William CROSSMAN immigrated from Easttown, Mass., in 1777, settling in Brandon.  From thence he moved to Clarendon in 1781, settling on the farm now owned by W. R.  CROSSMAN. William was a revolutionary soldier. While living in Brandon, Burgoyne came down as far as his place and took his oxen and all his grain from him, leaving him destitute. 

      John WEEKS came from Washington, Conn., in 1787, and settled in Clarendon, on the farm now owned by John CLEVELAND. 

      Caleb HALL, an old settler in the town, was born in Dumbarton, N. H., and came to Clarendon when he was fourteen years of age, where he resided until his death, at the age of 74. Mr. HALL, in his time, was one of the most active and prominent men of the town, held several town offices, and was for a long time postmaster at Clarendon Flats. 

      Jonathan PARKER settled in the north part of the town in 1785. Mr. PARKER was a wealthy and influential man, owning at one time nearly the whole of the town of Hendon, which for a long time was called Parkerstown. 

      James EDDY settled in town at an early date, coming from Rhode Island. He, for a long time, acted as a scout for the Colonies during the Revolution, and was one of the nine who went from Clarendon with Lieut. HALL, to surprise a party of Indians on  Gilmer’s Creek, taking only six days rations with them and were gone twelve days. 

      Lewis WALKER came to Clarendon from Cheshire. Mass., in 1779, settling on the farm now owned by his great-grandson, N. S. WALKER, where he resided until his death, in 1813.  Mr. WALKER was a member of the Baptist Church, and highly esteemed by all who knew him. Lewis WALKER. Jr., was born in Clarendon, on the homestead of his father, Jan. 24, 1781. He was selectman several years, town treasurer and justice of the peace for more than twenty years, and represented the town in the Legislature two years. Lewis M.  WALKER, son of Lewis Jr. and grandson of Lewis, was born on the old homestead Feb. 24, 1808, where he still resides. Mr. WALKER was formerly engaged in mercantile pursuits, but is now engaged in farming. He has served the town as lister and justice several years, and in the Legislature in 1857 and 1858. 

      Silas WHITNEY, the first selectman of the town, elected in 1778, came from Connecticut in 1770, settling on the farm now owned by L. HOLDEN. 

      Isaac TUBBS immigrated to the town from Connecticut about the year 1780, settling on the farm now owned by Daniel TUBBS. Isaac built a tannery on the farm, where he manufactured leather for more than forty years. 

      Daniel COLVIN, from Rhode Island, settled in the town, on the farm now owned by Benjamin FISK, in 1780. Mr. COLVIN worked on his farm during the summer months, returning to Rhode Island in the fall, where he would follow the sea until the next season. 

      Eliphalet SPOFFORD was born in Temple, New Hampshire, in 1773, He settled in the north-east corner of Clarendon when it was nearly a wilderness, cleared a small tract of land and built a log house, in which he raised a family of eleven children. He died in 1860, aged 87. He was a descendant of John SPOFFORD, one of the first settlers of Rowley, Mass., in 1638, and of whom the following anecdote is told: During his residence at Rowley, a drought was followed by a great scarcity of food, and he repaired to Salem to purchase corn for himself and neighbors. The merchant to whom he applied, foreseeing a greater scarcity and higher prices, refused to open his store to supply his wants. Having pleaded the necessities of himself and others in vain, he cursed him to his face; but on being immediately taken before a magistrate, charged with profane swearing, he replied that he had not cursed profanely, but as a religious duty, and quoted Prov. xi, 26, as his authority: "He that withholdeth corn from the hungry, the people shall curse him." He was immediately acquitted, and by the summary power of the courts in those days, the merchant was ordered to deliver him as much corn as he wished to pay for. 

      Elias STEWARD, from Volney, Conn., settled on the farm now owned by J. Q. STEWART, in 1777.

      Christopher PIERCE came to Clarendon from Exeter, R.I., in 1802, locating upon the farm now owned by Henry HODGES. Subsequently he bought the farm now owned by his brother Giles, where he resided until his death, in 1811, leaving a large family. His son, John N., took the farm after his father's death, afterwards marrying Rosannah SPENCER, by whom he had three sons. After her death he married Sallie CARR, who now resides with her son Thomas on the old homestead, Thomas having taken the farm after his father’s death, which occurred March 20, 1881, at the advanced age of 91. 

      James WYLIE came to Clarendon from Connecticut, in 1777, locating, on Otter Creek, upon the farm now owned by W. L. WYLIE. His family consisted of two sons and two daughters, William, Jacob, Sarah and Esther. After Mr. WYLIE's death, in 1834, William took the old homestead, where he has resided since. The old house, built by James in 1791, is still occupied by the family. 

      Obadiah CHAPMAN, from Salisbury, Conn., came to Clarendon March 1. 1786, and moved into the house then owned by Silas SMITH and now owned and occupied by Burr CHAPMAN, a grandson of Obadiah. The house is in good repair though over a hundred years old. Mr. CHAPMAN purchased a farm on road 1, and in 1786 built the house in which he lived and died; it stood just in front of Harvey CHAPMAN's brick house. Obadiah's son, Joseph, succeeded him and died in 1859. His son, Harvey, now 78 years of age, lives on the farm with his son Joseph, and a grandson; a child, resides here too, a representative of the sixth generation on the same farm, which has never passed from the possession of the family. 

      Frederick BUTTON, son of Charles F., was born in Clarendon in the year 1789, and resided in the town all his life, dying in 1874. He represented the town in 1828 and was much respected. He married Elizabeth ROGERS, his family consisting of one son and five daughters. The son, Hiram F., born in 1818, has always resided in the town, marrying Lucretia BUTTON, his family consisting of one son and one daughter. Mr. BUTTON has always been extensively engaged in breeding blooded sheep. 

      Daniel DYER came to Clarendon from Rhode Island in 1798, locating upon the farm now owned by his daughter, Mrs. Lydia S. BRIGS, wife of Philip, who died in 1853. 

      Joseph CONGDON came here from Rhode Island previous to the Revolution, locating upon the farm now owned by T. P. BROWN. George, son of Joseph, was also an early settler, residing here until his death, in 1842. His grandson, Edwin, has been town clerk since 1873, and represented the town in 1878-'79. 

      Thomas SPENCER, from Rhode Island, came to Clarendon at an early date, locating near the centre of the town. He died October 4th, 1804, leaving a family of two sons and two daughters. His son Calvin was born in October, 1799, studied medicine at Castleton, and practiced in the town until his death, in 1870. His son, J. C., was born November 11th, 1826, and has been engaged in mercantile pursuits in the town for the last thirty years. 

      Hon. Theophilus HARRINGTON died in Clarendon, November 17, 1813, aged 52. He held the office of representative and selectman of the town, was chief judge of Rutland County, and a chancellor and assistant judge of the Superior Court of the State of Vermont. He was buried in Chippen Hook Cemetery, with Masonic honors. 

      Henry HITCHCOCK came to Clarendon in 1840, residing here until his death, in 1871.  Mr. HITCHCOCK was a merchant in Rutland and Clarendon Springs for about twelve years.  He was a son of Remembrance, and grandson of John HITCHCOCK, of Pittsford. 

      Mrs. SPRAGUE, the first white woman who came to the town, was the grandmother of Frederick BUTTON, of Clarendon, and Harvey BUTTON, of Wallingford. She died at the age of 104, her son Durham Sprague, being the first male child born in the town. 

      The first frame-house erected in the town was built by Daniel BRIGGS, in the year 1777, and is still a comfortable house, owned and occupied by Harmon ALBEE, on road 39. 

      The first mill built in the town was located on the farm now owned by Timothy K. HORTON, the mill irons all being brought from Albany in a two wheeled cart drawn by oxen. 

      In 1795 Oliver WHITNEY and Moses GODDARD were general merchants, and Stephen POPE was a tanner and currier and shoemaker, the latter in the north part of the town. 

      Stephen ARNOLD was the first town clerk. The date of his election is not preserved.  His first record is in 1778. He was continued in office till 1779; John HILL, March 27th, 1799; Randall RICE, March 4th, 1813; Seba FRENCH, March 2, 1814; Silas W. HODGES, March 2, 1819; Daniel S. SWING, March, 1831; Joseph A. HAYES, March 6th, 1838; Philetus CLARK, August 21st, 1844; William G. CROSSMAN, March 2d, 1847; Lewis M. WALKER, March 7th, 1848; Hannibal HODGES, March 2d, 1852; Lewis M. WALKER, March 3d, 1857; William T. HERRICK, March, 1864; Edwin CONGDON since. 

      Increase MOSELY was a judge of the Supreme Court in 1784, and president of the first council of censors in 1786. 

      After the Revolution, among the returning settlers was Daniel MARSH, who it appears took protection papers from the British and sympathized with the enemy. On his return to Clarendon, Dec. 16, 1782, the town "voted to receive him as a good, wholesome inhabitant." He attempted to get possession of his old farm, a part of which he found occupied by Silas WHITNEY. A lawsuit followed in which Marsh was twice beaten. He then appealed to the Legislature, which passed an Act in June, 1785, giving him the possession of the farm "until he had an opportunity of recovering his betterments," for which Act the Legislature was severely censured by the first council of censors, of which judge Increase MOSELY, of Clarendon, was president. During the struggle between MARSH and WHITNEY for the possession of the disputed land, one party would put a tenant into the house, and the other party would put him out by force and put in another tenant, who in turn would be put out by force by the other party. On one occasion, Whitney, with several hands, mowed a large quantity of grass on the disputed meadow, and MARSH, obtaining help, drew it all off, while Whitney was eating his dinner. This is but one instance of the many quarrels in which conflicting land titles involved the settlers of the fertile lands of Clarendon-so fertile that WHITNEY, visiting his relatives in Rhode Island, claimed that on the Clarendon intervales he could raise ears of corn ten feet long; and in the following summer, when visited by his friends who wished to see his long corn, he was prepared to make good his boast, and showed them several ears over ten feet long, suspended from the ridge-pole of his corn barn, which he had made that length by joining and pinning short ears together. 

      Previous to 1817, one SHEPERSON owned and run a blast furnace at West Clarendon, about two miles S. W. of Chippen Hook. Stoves were cast about that year. 

      At what date the first school house was erected is not known. It was very early in the settlement, however, and as there was but little money in circulation, teachers were paid in grain. The wood was furnished by assessing a certain number of feet to a scholar, to be delivered by lot. There were four school districts in West Clarendon in 1826, where there were but two in 1871. The earliest records of "District No. 1, West Clarendon," say that at a school meeting held June 27, 1808: 

      The Congregational Church at Clarendon was organized February 18, 1822, by Rev. Henry HUNTER and Rev. Stephen MARTINDALE, Mr. HUNTER being the first pastor, and was dismissed October, 1827. At the organization the Church consisted of ten members, which has increased up to the present time to sixty-nine. Has a flourishing Sabbath school, a young people's union and ladies' aid society for the study of sacred history and for benevolent purposes. The building was originally built of brick in 1824. In 1859 it was thoroughly rebuilt, and finished very neatly inside, and is now capable of comfortably seating 250 persons. Rev. George H. MORSE is the present pastor. 

Gazetteer and Business Directory of  Rutland  County, VT.;
1881-82, Compiled and Published by Hamilton Child;
Syracuse, N.Y.; Printed at the Journal Office
August 1881, Part Two, Pages 114 - 121.

Transcribed by Karima Allison 2004