The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier., Part 72

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Montpelier, Vt. : Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press
Number of Pages: 1064

USA > Vermont > Washington County > Montpelier > The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier. > Part 72

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himself, his constituents gave him five an- nual successive elections, a number never exceeded in the case of any Montpelier representative, and never equalled except in the case of Col. Davis. While still rep- resentative, he was in 1808 made chief Judge of Caledonia County Court, and re- ceived three successive elections, being continued in that office until the organiza- tion of the new County of Jefferson, which, on account of his residence within it, made him ineligible to any further elections to the bench of Caledonia County. In addi- tion, he was annually appointed what is called the law and trial justice of the peace for the last forty years of his life, doing, through a large portion of that period, the greater share of the justice business of the place, and making its profits the main means of his livelihood.

There can be no doubt Judge Ware, at the time he was the Judge of the Caledonia County Court and the representative of Montpelier, and for many years afterwards, was one of the most influential men in the State. That his rulings and decisions while judge met the approbation of the bar and the people, is shown by his being annually elected to the bench as long as he was eligible, at the instance of the people of the county where his judicial ministrations were best known. As town representative, he secured to his town, by his talents and skillful management, the location of the seat of government andits untold advantages. The late Hon. John Mattocks, who was an active participant in what was called the " first State House struggle," was afterwards heard by more than one person to declare, however strongly right and policy demanded the location of the seat of government here at the centre of the State, yet so keen was the rivalry for the honor by the older vil- lages of the State, it would never have been conferred on Montpelier, but for the unwearied exertions and exceedingly skill- ful management of its representative, Judge Ware.

For the last twenty years of his life, through improvidence in his affairs and the growing expenses of a large family, but

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not through personal vices, he appears to have sunk into comparative poverty, and into the public neglect that too often ac- companies it. But even in his lowest state of poverty, he was the philosopher.

" I hope you don't call me poor," he would say to those who attempted to com- miserate him. " I consider it settled that a white child is worth two negro children, which are held at $500 apiece, and as fast as I had children born, I put them down on my inventory at $1,000 each, till my estate reached the handsome amount of $6,000, and, thank Heaven, I have the same property yet on hand."

In structure of mind, thought, words and ways, Judge Ware was probably the most perfectly original character we ever had in Montpelier. And his shrewd observations and quaint and witty sayings were, in his day, more quoted than those of any other man in all this section of the country. Clear, discriminating and patient in in- vestigating all important cases, which he conducted by a silent process of mind, yet the result was generally made known in terms and phrases which nobody else would think of using. His brain was singularly creative, and it seemed to be his greatest recreation to indulge in its half-serious, half-sportive frolics. We have it from a lady of this village, when a small girl, she and her mate used to resort to his house night after night, to hear him improvise an original novel, which, for their gratifica- tion, he would begin one evening, take up the next where he left it, and so carry it on, in good keeping, through a succession · of hearings, till it was finished, making probably a more instructive and amusing tale than many that have been published.

Judge Ware married Patty, daughter of Gardner Wheeler, Esq., of Barre, May 26, 1803, who survived him. They had 6 children-Gardner W., deceased; Patty Militiah, wife of Samuel Caldwell, of St. Johns, Canada East; Cyrus Leonard, of the vicinity of New York ; Henry, of Ohio ; George, of parts unknown; Mary, wife of Joel Foster, Jr., and Louisa.

Judge Ware died at Montpelier, Feb. 17, 1849, aged nearly 80.

CAPTAIN TIMOTHY HUBBARD.

To be numbered with those who, by their business capacities and energy of character, contributed most to the wealth and prosperity of Montpelier, were three brothers, Timothy, Roger and Chester Hubbard, who came here before or about the beginning of the present century. They were all enterprising, clear headed men, and, while they remained in trade, successful merchants, especially Chester Hubbard, who confined himself exclusively to trade, and died in 1832, leaving, though then only in middle life, a very handsome property. As the elder more particularly identified himself with the public offices and institutions of the town, and more largely attracted public attention, we have selected him as their representative.

Timothy Hubbard was born near the city of Hartford, Conn., Aug. 17, 1776, lived with his father and worked on a farm till 21, getting all the education he ever had at the common school. After contin- uing to work on his father's farm, on stipu- lated wages, probably, about 4 years after he was of age, he came, in 1799, to Mont- pelier, established himself in trade with Wyllis I. Cadwell, Esq., a connection of the Lymans of Hartford, Conn. and Hart- ford, Vt. In 1801, he married Lucy, the third daughter of Colonel Jacob Davis, a very estimable woman. In 1803, he dis- solved his connection with Mr. Cadwell, and went into partnership in trade with his brother-in-law, the Hon. David Wing. After the death of Judge Wing, in 1806, he associated with him his brother, Roger Hubbard, till about 1816, when he ceased to be any further engaged in mercantile affairs, and employed himself in supervis- ing the cultivation of his different valuable farms in Berlin, and particularly the one on the borders of Montpelier Village, which he soon made his homestead for the remainder of his life.

In 1810, he was elected Captain of the fine military company, called the Gover- nor's Guards, of which Isaac Putnam was the first captain; and though he was taken almost from the ranks, he soon showed himself to be one of the best mili ..

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tary officers that ever paraded a company in the streets of Montpelier; and when the news of the invasion of Plattsburgh, in September, 1814, reached Montpelier, he sallied, cane in hand, into the streets, summoned a drummer and fifer to his side, and with them marched the streets all day, beating up volunteers, to start for the scene of action, and before night, he had enlisted three-fourths of his fellow citizens, who chose him Captain by acclamation. Being now at the head of perhaps the largest and best company of all the Ver- mont Plattsburgh volunteers, with the staunch Joseph Howes for his second in command, he gave his orders for the next day ; and at an early hour, the next morn- ing, they were all seen pouring along, in hot haste, for the seat of war, by night were in Burlington, the next day embark- ing on sloops, crowding all sail for Platts- burgh, but did not arrive in season to take their place in the line of battle.

Captain Hubbard was often chosen to fill town offices, especially if there happened to be pending any financial difficulty, growing out of conflicting interests, which others were unwilling to touch, which he always straightened without fear or favor to clique or party ; often at the expense of another election, though when another such diffi- culty occurred they were all for calling him back again ; when in his singularly frank, independent way, he would give them to understand, it was all the same with him, whether they elected him or not, but if they did, they might depend on it, he should not fear to do his duty. And there can be little doubt, had he kept down this marked trait of character, or played even a little of the demagogue, we should have seen him in higher civil offices.

Captain Hubbard was sometimes harsh in rebuking the faults of others, or in de- fending himself, when he unexpectedly met opposition in the path of what he con- sidered his right and duty ; but he seemed to give no lasting offense ; for the offended knew as soon as he found himself in the wrong, he would be the first to rectify it. He was liberal to the poor and all educa- tional, religious and benevolent objects.

When, in what had been called the Barre street school district, was built a new school house, some twenty years ago, [now some forty.] the Captain bought and caused to be hung in the cupola of this school building, a valuable new bell. And the district thereupon, at a regular meeting, unani- mously voted that their school house should thereafter be called " Hubbard Street School House," and the street on which it stood be changed from Barre Street to Hubbard Street. And this is still the only name that can be legitimately applied to it.

Captain Hubbard's business and finan- cial talents, and trustworthiness for all, not excepting even the most important posts, were widely admitted in his day, and can hereafter always be made to ap- pear on public records, the records of the numerous estates, of which he was the effi- cient administrator, and the records of the Bank of Montpelier which, for years, he skilfully managed in the capacity of its president.

About the age of fifty he reached a point which few wealthy men ever reach, the point when he thought he had property enough, and that he had better be bestow- ing it where it would do the most good. Accordingly he began giving it to the most needy of the numerous circle of his rela- tives, and continued the good work, till a full third of his estate had been bestowed on them. His first wife dying in 1839, he married Anner May, who survived him. He died Oct. 28, 1850. He has no de- scendants.

GENERAL EZEKIEL P. WALTON.

In the incipient stages of the growth of every country village there are nearly always two different personages who occupy the largest space in the thoughts of the people -the Minister and the Editor. And in proportion as these are faithful, intelligent and able, so, to an almost unappreciable extent, will be its moral, social and intel- lectual advancement. It was the good for- tune of Montpelier, for the first twenty years after the place could fairly lay claim to the dignity of a village, to have the right kind of a man for her Minister, and

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the right kind of a man for an Editor, in the persons of Chester Wright and Ezekiel P. Walton.

EZEKIEL PARKER WALTON was born in the year 1789, in Canterbury, N. H., in which town his father, George Walton, formerly resided, but from which he at length removed to Peacham, Vt. There was a good academy at Peacham, and young Walton, previous to reaching the age of fifteen, attended it a few terms, studying the ordinary English branches, and completing all the school education he ever received.

There was, at this time, a small newspa- . per, of Federal politics, published at Peach- am by Mr. Samuel Goss, a practical print- er and Editor of his own paper, which was called the Green Mountain Patriot. Into this establishment the boy Walton often found his way, and at length began to feel so much interest in the business he saw going on that he offered himself as an apprentice to the trade ; and Mr. Goss, as he has re- cently told us, so liked the looks of the bright little fellow that he concluded to take him in that capacity, and in despite of the opinions of others, who believed that little could ever be made of him. As Mr. Goss had predicted, however, the boy turned out a well behaved, faithful appren- tice, and made good proficiency in his trade. After serving three years at his trade in Peacham, he came, in 1807, to Montpelier, with Mr. Goss, who bought out the Vermont Precursor, a paper estab- lished here the year previous by Rev. Clark Brown, and changed the name to that of the Vermont Watchman. Here he served out the remainder of his apprenticeship, which expired in 1810; when, being of le- gal age, he, in company with Mark Goss, a fellow apprentice in the office, bought out Mr. Samuel Goss ; and the paper was then, for the next half dozen years, con- ducted by the firm of Walton & Goss, Mr. Walton discharging the chief duties of ed- itor. In 1816, Mr. Mark Goss went out of the establishment, and Mr. Walton be- came its sole proprietor and editor, and so continued nearly twenty years ; when, as his sons became of age, he took them into

partnership, and the business, to which book-selling and paper-making were at length added, was conducted in the name of E. P. Walton & Sons until 1853, during which he wholly gave up the proprietor- ship of the newspaper to his oldest son, the present Hon. Eliakim Persons Walton. Though the editorship had been entrusted to this son for many years previous to 1853, General Walton continued to assist in editing and writing for certain depart- ments of the paper, even into the last year of his life.

At an early period he passed rapidly along the line of military promotion till he reached the rank of Major General, when he threw these kinds of honors aside and thought no more of them. Mr. Walton was never an office seeker, nor was office, as much as was due to him as a man and a politician, nor half as much as was due to him from his party, ever bestowed on him. He was, however, several times the candidate of his party for town Repre- sentative, but never when that party hap- -pened to be in the majority. In 1827, he was elected one of the Council of Censors, and served with credit to himself and elec- tors, among a board of the most distin- guished men in the State, Judges B. Turner, D. Kellogg and S. S. Phelps be- ing included among the number. In the Presidential election of 1852, he was elect- ed one of the Electoral College for Ver- mont, when the vote of the State was thrown for General Scott. In 1854, he was nominated as candidate for the office of Governor of Vermont by a large mass State Convention, and could the people have had their way, would have been tri- umphantly elected.

But out of an ardent desire to consoli- date the political sentiments of the people in one controlling organization, as well as out of high personal regard for the ven- erable Chief Justice, Stephen Royce, who had been previously named for the execu- tive chair by a Convention of the Whig party, General Walton cheerfully yielded his place on the ticket. The name of Judge Royce was substituted by - the State Com- mittee, and he was heartily supported by

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the people ; and thus was organized the present Republican party of the State. For that organization a large measure of credit is due to Gen. Walton.

We have named the circumstances con- nected with Mr. Walton's nomination to the office of governor, for the double pur- pose of showing the remarkable lack of even well-warranted assumptions in the man, and his patriotic readiness to submit to any personal sacrifice which he was led to suppose public good required him to make, as well as of showing how his party, while so generally admitting his qualifica- tions for office, and the merit of his ser- vices in their behalf, so strangely over- looked him, when they so often had the power to reward and honor him. That he was ever honorable and just in his treat- ment towards his political opponents, the writer of this sketch, who was for many years one of them, can, and here does, most cheerfully attest ; and the late Araunah Waterman, who was ever a staunch political opponent, was often heard frankly to admit that "General Walton was both an honor- able man and an honest politician." That he, in his long, persistent, judicious and able editorial labors, was eminently instru- mental in establishing the ascendency of his party and keeping it in power, is a fact too well known to be questioned. Prob- ably, indeed, that man has never lived in Vermont who did so much toward build- ing up the old Whig party of the State, and its successor, the Republican party, which he lived to see become, from the minority in which he found it, one of the most overwhelming majorities ever re- corded in the history of party warfare. But while it was his lot to do so, and see all this, it was his lot also to be often com- pelled, like many another political editor, "to make brick. without straw," or, in other words, manufacture great men out of small patterns, who, when made, carried their heads so high as generally to entirely overlook their political creator.

his readers. During the first years of his residence in Montpelier, he, in company with other young aspirants of the village, got up an association for mutual improve- ment in knowledge and literature, Called the " Franklin Society." In this society, in which theme writing was a leading ex- ercise, he probably made much progress in forming his style, which was evidently modelled on that of Dr. Franklin, so gen- erally the great oracle of the printer boy. The bon homme of " Poor Richard," how- ever, can never be successfully imitated by a man without a good heart. But Mr. Walton had that heart, and, through the force of finely-blended, emotional and in -. tellectual qualities of his heart, he grad- ually formed' a style of his own, which, with the vein of good common sense that pervaded it, gave him rank with the most pleasing and instructive of our editorial writers. As before intimated, he continued to write for his old paper to the last, and in so doing, besides his instructive articles on farming and domestic economy, he wrote and published in the Watchman, the year before his death, sixteen numbers on the events of the Olden Times in the Valley of the Winooski, over the signature of Oliver Old-School, which deserve to be re- published in pamphlet, for public reading and preservation.

In the political world, Gen. Walton was ever a person to be consulted ; among men he was always a man; in the church an influential officer; in the social circle a dignified, but a very courteous and kindly companion, and in his family an exemplary husband and father. His integrity, whether in business or politics, appears never to have been doubted, by either friend or foe ; his general intellectual capacity was al- ways conceded, and his frank and generous disposition known to the utmost limits of his extensive personal acquaintance.

Apr. 28, 1811, Mr. Walton married Miss Prussia, daughter of Eliakim D. Persons, of Montpelier, by whom he had 8 children -Eliakim P., 6 years in Congress ; Harriet Newell, wife of Hon. H. R. Wing, a lawyer of standing at Glen's Falls, N. Y. ;

Mr. Walton's style of writing was, for his advantages, unusually correct, and un- usually well calculated for enforcing his sentiments and enlisting the sympathy of George Parker, a very promising young

Russia Walton,

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man, who died at the age of about 24 years, at New Orleans ; Nathaniel Porter, for some years the accountant of the firm of E. P. Walton & Sons ; Chauncey, now deceased ; Samuel M., the book-binder in Montpelier ; Ezekiel Dodge, who died at the age of about 25 years, at Philadelphia ; and Mary, wife of George Dewey, a mer- chant of New York city.

In his religious character, Mr. Walton was an earnest, frank, sincere Christian, always warm and generous in the utter- ance and support of his principles. He combined the wisdom of the serpent, the boldness of the lion and the harmlessness of the dove, in his whole Christian course ; was a devoted member and an honorable office bearer in the Congregational church for many years. His piety irradiated his household, his secular cares and his place of business. Everywhere, at all times, he was the admirable type of a Christian gen- tleman. In the Conference, in the Sabbath- school, in the support of charitable and religious institutions, none surpassed and few equalled him. The young men in his office felt his influence very strongly. Of the many who graduated from his office, and came to fill afterwards, with honor, public stations in the councils of the State and in the halls of Congress, and in the courts of justice, twelve have been mem- bers of churches, and two have become useful and respected ministers of the Gospel. And none could bear higher testimony to the invariable and elevated religious char- acter of Mr. Walton than they.

Gen. Walton died Nov. 27, 1855, leav- ing, as might be expected from one of his liberal views, not much property, indeed, but that " good name " which is better than riches.

MRS. PRUSSIA PERSONS WALTON,

widow of the late Gen. Ezekiel P. Walton, daughter of Eliakim D. Persons, died at her home Saturday, June 22, 1878, aged 86 ; the oldest resident at her death in the town of Montpelier. The Watchman says :

The long life of this " elect lady," though filled with unusual cares and responsibili- ties, was nevertheless rendered beautiful by her naturally exuberant spirits, her

tender regard for all her fellow-beings, and her unfaltering trust in Him in whom she believed. Her kindly heart and her dili- gent hands were busy to the last in works of charity and mercy, and few are the dwellings among us but contain some dainty token of affection wrought by her deft fingers. The blessing of the whole community rested upon her as she ex- changed the imperfect joys of earth for the perfect bliss of Heaven.

DR. JAMES SPALDING,

who for 40 years was a successful prac- ticing physician of Montpelier village and vicinity, died at his residence, October, 1866. The following accurate sketch and deserved tribute to his memory appeared in the Boston Medical and Surgical Jour- nal : [somewhat condensed.]

"Dr. Spalding was born in Sharon, Vt., Mar. 20, 1792. His father, Dea. Reuben Spalding, was one of the earliest settlers in the State, whose life was not more re- markable for his toils, privations and energy, as a pioneer in a new country, than for his unbending integrity, and for the best qualities of the Old New England Puritanism. James was the third son of 12 children, all of whom reached maturity and were settled in life with families. At the age of seven he received a small wound in the knee joint, which confined him for more than 6 months, attended with ex- treme suffering. By the skill of Dr. Nathan Smith, of Hanover, the limb was at length healed, leaving the knee par- tially anchylosed, however, to recover from which required years. While thus con- fined, probably from estimation of Dr. Smith, which estimation was retained through life, he decided to be a physician and surgeon. He never attended a high school or academy, but he acquired a good common school education, besides storing his mind with much general knowledge and that mental discipline which so highly distinguished him in after life. He com- menced study at the age of 17 with Dr. Eber Carpenter, of Alstead, N. H., stip- ulating the expenses of his education should be defrayed by his practicing one year with the Doctor after he had graduated. He applied himself with uncommon assiduity

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to his medical studies, taking, at the same time, private lessons in Greek and Latin. At 20 years he graduated at the Dartmouth Medical Institution, having heard the lec- tures from Smith and Perkins.

While a student, his opportunities for practice were very extensive ; the spotted fever prevailed generally throughout New England. This epidemic was truly appal- ling in Alstead and the neighboring towns. Dr. Spalding brought his discriminating mind to the subject with all the close ob- servation of a veteran in the science, and arrived at the same conclusions as to its pathology and treatment as others who stood the most eminent in the profession. His position was very embarrassing, being called the " boy physician," having to meet veterans in the profession for whom he entertained an exalted opinion. Modesty would hardly permit him to differ from them, yet he had so studied this epidemic, in most cases his views and treatment were adopted.

After practicing 2 years in Alstead with Dr. Carpenter, he commenced business in Claremont, but having friends in Mont- pelier, was induced to remove to this place. Though but a boy, he had seen much practice, and performed many surgical op- erations, and it required but a short time for him to gain general confidence as a physician, and more especially as a sur- geon, which he retained without abatement through life. His fixed purpose was im- provement in his profession ; he never en- gaged in any other business or sought any political preferment. Others may have done more under other circumstances, yet by his example, integrity, industry, com- munications for the' medical journals, and dissertations before the County and State Medical Societies, from time to time, it may be said, he added something to the gen- eral stock of knowledge in his profession, and that as a surgeon he was successful above most others. His particular trait of mind was a sound judgment, based upon a careful, discriminating examination of all the evidence which gave in each individual case its peculiar characteristic. Well in- formed in books and the general principles

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The History of Washington County in the Vermont historical gazetteer : including a county chapter and the local histories of the towns of Montpelier., Part 72

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Montpelier, Vt. : Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press Number of Pages: 1064

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Montpelier, Vt. : Vermont Watchman and State Journal Press
Number of Pages: 1064