Middlebury Vermont

Biography of James Barclay Jermain

JAMES BARCLAY JERMAIN A VENERABLE Albanian, whose name will be cherished by thousands of his fellow-citizens as a noble philanthropist, long after he shall have passed from the scenes and activities of earth, is James Barclay Jermain. His career as a benefactor to his race affords a happy illustration of what is true, spiritual and beautiful in Christianity. Favored with large pecuniary means he has not been slow to use money liberally in such ways as he believes to t s effective in accomplishing the greatest amount of good to the largest number of individuals in elevating them socially, intellectually … Read more

Biography of Hon. George W. Vinton

It is a pleasure for the writer to take up the career of men who, through long years of residence in Rock Island County, have by their upright lives and splendid deeds won for themselves the enduring respect and regard of their fellow citizens. In this class the Honorable George W. Vinton stands prominent. He was born at Middlebury, Vermont, December 5, 1834. His father was John A. Vinton, who served as a drummer boy during the War of 1812. After the close of that war the father received from the United States Government a tract of land for his … Read more

Biography of Cyrus Strong Merrill, M. D.

CYRUS STRONG MERRILL, M. D. AMONG the noted professional men of Albany no name shines with greater resplendency in a special department of science than that of Dr. C. S. Merrill, the eminent oculist and aurist. On the 21st of September, 1847, in the town of Bridport, Vermont, he first saw the light. His parents were Edward Henry Merrill and Sarah Wilson Strong, whose ancestors were among the earliest settlers of that state and exerted a marked influence on its affairs before, as well as since the revolution. From his earliest years the natural inclination of his genius was plainly … Read more

Photos from the Middlebury College Online Digital Archives

Sylvester Baron Partridge, Class of 1861

As I was creating the page for the Middlebury College Online Digital Archives it quickly became obvious that a separate page would be needed for those photographs identified with a person’s name. It is unfortunate that those posting took two different avenues, as some photographs are listed by the first name, some by the last name. I have listed each group as they appear below. Please make sure you check both listings for your ancestor if they attended the school, or had other interaction with the school. People Listed by First Name A A. Barton Hepburn, Middlebury College Trustee A. … Read more

The Middlebury Campus

1905 Inaugural issue of the Middlebury Campus Newspaper

The Middlebury Campus was a newspaper published by the Middlebury college since 1905 and most issues from 1905-2007 have been placed online digitally. You may read, search, print, or download these papers. The paper when it originally came out included obituaries of past alumni and attendees, so if your ancestor attended Middlebury College it’s possible there is an obituary published within its pages.

Biography of John Deere

No citizen in Rock Island County, or throughout the country, was probably more widely known than John Deere of Moline. He was born at Rutland, Vermont, February 7, 1804, and died May 17, 1886. 1805 the family moved to Middlebury, Vermont, where the children attended school in a district schoolhouse, which had a long fire place across the end of the room. The reading, writing and little arithmetic obtained here, before he was twelve years old, was the principal educational start Mr. Deere had for life. He afterwards attended private school for a few months, but the inborn inclination for … Read more

Biography of Hiland Southworth

Hiland Southworth. Abilene was far out on the western frontier when a young lawyer named Hiland Southworth joined himself to the community in 1878. In the growth and development of the city and surrounding connty Mr. Southworth afterward had a most infinential and active part. His own success and prosperity rose with the community and he made his business, that of investment banking, a tried and sure resource and a bulwark of financial integrity. The judgment and abilities required for the handling of investments both large and small Mr. Southworth possessed to a rare degree approximating genius. Mr. Southworth was … Read more

Biography of Aaron White

Aaron White died at Quinebaug, in the town of Thompson, April 15th, 1886, aged 87 years and six months. He was born in Boylston, Mass., October 8th, 1798, and was the eldest of ten children, seven sons and three daughters, of Aaron and Mary White. His ancestry were of the early puritan settlers of Eastern Massachusetts, and among them on the side of his mother, were the Adams’ of Boston, her grandmother being a sister of Governor Samuel Adams, a distinguished patriot of the revolution. His father kept a country store, cultivated an adjoining farm, was a leading man in … Read more

Biography of Ezra Brainerd, Jr.

Ezra Brainerd, Jr., has been an active representative of the legal fraternity of Muskogee for the past seventeen years, enjoying an extensive clientage that has connected him with much important litigation tried in the courts of the district. He was born in Middlebury, Vermont, on the 26th of August, 1878, a son of Ezra and Frances (Rockwell) Brainerd, the former at one time president of Middlebury College. Excellent educational advantages were accorded him, for his public school training was supplemented by a course of study in Worcester Academy of Worcester, Massachusetts, and in Colgate Academy of Hamilton, New York. His … Read more