Addison Vermont

Biographical Sketch of Peleg Whitford

Peleg Whitford, the founder of the Whitford family in Addison, was born in Rhode Island in 1744, and after three months’ schooling was apprenticed to a tailor. He married in the town of Coventry, and removed to Lanesboro, Mass., living for a short time near a place called “Cheshire Meeting-House,” and since known as “Whitford’s Rocks.” In the spring of 1781 he again moved, this time to Shaftsbury, Vt., where he remained until February, 1802, when he sold out and came to this town, and resided here until his death, at the age of eighty-eight years. His only son, William, … 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 Israel Taylor

Israel Taylor came to Addison from Middlebury in 1816. He followed the carpenter and joiner trade; reared nine children, two of whom, Cyrillo H. and Esther, now reside here.

Addison Vermont – Postmasters

The first post-office in the town was established at Chimney Point about 1823, with Amos B. Chubb, postmaster. He held the office about two years, and was succeeded by Byron Murray, and he by Asahel Barnes, sr., who held the Office until he went to Burlington, in 1841, when Dr. Prentiss Cheney had it for a time; then Dr. David C. Goodale, and finally, in the autumn of 1847, it was taken by Asahel Barnes, Jr., who has been continued in the office up to the present time. At the Corners a very early postmaster was Gideon Seeger. The present … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Abel Norton

Abel Norton, from Connecticut, located upon the farm now owned by Hiram Norton, in 1790, and died here in 1833, aged fifty-six years. Hiram has eight children, all of whom except Lucy (Mrs. F. M. Moulton, of Vergennes) reside near the old farm.

Addison Vermont – Town Organization

The town was organized and the first town meeting held March 29, 1784, when the following list of officers was chosen to govern its affairs: Captain Zadock Everest, moderator; Colonel John Strong, clerk; Colonel John Strong, Zadock Everest and Joshua Whitney, selectmen; Colonel John Strong, treasurer; Lieutenant David Vallance, constable; Benjamin Paine, Benjamin Everest and Lieutenant Joshua Whitney, listers; David Vallance, collector; Colonel John Strong, leather sealer; John Ward and Ebenezer Wright, grand jurors; Joseph Chilson, tithingman; Timothy Woodford, brander of horses; Samuel Strong, pound-keeper; and Benjamin Everest and David Whitney, fence viewers. It was also voted at this meeting … Read more

Biography of Benjamin Southard

Benjamin Southard, from New Jersey, settled upon a farm in the southern part of the town; married Cynthia Mason, reared fourteen children, and died August 7, 1845. Ransom Southard is the only descendant now in the town.

Biography of Elijah Elmer

Elijah Elmer, from Amherst, Mass., came to Addison in 1783, locating upon the farm now owned by his grandson, Wright Elmer. He had a family of four sons, only one of whom, Chester, attained mature age. He married a sister of Governor Silas Wright.

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 Gen. David Whitney

General David Whitney came here soon after the Revolution and located upon the farm previously owned by Kellogg; but subsequently removed to a farm on the north bank of Ward’s Creek, where lie resided until a few years previous so his death, when he removed to Bridport. He died May 10, 1850, aged ninety-three years. He was a member of the constitutional conventions of 1793, 18I4, 1836 and 1843; represented Addison in the Legislatures of 1790, ’92, ’93, ’97, 1808 to 1815 and ’24, and was during his long life here one of the leading men of the town.

Biography of Asahel Barnes

Asahel Barnes was a native of Bristol, Conn. From there he removed to New Haven, where he remained about seven years, then went to Canada and remained two years, and finally in 1823 came to Addison, locating upon the place now occupied by his son Asahel, Jr. The earliest settler on this place was Benjamin Paine, though Mr. Barnes bought it of James Lewis, whose wife was an adopted daughter of Paine. Mr. Barnes died In June, 1859, in his eighty-second year, while on a visit to his daughter, Mrs. Alfred Roscoe, of New Haven. Asahel, Jr., was born in … Read more

Addison Vermont – Early Settlements

One of the soldiers of Amherst was named Benjamin Kellogg, from Connecticut. It is said that while stationed at Crown Point he frequently visited the Salt Licks, near where the mansion of General John Strong was subsequently built, to procure venison for the officers of the army. It is believed that the clearings made by the French, and the promising character of the locality, made an impression upon his mind, and that when lie returned he told his acquaintances of the advantages of the place for settlement. He returned to his old hunting grounds in the fall of 1762, and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James Gorham

James Gorham came on foot from Massachusetts in 1810, locating upon the farm now owned by his son Edward. He was a carpenter and joiner by trade, and was ever respected as an upright, industrious citizen.

Addison Vermont

THE town of Addison lies on the shore of Lake Champlain, in the western part of Addison county, and is bounded on the north by Panton; east by Waltham and Weybridge; south by Bridport, and west by Lake Champlain. The surface of the town is level or with a gradual slope towards the lake, except the extreme eastern part, which becomes hilly or mountainous, the highest elevation being Snake Mountain (or Grandview Mountain, as it is now called; this elevation rises to a height of 1,310 feet above sea level, and is the highest point in the county west of … Read more

Biography of William Allis

William Allis, from Massachusetts, came to Addison in 1785, locating upon the farm now Owned by Edgar, son of the late Nathaniel Allis, who was his last surviving child. The present house was built by Nathaniel in 1831, succeeding the old log house.

Biography of Samuel J. Benedict

Samuel J. Benedict is a son of John Benedict, an early settler in Weybridge, who died in Cornwall in 1873, aged eighty-seven years. S. J. Benedict has been in Addison thirty-four years, thirty-one of which on this place, which he sold to his son-in-law, Frederick P. Owen, in the spring of 1883.

Biographical Sketch of Henry Brevoort

Henry Brevoort came from West Haven, Vt., in 1811, and located upon the farm now owned by his son Henry F. He was a tanner and shoemaker by trade, and a very public-spirited man. He represented the town in the Legislature in 1825-26; was a justice of the peace thirty years, and died here in 1880, aged ninety-two years.

Addison Vermont – Churches

The Grandview House, located upon the summit of Snake Mountain, was built in 1874 by Jonas N. Smith, the present proprietor. It has an observatory sixty-eight feet in height, from which an unexcelled view of the surrounding country may be obtained, showing quite distinctly the old forts at Ticonderoga and Crown Point, a fine view of Lake George, South Bay, West Whitehall, Lake Champlain from South Bay to Cumberland Head, Crown Point village and furnaces, Port Henry and its two furnaces, Moriah Four Corners, Moriah Center, Mineville, Westport, Split Rock, Point Essex, the spires of churches in Plattsburgh, Middlebury, Vergennes, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jonah Case

Jonah Case located in the northeastern part of the town, on the old “‘Squire Arzah Crane place,” where William J. Conant recently resided. The old brick house is still standing, built by him in 1780 – the first brick dwelling erected in the county. Here he kept a public house for a long time, and the county courts were held here for several years. It is said that Case first built a log house but while putting on the roof the building was blown down, and that he then built the present house of brick manufactured on the farm. In … Read more

Biography of Frank Adams

Frank Adams, from Salisbury, one of the original proprietors, was an early settler. His father, Benjamin, came on subsequently, locating upon the farm now owned by his great-grandson, William Adams. Benjamin was commissioned a second lieutenant by President Hancock in 1776, and afterwards took a prominent part in the war.