Seth Stone settled in Afton village, on the east side of the river, nearly opposite the Universalist church, where he died April 22, 1826, aged 65; and Eunice, his wife, July 12, 1815, aged 54. His son Horace married Rebecca Johnston and lived on the homestead farm. He built a tavern about 1825, the first in the village, on the east side of the river, which he kept a good many years. It stood where Noble Buck now lives. He and his wife both died there, the former December 2, 1845, aged 60, and the latter July 5, 1874, aged 83. Seth had two daughters, Rachel, and Irene, the latter of whom married Jesse Easton, both of whom lived and died in that locality. Nathaniel Benton settled on the east side of the river, three miles above Afton, at what was known as the Middle Bridge, which was built about 1825 or’6, and swept away by a freshet some thirty years ago. The Benton’s were considered wealthy, and formed the nucleus for quite a settlement in that locality. A hotel was built there about forty years ago by a man named Stevens. It is now occupied as a dwelling. A grist and saw-mill were built there some sixty years ago. They have since been rebuilt and are still in operation. The Corbins, who also settled in that locality, were interested in the construction of the mills there. Quite a little business centered there at an early day in opposition to Afton. The Benton family mostly died in that locality, Nathaniel May 8, 1845, aged 84, and his wife Hannah, March 11, 1839, aged 71. His children were Belah who was a bachelor and lived and died at home, February 17, 1830, aged 40; Nathaniel, who removed to Ohio at an early day; Col. Ansel, who married Cornelia, daughter of Samuel weeks, and settled where William B. Grover now lives, near the homestead farm, and died a year or two after his marriage, September 6, 1845, aged 48, leaving one child, Albert Hyde, a druggist in Afton; Eunice, who married Hiram Ramsey and is now living in Ohio, well advanced in years; William, who accompanied Nathaniel to Ohio; Jared, a bachelor, who died there June 30, 1835, aged 35; Julius and Isaac, both bachelors, and both of whom died there, the former March 10, 1837, aged 35; and Orrin, who married a daughter of James V. Humphrey. Orlando Bridgeman settled one and one-half miles below Bettsburgh, on the farm now occupied by John Pool, where he died a good many years ago. Reuben and Abner Bridgeman were sons of his. Abner married Temperance Johnston, and, after living for a number of years below Bettsburgh, removed to Elmira, where he died. Reuben settled in the same locality.
