USA > Vermont > Caledonia County > Successful Vermonters; a modern gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties, containing an historical review of the several towns and a series of biographical sketches > Part 18
USA > Vermont > Essex County > Successful Vermonters; a modern gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties, containing an historical review of the several towns and a series of biographical sketches > Part 18
USA > Vermont > Orleans County > Successful Vermonters; a modern gazetteer of Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties, containing an historical review of the several towns and a series of biographical sketches > Part 18
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SYLVESTER S. DOUD.
He then went to Bristol, New Hampshire, in 1897, and has been in steady practice there for six years, meeting with good success.
Sylvester S. Doud is one of Sut- ton's steady-going citizens. He has served his town somewhat in public matters, and is a member of the Odd Fellows and the Patrons of Hus- bandry. Mr. and Mrs. Doud are active in literary and all other mat- ters that tend to elevate the stan- dard of the town.
COLBY, DR. GEORGE W., was born in Sutton in 1834, and was a son of Josiah and Betsey (Lee) Colby. His paternal great-grand- father, Thomas Colby, was one of the early settlers of Sutton. Daniel. one of his eleven children, married
Polly Hutchings of Sandwich, who bore him seven children, one of whom was Josiah, father of Dr. Colby.
George W. Colby attended the schools of Sutton and received his medical education at the Hahne- mann Medical college of Philadel- phia. He married Emily Kincaid (see Jenkins family, Kirby) in 1866. They have three children living: Mae L. (see Bert U. Well, Glover), Maud G. (see Wylie S. Wil- lard, Glover), and Bernice, who re- sides with her mother.
Dr. Colby was a man of rare skill, kindly disposition, and public spir- ited, ever ready to respond to a call without regard to distance, weather, or hope of remuneration. He was
GEORGE W. COLBY, M. D.
a man deeply loved and implicitly trusted and never found wanting. He served Sutton as town clerk, overseer of the poor, school director,
13
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
health officer, and in 1900 repre- sented the town in the general assembly. He died September 23, 1903, after a long and painful ill- ness.
GRAY, SYLVESTER S., of Sutton, was born at Newark, July 16, 1861. He is a son of Samuel and Aurilla (Taft) Grav. His father's family consisted of six children. Samuel was a son of Henry Gray, and was born in Sheffield. Samuel married and settled in Newark and twelve years ago Sylvester S. Gray came to Sutton and settled on the farm now owned by him, it being the old Charles Taft farm. In March, 1885, Sylvester S. Gray was mar- ried to Nellie, daughter of Reu- ben and Luella (Willey) Moulton,
SYLVESTER S. GRAY.
and five children have gladdened their home; one died in early life, and they have left to them one boy and three girls.
Mr. Gray was educated in the old- fashioned district schools of Newark and in the practical business of life. He has been justice of the peace in Sutton four years, is at present a member of the board of selectmen, and a respected citizen of Sutton.
BUNDY, CHARLES, one of four children of Elias and Mary (Corliss) Bundy, was born in Sutton, went to Danville when eight years of age and lived there five years, then in Westmore two years, then came to Sutton to remain. He received only a common school education. When twenty-one years of age he bought a farm for $1,000, paying down $60, sold and bought another, which he sold, and purchased a portion of the one where he now lives in 1869, consisting of 118 acres with a small house and an old 30 by 40 barn. The farm produced about eight tons of hay. Mr. Bundy got off his coat and began to clear and dig. In the spring of 1903 he deeded his personal property and farm to his son, Byron, free of all incum- brances, it containing 360 acres, with a good house, a fine large barn and four smaller oues, and cuis 100 tons of hay. He still has for himself $3,500 of his hard-earned money, for none of the above mentioned was got by speculation. If some who are loafing around saloons, com- plaining of hard times, would come to this hill farm in Sutton they might learn a lesson. Mr. Bundy married Orinthia Daniels in 1860, who died September 19, 1902, hav- ing proved herself a kind and faith- ful wife and mother. Their chil- dren are: Oscar, born 1862, who married Nettie Drown. He keeps a store and post-office at Sutton Station and has one child; Jennie,
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born in 1867, married Enoch Smith, a locomotive engineer at Lyndon- ville. They have had three children, one of whom died in infancy; Byron,
CHARLES BUNDY.
born March 4, 1813, married Aug- ust, 1903, Carrie O., daughter of Oscar and Adaline Daniels of West Fairlee, a graduate of Johnson Nor- mal school in 1900, who had taught several terms of school. She was born at Topsham in 1879. Charles served in the Union army in Com- pany G, Fifteenth Vermont regi- ment, his full term of enlistment.
BLAKE, HENRY A., son of Jo- seph and Sarah E. (Furgerson) Blake, was born in Sutton, Septem- ber 12, 1840. Enoch Blake, pater- nal great-grandfather of Henry A., came to Sutton about the year 1790 and resided with his son Samuel, who came from Moultonborough, New Hampshire. Enoch had eight children, among whom was Enoch,
Jr., who married Betsey Ladd of Sutton and reared ten children, one of whom was Joseph, father of the subject of this sketch. He had six children.
Henry A., after becoming of age, followed farming and running a threshing and sawing machine up to 1876, when he engaged with the Pacific Guano company of Boston, Massachusetts, as their special agent for Vermont and New Hampshire, introducing their fertilizer in the two states, and built up a sale of twenty-five hundred tons per year of the fertilizer. In 1882 he opened a general store, which he sold to F. A. Holmes in 1889.
May 12, 1870, he married Kate J., daughter of Joseph Y. Otis of Shef-
HENRY A. BLAKE.
field. They have one child, Sarah E., a graduate of Lyndon institute and Johnson Normal school. She has taught twenty-five terms of
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school with excellent success. Mr. Blake has for the past three years served Sutton as town clerk and treasurer.
He has always taken a deep inter- est in spiritual matters, and has been connected with the Freewill Baptist church for forty years, fifteen years as its clerk and treasurer and a like period clerk and treasurer of the Vermont yearly meetings. He has also held nearly all of the other offices in the local church and Sab- bath school, and served on several important committees in the yearly meeting.
WATSON, LEONARD W., son of Larnard and Eunice (Ruggles) Wat- son, was born at Burke, March 6, 1836; both his parents were born at
LEONARD W. WATSON.
Lyndon and settled at Burke in 1835. Mr. Watson received his edu- cation in the schools of Burke and has always followed farming. In
1871 he located in Sutton on his present farm, which was formerly owned by Henry Easterbrook. By constant and undivided attention to his chosen field of usefulness, Mr. Watson has made farming a conspic- uous success.
He married, April 2, 1862, Sophia, daughter of Amos and Emily (Har- rington) Hunt of Westmore. Three boys have been born to them: Brad- bury (deceased), Eber, and Ira. Mr. Watson has served Sutton six years as selectman, and in 1886 repre- sented the town in the general assembly.
KINCAID, ARTHUR E., son of Orin and Mary (Jenkins [see Jen- kins family, Kirby]) Kincaid, was born at Otsego, Wisconsin, December 7, 1848. He came to Vermont in 1858, enlisted in Company A, Tenth Vermont regiment, September 5, 1864, was discharged June 22, 1865, after which he shipped on a whaling vessel at New Bedford, and went around Cape Horn and into the Arctic ocean. He also went several voyages on whaling vessels from Provincetown, and was for quite a length of time in the coasting and merchant marine service. Ile also spent some time in the mining regions of the Rocky mountains. October 29, 1878, he married Ursula Butterfield of Sutton and settled down to home life in that town. Two children were born to them: Myrtie L., born 1880, died 1886; Leon E., born 1890. Arthur has had experiences that come to but few, and can tell many a story of soldier and sailor life.
HYDE, FREEMAN, son of Joshua and Betsey (Doloff) Hyde, was born at Albany, Vermont, March 26, 1845. His father dying when he
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CALEDONIA COUNTY.
was four years of age, the mother, with her two children, came to Sut- ton, where the boys received a eom- mon school education. At the age of
FREEMAN HYDE.
seventeen, he enlisted in Company G, Fifteenth Vermont, in the "war for the Union." After serving out his time, and never having been given a chance to shoot a rebel, he and his brother Lewis enlisted as re- cruits in the Vermont cavalry, where they served under Custer, Kilpat- riek, and Sheridan in the Shenan- doah Valley, and had plenty of op- portunity to shoot. They were in more than thirty battles. Lewis was wounded at the Wilderness, and fourteen years later he died from its effects. Freeman was wounded six times, and in the hospital three months. They were both dis- charged with the regiment in 1865. Freeman has run a sawmill and farmed some until 1900, when he went into the store of F. A. Holmes,
where he is at present. In March, 1866, he married Adaline M. Bunker. One child was born to them in 1867, who died in 1870. Mrs. Hyde died September, 1882, after which Freeman's mother kept house for him until her death in 1899. He has filled several positions as town officer, is a member of the Grand Army, and is active in public affairs.
HOLMES, FRANK ADAMS, the present popular merchant and post- master at Sutton, and one of a fam- ily of four children of Lewis and Lucinda (Pope) Holmes, was born at Albany, Vermont, January 20, 1846. His father was a clothier by trade in that town, but afterwards moved with his family on to a farm
FRANK A. HOLMES.
in Sheffield, where they remained until they came to Sutton in 1863, when Lewis conducted the clothing and dressing mill at the "Hollow"
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
for several years. In 1867 Frank, who had received only a common school education, went into the em- ploy of George L. Bradley as clerk in a store, and remained three years. He then went on to the road as trav- eling salesman for various firms for seventeen years. In 1888 he bought out the store now owned by him, and has conducted the mercantile business ever since. In 1889 he was appointed postmaster, and has held the position continuously from that time. In 1884 he married Carrie Emma, daughter of Levi N. Heath of Bristol, New Hampshire. After her death, in 1895, he was again married to Etta A., daughter of Sar- gent J. and Betsey Whipple of Sut- ton. One child, Lydia Adams Holmes (who bears the family name that has been handed down from the Adams family of Massachusetts), was born March 24, 1901.
SHEFFIELD.
Population, Census of 1900, 724.
Sheffield was chartered October 25, 1793, to Stephen Kingsbury and others. It was organized March 25, 1796, with the election of Archelaus Miles, Jr., town clerk; Stephen Drown, Archelaus Miles, Jr., and Isaac Keniston, selectmen; Jona- than Gray, constable. The first rep- resentative was Stephen Drown, elected in 1806. The town was first surveyed by Jesse Gilbert and a large tract was named "Gilbert square."
The first settlers in town were Jonathan and James Gray, and John and Richard Jenness, all from New Hampshire, coming in the spring of 1294, Jonathan Gray bringing his wife with him on horseback with
his pack and tools. His son, Will- iam, born July 28 of the same year, was the first child born in town. His son, Captain Alfred, born in 1817, is still living with his grandson, Her- man P. Simpson. The first school- house was built in 1805, the first church, Baptist, in 1829, the Meth- odist church in 1860. A second Baptist church was built in 1851.
Sheffield Hollow is the only vil- lage and contains the only post- office in town. It is situated about two miles above Wheelock village on the same stream (Miller's Run), is about six miles from Lyndonville on an easy road, with a daily stage and mail connection. It contains the churches, a large schoolhouse, a fine town hall, two stores, blacksmith shop, saw and grist-mill, and some forty dwelling houses, and occupies one of the most pleasant valleys in this section of Vermont, and is sur- rounded by a large and prosperous farming community. The Sheffield creamery, a half mile below the vil- lage, does a prosperous business.
GIFFIN, ALBERT J., son of George and Ursula (Stevens) Gif- fin, was born in Hardwick, March 7, 1854, came with his parents to Shef- field when three months old, and was educated in the common schools. In 1875 he went into the store in com- pany with Noah L. Folsom and suc- ceeded so well that he formed a part- nership with Mr. Folsom's daughter, Jennie N., to whom he was married May 23, 1871. January, 1885, he was appointed postmaster, which position he still holds. He re- mained in company with Mr. Fol- som until 1888, when the present partnership of Giffin & Simpson was formed. Mr. Giffin is an active and ever-present member of the
ALBERT J. GIFFIN.
HERMAN P. SIMPSON.
GIFFIN & SIMPSON'S STORE.
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
firm. He has been offered public positions, but always declines, pre- ferring to attend to his store and leave the junior member of the firm to wrestle out the political problems.
October 13, 1888, Herman P. Simpson bought a half interest in the firm of Folsom & Giffin, and Noah L. Folsom retired from the business. Since then the firm has been Giffin & Simpson. After doing business in the old store ten years they decided to build new, and in the fall of 1898 took down the old store, which was built by Jewet Hill and later occupied by George Brad- ley, William L. Pearl, and Isaac K. Kenaston. The new store, 40 by 50 feet and two stories high, is as fine a country store as can be found in Vermont, modern and up-to-date, finished in natural wood, with large plate-glass windows, one room being furnished especially for a waiting and smoking room. They carry a full line of dry goods, groceries, boots and shoes, paints, patent medi- cines, and gents' furnishings, in fact, everything that can be found in a first-class store. Their motto: The best goods at a fair profit; attend strictly to business and hustle.
SIMPSON, HERMAN P., was born in Sheffield, July 28, 1860, a son of Corydon B. and Lovina M. (Gray) Simpson. He was educated at the common schools, St. Johnsbury academy, and Montpelier seminary. In 1883 he went into the employ of Folsom & Giffin as clerk in their store, and remained with them until he bought out Mr. Folsom's interest in 1888. He was appointed assist- ant postmaster in 1885 and still re- tains the position. Mr. Simpson is a strong temperance Republican and has been in politics somewhat. He
has been a member of the school board several years, he represented Sheffield in the legislature in 1900 and 1902, and has served as Repub- lican county committee, and is a generally useful public man. Jan- uary 25, 1890, he was united in mar- riage to Mabel K., daughter of Will- iam and Mary (Wright) Dexter. Their children are Alfred D., born March 24, 1891, who was house page in the legislature of 1902, and Erla M., born December 18, 1895.
HALL, ALBURTUS S., a son of Riley C. and Flora (Barton) Hall,
ALBURTUS S. HALL.
was born at Barnard, Vermont, Jan- mary 7, 1872. He was brought up on a farm until eighteen years of age, and was educated at the com- mon schools. His great-grandfather, Moses, came from Barrington, New Hampshire, when Sheffield was mostly a wilderness; cleared up a farm upon which he and his son Syl- vester lived, also Riley and Alburtus,
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CALEDONIA COUNTY.
all on the old "Hall farm." Al- bnrtus has worked in a sawmill some years and is also a carpenter and painter. He married January 18, 1898, Emma C. Farr of Sheffield, daughter of Charles W. and Ella (Joy) Farr. Two children, Ella F., and a boy born November 25, 1903, have blessed their union. They re- side at Sheffield village. Mr. Hall is the present town clerk of Sheffield, having been elected to that position in 1901. He is also interested in other public matters and is a gener- ally useful member of scociety.
MR. AND MRS, PAUL WILLARD.
WILLARD, PAUL, AND WIFE, of Sheffield. Mr. Willard, a son of Samuel and Margaret Willard was born at Sheffield, February 1, 1840, and on September 18, 1864, was married to Orpha A., daughter of George and Mary Jillson of Barton, who was born at Barton, March 5, 1845. They have two children:
Gertie and Wylie S. Gertie, born April 9, 1869 married Frank Ches- ley of Sheffield and has two child- ren. Flossie E., born November 17, 1887, and Virtulon Paul, born De- cember 8, 1890. Wylie S. was born October 8, 1879, and married Maude, daughter of Dr. George W. and Emily Colby of Sutton. They have one child, Cecile Mae, born May 20, 1902. Mr. Willard is one of Shef- field's successful financiers. They reside at Sheffield village.
WHEELOCK.
Population, Census of 1900, 567.
The town of Wheelock was char- tered June 14, 1785, to Dartmouth college and Moor's charity school at Hanover, New Hampshire, and named after President Wheelock of that institution. The entire real estate is exempt from state and county taxes. The town was sur- veved under the direction of Abra- ham Morrill, agent. In 1790 the first settlement was made by Joseph Page, Abraham Morrill, and Dudley Swasey. The first town-meeting was held March 28, 1792, when Abra- ham Morrill was chosen town clerk; Dudley Swasey, Abraham Morrill and Joseph Vener, selectmen; and Gideon Leavitt, constable. At this meeting the town appointed a com- mittee to "look out a road" through the town.
The first physician in town was Dr. Griffin, followed by Dr. Peach, and Dr. John Meggs opened an of- fice at South Wheelock, where the first grist-mill was built and where the first post-office was established, with Abner Hoyt as postmaster.
South Wheelock has no village.
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
but is a center of a large farming district, and the post-office still exists. Wheelock village, or Whee- lock Hollow, is situated on a stream known as Miller's Run, which flows down from Sheffield through Whee- lock to the Passumpsie river in Lyn- don. Upon this stream at this vil- lage is the sawmill of Alden J. Ren- nie and the grist-mill of James A. McDowell, in both of which an ex- tensive business is carried on.
The village has two stores, a post- office, church, schoolhouse, town hall, a hotel known as the Caledonia Spring House (connected with the same is the medical, or sulphur, spring), blacksmith shop, and about thirty dwellings. D. B. Leslie also serves the public as a dentist.
The first house built at Wheelock village was on the farm now owned by James A. McDowell, and was built by Samuel Weeks, who also built the first saw and grist-mill at this village.
Wheelock village is some four miles from the railroad at Lyndon- ville. It is easy of access, a daily stage each way, and with an easy grade highway along the stream, bordered on both sides with some of the best farms in the county with fine farm buildings, it makes one of the most delightful drives for the summer tourist, who can here find a most quiet and cosy home, either at the hotel, where his needs will be amply supplied, or at some of the hospitable homes in the village.
BEAN, GEORGE W., a native of Glover, born in 1840, was a son of Wells and Sarah (Scott) Bean. The family moved to Canada, where they remained until George enlisted in October, 1862, in Company E, Fourth New Hampshire regiment, at
West Lebanon. He joined the regi- ment at Morris Island, South Caro- lina, at Fort Wagner, was in the siege at Beaufort, did picket daty on boat at Fort Sumter, then went to Norfolk, then on boat campaign up the James river in the Eight- eenth corps under General Butler, on to Petersburg, up the Weldon railroad towards Richmond; was wounded in 1863 at Drury's Bluff and sent to the hospital at Point
GEORGE W. BEAN.
Lookout; was furloughed from there, came home, had fever, then returned to hospital, then transferred to New Hampshire and received his dis- charge in 1864. The company to which Mr. Bean belonged went into the battle of Drury's Bluff with forty-two men and came out with twenty-eight of them killed, wound- ed, and missing. After discharge from the army he was one year in a hotel at Chester, then one year in a
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CALEDONIA COUNTY.
factory at Lowell, then came to Ver- mont and married Caroline M., daughter of Samuel and Fannie (Ufford) Bean of Glover on Novem- ber 18, 1873. The father of Mrs. Bean was born at Glover in 1802, and died in that town in 1884. In the War of 1812 he, a lad of few years, was employed in carrying pro- visions, on horseback, to the Amer- ican troops stationed at Derby. After farming a few years they moved to the Hollow about 1880.
Mr. Bean never recovered use of his arm, which was shot through at the wrist. He receives a liberal pen- sion and owns a comfortable home in the village.
CRAIG, ARCHIBALD, was born at Peacham, August 1, 1843, one of a family of three boys and two girls, children of Matthew M. and Mary (Jentles) Craig, who emigrated from Glasgow, Scotland, and settled in Peacham. Archibald, a graduate of "the little red schoolhouse," went out to work on a farm when a small boy and "took care of himself." He enlisted in the War of the Rebellion in 1861, in Company D, Sixth Ver- mont, was in the battle at Antietam, seven days before Richmond, Fred- erieksburg, Gettysburg. Spottsyl- vania, Lee's Mills, Wilderness, and others. He was wounded at the bat- tle of Gettysburg and at Lee's Mills, and was in the hospital about four months. He was discharged Oeto- ber 28, 1864. After the war he went to work for Robert Alexander of Brownington, and remained with him five years at a salary of $30 a month, and during his full term there were only eleven days that he did not work, and at the end of the five years not a dollar of his wages had been drawn from his employer.
He was married March 17, 1869, to Martha A. Atkins of Brownington, and in company with his father-in- law bought a farm in Sheffield. In 1870 he bought Atkins' interest in the farm, and erected buildings on the same. In 1843 he sold the farm, bought one in Sutton, then bought at Sutton village, then bought a home in Burke. In 1886 he bought and moved on to a farm in Wheelock, lived on the same sixteen
ARCHIBALD CRAIG.
years, and then moved to his present home in Wheelock Hollow. He was overseer of highways in Sutton. Burke, Sheffield, and Wheelock, be- ing road commissioner in Wheelock three years, and has been seleetman six years; he represented the town in the legislature in 1896. He is pres- ident and a director of the Sheffield Creamery company, a member of F. and 1. M., Junior Order United American Mechanics, P. of H.,
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
and Grand Army. Mr. and Mrs. Craig have one child, Lillian L., who married H. J. Mattison and resides in Wheelock.
McDOWELL, JAMES A., one of a family of five boys and three girls, children of Thomas and Sarah (Suf- firn) MeDowell, was born in Shef-
there for a time, then went to Greensboro, where he bought cattle and sheep for Ricker for some ten years, and remained there twelve years. While there he was school director three years, selectman five years and chairman of the board for four years. He was also justice of
JAMES A. MCDOWELL.
field, March 31, 1855, on a farm, where he remained until twenty-one years of age. He was educated in the common schools and at the Or- leans Liberal institute at Glover. When he left home he bought the old home farm in Sheffield, stayed
the peace and constable for some years. In 1901 he purchased the grist-mill at Wheelock Hollow, which he now owns and which is doing a grain and feed business which is rarely equaled in any town off from the railroad. About Jan-
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CALEDONIA COUNTY.
uary, 1903, he became the owner of the farm formerly belonging to Judge Charles Rogers, at the Hol- low. He is also engaged quite ex- tensively in the lumber business, and is ready for a deal in anything. In short, he is a man that wants to do something and finds something to do. In connection with a few others he has done much to revive business at Wheelock.
Mr. McDowell was married Feb- ruary 13, 1884, to Naney L., daugh- ter of Thomas B. and Sarah (O'Hara) Pratt. Two children have been born to them: Vieva, born March 3, 1891, and died September 1, 1891, and Dean, born August 20, 1896.
In connection with Alden J. Ren- in he has lately bought lumber land at South Wheelock, where they will erect a sawmill to manufacture the same.
HOFFMAN, FRED, a descendant of Frederick Hoffman, a. German soldier, is a son of Frederick H., and grandson of Harry Hoffman, who came to Lyndon from Rhode Island. Fred was born in Burke, December 17, 1850. When he was fourteen years old his parents moved to Lyn- don, where he was educated at the common and select schools at the center. When twenty-one he left the farm and worked as fireman on the Passumpsie railroad for two years, when, his father's health fail- ing, he returned to the farm. Octo- ber 24, 1876, he married Jennie O., daughter of Levi Sleeper of Newark. Their only child, Grace E., was born September 27. 1886. Fred lived on the old farm until 1880, when he moved on to the "Chase" farm in Wheelock, which he sold in 1894, and they moved to Wheelock village,
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