STEVENS, HERRICK. The subject of this sketch was born in Westport, N. Y., on the 18th day of October, 1820, and in his infancy was brought to Vergennes by his father, Thomas Stevens, who, during the eight or ten years previous to his death, was proprietor of the hotel now known as the Grand Union Hotel, but then called the American House. He died on the 6th day of July, 1835, aged forty-six years. During his boyhood Herrick Stevens attended to the various duties incidental to that period of a young man’s life. At the age of twenty years he entered the employment of his elder brothers, C. C. T. and C. O. Stevens, who were the proprietors of the Stevens House at Vergennes, from 1840 to 1853 without intermission. In 1853 he formed the partnership with J. P. Willard, and went to Chicago as the senior member of the firm of Stevens & Willard, proprietors of the Matteson House in that city. There he remained about five and one-half years, when he closed out his affairs in Chicago and returned to Vergennes, Vt. It is impossible for a man with great force of character to eat the bread of idleness contentedly, and Mr. Stevens immediately devoted his energies to the improvement of the city of his adoption. In 1868 he procured an interest in the Water Power Company, and has since retained the ownership — building and improving the manufacturing property.
Previous to the disintegration of the old Whig party, Mr. Stevens was an active member thereof, and upon the formation of the Republican party he united with it, and has always been an uncompromising advocate of its principles down to the present time. His religious preference is Congregational, to the church of which denomination he and his family are regular attendants and contributors.
On the 15th day of August, 1855, Herrick Stevens married Electa J., a daughter of Hosea Willard, of Vergennes, Vt. They have four children: Mary E., wife of C. L. Hammond, of Chicago; Helen D., Jennie B., and Herrika M. Stevens — the last three of whom are now living with their parents.