The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1865-06-28

pillow me little space in your columns
for an article Which may interest some of
your subscribers, if not the great mass of
them
Having business in your County few
weeks past, many things that have come
under my observation have pleased me, in
your material, educational and religious
interests. In regard to the two latter, /
may not speak, for want of more definite
information. But the College, the Semin-
airy, the School House, and the many
Church ediices scattered over the territory
of Addison County, show that your people
are not Indifferent to the interests of Edu-
cation and Religion.
But the material interests of your
county have challenged my constant OBJ
servation, and evince an enterprise and
thrift worthy the reputation of the Green
Mountain State The fine farming, and
tasteful cottages, the more than conve-
nient, often splendid barns and out
houses the exuberant crops Of grass and
grain covering broad surface, indicate a
high measure of prosperity. Then the
herds of cattle, the beautiful horses, and
more than all, the rici-biooded shceD,-
some Of which are valued at thousands OF
dollars, show great wealth REPRODUCTION
in the capacity of the soil. Add to this,
the mercantile and mechanical enterprise;
the railroad facilities, the noble water
power in the Otter Creek Valley and its
tributary ravines with the splendid
mountain scenery and beautiful views of
landscape for the artists pencil all
these particulars make a sum of material
interests rot often rivalled in single
county. Thus "have the lines fallen in
pleasant places" to your people; "yea
they have goodly heritage"
But | have noticed another thing in
the large families of a given name, which
lave been reared in some parts of your
county. Not to mention the Smith fami-
lies OF Orwell, Shoreham, Bridport and
Addison, nor the Jones's, or Walkers, or
Barkers, or Bingham's OF other towns -
| would speak of another name, which
has had large constituency in several
towns Of the county. refer to the name
of WRTGaT, which has formed quite an
element in the population of Weybridge,
New Haven, Cornwall and Shorcham, if
not in several other towns. One of these
families has Furnished Governor for a
sister State, whose monumental Obelsk,
adorns the public square Of the villa Of
Weybridge, three miles from Middlebury
SILAs WRIGHT, once Governor Of New
York, rs well as Senator in Congress from
the same State, was reared in the town
were his monument stands, fine marble
one, 50 feet high. 1t is almost too simple
and unadorned, for it neither speaks to
the beholder the date of his birth, nor the
time and place of his deceasc. This first
event occurred, as some of Jour readers
aree awarS at Amherst, Mass, May 2 I,
l705 and the latter, at Canton, St.
Lawrence Co., N. Y, Aug. ~, 1917, at
the early age Of 80 years. 1t has been
suggested that the above dates be engraven
in the marble of his monument, to satisfy
the reasonable curiosity of visitors, who
naturally desire to know, as these facts OF
so worthy man and patriot.
For some special reasons my attention
has been called to the number and variety
Of Wright families in tina county, Not
less than six or eight distinct families have
resided, and still have representatives in
the single towns of Orwell, Shoreham,
Cornwall, Weybridge and New Haven.
From these have spread into towns ada
cent, or emigrated far and wide from their
own homestead, those who have become
the heads Of families in many a town and
settlement Of our broad western domain.
The Wrghts have not forgotten an old
scriptural command, TO "multiply and re-
plenisn the earth" Some families have
been remarkably prolific in Z raising
men" for the country.
To give one instance. EBLNEzER
WRIGHT, born at Northampton, Mass,
Feb. 2 1874, settled in Wcybridge soon
after the war of the revolution, where he
died Aug 8, 1884, aged 80 years. lie
had family of II children, who all mar
ried and had families Of from 2 TO II
children each. By a careful enumeration
of his posterity lately made. there have
been born about 400 in the four genera
tons that have sprung from his loins.
One of his sons, E5ene1er, Jr.. had II
children, and about 81 enumerated poster
ity. Another had 81, and still another,
Daniel W., (uow living at the age of So
in New Haven) IS in all. What noble
patriarch was this ancestor of 400 descen-
dents and were he now living he would
be only Ill years of age.
Another family, in Shorcham, with
which the Hon. Myron w. c. Wright is
connected, is almost rs numerous. Among
these, were parents having 10, II and
even l5 children. But | must come to Il
close.
And now, Mr.. Editor, allow me to in
quire of those connected with these several
families, ii it might not be an object
worth their while to have meeting, com
pare notes, show records and devise some
plan to make Il suitable memorial of the
Family name mot upon marble, but
upon paper, to be read by the generations
to come, who prize their ancestral name
Many New England families are garner
ing such Records in family Genealogies,
and making valuable additions thereby to
the literature of our times. The writer
% from, n Connnctiaut oncaSfrv whOSe