Addison County VT

Biographical Sketch of Rufus Hazard

Hazard, Rufus, Ferrisburgh, North Ferrisburgh p. o., was born in Uxbridge, Canada West, in 1808. He has held several of the town offices and has been appointed executor and administrator of several large estates. He was married in 1835 to Sarah A. Allen; she died in 1865, leaving one adopted daughter — Mary Esther Anthony, who married Thomas R. Noonan. Rufus married for his second wife Mrs. Ruth Carry Holmes, who was born in Half Moon, Saratoga county, N. Y. Rufus Hazard was a son of Thomas and Lydia (Rogers) Hazard, who were born and married in Vermont. They died … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Capt. Gordon Munsill

Captain Gordon Munsill was born in Windsor, Conn., October 26, 1760, served all through the Revolutionary War, and soon after its close married Olive Carver, of Bolton, Conn., and came to Bristol with his wife and two children, arriving March 21, 1789. He had been in town the previous year, made some improvements and built a log house on his farm, purchased of Timothy Rogers, and now owned by E. C. Powell. He was appointed by the Legislature a collector of the first land tax in Bristol, was a selectman of the town seven years, a justice of the peace … Read more

Biography of George W. Sneden

Sneden, George W., Weybridge, was born in Weybridge, Vt., October 2,1839. His parents were James T. and Artamisia (Gully) Sneden. At an early age he removed with his parents to New Haven, Vt., where he continued to reside up to the time he attained his majority, working with his father summers at the carpenters’ trade, and teaching school winters. George W. was educated in the common schools, at the high school in Vergennes, and at Beeman Academy, New Haven. In the spring of 1861 he enlisted in Company B, First Vermont Volunteers, being the first man from the town of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Nathan Campbell

James and Nathan Campbell settled in 1793 on a lot embraced in the well known Benjamin Stevens farm, and remained there, each in a log house, until 1793, when they sold to Benjamin Stevens and removed from town. Stevens came to Cornwall from Pittsford, Vt. He suffered a cruel imprisonment of three years’ duration at Quebec during the War of the Revolution. He died June 16, 1815, aged fifty-three years. The site occupied by James Campbell was afterwards the house of Dr. Solomon Foot, father of Hon. Solomon Foot, and Dr. Jonathan Foot, a sketch of whose lives will be … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Daniel C. West

West, Daniel C., Middlebury, was born in New Haven, Addison county, Vt., on April 27, 1807. His parents were Joseph and Phoebe (Griswold) West. Joseph West was born in Danby, Vt., in 1777, and came to Addison county with his father, Israel West, about 1780. The family first settled in Vergennes, where Israel West followed his trade of blacksmithing for many years. He moved to Waltham in 1798 and purchased a large farm, and engaged in farming as well as blacksmithing. He sold out here and removed to the town of New Haven, and purchased the farm now owned by … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Homer W. Dewey

Dewey, Homer W., Middlebury, was born in Whiting, Addison county, Vt., on May 10, 1828. His parents were Truman and Elizabeth (Pratt) Dewey. Truman Dewey was born in Connecticut, and came to Addison county, Vt., with his mother and her family about 1785, settling in West Salisbury, Vt., and cleared a place there. He was a farmer and lived in various towns, and was a justice of the peace for many years. He had a family of two daughters and six sons, five of whom are now living. He died on April 1, 1864. Homer W. Dewey was educated in … Read more

Biography of Col. Lyman E. Knapp

Lyman E. Knapp

KNAPP, COL. LYMAN E., was born in Somerset, Windham county, Vt., November 5, 1837, and was the fifth in a family of nine children. Cyrus Knapp, his grandfather, was born at Taunton, Mass., December 8, 1769, and when a young man came and settled in Dover, Windham county, Vt. He married Thankful Stearns, who was born in Chesterfield, N. H., February 4, 1770. They had a family of eight children, of whom Hiram Knapp, father of the colonel, was the fifth. He was born in Dover February 7, 1803. He married Elvira, daughter of Jonas and —— (Page) Stearns. The … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Lewis L. Collins

Collins, Lewis L., Monkton, Monkton Ridge p. o., was born in Monkton, Vt., in 1832. He represented his town in the Legislature in 1878 and 1879; has served as lister and selectman for three years; also has held the office of justice of the peace, and many other minor offices of the town. He is a general farmer, and was married in 1860 to Louise Nye, of Monkton, Vt. They have had one daughter born to them, Alma, who was married in 1881 to J. R. Dean. They have had one son born to them, Lewis J. Lewis L. was … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Douglass

John Douglass lived on the place now owned by C. and C. E. Ward; Colonel Benajah Douglass on the place where his son N. B. Douglass now lives. N B. Douglass and his three children, James, Maria, and Lilian, are the only descendants in town of James Marsh Douglass.

Biographical Sketch of Curtes H. James

James, Curtes H., Cornwall, was born in Weybridge, Vt., on June 21, 1848. His parents were Samuel and Salome (Hurd) James. Samuel James was born in Weybridge, Vt., on the place now owned by his son John A. James. Curtes H. James was educated at the common schools, and also at the Burr and Burton Seminary, at Manchester, Vt., which he attended one or two terms. He was brought up to farming and remained at home until the time of his marriage, which occurred on March 9, 1871, to Catherine C. Jewett, who was a daughter of Philo Jewett, a … Read more

Cornwall Vermont – Town Organization

The town was organized on the 2d of March, 1784, by the election of the following officers: Moderator, Jeremiah Bingham; town clerk, Joel Linsley; selectmen, Samuel Benton, Jeremiah Bingham, Eldad Andrus; treasurer, Hiland Hall; constable, Barzillai Stickney; listers, Nathan Foot, Roswell Post; highway surveyors, Eldad Andrus, Stephen Tambling, William Jones, Isaac Kellogg. Other officers were from year to year added to the list, such as deer-rifts or reeves, whose duty it was to protect deer from the hunter from the 10th of January to the 10th of June, when their meat would be of no value; branders of horses, tithingmen, … Read more

Cornwall Vermont – 1885 Town Officers

The following are the officers elected at the March meeting for 1885: Town clerk, C. H. Lane; selectmen, P. N. Cobb, E. D. Searle, A. S. Bingham; listers, C. H. James, N. B. Douglass, R. A. Foot; constable and collector, A. W. Frost; second constable, H. E. Taylor; treasurer, W. H. Bingham; overseer of the poor, R. A. Foot; superintendent of schools, T. P. D. Matthews; auditors, L. W. Peet and Frank Warner; inspector of wood and shingles, P. N. Cobb; agent to prosecute and defend suits, C. G. Lane; representative, H. F. Dean; town grand jurors, W. H. De … Read more

Biography of Nathaniel Higbee

Higbee, Nathaniel, Monkton, North Ferrisburgh p. o., was born in Monkton, Vt., on January 10, 1831. He was married in 1854 to Eliza A. Patterson, who was born in England in 1832. They have had four children born to them — Mary Louise (born in 1857 ; was married in 1878 to Albert Baill; she died in 1882, leaving one daughter — Edith), Etta I. (was born in 1859 and died in 1879), Wilbur E. (was born in 1863), and Frederick N. (was born in 1868). Eliza A. Higbee was a daughter of William and Mary A. Patterson, who were … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Datus R. Gaige

Gaige, Datus R., Bristol, is probably the oldest living native of the town of Bristol, Vt. His grandfather, William Gage, was born in the vicinity of Poughkeepsie, N. Y. He was a farmer by occupation, and came when quite young with his parents to Rutland county, Vt., settling in the town of Dorset, where he married a Miss Roberts, and after marriage removed to Ferrisburgh, Vt., there becoming one of the first settlers in that town. But owing to a prevalence of malaria, the family were compelled to remove to Bristol, Vt., where he resided until the time of his … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel B. Booth

Booth, Samuel B., Vergennes, was born in Ferrisburgh, Vt., in 1842. He was married in 1865 to Phebe K. Orviss, who was born in 1842. She was a daughter of Lorenzo and Phebe (Kees) Orvis, who were married in 1841. She died on January 20, 1842, leaving one daughter. Lorenzo then married his second wife, Mary B. Hitt, of Addison, Vt., in 1848. They had three daughters born to them. Samuel B. Booth was a son of Jared B. and Hannah (Adams) Booth. She was born on May 22, 1811, and he was born in Vergennes, Vt., on March 27, … Read more

Biography of Amos Smith

Amos Smith came here in 1788, locating upon the farm now owned by Olin A. Smith. He died soon after, leaving a family of eight children, four of whom, Henry, Daniel, Rufus and Russell, located in the eastern part of the town. The four eldest sons were all at the battle of Plattsburgh, and were prisoners of the War of 1812. Truman, son of Henry, aged over eighty years, is still a resident of the town. Olin is a son of Daniel. Henry Smith, son of Amos, was born in Cheshire, Mass., October 6, 1769. He married Anna Blanchard, daughter … Read more

Biography of L. L. Wright

Wright, L. L., Cornwall, was born in Weybridge, Vt., on June 18, 1811. His parents were Samuel and Electa (Langdon) Wright. Samuel Wright was born in Amherst, Mass., on August 18, 1785, and came with his father, Silas Wright, to Addison county, Vt., in 1796. He died October 4, 1860. Silas Wright was born on March 17, 1760, and settled in Weybridge, Vt., on the place now owned by Mrs. John Childs and son. He had a family of three daughters and four sons, only two of whom are now living — Daniel L. (born on April 20, 1799 ; … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Henry Rogers

Rogers, Henry, Ferrisburgh, was born in Ferrisburgh, Vt., in 1804, and died on September 16, 1876. He was prominent in establishing the post-office at the Center, and was its first postmaster. He was a large dealer in, and shipper of butter and cheese, and an active man in all town affairs. He was married in 1835 to Susan Martin. They had one daughter born to them — Phebe Holmes, born in 1836. Henry Rogers was a son of Joseph and Jemima (Holmes) Rogers. who were natives of Danby, Rutland county, Vt. Susan Martin was born in 1814, and was a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Eldad Andrus

Eldad Andrus first settled on the farm now occupied by Mrs. T. B. Holly, and afterwards exchanged farms with Zechariah Benedict, whose pitch lay in the west part of the town bounding on Lemon Fair. His first house was built a few rods east of the present buildings. He was taken prisoner in May or June, 1778, by Indians and Tories, and carried across Lake Champlain to the British camp, where he was held for several months. Meanwhile the Indians frequently visited his house, consumed his provisions, destroyed his young fruit-trees, and stole his mare and her colt. It is … Read more

Biography of Judge Henry Lane

Henry Lane

LANE, JUDGE HENRY. James Lane, grandfather of Henry, born in 1769, came from Mansfield, Conn., and settled in Cornwall, Vt., in the year 1800 on the farm now owned and occupied by the judge. He died July 3, 1801. He left three sons — Job, James and William. James Lane pursued his professional studies with Doctor Ford, of Cornwall, and practiced his profession many years in Ohio. He died there, leaving a family of three children. William Lane was an enterprising and successful farmer, a public-spirited and useful citizen ; but in the midst of his activity he lost his … Read more