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PONDVILLE.
The Baptist Society at this place was formerly called "The Baptist Society of Marlboro and Newfane," and worshiped for many years in a meeting house standing on the farm now owned by A. & A. Williams, in the extreme northern part of the former town. The present site was selected on account of its more central location, and the church building now standing was erected in 1841. Upon the completion of the new house, a bell was presented to the society by Caleb Pond, then a wealthy merchant of Hartford, Conn., but formerly a member of this church. From him the village derived its name.
The first mills in this section of the town are said to have been a grist mill and a saw mill which stood on the opposite side of the stream from the Bingham mill, and a short distance below the bridge. The ownership of these mills can be traced back to Isaac and Oliver Goodnow, who transferred them, in July, 1797, to Amos Perry. From Amos Perry's estate they passed to Samuel Dutton, Jr., in 1814; from Dutton to Wm. and Nathaniel Hills, about 1816 ; from W. & N. Hills to Asa Worden, Jr., in 1833; from Worden to Asa H. Marsh in 1839 ; from Marsh to Lyman Burr; from Burr to Windsor Goodenough ; from Goodenough to Ransom King; and from King to Clark Adams and Cyrus Hill, who built, about 1850, the saw mill now standing. The property afterward passed from Adams & Hill to D. B. & D. J. Lamson ; from the Lamsons to Zina G. Bailey, and from Bailey to W. E. & M. W. Bingham, the present proprietors.
The spot on which D. B. Lamson's carding mill now stands was first used for mill purposes, by Mr. Lamson, in 1834, in which year he built a saw mill and grist mill. The mills were afterward owned by Asa Marsh, Nahum Houghton and Joshua Morse, respectively, and were finally destroyed by fire. The carding mill now standing was formerly connected with the lower Lamson mills and was moved to this spot in 1876.
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A saw mill was built several rods above the lower Lamson mills, in 1834 or thereabouts, by John D. Moore. The property soon came into the possession of David B. Lamson, who added a grist mill and a carding mill, and moved the buildings to their present site. These mills have been operated for nearly forty years by D. B. Lamson and his sons.
The building now occupied by W. E. and M. W. Bingham as a dwelling house, was built for a store, in 1840, by Linus A. Phillips, James Charter, and Ira Pierce, who commenced trade in December of the same year, under the firm name of L. A. Phillips & Co. James Charter became sole proprietor in 1841, and continued business till 1849. From the latter date till 1856, the business was conducted for short periods by Ira Pierce, Joshua Morse, Moses Merrifield, Lawson B. Morse, and Abel Gould, respectively. In 1856 the building was purchased by Ira Ingram, Mason Ingram and D. J. Lamson, and a company formed under the "Union Plan" then so common in this section of country. This company was succeeded, in February, 1859, by B. E. Morse, who continued in business till May, 1862, then selling his stock to D. J. Lamson and Edward Adams, who removed it to one of the Lamson houses near the mills, and traded for a short time. The store was next occupied by Wm. H. Goodnow, who commenced business in the spring of 1864 and continued about a year. It was lastly occupied, for purposes of trade, by Thomas A. Morse, who opened in September, 1865, and closed out his stock in the spring of 1868.
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Many of the early settlers and older inhabitants of the southern part of the town have been already mentioned. There are others who are equally entitled to notice.
Joshua Davis was born at Barre, Mass., March 1, 1750. Came to Newfane and settled on the farm now owned by Leonard J. Timson. Married Rhoda Balcom. Died June 29, 1838. His son, Calvin Davis, was born April 17, 1794. Married Betsey Morse, May 6, 1818. Died April 25, 1871.
Moses Saben was born at Uxbridge, Mass., August 24, 1782. Married, first, Sarah, daughter of Rev. Hezekiah Taylor, April 24, 1814. Came to Newfane, in 1814, to live
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on Mr. Taylor's farm. Married, second, Ruth, widow of Chas. Lamb, November 9, 1820. Resided until his decease, on the farm now owned, partly by his son D. S. Saben, and partly by James Charter. Died January 31, 1872.
Samuel Brown was born at Buckland, Mass., July 4, 1783. Married Gertrude Glyde of Boston, February 16, 1812. Came to Newfane in 1812, and operated, for a few years, a grist mill and saw mill then standing on the site of Alvin Gates' chair shop. Was afterward engaged, for a long time, in running a freight team between Williamsville and Boston. Died April 5, 1870.
George Williams was born at Chester, Mass., March 23, 1769. Married Orilla Pease, June 30, 1803. Came to Newfane in 1816. Resided on the farm now occupied by J. A. Merrifield. Died March 18,1846.
Robert Cook was born in 1730. Came to Newfane, with his family, from Worcester, Mass., in 1798, and settled on the farm now occupied by Alanson Stone. Died April 27, 1808.
John Cook, son of Robert and Elizabeth Cook, was born March 17, 1781. Married Polly Elmer, December 8, 1808. Resided on the farm on which his father settled. Died December 5, 1845.
Stephen Bowker was born October 18, 1788. Married Sarah Whitney, April 7, 1814. Came to Newfane from Fitzwilliam, N. H., soon afterward, and settled on the farm owned by himself or his son, S. W. Bowker, for nearly sixty years, but now occupied by H. A. Carpenter. Died September 22, 1860.
Elijah Elmer was born at Hinsdale, N. H., in 1753. Married, first, Grace Gould, of Winchester, N. H. ; second, Amy (Wood) Wheeler. Came to Newfane, about 1792, and settled on the farm now occupied by George Wheeler. Died December 28, 1833. His son, Ozias Elmer, was born in 1793. Married Susan Edwards, of Claremont; N. H. Resided on the farm now owned by S. W. Bowker. Removed to Pennsylvania, about 1848.
George Wheeler, son of Thomas Wheeler, was born in this town, March 2, 1799. Married Ferona Williams, December 3, 1829. Has resided, since 1823, on the farm which he now occupies.
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Daniel Taylor was born in 1767. Came to Newfane from Dummerston, and settled on the farm now owned by Ozearl Attridge. Married Elizabeth Wheeler, of Newfane. Died November 13, 1839.
Moses Aldrich came to Newfane from Rhode Island, where he was born in 1768 or 1769. Settled on the farm now occupied by his grandson, H. N. Aldrich. Married Elizabeth Taylor, of Dummerston. Died May 21, 1841. His son, Daniel Aldrich was born in 1796. Married, first, Betsey Whipple ; second, Laura Whipple. Resided on the farm on which his father settled. Died May 23, 1857.
Amasa Lincoln was born at Norton, Mass., July 10, 1787. Married, first, Lucy Richardson, April 14, 1814; second, Mary Hastings, January 26, 1830. Came to town about 1817, from Dummerston. Was engaged in the tanning business for many years. Died January 9, 1858.
Ephriam Hall was born at Rutland, Mass., September 8, 1762. Married Hannah Spears, of New Ipswich, N. H., November 26, 1789. Came to Newfane and settled on the farm now owned by O. P. Morse. Afterward lived on a portion of the farm now owned by C. W. Morse. Died January 18, 1847. Was a soldier of the Revolution.
Richard Pratt was born at Malden, Mass., September 2, 1770. Married Lydia Spears, of New Ipswich, N. H., in 1795. Came to Newfane in 1802, and settled on the farm now owned by Chas. W. Morse. Died August 23, 1856.
Ichabod Merrifield was born at Medford, Mass., April 15, 1768. Married Elizabeth Morse, of Newfane, in December, 1793. Settled on the farm now owned by William Boynton. Afterward removed to the farm now owned by Geo. W. Lamb, where he died, April 22, 1836.
James Lamb was born at Spencer, Mass., in 1750. Married, first, Charlotte Howard ; second, Lydia (Cushing) Stearns. Came to Newfane at a very early date and settled on the farm now owned by D. A. Dickinson. Afterward removed to the farm now owned by Emory Dunklee, where he died, January 11, 1836.
Silas Gates was born in 1757. Was one of the earliest settlers of the town. Cleared the farm now owned by Oliver Dexter. Married for his second wife, Hannah Cook, of Newfane. Died August 21, 1828.
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Ethan Durrin, was born in 1747. Came to Newfane in 1774. Was married, the same year, to Millescent Parmenter, of Sudbury, Mass. Occupied the farm now owned by H. C. Sparks. Died, July 7, 1823. His wife, Millescent, died, December 5, 1848, at the age of one hundred years.
Capt. William Bartlett was born at Northboro, Mass. Married Azubah Gleason, of Westboro, Mass., about 1790. Came immediately to Newfane, and settled on the farm now owned by Welcome Allen. Removed to Winchester, N. H., in 1837. Capt. Bartlett was a man of much prominence in town affairs.
John Timson was born at Brattleboro, October 4, 1794. Married Julia Knapp, of Brattleboro, in 1813. Came to Newfane in 1819. Resided for more than forty years on the farm now owned by C. E. Tyler, on Timson Hill, so called. Died August 13, 1866.
Daniel Stratton was born at New Ipswich, N. H., March 23, 1773. Married Jane Stickney of New Ipswich, N. H., February 16, 1800. Came to Newfane, the same year, and settled on the farm occupied by himself or his sons, for more than seventy years, but now owned by J. H. Worden. Died October 11, 1850.
Ira Ingram was born in Massachusetts, December 19, 1786. Married, first, Sally Miller ; second, Lydia Putnam. Came to Newfane from Marlboro, in 1813, and settled on a farm now owned, partly by Mason Ingram, and partly by Russell Mason. Was chosen a deacon of the Baptist Church, in 1824, and held the office until his decease, April 5, 1860.
Nahum Houghton was born in Newfane, March 17, 1785. Married, first, Mary Holden, January, 1812 ; second, Lydia Stratton. Resided on the farms now owned by Mason Ingram, Marshall Houghton, and Welcome Allen, respectively. Died, May 12, 1854. Was a justice of the peace for many years, and transacted much public business.
John Goodnow was born in Newfane, August 17, 1797. Married, first, Sally Stratton ; second, Charlotte Gould ; third, Sarah H. Chase ; fourth, Hannah (Charter) Bruce. Settled, and resided for more than forty years, on the farm now owned by Anna Frost. Has been a deacon of the Baptist Church since 1834.