The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1881-07-22
Noted Hotel Men of Windham County.

1t is remarkable fact, and one per-
haps not generally known, that large |
number of prominent hotel men OF this |
country, who have gained national re-
putations as successful hotel proprie- |
tors, were either born or had at one
time q residence in Windham county |
or Vermont. The several members of
the Leland family were born, raised
and educated near Chester. All of the
Willards of hotel notoriety were resi-
dents of Westminster. Paran Stevens,
who in his time was the most promi-
nent hotel man of the day, amassed a
splendid fortune by his profession, and
died leaving three millions of money to
his assigns, was native of Claremont,
N. II. One of the present proprietors
of the Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York
City, Hiram Hitchcock, was from
Bellows Falls, and Mr.. Griswold, for
merly of Walpole, N. Ii. David A
Gage, formerly of the fremont, Sher-
man and Grand Pacific hotels, Chicago,
commenced his hotel career at the
Island House in Bellows Falls. The
late Charles G. Waite, formerly of the
Sherman House, Chicago, and at the
time of his death sole proprietor of the
Brevoort in New York, and one of the
proprietors of the Windsor in the same
city, was prominent citizen of Brattle-
boro. Henry b. Sherman, formerly of
the Plankinton House, Milwaukee, and
! now of the New Dennison, in Indianap-
oils, was native of Bellows Fall, as
also was Elisha De Wolf, formerly of
the Capital House, Madison, Wis, Mr..
Billings, who Will be remembered from
his connection with the Continental in
Philadelphia many years ago, came
from Weatheriield. w. w. Felt, who
at the time of his death was one of the
proprietors of the Lindell, in st Louis,
was born near Bellows Falls. The late
Ii. l.. Mitchell, in Albany and latterly
of the Hoffman House and Hotel Bruins
wick, New York, was citizen of Wal.
lpole, N. III. Isaac Silsby, formerly of
the United States Hotel, Boston. was
born eighteen miles from Bellows Falls.
Tyler b. Gaskill, one of the proprietors
of the Grand Pacific Hotel, Chicago.
commenced as clerk at the Island
House in Bellows Falls. Other Chicago
hotel men of the present day who hail
from Vermont are Jewett Wilcox, late
OF the fremont and Gardner; George
a. Cobb and Henry |. Morgan of the
GhOi man luuh w cllJWOTll anu Henry
A. Winter, of the fremont; Charles Il.
Dodge, of the Leland; Mr.. Ferguson,
of the Palmer; S. III. Gill, ofthe Ogden
House. Riley Deming, of the Lincoln
F House, Lincoln, Illinois, is a Vermont
er. ii. 5. Mower. of the Victoria Ho-
tel, New York city, is Green Noun
tain boy. Gen. A. b. Darling of the
Elfth Avenue Hotel, is like his partner,
Mr.. Hitchcock, Vermont, man having
been born not 25 miles from Bellows
Falls. Frank Chamberlain, who went
with Paran Stevens to the Battle House
in Mobile, many years ago, was from
heene, N. III. Joseph Briggs, who used
to keep the Brandreth House in New
York, once lived within eight miles OF
Bellows Falls. The late Charles III.
Bissell, known for his connection with
the Matterson, Gardner and Sherman
III Chicago, was born and raised in Yer
mont, and it was in that state that he
met his melancholy death. Other Ver-
montcrs prominently engaged in the
hotel business are Uriah Welsh, pro.
prietor st. Nicholas Hotel, New York
aud f. L. Mortified, iof the Continental,
same city; F. Z. Swift, Wilson House,
North Adams, Mass, also Charles p.
Warner, of the New Southern, and
Harvey Willard, of the Lindcll In st.
Louis Brattleboro Reformer.