Dea. Noah Vilas, the only child of Peter Vilas, the immigrant and the progenitor of the entire Vilas family in America, came to Alstead in 1779, from Grafton, Mass. He had a family of six sons and two daughters. The first son, Joseph, and one daughter died in infancy. Wm. F. Vilas, PostmasterGeneral in President Cleveland’s cabinet, is a descendant of Dea. Noah Vilas.
Hiram Charlton took on the publication of the Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont for Lewis Publishing. In it, he enlisted the assistance of living residents of the state in providing biographical and genealogical details about their family, and then he published all 1104 family histories in two distinct volumes.
Lieut. Nathaniel Vilas, from Grafton, Mass., fourth son of Dea. Noah, came to Alstead in 1778, locating in the southwestern part of the town. Here he carried on a farm and engaged in the manufacture of boots and shoes, employing in the latter occupation twelve hands. He built the first water works into Boston, bringing the water in logs from Roxbury, Vt. He was twice married, first to Mary Chandler, and second to Lavina Crosby, both of whom bore him twenty children. He was a lieutenant of militia, held several of the town offices, and died in 1853. His son, … Read more