The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 2, Part 57

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: White River Junction VT : White River Paper Co.
Number of Pages: 848

USA > Vermont > Rutland County > The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 2 > Part 57

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The victims of this disease frequently died in 24 hours from the time taken. Doctor Hol- ton was regarded a good physician, and had a large practice in Shrewsbury and the neighbor- ing towns.

My mother was a modest, sensible woman, and remarkably fine looking to her last days. I remember a gentleman who was visiting at our house saying that she was called when she was married the handsomest girl in town. Is annoyed mother, but it pleased me. She dress- ed with the greatest simplicity, neatness and plainness. She lived only for her family.

Hannah and I after we were married, when we came home would try and persuade her to some change ; but she would never dress in only her own way-and she was just right for a mother. I never knew her have a day's sickness, except at the birth of her children, till her last days. When she reached her 89:5 year her cheek was rosy, and her hair hardly silvered : but in her 90th year she buriel her eldest favorite and last surviving son, with whom she had lived from the death of her husband- more than thirty years-and she mournel ber- self to death. She died June 16, 1843, aged 89 years, 9 months and 17 days.

HANNAH FINNEY, born January 24, 1784,

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VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

married January 1, 1800, to Doctor Asahel Holton - a bachelor, her senior by many years, but a worthy, intellectual man. I brushed around the house and put things in order-no one ever seemed to expect it of Han- nah : she was too choice. Every one of her family petted her for her gentleness and beauty ; and she was so young while with us -married before she was sixteen. The Doc- tor settled at the middle of the town. Their children were:

Ann, Caroline, Lydia and an infant son. Doctor Holton died March 16, 1813. Lydia, named for me a lovely little girl of 6 years, took the epidemic from her father and died. The infant son died from paregoric-an over- dose given by a girl with whom the babe was left in the mother's absence.

Ann, (Holton) my eldest and favorite niece, married-1st, Francis W. Dana, brother of Doctor A. G Dana of Brandon-and 2d, Her- mann Schaffer, a German gentleman, with whom, after a few years she went to Germany and lived some years, till Mr. Schaffer died, when she returned. She buried her only son by her first husband -Charles F. Dana, alder- man in Boston 1864-'67, and died at her res- idence there in the summer of '69.

Caroline (Holton) married John A. Conant of Brandon in 1824-a fine spirited woman -warm, impulsive in her friendships-the most generous of my nieces. After I was a widow the second time, the Thanksgiving turkey and accompaniments came to me as long as she lived. She died Nov. 9, 1867.

My sister Hannah married (2d) John Jack. son of Sudbury, in which town they lived many years-later removed to Brandon, where both died. Their children were: Levi -lives in Canada : John, dead, the best of sons to his mother, and the most thoughtful for me of any of my friends : I liked John very much. Ellen Hannah, married George W. Palmer, June, 1851,-resides in Boston- at the ' Prince of Wales' ball, on his visit to Boston, was called the handsomest dressed lady in the room. Jane Frances, married James Hastings of Brandon

LEVI,-Born Aug. 20, 1787, married May 29, 1813. Orpha Clark (sister of my first hus- band). Br ther Levi was Colonel of the militia, and in the war of 1812. He had a tall figure, proud carriage, dark hair, flashing dark eyes and fine military turn; at an officers' muster on horseback he was called

the handsomest officer in the field. But in the prime of life, being out all night in a cold rain (he was sheriff, and after a thief) he took cold, and chronic rheumatism, hereditary with the men of the family, set in, and he was a cripple in his feet for life. He could only hobble about on his toes, till at length he had a machine made in which to carry about his feet. For thirty years he was a great sufferer. He died at the old Finney tavern stand, to which he succeeded after the death of his father, May 19, 1848, and his wife in Shelburne, October 9, 1853. Their children were: Darwin Asahel (see bi. sketch following); Hannibal H., married Mary Wil- oughby ; a farmer resides in Ohio; Cynthia Helen, married Ezra Meech, Jr., lives in Shelburne ; Mary, married Dr. David Cham- berlain, lives in Leroy, N. Y. ; Asahel Clark, married Mary Edson, lives in Pennsylvania ; Caroline, married W. H. Barker, resided on the old Shelburne homestead till the winter of '67, removed to Burlington.

ALVIN FINNEY, (son of Nathan) born May 9, 1787, married Lydia Florida, Aug. 30, 1812; died at Castleton, where he had been conveyed for medical aid, July 24, 1821 : children, Nathan, Jr., and George. His wid- ow married and went to Texas.

Cynthia, (daughter of Nathan) born Nov. 30, 1792, married Hannibal Hodges (see pa- per on Hodges family by the late Henry II. Hodges, Clarendon) April 5, 1812; died in child-bed, Nov. 10, 1815; left one daughter -Sophia. My sister Cynthia had hair (dark, not black) that, when she sat in a chair, swept the floor-the black, Finney eyes and motli- er's oval face. I remember her at a ball one night. She wore a rept rose pink silk, al- most as handsome as her cheek. One of the first gentlemen present said to me-" Your sister, Mrs. Hodges, is the most beautiful woman that I ever saw in a ball-room." She was in her coffin the most beautiful of any one I ever saw dead.

NELSON, the youngest child (of Nathan,) born May 3, 1799 ; died March 19, 1804.

FINNEYVILLE. The name of our neighbor- hood and postoffice district was given when the postoffice was established : I do not re- member the date. It was kept by my broth- er Levi many years in the old Finney tavern. The office at length, after my brother's death, was removed to Cuttingsville, about a mile above, and the name of Finneyville was

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SHREWSBURY.

dropped. The name was born with the fam- ily and died with it.

It would not become me to speak of my- self ; you know all about me. I would rather have you write it than any one else."

[To here these remembrances of Mrs. Meech, at the time of her death probably the oldest native of Shrewsbury living, may be said to be et literatim; and here, perhaps, should be placed, last but not least interesting and honorable, a sketch of LYDIA FINNEY, 3d daughter of Nathan and Urania Finney ; wife, 1st of Asahel Clark of Mount Holly and Warren Co., N. Y., a man distinguished at the bar and in politics *- and 2d, of Hon. Ezra Meech, Shelburne, member of Congress for 3 terms-in her prime one of the most beautiful women in the country-living to a grand old age of 88} years, (almost)-re- markable for the vigor of mind and grace of woman till the last year of life. But the last days of our venerable, dear Mrs. Meech (as her most intimate friend the last eight years) are linked so close with our own life,-her trials, endurance, faith, trust and resignation are all too fresh : we could not write in that quiet retrospect most becoming the gravity of history. We have also a romantic sketch of her eldest son, born in Shrewsbury, Lt. Nelson Napoleon Clark, of the U. S. A., who fell in a duel in the Southern army, dictated by his mother, and culled from old army and family papers. As we are like to over-draw upon our editorial limits in this volume, we reserve these papers, as well as a sketch of her son, Gen. D. W, C. Clarke, for Burlington, in which city she resided the last 18 years of her life, and the residue of whose biography is un- der preparatiou for our supplementary depart- ment .- Ed.]

HON. DARWIN A. FINNEY.

Darwin Asahel Finney, first child of Col. Levi and Orpha P. (Clark) Finney, born in Shrewsbury, Vt., Nov. 3, 1814; studied law with H. L. Richmond, Esq .; admitted to the bar in 1841; married Marion Johns, daugh- ter of a physician in Erie, Va., and settled in Meadville, Pa. Says the Meadville Daily Republican t of Sept. 15, 1868, " Over thirty years ago" he came to Meadville.

From the beginning of his career as an attorney, he displayed remarkable ability, * See history of Mount Holly.

t For which paper we are indebted to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania .- Ed.

and soon rose to an honorable position in the profession. He served a term as District Attorney, and, in that capacity, his talents were first promptly brought to the notice of the bar and the public. In 1854, he was an Independent Republican candidate for the State Senate, consenting to run on the call of a large number of the people of Crawford and Erie. He was elected by a large major- ity, and afterward, in 1857, was re-elected as the regular nominee of his party. As a mem- ber of the higher branch of the Legislature, he won distinction, and for several years was regarded as the ablest member of that body. He was honored with the speakership of the Senate for one term. He was a devoted friend of ex-Gov. Curtin, whose confidence and esteem he enjoyed from the time they became acquainted, and his counsel was fre- quently sought in the course of his adminis- tration. In 1866, he was elected to Congress after one of the most exciting contests ever known in the State. He served through the first session, after which, owing to impaired health, he spent several months in his native State, and, at a later day, went to Europe, with the hope of regaining his health. He visited several of the most celebrated invalid resorts in Europe, but, instead of deriving any benefit, died at the hotel.

In early life, he was a whig, and acted with that party until its dissolution. He was always radically opposed to slavery, and aided in the organization of the Republican party, and no man in the County or District contributed more effectively to its success. He was a man of earnest, positive qualities, out-spoken in his opinions, blunt to rudeness at times,-a genial friend and an honest hater. Duplicity was foreign to his nature, impulsive frankness often gave offence even to his most intimate friends, but still they adhered to him devotedly, admiring him for his honesty of character. He was large- hearted and liberal, contributing to the wants of the needy, and aiding enterprises calcu- lated to promote the welfare of society and the community in which he lived.

During the war, when the first call came for troops, he threw open his house for quar- ters for the noble volunteers, and he and his wife entertained them with lavish hospitality. His well known devotion to the Union cause and the interest he manifested for the sol- diers, endeared him to the boys in blue, and to this, as much as any other circumstance, was he indebted for his success when a can- didate for Congress.

In his death, the bar loses one of its brightest members, the Republican party one of its most gifted leaders, and our com- munity one of its most loved and estimable citizens.

At the meeting of the court Sept. 14th, the Bar adjourned for the day, out of respect to his memory, Messrs. Pearson Church, H. L. Richmond and D. C. Mc Coy appointed to draft resolutions expressive of the sentiments

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VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

of the Bar. IIon. John P. Vincent presiding. From the Resolutions :

" The members of this Court and Bar de- sire to place upon record our hearty testi- mony as to his deep learning in the law, his honesty and urrightness as a man and a cit- izen, and his kind and genial qualities as a friend and social companion.

Resolved, That in bis death this court has lost one of its brightest ornaments.

Resolved, That these resolutions be spread upon the Records of the court, and one sent to the speaker of the national House of Rep- resentatives."

H. L. Richmond, Esq., stated that Mr. Finney was his first student, entering his office in 1839. He spoke of his rare ability, excellent qualities, and especially of his ar- dent love of country, which rose to an en- thusiasm, and was always conspicuous in his nature. He deeply regretted that a man of such intense patriotic impulses should have died in a foreign land .*

From the Eulogies of Hon. S. Newton Pet- tis and Hon. George W. Woodward, of Penn- sylvania, in the House of Representatives, Dec. 18, 186S.

Mr. Pettis. Mr. Speaker, since the ad- journment of this body last July an event other and beside the one solemnized yester- day has occurred, which I suppose it becomes this House to notice. But for its occurrence I should not now occupy a seat upon this floor, and but for the proprieties of life in this connection, the silence now broken by my stranger voice I should now, at least, have studied to keep. I, of course, refer to the death of HON. DARWIN A. FINNEY, late a Representative from the twentieth congres- sional district of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Finney removed from the State of Vermont to that of Pennsylvania about the year 1838, locating at Meadville, which was afterward his home. He graduated with high honors at Alleghany College, in the city of his adoption ; afterward reading law.

Mr. Finney was elected to the Senate of the State of his adoption in 1854, was re- elected in 1857, and served his constituents acceptably until 1880. In 1866, he was elected a member of this Congress, but I be- lieve was in his seat but a few days during the short session of 1867. The condition of

* Mr. Finney was at his aunt's, the late Mrs. L. C. Meech, of Burlington, an elder si-ter of his father, who was always very fond of " Darwin," as she called him, a few days before he left for Europe. He was very adverse to this recommendation of his physician, and shrunk from going as having some foreboding of his fate, and was homesick, peculiarly from the hour of bis departure till his death .-- Ed.

bis health while he was in this House was not such as to enable the members to form a correct estimate or obtain a full measure of the man. There were however, gentlemen on this floor on both sides of this Chamber who represent parts of the great State which he in part represented, and who had had professional and legislative association with him in his palmier days, and who, I may safely say, will take pleasure in testifying to his ripeness as a scholar, his success as a leg- islator, his aptness in debate, his power as a reasoner, his ability as a lawyer, and his no- bility as a man. .

His clear-eyed sense of justice, tempered with that mercy which always lived in his own warm heart, endeared him to all with whom he became acquainted.

It cannot be said of Mr. Finney that he strayed or lingered by the way for the pur- pose of selecting bright or beautiful flowers for the purpose of adorning his expressions, and yet few men either of the present or the past could submit their views on humane and professional questions with greater force or more peculiar and characteristic elo- quence. There was more weight in his argu- ments and speeches than poetic diction in their surrounding, and his success came chiefly from the prodigious power of his reason.

After disease had fastened upon his vitals, encouraged with the belief that a voyage to the Old World would have a restoring effect upon his shattered constitution, he consented to try the experiment. He continued, I am informed, his travels in the Old World until, not only paralyzed but prostrated by the ravages of disease, on the 25th day of last August (1868), at Brussels, Belgium, he died ;* and although his death was not en- tirely unexpected, the intelligence of the sad event was received in that State and the city in which he had lived from his young manhood, and where he was more than loved, with profound sorrow.

The Clerk read the resolutions ;

Resolved, That the House has heard with deep emotion the announcement of the death of Hos. DARWIN A. FINNEY. a member of this House from the State of Pennsylvania.

Resolved, That this House tender to the relatives of the deceased the amount of its sympathy on this aillicting event, and as a testimony of respect for the memory of the deceased the members and officers of this . Of Bright's kidney disease.

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House will go into mourning by wearing crape on the left arm for the period of thirty days.

Resolved, That the Speaker appoint a com- mittee of nine to attend the remains of the deceased on their arrival at New York from that city to the place of interment.

Resolved, That the Clerk communicate a copy of the foregoing resolutions to the wid- ow of the deceased.

Resolved, That as a further mark of re- spect to the memory of the deceased the House do now adjourn.

Mr. Woodward. Mr. Speaker, yesterday was devoted to funeral eulogies on the late MR. STEVENS ; to day we are called to mourn the untimely taking off of a younger and less distinguished, but nevertheless a very estimable Representative of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Finney first attracted my attention while he represented one of the western dis- tricts of our State in the senate. The judges of the courts, feeling that they were over. worked, had asked for an increase of salary. They encountered the customary objections to such measures, but Mr. Finney met the objections and the objectors with an energy that overcame them utterly, and secured, not all he sought, but such increase of judicial

salaries as laid all the judges, and I may add all the people of Pennsylvania, under lasting obligations to him.

There is no profession or occupation which brings out character into such sharp out- lines as the practice of law; and in the in- terior counties of Pennsylvania the lawyer is a man of all work. Not only is he an at- torney and barrister, but he is a special pleader, a conveyancer, a land agent, a col- lector of debts, and very frequently the exe- cutor of his client's will or administrator of his estate and guardian of his minor chil- dren. Besides all this, he is expected to lead in every local improvement. He is to be the foremost man in the community in building churches, school-houses, turnpikes, and other internal improvements ; and he is to sympathize with and direct all the move- ments of the social life by which he is sur- rounded. Mr. Finney fulfilled faithfully all these multifarious conditions. Had he been spared to the usual age of man, he would no doubt have achieved a national reputation like that he had already won in our great State, and which will descend as a rich leg- acy to his family.

SOLDIERS OF SHREWSBURY FOR THE WAR OF 1861.

Names.

Age. Date of enlistm't. Co. Reg't. Must'd in.

Remarks.

Ja's R. Wilson, mus'n 21 June 1, 1861

B 2 June

) mustered out June 29, 1864. =

John Smalley,

31 May 7, "

I I 2 2 20, '61 5 " Discharged Sept. 7, '61.

Jolin Leonard,

Jos. B. Needham, serg't 24 Aug. 28, 1861

C 4 Sept. { promoted Ist Lt. Co. H, May 5, '64.

Nathan G. Brown,

21 Sept. 3,

Edward R. Caswell,

19 Aug. 23, "

Dwight C. Gould, 21 Sept. 2,

" discharged Dec. 28, '62.

George M. Huntoon,

25 Aug. 21,

4 Died October 17, 62.

Elijah P. Needham, Eli Pierce, 21

26 "

21,

4 Discharged November 11, '62. 4 Re-enlisted December 15, '63.

Mortimer K. Headle, 21 " 26, =

27. "

5 Sept. ¿ mustered out Sept. 15. '64.

John Flanagan.

5 deserted Dec. 21, '62.

Charles S. Monroe,

27 " 22. 161

G I

5 5 Re-enl'd Feb. 20, '64; mis'd May 10. '64 " Dec. 15,'63 ; pro. cor. Mar. 1. '64

George P. Bixby,

29 "

27,

5 " Dec. " [wo'd, in gh since May 5, '64

Hiram J. Huntoon,

22 Aug. 27, "

5 Sick in Gen'l Hosp'l since June 29, 64. Transferred to invalid corps Sept 1. 6

Archibald M. Persons, 19 "

7 7 Feb. 12, '62; pro. cor. ; mus'd out Aug. 30, 't

William E. Caswell.

17 Feb 20, 43 Jan. 22,

7 Feb. 12, " 7 = died Oct. 3, '62. " died Sept 20 '63.

James B. Royce,

7 Pro. corporal; discharged Dec. 4, '63.

Duane C. Barnes,

23 Feb. 15, '62

I 7 Feb. 2S, { dischar'd Oct. 21, '62. [Feb. 15, '64.

George P. Phalon,

George Puffer,

23 Feb. 18, '62

I 7 7 1862 } pro. cor. Mar 19, " pro seg't; re.en'd " died Aug. 19, '62.

Albert Knight,

28 Aug. 31, '64

G 7 Feb. 28, ; re enlisted Feb. 16, '64.

Hollis K. Holden,

Robert Ripley,

18 Feb. 10, "

4 Deserted July 11, '63.

Newton R. Johnson,

22 " 23,

4 Discharged December 30, '62.

Nath'n W. Hewett. cor 23

Died December 8, '61.

Wm. H. Lord, music'n 19 Peter Brady, 21 22 =

23, "

I G G

5 16, '61 5 discharged Nov. 29, '62. =

William Fisher,

19 Se 4,

Orlando E. Adams.

18 Jan. 28, '62

RECRUITS.

I 7 Aug. 31, '64 ; mustered out July 21, '65.

4 20, '61 } died Oct. 31, '63. 4 " re-enlisted Feb. 15, '64.

SHREWSBURY.

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VERMONT HISTORICAL MAGAZINE.

Names.

Age. Date of enlistm't. Co. Rg't Must'd in.

Remarks.

Duncan Cuga, 19 Feb. 10, '65 D 7Feb. 10, '65. "

Lyman Rondau. 31 D

Julius S. Round, 21 Feb. 20, '65 vols. K 8Feb. 20, '65 ; mustered out June 28, '65. " K 8 " " " "

Stephen D. Round, 19

2D FRONTIER CAVALRY.

Clark W. Pease. William H. Lord, Wm. A. Dodge, serg't 18 May 29, '62. B

1st A C

Promoted 2d lieu't, Co. B, April 7, '64.

9TH REGIMENT VOLUNTEERS.

Oliver Barrett,

24 June 7, '62 B

9 1802 ( Mustered out of service, June 13, '65 = Wounded; in Gen'l Hosp'l Aug. 31, '64 9

Peter Madeline,

21 Jque 14, "

" Mustered out June 13, 65.

Peter Poncher,

" Prisoner since Feb. 2. '64.

Orrin B Cook,

29, "

B Aug. 31, '64;

Henry L York, 31

" 19,

B 9 Aug. 19. '64;

" [Jan. 20, '65

Wm. H H. Cummings. 23

J'n E. Huntoon, serg't 20 July 16, 62

Squire H. Holden,

39 July 23, " 18 Aug. 1, '64

18 Dec. , 63

E 11 Dec. 15, '63 ;

transf'd to Co. D June 24, '65.

Benjamin E. Crapo,

C 11 C 11

; died Sept. 7, '64.

William L. Mandigo, 18 =

Jolin McClay.

C 11

" mustered out June 15, '65. :

E 11 Dec. 16. '63 ; died June 28, '64, of w'ds rec'd I 17 July 6, '64 ; must'd out July 14, '65. [Jn. 1, '64

CAVALRY.

Josiah W. Crapo,

41 Dec. 4, '63

C'urren A. Shipee,

H 17 Dec. 26, '63 ; w'd, in Gen, Hosp'l, June 30, '64 H 17 died, on a furlough. 1864. "

Henry A. Starkey, 28 Dec. 4, 1863, H 17 Dec. 26, '63 ; pr. s't Nov. 19, '64, m o J'n 21, '65

2D REGIMENT SHARP SHOOTERS.

David Headle,

41 Dec. 7, '63 18 " E 2 Dec. 26, '63 ; died Feb. 3, 64. E

= ; trf'd Co. G. 4th vol's, Feb. 25, '65

Rufus M. White, 44

" ; pr. cor. Jan. 1, '65, trf'd to Co. G, 4th Vt. [vol's, Feb. 25, 1865.

VOLUNTEERS FOR NINE MONTHS.

21 Aug. 27, 1863 B

Thomas Callahan, Oren B. Cook, Archibald Hanley,

37 Aug. 27 '63

lienjamin B. Needham, 23

thaac Needham, 'dwin Pierce, eorge D. Pierce,

Newton Pratt.

William G. Pratt, Walter G. Sawyer,

William D. Sherman,

Almore E. Walker,

22 Dec. 26, '63

Promoted corporal July 3, 1863. Discharged May 11, '63. Died January 14, '63. Corporal reduced to ranks Nov. 3, '62

John Gilman, Jr., Nye J. Allen,

18 Sept.

5, '62

21 Sept. 10,

Discharged March 30, '63. Died June 17, '63.

Promoted corporal November 3, '62. Discharged Jannary 23, '63. Promoted corporal March 1, '63.

B Dec. 26,'63 ; not accounted for. Not credited by name.

Daniel Patch, 26

" 18, "

C 10 Sept. 1, '62;

C 10

B 11 Aug. 1, '64; must'd out Aug 25, '65.

;

sick in Gen. Hosp'l Aug. 31, 64

John F. Crapo, 24

C 11 "

; absent without leave "

Florence Driscoll, William Rix,

38 Dec. 2, '63

21 May 28, '64

Nathan Deporge,

36 July 1, =

22 10," B

" Deserted October 27. '62.

Thom s Ripley, Francis Belony,

22 Aug. 10, '64 B

9 Ang. 10, '64 ; mustered out June 13, 1865. "

Converse T. Trask, 18

" 31,

B 9 Aug. 29. '64; "

9 9 Aug. 18, '64; " transf'd to Co. E, 5th Vt. vol's sick in Gen. Hosp'l Aug. 31, '64 "

Alfred Desentell,

Edward Armstrong,

Levi P. Headle,

Calvin B. Jewelt, aohn B. Johnson, ejeorge W. Kinsman, chard Marshall,

B B

John Thomas, Two men,

Francis Bellamy, Benjamin E Crapo, Luther R. Dyke, Francis Fish, George W. Foster,

9 July 9, ) deserted October 27, '62.

Joseph Belney, 21

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SUDBURY.

VOLUNTEERS FOR ONE YEAR-U. S. NAVY.

William Broe, Thomas Cuningham, Benja- min Livingston, Charles M. Moore, John Wilson.

DRAFTED MEN WHO PAID COMMUTATION.

Aldrich, Bradford B .; Aldrich, Jasper; Al- drich, Truman ; Plumley. Franklin M .; Rus- sell, Ira A. ; Russell, Lyman A .; Saunders, Har- vey; Spafford, Nathaniel, Jr .; Twining, Bem- eley ; Waterman, Volney W.

FUNRISHED SUBSTITUTES.

Gould, Simon; Rodgers, James ; Shipee, Croman A .; Smith, Ephraim S .; Waterman, Henry A.

REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS.

Capt. Nehemiah Smith, Samuel Dennis, Mr. Lord, Capt. John Kilburn.

SOLDIERS OF 1812.

Joseph Needham, now (1876) living; Alex- ander White, Nathan Smith, Abel Willowby.

DRAFTED MEN.

Otis Shirtliff, Elisha Tombling, Thomas Gib- son, Levi Plumley, Joseph Ross, Philip Lord, Samuel Adams, ensign.

SUDBURY.

BY PLINY HOLMES.

The following names I find among the first settlers of the town ; namely, Thomas Ketch- um, John Gage, Timothy Miller, and a man by the name of Parks. These men com- menced settlements in town before the war of the Revolution, but at what precise time does not appear. At the breaking out of the war, the town was deserted, and so remained for several years.

I am not a native of the town, but settled here after I was fifty years of age, and can- not be as familiar with its early history as if I had spent my whole life in town. The most that I know is from making inquiry of the elderly people and by examining the early records, which I find to be somewhat nuti- lated. Several of the first pages of the first book of the town records are wanting. The first public record, that remains legible, bears date Jan. 15, 1789, and reads thus:

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The history of Rutland county, Vermont; civil, ecclesiastical, biographical and military, pt 2, Part 57

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: White River Junction VT : White River Paper Co. Number of Pages: 848

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: White River Junction VT : White River Paper Co.
Number of Pages: 848