CHAPTER XIX
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF 
CHARLOTTE

      THE town of Charlotte, lying in the southwestern part of the county, is bounded north by Shelburne, east by Hinesburg, south by Ferrisburgh in Addison County, and west by Lake Champlain. The charter was granted on the 24th of June, 1762, by Benning WENTWORTH, the royal governor of New Hampshire, to the following proprietors: Benjamin FERRIS, Jonathan AIKEN, Benjamin FERRIS, jr., Josiah AKIN, Daniel WING, Lot TRIPP, David AKIN, jr., Tim DAKIN, John CROMWELL, John Hoag MERITI, John Hoag the 2d, John WING, Reed FERRIS, Zebulon FERRIS, WING KELLEY, Nehemiah MERRIT, Abraham THOMAS, Anthony TRIPP, Elias PALMER, David PALMER, Samuel COE, George SOULE, Elijah DOTY, Peter PALMER, Josiah BULL, Josiah BULL, jr., John HITCHCOCK, John BROWNSON, Jona. Dow, Enoch HOAG, Steward SOUTHGATE, Nathaniel PORTER, jr., Jedediah DOW, Robert SOUTHGATE, John SOUTHGATE, Daniel MERRITT, Nehemiah MERRIT, jr., Stephen NOBLE, Dobson WHEELER, Samuel BROWN, Joshua DILLAPLAIN, William FIELD, Isaac MARTIN, John LAWRENCE, John BURLING, John FRANKLIN, Thomas FRANKLIN, jr., Samuel FRANKLIN, James FRANKLIN, Isaac CORSA, Elijah WEST, Robert CASWELL, Joseph FERRIS, Joseph FERRIS, jr., David FERRIS, Daniel CHASE, Patrick THATCHER, Thomas DARLING, the Hon. John TEMPLE, lieutenant-governor, Theodore ATKINSON, esq., Mark Hunking WENTWORTH, esq., John NELSON, esq., George FROST, esq.

      The charter conveyed a tract about six miles square, bounded as follows: 

      The surface was originally covered with a large amount of marketable timber, oak in the western and pine in the eastern parts, which induced a rapid settlement of the township after the granting of the charter, the principal industry along the lake for many years being the felling and rafting to Quebec of spars for the masting of the "royal navy of Great Britain." It was rarely the intention of the grantees of a Vermont township to assist personally in clearing and cultivating the land of the same, the motive power being generally a desire to "buy cheap and sell dear," and in many instances, perhaps, also to get ahead of the "New York land jobbers." Consequently the proprietors usually did little more than open roads, construct bridges, and provide for the building of the necessary mills, in order to increase the market value of their property. 

      From the records of the early proprietors' meetings the natural inference is that most of the grantees were residents on the "Oblong," in Duchess county, N.Y., yet there is no evidence that they sympathized for a moment with the governmental authorities in that province in their endeavors to wrest the territory from the possession of New Hampshire. The earliest record now accessible is dated July 29, 1762, at the house of Daniel MERRITT, on the Oblong, Duchess county, "province of New York," by the proprietors "of the township of Charlotta in Newhampshier." Benjamin FERRISS was the moderator of this meeting, and Benjamin FERRISS, jr., was chosen first proprietors' clerk. John WING, George SOULE, and Josiah BULL were appointed a committee "to agree with the committees of other townships how to settle the lines between sd Charlotta and the townships of Ferrisburgh, Monkton and Hinesburg," what proportion of the cost these proprietors should bear, and to engage a surveyor to lay the boundaries of the town of "Charlotta." The meeting was then adjourned to the house of Asahel NOBLE, at New Milford, Conn., on the 12th of August, 1762.

      At that meeting it was voted, among other proceedings, that the "clerk shall record the Patent for sd Charlotta, and have four shillings York money for the same." On the 9th of May, 1763, at a meeting held at the house of Daniel MERRITT, in Duchess county, N. Y., it was voted that Benjamin FERRISS, jr., should have eighteen shillings a day "for surveying and lotting Charlotta, and returning a good .and true plan of his work," and that John McEWEN, Asahel HITCHCOCK, Zachariah FERRISS, and John PHILIPS have ten shillings a day as his assistants. David FERRISS was also mentioned afterwards as one of the surveyors of the township. The survey was completed between the 26th of June and the 5th of August, 1763.

      The first meeting after the close of the Revolutionary War was held on the 29th of March, 1785, at the house of Jonathan ROBINSON, in Bennington, Vt., pursuant to a warrant published in the “Vermont Gazette” of February 14, 1785.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS

      The proprietors of Charlotte offered all conceivable inducements to promote the rapid settlement of the town, and at their last meeting held before the Revolution, May 18, 1765, passed a vote to give 100 acres of land from each right for settling the town, though no one was to come on without an order from the proprietors' committee. There is no record that such an order was ever given, however, or that any one attempted to avail himself of the offer by making a settlement.

      The first attempt to settle was made by a German by the name of Derick WEBB, who came in March, 1766, but soon left, and returned in March, 1777. He again left the following May. No permanent settlement was effected until 1784, when WEBB and Elijah WOOLCOT moved in and were followed soon after by others. It has been related that during one of WEBB's temporary residences here pending the Revolution he took his children out to Hill's Bay to see the lake, when they were captured by a party of Indians, and WEBB was taken to Canada and there detained for several months, while the children were left on the shore. About the same time the Indians visited Mrs. WEBB in the cabin, and began to destroy the household effects, preparatory to burning the house. To her entreaties not to burn the cabin they replied that they must set fire to it, as they were under strict orders to do so, but that they would immediately leave, when she might extinguish it if she wished, which she easily succeeded in doing. WEBB's original settlement was probably made in the west part of the town near the Shelburne line, where Colonel Thomas SAWYER made his gallant and victorious fight. It was many years afterwards that he settled near the site of the railroad station.

      One of the earliest settlements in town was that made about 1784 by James HILL, on the place about Holmes Bay, now occupied by his grandson, Thomas Chittenden Hill. HILL's wife, a daughter of Governor Thomas CHITTENDEN, is said to have often declared that she was for three months "the handsomest woman in town, for the very good reason that she was the only one." Being a man of some means, James HILL erected a grist-mill on the creek near his house, which long ago disappeared, but which for years supplied the demand of the farmers of the neighborhood, and even those who lived on the other side of the lake. He afterwards bought the grist-mill in Ferrisburgh, whether his son, Thomas C., removed and remained two or three years. After a residence here of twenty-five or thirty years Mr. HILL removed to Kentucky, where he soon after died. Of his two sons, James and Thomas C., the former accompanied him to Kentucky, where he married and stayed the remainder of his life. Many of his descendants are there now. Thomas C., the younger, purchased the homestead and remained there during his life. He was a man of clear perception, sound judgment and firm will. He was the father of nine children.

      About the year 1784 Dr. James TOWNER, John HILL, Solomon SQUIER, Moses FALL, Daniel HOSFORD, and others moved into the town, and after this time settlement rapidly progressed. Among the other early settlers were the following:

      Moses YALE removed to this town from Meriden, Conn., in about 1783, and located not far from the Shelburne line, on the farm. now owned by Henry THORP. During this summer he erected the frame f a log house, made a small clearing, and in the fall returned to his family in Connecticut, after having sowed his clearing with wheat, assisted by his only neighbors, James HILL and John McNEIL. In the following spring he returned with his family by the way of Whitehall and the lake, being drawn on the ice by a yoke of steers and an old horse. The hardships which these families endured at these times cannot be described. During the summer of 1784 food was so scarce and difficult to obtain that the family were compelled to resort for subsistence on fish and the herbs and roots of the forest. Moses YALE had a family of six children, three sons and three daughters, only one of whom, Lyman, the eldest, remained in town. He remained on the homestead until his death, in 1840, aged sixty-seven years. He held many positions of trust in his town, and was one term its representative in the Legislature. Of his seven children, only one, William, now resides in town, occupying the original farm of John McNEIL.

      John McNEIL, a leading man among the early settlers, came here about this time from Litchfield, Conn., and erected his cabin and cleared his land on the lake shore. He early established a ferry across the lake to Essex, N. Y., which he ran for many years, and which still bears his name. He was the first town clerk, the first representative, and was ever intimately identified with the best movements for the good of the town. Of his six children, Charles, the eldest, retained the home farm, and continued the business of farming and conducted the ferry which his father had originated. The ferry was an extensive concern until the opening of railroads, which diverted the channels of trade and travel.

      David HUBBELL came from Lanesboro, Mass., in 1784, and settled on the brook that intersects the farm now owned by his grandson, Luther R. HUBBELL. Like many other early immigrants, he made his way through Whitehall and down the lake by rafts. Several years after his arrival his house was burned, and was replaced by another, upon the site of S. E. Russell's present residence. Here he opened a tavern, in which he conducted a successful business for years. The house now occupied by his grandson was also built by him in 1800. He died at the age of ninety years, after having served his town as justice of the peace for years, and acting for a time as their representative in the Legislature. Luther R. HUBBELL and his family are the only descendants of David now in Charlotte.

      Daniel HORSFORD, who in early days carried mail on horseback from Burlington to Vergennes on the old East road, was born in Canaan, Conn., October 13, 1748, married Hannah DAY, of Colchester, Conn., on the 9th of November, 1780, and came to Charlotte in the spring of 1784, locating near McNEIL's Ferry. After being several times dispossessed by reason of a defective title, he removed to the eastern part of the town, where he died at the age of eighty-eight years. He was a surveyor by profession, and united his duties in that occupation with those of the successful farmer. The compass used by him is still kept by his grandson, Myron H. HOSFORD. Of his family of ten children, only three remained in Charlotte, viz., Flavia, wife of Gideon and mother of Charles D. PRINDLE, Oran, born here January 30, 1791, and now represented by his son, Myron H. HOSFORD; and Sodema, who married Benjamin SIMONS and located in the western part of the town, where she died early, leaving no children. A sister of Daniel HORSFORD (as he spelled his name) became the wife of Joshua ISHAM, of Shelburne.

      Ephraim WOOSTER, the first settler on the farm now owned by Henry McNEIL, came to Charlotte in 1785 from Litchfield, Conn. He had three children, Lyman, Elinor, and Fanny, of whom the first-named was naturally the most intimately associated with the public interests of the town. He succeeded to the home farm of his father, and while he lived carried on the farm, and at intermittent periods kept a tavern. He participated in the battle of Plattsburgh in the capacity of adjutant. Of his three sons and two daughters, none remained in town, and the name is now represented only by Charles S. WOOSTER, grandson of Lyman, who lives with his aunt, Mrs. SHERMAN.

      John PALMER was born in Tolland, Conn., on the 22d of June, 1751, married Ruth CHAPMAN, and came to Charlotte in 1786, settling on the place now owned by Mrs. Ruth HUBBELL. The old red house which he built about 100 years ago is still in a good state of preservation. He owned all the land comprised within the present farms of Mrs. HUBBELL, A. C. PALMER and O. C. PALMER, on which he settled his sons. Of his six children, only three, Mrs. HUBBELL, A. C. PALMER and Mrs. REED, who now lives with her brother, are now in Charlotte.

      Asa NARRAMORE came here from Connecticut in 1786, worked the first season on a farm in Hinesburg, and in the fall purchased land now including parts of the farms of George JACKMAN and John PETERSON. Here he built a log house, and after making a clearing returned for the winter to Connecticut, where he married, and in the spring came back to this place. He remained on this farm after that until his death at the age of ninety years. Of his nine children only one is now living, Mrs. Emeline SEE, of Williston. Asa NARRAMORE was a soldier of the Revolution, and was carried prisoner to Canada by the Indians, his daily allowance being a small piece of raw horse flesh, and a few bulbous roots dug on the way. He afterwards received a pension.

      Abel LEAVENWORTH was born at Woodbury, Conn., January 30, 1765, and became an early settler in the northeastern part of the town, on the farm now occupied by Charles REYNOLDS. He erected a grist-mill on La Plotte River, the stones being wrought out by his brother Gideon, from flint rocks found in this town. The mill and dam were after a few years swept away by a freshet, and the stones were purchased by General Nathan LEAVENWORTH, who used them in a mill which he built on Lewis Brook, in the southern part of the town. After the loss of his mill Abel sold his farm and carried on the occupation of a carpenter and joiner, at which he was a skillful workman. He went from Charlotte to New Haven, Vt., and thence to Middlebury, where he died on the 25th of January, 1813, while engaged in building a large mill. His widow survived him more than forty years, and finally died in Charlotte. Abel LEAVENWORTH, jr., was born in Charlotte on the 21st of November, 1800, married Anna, daughter of Amos HICKOK, of Cooperstown, N. Y. After several removals he repurchased the old homestead, where he resided until his death, May 3, 1879. He had six daughters and three sons, only one of the latter surviving infancy. This son, Abel E., became a prominent educator in the State, and is now principal of the Normal School at Castleton. Dorman LEAVENWORTH, a brother of the elder Abel, reached Charlotte in the summer of 1808, and for a time operated the mill before owned by his brother, after which he began farming and continued that business until 1839. He died here at the home of his son, Burke, on the 31st of May, 1861. Henry C. LEAVENWORTH and Mrs. Joseph S. SHAW, now living in town, are his grandchildren.

      Michael READ was born in 1769, and came to Charlotte at an early date. The family are descended from honorable ancestors who have been traced back to the time of the Norman conquest in England. Michael READ settled at Baptist Four Corners, and raised a family of seven children, three of whom, Amos, Orrin and Laura, settled here. The only representative of the family now in Charlotte is Orrin P., son of Orrin, who resides at Baptist Four Corners. Carlton W., another son of Orrin, resides in Addison, where he is extensively engaged in stock raising.

      Samuel PRINDLE was an early settler in the northeastern part of the town, on the place now occupied by Mrs. Mary POOL. He had three children, sons, one of whom died in early manhood, while the other two, Midas and Benjamin, settled in Charlotte. The former was born in 1799, married Sarah V. HIGBEE on the l0th of May, 1834, and located on the farm now owned by his son, Henry W. He had three children, Mrs. A. C. PALMER, Henry W. PRINDLE and Mrs. T. C. HILL, all still living here. Benjamin went to Iowa with his family more than twenty years ago, where he died a few years later.

      Reuben MARTIN came early to Charlotte from Massachusetts and settled on Mutton Hill. He had a family of ten children, named Jonas, Zadock, Reuben, Stratton, Stoddard, William, Leonard, Nathaniel, Sylvia and Pattie. While at school they were sung by their playmates as follows:

Jonas and Zadock, Reuben and Strait, 
Stoddard and William, Leonard and Nat, 
Sylvia and Pat.

      All of these children attained maturity and some of them lived to an advanced age. Sylvia is said to have been the first female child born in Charlotte.

      In 1788 James SQUIER came to Charlotte from Arlington, Vt., and effected a settlement on the farm now owned and occupied by James S. MILLER. He died at the advanced age of ninety-three years, having lived a life that deserves to be emulated by all who knew him. The father of James, it is said, came to Charlotte on a visit to his sons, Solomon and Abner, was taken ill and died, and at his grave was placed the first headstone erected in town. His illness was the occasion of the settlement of James, who came to see him and was induced to buy his brother Abner's farm and remain here. Of his four children, Abner, the only son, married Laura SHELDON and settled on the homestead. He represented the town two terms in the Legislature, and held, indeed, most of the important offices of trust in town. He had two children -- a daughter who died at the age of sixteen years, and a son, James, who now owns and occupies a farm opposite the old home.

      Colonel William WILLIAMS came here from Lanesboro, Mass., in 1788, and began to clear the farm now occupied by his grandson, James W. WILLIAMS. About 1806 he replaced his first rude log cabin by a substantial building, which has been modernized and is now in a good state of preservation, and is occupied by James W. WILLIAMS. Here Colonel WILLIAMS opened one of eight taverns in Charlotte, and by his untiring energy and genial disposition created a reputation which made his house an important station on the stage route between Burlington and Troy. His military title was derived from his position in the militia, his company being stationed on the frontier between Vermont and Canada. He also commanded a regiment at the battle of Plattsburgh. He was at the same time rough and hearty in manners, and was what it is becoming fashionable and natural to call an Ethan ALLEN type of man. He was killed by a fall from a sleigh-load of lumber, which occurred while he was descending a steep hill in Hinesburg.

      Preserved WHEELER came to Charlotte from Lanesboro, Mass., in 1790, and located on the place now occupied by O. H. ALEXANDER, where he erected a tannery, and for about seven years successfully operated the same. He then sold the property to SHELDON, and removed to New Haven, Vt. SHELDON continued the tanning and shoemaking business as late as about 1843, when he relinquished it for farming. He was the father of nine children, eight of whom attained maturity.

      Elijah ALEXANDER was born of Quaker parentage, in Troy, N. H., on the 24th of March, 1777, and in 1799 married Lydia STAPLES, of Danby, Vt., and settled on the farm in Charlotte, now owned by his youngest daughter, Mrs. Lydia HICKS. From its original area of 100 acres, Mr. ALEXANDER in a few years increased it to more than 300 acres. He died at the age of seventy-seven years. He was an industrious, home-loving man, who was interested in public affairs as a private citizen, but declined office.

      Walter FERRISS, from Pawling, Duchess county, N. Y., came to Charlotte in 1792, and located on the farm still known as the FERRISS homestead. At first he confined his activities to the carrying on of his farm, but towards the latter end of his life became a minister of the Universalist persuasion and organized several societies in this vicinity. He died in 1806.

      William NILES, a native of Lynn, Conn., immigrated to Charlotte in 1792, when he was thirty-six years of age, and settled on the farm now occupied by George E. PRINDLE. He was frequently called to the performance of public duties, for which he had great aptitude by reason of his ability and honesty. He afterwards moved to Monkton, where he owned a small farm and kept a public house.

      In the same year, 1792, Gideon PRINDLE, from New Milford, Conn., settled at Wing's Bay, and, being a tanner by trade, soon erected what is said to have been the first tannery in Charlotte. He did not remain long in this part of the town, however, but soon sold out and purchased the place now owned by his grandson, Cyrus G. PRINGLE (as he spells his name), the present botanist of the State of Vermont.

      The farm now occupied by D. E. CLARK, in the northwestern part of the town, was settled in 1793 by his grandfather, John CLARK, from Windsor, Conn., who held his place until his death in 1827, at the age of seventy years.

      Elijah POWELL came from Lanesboro, Mass., in 1793, and settled on the farm now owned by Orrin P. READ, opposite Mr. READ's present residence. POWELL became a thrifty farmer, accumulating, clearing and improving several hundred acres of land. He was a public-spirited man, a liberal supporter of the Baptist Church, and one of the principal builders of the first house of worship erected in Charlotte by that denomination. He had nine children, of whom all eventually left town except Reuben, father of Edgar S., the present representative of the family in town. Reuben died in 1830, leaving eleven children, only four of whom are now alive.

      John THORP, a native of Ireland, arrived at Charlotte about 1795, and at once opened the only general store between Vergennes and Burlington. Besides being a successful merchant here, he shipped pine and oak lumber extenively to Quebec by way of the lake. He died at the meridian of his business prosperity in 1799, aged forty-three years. George THORP, his cousin, soon after came to Charlotte for the purpose of settling his estate, as executor, after doing which he married the widow and continued the business a few years. He thereafter devoted his attention to cultivating the farm which his cousin had settled, and remained there until his death, at the age of eighty-six years. His children were George, jr., John G. and Henry. The former married Miss BULL, of Ferrisburgh, and located on the farm now owned by his sons Harley and Henry. John G. married early, remained with his father, and now occupies the old homestead in company with his son John H. Henry, the other son of George, now lives in town and has three sons -- Ervin H., editor of the Middlebury “Register,” Herbert C., on his father's farm, and Emerson A., in Shelburne.

      William PEASE came from Lanesboro, Mass., in 1796, and located on the place now owned and occupied by Charles WOOSTER. He was a blacksmith by trade, and though he carried on this business he also attended to his farm, which he increased from the extremely humble beginning of four acres to 150 acres. None of his eight children is now in town. Two brothers of William, named Elijah and George, came to Charlotte in 1797, when the latter was eleven years old, and of their brother learned his trade. George eventually settled at the foot of Pease Mountain, where he carried on a farm. George remained with William until he was of age, when he married and settled in the southern part of the town. His health failing, he abandoned his trade, and for a time kept a tavern in Ferrisburgh, and conducted a farm in connection with it. He finally moved back to this town, on the farm now occupied by his grandson, Russell. He died in 1858, leaving two sons and a daughter.

      Caleb BARTON came to Charlotte in 1796 from Lanesboro, Mass., and located on the place now occupied by Laura BARTON. Joseph BARTON removed in the early part of this century to Baptist Four Corners, where he kept a public house for years. He died on June 7, 1865, aged seventy-seven years, leaving four children.

      It has already been noticed, undoubtedly, that most of the early settlers came from Lanesboro, Mass. Gad ROOT was another emigrant from that place, and came here in 1798 and settled at Baptist Four Corners, where he carried on the business of tanning, currying and shoemaking. He died on October 19, 1843, aged sixty-six years. A few years after his arrival in Charlotte he removed to Madrid, N. Y., where he remained a short time and then returned to Charlotte, about one and a half miles west of Baptist Four Corners. He was remarkable for his charity and piety, and was for a long time deacon of the Congregational Church. His eldest son, Noble, born in June, 1800, became a prominent man in town, and died in 1872, leaving two sons, George L. and Henry C., who now occupy his estate. Dorwin, the second son of Gad, born on June 21, 1809, settled where his widow and family now live. Loomis, his youngest brother, was born in 1815, and resided on the homestead until his death in 1886.

      Of other early settlers who are worthy of particular mention because of their intimate associations with the best interests of the town, and other prominent men in the county, the following may be said:

      Dr. Jonas FAY was a resident of this town several years, though he is generally known as a citizen of Bennington. Ezra MEECH, mentioned at greater length in the history of Shelburne, resided here a number of years, and twice represented Charlotte in the Legislature. David A. SMALLEY, father of Bradley B. SMALLEY, now collector of the port for the district of Vermont, at Burlington, spent several of his boyhood years here.

      The first Methodist in town was Major Jonathan BRECKENRIDGE, from Bennington. He was the leader of the first class, a local preacher, and one of the pillars of the church as long as he lived. He was, furthermore, an esteemed and prominent citizen. He lived in the western part of the town, near the lake, on the farm now owned by Samuel WHALLEY.

      Joseph HOAG, a leading member and a preacher of the Society of Friends, came here early from Duchess county, N. Y., and located on a farm near the southeastern corner of the town, he traveled extensively on preaching tours in Canada, Nova Scotia and nearly every State in the Union. He was the seer of the remarkable vision in which the dissensions afterwards caused by slavery in church and state were so vividly foreshadowed. Nearly all of his children were preachers among the Friends. He died on the 21st of November, 1846, aged eighty-four years.

      General Hezekiah BARNES, as well as his father and two brothers, was prominent among the early settlers; for many years lived by the spring near the center of the town, and built the structure now used as a store by SWAIN & WILLIAMS, in which he kept a tavern that was well known throughout the State. He was major-general of militia, and assistant judge of the County Court. He died of the epidemic of 1813. His political rival, Nathaniel, son of Abel Newell, who was also judge of the County Court, was the only man who ever represented the town a greater number of years than General BARNES.

      John A. KASSON, one of the most distinguished men that this town has produced, was graduated at the University of Vermont in 1842; practiced law for a time in New Bedford, Mass., and afterwards removed to Iowa, where he soon attained great prominence in politics, and is known for his eminent services in Congress. His political career began in 1860, when he was a member of the Chicago Convention which nominated Abraham Lincoln. His boyhood years were passed in the house now occupied by Luther HUBBELL. 

      Eliphal GILLETTE was one of the earliest settlers in town. He was born in New Milford, Conn., in 1747, and came to Charlotte as early as 1790, and soon accumulated about Boo acres of land north of Baptist Four Corners. He died in 1810. Before his immigration to Charlotte he was a sea-faring man, and married his first wife in Calcutta. He then became a merchant in New Milford. When he came here he sent his wife and family and mother ahead, who came by marked trees, and preceded him by several weeks. On his arrival he found that they had died of small-pox. Not long after this he married Nancy CURTIS, who became the mother of Ammi GILLETTE, the source of much of the writer's information in regard to this town. Ammi GILLETTE was born on the farm now owned by Benjamin BEERS, on the 1st of December, 1801, and married Dorotha MEEKER on the 8th of July, 1823, who died September 22, 1885. Mrs. N. C. BUSH, postmistress of Charlotte, is his daughter.

      Among those who can hardly be called early settlers, but who have been long prominent in the affairs of the town, may be mentioned David COOK, who came to Charlotte from Connecticut in 1807, and first settled where Richard WHALLEY now lives. He afterwards owned the place now owned by his son, Charles B. COOK, in the western part of the town. David COOK held most of the town offices. He died in 1857, aged seventy-six years. Charles B. COOK represented the town in 1853 and 1854.

      Leverett SHERMAN came from Connecticut in 1808, and learned the carpenter's trade of his brother-in-law, Johnson FOOTE. He also purchased of FOOTE the farm now occupied by his son, Alfred W. SHERMAN, in the eastern part of the town. Leverett SHERMAN was employed by the government during the War of I812-15 to aid in the construction of barracks at Plattsburgh. His brother, William E., came here in 1811, and settled on the farm now owned by his son, John H., where he died June 15, 1859.

      William HIGBEE came here from Ferrisburgh in 1819, and located on the farm now occupied by O. C. PALMER. The only representative of the family now in town is W. Wallace HIGBEE, grandson of William and son of Peter V. HIGBEE. Mr. HIGBEE is town clerk and justice of the peace.

      Thomas WHALLEY came from Ferrisburgh in 1837, and located on the farm now occupied by his grandson. R. G. WHALLEY. His two surviving children in town are Jonathan and Samuel. Thomas died at the age of eighty-nine years.

      John QUINLAN came to Charlotte in 1844, and began his career in town by chopping wood at twenty-five cents a cord. He is now an extensive landholder here, and has for years been prominent in the public affairs of the town.

      The following list contains the names of nearly all the freemen in Charlotte in 1800, and was obtained from the town records:

      Colonel Asa BARNES, Captain John HILL, David HORSFORD, Rev. Abel NEWELL, Isaac COGGSWELL, Thaddeus HURLBURT, Reuben MARTIN, Amos CATLIN, Jonathan SAWYER, Elijah WOOLCOT, Reuben ROWLEY, John THORP, Hezekiah BARNES, Asa BARNES, jr., Dr. Daniel Hough (who lived below the burying-ground, where A. N. BARBER now owns), Captain John McNEIL, Isaac RAXFORD, Fletcher PERKINS, Samuel CUMMINGS, Charles GRANT, Samuel SCOVIL, Samuel SCOVIL, jr., Abner SQUIER, Charles McNEIL, William REED, Jedediah CUMMINGS, Ezra DORMAN, Abel BLANCHARD, Daniel BARNES, Erazmus TOWNER, Solomon SQUIER, Moses YALE, Ephraim WOOSTER, Asahel STRONG, Fisk BARTLETT, Heber SQUIER, Zalmar HURLBURT, Isaiah HURLBURT, Elijah KEELER, Darius TUPPER, Captain David HORSFORD, Jabez BROOK, Captain Samuel HURLBURT, Michael ABBOTT, Nathan MARBLE, David RICH, Abiram HURLBURT, Lieutenant Ebenezer HOVEY, Jonathan ATWOOD, Salmon ROOT, William WOOD, Nathan POWELL, John PENFIELD, Samuel PENFIELD, John NEWELL, Samuel BEACH, Nathaniel MARTIN, Thomas CANFIELD, Calvin HINMAN, Benjamin McNEIL, William PEASE, Joseph BARNES, Andrew BARTON, Eliphal GILLETTE, Jeremiah RUNNALS (REYNOLDS), James OLIN, Isaac FOOT, Elisha NEWELL, Jared LYMAN, Gad LYMAN, Patrick BRISBY, Thomas BURT, Homer TOWNER, Samuel HADLOCK, and Zenas CLARK.

ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN

      The settlement of Charlotte progressed so rapidly that it was organized on the 13th of March, 1787, and when the first complete census of the State was taken, after its admission into the Union in 1791, this town contained 635 inhabitants-the most populous town, not only in Chittenden county, but also in the north half of the State, now embraced in the eight northern counties. Daniel HORSFORD was chosen moderator of the first meeting; John McNEIL was chosen town clerk; Asa BARNES, John McNEIL, John HILL, James HILL, and Isaac COGGSWELL were chosen selectmen; Reuben ROWLEY and Samuel SCOVIL, constables; John HILL, James HILL, and Dr. Daniel HOUGH, listers; and Ebenezer HOVEY, leather sealer.

      The meeting was then adjourned to the 27th of the same month at the house of Hezekiah BARNES, when Reuben MARTIN and Solomin SQUIER were elected tythingmen; Elijah WOOLCOT, Dr. HOUGH, Isaac, COGGSWELL, Samuel SCOVIL and Hezekiah BARNES, surveyors of highways; and John HILL, sealer of weights and measures. At the same meeting it was voted "That Captain HILL, Colonel BARNS, Captain McNEILE, Samuel SCOVIL, Hezekiah BARNS, David HUBELL, James HILL, Dr. HOUGH, Reuben MARTIN, Ebenezer HOVEY, Jabez BROOKS, and Jonathan ATWOOD shall be put in the Box for Jurymen."

      Another important measure adopted was that hogs should be confined.

      At the first settlement of the town bears, deer and other wild animals were common. Bucks were often seen crossing the fields. Beavers were numerous, and left several dams which for years remained as monuments of their wonderful mechanical skill. The annoyances caused by these several descriptions of beasts were only a part of the hardships to which the settlers were subjected. For many years the southwestern part of the town was very unwholesome, fever and ague and bilious fever being common. Typhus fever first made its appearance about 1803, and in many cases was out of the reach of physicians. The epidemic of 1813 also raged fearfully in this town, carrying off about seventy of the inhabitants, among whom were Rev. Abel NEWELL, Hezekiah BARNES and Dr. James DOWNER.

      The superior adaptation of the town to agricultural purposes was one cause of its rapid settlement. The almost exclusive devotion of the people to this pursuit accounts for the fact that the population remained about stationary for over sixty years. The early settlers were speedily remunerated for their labors; wealth flowed in upon them, and comfortable homes rapidly arose. As early as 1806 the grand list was $31,961. Only ten towns in the State surpassed this. Even Burlington did not equal it in its grand list until 1824.

MILITARY AFFAIRS

      During the War of 1812-15, and previous, the military spirit was rife in Charlotte. It was probably not surpassed, if equaled, by any town in the State. There were no less than five military companies in the town, viz: two of infantry, one of light infantry, one of cavalry and one of artillery. The last two, however, were partly made up of men from other towns, as Hinesburg and Shelburne. In the year 1810 the citizens whose names are subjoined held the offices indicated, viz: Hezekiah BARNES, major-general; John NEWELL, brigadier-general; Oliver HUBBELL, quartermaster-sergeant; Nathaniel NEWELL, captain of cavalry; Sheldon WHEELER, captain; Tim READ and William PEASE, lieutenants; and Peter WHEELER, ensign of artillery. Ithiel STONE, captain; David H. GRISWOLD, lieutenant; and Israel B. PERRY, ensign of light infantry. Lyman YALE, captain; Caleb CHAPELL, lieutenant; and Andrew BARTON, ensign of infantry, Co. 2. Joseph BARNES, captain; Hez. BARNES, jr., lieutenant; and Elijah GRAY, ensign of infantry, Co. 6. What other town in the State could show such an array? The people of Charlotte evidently believed in the motto "In time of peace prepare for war."

      As might be expected from its situation and the character of its inhabitants, this town had some connection with the War of 1812-15. Teams were impressed to carry men and military stores from Plattsburgh to Sackett's Harbor, detachments of militia were repeatedly ordered to Burlington and further north; large numbers volunteered to withstand the advancing British army in September, 1814, and were present at the battle of Plattsburgh, and the whole town was thrown into a fever of excitement by the passage of the British flotilla up the lake to attack Fort Cassin at the mouth of Otter Creek As they passed McNEIL's, Charles McNEIL with his family and many other spectators were on the high bank in front of Mr. McNEIL's house. One of the small vessels which was inside of Sloop Island and within hailing distance of the shore, was observed to be making preparations to fire. Mr. McNEIL called to the captain and asked if he was about to fire upon unarmed and defenseless people, to which question no attention was paid. McNEIL then directed his family and neighbors to lie down, which they did. A charge consisting of twelve two-pound balls was fired. The height of the bank and the proximity of the vessel to the shore compelled the British gunner to aim so high as to carry the balls over McNEIL's house, although they grazed the top of the bank and cut off a small poplar over the heads of the prostrate spectators. The balls were found in his meadow at the next haying. Two other charges were fired, one of which went through his horse barn. The drunken commander being put under arrest by the commander of the flotilla, excused his brutal assault upon women and children on the pretence that he saw soldiers in uniform on the bank. On the return from Fort Cassin several hundred people were collected on Thompson's Point. One brave Yankee, Wilson WILLIAMS, had a gun with which he attacked the British fleet. A few charges of shot were returned, which rattled among the trees over the heads of the scared multitude, which very speedily dispersed.

      The following is a list -- probably incomplete -- of the Revolutionary soldiers who became residents of the town, namely: David HUBBELL, Joseph SIMONDS, Lamberton CLARK, Asa NARAMORE, Elisha PULFORD, Samuel ANDREWS, Ezra WORMWOOD, Skiff MORGAN, Samuel HADLOCK, Israel SHELDON, Phineas LAKE, Levi COGGSWELL, James HILL, Newton RUSSELL and Daniel HOSFORD. The following from Charlotte enlisted in the War of 1812-I5: Holmes HOYT, Robert COCKLE, Abraham SMITH, Abel GIBBS and Uriah HIGGINS. Rollin BARTON, who enlisted in the Burlington company of the Second Vermont Regiment, was the first citizen of the town who volunteered for the suppression of the great proslavery rebellion of 1861.

MUNICIPAL HISTORY

      The history of the villages in Charlotte must necessarily be brief, for since the beginning the agricultural pursuits of the inhabitants have kept them for the most part separated from each other too widely for village life. In pursuance of the time-honored custom of New England towns, the proprietors of Charlotte included in the duties of the surveyors that of "setting a stake" in the center of the town, where were to be built the meeting-houses and other public buildings, and where it was expected that the store and tavern should be opened for the equal convenience of all the inhabitants. Here too, it is probable, stood the ancient sign-post, whipping-post and stocks. But as the town became settled and lines of communication were established with the neighboring towns, it was found convenient and profitable for some enterprising men to open taverns in other parts, and these were naturally followed by stores. In towns which contain water privileges the most thriving village generally sprang up about the mills erected at the "falls," regardless of the predilections of the proprietors for the geographical center of the town.

      The existence of the "Center" and of Charlotte village is explained, the former in the above paragraph, and the latter by the proximity of the railroad station. But the only feasible explanation of the existence of "Baptist Four Corners," in the east part of the town, is found in the fact that the ridge of hills that divides the town rendered the center so difficult of access to the residents in that vicinity, that an independent settlement became early a matter of necessity, which was the more agreeable by reason of the mutual jealousies and little feuds formerly existing between the two sections. This village was relatively larger fifty years ago than it now is. Just back of the present Baptist Church, and a little to the north, stood the old tannery of Nathaniel NEWELL, operated for him some years by Shurick ELDRED. Reuben MARTIN's tannery also stood in this village just northwest of the corner made by the intersection of the north and south road with that which leads to the west part of the town. For several years (about 1830) William O. BAKER kept a tavern in the building now occupied by Curtis VAN VLIET. Many of the most prominent men of the town in early days lived in this neighborhood.

BUSINESS INTERESTS

      Among the present business interests the following may be mentioned as the most prominent. Indeed, the chief industry has always, as has been suggested, been agricultural.

      Alanson EDGERTON & Sons' cider-mill, about a mile east of the station, has for many years supplied the people in this vicinity with cider, and has done considerable shipping. It is operated by horse power, and turns out about twenty barrels of cider per day. Wilber FIELD's hay barn and hay press, at the station, receives and presses not less than 700 tons annually.

      Winfield SCOTT's saw and grist-mill, in the southeastern part of the town, on Lewis Creek, has been running for eight or ten years very successfully, operating one run of stones, and sawing about 200,000 feet of lumber per annum. Mr. SCOTT also has a butter-tub factory in connection with his mill.

      H.D. ALEXANDER's vineyard and fruit farm, located on a pleasant slope a little west of the center of the town, has in bearing condition several thousand choice vines, embracing :host of the valuable varieties, and a large quantity of fine raspberry and strawberry plants. His fruit grounds cover an area of more than eight acres, enclosed by a beautiful hedge of arborvitae.

      There are three stores in town-one at the Center, conducted by SWAIN & WILLIAMS. This partnership was formed in the spring of 1885, though Mr. SWAIN has been in the mercantile business in town since 1875. They now carry a stock worth about $7,000. The store which they occupy was used for mercantile purposes during the war, by E. ALEXANDER, who kept this store and one at each of the other villages. S. E. RUSSELL, who now has a store at Charlotte village and at Baptist Four Corners, came to this town from Burlington in 1878, and succeeded J. W. SWAIN in the occupation of the brick store at Charlotte. He carries a stock of about $6,000 at this place. This building was erected more than thirty years ago by Dr. Luther STONE, and was first occupied as a store by Ammi STONE and William WRIGHT. Mr. RUSSELL also opened a store at Baptist Four Corners in the spring of 1883, succeeding George A. FOOTE. His stock in that store is valued at about $2,500. J. R. TAGGART conducts Mr. RUSSELL's business at this place.

POST-OFFICE

      Until about ten years ago there were but two offices in town, one at the Center, known as Charlotte, and the other at the station, called West Charlotte. The office at the Center was then removed to Baptist Four Corners and given the name of East Charlotte, while the office at the station was changed in name to Charlotte. It is not known exactly when a post-office was first established in town, but it was certainly before the beginning of the present century. The first postmaster that can be remembered was W. BARNES, who received the appointment before 1804. He was probably followed by Hezekiah BARNES, who retained the office until about 1825. His successors until the establishment of another office have been about as follows: 1826-28, Abel LOVELY; 1829-33, NOBLE LOVELY; 1834-38, William NOBLE; 1839-43, C. B. MARTIN; 1844-48, Samuel H. BARNES; 1849-54, A. H. LYON; 1855-59, Caleb E. BARTON; 1860-61, John QUINLAN; 1862-74, E. ALEXANDER. It was during this period that West Charlotte post-office was established. Mr. ALEXANDER's successor at the Center was C. C. TORREY, the last postmaster at this place. East Charlotte office was then established, with E. HOSFORD as the first incumbent. In 1879 he was succeeded by J. S. SHAW, who retained the position until January 20, 1886, when Anna J. QUINLAN was appointed. J. R. TAGGART acts as her assistant. The first postmaster at West Charlotte after Mr. ALEXANDER was L. R. HUBBELL, who was followed in the fall of 1875 by Mrs. Nancy POPE. She still holds the office under the name of Mrs. Nancy C. BUSH.

PRESENT PROFESSIONAL MEN

      There is no lawyer now in Charlotte. The only physician, Dr. W. H. H. VARNEY, at East Charlotte, was born in this town on the 21st of August, 1839. He attended lectures for a time at the medical department of the University of Vermont, and was graduated from the Berkshire Medical College, Litchfield county, Mass., in November, 1862. On the 3d of the next month he began to practice in East Charlotte. On the 3d of March, 1863, he married Augusta C. BALL, of Charlotte, but a native of Ferrisburgh. They have had four children, of whom three, Minnette, aged twenty-two years, Anna E., aged fourteen years, and May P., aged seven years, are now living. Dr. Varney is the son of Alpheus and Phila (PALMER) VARNEY. His father came to Charlotte about 1810, and lived here until 1874, when he died at the age of seventy-five years.

PRESENT OFFICERS OF CHARLOTTE

      Following is a list of the town officers of Charlotte, elected at the March meeting for 1886: W. W. HIGBEE, town clerk; Solomon A. WILLIAMS, O. P. READ, O. E. STONE, selectmen; Carlisle Lewis, treasurer; Ira B. WICKER, constable and collector; John QUINLAN, overseer of the poor; George D. JACKMAN, B. F. SMITH, George A. FOOTE, listers; J. P. KEHOE, E. S. PEASE, Dr. W. H. H. VARNEY, auditors; John H. THORP, trustee of public money; W. H. DODGE, Frank B. SMITH, George A. CLARK, fence viewers; J. S. SHAW, H. W. PRINDLE, grand jurors; E. H. CONVERSE, inspector of leather; W. C. SCOTT, inspector of wood and shingles; John H. THORP, superintendent of Thompson's Point; Dean HOSFORD, town agent; and Dr. W. H. H. VARNEY, superintendent of schools.

EDUCATIONAL

      In 1791 the town was divided into nine school districts. As the population increased it became necessary to enlarge the number of districts, and by 1816 we find the town divided into eleven districts, the total number of pupils attending school at that time being 717. In 1825 the number of attending pupils had diminished to 585, of whom six were "set off" to the schools in Shelburne. Charlotte Female Seminary commenced May 1, 1835, although the edifice was not built until the following year. Its principal founder was Dr. Luther STONE. In 1840 it was transferred to the Methodist Episcopal Society. After a successful career of a few years it yielded to the pressure of its unfavorable location. A select school has, however, been kept in it nearly every year since the seminary was discontinued.

      The residents of Baptist Four Corners erected a neat little lyceum hall in 1869, and have maintained a society for the purpose of mutual drilling in debates, and for the better attainment of literary culture, etc.

ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY

      One of the first duties of the pioneers in the settlement of Charlotte was the preparation of a place where they could meet together for public worship. On the 17th of March, 1787, Charles GRANT, Daniel HOSFORD, Ebenezer HOVEY, Asa BARNES, Isaac COGGSWELL, and David HUBBELL were chosen a committee to "set a stake for the meeting-house," and were empowered to purchase five acres of land for the site thereof. Nothing more was effected, however, for several years, though on the 15th of July, 1789, the town voted to hire Rev. M. REED to preach the Gospel until the following September 1st. On the 17th of April, 1791, it was voted that the town would not then build the meeting-house, though preparations were begun, and the boards were ordered to be delivered "at or near the sign-post."

      The first church organized in town was the Congregational, which dates its organization to the 3d of January, 1792, at which time it consisted of four members, John HILL, Moses YALE, Daniel HORSFORD, jr., and Joseph SIMONDS. Daniel HORSFORD, jr., was the first clerk. Rev. D. O. GILLETT was the first pastor, and remained until 1799, when he was dismissed and soon after deposed from the ministry. During his ministry a good degree of religious prosperity was enjoyed, and there were numerous accessions to the church.

      From this time, for about eight years, the church was destitute of a pastor and dwindled in numbers, so that at the opening of the year 1807 it was reduced to eleven members. During this year a revival of religion was enjoyed, and forty were united with the church. Late in this year Truman BALDWIN was installed pastor and continued in that office until March 21, 1815, when he was dismissed. In 1816 Rev. Dr. AUSTIN, president of the Vermont University, supplied the pulpit. During the two and one-half years in which there was no settled pastor, fifty-four persons were received into the church. On the 15th of October, 1817, Rev. Calvin YALE was ordained pastor, and was dismissed March 5, 1833. During the winter of 1833-34 Rev. F. B. REED was with the church, as stated supply.

      Rev. William EATON was installed pastor September 25, 1834, and dismissed January 12, 1837.

      Rev. E. W. GOODMAN was installed pastor July 12, 1837, and dismissed October 15, 1845.

      Rev. Joel S. BINGHAM was ordained and installed pastor October 21, 1846, and dismissed November 18, 1851.

      Rev. C. M. SEATON supplied the church from December 21, 1851, to July 6, 1854, at which time he was installed pastor and so continued until January 29, 1868, when he was dismissed.

      Rev. Charles W. CLARK was acting pastor from early in the year 1869 until 1871. During this time there were numerous accessions to the church.

      Rev. C. C. TORREY was installed pastor September 7, 1871, and continued in that relation until September, 1878.

      Rev. H. B. PUTNAM became acting pastor on the first Sunday in May, 1879.

      The present pastor, Rev. A. W. WILD, succeeded Mr. PUTNAM in July, 1882.

      The first church edifice was a wooden structure erected in 1798, which gave place to the present brick building in 1848. It will accommodate 350 persons. The present membership of the church is 156, and the average attendance at Sabbath-school is about eighty. The present officers of the church are Henry McNEIL and Joseph S. SHAW, deacons; Henry W. PRINDIE, clerk; W. W. HIGBEE, chorister of the choir; and the pastor, superintendent of the Sabbath-school.

      Methodist Episcopal Church.-The first Methodist society in Western Vermont was formed in 1798. Probably the Methodist itinerants, Lorenzo DOW and Joseph MITCHELL, commenced preaching in Charlotte the same year. No society, however, was formed for several years. Major Jonathan BRECKENRIDGE was the first resident Methodist, and for half a century was a main pillar in the church. He was converted in the summer of 1801, and the same year or the next the first society was formed by Rev. Ebenezer WASHBURNE, of which Major BRECKENRIDGE was appointed leader. The first members were Major BRECKENRIDGE and his wife, Joseph SIMONDS and his wife, and Mrs. MARBLE. Charlotte then belonged to Vergennes circuit, embracing the north half of Addison county and the south half of Chittenden. In 18o8 its name was changed from Vergennes to Charlotte circuit. In 1827 Charlotte with Shelburne and North Ferrisburgh became a separate circuit. Since 1838 Charlotte has been a station, and unfortunately the Methodist churches in Charlotte and the adjacent towns are so located that nearly half the Methodists living in Charlotte belong to churches in other towns.

      In 1819 Charlotte became the residence of the presiding elder of Champlain district. John B. STRATTON, Buel GOODSELL, Lewis PEASE and Tobias SPICER, D. D., resided here in succession as presiding elders until the district parsonage was burnt, in 1830.

      Until 1801 the circuit probably embraced all of Western Vermont. In 1801 Brandon circuit was set off from it. It was at first called Vergennes circuit, but in 1808 it was called Charlotte, a name which has ever since maintained its place in the lists of the circuits and stations of the church.

      The first church edifice was of wood, commenced in 1819 and completed in 1823. In 1837 it was burnt down with the parsonage, which stood on the same ground where the district parsonage was burnt seven years before. The present brick church was built in 1840.

      The present pastor, Rev. M. A. WICKER, came to Charlotte from Vergennes in 1883. For several years before his coming the church was without a pastor, the last one before Mr. Wicker being Rev. George HUGHES. The church property is now valued at about $3,000. The church has a membership of about thirty, while Mr. WICKER has organized a class of sixteen in the east part of the town.

      The Baptist Church.- Elder Ephraim SAWYER was doubtless the first Baptist minister who ever preached in the town. The church was organized May 6, 1807, under the supervision of a council, called by the Baptist Church of Monkton, by the request of certain members of said church living in Charlotte, who were dismissed by mutual consent to form said church. It consisted of nineteen members, who adopted articles of faith and covenant, as fellowshiped by the Baptists in those days. During the same season nineteen more were added by baptism and by letter. The ensuing October this church united with the Vermont Baptists, which convened at Bridport, Messrs. GIBBS and HOSFORD being delegates, A. GIBBS its first deacon, and U. PALMER clerk. Elder Nathan DANA was settled as pastor in 1808; membership this year 47. The first church edifice was erected in 1808, the second and present one in 1840. Repairs and improvements were made in 1856 to the amount of $700. The church is of brick.

      Rev. R. NOTT, the present pastor, came three years ago, succeeding Rev. Charles A. VOTEY. The present officers of the church are Byron R. ENO, clerk; J. H. SHERMAN, A. C. PALMER, George D. JACKMAN and J. R. TAGGART, deacons; George D. JACKMAN, treasurer; Byron R. ENO, Sabbath-school superintendent. The membership of the church is about fifty, and the average attendance at Sabbath-school is about thirty-five.

History of Chittenden County, Vermont 
With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches 
of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers
Edited By W. S. Rann, Syracuse, N. Y.
D. Mason & Co., Publishers, 1886
Page 534-552.

Transcribed by Karima Allison ~ 2004

Charlotte section of Hamilton Child's "Gazetteer and Business Directory of  Chittenden County, Vt. For 1882-83."

1909 List of Church Members of the Congregational Church, Charlotte, VT

Town of Charlotte, VT Home Page

Charlotte Memorial Museum

Abenaki History

Vermont Genealogy Resources, Charlotte Township, Chittenden County