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 38
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 38
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 38
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Mr. Brown is a vigorous, ener- getic and thoroughly progressive young man, who takes a lively and enthusiastic interest in anything that will upbuild the town in a com- mercial way or make it a more de- sirable community to live and do business in. For ten years he has been connected with the mercantile life of the town, six years as mana- ger of the L. B. Brown general store.
While only twenty-three years of age, Mr. Brown has been called upon in not only the business but social and political circles to assume many responsibilities and in each instance he has discharged the du- ties devolving upon him with marked courtesy, fidelity, and abil- ity. He is an easy and graceful speaker, whose utterances are no- table for their clearness, breadth, and logic.
Hle is serving Lunenburg as a member of the school board, town agent, and auditor, and when only
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Chas. W. King.
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twenty-one years of age served as town grand juror. He is a member of both the town and county Re- publican committees and is a trusted and able worker in that organiza- tion.
Mr. Brown is a member of Moose
organization Mr. Brown has taken a most conspicuous part. He has filled the various chairs in local conneil and at the state council, October, 1902, his energy, ability, and foree were recognized and he received the very flattering compli-
KYLE T. BROWN.
River lodge, No. 82, F. & A. M., of West Concord, Pilot lodge, No. 32, Knights of Pythias, of Lancaster, New Hampshire, the Grange, of which body he is leeturer, and a member of Meridian Sun council, No. 29, Junior Order United Ameri- can Mechanies; in the last named A-7
ment of an election to the office of state councilor. Under his conser- vative administration the order has made a healthy and substantial growth, both financially and in in- creased membership.
Lorenzo B. Brown, father of Kyle, is a veteran of the Civil war, having
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served in Company D. First Ver- mont cavalry. He was taken a pris- oner of war in May, 1862, near Mid- dleton, Shenandoah valley, and con- fined in the famous Libby prison at Richmond, Virginia. Mr. Brown was born at Concord, Vermont, and
TEMPLE, GEORGE G., was born in Concord, Vermont, April 14, 1851, son of Frank G. and Luey (Stockwell) Temple. He received his education in the public schools of his native town and in 1873 moved to Lunenburg, where he pur-
GEORGE G. TEMPLE.
married Harriet M. Taylor of Dal- ton, New Hampshire, by whom he lias two children, Bert I., now a resident of Portland, Maine, and Kyle T. Mr. Brown has served for many years as one of the stewards of the Methodist church of Lunen- burg.
chased the John W. Hartshorn farm, and has conducted farming and stock raising along progressive lines. He is a man of splendid physique, strong, tireless, and energetie. With sound judgment and quick percep- tion, a splendid success was sure to come to a man of Mr. Temple's type.
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Enjoying to a marked degree the confidence of his fellow-townsmen, he has frequently been called upon to fill public office, and has dis- charged the duties with such fidelity and absolute fairness as to win for himself almost universal praise. Ile represented Lunenburg in the gen- eral assembly of 1886. In politics he is a Republican of the uncompro- mising class.
BREITLING, JOSEPH CUSHMAN, M. D., was born in Randolph, Mass- achusetts, December 9th, 18:4, the son of Katherine Elizabeth (Cush- man) Breitling and Gottlieb Tru- man Breitling.
On his father's side he descended from the Breitlings of Wurtemburg, Germany, his paternal grandfather, Joseph Breitling, coming from that old German town in the early part of the eighteenth century, first liv- ing at Demopolis, Alabama, where his son Gottlieb was born, in 1839; later residing in Mobile, Alabama, a merchant of large interests. The son Gottlieb's early life was spent at Mobile and on the extensive plan- tations belonging to his uneles up the river at Demopolis, his native town. He served four years in the Confederate army, in the Twenty- fourth Alabama regiment, and at the close of the war went with the Confederate troops to the relief of Maximilian in Mexico. In 1870 he married Katherine Elizabeth Cush- man of Lunenburg, Vermont. Their children are Lucretia Chris- tine, Joseph Cushman, and Clara Estelle.
On his mother's paternal side he traces his ancestry back to Robert Cushman, Captain Myles Standish, and Mary Allerton of the Pilgrim colony at Plymouth, Massachusetts,
Dr. Breitling being a direct descend- ant of the tenth generation.
His grandfather, Thaddeus Thompson Cushman, M. D., was a native of Summer, Maine, son of Betsey Thompson and Levi Cush- man, and this branch of the Cush- man family sent soldiers to the Rev- olutionary army. Dr. Cushman grad- nated from Bowdoin Medieal college in 1844, and commeneed his practice in Lunenburg, Vermont, where he married Lucretia Williams Gates in 1848. He was the leading physi- cian of the town for twenty-five years and then located in the wider field at Randolph, Massachusetts, his daughter and her family making their home with him, and here he remained until his death in 1896. He was a gentleman of the old school, loved and honored by all who knew him.
On his mother's maternal side he is descended from Judge Samuel Gates, who built the first framed house and kept the first tavern in Lunenburg, and from General Hora- tio Gates, this branch of the Gates family coming from Marlboro, Massachusetts, where they kept the famous Williams House, at which Washington was once a guest. Ebenezer Clark was also an ances- tor, coming from Northampton, Massachusetts, to Lunenburg.
Dr. Breitling received his early education in the public schools of his native town, graduating from the Stetson High school in 1892, and attending Thayer academy at Braintree, Massachusetts, in 1893- '94. Hle then commenced the study of medicine with his grandfather, T. T. Cushman, M. D., as preceptor, and entered the Maine Medical school at Bowdoin college, Bruns-
JOSEPH C. BREITLING, M. D.
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wick, Maine, graduating with honor in the class of 1897. Dur- ing the summer of 1896 he studied with Dr. H. P. Merrill of Portland, Maine, and attended the Portland School of Medical Instruction.
In July, 1897, he commenced the practice of medicine in Lunenburg, Vermont, where he is still located. He is at present a member of the Vermont State Medical society and Caledonia County Medical society and has been health officer since 1897.
Dr. Breitling is an accomplished musician, playing pianoforte and organ. Previous to his college lite he was organist at Pilgrim church, Dorchester, Massachusetts, and dur- ing his college life played the chapel organ and was organist of the college church; was also accompanist for the Brunswick chorus for the Maine festival, under Professor Chapman as director, and took an active part in all the musical functions of the college societies.
SILSBY, WALTER S., was born in Lunenburg in 1860, son of Joshua and Josephine Silsby. He was educated in the public schools of his native town and early engaged in the lumber business, in which he had received a splendid training from his father, who, for many years was a leading business man of the town.
In 1889 he was united in mar- riage to Kate Stafford of East Burke. They have had no chil- dren.
Mr. Silsby, in company with his brother, John H. Silsby, is now con- ducting a mill in the famous Cor- bin park, at Newport, New Hamp- shire, where they have a large crew of men clearing a considerable por-
tion of that well-known reservation. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias, Grange, and Junior Order American Mechanics.
John W. Silsby, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, came to Lunenburg in 1799. Ile had four sons and four daughters. His son, Joshua, was born in 1823 and mar- ried Josephine, daughter of Joseph Breitling of Mobile, Alabama, in 1850. They had born to them nine
WALTER S. SILSBY.
children, the fourth of which was Walter S.
DODGE, JOHN MARSHALL, was born in Bath, New Hampshire, Sep- tember 19th, 1828, son of John and Vashta (Stickney) Dodge. When eight years of age he came to Lunenburg, where he has always made his home. His education was obtained in the public schools. His life-work has been farming along progressive lines, trading in cattle, and lumbering. For a time he, in
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company with Hon. Stephen B, Powers, conducted a sawmill at Thornton, New Hampshire.
He has ever been an active, ener- getic, publie-spirited citizen, look- ing closely after both his public and private affairs. He has served Lunenburg several terms as select- man, lister, constable, and deputy sheriff; was chairman of the county committee for the Republican party for a number of years and in his seventy-fourth year he performed the duties of appraiser of real es- tate, constable, and collector.
In March, 1854, he was joined in marriage to Maria Rice, daughter of Nathan and Julia Rice of Lnnen- burg. Two children were born to them, Irving M., now residing in South MeAlester, I. T., and Frank N., who died in infancy. Mrs. Dodge died in 1870 and Mr. Dodge was married in 1871 to Lucy A. Brooks, daughter of Judge Jonah Brooks of Lunenburg. They adopted a daughter, Ida M. (Mrs. Julian Bell). Mrs. Dodge died in 1880 and in 1881 he took for his third wife Florence M. Blood, daughter of Royal and Luvia (Heath) Blood.
Mr. Dodge is a director of the Lunenburg Manufacturing Co. and an active member of the Congrega- tional church. His present home- stead is a beautiful residence, splen- didly situated in the village, making an ideal home for the declining years of a life which has been so ac- tive and useful to all with whom he has come in contact.
BALCH, WILLIAM EVERARD, of Lunenburg, son of Sherman and Eliza (Glines) Balch, was born in Lunenburg, February 3, 1854. Af- ter pursuing the usual educational
course in the public schools and St. Johnsbury academy, at sixteen years of age he left the farm and entered his father's carriage shop to learn that trade, after which he spent two years in the West, returning in 1875 to his native place, and again en- tered the employ of his father. From his early boyhood Mr. Balch devoted all of his spare time to the study of natural history, and the collection of specimens illustrating that science. On his return to
WILD BOAR. Set up by William E. Balch.
Vermont he took up taxidermy and employed his leisure in forming a collection of the birds and animals of the state, with such success that in eight years he had gathered all the representative specimens of Vermont. This collection was sent to the World's fair at New Orleans as the state collection. About this time he was offered the position of
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state taxidermist and at this time he left the carriage shop and has de- voted all of his time to the art of taxidermy and studying natural his- tory. His lifelong study of nat- ural history entitles him to rank among the foremost of amateur nat- uralists, to which fact his large pri-
Balch gives to all his work has brought him an enviable reputation as a taxidermist, and his lifelike attitudes and expression of his large mammals and the truthfulness of his small animal and bird groups, representing the life history of the specimens at home, with young or
WILLIAM E. BALCH.
vate cabinet of birds, mammals, and other collections that he has got together for schools, private and public museums, will bear ample testimony. "Do it well or not at all " and " keep everlastingly at it " are the mottoes which with the con- scientious care and study which Mr.
nests and eggs, have never been ex- celled if equaled. The Fairbanks museum at St. Johnsbury shows the high scientific standard of his work. also his group of beavers in the University museum at Burling- ton, Vermont, not to mention the hundreds of fine game heads all
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through the country which are of the highest grade of work. Mr. Balch has never been an extensive traveler but his native state, New Hampshire, and the best game re- gions of Maine are as familiar to him as one's own home town, and many is the time when studying some bird or animal in its native haunt or off on a collecting trip, has he had no other covering than
place he was well fitted. He is much interested in the preservation of game and fish and has held the office of game warden for eight years and it is safe to say that he has been the means of saving many more birds than he has ever killed.
Mr. Balch early found that an expert knowledge of photography would be of great value in his work and being a man of fine tastes and
BUFFALO IN FAIRBANKS MUSEUM OF NATURAL SCIENCE, ST. JOHNSBURY. Set up by William E. Balch.
the stars, rain, or a snow storm. Mr. Balch has been too much ab- sorbed in his work to take much ac- tive interest in political move- ments, but in 1892 he was elected to the legislature by the largest Re- publican majority ever given to a man from Lunenburg. He served with eredit on the special joint com- mittee on fish and game, for which
artistie conception he readily de- veloped a high degree of proficiency in the art and has produced some marvelously beautiful works of art and has done much to preserve the scenic splendor of eastern New England. Among his many no- table triumphs in this line might be mentioned the fact that he made the first photograph of live beaver
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at work. This photograph created a profound sensation in the scien- tific world and added much to the known knowledge of this remark- able little animal.
Mr. Balch wedded September 27th, 1876, Ella, daughter of Jor- don and Lois A. (Powers) Marr.
beside his father's, and reared a fam- ily of six children.
Franklin, son of Reuben, was born June 30, 1828, and remained with his father, getting what educa- tion he could at the district school, with a few terms of high school at the village, to which he walked two
FRANKLIN BELL.
They have had two children, Flor- ence May (deceased) and Walter E.
BELL, WILLIAM, one of the early settlers of Lunenburg, came from Washington, New Hampshire, in 1807, when Reuben, his oldest son, was thirteen years old, who, when he became of age, made himself a farm
and one half miles to and from every day; teaching school winters and working on the farm summers.
In 1849 his father died, leaving him to care for his mother and younger sisters.
In 1858 he married Mary Chand- ler and soon after moved to the
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River farm, where he now resides, enjoying some of the finest river and mountain seenery in the region. Ile has always been a successful farmer, and at the time the Portland & Og- densburg railroad was built through Lunenburg he commenced the mer- cantile business in a small way.
ness. Being strong believers in the cash system of doing business, they adopted that way about three years ago, and find it the true way to avoid failure, as business has increased very rapidly since then. These va- rious enterprises have added to the welfare of the town.
WILLIAM R. BELL.
which has increased, until now he has two of his sons, Adino and Julian, associated with him, doing an extensive mercantile business as Franklin Bell & Son, and grain and milling business under the name of Wanaton Milling company; they also carry on butchering and meat busi-
Mr. Bell, being a staunch Demo- erat, has never been troubled with government or state offices, which has given him more time to attend to his own business and the welfare of the town, in the business of which he has taken an active part for the past fifty years.
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He is very firm in his religions be- lief, which is to pay an honest tax, help support some religions society, live honorably, and deal justly.
BELL, WILLIAM R., son of Frank- lin Bell, was born in Lunenburg, February 10, 1859, and attended the district schools of the townand a few terms of select school at Lunenburg village. After completing his edu- cation, Mr. Bell remained on the home farm until his marriage, Jan- uary 2, 1884, to Emma Clark. He then purchased the Sumner ferry, so-called, and operated it until 1888, when he disposed of it and bought the farm adjoining that of his father, Franklin Bell, on the South Lunenburg road, where he still re- sides.
A large dairy is kept, consisting of about forty cows, all of a high grade. Mr. Bell devotes consider- able attention to horse raising and has at this writing fourteen, eight of which are under four years of age. He has always taken a deep and in- telligent interest in agriculture, is a director in the Essex and Coos County Fair association, a member of the Patrons of Husbandry, the Order of the Eastern Star, and Moose River lodge, No. 28, F. & A. M., of West Concord. He is recog- nized as a man of sound judgment and absolute integrity and although a member of the minority party he has served the town two years as lister, and as selectman five years.
Four children have blessed the Bell household: Ralph W., Hubert R., Mary P., and William Franklin.
BISHOP, LESLIE I., son of Len- del and Ellen Bishop, was born in Littleton, New Hampshire, in 1862. Lendell Bishop was a carpenter by trade and was located many years at
St. Johnsbury as foreman of the car shops. Leslie graduated from St. Johnsbury academy in 1877. He soon after entered the service of the Western Union Telegraph company, learned telegraphy, and was for two years ticket agent of the St. Johns- bury & Lake Champlain railroad, during the time that this road main- tained a separate office. In 1881 he entered the accounting department of the general office at St. Johns- bury, and remained three years, un- til the road was leased to the Boston & Lowell railroad, when he was assigned to the position of station agent at North Concord. which he filled for four years. After this va- ried and valuable experience, he was transferred in October, 1889, to the Lunenburg station, at the time it became a junction station. Here he has general charge of the business of the St. Johnsbury & Lake Cham- plain railroad and of the Maine Cen- tral, a most important and responsi- ble position, which Mr. Bishop fills in a manner highly satisfactory to all concerned. Since the develop- ment of the extensive pulp and paper mills at Fitzdale, the business of the office has greatly increased, an important function being the set- tling of accounts between the two railroads, this station being a termi- nal.
Leslie I. Bishop is recognized as an able and reliable business man. He has taken an active interest in publie improvements, and is a director and joint owner of the Lunenburg Tele- phone company. He has found time to serve the town repeatedly as au- ditor, and as a selectman, and is at present chairman of the board. Twice he has been the nominee of the Democratic party for town rep-
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resentative, polling much more than the party vote, a deserved tribute to his personal standing. He is a past master of Moose River lodge, No. 28, F. & A. M., of West Concord, and a member of Palestine com- mandery of St. Johnsbury.
Leslie I. Bishop married, in 1883,
Ile was educated in the public schools of St. Johnsbury and New Gloucester, Maine. He was ap- pointed station agent at Lunenburg in June, 1887, for the Boston & Lowell railroad. Ile resigned in November, 1888, to accept a similar position with the Upper Coos rail-
LESLIE I. BISHOP.
Julia, daughter of Hubbard and Caroline Morgan Hastings of Con- cord. They have a family of five children: Charles L., Jennie C., Harold H., Ellen L., and Margaret 0. Bishop.
BISHOP, HARRY N., was born at Lyndon, Vermont, April 16, 1868.
road at Colebrook, New Hampshire, and a year later was transferred to the auditor's office at North Strat- ford, New Hampshire. May, 1890, he was appointed train dispatcher for the Maine Central railroad at North Stratford. He was appointed cashier for this road the following
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March at Lancaster, New Hamp- shire. November, 1891. he was transferred to the freight agent's office at Portland, Maine. In De- cember, 1892. he was appointed agent for the same company at North Stratford. In February. 1896. he resigned from the service of
worked in that capacity both on the "Soo" and the Chicago & North Western railway until December, 1899. In May, 1900, he entered the employ of the Dalton Power com- pany at Fitzdale, Vermont, as ship- ping clerk, which position he now holds, with other duties. He was
HARRY N. BISHOP.
the Maine Central railroad and en- gaged with the Boston & Maine rail- road as relief agent. In August, 1897, he accepted a similar position on the Grand Trunk railway. No- vember, 1898, he went to Minneap- olis and accepted the position of re- lief agent on the Soo line, and
commissioned postmaster at Fitzdale in March, 1901. He is a member of Evening Star lodge, No. 37, A. F. & .A. M .. of Colebrook. New Hamp- shire.
Mr. Bishop married, in Angust, 1892. Mabel Lena, daughter of Enoch and Martha Jane Hubbard.
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They have three children: Lendel Nathaniel, Harry Atwood, and Mil- dred Martha.
LEMINGTON .*
Population, Census of 1900, 204.
The town of Lemington is sit- uated near the northeast corner of the state, is six miles square and contains 23,040 aeres.
The township of Limington was granted by Benning Wentworth, governor of the Province of New Hampshire, under George the Third, to Samuel Averill and sixty-three others. There were seventy shares in all, the remaining six shares being divided as follows: two shares, or 500 acres, reserved to Governor Wentworth in the east corner of the town, and known as the Governor's corner, one share for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Part-, one share for a glebe for the Church of England, one share for the first settled minister of the gospel, and one share for the benefit of a school in said town. This grant, or charter, was dated June 29. 1762. No settlers came to town for several years, and no town-meeting was held until Monday, March 28, 1796. Hon. Mills De Forest, then the most prominent man in town, was chosen town clerk, an office which he held for many years. The name of the town was changed from Limington to Lemington about this time.
The first settlers of Lemington en- dured many hardships. They were obliged to transport their grain to Guildhall, a distance of twenty-five miles, to be ground. There were no roads except bridle paths for at least part of the way, and the grain had
to be taken on horseback, or down the river in a canoe. The canoes were dugouts made from Pine trees. of which there were plenty and many of which were wantonly cut down and allowed to go to decay. The first settlers who were rich enough to own a cow lived the first season on milk, game, fish, and berries until the potatoes were big enough to eat, when their diet consisted mostly of potatoes and milk, gener- ally without salt, which was very scarce and dear. Of course tea, spices, and other groceries were not to be had. The next year, if they were fortunate they would raise some wheat or corn and live more luxuriously. They would also, per- haps, try to keep a few sheep (which were quite liable, however, to be killed by wolves or bears), and would raise a little flax. The gude- wife would card. spin, weave, and make into garments the woolen for winter, and the linen for summer, wear. Cotton good- cost too much for even the richest to afford.
About the only way the early set- tlers could procure money was by cutting the hard wood trees, burning them, collecting and leaching the ashes, and boiling the lye until it was converted to salts of lve, from which potash was made. It a stout young man could make a shilling a day at this work he was well satis- fied.
It was usually voted at the town- meetings to pay the town and school taxes in grain at a fixed price and even as late as 1826 it was "voted to pay the school tax in grain at the following price per bushel, wheat, $1.25; rye, $.91; corn, $1.00; oats, $.31."
*Sketch by Hon, Arthur T. Holbrook.
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But very few of us would be con- tented to live in those times and un- der those conditions. About three fourths of Lemington is covered by forests which will not probably be cleared soon as the profit of growing timber is greater than that of farm- ing.
ARTHUR T. HOLBROOK.
HOLBROOK, JUDGE ARTHUR T., son of Thomas P. and Olive (Buf- fington) Holbrook, was born in Lemington, November 8, 1839. His father came from Belchertown, Mas- sachusetts, as one of the first settlers in 1805.
Judge Holbrook received his edu- cation in the schools of his native town and at Colebrook academy. He has always followed farming and has frequently been called upon to fill positions of trust and confidence. For thirty years he has been town clerk of Lemington and for fifteen years its treasurer; both positions he still fills to the entire satisfaction of
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