Thomas Farnham, from New Boston, N. H., came here in 1816, and located on road 15, upon the farm now owned by his son William. He was a tailor by trade, and died in 1869, aged ninety-four years. Joseph, his fourth child, resided near William.
Joseph Manning, from Marblehead, Mass., came to Johnson in 1824, and located upon the farm now owned by Isaac A., his only son. Mr. Manning was a sailor in early life, but learned the carpenter and joiner trade later, and erected many of the old houses now found in the town.
John Cristy, from New Hampshire, came here in 1825, and located in the northern part of the town, where he resided until his death, in 1868, aged seventy-eight years. Robert C., the second of his six children, born in 1827, now resides here. He has held most of the town trusts.
William McLenathan came to Johnson from New Hampshire about 1827, and settled in the eastern part of the town, where he ded in 1897, aged seventy years. His eldest son, William, now resides here.
Asa Andrews, from New Boston, N. H., came to Johnson in 1828, and settled upon a farm near the central part of the town, where he died, in 1871, aged seventy-four years.
Charles Leland, from Baltimore, Vt., located in Lowell, Orleans county, in 1829, where he resided until 1855, when he removed to Johnson, and has since been engaged in the manufacture of starch.
Reuben Whitcomb, from Orange county, came to Johnson in 129, and located in the eastern part of the town, where his grandsons, C. R. and Frank Whitcomb, now reside. He married Mary French and reared a family of five children, Eliza M., Raymond, Reuben, Frederick, and Louis J.
George W. Hill, of this town, commenced his business life as an apprentice in the office of the New Hampshire Patriot, at Concord, in 1816, remaining there until he became of age. He then went to Montpelier, and, in 1826, started The Patriot and State Gazette. He continued in the management of the concern until the anti-masonic days of 1836-’38, when the paper came under the control of Clark & Marston, and he removed to Lowell, Orleans county, where he entered the custom house, remaining two years, then came to this town, where he has since resided.
Orias Boardman, father of the four sons, Elisha, Orias, William, and Alfred, died in Connecticut, in 1780, having previously bought a right of land in this town of one of the original proprietors, intending to make a settlement with his family. Orias, the second son, at the age of nineteen years, arrived in town in 1773, and worked during the summer for Aaron Hunt, one of the first settlers. Orias and William arrived by way of Lake Champlain and Cambridge, with an ox team, in March, 11794, and commenced a settlement on the farm upon which they lived during the … Read more
Cyrus Clark, another of the early settlers, located upon a farm in the western part of the town, where he resided the remainder of his life. He had a family of five children, one of whom, Roswell, married Patty Parker, and died in 1877. Three of Roswell’s children are now living, Sophia E., wife of Norman Camp, of Elmore, Caroline, wife of C. C. Keeler, and Martha M., wife of S. B. Clark.
Ebenezer Shaw was born in Middlebury, Mass., April 20, 1773. From there he removed with his father to Rochester, Mass., thence to Woodstock, Vt., and from there to Shrewsbury. At Shrewsbury he married Polly Whitney, daughter of Eliphlet Whitney, August 30, 1796. The following winter he moved to Hartland, and from Hartland to Morristown, in February, 1800. While living in Woodstock Mr. Shaw learned the tanner’s trade, and was the first tanner and shoemaker that lived and carried on business in Morristown. His wife, Polly, died in 1835, aged fifty-eight years, being the mother of twelve children, none of whom … Read more
Joseph Burke, from Westminster, Vt., came to Morristown in 1800, and located upon the farm now owned by A. M. Burke, on road 10. Here he reared a family of twelve children-five sons and seven daughters and remained until his death, in 1846. But two of the children are now living, Joseph and Carlos C., the former aged eighty-nine years, and the latter seventy-three. Both live together on the old farm, neither ever having married. Samson, the eldest son of Joseph, came here with his father, married Levisa Haskins, and reared a family of ten children, six of whom now … Read more
Asa Cole came to this town in 1800, and located on road 8, upon the farm now owned by his son, Morris. He married Sally Jerold and had born to him eight children. He died in 1852, aged eighty years. His wife died in 1832. Morris, the only one of the children now living, was born December r6, 1801, and married Mary Champlin in 1828. Two children blessed this union, Albert M., who lives at home with his father, and Mary A., wife of E. E. Brigham.
Nathan Gates, Jr., born in Plainfield, N. H., in 1777, came to Morristown in 1802, and located on a farm upon which he resided until his death, April 6, 1858. Sylvester L. Gates, son of Nathan, born here in 1809, married Lydia Ferrin, and has had two children. Mr. Gates has proven himself to be a first-class farmer, and also a man of considerable literary attainments.
Ira Edwards, from Amherst, Mass., came to this town in 1807, and located upon the farm now owned by N. S. Edwards, on road 66. He had a family of seven children, two of whom, N. S. and Adelia Borden, are living. N. S. Edwards married Alvira Stevens, and has three children.
In June, 1809, Joshua Sawyer, upon the call of his brother, N. P. Sawyer, went to Burlington and entered the office of Hon. Judge Farrand, as a student at law, in order to comply with the bar rules then in strict force in Chittenden county, at least, that the last year’s study must have been in Vermont, and to make out the full time required that the student must occupy before admittance. In 1810, he came to Hyde Park and commenced practice, meeting with great success for a period of over fifty years. He was thirteen years in the State … Read more
Nathan Griswold, from Springfield, Vt., located in the town of Johnson about the year 1790, when he subsequently married Lucy Morse, raising a family of fifteen children, one of whom, Almon W., now resides in New York city. Nathan died in 1844, aged seventy-five years. His grandson, Z. H. Griswold, resides in this town, on road 16.
Jacob Hadley, from Hancock, N. H., came to Hyde Park in 1796, and located on road 57, upon the farm now owned by Nathan McFarland.. He remained on this place a few years, then removed to Eden, whence he subsequently returned to this town, and died here in 1842. Joseph, his son, came here with his father, when eight years of age, married Miss A. Weld, and settled on the farm now owned by his son, Orson, on road 34. He subsequently resided several years in Morristown, but died here, April 2, 1878. Orson was born in Morristown in 1822, … Read more
Benjamin Calkins, from Norwich, Conn., came to this town in 1798, and located upon the farm now owned by Barney G. Rooney, on road 46, where he resided until his death. Andrew H., son of Benjamin, born here in 1809, married Christina Whitcomb, and reared a family of six children, three of whom are now living. He died March 17, 1851. His wife survived him until August 4, 1874. Byron A., son of Andrew, born on the old farm in 1844, is now engaged in mercantile pursuits at Morrisville.
Russel S. Page, now residing in Hyde Park, was born in this town May 21, 1813. He married Martha Maloma Smalley, daughter of Francis Smalley and granddaughter of Capt. Jed Hyde, in January, 1840. Their living children are Carroll Smalley, merchant, who married Ellen F. Patch, daughter of T. H. Patch, of Johnson , Alice D., who married L. Halsey Lewis, one of the editors of the News and Citizen, and Belle M., who married H. C. Fisk, a lawyer of Morristown, and editor of said paper. Carroll and Lewis now reside in Hyde Park. James and Hannah Page, parents … Read more