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 3
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 3
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 3
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It was voted to raise fifty cents on the dollar on the grand list of 1863.
The selectmen forthwith for- warded notices of the foregoing vote to officers and soldiers in the field, and under it sixty-four men re-enlisted to the credit of the town of St. Johnsbury, giving to each, under the pro rata division, the sum of $182.50 only.
At a town-meeting, warned by Calvin Morrill, Horace Paddock, and James R. Stevens, selectmen, holden August 20, 1864, to see if the town would give special instruc- tions to the selectmen in regard to enlisting soldiers for the present and future calls, on motion of Hon. Calvin Morrill, it was
" Resolved, That the Selectmen be instructed to fill the quota of the town under the President's last call for 500,000 volunteers, and for that purpose they are hereby authorized to borrow money on the credit of the town."
The four great landmarks in the history of St. Johnsbury are: the invention of the platform scale and the location here of the scale works in 1831; the advent of the Pas- sumpsie railroad in 1850, and its northern extension; the consequent location of the county buildings soon after: the projection and com- pletion of the Portland & Ogdens- burg in 1820, now the St. Johns-
THE OLD PINE.
bury & Lake Champlain railroad, which insured direct connections with the Atlantic seaboard and the great west. These great enter- prises are the foundation stones of the material prosperity of St. Johns- bury. The foundation of the two national and two savings banks and the location of such important in- dustries as Ely's Hoe and Fork Works, The Northern Lumber Co., Follansby & Peck, the Cross Bak- ery and Cracker Factory, MeLeod's Flouring Mills, the several granite works and the installation of the
HENRY C. IDE.
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
electric lights are important factors.
The events since the war are too recent to be made a part of this his- torical sketch and are left for the future historian to dwell upon, but a word should be said of the attrac- tiveness and natural beauty of the town to-day, for surely Nature smiled when she made this spot, and her face has remained a nest of dim- ples ever since. Such ups and downs, such long slopes and such short slopes, such hills and such hollows, were never seen before out- side a puzzle box. \ Swiss lady some years ago visited this town and in a letter to the Boston Transcript said:
" Here I am in American Alp- land. Since I left my own home, on the borders of limpid Lake Lu- cerne, I have not seen anything comparable to the picturesque scen- ery around St. Johnsbury. This village, with its environs, is one of the prettiest in New England.
" Pretty is not the exact word to qualify a scenery which combines the beautiful, the graceful, and the sublime, in mountains, wooded hills, sweet valleys, and those . blue eyes of nature,' as Goethe calls them- the lakes-and gorgeous cloudland."
If this seems overdrawn, ascend Observatory knob, just at sunset, the hill rising abruptly a few hun- dred feet above the village at its western edge; sweep the landscape with the eye, and you will feel as did the immortal Whittier when he penned these beautiful lines:
" Touched by a light that hath no name, A glory never sung, Aloft on sky and mountain wall
Are God's great pictures hung.
How changed the summits vast and old!
No longer granite-browed,
They melt in rosy mist; the rock Is softer than the cloud; The valley hokls its breath, no leaf Of all its elms are twirled; The silence of eternity
I- falling on the world."
IDE, HENRY C., son of Jacob and Ladoski (Knights) Ide, was born in Barnet, Vt., September 18, 1844. He pursued his preparatory studies at St. Johnsbury academy, and graduated from Dartmouth col- lege with the highest honors of his class in 1866.
Ile was principal of St. Johns- bury academy for the two years fol- lowing, when he was appointed head master of the High school of Arlington, Mass,, a position which he filled until the autumn of 1869. He then began the study of law with the late Judge B. H. Steele of St. Johnsbury, and in December, 1870, he was admitted to the bar of Cale- donia county. He began to prac- tice in October, 1871, in St. Johns- bury, and in 1873 formed a partner- ship with Hon. H. (. Belden, which continued until 1884, when the firm was succeeded by that of Ide & Staf- ford. This partnership in turn was succeeded by that of Ide & Quimby, in 1890, and that was dis- solved in 1892. In 1890 he was ad- mitted to the bar of the United States supreme court. Mr. Ide has been engaged in much of the impor- tant litigation in northeastern Ver- mont, and he has stood in the front rank of his profession. He has been honored with many offices within the gift of his fellow-citizens.
For three years he was state's attorney for Caledonia county and
2
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was twice sent to the state senate, where he served as chairman of the judiciary and railroad committees, presented and secured the enact- ment of laws securing the property rights of married women and other important measures, and took high rank as a debater.
In 1884 he presided at the Re- publican state convention, and he was a delegate to the Republican national convention in 1888, and was a member of the committee on credentials.
Mr. Ide was appointed by Presi- dent Harrison a commissioner on behalf of the United States, to act with others appointed by England and Germany, to settle the disputes in Samoa. Chosen by the commis- sion as its chairman, he rendered important service in organizing, formulating, and carrying on the work of that body. In November, 1891, he resigned this appointment on account of sickness in his family, returning to this country with ex- pressions of regret from the king of Samoa and all other officials with whom he was associated in his offi- cial duties. He also received a let- ter of thanks and appreciation from the president.
In 1893 he was appointed chief justice of Samoa by the three treaty powers -- England, Germany, and the United States-and in October entered upon his new and important duties. He performed the duties of that responsible position for four years with a discretion and probity that won him respect and fame at home and abroad.
In March, 1900, Judge Ide was appointed by President MeKinley a member of the United States Phil- ippine commission, of which Judge
W. H. Taft was president. In 1901 Judge Ide was appointed Secretary of Finance and Justice, and upon him devolved the responsibility for the monetary and financial affairs of the islands, and the work of or- ganizing and putting into operation and supervising a system of juris- prudence suited to the complex re- quirements of the mixed popula- tion.
At a banquet tendered Judge Ide. in February, 1903, when departing for his vacation, by the chiefs of the various bureaus of the insular gov- ernment, Gov. Taft, in a letter of re- grets, expressed the following senti- ments: "Everyone knows who knows anything about the commission that when one presents a question to the commission, he must reckon with the independent, elear-sighted. keenly analytic mind of Judge Ide: that Judge Ide has saved the com- mission from doing a good many foolish things; that Judge Ide is the watch-dog of the treasury, and has done more to keep down our ex- penses than all the other members of the commission together. Every- one knows that the code of civil procedure which is working so well, is wholly the work of Judge Ide: that there is no harder working commissioner than he, and that his work is solely with a view to the publie interests of these islands."
Judge Ide is still a member of this Philippine commission, and Secre- tary of Finance and Justice.
His work in the Philippines has met with the unqualified approval of the president and of the country. The citizens of St. Johnsbury gladly welcomed the return of their distin- guished townsman during his re- cent vacation. At Commencement,
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1903, Tufts college conferred on him the degree of LL. D., an honor which Dartmouth, his alma mater, had bestowed in 1900.
Judge Ide has been for years a director of the First National bank, a trustee of the Passumpsic Sav- ings bank of St. Johnsbury, and
laide M. (deceased), Annie L., Harry J. (deceased), and Marjorie M. Ide.
TURNER, HIRAM NEWTON. The subject of this sketch was born in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, in 1839, son of Timothy Parker and Priscilla (Bullock) Turner. He
HIRAM N. TURNER.
a director in many other corpora- tions.
Hle was united in wedlock in 1821 with Mary M., daughter of Joseph and Sophia Melcher of Stoughton, Mass., who died in 1892. Four children were born to them, Ade-
was educated in the public schools of his native state. Endowed with an active and resolute temperament, he was impressed with the fascina- tions of a railroad career, and early entered that service.
From subordinate positions he
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
rose successively, having been trav- eling agent of the Worcester and Nashua railroad, manager of the Quebec, Ottawa, and New England Air Line, general freight agent of the Boston and Lowell railroad; and later general traffic manager of the same system.
He had occupied these executive positions with conspicuous success, when in 1889, in his fiftieth year, he stepped aside from the path in which he had so steadily mounted, and turned his attention to manu- facturing.
With most men this radical de- parture would have been a danger- ous, if not a disastrous, experiment, but the mastery of details, foresight, and knowledge of men and affairs which Mr. Turner had acquired in his railroad experience, has won him equal success in his new field, as manager and a director of the E. and T. Fairbanks company, scale manufactory of St. Johnsbury. Mr. Turner has added several important new products of manufacture in ad- dition to the general seale business.
While promoting the financial in- terests of this great corporation, he has always taken a cordial and abid- ing interest in the well being of its faithful employés, now more than one thousand men, as was recently shown by reducing the working day from ten to nine hours and formerly by granting semi-monthly pay- ments.
He has taken a loyal interest in promoting the material interests of St. Johnsbury, and he was formerly president of the St. Johnsbury board of trade. He is now a direc- tor of the Concord and Montreal railroad.
In politics a zealous Republican,
he has not sought or accepted pub- lic office.
He was joined in marriage with Miss Ellen Brewster of Whitefield, New Hampshire, in 1861. The re- cord of Mr. Turner's life is an ob- ject lesson of push, enterprise, and integrity, and his influence in his town and section has ever been a po- tent factor for moral and material progress.
BOWMAN, NATHAN PARISH, was born in Westford. Chittenden county, Vermont, August 24th, 1822. the eldest son of William and Betsey (Parish) Bowman. Major N. P. Bowman represents stanch pa- triotie stock; his first paternal an- cestor. Nathaniel Bowman, came to Watertown, Massachusetts, in 1639. His great-grandfather, John Bow- man, was one of the embattled farm- ers who " fired the shot heard round the world at Lexington." His father, William Bowman, fought at Plattsburg in the War of 1812, and he made a most honorable record as a defender of the Union. Ebenezer Bowman came to Westford, near Burlington. about 1685, cleared up a hill farm of about 300 acres, and reared his family of children, one of whom was William, father of the subject of this sketch.
William Bowman was a sturdy, industrious farmer, a generous, free- hearted man, a liberal donor to every good cause. and for many years a deacon of the Congregation- al church. His father, Ebenezer. was a Jeffersonian Democrat, and he was a disciple of the school of Andrew Jackson, although for many years a Free Soiler from principle. Ilis home was one of the stations of the famous " Underground Rail- road," which aided in the escape of
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negroes from slavery, and it is a source of pleasure and pride to Na- than that on several occasions he was a conductor on that road.
His mother, Betsey Parish, a wo- man of remarkable force of charac- ter, was a daughter of Captain Na- than Parish, of whom the major is a namesake. At an early age he conceived a strong desire to obtain a liberal education, and improved to the utmost the limited advantages afforded by the common schools, and two terms of academie training. He taught six terms of school, "boarded around," and read some valuable lessons in the book of human na- ture, but did not go to college. In September, 1846, he married Char- lotte, third daughter of Colonel Nathaniel Wheatley of East Brook- field, Vermont. Up to that time he had lived and worked on the pater- nal farm, and then at the age of twenty-five he bought an adjoining farm, and with his parents carried on both farms in common for five years. He then became agent for a farmers' store, which he conducted two years, when he resigned, having been unexpectedly elected by a small majority high sheriff of Chittenden county, by a coalition of the Demo- erats and Free Soilers. The pro- hibitory law, or " Maine Liquor law," so called, had just been en- acted and Burlington was a wide- open saloon town, with a large Can- adian population. The first seizure under the new law in Vermont was made by the farmer-boy sheriff, N. P. Bowman, the respondent being a wealthy saloon-keeper, who had re- tained Phelps & Chittenden to de- fend him, and who proposed to de- fend his property at the muzzle of the revolver. Sheriff Bowman made
a large and successful seizure, spilled the liquor, and as it ran down the gutter several thirsty " sons of Erin " drank, were filled, and promptly arrested and fined. He was reelected by a handsome majority, again unanimously re- nominated by the three parties. through a part of three administra- tions. In 1862 he enlisted in the First Vermont cavalry, but before he was mustered he was appointed
NATHAN P. BOWMAN.
by President Lincoln United States paymaster of the department of North Carolina, headquarters at Newburn, with the rank of major. While there an epidemic of yellow fever broke out which caused a stampede, but this resolute man re- mained at his post of duty and at- tended the sick until he was stricken with the same loathsome disease. and was sent to the hospital. After
SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
a partial convalescence he returned to his post and remained until ill health compelled him to resign, in March, 1865.
Major Bowman removed to St. Johnsbury in 1869. He was ap- pointed superintendent of a cotton plantation near Newburn. Two years later, in company with others, he engaged extensively in planting cotton, acting as superintendent of the enterprise at a salary of $3,000 per annum. He invested all that he possessed, and some borrowed money in the enterprise, planted 1,200 acres of cotton, and 300 of corn, with a fine outlook for an im- mense and profitable crop, until one dark Sunday morning, when a twenty-four hours' downpour and heavy east winds from the ocean flooded most of his cotton two fath- oms deep. Major Bowman settled up the bills and returned to St. Johnsbury in debt.
In 1869 he formed a partnership with George S. Shaw in the insur- ance business, which they conducted extensively and successfully seven years, when Mr. Shaw sold his inter- est to Rev. E. D. Hopkins, who ab- sconded with several thousand dol- lars of the firm's money. Mr. Bow- man captured him and he was con- victed, but forfeited his bonds. Major Bowman continued in the in- surance business, at the instance of George Shaw, taking in his son, Walter, as a partner. The latter absconded with a thousand dollars of company money and has never returned. Major Bowman was for several years proprietor of the St. Johnsbury brick yard, with his son, Thomas H., manager, but sold out, and during the past dozen years has retired from active business.
In 1887 he was appointed post- master of St. Johnsbury and accept- ably filled that position five years. Major Bowman represented the town of Brighton in the legislature in 1862, served as assistant judge of Caledonia county court in 1875-'76. was a candidate for congress on the Democratic ticket, and also for lieu- tenant-governor; was candidate for elector on the Hancock ticket in 1880, and was a delegate-at-large to the Democratic national convention of 1880.
In the I. O. O. F., he has held all of the offices in the order, from treasurer to that of grand master, the last in 1885. He was made a Master Mason in 1852, and has held all of the offices in the Grand lodge of Vermont, from junior deacon to that of grand master, in 1876-'22: and also in the Grand encampment to that of deputy grand commander. He has the distinction of being the only man who has ever been grand master of both the great fra- ternities in this state. He is also past grand chancellor of the Knights of Pythias and a past commander of Chamberlain post, Grand Army of the Republic. He is a trustee of the Vermont Soldiers' home at Ben- nington.
The children of N. P. and Char- lotte Bowman are Harlan (deceased), Charles P. (of Sioux City, Iowa), Thomas H. (of San Bernadino, Cali- fornia), and Nellie (deceased). Mrs. Bowman died in 1883.
He married in 1885 Mrs. Rosalie Denison Hall, widow of the late Hon. Harley M. Hall of Burke, a most estimable lady. Major Bow- man is an interesting speaker at publie functions, for the spirit of youth hinders the features of age
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and he will never become an old man.
CALDERWOOD, CHARLES A., is locally well known as the popular undertaker and furniture merchant of Railroad street, but is widely and favorably known in Masonie circles as a distinguished official of the
known in this section. Charles was one of a family of seven children, tour of whom are living.
He formed a powerful and well- balanced physique and exemplary character in the wholesome duties and labors of farm life on the pater- nal homestead, where his minority
CHARLES A. CALDERWOOD.
craft. He is of Scotch-lrish lin- eage. His father, David Calder- wood, came from Scotland at twenty years of age and settled in Greens- boro, where Charles was born, July 22d, 1849. Ilis mother, Eliza C. Scott, was a member of that numer- ons and energetic family, well
was spent. Ile attended the Peo- ple's academy of Morrisville, and tested his attainments and his knowledge of human nature by teaching several terms of school. He began his mercantile career as a dry goods clerk in his native village, with B. S. Wilson, and later clerked
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
two years at Wells River. In Oc- tober, 1875, he came to St. Johns- bury, bought Mr. Burnham's inter- est in the furniture business of Tis- dale & Burnham, and has been continuously engaged in the furni- ture and undertaker business ever since, in Odd Fellows' block, during the past fifteen years as sole proprie- tor.
Mr. Calderwood utilizes more than seven thousand feet of floor space with his varied and extensive stock. The first floor contains the main salesroom and office, a fine line of samples, and a handsome stock of parlor suites and house furnish- ing goods. An ample stock of un- dertaker's goods, from the plainest to the most elaborate, is displayed.
Mr. Calderwood is a practical em- balmer of many years' experience and a graceful funeral director. By the exercise of the sterling qualities of industry and energy, and by keep- ing absolute faith with the public, he has built up an excellent busi- ness.
He has served two years at dif- ferent periods as a trustee of the vil- lage of St. Johnsbury. He is one of the most eminent Masons of the state, having passed all of the chairs of Passumpsie lodge, Haswell Royal Arch chapter, and Palestine com- mandery, a past worthy patron of Eastern Star chapter, and past thrice illustrious master of the Grand council. He is also past grand high priest of the Grand chapter, grand generalissimo of the Grand commandery of Vermont, grand senior warden of the Grand lodge, and a 33° Mason.
He is a member of Caledonia lodge, I. O. O. F.
C. A. Calderwood married Ida
May, daughter of Jabez and Sophia Pinney of Greensboro, Vermont, November 18th, 1873. Three sons have blessed their union, Charles Sherman (who assists his father in business), Clarence Ray (a cadet at Norwich university), and Alvi Pin- ney (a student at St. Johnsbury academy).
A Republican of independent ten- dencies and outspoken convictions, Mr. Calderwood has taken an active part in the local affairs of St. Johns- bury.
CARR. FRANK N., son of Martin W. and Margaret (Howe) Carr, was born in Lunenburg, Vermont, in 1856. His early boyhood was spent in his native town, and at fifteen years of age he came to St. Johns- bury, where he has since resided.
He was in the employ of E. L. Hovey eight years, four years in the Fairbanks' scale works, and later drove their grocery store team two years. In the fall of 1886 he bought one half of the Avenue sta- ble, in company with William Rus- sell. One year later the latter sold his interest to W. N. Randall, and C'arr and Randall were in the busi- ness four years, since which time F. N. Carr has been sole proprietor.
IIe began business here with five horses; he now keeps twenty-eight, and runs the largest and one of the best equipped stables in northern Vermont.
Mr. Carr has owned several no- table horses, among the number A. S. L. and Henry's Girl. He now owns the Lambert Hastings farm of 240 acres at Paddock village, a val- nable feeder for his stable.
F. N. Carr and Gilman Brothers have recently erected a handsome livery stable, with all of the modern
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
appointments, and with a capacity of twenty-five horses, in the rear of the St. Johnsbury House.
Mr. Carr's genial manners and reputation for fair dealing have won him personal popularity, and his judgment and energy have com- manded financial success. He is
FRANK N. CARR.
serving his fourth term as village trustee. He was the nominee of the high license Republicans, en- dorsed by the Democrats, for sena- tor of Caledonia county, at the last election, and ran largely ahead of his ticket, receiving a majority of the votes in St. Johnsbury.
Frank N. Carr married in 1879 Clara, daughter of Frank Temple of Lunenburg. They have a family of four children. Alice, Lelia and Leslie, twins, and Harry A. Carr.
ROWELL, L. W., St. Johnsbury, Vermont. The subject of this sketch, Levi W. Rowell, was born
in Gorham, New Hampshire, his parents being William and Belinda (Rogers) Rowell. His father was a descendant from the early colonial settlers of New England, and was of English extraction. His great- great-grandfather on his father's side had three consins who fought in the battle of Bunker Hill. (His mother, who was a Rogers, was in the direct line of descendants from the Pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower.)
At the age of five years Mr. Row- ell removed with his parents to Lan- caster. New Hampshire, where he was educated in the public schools and the Lancaster academy. He served his apprenticeship in the Coos Republican office, and at the beginning of his third year's appren- tiveship he was placed in charge of the mechanical department of the office.
Every description of printing at that time was done on a hand-press. and some of Mr. Rowell's specimens thus executed would compare very favorably with similar work turned out in the model offices of the pres- ent day. It required great skill and painstaking in those days to produce good printing. All stock was ent by hand with a common shoemaker's knife, placing it upon a cutting- board, resting upon the floor, with a beveled straight-edge to guide the course of the knife, and all books. pamphlets, etc., had to be trimmed in the same manner. The printer of to-day can better imagine than he would care to realize what it would mean to eut up fifty or sixty thousand hand-bills or thiers in this way, to say nothing of "pulling them off " on a hand-press one at a time.
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After completing his apprentice- ship Mr. Rowell removed to Leba- non, New Hampshire, and assumed the publication of the Granite State Free Press, under the editorship of Hon. George S. Towle, which posi- tion he held for about two years, when the plant was purchased by Hon. E. H. Cheney. He remained with Mr. Cheney until 1862, when he removed to Littleton, New Hampshire, and purchased the Lit- tleton Journal, which was soon af- terward consolidated with the Gran- ite State Free Press.
LEVI W. ROWELL.
After conducting a general book and job printing and stationery bus- iness, in connection with the agency of the Western Union Telegraph and the United States and Canada Express companies, for about one year, he established the Littleton Gazette. Soon after this he sold the Gazette to the White Mountain Re- public, and the two papers were con- solidated.
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