The history of Washington county, in the Vermont historical gazetteer:, Part 102

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890, [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Montpelier, Vt., Vermont watchman and state journal press
Number of Pages: 1066

USA > Vermont > Washington County > The history of Washington county, in the Vermont historical gazetteer: > Part 102

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).

Mr. Brown at 21 came to Northfield, and cut the first tree in what is now the Center village, very near the old machine shop, where he subsequently lived. But few buildings were then erected on Dog river. Stanton Richardson's log-house, where the late John H. Richardson lived, was the only one accessible, and here Mr. Brown boarded, crossing the river on a tree that had fallen over it. Mr. Brown built a shanty very near the old town- house, to shelter himself in rainy days. It was his intention of making a permanent home at the Center, but his intended being in poor health, and her friends objecting to her coming into this new country, caused him to return to Brookfield, and he did not return until 1828, when he located on the road from the Center to Roxbury. He did teaming to Burlington, bringing back flour and other staple goods, which he disposed of. He married Ist, Anna

Edson, of Brookfield, in 1801, and they had one daughter, Rebecca. He married 2d, Dorcas Nichols, and they had 8 chil- dren ; Daniel, Anna, Isaac W., Susan, Eliza, Ruth, Joel, Jr., D. Amanda. Mrs. Brown died in 1863 ; Mr. Brown in 1869.

ISAAC W. BROWN

bought out his father in the hotel business at the Center in 1837, and for a number of years carried it on, a wide-awake, obliging landlord ; in 1855, moved to the Depot village, built some eight buildings there, among them the first Odd Fellows Hall, on Central street ; was selectman, lister, constable, deputy and high sheriff, serving in some capacity as an officer for 34 years ; was a director in the Wells River Railroad in 1872, and an agent for the Central Ver- mont Railroad. He married Sylva Elvira Partridge in 1835, who died in 1863; chil- dren : Jane and George W. He married Janette Taylor, who died in 1865 ; moved to Montpelier in 1866; married Mrs. Carrie W. Camp in 1868, who died in 1873. He moved to Boston, and married Mrs. Sarah A. Warren for his fourth wife, in 1874, and died in Northfield, Aug. 10, 1875.

Dr. CLIFTON CLAGGETT, born in Merri- mack, N. H., 1808, came to Northfield in 1832, and located in the Center village to practice. He married Catherine, daugh- ter of Harry Emerson, and has two sons, Charles C., William C. ; born in Northfield.

HARRY EMERSON, born in Norwich, 1781, came to Northfield in 1821, when about 40 years of age, and located in the Center village. He was a hatter by trade : married Dorcas Demmon, and had 9 children.

ALBIJENCE AINSWORTH, a merchant in the Center village, in the store on the cor- ner adjoining the brick dwelling of Col. Oliver Averill. He built the brick house in that village where Elijah Winch lives. His father kept the well-known " Ains- worth Tavern," on the hill road to Cleave- land village. Mr. Ainsworth married Emily, daughter of Rev. Mr. Lyman of Brookfield ; children : Mary J., Annette.

STANTON RICHARDSON,

born in Haddam, Conn., 1755; came to Northfield about 1785 ; was a prominent

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man ; held a number of town offices, being the first selectman chosen, and finally set- tled on the farm near the Depot village, where his descendant, John H. Richard- ardson, lived and died. He married Anna Doubleday ; children : Nathaniel, Sarah, Samuel, Ezra T., John, Anna, Sarah, Sylvanus, Horace, Prudence, Chauncey, all but two born in Northfield.

The wife of Stanton Richardson made once a journey to Westminster, on horse- back, with a small child in her arms, car- rying her eatables in a pair of saddle-bags.

Mr. Richardson having caught a bear with a pair of cubs, tamed the young ones, and they became interesting acquisitions, making themselves at times familiar without invitation. The family lived in a log-house with an old-fashioned chimney, inside of which you could sit, and, looking up, see stars in the evening. One night, when Mrs. Richardson had retired with Ezra T., an in- fant, one of the young bruins crawled upon the roof, came down the chimney, worked his way into the bed, nestling down between Mrs. Richardson and her babe. The child remonstrated, when the mother, seeing the kind of company she had, took the bear by the nape of his neck, and tumbled him on to the floor.

Mr. Richardson presented the town land for the first burying ground, near the Center, on "Richardson meadow," now owned by Mr. Gallup.

build a yard-fence to keep his little ones in ; but even this did not prevent another son, George S., from meeting with as sad a fate ; he was drowned in a wash-tub ; pulling himself up by it, lost his balance and fell in.

NATHANIEL, son of Stanton, was a mill- wright ; held offices in town; went to Canada to live ; returned ; built the two- story brick house beyond the Center vil- lage, where Israel Avery now resides ; also a house and saw-mill about half way to Roxbury ; married Nabby Bosworth, of Berlin ; children : Nathaniel B., Abigail, Caroline M., Sarah Ann, Melissa, Alonzo, Adelia. Mr. R. died at 76; his wife at 86 years.

SAMUEL RICHARDSON,

born in Haddam, Conn., 1742, a shoe- maker, was another early settler. "Uncle Sam Richardson " was a great story-teller, hammering out soles for the understand- ings of his customers, he would indulge in stories, not always careful to see how they would come out; and he was a devout man, also.

It is related, Judge Paine had loaned his trusty old horse to a woman who worked for him, to go to the South village to do a little trading, the Judge requesting her to One thanksgiving day Mrs. Richardson invited all the people in Williamstown and Northfield to be present. They came, and had for dinner boiled victuals, roast pig, beans, and baked Indian pudding, and a stop at Mr. Richardson's and do an errand ; on her return asked her why she was gone so long? She said, when she arrived she heard the old gentleman praying, and waited till he got through. The Judge jolly good time. For extension tables, said, "Well, what did the old horse say they took the doors off their wooden hinges, and used them.

about it?" Her reply came quick, " Your horse did not say anything about it, Judge. for he had never heard one before."

Samuel Richardson and wife Clarissa had two children : Hannah and Jonathan. Jonathan was the owner of the dog that Thompson in his Gazetteer refers to-that the river was named after. While out hunting, the dog attacked a large moose, moose hole in the river. It was in the spring the moose broke through the ice, and dog and moose both went under.

JOHN, son of Stanton, lived and died on the farm of his father, near the Depot vil- lage. He was a prominent farmer, and raised 7 children : Sarah S., George M., and was drowned, in what is known as the John Harris, Marshall H., George S., Mary J., Daniel W., all born in Northfield. Mr. Richardson died in 1834. His first son was drowned in Dog river, opposite the Jonathan was a noted hunter, and killed Io wolves in one day. house, when about 3 years old, and the father afterwards took the precaution to Samuel Richardson married for his sec-

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ond wife Jerusha Royce : children : Stan- ton, Lemuel B., Clarissa, Prudence, Aræl, Amisa, Martha, Jerusha. Mr. Richardson lived to 90 years, his wife to 85.

JOHN HILDRETH BUCK, ESQ.,

son of John L. Buck [Simon Smith was the first lawyer in Northfield, but only re- mained for a few months and left. The second was John L. Buck, for whose bi- ography see Reading, volume to follow.] was born in Northfield, and grew to his majority among the Green Mountains. He graduated from the University of Vermont in the class of 1850, and returned to North- field, where he remained in the office of his father until February, 1851, when he removed to Lockport, N. Y., his present home. Feb. 1854, he was admitted to the Bar of the Supreme Court of the State of New York. Aug. 1854, he married Harriet M. Fletcher, daughter of Hon. Paris Fletcher, of Bridport. In 1874, he was elected mayor of his adopted city, and served one term, declining a renomination.

DR. BENJAMIN PORTER,

born in Old Volentown, Conn., 1788, lived with his father, a Congregational clergy- man, and settled in Plainfield, N. H., until he was 12 years of age. He attended the academy at Meriden, studied for the med- ical profession, graduating at Dartmouth. This town was his first settlement as a physician. On his first visit, passing by where the Episcopal church now stands, he saw Judge Paine and John Green sow- ing wheat on newly-cleared land, and in- quired of the Judge if this town would be be a good place for a physician to locate. The reply was it would, if a man had a strong constitution, and was willing to work hard for poor pay.

The Doctor settled on the East Hill in 1816, boarding 3 years with Captain Jesse Averill, and moved to the "Post farm," where he remained 4 years, and went to the Center village; built the two-story brick house where he lived and died. He married Sophia Fullerton ; children : Eliz- abeth, Edward, Edwin, Benjamin F.

The Doctor had quite a practice, being the first physician in town after Nathaniel

Robinson and Jeptha White ; was good in fevers ; he died Feb. 21, 1876.

Dr. EDWIN PORTER is the only prac- ticing physician here, born in Northfield ; a graduate of the Vermont University in 1850. He studied medicine with his father, was a private student of Prof. Peaslee, of Dartmouth ; attended three courses of lec- tures, and graduated in the Medical De- partment in 1853; in 1854, combined the drug business with his practice, with Geo. Tucker one year ; has carried on the busi- ness alone since. He married Carrie S. daughter of Hon. Heman Carpenter, in 1867.

ROSWELL DEWEY, P. M. 6 years, has been surveyor, constable, justice of the peace, and an excellent teacher of sacred music 30 years.

DR. JEPTHA WHITE

lived on a farm near the Center village. He married Orra Starkweather, and had two children : George J. and John A. S., to the latter of whom credit is due for re- membering in his will the old cemetery at the Center village, whereby it has been beautified and improved by a nice granite wall in front. He was a prominent mer- chant, and had great influence with his party.

DR. WILLIAM J. SAWIN,

son of Levi S., studied medicine with Dr. Claggett, and graduated at Dartmouth College in 1854, and began the practice of his profession in Watertown, Wis., the same year; March, 1861, removed to Chicopee Falls, Mass. ; the following June, enlisted as a private soldier ; in September, transferred to 3d Vt. Reg. as hospital stew- ard ; served as physician in the 3d, 4th and 5th Vt. Reg. Oct. '61 to June, '62 ; pro. to surgeon in 2d Vt. brigade in 1862, and to surgeon-in-chief of brigade in 1862; was discharged with the roth Massachu- setts regiment at the expiration of his term of service in 1864, and returned to Chic- opee Falls. On the evening of Dec. 3, 1875, in the Asylum of Springfield Com- mandery of Knight Templars, while in the act of clothing himself in the regalia of his office, preparatory to being installed as Eminent Commander of that body, and in

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the presence of a large number of his brethren, William J. Sawin, an honored Past Grand Warden of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts, was stricken down by apoplexy and died instantly.

JOHN P. DAVIS, from Barnard, born 1819, has been in the mercantile business at the Center village since 1850.

Rev. SAMUEL WHITTEN, an early set- tler, at one time owned all the land at the Center village, before it was cleared. He was a farmer and Baptist preacher. He had nine children, Samuel, Woodbury, Joseph, Mercy, Rebecca, Clarissa, Caroline and Julia. He moved to Malone, N. Y., where he died.

DAVID M. LANE,

born in Hampton, N. H., Mar. 29, 1793, came here from Strafford in 1820. He was a surveyor, and the country being new, and property changing, his services were greatly needed. The writer has fre- quently heard him mentioned as a very promising man ; but he was cut down at the early age of 37. He built the first brick building in town, the old school- house at the Center, making the brick himself, burning the lime, and doing most of the.carpenter work with his own hands. He bought 100 acres of timber land, and was a very industrious man, beloved by the community, and left a wife and 4 daughters.

JOSHUA LANE, brother of David M., born in Chichester, N. H., Nov. 1798, moved here from Strafford in 1821, one of the most enterprising citizens of that day. His first move in building was on the Patterson farm, used lately for slate pur- poses. He bought and erected dwellings in a number of places, living in the winter in a house he built at the Center. Among his largest purchases, with his brother David, was the farm on the mountain, and it is thought, he cleared with his help around him some 300 acres of timber land. He finally settled in West Berlin. " Lanes- ville " was named after him. He was an enthusiastic Mason, and was buried with its honors. He died at 79, and left one son, Moses Lane.

Josiah and Moses, brothers of David and Joshua, also settled in this town.

MOSES LANE, C. E., son of Joshua, graduated at the University of Vermont in 1845. By Gov. Paine was appointed assistant engineer, Aug. 1845, for the lo- cation and construction of the Vermont Central Railroad ; was employed as a civil engineer on this and other railroads in New England till 1849; was Principal of an academy in Springfield, N. Y., 3 years ; was engaged a short time as resident en- gineer on the construction of the Albany and Susquehanna Railroad at Albany ; 1856, was appointed to the position of principal assistant engineer for the con- struction of the Brooklyn water-works, and has been constantly employed the past 22 years as a hydraulic engineer ; was 13 years on the water-works of Brooklyn, 6 as prin- cipal assistant, and 7 as chief engineer ; had charge of the construction of the Milwaukee water-works as chief engineer, where he was employed 7 years, and has been connected with other important pub- lic works as chief or consulting engineer. He married the daughter of the late Dr. Varney Ingalls, of Erie County, N. Y., in 1851 ; has 4 children, and now resides in Milwaukee, Wis.

HON. ALVIN BRALEY.

[See History of Hartford and Roxbury for early history.] After he came to North- field, was bank director, justice of the peace, village trustee, and interested in manufactures, and in 1868, was made Pres- ident of the National Bank, which office he filled until his death. His demise was a loss to our town, for he was not only able but willing to assist in the establishment of such institutions as promised to build up the place.

FISK BROTHERS,

Benjamin, John, Nathaniel and David, all stalwart men, of whom it may be said, "and there were giants," came from Wil- liamstown.

BENJAMIN was a storekeeper in the South village about 1816 ; married Hannah Herrick; they had 7 children ; Delphine, Philander, Caroline, Dennison, Sophia, Rosina, John D.

JOHN, born in Williamstown, 1783, kept tavern in the Falls village about 1825, quite

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a noted place for trainings. He married Betsey Martin, and they had 13 children : Olive, Betsey, Siloma, John, Lydia M., Melinda, Eunice, Azro J., Sarah, Lucinda, Maria L., Mary, Hannah.

NATHANIEL came in 1819, and died in 1861, age 87. He raised 8 children.

DAVID married Sarah Reed ; they had 7 children : Sarah Ann, David R., Harvey R., Ann Eliza, George M., Fanny C., Van Loren M. Mr. Fisk died in 1864; Mrs. Fisk in 1865.

GEORGE M. FISK, son of David, born in Wolcott, June 7, 1830. He studied law with Hon. Heman Carpenter ; was admit- ted to the Bar of Washington County in 1854; the Supreme Court in 1856; the United States Court in 1874; in 1854, went to Prof. John W. Fowler's law school in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. In 1863, repre- sented the town in the Legislature ; was a delegate to the National Democratic Con- vention in St. Louis, in 1876. In 1864, he built the two factories in the Depot vil- lage now run by Mr. Howarth, and put in the machinery now in use, had a large in- terest in the lumber business at Granville, Vt., sold the Union Slate Quarry, and other quarries of slate in town, is now [1878] President of the Northfield Savings Bank. He married Jane E., daughter of James Nichols, in 1856.

DANIEL WORTHINGTON,

born in 1775. He came from Williams- town, and located on the Garfield place in 1818. Afterwards he went to the Falls village, and bought the saw-mill of Free- dom Edson and built a house, when there were but one or two log-houses on the east side of the river. Under-brush and huck- leberry bushes covered the land now spread over with buildings. He married Polly Fisk, born in 1780, and raised 11 children : Huldah, Elijah, Sophia, Lyman, Mary, Rhoda, Daniel, David, Theodore S., Elias, Francis. Mrs. W. died in 1851, and he in 1866.

COL. CHARLES H. JOYCE,

the present Member of Congress from the First District of Vermont, came to North- field in 1850, and commenced reading law at the Center, with John L. Buck, Esq.,

read with him one year, then with F. V. Randall, Esq., at Northfield Falls, one year, and then with F. F. Merrill, Esq., at Montpelier, one year, when he was ad- mitted to the Bar of Washington County, at the September term, 1852. In 1853, Mr. Joyce entered into co-partnership in the practice of law at Northfield with C. N. Carpenter, Esq., and subsequently with F. V. Randall. In 1853, he was ap- pointed State Librarian. In Dec. 1855, he opened a law office in Northfield. In 1856, he was elected State's Attorney, and was re-elected to the same office in 1857.

As soon as Mr. Joyce was elected State's Attorney, his practice of law began to in- crease, and in Mar. 1861, he had a fine dock- et, and did a good business. When Presi- dent Lincoln issued his call for 75,000 men, he was at Montpelier attending court. He immediately returned home to North- field, and with the aid of some others, raised a company of men which tried to get into the Ist Regiment, commanded by Gen. Phelps. He did not succeed in this, but Gov. Fairbanks tendered him the po- sition of Major in the 2d Regiment, which he accepted, and on the 7th of June, 1862, was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel of his regiment. He remained in the service until Jan. 1863, when he was compelled to resign his position, on account of poor health.

After returning from the army, and par- tially recovering his health, he located in Rutland, resuming the practice of law in company with C. C. Dewey, Esq. The partnership continued until the spring of 1866, when it was dissolved, and he car- ried on business on his own account. In 1869, he was elected to the House of Rep- resentatives from Rutland, and again in 1870-71. The last 2 years he was elected Speaker, which office he conducted in a manner that pleased all parties, and made him decidedly popular.

Mr. Joyce took a lively interest in the campaign of 1868, stumping his own State, and making many speeches both in New York and New Hampshire. In 1874, he was nominated as the successor of Hon. C. W. Willard, and elected to the Forty-

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fourth Congress, and re-elected in 1876, 178. In the campaign of 1876, he made speeches in Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, Connecticut and Indiana, for Hayes and Wheeler.

Speeches of Mr. Joyce .- In the Forty- fourth Congress the first eulogy on the death of Henry Wilson ; speech on the cur- rency, in favor of honest money; a speech on the presentation of the statue of Ethan Allen, to be placed in Memorial Hall in the National Capital; a speech on the Cen- tennial Exposition to be held at Philadel- phia in 1876; a speech in confirmation of certain land claims in the Territory of New Mexico; a speech on the counting of the electoral vote of Louisiana, and one on counting the electoral vote of Vermont.

In the Forty-fifth Congress, speeches .- One on the contested election case of Patterson against Belford, from Colorado; one in the contested election case of Acklen against Darrell, of Louisiana; a speech on the " Resumption act, and the remonetiz- ation of silver; " a speech on a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States, relating to the election of President and Vice-President, and also re- lating to the Civil Service of the govern- ment; a speech on the Mexican Pension Bill, against restoring to the pension-roll the names of those which had been stricken off for participation in the rebellion, and a speech on the Tariff.

In addition, the Colonel has delivered nent in the raising of Morgan horses, speeches and orations on nearly every . Fourth of July and on nearly every " Dec- oration Day" since the war. His mag- netic, forcible way of stating his arguments makes him popular with the masses, and we predict for him a still more brilliant future.

Mr. Joyce married Rowena M. Randall, and they have had three children: Inez R., Grace R. and Charlie R.

REV. JOHN GREGORY,

born in Norwalk, Conn., Nov. 18, 1810; went to New York State when quite young, and served an apprenticeship of seven years at fancy painting, in the city of Al- bany. When 21 years of age, he com- menced studying for the ministry in the Universalist denomination. He was or- dained in Salisbury, Herkimer county, N. Y., where he made his first settlement in 1832. After two years' labor in this town he removed to Burlington, Vt., where

he preached I year ; from there he went to Woburn, Mass., and preached 2 years, and after a year's labor in Vermont, went to Charleston, S. C., where he edited the Southern Evangelist, and supplied the pul- pit of the Universalist church in that city I year. From Charleston, the climate not agreeing with him, he returned to Ver- mont, and preached in Montpelier, Berlin, Williamstown and Northfield I year, when he received a call to settle in Quincy, Mass., where he remained 3 years.

In 1842 Mr. Gregory was elected repre- sentative to the general court from Quincy, and from there went to Fall River, Mass., where he preached 2 years, and then came back to Vermont, and preached 3 years in Williston. In 1850, he came to Northfield and settled on a farm on the West Hill, thinking with St Paul it was no disgrace for a minister to labor with his hands, and engaged in stock raising. For 25 years, he was connected with the Vermont State Agricultural Society ; claims to have been one of the originators of that society ; was director of it during that time, and presi- dent of it 2 years, and some years had as great a variety of choice animals at the Fair as any other man. He was promi-

French Merino sheep, Hereford, Devon, Ayrshire and Shorthorn Durham cattle, paying $400 for one French Merino sheep that was raised in the vicinity of Paris, all of which were brought to Northfield to improve the stock of farmers. He assisted in establishing the very successful "Dog River Valley " Association, and served as president of it three years, having during that time fairs that were not excelled by any in the State.

For the last quarter of a century he has preached as opportunity presented in the "region round about" Northfield. In 1850, he was representative to the Legisla- ture from Northfield ; in 1856, was elected senator from Washington county, and re- elected in 1857. He received the appoint- ment of assistant assessor in the revenue department under Abraham Lincoln ; was re-appointed by Andrew Johnson, and continued in the service 103 years.

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Mr. Gregory desires to put on record his fidelity to the two great reforms that have agitated the country during the last 40 years, " Human Freedom" and " Temper- ance." Nov. 8, 1844, the following vote was passed and published in the Boston Trumpet : " UNIVERSALISTS ON SLAVE- RY." At the recent annual meeting of the Old Colony Association at New Bedford, Mass., the following resolution, offered by the Rev. John Gregory, of Fall River, was adopted :

Resolved, That as Slavery has been voted by this body to be " in everlasting hostility to the true spirit of Jesus Christ," we here pledge ourselves to discountenance this evil in all possible ways and forms; and will agitate the question in our several societies, and endeavor to diffuse abroad an honest moral sentiment on the subject.

While in the Senate Mr. Gregory deliv- ered a speech on " Suffering Kansas," that was instrumental in a vote being passed directing the governor to appropriate $20,000 for the relief of the people in Kan- sas, should he ascertain they were in a suffering condition. He has delivered a large number of addresses in Massachusetts and Vermont on those reforms, and always without compensation.

Mr. Gregory resides in Northfield (Depot Village), on Main street, in the only brick house in that part of the town, it being the third house built on that street. (1878).

Rev. JOHN GREGORY died suddenly of apoplexy at his residence in Northfield, Sept. 25, 1881.

ORVIS DARWIN EDGERTON,

born in Potsdam, St. Lawrence county, N. Y., Aug. 15, 1821, was the second child of a family of 7 children. His father, James Harvey Edgerton, was among the early settlers of that county, from Brook- field, in this State. The minority of Mr. Edgerton was passed going to a district school, working on a farm, and at mechan- ical business, teaching school, etc., with a few terms at the St. Lawrence academy.

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The history of Washington county, in the Vermont historical gazetteer:, Part 102

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890, [from old catalog] ed Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Montpelier, Vt., Vermont watchman and state journal press Number of Pages: 1066

Author: Hemenway, Abby Maria, 1828-1890, [from old catalog] ed
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Montpelier, Vt., Vermont watchman and state journal press
Number of Pages: 1066