalf of education and the public schools.
From 1846 to 1848 he had charge of an agency at Boston for supplying teachers for the South and West. Gov. Slade of Vermont was made the president of the agency.
Mr. and Mrs. Whitcomb with seven children moved to this town September, 1836, and one child was born here. Most of Mr. Whitcomb's time prior to 1850 was spent at Washington, after which he settled down here in retirement with his family. While interested in all town and public affairs, especially during the War of the Rebellion, he declined solicitation to office, preferring to use his pen in advocacy of those measures in which he had so long been interested. In politics he was a Whig in early life, and an ardent Republican in all his later years. Mr. Whitcomb died at Springfield, March 5, 1879, aged eighty-six and Mrs. Whitcomb at Marblehead Neck, Mass., Sept. 11, 1884, aged eighty- seven, and both are buried in the town cemetery. Three sons have died at ages twenty, twenty-four, and thirty-one years, and are buried in the family lot here. One son and four daughters are now living, one daughter being the widow of the late James B. Whipple of this town.
SAMUEL WHITING, son of Joseph and Clarissa (Webb) Whiting, was b. in Rockingham, Dec. 2, 1822; m. Nov. 20, 1849, Lucy Ann Clark, daughter of George R. and Sarah (Kenney) Clark. Ch. :
I. Ella M., b. July 4, 1854; m. July 16, 1881, Herbert H. Howe.
II. Samuel E., b. Aug. 2, 1856.
501
OF SPRINGFIELD, VT.
III. William C., graduated from Dartmouth College, now teaching in Massa- chusetts ; m. Nov. 25, 1886, Sarah Perry.
IV. Minnie A., b. Sept. 13, 1867; m. Aug. 15, 1888, James N. Wait.
HIRAM O. WHITNEY, son of Alfred and Aveline (Young) Whitney, m. Addie Stiles. He has been in the shop of the Vermont Snath Company about twenty years. He is superintendent of the foundry and indispensable to the business.
HUBERT A. WHITNEY, son of Alfred and Aveline (Young) Whitney, m. Celia Fountain. Worked in foundry sixteen years. Ch. :
I. Florence C.
II. Josephine A.
III. Guy H.
IV. Gertrude E.
V. Arthur Ray.
VI. Russell F.
VII. Floyd J.
WHITNEY FAMILY.
LEMUEL WHITNEY was b. in 1743, in Leicester, Mass. His father, Joshua Whitney, was a descendant of John and Elinor Whitney, who landed in Bos- ton in 1635. His mother, Mehitable Wilson, was of Scotch descent. He went to Spencer, Mass., with his father's family during his minority, and in 1778 to Tolland, Conn. While living in Tolland, and also during the last years of his residence in Spencer, he engaged in the manufacture of saltpetre, which was used in the manufacture of gunpowder for the American army, and fortu- nately received his pay in silver instead of continental currency. He was enrolled as a minute man, and served two terms of three months each in the army, being present at the surrender of Burgoyne.
In 1780 he decided to try his fortune in the new State of Vermont, and first came to this town in September of that year. Having bargained for his farm, he returned to Connecticut for his family, walking to Spencer, Mass., in one day, a distance of eighty miles. He moved his family to Springfield in the following December, and here spent the remainder of his life.
He owned about six hundred acres of land located in Eureka on the county road north of the Miller place, and built a house and barn in 1781. It is said that he drew a load of sawed lumber across Connecticut River on the ice on the evening of April 20, 1781.
After the war he and his brother Joshua engaged quite extensively in the manufacture of chairs and also of rope, for both of which articles they found a ready sale.
He soon began the manufacture of brick, which were in good demand for building purposes. He at once interested himself in all town affairs, and was foremost in the formation of the Congregational church, of which he was the first deacon and held the office till his death; and to him the church probably owed more for its prosperity in the first quarter of a century than to any other man. Hc always gave it his support in every way, and taught his children to do the same. There is still preserved in the family a deed of two pews in the old meeting-house bought by his two oldest sons, for which they paid £15
502
HISTORY OF THE TOWN
" lawful money." "£3 10s. to be paid in building material and the rest in good wheat or neat cattle." This deed runs to Cyrus, the older of the two, his brother not being of age at the time.
Most subscriptions for church and minister were then paid in wheat or cattle ; and Deacon Whitney often redeemed these, paying in silver, greatly to the relief of the parish and the minister, while he trusted to his own shrewd- ness to save himself from loss.
In 1769 he married Thankful Griffith, a shrewd, keen, self-reliant woman of Welsh descent. Mr. Smiley, the minister, used to speak of her in terms of the highest praise, generally ending by saying, "She was a nice woman, a fine woman, a good woman, and a very notable housewife."
Deacon Whitney was greatly respected, and possessed the confidence of the people in a large degree. He died Feb. 1, 1813, aged 71 years. His wife died Feb. 24, 1818, aged 72 years.
This worthy couple had seven children :
I. Cyrus, b. in Spencer, Mass., 1770.
II. Benjamin, b. in Spencer, Mass., 1773.
III. John, b. in Spencer, Mass., 1775.
IV. Lemuel, Jr., b. in Tolland, Conn., 1778.
V. Sally, b. in Tolland, Conn., 1780.
VI. Joseph, b. in Springfield, Vt., 1785.
VII. Elijah, b. in Springfield, Vt., 1788.
These all lived to maturity and made comfortable settlements, but none of them equalled their father in financial ability. Benjamin, John, and Sally (Mrs. David Safford) settled in Essex, N. Y .; Joseph, for many years well known in this town as a farmer and drover, went to Moretown, N. Y. ; m. Lorinda Stafford ; they had five children ; one son, Joseph, studied at Oberlin, and is now a Baptist minister in Minneapolis, Minn .; Lemuel, Jr. settled in Ohio in 1811, did military duty on the frontier in 1813, and soon after his service ended he started for New Orleans with a boat-load of merchandise and was never heard from again. He left two sons and a daughter.
CYRUS WHITNEY, the oldest son of Lemuel and Thankful (Griffith) Whitney, came to Springfield with his father when ten years old, in December, 1780. When they reached Bellows Falls he was sent alone to lead two colts through the unknown path on the Vermont side, while the rest of the family and stock went up on the east side of the river to the ferry on the Crown Point road. When he reached Black River he found it swollen by a recent thaw, but a colored man who happened to be there took him over in a canoe, the colts swimming the stream. He stayed at Col. Barrett's that night, and the next day found his way over the mountain to the new home.
Cyrus was perhaps the last Whitney who exemplified the traditional charac- teristics of the family, viz. : long life, great memory, and great knowledge of the Bible.
He was sent to school six months, three months in Connecticut to learn to read, and three in Vermont to learn to write, in which latter process we are told he used a whole sheet of paper. Specimens of his writing still preserved put to shame the penmanship of his posterity.
He was a great reader, particularly of history. The Bible he read daily,
503
OF SPRINGFIELD, VT.
and always by course. In his later years he sometimes read the entire Bible three or four times in a year.
He read the writings of Josephus, and studied the history of human servi- tude in all countries and ages.
He was a zealous opponent of slavery in this country, but voted the Whig ticket until 1856, when he cast his ballot for John C. Fremont.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.