Waterford, Vermont, Occupations in the 1800s With Settlement Notes

Eugenia Powers

Eugenia Powers wore many hats on behalf of Waterford, Vermont. Of all of them, her most significant may have been for her self-appointed historian role. Many town reports like the one shown here from 1965 included notes by Eugenia about people and buildings.

In this hot first couple of days of June 2023, I've typed up a file-card box of Eugenia's notes on local residents. Have fun browsing!

Presumed Eugenia Powers gray file box: OCCUPATIONS [typed by Beth Kanell, June 2, 2023; double line space indicates new file card; note that d can mean “died” or “daughter.”]

 

Artist

Jefferson C. Ensminger of Independence, Iowa, married Amanda Brown – His parents were E.M. Ensminger and June Miles

Joel Locke—b. Falmouth, Mc.—had a child born Wat. 1876

 

Blacksmiths

William. J. Morrison

Edwin Bickford—death 1883—age 34

Samuel Morrison—1874—married

C.H. Knapp—1874—married

 

Carpenters (See also Joiners)

Fred Bullock—1896 (on birth record)

Langdon Cummings—1871—married

 

Cloth Manufacturers—Fulling

 

Coopers

1878—Frank Carter—cooper—child born

1880—Fed Hunt—child born. He’s also a painter, q.v.

 

Doctors

Dr. Nathan Cole—from Church records his wife Polly Jameil[?] 8/15/1802

Morrison, Moses G.

Rowell, Richard F. d. 1872 of small pox age 85

Bugbee, Abel C.—1877—married in town, but lived in Derby

Ralph Bugbee—age 84—b. Ashford, Ct.

1869—Charles G. Cargill, physician, married ?? age 23

Physicians list from Vol I, p. 432-5, Hemenway

A. Kinne*

A. Farr

C. Farr

R. Bugbee, Jr.

A.C. Bugbee

Frank Bugbee

N.S. Goss

Wm. Benton

*graduate—however think all were????

 

 

Engineer

Albert Babcock—1872—married

 

Gunsmith

George Furby—died 1892, age 63-9-26-single

 

Hotel Owners—

Edwin Bowman—1887—child born LW [Lower Waterford]

Ozro B. Hurlbutt—d. 1870—suicide—LW, b. Hanover, N.H.

Hiram Hill—d.1874, age 54-1-12—of pneumonia, stage driver and hotel keeper

 

Jeweler—

Franklin R. Sargent‚—1874—married in Wat., resided in Stansted [sic]

 

Joiner—

Orange Chaplin of Wat.—1879—married

John H. Chandler—1872—married Emma C. Streeter dau. of. Timothy & Almira Streeter

Napoleon Chaboneau—of Littleton, N.H.—house joiner—married 1871

 

Justice

Eben Farnham 1816

 

Harvey Kinne—Childs p 378

            merchant

            town cleark—postmaster

Willard Kinne—obituary d. 12/4

            s. of Nathan and Elizabeth Kinne

                        came from Pomfret, Conn. in 1793

            error in farm—settled where Whittemore lives & then at Willis Person’s Cottage—

                        not Hal Peck place

            farmer, stock man, drover

                        about 700 acres

                        promoter of Cal. Co. Agric. Assoc.

 

Lawyers—list in Abby Hemenway I, p. 432-5, from article by Thomas A. Cutler

J.D. Stoddard

R.C. Benton

R.C. Benton Jr.*

Jacob Benton

A.H. Hadley

O.T. Brown

A.J. Hale

Jonathan Ross*

E. Cutler, Jr.*

A.P. Carpenter*

Luther Kidder

* means graduate

 

Lawyers

J.D. Stoddard

Frank C. Streeter—died 1878—age 25—son of Timothy & Almira Streeter—consumption

James B. Donnan Esq.—1868—married Martha J. Ross

 

Mail Carrier

Abel F. Carpenter—died 1889—b. 5-2-16 in Lyndon, parents Abel & Betsy (Smith) Carpenter

Austin E. Blodgett—marriage—1873

Fred George—(mail service_) 1889—a birth

Patrick Carr—dies age 60 of small pox—came from Ireland—d 1872

Hiram Hill—d. 1874—was stage driver and hotel keeper

 

Mason

George West—1886—stone mason—b. England

 

Mechanics

William Furby—1884—a birth record

George H. Thomas—1888—a birth record

H.E. Cheney—1873—death Bk.4

Fred H. Blodgett—Bk.5 1885 birth rec.

James W. Newton—1868—married

Albert W. Bowles—(machinist)—married—1869 married

1878—J.S. Mullikin—child born

1884—Henry Koepke—child born

 

Merchants

Hiram Parks—UW [Upper Waterford]

Ephraim Swett—1871—married

Azro D. Stoddard—Merchant at Wat.—died of consumption 1871—son of Norman & Almira Stoddard

1879—Charles Brown—had a meat market—a child born

 

Miller

George Holland—1887—death record, age 66, born in Ireland

 

Grist Mill Owner (Millers)

 

Miner

John N. Griffin—1883—a birth—was husband of Jennie Griffin

Ministry—List from Abbyu Hemenway I, p. 432-435, article by Thomas A. Cutler

W.D. Hadley*

Alfred Stevens*

Samuel Benton*

James H. Benton*

E.I. Carpenter*

Zenas Gos[s]*

Samuel Hurlburtt

Silas Gaskill

Philander Carpenter

Ebenezer Cutler*

*graduate

 

Ministry—Waterford men who were ministers in town or elsewhere

Erastus Carpenter

Prosper Davison

Preserved Davison (died)

Ebenezer Cutler

 

Ministers (preached in town)

Silas Davison

George Roger—1890

John E. Palmer—m. Newton – Kent 1818

Rev. Carlos Marsden

Rufus Cheney

Asa Carpenter

Thomas Hall

Rev. John E. Palmer—d.1872, age 90-1-5—of old age & pneumonia

 

Waterford’s Contribution to Cong’l Ministry

Vt. Congregationalism—p.253

dates are dates of life if known

! connection with Am. Board of Missions or other missionary organ.

Samuel Austin Benton 1807–1865

Erasmus Irving Carpenter 1808–1877

Amander Barker 1810–?

Alfred Stevens 1810–1893

Josaih [sic] Henry Benton 1816–1907

Zenas Goss ! 1832–1864

 

Painter—houses? machinery and sleighs??

Fred P. Hunt—1875—married Martha Buckman

 

 

Salesmen & Peddlers

1868—Henry A. Bowman—married

1877—Albert Davis, peddler—child born

 

Sawyers—Sawmills Owners

 

Shingle Mills

 

Shoemakers—See Leather

 

Soldiers of Waterford

see—

1812 Roster

1840 Census for Rev. Pensioners then in town—

F.R. Carpenter’s War Record for Civil War.

Revolutionary Roster

Roster War of the Rebellion

Spanish Am. Roster, etc.

Voting Lists and Tax Records for exemptions

 

Stone Cutter

George W. Smith—1890—a birth—Bk. 5

 

Surveyors

Harvey Holbrook, d. 1845, age 77 (Cem. St.)

 

Tailors & Dressmakers—

C.J. Cobb, d. 1878—tailor—died in Aug—age 70

 

Teachers—

 

Teamsters

Alden J. Hale—died 1868—age 19-3-26—in Boston of Typhoid Pneumonia—an express teamster, son of Jo [sic] Hale

 

Toll Bridge Tenders

 

Town Clerks From Hemenway I, p. 432-5

1793-5 Selah Howe

1706-1801 John Grow

1802-5 Sylvanus Hemingway

1806 Samuel Gaskill

1807-1816 Sylvanus Hemingway

1817-23 Jonah Carpenter

1824-41 Sylvanus Hemingway

1842-1857 Lucius Freeman

 

Wheel Wrights

Hiram Whipple—1894 (a birth, I guess)

Asa Hovey—married 1872—Mianda [sic] Goss for his 3rd wife

Albert Howe—1878—a child born

 

Wood workers—Sleighs, winnowing machines, et

 

[second half of file box, new alphabet]

 

People Mentioned Childs [in Child’s Gazetteer]

 

James Adams—Childs p 369

1st settler (traditional)

exact date not known

proprietors mtg held in Barnet in 1783

“was adjourned to J.A.’s in said Littleton.”

 

Samuel D. Astle—Child[s] p 377

s. of Joseph who served in Eng. army

b—Shipton, Canada, in 1836

came to Wat. in 1857

m. Harriet Phelps (d. of Anthony Phelps) in 1859

children—Helen, Ralph,  Sam Joe, Katie, Willie, Fred, Frank, Hattie

tanner & manufacturer of lumber

resides at village

 

George R. Barker, Childs p 379

s. of George I_

b 1815

m. Mary Mann in 1840

children Charlotte, Charles, Albert, Mary, Etta

lives on road 12

 

George T. Blancher, Childs p 379

s. of Wm

b. Lyndon 1833

m. Almira, d. of Cornelius Adams

served in war—wounded at Petersburg and died in 1964

wife farm on road 7

 

Ephraim Blodgett, Childs p 376

b. N.H. in 1815

came in 1836

children Ephraim A, Nelson (died in army), Volney B and Austin E., Louisa, Almira

Ephraim A lived on road 40

 

Edison Bowman, Childs p 379

s. of Willard & Tryphema

b. Littleton, N.H., 1843

m. Irene Richardson 1865

children Nellie, Eddie A, Willie R & Charles H.

manager of hotel at Lower Wat.

 

Frank W Brown, Childs p 376

b. Bethlehem 1845

m. Jennie Miller in 1868

selectman—

children—Celia, Edward M., Ruith E

loved in Petrie[?] homestead—road 46, corner 47

 

William Brown, Childs p 373

c. 1800 settled where Cushings are

s. Elisha -> s. Bradley -> s. Elisha W.

town clerk 20 yrs town records

 

Alpheus Bugbee, Childls p 372

from Woodstock, Conn—1797

where Mrs. George S. Russell lives

 

Alonzo Carpenter

Chief Justice in N.H.

s Isaiah Carpenter

 

Isaiah Carpenter, Childs p 375

descendant of Wm. Carpenter who came to Am. in 1638

came to town in 1808

located on Amos Carpenter place

d. Eliza married Judge Johnathan [sic] Ross

Amos m. Cosbie Parker of Concord—Amos was assistant postmaster at West Waterford

 

FRC—dates of life—p155 Jill Cor

Influences on him—NNE

Improved Agri. Method—HC of NEE p 173

His financing—farmers’ club

 

FRC diaries with Social Ferment

Puritan Counter Reformation

Temperance Crusade

Anti-Masonry

Anti-Slavery & Religion

Anti-Slavery & Politics

Equal & Exact Justice for ALL

Social Architects

 

His wife—as prod of past—

His Children as product of his age

Himself as versatile—his many occupations

What was he chief of?

What did he father?

blacksmith & forge man

judge & lawyer

mortician

agriculturist as well as farmer

architect

builder

inventor

 

Deacon Perley Church, Childs p 371

from Mansfield, Conn. about 1795

located on HC Davison place (Mary Petersons)

war record—— ?

 

Samuel Church, Childs p 370

youngest son of Deacon Perley

m. Lucina Felch

5 children (Sam. C., Lorena, Lyman B., Allen J & Celia A (Mrs SB Horr

family choir—were Welsh Extraction SRP

 

James Curtis, Childs p 378

s. of Amos

a shoemaker

b Morgan, Vt. in 1833

in Civil War—

on road 37

 

Allason[?] Daniels, Childs p 378

s. of Hiram

m. Lucia McLacklin in Peacham in 1882

d. Bertha May b 1885

on road 15

 

Rev. Silas Davison, Childs p 371-2, SRP

b. Hartland, Vt. in 1766

m. Persis Rice 1790

in town—1796

settled on Passumpsic Mt.

grson Claudius m. Rebekah Wright—d. of Capt. Walter—her brothers had cabinet shop in St. J. C. [St. Johnsbury Center]

specimens of furniture in home of Arnold W. Powers

 

Aaron Freeman, Childs p 372

b.  of Elizah & Arad, b. Norwich Vt 1784

to Waterford with father in 1800

settled at Bean Bors.

in 1887—farm occupied by Dennis May who m. Caroline d. of Aaron

 

Arad Freeman, Childs p 372

from Hanover, N.H. in 1800

settled where Rollo Wright, Sr, lives

Arad settled on L D Freeman place

s. Lucius S. b 1812—town cleark for 40 yers

Lucius son was Lorenzo

Olive Hovey Freeman b 1799 in Wat Birth Records but not necessarily born in town

 

Elijah Freeman

brother of Arad & Aaron

settled on Williams

d Rowena m. John Sanborn

J. Sanborn is L. D. Williams’ grandfather

 

Abel Goss, Childs 372

settled on Goss place (Allports.) 1792

his son, Capt. Abel, gave school ground for L. W. [Lower Waterford] school

 

Richardson B. Graves, Childs p 378

b Athol, Mass in 1775

m. Lovina Briadfor 1801

located near Concord Corners 1796

his grandson— Herbert K—came to Water. 1881

s. died in infancy

 

Eli Green, Childs p 372

1799—

m Lucinda Graves

 

Asa Grow & Brothers, CEH [C.E. Harris book] p 11

claimed to own all land in Wat. bordering Conn.—

sold tp settlers & took their money— drawback to young men who had begun to clear land— most of them kept land & paid for it—

Grow built two-story house— about command[?] folks— Mrs. Sawyer said all puckered up with pride    about 1800

Pucker St. Song-  by Timothy Hazeltine who worked for James Morse blacksmith about 1825, song p 12-18

 

George Ide, Childs p 376

s. of Joseph & Almira Ide— born in town in 1828

a tanner

m. Mary Furby in 1861 (she died 1867)

bought Richardson saw mill in 1865

(evidently George & Joseph/son & father/in business together)

 

Charles D Harris, Childs p 378

b. Danville Vt., in 1842

war vet—

m. Isabella Kellogg (d. of Independent)

children—Charles E, Nellie, Bertha May b 1878

lives on road 36

 

Amasa Hastings, Child[s] p. 379-380

b. Ashburnham, Mass—

came to Wat. 1800

pioneer of West Wat.

settled in wilderness a mile from neighbors

went to claim by marked trees—

log cabin several years

m. Anna Brown—story about Mrs. Brown & the bear in the corn patch (green corn & beans for dinner)

lived there until old age— sold to s. Moses & moved to a small farm.

12 children—10 lived to adulthood

in 1887—two survived

Amasa Jr. then in St J—

Jefferson H— then in Newark [Vt]

 

 

Josaiah Hastings, Childs p 374

b. Westmoreland, N.H. in 1786

came here in 1807—located road 41

m. Mary Packard

descendant— Stephen J. Hastings b. 1850, attended Dartmouth, married Althea Carpenter

(in a triple wedding— SRP)

Stephen J was town rep in 1882 also selectman

 

Sylvanus Hemingway, Childs p. 371

from Royalston, Mass, c. 1795 with sons Laban & Cyrus.

built log houses east of Luther Hemingway’s (Young’s)

Syl. was Town C.

 

Cyrus T. Hill,  Childs p 375

f. of Willard Hill b 1844

-> Guy Hill

on road 23

 

Senicon Hill, Childs p 375

from Walpole, N.H., about 1808

kept tavern until 1810

è Ambrose -> Charles T. lived on homestead, road 3 -> George, Lottie, etc.

 

Stewart B Horr, Childs p 377

b. in Maine 1846

Civil War— Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Petersburg

m. Celia Church, d. of Samuel

live on road 46

 

Asa Hovey, Childs p 374

from Hampton, Conn., in 1803

located on Kidder farm (in 1881 owned by Frank Cutler)

s William m. Lydia Richardson

è Emory b 1841 m Emily Cushman

è Guy W

Emory settled on road 40, corner 41

 

Benjamin Hutchinson, Childs p 373

descendant of Richard Hutchinson who came to Am. in 1634

came to Wat. from Royalston, Mass, in 1801

Benajah (grandson) b 1835—living in town in 1887

 

Niles Johnson, Childs p 376

b. Lunenburg, Vt., in 1843

came to town in 1865

d. Flora Wallace b. 1869

 

George C. Lawrence, Childs p 378

s. of Daniel

b. in Danville 1813

m Hannah Barkers in 1838

d Hattie —Addie (d)

[Hattie] m L P Winslow

è Cora m Homer Brewster

lived on road 12

 

Moses Ladd, Childs p 375

s of Thyng & Elizabeth Ladd

b in Salsibury, N.H., in 1812

came to Wat. in 1814

m. Hannah Carr

-> Orange S. b 1825

-> Milo E.

-> Orange S – now in St. J. Center

where did Thyng & Moses live?

 

John Lee

b. Moultonborough, N.H. in 177 [sic]

settled in Wat. in 1801

son Nathaniel Lee bought Lee farm 1841 WLR [Waterford Land Records]

 

Dr. William McDale

who was he?

Dr. Rowell studied under him

 

Thomas Mason, Childs p 377

b. in Ireland 1814-

came to Am at 19 (1833)

m. Jane Johnson

children—George H., Ellen, Martha, Emily, John,  Thomas, Albert

prosperous farmer (dairying)

in 1853 bought Daniel Havens farm road 38

 

George Morrison, Childs p 377

s of George & b. of Samuel

b. Ireland 1839

came to Am at 16—1855

in Civil War (Andersonville prison)

m. Catherine Morrison in 1870

children—Eliza, Samuel, William G, & Harvey B

[Eliza] m George Ballou

lives road 44

 

Samuel Morrison, Childs p 377

son of George

b. in Ireland 1847

came to Am. 1864

blacksmith

located in W. 1868

m. Elocia Thurber (d. of Jehiel Thurber)

children— Mary E(dith), Charles, Harry A, Clarence A, Gertrude (d. inf.), Samuel M.

lived in Lower Wat.

 

William S. Morgan, Childs p 370

1st male born in town

m. Clarissa Church d of Deacon Perley

 

Seth Moulton, Childs p 376

b. Lyman, N.H., in 1833

came in 1845 with his father Alpheus

m. Sarah Colby of Danville in 1867—

has been selectman & other offices

lives on farm easterly part of village

 

Josiah Newton, Childs p 377

came to town 1861

road 21

 

Judge Ezra Parks, Childs p 378

s. of Eli

b. Passumpsic in 1821

mem. of legislature 1870-71

assistant county judge

dealer in stock, produce

lived 1 mile north of Passumpsic village

 

Nathan Pike from Royalton Mass Age 57

FH [Farmers Herald] 8/26/29- Obituary

Dennison Pike—agent for Fairbanks plows

Brigham Pike—Fire Ins. Agent in Concord

5/12/30 marriage of Jacob Ide and Ladoska Knights reporte

10/6/30—Nathan Pike a trustee for Wat.H.S.

 

Daniel & Nathan Pike, Childs p 369, 370

1st settlers in eastern part of town

1792— from Royalston, Mass – brought yoke of oxen, cleared land & sowed wheat, returned to Royalston

1793—Daniel & sons Luther & Nathan come in spring

1793— fall Daniel moved his wife & twin d. Sally & Polly to town

            cabin built on S B Horr farm, SG Willson lot on Concord line

 

 

Nathaniel J. Reed, Childs p 379

s. of Stephen

b. Kirby 1839

served in war—

m. Lizzie, d. of Moses Lewis

d Lizzie Belle

blacksmith & wheelwright

on road 50

 

Rufus W Remick, Childs p 379

s. of Wm. B-

b- 1855

m. Mary A Greeley in 1875

children—Harry E, Mabel D, Homer W

farmer

lives road 42, corner 43

 

Johnathan [sic] Ross—brother of Royal M. settled R. Powers

son of Royal & grandson of Johnathan

Chief Justice of Supreme Court of Vt

U.S. Senator

 

Johnathan [sic] Ross, p 371 Childs

1794- located on road 47

grandfather of Charles Ross (s. of Abraham), R. C. Morrison place

 

Hon. Johnathan Ross, Child p 80-83

account of Judge Ross’s life

b April 30, 1826

 

Royal Ross- p 370 Childs

son of Johnathan Ross

p 371—married Eliza Mason

Royal had to promise her minister father that he would take Eliza to church every Sunday. Royal was an atheist- Father did not approve marriage but wanted promise. R. kept promise. SRR

their son Royal M.

 

Dr. Richard F. Rowell, Childs p 373

came to town at early date

studied with Dr. Wm. McDale.

began practice in 1825

m. Melinda Mullin 1826

6 sons – 6. daughters

4 sons served in Civil War

Daniel (son) b 1842- lived in village 1889

impressive war record

 

John Sanborn, Childs p 379

s. of John—

b. Kirby 1830

M. 3 times

(1) Ellen Hall—John H. & Jennie L. (Mrs. E. F. Williams in Concord)

(2) Susan Furman[?]—d. month after marriage

(3) Rowena W Freeman 1865

lives on road 18

 

John Stiles, Childs p 374

came from Keene, N.H., soon after 1800

m. Annie, d. of Th. Hill, in 1802

built sawmill at foot of Stiles Pond

last Stiles in town?

 

Rev. Alfred Stevens D. D. —

b. Wat – 1810

schooling Concord, Peacham Acad., Meriden N.H.

Portsmouth Coll. (ent. 1835 – age 26)

grad. Andover Sem. 1842 (age 32 ent. ministry)

pastor of Congo. Church, Westminster West, Vt. from 1842 – 1889 & pastor emeritus until death 1893

always a member of the Low. Wat. Congo. –

honorary degree from Dartmouth 1872—

called “Father Stevens”

 

Jesse Stoddard, Childs p 373

from Chesterfield, N.H., c. 1800, settled on J. Campbell’s place

 

 

George West, Childs p 377

s. of Richard

b. Summersetshire [sic], Eng. in 1835

came to Am. 1854

came to Wat. 1862

son— Herbert West

 

Milo Williams, Childs p 379

s. of Warner

b. Concord 1838

m. Jennie d of Ansel Hoadley 1867

children Bertha Jennie & Lula Nellie

farmer

road 10

 

Thaddeus B. Wheeler, Childs p 376

son of George W.

b in Littleton, N.H., in 1820

came to town 1870

on road 15

 

Charles White, Child[s] p 377

b. Sheffield – 1859

bought John Houghton farm in 1885

on road 46

 

John & Joseph Woods, p 370 Childs

1784-85 – settled on Passumpsic R.

1st person born in town. Polly Woods, d. of Joseph W.

 

James Works, Childs p 376

b. in Westmoreland, N.H. in 1787

came to town in 1816 (m. Almira Aldrich

2 sons & 3 d

1 son  Barton b 1829 – in Civil War –

occupied homestead in 1887 (father oldest man in town at time)

 

[cards at end list pages of men included in Successful Vermonters by Wm. H. Jeffrey, 1904]

 

Edward Payson Lee 213, Herbert King Graves 215, Richardson Graves, Nathan J. Graves, Edward R. Godd 216, Abel. Goss, Abel B Goss, Charles D. Harris 217, Amory E. Hovey 217, Frank W. Hastings 218, Stephen J. Hastings 218, Elisha W. Brown 219, Volney Blodgett 220, Frank W. Brown 221, Hiram M. Parks 222, Frederick A. Cross 222, Stuart R. Hoor 223, Eddie Bowman 223, Tobias H Lyster 224, Ezra Parker Carpenter 225, Ezra Parks 225 Francis Halley Shepherd 229, Niles G. Johnson.

Prayer Group, 1875, Postcard to Lower Waterford

This little postcard (5 by 3 inches) was mailed from Lyndon to Lower Waterford in April 1875, ten years after the end of the Civil War.

Although Dave and I worked on the research together, we could not find material on John Moore living in Lower Waterford at that time. If you have some information on him, please let me know.

Here's what the back of the card says:

Lyndon Vt - April 20th 1875

Friend Moore

I will meet you and my friends in that vicinity at West Littleton School House May 2nd at six o'clock to hold a prayer meeting I expect others to come with me + we will try and have a good meeting

Yours Respectfully

H. C. Wilson

Dave's notes include the following: Homer Carrol Wilson, 1863-1948. His first wife was Alice Sophronica Lincoln, 1863-1912. [I add that his parents were Squire J. Wilson 1831-1908 and Abigail "Abbie" Wilson 1830-1924.] Homer and Alice had a son Robert Homer Wilson, born in 1892. In 1921 Homer married Mary Hight Emerson.

Homer lived on Main Street in Lyndonville and worked for the railroad. Later, he had a shop for shoe repairing and horse goods, on Depot Street. He is found in the 1930 and 1935 Lyndon directories. In 1901 he was Secretary for the Speedwell Golf Links, where the president was T. N. Vail and the vice-president C. M. Darling.

Homer was also director for many years of the Lyndonville Military Band.

He died in 1948 at age 84.

WATERFORD'S WORLD, 194 Pages, by David J. Carpenter

For many years, Waterford residents have relied on the conversational town history assembled by Dr. C. E. Harris in 1941, A Vermont Village. Perhaps Dr. Harris would have quickly confirmed that he was no professional historian, but his achievement in assembling the material around him has given us a powerful foundation for examining the town's past.

David J. Carpenter

David J. Carpenter, whose mother was Beatrice Elizabeth Kinne of Upper Waterford, labored for decades to take the work further and deeper. He too was not a historian by training, but his forestry education and his U.S. State Department career both impacted his research and writing. Though he was not able to complete his grand outline of the town's story by the time of his death in 2013, he provided the first half of it for the willing editorial hands of his daughter Betsy Carpenter.

Now that history, taking Waterford from its frontier settlement years in the late 1700s, to the aftermath of the Civil War, is available in polished and highly readable form, thanks to Betsy. It's a remarkable work, with discreet footnotes that don't interrupt the compelling reading. The "Tribute" at the front of the book WATERFORD'S WORLD gives a sense of David J. Carpenter's love for the town and its past as he described the view from the ridge on the east side of town:

On a clear night the lights of farms and distant villages gleamed silently in place. Quiet sounds from the woods bespoke the private world of the guardian creatures of the hill In the dark sky above, Polaris lit a path across the north side of the big field of sheltering stars.

And now, in the valley below, you can touch the faint presence of the past at the cellar holes, beside the stone walls, along the thrown-up roads and in the graveyards, where those who came before us lived, and worked and died, and entrusted to our care the prized legacy of this special world—this town.—DJC

The book probes the facts available about noted early settlers James and Submit Adams, explores religious frictions in the town in the early 1800s, and details Waterford's industrial and agricultural growth through that century. Family diaries add specifics, like the ones about the Ladd family members. And there are more journal entries from Waterford's contribution to battles in the War of Rebellion (the Civil War).

Treasures in the book.

Betsy Carpenter plans to take part in the Waterford Historical Society's Rhubarb Festival on Saturday June 19, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., at the Conte place by the intersection of Route 18 and I-93 (uphill from today's Pettico Junction Country Store corner) -- older town residents will know the location better as the Begin place, or even as White Birch Farm, its moniker from when the Ide family owned it. She will bring copies of the new book for purchase. They may be limited in number, so pre-ordering with a phone call TODAY to Roberta Smith (treasurer of WHS: 748-0923) is a good idea.

This book will be treasured doubly: in the pleasure of reading it, and as a resource for years to come.

INDEX:

The Rabbit Hill Inn: Some History of the Main Building

The Rabbit Hill Inn as Rabbit Hill House, home of the Davies family. Photo taken by Arthur Morrison in 1937, from the roof of the Lower Waterford Congregational Church.

When the Rabbit Hill Inn was owned by the Bowman family, under the name The Valley House: "Mr. Bowman is holding the horse and Mrs. Bowman is standing behind the seated lady, whose identity is not known. The side door was used as the entrance to the Post Office. The barn seen over the roof of the ell was used to stable the horses of travellers." (Eugenia Powers, writing for the 1965 town report)

Thanks to Eugenia Powers, who gathered Waterford history from both documents and those with long memories in the 1960s, we have these wonderful photos of the Rabbit Hill Inn before it bore that name.

The Vermont historical survey of Waterford's structures, written by Allen Hodgdon, dates the main structure of the inn to 1795, without more detail on that time period. Hodgdon then says, "A part of the main building was erected around 1830 by Jonathan Cummings, who used part of it for manufacturing sleighs and window mills." Eugenia Powers corrects that by saying he built winnowing machines, and windmills for grinding corn, and that the building was only one room deep then.) Nathaniel Bishop, she wrote, bought it and ran a store and a tavern there.
 
The next information comes from another history gatherer, Dr. C. E. Davis, who wrote Waterford's story in A Vermont Village. Dr. Davis wrote that Jonathan Cummings (but perhaps this should be Nathaniel Bishop) sold this building to O. G. Hale and F. A. Cross, who in 1840 enlarged the building to its "present size." Around 1859 (date from Eugenia Powers), they added two front "piazzas" with an alcove in the peak, supported by four enormous Doric columns, each made from a pine tree cut across the river in New Hampshire. According to local memory, these massive trees were dragged by oxen across the Connecticut River when it was frozen, and then shaped by hand.

The building then served the very active Burlington-to-Portland stage route as an inn, and stayed in business until 1912. Among its names were Fred Cross's Churn, then for a long time The Traveller's Home; the Bowman family (according to Eugenia Powers) renamed it The Valley House, and Bowman's Hotel.  Other innkeepers included J. Hosmer, Russell Armington, William Goss, Walter Buck, and O. D. Hurlburt; Mrs. Hurlburt, as a widow, sold the place to the Ed Bowman family, who rain it as a hotel until 1912 and continued living there until 1919.

This photo of Eugenia Powers's report on the inn includes some local color:

At that time, Lower Waterford had become a sleepy little village with many part-time residents, and the need for its dozens of small horse barns faded with the advent of automobiles. John W. Davies purchased the inn and many nearby properties, and he and his wife lived there until his death in 1936. Then Mrs. Davies used the inn as her summer residence.

When Mrs. Davies died, the inn was called back into service: The St. Johnsbury House, Inc., acquired it, in 1957, and converted the attached ballroom and carriage stalls into guest quarters. Manager Alden "Tony" Hull and his family became part of Waterford life then. And the names continued to change a bit: from Rabbit Hill House, which Mrs. Davies had called the place, to Rabbit Hill Motor Inn and Rabbit Hill Inn.

That is the time period we'll explore on Wednesday July 25, 6:30 pm at the Community Room of the church across the road from the Rabbit Hill Inn -- if you have memories to share of working at the inn, staying there, getting married there, having a special meal, and so on, please do come join the Waterford Historical Society and share your story (free event; refreshments provided; some handicap access).

[Many thanks to Dave Morrison for sharing his copy of the 1965 town report, which contained the two photos and a long history of the Rabbit Hill Inn by Eugenia Powers.]

Waterford Had a Fulling Mill -- But What Was Fulling?

Here's a long and thorough description of "fulling" from the website of an English woolen blanket manufacturer, Witney Blankets, and written by Clare Sumner:

After the cloth was woven it was fulled or milled. This process removed grease and shrank the material down to a smaller size, while matting up the fibres into a thicker and softer felt-like fabric. First it was steeped in a soap bath to clean and soften the wool. It was then placed into the trough of the fulling stocks - a machine with large wooden hammers that pounded, dragged and rolled the fabric, making it shrink and driving out the dirt from it.

An alternative to the fulling stocks was the milling machine, which did the same job using rollers. The stockful of blankets was fed into the machine, then the ends of the piece were sewn together to form a continuous belt which was run around between the rollers until it had become shrunk down enough. The first milling machine was patented in 1833 and was quicker than the fulling stocks, but stocks continued to be used either instead of, or alongside them in many mills in Britain for about a century afterwards.

After fulling the blankets were washed in water to remove the soap suds left from the fulling process and then they were spun dry in a machine. Mangles were sometimes used to extract excess water. At this stage they were still in one long piece.

This picture of a rotary fulling machine is from an 1891 issue of Popular Science. 

 
Fulling was not an unusual process in the early 1800s in Vermont -- many towns in our region had fulling mills. A few examples include one in East Village (East St. Johnsbury), one in Concord (as of 1847, according to McCullock's Universal Gazetteer), one in West Barnet, one next to what is now Ben Thresher's Mill in Barnet, one in South Peacham (in the basement of the Brown/Evans mill), and the fulling and woolen mill conducted by Benjamin Greenbanks in Harvey's Hollow (now part of Danville).

The Waterford Historical Society hopes that some readers will have more details and will share them with us. Let us know what you find out!