USA > Vermont > Franklin County > Successful Vermonters; a modern gazetteer of Lamoille, Franklin and Grand Isle counties, containing an historical review of the several towns and a series of biographical sketches > Part 5
USA > Vermont > Grand Isle County > Successful Vermonters; a modern gazetteer of Lamoille, Franklin and Grand Isle counties, containing an historical review of the several towns and a series of biographical sketches > Part 5
USA > Vermont > Lamoille County > Successful Vermonters; a modern gazetteer of Lamoille, Franklin and Grand Isle counties, containing an historical review of the several towns and a series of biographical sketches > Part 5
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37
Judge Powers was unanimously nominated to represent this dis- trict in the fifty-sixth Congress. This was his fifth term in that body.
POWERS, HON. GEORGE M., son of Hon. H. Henry and Caroline E. (Waterman) Powers, was born in Hyde Park, December 19, 1861. He was educated in the public schools and graduated from the People's Academy, Morrisville, in the class of 1879, and from the University of Vermont, class of 1883. He then read law with Hon. Philip K. Gleed of Morris- ville, and was admitted to the bar in 1886 and practiced his profes- sion continuously until June, 1904.
He was chosen state's attorney for Lamoille County in 1888 and served two years. He served as messenger in the state Senate, 1872, 1874 and 1876, assistant clerk, House of Representatives, 1884, 1886 and 1888, secretary of the Senate, 1890, 1892, 1894, and
GEORGE M. POWERS.
A-5
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
was chosen to represent Morristown in the General Assembly of 1896.
In July, 1900, when Hon. Wen- dell P. Stafford, then reporter of decisions of the Supreme Court, was promoted to the Supreme Court bench, Mr. Powers was ap- pointed to fill the vacancy, contin-
F. Woodbury. They have three children : Horace Henry, born July 18, 1895; Mildred Dorothy, born December 8, 1897; Elizabeth Lil- lian, born September 17, 1899.
GLEED, HON. PHILIP KING of Morrisville, was one of the most distinguished lawyers of the state.
PHILIP K. GLEED.
uing until 1904, and as such edited the seventy-fourth and seventy- fifth volumes of Vermont Reports. June 7, 1904, he was appointed by Governor Mccullough to be judge of the Supreme Court, which posi- tion he still occupies.
April 19, 1893, Judge Powers was united in marriage to Gertrude
He was a native of Canada, born in Granby, September 10, 1834. His parents were the Reverend John and Elizabeth (Pretty.john) Gleed, his father being a native of Lyme Regis, Dorsetshire, England, and belonging to that class called Dissenters.
Philip K. Gleed was the young-
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LAMOILLE COUNTY.
est of a large family of children. One sister survives him, who lives at the present time in Evanston, Illinois. His early life was one of toil and industry. He came in his youth to Morrisville, where his brother, Thomas Gleed, was a pros- perous lawyer, and there he became a student in People's Academy. He continued his education in Ba- kersfield Academy and Troy Con- ference Academy at Poultney, from which he was graduated with honor in 1855. He then engaged in teaching and various other oc- cupations, entering Union College, Schenectady, New York, graduat- ing in 1859. He had pursued the study of law during his college course, and in one year after his graduation was admitted to the bar and practiced law until his death in 1897.
Mr. Gleed was called to many positions of honor and trust, all of which he filled with scrupu- lous integrity and conscientious- ness. He was state's attorney for Lamoille County in 1867-'68, again in 1880 and 1882, was elected to the Legislature, 1868-'69, was trus- tee of state reform school in 1869, assessor of internal revenue, 1870- '74, state senator and president pro tem. of the Senate in 1880-'81, and state commissioner of taxes in 1890-'92. He was a member of the committee on revision of statutes in 1893-'94. He occupied many positions of trust in his town and was devoted to its best interests.
Mr. Gleed was a liberal man, often assisting young men and women to obtain an education. Honest effort always appealed to him. He was superintendent of the Congregational Sunday School for 26 years, and on the occasion of the twenty-fifth anniversary re-
ceived a gold headed cane from the members, which was always alluded to with the keenest pleasure. His tastes were simple and his habits studious. With his Bible and Shakespeare he often remarked that a man was well equipped.
Mr. Gleed was twice married. His first wife was Ellen Fuller of Moira, New York. Two children were born of this union, both hav- ing died young. In May, 1885, he married Mrs. Henry Fleetwood of St. Johnsbury, whose son he adopted into his heart and during their association together for 12 years, they were as brothers.
Mr. Gleed died on June 29, 1897, after a five days' illness, of pneu- monia. At the time of his funeral all business was suspended and the entire community in mourning for a man beloved by all. The La- moille County bar testified to their respect to the deceased by attend- ing in a body, Judge Stafford of St. Johnsbury, pronouncing a warm eulogy.
FLEETWOOD, HON. FREDER- ICK GLEED, of Morrisville, was born in St. Johnsbury, September 27, 1869. His grandfather, Thomas Fleetwood, was an English gentle- man, who came to the United States on a pleasure voyage and who subsequently settled in Barnet. He then married and reared two sons, Thomas and Henry W. The last named married Miss Laura Kenney of St. Johnsbury. They were the parents of Frederick G.
Frederick G. Fleetwood was pre- pared for college at St. Johnsbury Academy; entered the University of Vermont in 1886, and in 1888 he matriculated in Harvard Col- lege, from which he graduated in 1891, just after attaining his ma- jority. In the same year he
Frederike G. Fleetwood
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LAMOILLE COUNTY.
entered the law office of his step- father, Hon. Philip K. Gleed. Mr. Fleetwood was admitted to the bar in October, 1894, and in the fol- lowing year he became the law partner of Mr. Gleed. This asso- ciation was maintained until the death of Mr. Gleed in 1897, when Mr. Fleetwood succeeded to the
elected state's attorney for La- moille County. He was a presiden- tial elector in the second Mckinley election, in 1900, and was chosen messenger of that body to carry the electoral vote to Washington.
At the state election, on the first Tuesday of September, 1902, Mr. Fleetwood was elected secretary of
WILLIAM S. CHENEY.
business of the firm, continuing in the same office.
He was appointed clerk of the committee on the revision of the laws in 1894. In 1896 he was elected town clerk and treasurer of Morristown and was re-elected at the three succeeding elections.
In 1896 Mr. Fleetwood was
state and was unanimously renom- inated by the Republican state con- vention of 1904 and re-elected at the state election.
CHENEY, WILLIAM S., son of Thomas and Sarah (Stevens) Che- ney, was born in Morristown, Au- gust 28, 1837. Thomas Cheney was a lifelong, prosperous and
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
highly respected farmer, and reared a family of seven children.
William's boyhood and youth was passed amid the cares, the la- bors and the wholesome recrea- tions of the farm and in attend- ance at the district schools and People's Academy.
He married, in 1865, Mary E., daughter of S. L. and Lydia (Fer- rin) Gates of Morrisville, a de- scendant of one of the earliest fam- ilies of the town. He was engaged in farming for several years, but moved to Morrisville some thirty years ago, where he has since re- sided. Possessed of active and versatile temperament and sound practical judgment, Mr. Cheney has entered heartily into the busi- ness and public activities of the village and town. He has become widely known in this section as a dealer in real estate and a popular salesman of farm imple- ments and machinery, buggies, sleighs and harnesses. He has fre- quently been called to the discharge of town office, and served as lister nearly a decade. As a Repub- lican he represented Morristown in the Legislature in 1892, being elected by the largest majority that any representative from this town had received at that time. He served on the important com- mittee on elections.
He has labored strenuously to promote the prosperity of Morris- ville, and is highly esteemed in every relation of life.
William S. and Mary Gates Che- ney have two children : Thomas C., the well-known lawyer, and Wini- fred, who resides with her parents.
CHENEY, THOMAS CHARLES, a son of William S. and Mary E. (Gates) Cheney, was born in Mor- ristown, October 10, 1868, edu-
cated in the public schools of his native town, graduated from the People's Academy, Morrisville, class of 1886, and from the Univer- sity of Vermont, class of 1891. While in college Mr. Cheney be- came a member of the Vermont Alpha of Phi Delta Theta, one of the largest and most prominent col- lege fraternities in the world, in which he has always taken a very active interest.
In the winter of 1892 Mr. Che- ney determined upon a legal career and entered the law office of Hon. George M. Powers and began the study of law. While thus en- gaged he formed a partnership with Mr. Powers in the fire insur- ance business, and now has the leading fire insurance agency in Lamoille County. In October, 1895, Mr. Cheney was admitted to the bar, and practiced law with Mr. Powers under the firm name of Powers & Cheney, until June, 1904, when Mr. Powers was pro- moted to the Supreme Court bench.
Mr. Cheney has a fine law li- brary and one of the best appointed law offices in Vermont; he is a thorough and systematic student, and possesses a keen analysis which seizes and illuminates the salient points of his case; tireless energy and persistence in trial, united with a clear and original presentation of both the law and evidence, have won for him a lead- ing place at the state bar.
He was chosen state's attorney for Lamoille County in 1902, and served two years. He was mes- senger in the secretary of state's office in 1892; second assistant clerk of the House of Representa- tives, 1894; first assistant clerk in 1896, and clerk from 1898 to the present time. For five years he
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LAMOILLE COUNTY.
has been a director in the Ver- mont Fire Insurance Company. A thorough Vermonter, an ideal cit- izen, a man of wide experience and almost limitless acquaintance, "Tom Cheney," as his warmest friends love to call him, has passed from a messenger boy, step by step,
a deep interest in educational mat- ters and from 1897 to 1903, when he declined a re-election, he was chairman of the board of school di- rectors of Morristown, and it was largely through his efforts while he held that position, that the very substantial new graded school
THOMAS C. CHENEY.
and in each place has received a hearty "well done."
Recognizing that many of the leading men of our state have won their high place through the clerk- ship of the House of Representa- tives, Mr. Cheney's friends hardly believe that in this he will prove an exception to the rule.
Mr. Cheney has always taken
building was erected in Mor- risville.
He is a member of Mount Ver- non Lodge, No. 8, A. F. & A. M., Tucker Chapter, No. 15, R. A. M .; in the latter organization he has taken an active part, and for the past few years has been a leading official.
January 15, 1896, Mr. Cheney
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
was united in marriage to May L., youngest child of Hon. Moses W. and Almira O. Terrill of Middle- town, Connecticut.
BOYNTON, HON. AI NOAH, son of Noah and Abagail (Clifton) Boynton, was born in Amherst, New Hampshire, November 3, 1845.
schooling, where he remained three years, when he was called home by the enlistment of his father in the Eighth Vermont Regiment, and for three years carried on the farm of 50 acres, a hard but wholesome experience, which developed the qualities of self-reliance and ex-
AI N. BOYNTON.
He was the oldest son of a family of 11 children. His parents were in straitened circumstances and the opportunities for education were very limited.
The family moved to Vermont in 1854. At the age of 13 he was bound out to a farmer in Walden for $36 a year and three months'
ecutive ability. The next three years was devoted to work on farms, and one term of winter school, living at the "Belfry." All of his wages, up to the time of his majority, went to his father.
At the age of 22 he married Per- melia, daughter of B. W. Campbell of Hyde Park. In March, 1868,
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LAMOILLE COUNTY.
he bought a sawmill in North Wol- cott and engaged successfully in the lumber business there for 35 years, during the last 20 conduct- ing a large farm in connection therewith. In 1902 he sold the Wolcott property and removed to Morrisville, where he has since re- sided. The Boyntons began house- keeping with a table, a half dozen chairs, and two beds, in a house 18 feet square, containing two rooms. Their present home in Morrisville is liberally and ele- gantly furnished.
Mr. Boynton has been a strenu- ous and successful business man. His mill at first contained an up- right saw with a capacity of 2,500 feet of lumber per day. During the later years the mill turned out from half a million to a million feet annually. During his long residence in Wolcott his ability and judgment were recognized by his election as selectman 10 years, 16 years as justice of the peace and other responsible town offices. He also assisted in the settlement of estates. In 1898, Mr. Boynton was elected to the Legislature, and served on the grand list commit- tee. In 1902 he was elected an as- sistant judge of Lamoille County. In April, 1905, Judge Boynton was elected chairman of the board of trustees of Morrisville, and under his direction during the past year more than five miles of concrete has been laid in the streets and other important improvements have been made.
Mr. and Mrs. Boynton buried their only child, Effie, in 1887.
For 20 years Mr. Boynton has been a member of Mineral Lodge, No. 93, of Wolcott, and is an esteemed member of Lamoille Grange, where he has held the
office of master. He has won and retained to an unusual degree the esteem and confidence of his asso- ciates, by his sterling worth, good judgment and perseverance.
DOTY, COLONEL GEORGE W., is one of the most original and inter- esting personalities of the town, an excellent type of the soldier citizen of Vermont. He was born at Montpelier, February 16, 1838, but in infancy was adopted by O. L.
GEORGE W. DOTY.
Metcalf, a farmer of Morristown. Mr. Doty was educated in the com- mon schools and the People's Acad- emy. At 19 years of age, inspired by the spirit of the times, he went to the Territory of Kansas and joined a colony of 40 young men from Vermont, who started the set- tlement of Mapleton, on the Little Osage River, near the Missouri line. As soon as the township was organ- ized he was elected first constable,
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
and became a leading spirit in the exciting scenes of that remarkable period. He joined the Free Soil forces of Captain Bain and Colonel Montgomery, and was also a mem- ber of the force of "Colonel Jim Lane" that dispersed the bogus Le- compton Legislature. Later, as a Free State man, he was driven out of Columbus, Missouri, at mid- night, in peril of his life.
Returning to his Vermont home in 1860, he was the first man to en- list from Lamoille County in the War for the Union. In conjunc- tion with U. A. Woodbury, he re- cruited 60 men, who later joined Company E, Third Vermont Regi- ment. Mr. Doty was mustered in as a private of Company F, Second Vermont, the senior regiment of the "Old Brigade, " and shared the fortunes of that gallant command on many a bloody field, including first and second Bull Run, the seven days' fight and the Maryland campaign of 1862. A member of the Second Vermont color guard, he was not absent from duty a single day, though suffering from malaria, until he was severely wounded at Fredericksburg by a minie ball, which he still carries in his right knee.
He then served until the close of the war in the "Veteran Re- serve Corps," as commissary ser- geant, under Colonel William Aus- tine, U. S. A., at Brattleboro. Af- ter regaining a measure of his health he was appointed deputy sheriff and later elected sheriff, holding that position three years.
During 12 years Mr. Doty was station and express agent, and telegrapher at Morrisville. For 22 years he has been successfully en- gaged as a furniture dealer and undertaker in Morrisville. His
store is one of the historic land- marks of the town, the original building being erected and the business started as the first furni- ture store in town, as early as 1828, by Daniel Gilbert. Colonel Doty now conducts the leading fur- niture, crockery and undertaking establishment of Lamoille County. As a member of the board of trus- tees he was first to make the mo- tion that the village own its own water, and also, later, that it own its own electric light power, and both motions prevailed. He was a member of a committee of five to locate a new cemetery and has had virtual charge of the cem- etery until the present time.
He married, April 30, 1863, at Brattleboro, Flora A. Bundy. Their only son died in infancy, and two daughters survive: Anna G., widow of the late L. M. Jones of Johnson, and Alice C., wife of Wal- ter D. Grout of Worcester, Massa- chusetts. In politics a stanch Re- publican, Colonel Doty has borne an efficient and honorable part in the civic life of Morristown.
For 14 years he was a member and chairman of the prudential committee of People's Academy and Morrisville Graded School, and for nearly thirty years he has been chief of the Morrisville Fire De- partment. For 40 years he has been a member of Mount Vernon Lodge, A. F. & A. M., and has passed all of the chairs in that body, also in Tucker Chapter; a charter member of J. M. Warner Post, G. A. R., he served as its com- mander for seven consecutive years. He also acted as aide of Commanders-in-Chief Earnshaw and Alger, G. A. R., and in 1893 was unanimously elected com- mander, Department of Vermont.
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LAMOILLE COUNTY.
In 1894 he served on the staff of Governor U. A. Woodbury, and in 1896 became chief of staff of Gov- ernor Grout. Emphatically a self- made man, Colonel Doty has borne an active and honorable part dur- ing the most interesting period of the history of the republic.
about 1820, bought a 100-acre lot near Cady's Falls, cleared up the primeval forest and soon added an- other 100 acres to his farm. New- ton A Terrill, one of his five sons, a substantial and worthy citizen, remained on the home farm dur- ing his life, and it redounds to the
GEORGE H. TERRILL.
TERRILL, GEORGE H., son of Newton A., and Mary S. (Cheney) Terrill, was born at Morristown, on the paternal farm, October 1, 1863. Four generations of the Terrill family have resided in Morristown during more than three fourths of a century. Moses Terrill came here as a young man with his father
credit of himself and wife that their seven children were well edu- cated, three being collegians and successful teachers.
George H. Terrill attended the People's Academy and one year at Vermont Methodist Seminary, and later enjoyed three years of mer- cantile experience with C. Denny &
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
Co., Northfield. In 1888 he returned and assumed the management of the home farm. Seven small barns were torn down at the homestead, and the present large and commo- dious three-story barn was erected and two silos installed. Improved thoroughbred Jersey stock was purchased and at present 25 or more cows are kept, and a large output of butter is sold at the best creamery prices. The home farm contains about two hundred and twenty acres, including some rich bottom lands, very productive of grass and corn, and the various
modern farm machinery. Mr. Terrill is well known as both a sci- entific and a practical farmer, alert to inform himself on the lat- est researches, original in adapting and applying them in various ways to the special needs of his soil and crops. The products and receipts on his home farm have much more than doubled, and he also rents an adjoining farm of 100 acres. He is one of the most successful fruit growers in the state, has been pres- ident of the State Horticultural Society, and is now one of the vice- presidents. He is an up-to-date sugar maker. His specialties in stock breeding are Jersey cattle, Morgan horses, Southdown sheep and Berkshire pigs, and he is rec- ognized as a careful breeder.
He has found time to serve the town as lister, nine years as school director, and is one of the select- men. He was elected representa- tive in 1898. At its organization he was elected secretary and treas- nrer of the Lamoille Grange, P. of H., later was master, and is now district deputy of Harmona Po- mona District. He has been audi- tor of the State Dairymen's Asso-
ciation, and is now one of its vice- presidents. Mr. Terrill recently represented Vermont as a delegate to the convention of the National Civic Federation, held in New York. Governor Bell recently ap- pointed Mr. Terrill secretary of the state board of cattle commissioners. He is widely recognized as an in- telligent, public-spirited citizen, and a progressive, successful farmer. He is a member and stanch supporter of the Methodist Church, also of Mount Vernon Lodge, A. F. & A. M.
PECK, WILLIE WALLACE, son of operations are conducted with . Seth H. and Mary Ann (Palmer)
Peck, was born in Wolcott, August 13, 1853. He left home at 16 years of age, learned the carpenter and joiner's trade and worked at it and in sawmills until he became of age. He married Ida C. Trow of Morrisville, in 1876.
He invested his well-saved earn- ings in the mill at Wolcott, in com- pany with his father, but within a year the mill burned and he lost everything but health and courage. He commenced again at his trade and two years later bought the old water mill beyond Morristown Corners, and almost without finan- cial resources started again in the lumber business. Success crowned his strenuous efforts, and after three years he erected a large steam mill three miles beyond his old mill, near Sterling Mountain. He jobbed the drawing of both the logs and the lumber, and handled a large output for two years, when the fire fiend again devoured his mill and left him penniless.
With grim determination he re- tired to the old water mill and commenced again in a small way at lumbering and farming. In 1885 he went to Elmore and con-
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LAMOILLE COUNTY.
tracted with Fife & Peck to saw and deliver at the station at Mor- risville the timber on a large tract, and for eight years successfully handled about a million and a half feet per annum. Meanwhile he had operated his old water mill near the Corners and in 1888 con-
bought farm and timber lands to the enormous aggregate of 3,500 acres, from which his annual out- put was three million feet of fin- ished lumber.
In 1902 Mr. Peck acquired a large tract of timber lands in the town of Somerset, where he has
WILLIE W. PECK.
nected steam power thereto, also adding a clapboard mill and in- creased the annual output to a million and a half feet. In 1892 he consolidated the two steam mills near Sterling Mountain, where the bulk of his business was done, still operating in a small way at the water Later, Mr. Peck
conducted a very large lumber business, which he has recently closed out by a fortunate sale, and he has now practically retired in the enjoyment of a handsome and well-earned competence.
The successful career of Mr. Peck illustrates the conquest of mind over matter, the power of pa-
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SUCCESSFUL VERMONTERS.
tient industry and invincible cour- age to overcome the most adverse conditions, and contains a lesson to our young men. Since 1890 he has resided in Morrisville.
The son, Fred C. Peck, born Au- gust 19, 1877, was formerly station agent at Morrisville and later iden- tified with the lumber business. The daughter, Blanche, a gradu- ate of People's Academy, remains in the home. Mrs. Ida (Trow) Peck died in October, 1903.
Mr. Peck has been too much en- grossed in business to accept pub- lic office, but has served as village trustee. He is an esteemed mem- ber of Mount Vernon Lodge, Tucker Chapter, Palestine Com- mandery, and Mount Sinai Tem- ple, A. F. & A. M.
SLAYTON, HENRY ALBERT. The subject of this sketch is the senior business man of Morris- ville, and has long been a potent factor in the commercial and civic life of that thriving community. He comes of stanch New England stock. He was born in Calais, July 23, 1851, a son of George J. and Fanny A. (Andrews) Slayton. A farm bred boy, he completed his education at Morrisville Graded School and People's Academy. At the age of 16 he began his mercan- tile career as a clerk for George W. Scott & Co. of Montpelier, and later enjoyed a helpful experience of three years in a wholesale gro- cery house in Boston.
Returning to Morrisville, he was for five years engaged in general merchandise at the brick store on Main Street. In 1878 Mr. Slayton purchased the original store near the depot and installed a small stock of flour and feed. This small building has been repeatedly enlarged to accommodate the de-
mands of a constantly increasing business, and the entire building refurnished in modern style. He has added the features of sugar, oil, lime, cement and seeds; in fact everything included in this com- mercial line, at both wholesale and retail, and the volume of business has doubled several times.
Mr. Slayton has traveled and taken orders from St. Johnsbury to Swanton and is recognized as a reliable salesman and courteous gentleman.
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