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 35
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 35
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 35
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The Metallak Lodge is a summer camp of the truest type and highest class, is charmingly situated on the north shore of First Connecticut lake, New Hampshire, and is twenty miles from the West Stewartstown station; a daily mail reaches the house. The lake is about five miles in length and is surrounded by virgin forests extending to the Canadian boundary line on the north and to the state of Maine on the east; this affords an almost unlimited amount of game, and taken with the unsur- passed fishing makes Metallak Lodge the ideal summer camp.
Proprietor Buck keeps everything first class and the table here as well as at the Canaan House is unex- celled.
Metallak Lodge is a particularly healthful locality and is free from hay fever and malaria. The sanitary arrangements are of the best. Pure mountain spring water, good teams. in fact everything to make the sum- mer vacation the most enjoyable.
TRASK, GUY B., was born in Canaan, Vermont, March 22d, 1860, son of Hiram E. and Georgianna (Morrison) Trask. He was edu- cated in the schools of Canaan and at Colebrook academy. Mr. Trask has always followed farm work and lumbering and has done a consid- erable amount of heavy freighting, handling a hundred carloads of pro- ance-potatoes and hay-annually. He is interested in pulp wood and keeps an average of twenty-five men the year round. Recently he took up his residence in Colebrook, New
Hampshire, just across the Connect- icut river from Canaan, vet he con- tinues his interest in his native town, owning a farm of 150 acres
GUY TRASK.
and keeping fifty head of stock. He owns some 3,000 acres of timber land in New Hampshire and Can- ada. Ile is a director in the Farm- ers' and Traders' National bank of Colebrook, New Hampshire.
During Mr. Trask's residence in C'anaan he held the various town offices and in 1898 represented the town in the state legislature.
November 20, 1884, he married Sarah Gilman of Canaan. Two daughters have blessed their union, Alice J. and Ruth M.
VANCORE, HORACE, was born in Sheldon, Vermont, in 1847, son of Joseph and Constance Vancore. He attended the local schools of Sheldon and when fourteen years of age his parents moved to a farm at
53
ESSEX COUNTY.
Barford, Province of Quebec. Here he remained for three years and then located in Canaan, and worked three years in the woolen mill at West Stewartstown and the saw- mills there for eight years; then he went on the farm of the Connecti- cut River Lumber Co., in West Stewartstown, where he remained for four years. Fourteen years ago Mr. Vancore purchased his present splendid farm, which contains 450 acres and keeps seventy head of cattle.
In 1822 he married Lucy E. Van Dyke and five children have been born to them. Fred. Minnie (de- eased). Alice (Mrs. Neil Ross). Georgie, and Jesse.
Mr. Vancore has frequently been called upon to hold public office.
HORACE VANCORE.
having held the various town of- fices, and in 1900 he represented Canaan in the general assembly of Vermont.
EDMONDS, FRED G., son of William and Viola (Miller) Ed- monds, was born at Westfiehl. Ver- mont, July 16, 1866; received his
O
FRED G. EDMONDS.
education in the district and gram- mar schools of his native town.
In 1889 he located in Norton, Vermont, for the Averill Lumber C'o. as bookkeeper and manager of their store. He remained with them eight years and gained a knowledge and experience that has amply fitted him for a successful career.
In 1896 he represented Norton in the general assembly. Besides hold- ing several other town offices.
In 1899 he located in Canaan, Vermont, and entered the dry goods business, in which he has met with success.
Ilis experience in that business for the last eighteen years has given him a knowledge of the public wants and how to please.
May 12. 1893. he married Ger-
54
SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
trude E. Worth of Barnston, Pro- vince of Quebec. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and Ma- sonic fraternity; was appointed post- master for the town of Canaan in 1900, which office he now holds.
LUND, HENRY W., son of Ileze- kiah and Mary (Shores) Lund, was born in Granby, October 11th, 1854.
The foundation of his education was laid in "District No. ? " of Granby, which was for many years noted for the number of teachers and professional persons who had
RESIDENCE OF HENRY W. LUND.
been pupils there. Later he at- tended the St. Johnsbury academy and after completing his course en- tered the law office of Bates & Blod- get at St. Johnsbury. Later he completed his professional educa- tion in the office of G. W. Harts- horn at Canaan and was admitted to the practice of the law in 1881. and opened an office in Canaan, where he has continued his residence and practised his profession with snecess in the courts of Vermont and New Hampshire.
Before leaving Granby he was elected superintendent of schools, and has held that office in Canaan together with the various other town offices. In 1892 he was appointed state's attorney for Essex county and at various times since has held the office, in all eight years, and is at the present time serving in that capacity.
In 1881 Mr. Lund married Carrie V., daughter of Dr. S. P. and Car- rie E. (Colburn) Jones of Canaan.
Mr. Lund is a good type of the self-made Vermonter. Inheriting from his parents a good physique, a sound constitution, and a keen ob- servation, it was a comparatively easy task for him to rise from the little farm in Granby to a man of learning, wide acquaintance, and influence in northeastern Vermont.
HARRIMAN, GILBERT, son of John and Edith (Tirrill) Harriman, was born in Clarksville, New Hamp- shire, August 29th, 1831. When an infant his parents moved to Stewartstown, where he attended the district schools. and completed his education at Colebrook academy.
In 1852 Mr. Harriman went to Lowell, Massachusetts, and for ten years was employed in the calico printery. In 1863 he enlisted in the Third Massachusetts Heavy ar- tillery and served two years.
In 1872 he located in Canaan. where he has continued his resi- dence to the present time. Farm work and lumbering have been his occupation, and strict attention to his work, a keen foresight, and great energy have brought him a splendid measure of success. Ho has filled the various town offices; was deputy sheriff from 1874 to 1828, was deputy collector of cus-
IIFNRY W. LUND.
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
tonis four years, and in 1894 repre- sented Canaan in the general as- sembly of Vermont. Here he was appointed on several important
Army and the Masonic fraternity, and always takes a lively interest in all matters that are for the material or moral benefit of his town.
GILBERT HARMIMAN.
committees and his tireless energy and business training left his im- press on some of the more impor- tant legislation of the session.
In 1854 Mr. Harriman was united in marriage to Ellen Griffin of Low- ell, Massachusetts. Five children were the fruit of the union, all do- ceased. In 1893 Mrs. Harriman died.
ITe is affiliated with the Grand
MAIDSTONE.
Population, Census of 1900, 206.
The town of Maidstone was char- tered by Governor Benning Went- worth under King George III, Oc- tober 12, 1761.
In 1264 the king annexed the townships west of the Connecticut river, which had, prior to that time, been supposed to belong to the pro-
57
ESSEX COUNTY.
vince of New Hampshire. Peti- tions were made to the king, asking for a royal confirmation of their rights, but no settled state of affairs was obtained until April 1st, 1779, when the proprietors held a final meeting at Ripton and petitioned the governor of Vermont, praying: " For his sanction, protection and direction, in laying out and settling the township." The governor re- plied, " That the grants of the sev- eral townships given by Governor Wentworth, or the New Hampshire grants, were held sacred."
In December, 1724, the proprie- tors " allowed Arthur and Thomas Wooster each one hundred acres of land for beginning a settlement in Maidstone in 1772.
The first public school was opened in 1786 in a log house.
In 1788 the town was organized and Haines French was chosen first town clerk. In 1809 and 1810 he was a member of the governor's council.
In 1803 Dr. Taber located in the town, residing near the river, just across the Guildhall line. One day, when returning from a visit, the doc- tor, not finding his wife, called a neighbor and a general search was made, her body being finally found in the river. A jury of inquest re- turned a verdict of "suicide from the effects of homesickness and discour- agement." Thus was recorded the first known suicide in Essex county.
Maidstone is one of the three towns of Essex which, in the last decade, has made an increase in pop- ulation.
There is, perhaps, no town in Vermont of her population that has furnished more men of note or has done more for the shaping of the
course of the early settlers, and for the progress of northeastern Ver- mont than has Maidstone. Among the list of notable men we mention John Rich, Major Haines French, Moody Rich, Jesse Hugh, Charles Stevens, Daniel Rich, Dr. John Dewey, Major James Lucas, Colonel Rich Stevens, Hon. David H. Beat- tie, Colonel Joseph Gleason, Hon. Thomas G. Beattie, and Hon. Put- ney R. Follansby. It is a note- worthy fact that Moody Rich repre- sented the town in the general as- sembly fifteen terms and was assist- ant judge five terms, and that Major HIaines French represented the town nine terms and was county clerk twelve terms.
BEATTIE FAMILY, THE. James Beattie left County Antrim, Ireland, in 1998 at the age of 18 years and came to Ryegate in 1805. At the home of Rev. Mr. Gibson, the first settled minister, he met a bright Irish girl, Margaret Jane Gillispic. Mr. Beattie married the girl and bought of the minister about 200 acres of the best land in Ryegate. On the land there was a log cabin. Here he raised twelve children, Will- iam J., Jane, Rebecca, Thomas, who died in infancy; David H., James, Margaret, Thomas G., Han- nah. Katherine, Alex M., and Rob- ert G.
Ilon. David H. Beattie was born in 1816 at Ryegate. Upon gaining his majority he went to Savannah, Georgia, where he was a commis- sion merchant. In 1843 he and his brother, Thomas G., settled in Maidstone and purchased a farm. Four years later they bought a large amount of timber land and were en- gaged extensively in the manufac- ture of lumber and were among the
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
first to develop the lumber business in this section of Essex county.
In 1846 David HI. Beattie mar- ried Harriet D .. daughter of Thomas Carlisle, of Lancaster, New Hamp- shire. Six children were born to
iff of Essex county: 1861-'62 Wa- state senator from Essex county and in 1885-'86 was judge of probate. Mr. Beattie died December 24. 1889. There was probably no man who knew Judge Beattie better
D.H. Beattie
them, four of whom are still living. They were J. Henry of Brunswick. Gillispie (deceased), Stella, Rich- ard. Harriet C .. and Thomas G. (deceased).
Mr. Beattie held the various town offices and in 1852-58-59 was sher-
than the late Hon. George N. Dale. former lieutenant-governor of Ver- mont, who in a memorial sketch said:
"Mr. Beattie was a man of very strong and marked character- istics. Ile had held almost every
59
ESSEX COUNTY.
position of honor or trust that the confiding people of . Gallant Little Essex ' could be-tow. He lived an active, energetic and honest life. But he has gone, and the places once occupied by him are filled by others. He was a man of more
" Energetic, courageous, and pos- ressing the very soul of honor, he was respected by all who knew him. whether they were in accord with his views or not.
"He had no shade of hypocrisy in his being. Ile was a descend-
RICHARD BEATTIE.
than ordinary mind. His researches were logical and thorough. While assistant judge of the Essex county courts he did more than assent to the opinions of the presiding judge, and often he maintained an oppos- ing position and frequently his views were sustained by the su- preme court in those cases.
ant of that Scotch race whose con- victions were unyielding, and with parents rigorons, even to practising and exacting those things from all around them which belonged to the most au-tere days of re- ligious discipline, he was early imbued with deep-settled princi- ples which he carried through
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
life, and which were in his mind the foundation of absolute fidelity and veracity, and prompted him to the exercise of even-handed justice in all his doings.
" Ilis energetic life bronght him in contact with many, and into col- lision of interests and pursuits, yet seldom does a man die amid more universal and profound respect than he did."
Richard Beattie, son of Hon. David H. and Harriet D. (Carlisle) Beattie, was born October 26, 1851, at Maidstone, where he re- ceived his early education. He has always followed farming. He has frequently been called by his towns- men to administer their affairs, hav- ing served as lister, tax collector, road commissioner, and school di- rector. In 1894 he represented Maidstone in the general assembly of Vermont, and in 1902 he was elected sheriff of Essex county.
Mr. Beattie married, February 14, 1882, Isabell L. Webb, dangh- ter of John W. Webb of Maidstone. They have had four children, Neal W., Irving R., Carlisle H., and John G.
STEVENS, CHARLES, was born January 18, 1842. at Maidstone, Vermont, son of Charles and Emi- line (Batchelder) Stevens: received his education in the public schools. At twenty-one he left home with $2.00, lots of grit, and a splendid physique. For four years he was employed as foreman on a farm in Massachusetts, then went West, for twenty-two years. Mr. Stevens vis- ited nearly every important point in the United States, doing contract sewer and bridge work. In 1829 he was a silver miner in Colorado. ITis
sturdy habits and splendid deter- mination made him a conspicuous success along these lines and during the years here he explored three
CHARLES STEVENS.
hundred miles west of Rossita in Gunnison county, where he discor- ered and started nine mines.
In 1884 Mr. Stevens returned to his native town of Maidstone, a man of mature ideas, sound judgment, with a considerable property. He purchased his present farm of 300 acres which is one of the best on the Connecticut river.
March 30, 1826, Mr. Stevens mar- ried Surah A., daughter of William M. and Ruth M. (Jordan) Perkins.
Mr. Stevens has always taken a lively interest in public matters and has filled nearly all the town offices and in 1890-'91 represented Maid- stone in the general assembly of Vermont.
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ESSEX COUNTY.
DREW, AUGUSTUS, was born in C'abot, December 20th, 1834, son of Israel Drew, a native of New York. Hle received his education in the public schools. He located in Maidstone in 1859, and has held all the town offices except town clerk and constable, and represented Maidstone in the state legislature in 1902.
Mr. Drew married Sarah F. Phil- brick of North Conway and four children blessed their union, Thomas R., born in 1859, Ella F., born in 1861, Sadie M., born in 1863, and Albert M., born in 1872. Mrs. Drew died June 30, 1902.
Mr. Drew is a member of the Grange and has been affiliated with
AUGUSTUS DREW.
the Masonic fraternity for thirty- two years and is the present master of Benton lodge, F. & A. M., of Guildhall.
ALLIN, SHERIDAN W., son of Horatio N. and Betsey (Cody) Al- lin, was born in St. Johnsbury in 1839, and was educated in the pub-
HORATIO N. ALLIN.
lic schools of St. Johnsbury and Glover, Vermont, and Lancaster, New Hampshire. He has always followed farming. In 1864 he mar- ried Louise J. Tilden of Barnet, daughter of Charles B. W. Tilden. Their union has been blessed by the birth of five children, Della L. (see Charles Rainey, Victory), Eva Ger- trude (Mrs. Marshall Rich of Guild- hall), Charles H., Ritie M. (Mrs. Edward F. Bucknam of Groveton, New Hampshire), and Sheridan W., Jr., who resides at home.
Mr. Allin located in Maidstone in 1869 and has served his town as town clerk, selectman, lister, and sehool director. His father, Horatio N. Allin, was a man universally ad-
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
mired for his strength of character and force. He located in Guild- hall in 1845, served as justice of the peace, selectman, and superintend-
SHERIDAN W. ALLIN.
ent of schools, and taught school several years.
GUILDHALL.
Population, Census of 1900, 455.
The town of Guildhall has the distinction of being one of the first towns of Vermont to be chartered, and the first in Essex county. Ben- ning Wentworth, the royal governor of New Hampshire, chartered the town October 10, 1261. to Elihu Hall and some sixty others.
Colonel E. C. Benton (see sketch ), in his history of Guildhall, says: "By whom the good name of Guild- hall was given to the town is not known," and also that "it is the only town in the world bearing that name."
The first settlers of the town were from Lancaster and Lunenburg, towns lying upon opposite sides of a river in Massachusetts, and they gave the same names to the two towns lying as they intended on opposite sides of the Connecticut river. Upon their estimation Lun- enburg was to embrace nearly or all of what was afterwards found to be the south part of the town of Guild- hall, and Guildhall was supposed to include what was found to be a con- siderable part of the town of Maid- stone. The settlement of the town dates from April 19, 1264, when Emmons Stockwell, David Page, Jr., and Timothy Rice came from Lan- caster, Massachusetts, and settled on both sides of the river. The third child of Emmons and Ruth (Page) Stockwell, and grandchild of David Page, was the first child born in the town.
In 1165 Enoch Hall. Michael Amy, and James Rosebrook located in the town; and in 1:28 Eleazer Rosebrook and Sammel Page came. followed a year later by David Hop- kinson, Reuben and Simon Howe.
The first recorded town-meeting was held in 1:83. vet the town ap- pears to have been organized pre- vious to that date. In 1785 General James Whitelaw of Ryegate, sur- vevor-general of the state of Ver- mont, taking the lower Ammonoosue river as a starting point and pro- ceeding north thirty miles. arrived at a point designated as the true southern boundary line of Guild- hall.
In 1429 Abner Osgood built a grist-mill, the first to be built in this part of the county, and supposed that he was locating it in the town of Maidstone, but which proved to.
1899
SHAFT MARKING SPOT OF FIRST CHURCH BUILT IN NORTHEASTERN VERMONT. (Erected by Colonel E. C.ĮBenton.)
64
SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
be in Guildhall, it being located on Mill brook; a small stream flowing through the Boyce estate on the North road. so-called. The stream being small the mill proved of but little value and was soon abandoned. In 1786 Captain Ward Bailey built
The first public school of Guild- hall dates from 1788 and was taught by Mr. Bradley. At the annual town-meeting of 1788 it was:
"Voted to raise twenty-five bush- ells of wheat to hire a preacher, and horse keeping and board."
PUBLIC LIBRARY BUILDING, GUILDHALL, VERMONT.
a grist-mill at Guildhall Falls. Cap- tain Bailey was one of the earliest settlers and appears to have been very prominent and active, and did much to promote the progress and welfare of the settlement. Ile built a blockhouse of pine logs from eight to ten inches through and this building was afterwards used as the first jail in Essex county.
"Voted that Eleazer Rosebrook and Ward Bailey be a committee to hire a preacher."
It does not appear that a preacher was found, for at the town-meeting of 1789 the town:
"Voted to give Mr. Bell as a set- tlement three hundred and thirty- five bushells of good merehantable
65
ESSEX COUNTY.
wheat, provided he settles in Guild- hall."
The majority of the people being Congregationalists a church of that denomination was organized April 1, 1799, and in 1801 the town made provision for building a meeting house, the location being fixed upon as the center lot, this being on a high part of the land has ever since been known as "Meeting-house hill." The church was completed in 1805 and taken down and removed in 1828.
In 1899 Colonel E. C. Benton of Boston, Massachusetts, Guildhall's foremost son, caused to be erected a magnificent granite shaft to mark the original site of the first meeting- house, a spot made sacred to all from its association. September 14, 1899, the shaft was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies and the mul- titude of people who gathered in Guildhall that day was never ex- celled on any occasion in her his- tory. From this hilltop had flown the inspiration and good cheer that has ever made the Vermonter a dis- tinet character, far famed and hon- orable. Man is largely the product of environment. Here the early set- tlers possessed a soil both fertile and durable, a climate unsurpassed for healthful outdoor employment; they become a people of rugged, fearless and independent type, and so we do not marvel at the long list of stal- warts who lived in this quaint but beautiful spot.
We find the names of many who were not only powers of strength in their day but whose impress is seen on much, of the good that has come to our people of northeastern Ver- mont. Hon. Daniel Dana (grand- father of Hon. Charles A. Dana, late
editor of the New York Sun) was for ten years chief judge, and for eleven years was probate judge, and repre- sented Guildhall in the general as- sembly for eight terms. Hon. John Dewey, Hon. Reuben W. Freeman, David Hopkinson, Joseph Berry, Horace Hubbard, William H. Hart- son, Hon. Charles E. Benton, Gen- eral Seth Cushman, Lieutenant Gov- ernor George N. Dale, Greenlief Webb, Charles Cutler, William Hay- wood, Jr., Isaac Cushman, James Steel and Elijah Foot are names forming a galaxy of bright and brainy men in which any state may well take pride.
In 1900 Colonel E. C. Benton erected and presented to Guildhall a magnificent Masonic hall and pub- lie library, a further reference to which will be found in the article on Mr. Benton.
CHASE, HON. ROBERT, a native of Pelham, New Hampshire, where he was born in 1830, son of Robert and Eliza (Jewell) Chase. He came to Guildhall in 1865. In 1854 he was united in marriage with Susan Davis, a woman of culture, refine- ment, and lovable disposition, who, during her lifetime did much to make the home life of Guildhall bet- ter for her presence. The union was blessed with one son, Charles D. Mrs. Chase departed this life in 1898.
In 1865 Mr. Chase and his brother, Joseph, bought a half in- terest in the water privilege and mills on both sides of the Connecti- cut. In 1823 they disposed of their interest on the Vermont side and took the paper and peg mill on the New Hampshire side. This busi- ness was conducted by them until Joseph died, after which he con-
A-5
RORERT CHASE.
67
ESSEX COUNTY.
tinued alone until 18:2, when Charles D. Chase, his son, was ad- mitted to partnership. In 1890 Mr. Chase retired from active busi- ness.
- The Clo., Cost of Com -
Guildhall has probably never had any one man who has been more ac- tive in the business, religious, social, and political world than Robert Chase. A man of sound judgment, clear intellect, and splendid integ- rity, naturally his townsmen have frequently called him to public of- fice, and with strict fidelity and ab- solute courtesy he has discharged every duty imposed to the entire satisfaction of his people. He has served his town as treasurer twenty- two years, clerk eleven years, and as its representative in the general assembly in 1894. Ile has served Essex county as treasurer twenty- three years and has been Judge of Probate for the district of Essex for the past eight years.
For half a century Judge Chase has been affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and is among the oldest Masons of the county. He has long been identified with the religious and charitable work of Guildhall, having been a deacon of the Congre- gational church since 1868.
WHITCOMB, GEORGE F., was born in Moe's River, Compton, Pro- vince of Quebec, in 1856, son of Joel F. and Lucy M. (King) Whit- comb. Joel F. Whitcomb was a na- tive of Hancock, New Hampshire, and went to Canada when quite young. George F. received his edu- cational training at Stewartstown, New Hampshire, Canaan, Vermont, and Moe's River, Province of Que- bec. In 1863, when but seven
GEORGE F. WHITCOMB.
years of age, his parents moved to Stewartstown. In 1881 he located in Guildhall, and married Hattie W. Moore. They had one child, a
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
daughter, Ethel M., now Mrs. J. M. Pendrigh, of Guildhall.
Mr. Whitcomb conducts the gen- eral store and livery at Central, a suburb of Guildhall, and carries on a large farm and has a considerable lumber business. In 1900 he repre- sented Guildhall in the general as- sembly of Vermont. He served on important committees and was a valued and working member of that body.
FREEMAN, HON. REUBEN W., was born in Norwich, May 22d,
EZRA S. FREEMAN.
1785, located in Guildhall in 1819, married Betsey Stockwell in 1812. He was one of the strong men of his time, an acknowledged leader, a man of large intellect, capacity, and ab- solute integrity. He represented Guildhall in the general assembly in 1835 and in 1839, was assistant county judge, 1833-'34, and judge of probate, 1852-'53. Ile died
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