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 28
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 28
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 28
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public schools, at Craftsbury acad- emy, and Lyndon institute. He has always followed farming.
January 26, 1898, Mr. Patch was
LABAN J. PATCH.
united in marriage to Mary E. Johnson of Abercorn, Province of Quebec. They have two children, Oscar J. and Elva M.
Mr. Patch has served Stannard as school director five years, and auditor for three years, and is an active member of the Modern Woodmen.
JAMIESON, WILLIAM S., a son of William and Sarah (Cross) Jamieson, was born at Stewarts- town, New Hampshire, April 6, 1842. When but a few months old his parents moved to Inverness, Province of Quebec, where he re- mained until 1861, when he located in Barton, remaining only a few months, and then removed to Glover, where he resided until
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1871, then locating at Hardwick for six years, and in 1877 finally coming to Stannard, where he has since lived.
February 7, 1864, he married Isa- belle McDowell of Sheffield. Seven children, five boys and two girls,
splendid intellects, and a high sense of honor have made this family of children a pride of not only their parents but of the community in general.
Charles C. was born at Glover, November 3, 1866, entered West
WILLIAM S. JAMIESON.
have truly blessed this happy union. All are living. They are: Albert E., Charles C., E. Roy, Natt F., G. Arthur, Kitty M., and Louie B.
Few better examples of the ideal American family are to be found in northern Vermont that the Jamie- son family. Sturdy physiques,
Point in 1888, and graduated with his class. He joined the Fifteenth infantry as second lieutenant, at Fort Sheridan after passing a com- petitive examination. In 1894 he was promoted to first lieutenant of ordnance and detailed to the Sandy Hook proving grounds during the
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Spanish-American war. February, 1900, he was promoted to a cap- taincy and the following September was detailed as assistant instructor of ordnance and gunnery at West Point. Captain Jamieson is now stationed at Rock Island arsenal. He is an officer of recognized abil- ity and one possessing the natural ability, character, energy, and worth to win a place upon his na- tion's roll of honor.
Natt F. Jamieson was born at Stannard, March 13, 1879, attended the district schools here and grad- uated from the State Normal school at Johnson. In October, 1898, he enlisted in Captain Dodd's famous cavalry, Troop F, and saw active service at Montauk Point, and was discharged at Fort Ethan Allen, March, 1899. He re-enlisted the following July at Springfield, Mas- sachusetts, in Company L, Twenty- sixth infantry, was at once pro- moted to corporal, and with his or- ganization saw service in the Philip- pine islands. Here he was pro- moted to be sergeant, and for seven months was in command of a squad of mounted scouts and participated in five general engagements. He was mustered out in California, May 13, 1901. The following August he again donned the livery of his coun- try and joined the First Corps of Engineers and was stationed at West Point. He had long been amassing a splendid knowledge, both technical and practical, of mil- itary affairs, and while at West Point naturally received much val- uable aid from his brother, Captain Charles C. Jamieson, and soon re- ceived a commission as second lieu- tenant of heavy artillery, dating back to his splendid and patriotic
service in the Philippines. Lieu- tenant Jamieson is now in com- mand of Fort Point Bonita, Cali- fornia.
HUTCHINS, MERTON L., a son of Amasa and Margaret N. (Wil- lard) (see Paul Willard of Sheffield) Hutchins, was born at Barton, June 13, 1865, received his education in the schools of Stannard and Greens- boro, and at Lyndon institute, and taught in the public schools for a
MERTON L. HUTCHINS.
period of seventeen terms in the towns of Burke, Walden, Stannard, Greensboro, and Sheffield. In 1890 Mr. Hutchins married Mary J., daughter of Henry C. and Mary (McDowell) Stevens. Three chil- dren have been born to them: Lyle S., Marion-Marjory Marguerite, Doris Margaret. Mr. Hutchins has served his town as town clerk and treasurer five years, school director three years, superintendent of
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schools three years, town auditor four years.
Amasa Hutchins, father of Mer- ton L., was born at Lyndon in 1830, a son of Seryl and Charlotte (Fisher) Hutchins. He married Margaret N. Willard. Six children blessed their union: Harley L., Merton L., George A., Jason D., Herbert O., Mary J., (MIrs. George Davis of Greensboro Bend). All the boys were educated at Lyndon in- stitute, Mary J. at Hardwick acad- emy. George A. graduated from Bates college, taught school several years at Amesbury, Massachusetts, and is now vice-principal of the Melrose, Massachusetts, high school. Herbert O. completed a course in dentistry at the University of Penn- sylvania in 1900, and is now a den- tist at Windsor, Vermont.
WALDEN. Population, Census of 1900, 764.
The town of Walden was granted November 6, 1780, and chartered August 18, 1781, by the Vermont legislature.
It has long been an accepted fact that the first white inhabitants consisted of a small garrison under the command of Major Walden, who was left in charge of a block- house by General Hazen, in 1979. Ten years later Nathaniel Perkins. a soldier of the Revolution, began a clearing and became the first actual settler of the town. Perkins oc- cupied for a time the old block- house, and here in November, 1790, Jesse, his son, was born, being the first birth in the town. In this old block-house was preached the first sermon and the first school was taught.
Walden was organized March 24, 1794, and Nathaniel Perkins was chosen first town clerk. The fol- lowing year he was chosen as the first representative of the town in the legislature.
Among the early settlers we might mention the following with the dates of their settlement: John Perkins, 1803; Joseph Perkins, 1805; Timothy Edwards, 1796; Nathaniel, Ira and Jonathan Dow, 1797: Edward Gould, 1800; Ebene- zer Stevens, 1796; Captain James Bell (grandfather of Hon. Charles J. Bell), 1804, represented the town in 1815, 1818 and was a member for the next ten years in succession; Hanson Rogers about 1800.
BELL, CHARLES J. (Walden, Vermont). Years ago an artisan, John Austin by name, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, invented the tu- lip shaped bell now in common use. The invention brought him into royal favor and he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth and assumed the name of Bell. His descendants, several of them, came to America, and one. James, settled in Lyme, New Hampshire. The grandfather of the subject of this sketch moved to Walden in 1804. He was a law- yer of ability and eloquent in de- bate. His son, the lIon. James D. Bell, was born on the Walden farm and was a very prominent man in public affairs in his town, county and state, living all his days, and dying on the old homestead, where Charles J. was born in 1845, and where he has always made his home. He is truly a self-made man; his ed- ucational opportunities were lim- ited; aside from the advantages of the common schools of his native town, five weeks at the old Calede-
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nia County Grammar school at Peacham completed his schooling but not his education, for he has always been a student.
listed in Company B, fifteenth Ver- mont volunteers, afterwards reën- listing in Company C, first Vermont cavalry, and serving with fidelity
CHARLES J. BELL.
C. J. Bell is a genuine Vermonter, in sympathy with the people and the industries of his native state. At the age of seventeen years he en-
until his discharge, being wounded near the close of the war. He has held many publie positions in his native town. In 1882 he repre-
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CALEDONIA COUNTY.
sented it in the legislature. In 1894 he was elected one of the Cal- edonia county senators. He was appointed by Governor Woodbury a member of the board of railroad commissioners. He is a trustee of the Peacham academy and has been director and vice-president of the State Agricultural society. In 1896 he was appointed a member of the State Board of Agriculture, and in 1898 became secretary of the board, which position he still re- tains. As a member of the State Cattle commission his arduous la- bors to wipe out tuberculosis have resulted in great permanent benefit to the state. Mr. Bell has always been prominently connected with the grange, local, state and na- tional, having been treasurer of the state grange from 1872 until he was elected master of the same in 1894, which position he now holds. He has also served as a member of the executive committee of the na- tional grange. June 30, 1904, he received the Republican nomination for governor of Vermont.
Mr. Bell has largely increased the area and productiveness of the original homestead; built, repaired, and rearranged the farm buildings, established a reputation for fine farm products, especially in the dairy line and for maple sugar.
In 1870 Mr. Bell was united in marriage to Mary Louise Perry of Cabot. The fruits of this union are two accomplished, practical daughters, Adine Merrill and Jen- nie, who, together with Mr. and Mrs. Bell, make the old Bell home- stead, "The Belfrey," one of the
most cheerful and hospitable Ver- mont farm homes.
KITTREDGE, CHARLES ALAN- SON, a son of Benjamin F. and So- phia B. Kittredge, was born in Wal- den, Caledonia county, Vermont, on March 25, 1837. His boyhood was spent upon a farm. The mea- gre education that he obtained was acquired in the common district schools of his native town; and to
CHARLES A. KITTREDGE.
secure even the rudimentary train- ing which they afforded, he was obliged to endure many hardships and deprivations-doing all sorts of "chores" during mornings and evenings-even chopping wood by moonlight-to pay for his board and lodging.
On January 1, 1860, at the age of twenty-three, he married Miss Cla- rissa L. Capron. Three sons and
21
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
two daughters were born to them, as follows: Fred Gilbert, Bertha Estella, Orrin Elmer, Vira Fran- celia, and Herman Eugene.
At the beginning of the Civil war he voluntarily enlisted as a private in Company D, Fourth regiment, Vermont volunteer infantry. Af- ter the expiration of two years' ser- vice, having been honorably dis- charged, he reënlisted, as a veteran, in the Third Vermont battery, light artillery, in which he served with credit to himself and his state until Lee's surrender at Appomattox, April 9, 1865. To Mr. Kittredge fell the honor of assisting in firing the shot which was the signal for the memorable assault on Peters- burg at daybreak three days before -the second "shot heard round the world." Referring to Mr. Kit- tredge's military record, his former commanding officer, Captain R. H. Start, once wrote: "This soldier always performed his duty in a gen- tlemanly and soldier-like manner. He never shrank from duty or dan- ger." But nature charges heavily for such words as these-even though they be earned in the sacred cause of human liberty; and so he returned to his home physically a wreck of his former self.
Being unfit for manual labor. he turned his attention in 1880 to the prosecution of pension claims, which vocation he has since fol- lowed with almost unprecedented success. No other man in Vermont has by skill and energy brought food and raiment to more depend- ent widows and children than has Mr. Kittredge. He is still in active practice before the pension bureau. Mr. Kittredge has served for four- teen years as a justice of the peace.
and his judgment is highly esteemed and much sought in all legal mat- ters.
ROGERS, JOHN B., a son of Han- son and Marinda (Noyes) Rogers, was born in Walden in 1838, a pater- nal grandson of Hanson Rogers, Sr., one of the first settlers of the town, and an early hotel keeper, who mar- ried Hannah, daughter of Benja- min Webster, a cousin of Daniel Webster.
John B. Rogers received his edu- cation in Walden, Cabot, and Glover. He entered the service of the United States in August, 1862, as second lieutenant of Company B, Fifteenth Vermont Volunteer in- fantry (Colonel Redfield Proctor's regiment), and was mustered out Angust, 1862. With the exception of two years spent at Lisbon, New Hampshire, he has been continu- ously in trade at Walden since the war.
He has held the various town of- fices, been postmaster twenty years, and in 1886 represented Walden in the legislature.
Mr. Rogers married in 1866 Julia D. Hill of Hardwick, and four children have been born to them : Harry, Fred, Jack, and Lillian H.
GROTON.
Population, Census of 1900, 1,059.
The history of Groton is but the history of hundreds of New Eng- land towns settled by honest, hardy men and women, and peopled by their descendants.
The town received the name of Groton through the influence of its settlers who were born in Groton. Massachusetts. It was an appro-
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priate recognition by those sterling old pioneers, who amid all the stir- ring activity of those early days for- got not the old birth town, but hal- lowed its memory by giving its name to their new settlement in the wil- derness, early after the arrival of Foxwell Whitcher, Captain Ephraim Gary, and Captain William Frost, who came from Sanford, Maine, and all of whom married sisters of John Hill. He cleared a fine farm. and was an indefatigable worker. He had the first painted house in town, the first wheeled carriage, and the first shop of goods for sale. He reared a family of eight children, and died in 1840.
Captain Ephraim Wesson came to Groton from Haverhill, New Hamp- shire, soon after the arrival of Cap- tain Morse and his associates. While in Haverhill, he was appoint- ed to many offices of honor and trust, as " committee of safety," special delegate to congress to pro- cure arms and munitions. He finally settled on the border lot in Peacham. He died in 1814 at the advanced age of 93, and was buried in the old burying ground near his home.
The next settlers who came to Groton after Captain Morse and his associates, Abbott and James, were John Darling and his sons, Robert, Samuel, and Moses, who came from Plaistow, New Hampshire, Jesse Heath, a revolutionary soldier, Dominicus Gray, James Hooper, Edmund Welch and his brother, Jonathan.
Captain Ephraim Gary, second military captain, Captain William Frost, Foxwell Whitcher, a man of wonderful physical strength and un-
usual intellectual ability, followed soon.
Groton was chartered by Gov- ernor Chittenden October 20, 1789, to Thomas Butterfield and sixty-one others.
The first permanent settler of Groton Captain Edmund Morse, who came to Groton in 1783 or '84, and settled in the northern part of the town. He married Sally, daughter of Captain Ephraim Wesson of Haverhill, New Hamp- shire. Captain Morse built the first saw and grist-mill in town, on North branch, a tributary of Wells river. He also built the first frame house in town. Soon afterwards he was joined by Israel Bailey, Deacon James Abbott and Jonathan James, all of whom settled in the northeast corner of the town.
Captain Morse was the first black- smith, and also the first military captain, commanding as lieutenant and captain 10 years ; Groton and Newbury then composing one mili- tary company.
There were no mills for grinding grain nearer than Newbury, a dis- tance of 10 miles or more, and the settlers were obliged to carry their grain on their backs, their path being marked by spotted trees. While so engaged one of the settlers met a resident of an adjoining town with his plough irons on his back, who inquired for the direction of the residence of Captain Edmund Morse, the blacksmith, and was an- swered : "If it is Captain Morse's blacksmith shop you want, you are in his shop now, but his anvil is ten miles from here." The fact was that his " anvil " was on a stump and the only covering for his "black-
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smith tools " was the " blue canopy above."
Jonathan Macomber, the first representative, resided on the Morse farm. Macomber was of Irish descent, of fine personal appearance and engaging manners, intelligent and capable. He represented the town in 1803. There were two ele- ments of the population, viz .: the Massachusetts and New Hampshire men and the Kennebunkers from Maine, but there was no sectional antagonism at this time.
The town was organized March 28, 1797. with the following officers: Samuel Bacon, moderator ; Samuel Bacon, Nathaniel Knight, and James Abbott, selectmen ; Nathan- iel Knight, clerk ; Jonathan James, treasurer.
HALL, HON. THOMAS B. The Hall family has been and is a nota- ble factor in the development of Groton.
Hon. Isaac N. Hall, late of Gro- ton, son of Henry and Susan (Burnham) Hall, was born in Rum- ney, New Hampshire, in 1808. At the age of fourteen he was appren- ticed to his uncle, Moses Burnham. with whom he came to Groton in 1826.
In 1829 he married Elizabeth. daughter of William Taisey. Nine children were born to them, one of whom is Judge Thomas B. Hall. He held the various town offices. represented the town four terms, was assistant judge three years, a county senator 1848, 1860- 61, a del- egate to the constitutional conven- tion in 1850, a director of the bank of Newbury, president of the Mont- pelier and Wells River railroad from 1873 to 1877.
Thomas B. Hall was born in 1834,
and commenced a mercantile career in 1855 as a clerk. In 1858 he com- menced the purchase of wool, which proved profitable. He has been an extensive buyer of live stock, and in 1882 entered the lumber busi- ness.
In 1882 the mercantile firm of Hall & Cochrane was formed and an extensive trade has been devel- oped.
Hon. Thomas Bartlett Hall mar- ried Elizabeth M., daughter of
THOMAS B. HALL.
George Donaldson of Ryegate. They have two children living: Is- aac Newton, and Elizabeth M.
Judge Hall has not only been a prime factor in the business of Groton but has most acceptably filled many positions of trust. He served Groton as lister, overseer, and selectman. He represented Groton in 1874, again in 1886, and was an associate judge of the Cale-
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donia county court from 1890 to '94. In 1898 he was elected to the senate.
COCHRANE, ALEXANDER, mer- chant, politician, capitalist, is a namesake and grandson of Alexan- der Cochrane, one of the pioneers of Ryegate. The latter came from Scotland near the beginning of the century, married Ann Nelson, a woman of remarkable ability and character, and settled on the home farm in Ryegate, now owned by George Cochrane. He died at the early age of thirty-nine, but his wife continued to carry on the farm, and brought up the family of three children. Robert Cochrane, the only son, married Jean, daughter of Archibald Park; was a substantial farmer and citizen, and they reared a family of eight children, four of whom are living. Alexander was born in 1835, received a good com- mon school education, and later at- tended Newbury seminary.
After several years' experience in dealing in farm stock and produce, he invested his large courage and small capital in general merchandise at Ryegate Corner. and continued successfully in trade there about twenty-five years, during which he was town clerk, justice of the peace, and postmaster twenty-three con- secutive years. A statement from Mr. Cochrane of the prices then prevalent, from 1865 to 1868, may be of interest to our younger read- ers. Granulated sugar 27 cents per pound, nails 10 cents, best tea $2.25. Jap tea $1.45 to $2.00, salt pork 25 cents, wool 90 cents to $1.00, butter 35 cents to 50 cents, maple sugar 20 cents, beef 8 cents to 12 cents, mor- phine $2.25 per bottle, prints 25 cents to 35 cents per yard, cotton
cloth 50 cents to 60 cents, West India molasses $1.00 to $1.12, rock salt $1.00 per bushel.
Mr. Cochrane became a partner in business with his brother-in-law, Hon. T. B. Hall of Groton, in 1882, and seven years later moved to Groton, where he has since been a leading factor in business. He fur- nished money and supplies for the Blue Mountain Granite company of Ryegate until, by their failure in 1892. he was compelled to assume the ownership of this property. In 1817 he was elected a director of the National Bank of Newbury, of which he is now vice-president. He is also a trustee of the Capital Sav- ings bank of Montpelier, and a di- rector of the Merchants' National bank of St. Johnsbury, and a direc- tor of the Montpelier & Wells River railroad.
Mr. Cochrane is eminently a man of affairs, possessing clear insight, sound judgment, and remarkable ca- pacity for details.
Hall & Cochrane conduct a very extensive and varied business, and are practically treasurers for a gran- ite business of no mean proportions. manage a lumber business, and buy everything from their customers, the farmers' produce, from a hen's egg to a yoke of oxen or a winter's run of timber. They own about 2,000 acres of wild land, mostly in Peacham.
Alexander Cochrane married The- resa, daughter of Judge I. N. Hall of Groton, in 1866. They have had four children: Robert Newton, de- ceased in infancy: Josephine E., Mrs. D. F. Clark, Montpelier; Ger- trude, Mis. Howard Fletcher, Bos- ton, and Theresa Jean. Mrs. The- resa J. Cochrane is a lady of unusual
Alexander. Cochran
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CALEDONIA COUNTY.
social and mental gifts and was al- ternate lady manager at the World's Columbian exposition, and acted as lady manager in the absence of the principal. The Cochranes are mem- bers of the Methodist church of Groton.
Mr. Cochrane is a gold money Democrat, was for several years a member of the state committee for Caledonia county, and was also a senatorial candidate of his party and nominee for state treasurer. He was a delegate to the Democratic na- tional convention at St. Louis in 1888, and representative from Gro- ton in 1896. He possesses good ex- ecutive ability, an. eminently practi- cal turn of mind, and is a successful financier.
PAGE, FRANK M., son of Benja- min and Betsey (Frost) Page, and a paternal grandson of John Page, who located in Groton about 1811. was born at Topsham in 1845, at- tended Barre academy three years, and graduated. He helped pay his edneational expenses by teaching, and thus obtained a knowledge of the needs of the schools and an in- terest in their welfare that has been useful in later life. Mr. Page read law in the office of J. O. Livingstone of Montpelier, in 1873, was admit- ted to the bar, and soon settled in Groton.
In 1876 he represented Groton in the general assembly, and has served the town as superintendent of schools, lister, school director, town agent, and in 1898 was elected town clerk, which office he still acceptably fills.
In 1876 Mr. Page married Laura, daughter of Rev. Thomas Wrinkle. Three children were born to them. In 1884 Mrs. Page died, and the fol-
lowing year he took for his second wife, Rosalia, a sister to his first wife. By this union one son has been born. The Pages are members of the Baptist church, and are re- garded among the leading families of the town, taking a keen interest in all matters that will in any way aid or further the interest of the
FRANK M. PAGE.
community to which they have be- come so closely allied.
GILMAN, H. L., was born at Marshfield in 1847. attended the public schools and Phillips and Barre academies. At twenty-one he engaged in the lumbering business for three years, and then took up railroading, which he followed for eight years. In 188; he again en- gaged in the lumber business, but a year later he sold out to the Weston Lumber company of Boston, he re- maining as manager of the mill until 1891. In September, 1882, he
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bought the Groton grist-mill of A. L. Clark. He thoroughly repaired the old mill, put in three modern water-wheels which doubled its ca-
H. L. GILMAN.
pacity, removed the wheat run and bolt- but continued to use the corn run until 1899, when he replaced it by a modern steel grinder. The ca- pacity of the mill is 500 bushels per dav.
H. L. Gilman married Abbie, daughter of Isaac Richardson of Bethlehem, New Hampshire, in 1880, a lady of rare worth, sound judgment. and unusual business ca- pacity, and they have one son, Har- old W., fifteen years of age. (Born 1889.)
Mr. Gilman is a Universalist in religious belief and a Democrat in politics.
WELCH, CYRUS H., son of John HI. Welch, was reared on a farm, for a time taught school, sold tin- ware and notions, and later entered the tin and harness business; this was nearly a quarter of a century ago. In 1899 he formed a partner-
ship with Loren G. Welch and opened a general tin, stove, and hardware store in Coffrin block. All kinds of plumbing, heating, tin, sheet iron, and copper work are made special features. The great experience of Mr. Welch in his chosen lines, combined with his se- leet stock and absolute business in- tegrity, have won for him a marked degree of public confidence and a splendid patronage.
CYRUS H. WELCH.
August 4, 1879. Mr. Welch was united in marriage to Helen T., daughter of Silas B. Morrison of Groton. She was educated at Gro- ton, Newbury, and Peacham. Mr. Welch has served Groton as consta- ble and tax collector for four years.
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