Addison County VT

Biographical Sketch of John H. Donnelly

Donnelly, John H., Vergennes, was born in Clinton county, N. Y., in 1855. He was educated in Ontario College, and commenced his business life as a merchant tailor in Vergennes,Vt., in 1878, where he enjoys the popular trade of the town. He has his place of business on Main street and gives employment to from fifteen to twenty hands. He was elected alderman in 1885, and has been one of the city police. John H. Donnelly was a son of Thomas and Mary (McDonnold) Donnelly, who were natives of Limerick, Ireland, where they were married. They settled in Keeseville, N. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Levi Meeker

Levi Meeker came to Addison from Elizabethtown, N. Y., in 1806, locating in the southeastern part of the town upon the farm lately owned by Horace Meeker, deceased, and now the property of his nephew. He held various town offices, and died at the age of seventy-eight years.

Biographical Sketch of Thomas I. Woodworth

Woodworth, Thomas I., Middlebury, was born in Weybridge, Addison county, Vt., on April 5,1810. He was educated in the common schools. At the age of twelve years, in 1822, after the death of his mother, he became a member of the family of Harvey Bell, in Middlebury, Vt.; served as an apprentice with Joseph Sargent for seven years, at the gilding trade, and also worked as a journeyman in Troy for four years. He was married on May 20, 1835, to Betsey C. Albro, of Pownal, Vt., after which he engaged in the manufacture of looking-glasses, and picture frames, and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Adonijah Rice

Adonijah Rice, who was claimed the first white male child born in the town of Worcester, Mass., was one of the sixty-four original proprietors of Bridport who received rights of land according to charter, and it is claimed was the only one of the above grantees who passed their last days in town. On a stone in the village cemetery reads, “Adonijah Rice died January 20, 1802, aged eighty-eight years.”

Biographical Sketch of Benjamin Skiff

Benjamin A. Skiff, whose grandfather came from Sharon, Conn., in 1805, purchased the farm now owned by his son, Abel P. Here he kept a hotel perhaps twenty years; he died in 1815. Abel P., who is now eighty-five years of age, devotes his time to the culture of peaches, quinces, and pears.

Biography of Benjamin Kellogg

Benjamin Kellogg brought his family into the town in 1766. He traded his farm of one hundred acres in Connecticut for 3,000 acres lying in Addison and Panton. When the settlers were driven off, Kellogg went to Mount Hope, N. Y., with his family, and subsequently to Bennington, where he took part in the battle there. Subsequently he and Lieutenant Everest came back to Addison to look after the cattle they had left here, and found that a Mr. Gale had sold them to the British, and had also reported their owners as spies. They were both captured on the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of A. C. Hamilton

Hamilton, A. C., Cornwall, was born in Bridport, V t., on July 19, 1843, and is the only son of Hosea and Lucetta (Cooley) Hamilton. Hosea Hamilton was born in Bridport, Vt., in 1805, and was the son of James Hamilton, one of the early pioneers of Addison county, Vt. He was a resident of Bridport for many years, but the latter part of his life was spent in Cornwall, Vt., at the home of his son, where he died on January 26, 1885. A. C. Hamilton was educated in the common schools of Addison and in the academy at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jonathan Colby

Colby, Jonathan (deceased), Lincoln, was born in the town of Deering, N. H. He came from Ware, N. H., to Lincoln, Vt., in 1839; bought fifty acres of land in the southern part of Lincoln, Vt., which are now owned by Chester Bingham. He was a carpenter and joiner by trade, a business which he followed for some time after settling in Lincoln, Vt. He died in 1846. His wife was Hannah Wilson, a daughter of Robert and Rebecca Wilson, natives of New Boston, N. H. They had a family of six children born to them — Daniel S. (deceased), … Read more

Biography of John Strong

The Strong family has been a prominent one in this town. The Hon. John Strong was born in Salisbury, Conn., in 1738 and came to Addison in February, 1766, as before noted. After he was driven away from his settlement by the British he went to Dorset, which town he represented in the Legislature from 1779 to 1782, and in 1781 he was elected assistant judge of Bennington county, and re-elected in 1782. In 1783 he returned to his former home in this town. His first dwelling here was built near the lake and destroyed by the British. In 1796 … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Benjamin T. Field

Field, Benjamin T., Ferrisburgh, Vergennes p. o., was born in Ferrisburgh, Vt., in 1855. He was married in 1876 to Minnie Laduke, a daughter of Joseph and Olive Laduke. They had a family of three children born to them — Maude, Thaddeus, and Rose. Benjamin was a son of Thomas and Abbie (Herrington) Field. Thomas was twice married. His first wife was Elizabeth Rogers, by whom he had one daughter — Ann. He died in 1878, at the age of seventy-four years. He had two sons by his second wife — Benjamin T., and Orville C. Thomas was a son … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel Miles

Miles, Samuel, Monkton, was born in Canada on January 1, 1835, and removed to Monkton with his parents in 1843. He was married in 1856 to Phebe Ann Thompson, who was born in Richmond, Chittenden county, Vt., in 1835. They have had a family of six children — Ellen E., Alfred B., Francis A., Caroline E., Edward S., and J. William. He was a son of Henry and Mary (Hagen) Miles, who were born and married in England, and settled in Canada in 1832, and in 1839 came to Addison county, Vt., where they died in 1885. They had a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Erasmus D. Hall

Hall, Erasmus D., New Haven, was born in the town of New Haven, Addison county, Vt., on October 18, 1817 ; is a physician ; studied medicine at the Castleton Medical College, and began practice at St. Albans in 1844. He settled in New Haven, Vt., in 1850, where he has been in active practice ever since. He was twice married. His first wife was Eveline Sprague, to whom he was married in 1845. They had three children born to them — Francis, Genevieve, and Mary A. Eveline was a daughter of Anthony and Rhoda (Frisbie) Sprague. He was married … Read more

Biography of Arzah Crane

Arzah Crane came from Burlington in 1814 and settled on the farm now occupied by Shepard Olcott, about one and one-fourth miles north of Asahel Barnes’s. His daughter E1len is the wife of Asahel Barnes. He died at Essex, N. Y., in 1861.

Biography of Lyman H. Payne

Payne, Lyman H., Cornwall, was born in Warren, Vt., on February 17, 1835. His parents were Horace and Sarah (Blood) Payne. He came with his parents to Addison county, in 1837, first settled in Orwell, Vt., and remained there two years; they then went to Shoreham, where his father engaged in farming, and remained there about seven years. In 1845 he purchased the farm now owned and occupied by his son. He had a family of two daughters and two sons — Susan C. (who is the wife of Deacon Samuel James, of Weybridge, Vt.); George N. (of Bridport, Vt.), … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Charles W. Norton

Norton Charles W., Bristol, was born in Bristol, Vt., January 17, 1844. His parents were Wolcott and Mehitable (Thompson) Norton, who settled in Bristol, Vt., at a very early day. They had a family of four children born to them — Anson, Charles W., Lucy (now Mrs. A. F. Peet), and Cynthia (now Mrs. Daniel P. Peet). The son Anson is now dead. Charles W. married Delia P. Bushnell, a daughter of Ira Bashnell, of Starksboro, Vt. They have had a family of eight children born to them — Anson VI. (now a student at Dartmouth College), Edgar C., Ruth … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Francis H. Foss

Foss, Francis H., Vergennes, was born in Maine in 1837, and settled in Vergennes, Vt., in 1877, as manager of the Patent Roller Manufacturing business, and in 1885 he purchased an interest in the hardware business of Mr. Wright, and the firm does business under the name of Wright & Foss, dealing in all classes of carpenter tools and fine shelf hardware, plated goods, stationery, and are agents for school books and all kinds of farm implements. He was married in 1865 to Susan Witherall, of Maine. They have had four children born to them — Katie M., Bessie, Mary, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Deacon Lamond Gray

Deacon Lamond Gray was a descendant of Scotch ancestors who, in 1612, settled in the north of Ireland, near Londonderry. In 1718 the family of which John Gray was the head, with some forty other families, emigrated through Boston to Worcester, Mass. In 1743 the family settled in Pelham, Mass., where Lamond was born in 1753, the son of Daniel Gray. He was well educated, and for a time taught school in that vicinity. May 26, 1778, he was married to Isabel Hamilton, widow of Lieutenant Robert Hamilton, by whom he had two children, Robert and Isabel, the latter afterwards … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Enos P. Hoag

Hoag, Enos P., Lincoln, one of the most venerable and respected citizens of Lincoln, Vt., was born in that town on January 18, 1816. He was married on September 13, 1838, to Nancy F. Keyes, a daughter of John Keyes, a farmer at Acworth, Sullivan county, N. H. Their children are Alonzo (born in 1839 and died in 1858), Ameba (married Dr. A. J. Cushman, and died in Lincoln, in 1870). Mrs. Hoag was born on December 22, 1813. Mr. Hoag has been prominently identified with all the public affairs of his town, representing the same in the State Legislature … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Francis M. Strong

Strong, Francis M., Vergennes, was born in Pittsford, Rutland county, Vt., in 1829, and settled in Vergennes, Vt., in 1852, as a practical moulder and machinist; in 1856 he invented and manufactured what is now known as the Howe scales, and in 1864 he sold his interest to the Messrs. Howe & Co., and purchased the island mill; in 1868 sold the same to N. G. Norton. He then purchased his foundry and machine shop, and engaged in the manufacture of hubs. He is also engaged with Charles E. Parker in the manufacture of a road machine known as the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Plinney Wicker

John, Plinney and Ira Wicker, three brothers, came into town at a later date, perhaps in 1814. They were all mechanics and farmers. They built the house where F. G. Converse now lives, and kept a hotel, taking their turn in the management of the house, working the farm and working at their trades. John was the father of Mrs. A. H. Rice. The widow of Ira resides in town, a lady past eighty years. Roswell Mosley was an early settler in town, first commencing on the farm where F. D. Williams now resides, and subsequently removing into the south … Read more