Windsor County VT Genealogy – Page 6 of 8

Biography of Doctor Horace Hatch

The son of Honorable Reuben and Eunice (Dennison) Hatch, was born at Tunbridge, Vermont, May 23, 1788. He was educated at Dartmouth College, where he graduated in 1814, and studied medicine at the same institution, receiving the degree of M. D. in 1817. He settled in the practice of his profession at Norwich the same year, where he pursued the active and laborious duties of a country physician for twenty years. He married January 9, 1821, Mary Yates, daughter of Thomas Smith. His children were born here. In the year, he built upon nearly the same ground where Captain Joseph … Read more

The Founding of Dartmouth College

The founding of Dartmouth College at Hanover in 1769 was an event of great interest and importance to the early settlers of Norwich. Besides the advantages it promised for the convenient higher education of their children, advantages to which they were fully alive, as shown by their liberal subscriptions in land and money to its endowment, the building up of such an institution in the immediate neighborhood created an instant demand for labor and supplies of every kind. The president, Doctor Wheelock, through his Indian pupil, Samson Occum, and other agents, had collected in England and Scotland several thousand pounds … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Austin

John Austin, from Windsor, Vt., located in the western part of the town, in 1810, where he died in 1843, aged seventy years. Enoch, the eldest of his eight children, born in 1804, is still a resident of the town.

Biography of Edward C. Willis

Edward C. Willis, superintendent of the State Orphans Home at Atchison, is a graduate of Dartmouth College and came to kansas nearly forty years ago with the equipment and training of a oultured New Englander. His work in this state had been largely of an educational nature, and he had taught, had been superintendent of schools, and was finally appointed to his present post at Atchison, where he had served with the exception of two years since 1907. Nearly all of Mr. Willis’ ancestors were colonial families of New England. The Willis family came originally from the northern part of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of General Lewis S. Partridge

General Lewis S. Partridge, son of Abel and Alpa (Lewis) Partridge, was born in Norwich, Vt., in 1818, a year prolific in the birth of sons in town. In early life he served in clerkships in mercantile business in Norwich, and in Hanover and Claremont, New Hampshire. He became a cadet at Norwich University in 1833, remaining there until 1836. Later on he entered into mercantile business on his own account in his native town. He was at one time proprietor of the “Union Hotel,” at Norwich. From early life Mr. Partridge took an active part in politics and was … Read more

Curtis Family of Norwich Vermont

Simeon Curtis came to Norwich from Lebanon, Connecticut, as early as the year 1773, in which year he was elected one of the town assessors, and located near the south line of the town, on the farm where Henry S. Goddard now lives. Mr. Curtis died in 1779 at the age of fifty-eight years, and his grave is found in the old cemetery at Norwich village among the graves of other early settlers and near that of his gifted son, Abel Curtis, who survived his father only four years. But little is now known of the Curtis family, as its … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Col. Asahel Raymond

Col. Asahel Raymond was born in Middlebury, Mass., April 7, 1781. His parents moved to Woodstock in the following September, where he resided until September, 1807, when he came to Stowe. Here he immediately purchased a farm, where Noah Scribner now resides, and commenced the manufacture of salts and pearl ashes from the ashes obtained in clearing his land, and also purchased by exchange for dry goods and groceries, of the surrounding settlers. He formed a copartnership with Dea. Asa Raymond, which continued until the death of Dea. Raymond. In 1822 and 1823, they built the grist-mill now owned by … Read more

Johnson Family of Norwich Vermont

The Johnson Family were numerously represented in the early history of the town. Of this family there were several branches. Captain Hezekiah Johnson was an original proprietor of the town and one of its earliest settlers. He settled on the north bank of the Pompanoosuc River near its mouth and fixed his residence where Mr. Richard Waterman now lives. Captain Johnson was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, May 12, 1724, but emigrated to Norwich from Mansfield, Connecticut. He married, at Mansfield, Dorothy Slafter, sister of Deacon John Slafter, January 25, 1750. He was in the fullest sense one of the “fathers … Read more

Migration of Families out of Norwich VT

At the first enumeration of the inhabitants of eastern Vermont, as made by the authority of New York in 1771, Norwich was found to be the most populous of all the towns of Windsor County, having forty families and 206 inhabitants. Windsor followed with 203, and Hartford was third with 190. The aggregate population of the county (ten towns reported) was then but 1,205, mostly confined to the first and second tiers of towns west of the Connecticut River. Twenty years later, in 1791, Hartland led all the towns of the county with 1,652 inhabitants, Woodstock and Windsor coming next … Read more

Hutchinson Family of Norwich Vermont

Hutchinson is an old and numerous family in Norwich, as well as in other parts of the country. They were among the early settlers of Massachusetts and were in Lynn and Salem in that colony as early as 1628, or 1629. A descendant of these early colonists, named Abijah, who was a tailor, removed from Salem to Windham early in the eighteenth century. His son Samuel, born about 1719, in company with his son, John, came to Norwich in 1765. They cleared an island in the Connecticut River, opposite the present residency of John W. Loveland, and planted it with … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Mary Slayton Luce

Mrs. Mary Slayton Luce, wife of Chester Luce, was born in Woodstock, Vt., April 18, 1787. Her father, Samuel Slayton, was a farmer in good circumstances, though possessing but a limited education, an honest, frugal, and kindly man. Her mother, Hannah, whose maiden name was Stowe, was in every respect a superior woman. Mrs. Luce, in her youth improved every educational advantage the rural district in which she resided could afford. As she grew older she acquired a passionate fondness for reading, especially of poetry and romance. At a more mature age she engaged in school teaching, which vocation she … Read more

Biography of Doctor Ira Davis

The son of Moses Davis, Esq., was born at Dracut, Mass., probably about the year 1797 or 1798. He established himself in the practice of medicine at Norwich Plain in 1830 or 1831, and there continued till his death in March, 1873. He was in constant practice of his profession for more than thirty years.

Biographical Sketch of Samuel Thomas Wellman

Wellman, Samuel Thomas; mechanical engineer; born, Wareham, Mass., Feb. 5, 1847; son of Samuel K, and Mary L. Besse Wellman; educated, Norwich University, Vermont, B. S. and C. E. (hon.); married, Stoneham, Mass., Sept. 3, 1868, Julia A. Ballard; issue, Mina Bessie, Aug. 11, 1870, Addle Lena, June 1, 1872, Wm. S., Nov. 1, 1874, Holley G., May 19, 1881, Frederick S., Dec. 8, 1887; served as corporal Co. F, 1st New Hampshire Heavy Artillery, 18641865; built first open hearth furnace in United States to make steel commercially, Bay State Works, Boston, 1870; engineer and supt. Otis Steel Co., 18731889, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jonathan Barrows

Jonathan Barrows, from Bridgewater, Vt., came to this town about 1828, and died here in 1870, aged sixty-five years. He had a family of seven children, as follows : Henry, Nathan, Lysander, Harriet, Chauncey, Lucia, and Alvinzy. All but Harriet now reside in the town.

History of Norwich Vermont Education

High School Building, Norwich Village, Erected in 1898

From the town records it appears that the first attempt to divide the town into school districts, was at a town meeting held November 19, 1782, when John Slafter, Elijah Brownson, Ithamar Bartlett, Joseph Loveland, Paul Bingham, Joseph Hatch, Daniel Baldwin, Abel Wilder and Samuel Brown, Jr., were made a committee for that purpose. Soon thereafter the committee reported that they “could effect nothing on the business of their appointment,” and were discharged. No further move in town meeting towards districting the town for school purposes appears to have been made until March 30, 1785, when, on petition of persons … Read more

Biography of Floyd O. Hale

Floyd O. Hale, general manager of the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, with office in St. Louis, was born at West Windsor, Vermont, April 13, 1882. His father, Frank S. Hale, was likewise born in the Green Mountain state, where his ancestors, of English lineage, had settled at a very early day. In fact the family was founded in the new world when this country was numbered among the possessions of Great Britain and some of the family served with the American forces in the Revolutionary war. Frank S. Hale during his active life was engaged in agricultural and mercantile pursuits … Read more

Biography of Charles Mortimer Bingham

Charles Mortimer Bingham, a former well-known merchant of Claremont, Sullivan County, N.H., was born in New London, Conn., February 22, 1804, son of Nathan Bingham. His father settled in Claremont in 1809. He was a hatter by trade, and carried on a large and successful business here. He was a musician, and played the bass-viol in the Episcopal church for years. He died at the age of seventy-eight. He had six children. His daughter Lucretia married Ralph Metcalf, who became the governor of New Hampshire. Her sister Elizabeth married Luther S. Porter, and Maria became the wife of Henry W. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jr. Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson, Jr., a native of Woodstock, Vt., came to Stowe when eighteen years of age, and remained here until his death, in 1870, aged seventy_ seven years. His son, 0. J. Benson, now resides on road 18.

Postmasters and Postal Service in Norwich Vermont

It was fifteen years after the admission of Vermont into the Federal Union, and forty years after the settlement of the town, before Norwich had a post office. The first post office was established at Norwich Plain, July 1, 1805, and Jacob Burton was appointed postmaster. Postmaster Burton kept the office in his harness shop on the main street of the village, nearly opposite the present residence of Mrs. William E. Lewis. Probably the duties of the office were not so great as to interfere much with the prosecution of his trade. It is doubtful if Mr. Burton had more … Read more

Biography of Albert S. Wait

Albert S. Wait, of Newport, the oldest lawyer in active practice in Sullivan County, was born in Chester, Windsor County, Vt., April 14, 1821, son of Daniel and Cynthia (Reed) Wait. His grandfather, John Wait, was among the early settlers of Mason, N.H. John moved to Weston, Vt., and was a sturdy farmer of that Green Mountain town and a highly respected member of the community. He died in Weston at a good old age. His children were: James, John Sumner, Daniel Amos, Lucinda, and Mrs. Davis. Daniel Wait, who followed the trade of blacksmith, was a Brigadier-general in the … Read more