The history of Washington county, in the Vermont historical gazetteer:, Part 115

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 115

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).

Edmund Freeman lived on the S. W. corner of Freeman's pitch,-the farm now owned by his son Edmund.

Isaac Freeman built the house now owned by Elias Gladding, in 1806. It is on the N. W. corner of the Freeman lot (No. I, range 4). He taught the first school in town. Mrs. Daniel A. Perry is his daughter. He died in 1813, and his widow married his brother Nathan, who owned the S. E. corner of Freeman's pitch, next to Barre line, and to J. Wesley Batchelder's farm. Isaac Freeman, Mrs. N. W. Keith, and Mrs. Carrol Flood are his children.

The Batchelder brothers, Joseph, Moul- ton and Nathaniel, came from Lyndeboro, N. H. Nathaniel lived and died in Barre, and was the grandfather of the late J. Wesley Batchelder, of Piainfield. Lieut. Joseph Batchelder, then 42 years of age, commenced his clearing in the S. W. cor- ner of the town, in 1792, and moved his family permanently on to it in 1794.

Nathaniel Clark had commenced a clear- ing in Montpelier, on the farm lately owned by his son George. Neither knew of the neighborhood of the other until Clark one day, hearing the sound of chopping, start- ed toward it, and found Batchelder with a company of stalwart boys, who had already made a large slash.

Lieut. Joseph Batchelder had two daugh- ters, of whom Mary or Polly was born in Plainfield, July 26, 1795, and was the first girl and the second child born in town. She married Henry Parker, of Elmore. The other daughter, Nabby or Abigail. married Joseph Glidden, of Barre.

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The Lieutenant's sons were : Nathaniel, Isaac, Joseph, Jr., Alpheus, William and Josiah. Of these Nathaniel lived for a time on Batchelder's pitch, near the Four Corners, next to Montpelier. He after- wards lived on the spruce flats in East Montpelier, but died at Seneca Falls, N. Y., in 1843. The late Mark Batchel- der and Mrs. Sally McClure were his chil- dren.

Alpheus lived near his father. Ambrose Batchelder, now of Barre, is his grandson.

Isaac also lived on Batchelder's pitch for a time, and had a son, Josiah, 2d, who was the father of the late Harvey Batch- elder, of Plainfield.

William forged a note, intending to take it up before it became due, but failed to do so. He was arrested, and when the offi- cers were taking him to Barre, cut his throat at Joseph Glidden's, and only lived a few days after. I should not have men- tioned this, had not the family been so numerous that the disgrace if divided among them will not be much for each one to carry.

Josiah is said to have been the first man in Plainfield who paid taxes on interest money. He got thoroughly rid of that in- cumbrance, however. He was the " Siah " Batchelder who lived and died at Daniel Lampson's.

Joseph Batchelder, Jr., lived for a time on that part of Batchelder's pitch after- wards owned by Abram Mann. His chil- dren were: Alice, wife of Stephen, and mother of H. Quincy Perry ; Joseph Batch- elder, the 3d; Nancy, wife of Levi Bart- lett ; Fanny, wife of Jonathan Blaisdell, of Albany ; Abigail, wife of Asa Foster, of Marshfield ; Judith, wife of Wm. B. Foss, and Elijah A. Joseph, the 3d, was killed by his horse running away on the Lampson Hill, in 1841. He was living at that time on the Ebenezer Freeman place. His children were: Elvira (Mrs. Arouette Gunnison), Charles T., L. Cheney, Eras- tus B., Adeline (Mrs. K. P. Kidder, of Burlington), Sewell, killed by accident in 1856, near the place where his father was, Alpheus, Harriet (Mrs. Ira Nichols), and Wheeler J.

The Lieutenant's brother, Moulton Batch- elder, about the year 1795 settled upon that portion of Batchelder's pitch now owned by the family of Wm. B. Foss. He began work upon it in 1794, his family living in the Wheaton district in Barre, and he, passing to and fro by the guid- ance of marked trees. His children were : Nathaniel, called the Captain ; James, born in Barre, but at his death the oldest resi- dent, but not the oldest person in Plain- field : Jeremiah, called Jerry, of Barre ; Jonathan M., called Jack, who died on the old farm: Olena, wife of Sewell Sturte- vant, the veteran schoolmaster of Plain- field and Barre.

Capt. Nathaniel had three children, now residents of Plainfield : Alonzo J., Elvira (Mrs. Mack), and Bridgman.

James had 3 children : James Merrill, Daniel, and Mariam, (Mrs. Boyce, of Waitsfield.)

Jonathan's children were : Ira, Harrison, Adeline (Mrs. Levi Martin), Susan (Mrs. Arthur Colburn), Mary (Mrs. Wheeler), and Moulton, now of Lowell, Mass.

Isaac Washburn had one daughter, Pre- cilla, and 4 sons : Isaac, Jr., Miles, Asa and Ephraim.

Isaac, Jr., lived with his father, and opened the first tavern in town. It stood at the Four Corners, near L. C. Batch- elder's present residence, and was a large, two-story house, never entirely finished.

Asa lived north of his father's, at the top of the hill, on the place now owned by Nathan Skinner. It was the northern part of the Washburn pitch. He married Polly, daughter of Esek Howland.

Miles first settled on lands of his own in 1798, when he bought of Esek Howland the southern part of lot 3, range 2, where he built the first blacksmith shop in town. It stood near the angle of the road that now leads from Willard Harris' to the Barre road. In 1803, he sold this farm and built a house and shop in the village, on the north bank of the Great Brook, near the present tannery .. This was the first shop in the village. Gamaliel Wash- burn, of Montpelier, was his son. Miles

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died at New Bedford in 1823. He was for many years constable of the town.

Ephraim built a barn west of his father's, towards East Montpelier. He was en- gaged to be married to a daughter of Esek Howland. To get money to build a house, he went to sea, and the ship was never heard from. It was supposed to have been wrecked, and that all on board perished.

The Washburns were not able to pay for their lands twice, perhaps not once, and in 1812, Isaac, Jr., and his father sold their farm and went to Lisle, N. Y., and from thence to Indiana, but never again possessed much property. Asa Washburn followed them soon after. Of the four families who commenced the settlement of the town, Perkins soon moved away ; but some member or members of each of the others came to be a public charge.

Elijah Perry, of Middleboro, Mass., bought 100 acres of Batchelder's pitch next to lot 1, range 3. June, 1823, his daugh- ter, Sally, committed suicide by hanging, the only suicide ever committed in town. He was a brother of Elder James Perry. His son Daniel was the father of John Perry, of Rosette, wife of Charles T. Batchelder, and Harriet, wife of Daniel Batchelder.

The five pitches of the town all lie in its south-western corner. The remainder of the town was divided by the survey of 1793 into 9 ranges-the first range lying next to Montpelier. Each range is 160 rods wide excepting the 9th, which is next to Goshen Gore, and is about 90 rods wide. The first four ranges being short- ened by the pitches, contain but 6 lots each, lots No. 1 in these ranges lying next to the pitches, their south-western lines are irregular. No two lots in town whose number is one, are of the same size. In range 5 they commence to narrow, until in the 9th they come to a point at the corner of the town. All the lots adjoin- ing Marshfield are 110 rods wide.

THE ORIGINAL SETTLERS

upon each lot in town ; also the present owner of a part of the same, not with the

Allen Martin was the last one in town, sold before 1800, that preserved its bound- aries unchanged.

Lots in Range 1 .- No. I was first owned by SAMUEL NYE, of Falmouth, who sold the southern portion to HEZEKIAH DAVIS. It is now owned by Nathaniel M. Clark, whose wife is a grand-daughter of Davis.

ELIJAH NYE, of Falmouth, Ms,, settled upon No. 2. He sold to John Chapman in 1808 and moved to Calais. His daugh- ter Nabby, born Sept. 28, 1796, was the 3d child born in town. This lot was di- vided into the Thomas Whittrege or Dennis Vincent farm, and the Holmes or Dix farm.

Lot No. 3 was purchased by JOHN CHAP- MAN, of Montpelier. When St. Andrew's Gore was incorporated into a town, he gave a set of record books to the town to have the name changed to Plainfield. He was originally from a town of that name. The northern part of this lot he sold to Benjamin Niles, Jr., father of Albert, and grandfather of George Niles.

The southern part Chapman sold to Levi Willey, of Deerfield, Mass. This is the lower, or old Ozias Dix farm.

About 1811, Willey, after a visit to Montreal, was taken sick with the small pox, of which he died. His attendants buried him near the top of the hill, close to a large stone near Montpelier line ; then killed his dog, and the alarm in time abated.

The southern part of No. 4, now owned by Ira Grey, was cleared by BENJAMIN WHIPPLE. He was town representative, and held other offices in town, and was much respected. He removed to Middle- sex, Vt.

JOHN MELLEN cleared portions of lots 4, 5 and 6, including the meadow now owned by Prentiss Shepard ; but he lived on the eastern part of these lots, where Willard S. Martin now lives. The late John Mellen was his son.

Benjamin Lyon settled in the corner of the town, on portions of lots 5 and 6, which is now called W. S. Martin's Enoch Cate place.

Range 2-lot I was nearly obliterated by same, bounds then as now, for the farm of : Washburn's pitch, and was never by itself

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a farm. Its form is like a Carpenter's square, each limb being about 30 rods wide and half a mile long.

Lot 2, now owned by Mrs. Bridgman Batchelder, was settled by Thomas Vin- cent, of New Bedford, in 1796. He was a prominent business man, was the Ist town clerk, 4 years representative, and became the richest man in town. He was a very zealous member of the Methodist church. He died in 1848, aged 79.

Lot 3. The southern part was settled by Esek Howland, in 1797, who built a log-house, but was unable to pay for it, and sold the next year to Miles Wash- burn. When Harvey Bancroft was fatally injured, Howland was with him, and car- ried him on his back 100 rods to the house. Mrs. William C. Bartlett is his grand- daughter. The northern part was settled in 1801, by EBENEZER BENNETT. He es- tablished the first tannery in town, be- tween the Ezekiel Skinner house and the little rivulet, now often dry, just north of it.

Lot 4 clearing was begun by ASA Co- BURN, who sold to JOHN and THOMAS VINCENT, and removed to Cabot, but had to pay Allen for it in 1808. John was a less active business man than his brother, but was much respected, and was 3 years representative. His children were : John, Dennis, Stephen, of Chelsea, and Desire (Mrs. Coolidge Taylor.)

Lot 5. The south-western part was first owned by Chester House, then by Benja- min P. Lampson, who built what is now S. B. Gale's farm-house. Charles McCloud settled upon what was recently Allen Martin's farm. His house was in the pasture north of Martin's house. This is the north-western part of lots 5 and 6.

ROBERT MELLEN was a brother of the first John Mellen. He owned the eastern part of lot 6 ; also lot 6 in the 3d range, and in fact nearly all of what is now Plainfield village. In Sept. 1805, as he was riding home from North Montpelier, he fell from his horse, near the present residence of Alvin Cate, badly injuring his ankle. As they were carrying him home on a litter made of a straw bed, he said, "You will have to bring me back in a few days," and | by his son Dan. Page.

they did so, burying him in the graveyard there. The Mellens were from the old town of Derry, N. H., and they were one of the Scotch Irish families who came from Londonderry, in Ireland. Robert Mellen's house was where the Methodist parsonage now is, and his log-house was the first house built in the village.

Range 3-lot I was first owned by Lieut. JOSEPH BATCHELDER, but was first settled upon by JONATHAN WHITE, of Montpelier, who afterwards lived in various parts of the town. It is now owned by Nathan Skinner.

Lot 2 was first settled by CORNELIUS YOUNG, near where Willard Harris now lives. His father, Ebenezer Young, broke into a store at North Montpelier, and was sent to the state prison at Windsor.

At the time of the Plattsburg invasion, Cornelius borrowed a famous fleet horse of Willard Shepard, Esq., and passing every- thing on the road, was present at the battle. When the British retreated, he followed after, and seeing three of them leave their horses, he dashed in among them, pistols in hand, and compelled the whole three to surrender to him alone. At least one of them was an officer, and his sword, brought home by Young, is now in the possession of Dudley Perkins.

His last days were less glorious. He was appointed a custom house officer, and had various encounters with smugglers, in one of which at Cabot, vitriol was thrown upon him, spoiling his clothes, but not injuring his person. His ignorance of the law caused him to commit some illegal acts in the discharge of his duties, and the resulting lawsuits ruined him pecun- iarily and morally. He removed to the State of New York, and for some felony was sent to Clinton prison.

Lot 3. The south part was first pur- chased by JOSIAH FREEMAN, and is now owned by Elijah A. Batchelder. The north part was first leased by James Perry ; now by Daniel Batchelder.

Lot 4 was settled by Dea. NEHEMIAH MACK, whose house was in Ira F. Page's pasture, east of his house now occupied Russell Young,

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brother of Cornelius, owned 45 acres next to Lampson's. He went to New York, and was drowned in North river when trying to escape from the police.

Lot 5. The western part was settled by JOSEPH LAMPSON, who was for many years constable of the town. He was a weaver, a large part of the cotton cloth used in town being woven by him. Dan- iel and Benjamin P. were his sons; Mrs. James Batchelder and Mrs. Jeremiah Batch- elder his daughters. His farm is now owned by Charles Bancroft.

Lot 6 is in the village, and was pur- chased of Robert Mellen by CHARLES McCLOUD, 2d, and mills erected in 1798, which were burned the same year, and re- built by McCloud. The first framed house in the village was built by him, where the Methodist church now stands, and is the old house back of it now owned by Wm. Bartlett.

The first store was a small one, opened by JOSEPH KILBURN, in 1803 or '4, on the Silas Willis place, near the Great Brook. The building was owned by ELIAS KINGS- LEY, the miller, and when sold to Ira Day, of Barre, in 1807, there was a kiln for making earthen ware between that and the brook. The next store was opened by Philip Sparrow about 1804, upon the place where Andrew Wheatley built the large brick store on the north side of the Meth- odist church common.

SILAS WILLIAMS built and opened the first tavern in the village, which is now the southern part of S. B. Gale's house.

SHUBAEL WALES, from Randolph, fath- er of George C. Wales, built the first cloth- ing works, below the mills, in 1805 or '6.

AMASA BANCROFT, in 1809, built the first trip-hammer, south of the Great Brook and just above the present tannery. He was a son of Lieut. John Bancroft, an of- ficer in the Revolution.

There have been three distilleries in the village-one on School street, in Mrs. Chamberlain's garden, one on High street, in Wm. Park's garden, and one east of S. B. Gale's house.

The cemetery in the village was at first just S. W. of the railroad station. Among

those buried there was Parnel, daughter of Joseph Lampson. She was the betrothed of Geo. Rich, who disliked the place, and gave the land for the present cemetery, and those interred in the old one were re- moved in 1814.

Range 4-lot I, was settled by the Free- mans, as mentioned.

Lot 2. Clearing began by John Nye, of Falmouth, but first settled upon by Rich- ard Kendrick. The eastern part is now owned by H. Q. Perry ; the western by Hartwell Skinner and Enos P. Colby's estate.

Lot 3. The southern part was settled by David Kinney, and is now owned by Edward Bartlett. The northern part at a later date was settled by Jonathan White, and is now occupied by Solomon Bartlett.

Lot 4, now owned by Curtis Bartlett, was settled by WILLARD SHEPARD, of Sharon, about 1796. The first spring he had a yoke of oxen and was out of hay. He took his oxen and sled, went to the Four Corners near Freeman's, thence to Montpelier, and up Worcester Branch 2 miles, where he got a load of Col. Davis. By the time he got home nearly one-half of it had been shaken and pulled off by the bushes, which so disgusted him with that business that during his long life he never after bought a load of hay.

He had a small flock of sheep which he kept near the house for safety. One night he heard the wolves howling, and in the morning found they had killed every sheep.

He took a prominent part in town af- fairs, and did a large part of the business of justice of the peace. He removed to the farm partly in East Montpelier, now owned by his son Prentice, where he died.

Lot 5 is divided by the Great Brook. .The eastern portion was settled by Nathan Jones. The lot is now partly owned by N. C. Page and George Huntoon.

Lot 6, now owned by Orrin Cree, was cleared by John Chase, who, unable to pay for it the second time, went West, but returned and died in Calais.

Range 5-lots I and 2, were settled by Judge BRADFORD KINNE, about 1795. The northern part he deeded to Philoman

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and Stephen Perkins in 1803, but they oc- cupied it in 1801. This part is now owned by A. Gunnison ; the southern by J. Batch- elder. Judge Kinne was born in Preston, Conn., but moved here from Royalton, Vt. He was the most prominent man in town, and with good advantages might have become a distinguished lawyer. The story is well known of his defending Fisher in the suit of Cairnes v. Fisher, for assault, at the Caledonia County Court, where he directed his client to cry, when he himself did. Kinne made a pathetic appeal to the jury in favor of his client, who was a poor man, assuring them that "every dollar they took from him, they took from the mouths of babes and sucklings," at which dismal prospect Kinne burst into tears, and was followed by such a tremendous boo-boo from Fisher, that the damages were assessed at a trifling sum, although

the assault was a severe one. He re- moved on to the Washburn pitch in 1812, where he died in 1828, aged 64. Brad- ford Kinne Pierce, the distinguished Meth- odist clergyman, is his grandson.

Lot 3 was settled by James Perry. He was one of the first deacons of the Con- gregational church, but became a Metho- dist preacher. His farm is now owned by his grandson, Daniel A. Perry. The northern part of this lot was settled by Ja- cob Perkins, about 1799. It is now owned by Emmons Taft, who married his daugh- ter.

Capt. JONATHAN KINNE was born in Preston, Conn., where he married, and mov- ed to Bethel, Vt. He lived there 10 years. In 1793, he commenced clearing lot No. 4, living in a shanty through the week and going to Seth Freeman's on Sundays. He lived thus for two summers, and built a framed house in 1794, the first in town, whichi stood nearly opposite to H. Q. Perry's present residence. He moved his family here in Feb., 1795. The death of their little boy, Justus, Mar. 6, 1796, was the first death in town. He was the first minister in town, and preached for the Congregational church many years. He died at Berlin, in 1838. His son, Dea. Justus Kinney, lives upon this farm.

No. 5, is lease land. The southern 50 acres was leased by Dea. GEORGE AYERS, who was the progenitor of all of that fami- ly in this town. This place is now occu- pied by Ira Stone. The middle 50 acres of this lot was first leased by Elder James Perry's son, Elijah. The northern 50 acres was leased by Aaron Whittlesey. The last two portions are now leased by Levi Bartlett's estate.

Lot 6 is lease land. The eastern por- tion was first leased by John Moore, now by Hiram G. Moore. The western portion was first leased by Levi Bartlett, now in part by Lee Batchelder.

The southern . 100 acres of lot 7 was settled by ASA BANCROFT, of Warmouth, Mass., about 1797. About the year 1801, as he and his wife were coming home, one evening, from Jeremy Stone's the wolves began to assemble in their rear. His wife was on a horse carrying their infant son, Tyler. They hurried on as fast as possi- ble, but the wolves came so near, that they abandoned to them a piece of fresh meat that Mrs. Stone had given them, and reached home safely, the wolves howling about the house as soon as they entered it. Mr. Bancroft was frequently elected to town offices, and died in 1856, aged 87. His children were, Tyler, William, John, Eunice (Mrs. Ira F. Page) and Mrs. Reu- ben Huntoon. When it began to be ru- mored that the settlers' titles were not good, he went to Jacob Davis', who gave him security on other property, and sent word by him to the other settlers, that if they were frightened he would secure them. This quieted their fears, and only one or two went.

No. 8 was settled by JOHN MOORE. His son, Heman Allen Moore, born here, was elected a representative to congress from Ohio, in 1844, but died the next year. Wm. Huntoon now owns this farm.

Range 6, lots 1, 2 and 3, were settled by JOSEPH NYE, of Falmouth, Mass. Several members of this family settled in Plainfield, or owned land in it. They were of Welch descent, and when they first came to Falmouth wrote their name Noye. Joseph Nye was representative 5 years,

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justice of the peace a long time, &c. His son, Vinal, died many years since, leaving several children, Irving, George, Alanson, and Mary, wife of Edward Bartlett. Jo- seph's daughter, Sally, married Nathaniel Townshend, Cynthia, Daniel Gunnison, Augusta, Elijah A. Batchelder. Lots I and 2 are mostly owned by Dudley B. Smith. Seth F. Page lives upon No. 3.

No. 4 was settled by Elder James Perry's son Stephen, in 1818, who built the plas- tered house standing upon it, now owned by Alba F. Martyn.

No. 5, the southern part now owned by A. F. Martyn, was settled by Joseph F. Ayers, who moved to Thetford, and thence to Manchester, N. H. The northern part, now owned by Nathaniel Townsend, was settled by Gideon Huntington, father of Amasa, and of Mrs. Leonard Moore, and uncle to David and Samuel Huntington, of Marshfield.

No. 6 was settled by Frank Crane and Joseph Deering. It is now mostly owned by N. Townsend.

HARVEY BANCROFT, from Ware, now Auburn, Mass., settled upon lot 7, in the 6th range, part of lot 7 in the 7th range, and a part of lot 6 in the Sth range, next to the Bancroft pond. He was clerk under the attempted organization of St. An- drews Gore as a town. His house was opposite to the burying - ground near Newcomb Kinney's. While clearing some land, about 20 rods easterly of Benjamin F. Moor's present residence, he fell a tree upon a small one, which fell across another. The small one flew up striking him on the chest. He died July 8, 1797, a few days after the injury, aged 27. He left a wife and two small children. One died young, the other was Dr. Nathaniel Bancroft. His widow, Polly Carrol, married Sanford Kinne, a brother of Jonathan and of Brad- ford Kinne. Sanford purchased nearly all the land formerly owned by Harvey Ban- croft, but upon the death of his wife, in 1814, he went West, and his fate is un- known. Newcomb Kinney is his son.

No. 8 was settled by Ezra Bancroft, father of Horace Bancroft, now of Barre, but it was first owned by his brother,

Aaron, of Boston. It is now occupied by Duron Norcross.

Range 7, lots 1, 2, 3 and 4, were pur- chased of Davis by Enos Colby, of Hawk, N. H. He made a clearing and built a house in 1800, some fourth of a mile west of the Great Brook, on land now owned by C. H. Heath. He stayed in it one night, and then went back to N. H., leav- ing it in care of Moulton Batchelder. One Currier without leave moved into the house, and was sued off by Heman Allen, who found when too late that Currier was not holding under Colby, who thereby got it by possession against Allen. Lots I and 2 are now mostly owned by his grand- son, Moses Colby. No. I is only 20 rods wide ; 3 and 4 are partly owned by Henry Camp, whose wife is Colby's grand- daughter.

Lot 5 is mostly lease land, and portions of it were rented to Eli Boyd, Isaac Perry, James Perry, Jr., and the N. E. corner next to Moses Bancroft's was sold to Patrick Reed. It is now leased to Nathan Hill, Seneca S. Bemis and Lyman Moore.

No. 6 was probably first owned by Harvey Bancroft. It was on the north- east corner of this lot that he was at work when fatally injured. It is now owned by Joel Sherburn, Baxter Bancroft and Henry Moore.

No. 7 was first owned by Harvey Ban- croft and Charles Bancroft. Lee Martin's farm is a part of it.

No. S was settled by ZOPHER STURTE- VANT, of Worcester, Mass. He was per- suaded by his friend Harvey Bancroft to come up and buy a farm next to him. He returned to Mass. to earn money to pay for it, and while there heard of Bancroft's death. Sewell Sturtevant was his son. It is now occupied by Newcomb Kinney.

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The history of Washington county, in the Vermont historical gazetteer:, Part 115

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