Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-05-07
DUMMERSTON.
Notes from the Recent study
Of the TOwn's Early History COntin-
ues from March b, 1850.

The settlement Of lots No. o. and 85 in the same
range included in the article printed March 9Th.
This paper includes tue settlement OF lots No. Bb an
~ one range farther south and next TO the common.
Lieut.. Daniel Gates purchased lot No, 90, Dec 2b
1774, for s77 At that time he was 2S years OF age
How soon he made clearing aud built house is not
known. He in the Revolutionary war and was an
ocer under Gen. Horato Gates at the battle of Sara
tOga In 1777, when Gen. Burgoyne surrendered his
army of 5000 British soldiers to the victorious Amer
can general Lieut.. Oates built at hrst one-story
house on his new land and encouraged others to
build his residence by selling them house lots on
his farm. May 49, 1888, he sold Silas Fairchild join
er and cabinet maker, acre OF land for Sa on
which he built house that IL now with several acres
of adjoining land, the property Of Rev. NJ II. Wells.
Fairchild built house costing SllS, aud sold bis
place Dec g. 1889 to Capt John Metcaf for sl37. The
captain probably fitted up the house for his approach
ing marriage. March g. 1891 he married Sally Tay
Colby store standing the north side Of the com
mon and in the southwest corner of land now be-
longing TO the Benjamin Estabrook place. Dec 10,
1871, he sold his homestead aud store 10 Col VIM.
Moore Of Greenfield, Mass, for s56T He probably
disposed of his real estate account Of III health as
his death occurred in about two months from the
time Of the sale. A large slate stone marks the
place of his burial IN the cemetery east Of the com
mon. portion Of the stone has been broken into
fragments, but the following epitaph on the tomb
stone has been made out after careful study;
Momento Mor.
Sacred to the Memory OF MT. John meicaiii capt OF
Company Of light horsemen, in the Militia Of this
state; whom he served with Reputation; and who
hunored his Remains by burying them under Arms.
Death, the King Of Terrors,
Aftera long Conflict,
Dismounted, aud trampled over
This brave Captain Of Dragons:
Who 10 the 29th Year Of his age,
Much lamented by hia Friends,
Fell victim to this last Enemy
Feb. 13, 1872.
Col Moore sold the homestead, which he bought Of
Capt. Metoalf 90 Samuel Porter, Esq, April s. 1871
He had probably rented the place OF Col Moore since
the death of Capt. Metcalf In June 1891, Mr. Gates
sold acre OF land Just south OF his house to Cotton
skinner, shoemaker, for s27, on which he erected
small house, and on Nov 49, 1892, sold out to Nathan
Cook for 5000 Mr.. Cook a OF Enoch Cook
SEN, and married LevinG Parmeter Of Newfane. He
sold to Seth Kellogg, 4 cabinet maker. from South
Hadey Mass of whom samuel Porter purchased
the place. The building at time used for
store by Mr. Gates few years before his death In
1907. Nathan Cook lived before 1872 IN a house
the top of Prospect hill west Of Gaess farm IN lot
No. So II was sold by him to Jonathan Barrus,
bricklayer, who sold It, with as Of land, to Eb
enezer Wait in 1895, who sold 1t to Enoch Cook,
from whom Porter bought II in 1898 for ta00. At
that time house and barn, good orchard and well
were ON the place The apple orchard, which II q
century old, still bears considerable fruit. Mr.. Wait
blacksmith from South Hadey, Mass, and
bought hye acres Of laud In l7A on which he built
shop, the site Of which Is butternut tree Just
north Of the gate the road leading up to CLARK Ba
cons house. He bought house, which stood oppo-
site the shop, of Mrs. Sarah Cutler wife Of Seth Cut
Ter. Wait also owned q piece Of land south Of his
dwelling which once belonged to the minister lot.
He sold the whole Of his real estate in 1870 to Ste
pheu Woodbury., who In few days sold It TO Ebenez
Haven for $OOO and shortly transferred by Haven
20 Porter. These several purchases made by Judge
Porter secured to him farm in Of the pleasant
est localities In Dummerston. on this farm be built
one OF the largest residences In town. During the
building Of the house he resided In the one purchased
Of Wait Mr.. Wait died IN 1901, aud his widow, ClOe
Wait, married Thomas Turner, Aug. &C. 1872. Al the
auction sale Of his goods Thomas BOyden bought an
iron CroWbar made by Wait that II st ia the service
as farming implement. Porter's frst place of resi-
dence in town the house owned by Mr.. Wells.
samuel Knight Esq previous to his removal to Brat
teburo In the spring Of lS45 occupied for time with
Anasa CLARK the large Porter residence II was here
that he made his remarkable experiment with ther
mometer. He claimed that thermometer hanging
against the side Of building did not indicate the
NsnNH
cate the right temperature It must not rest against
any object. During very cold winters evening he
put his theory into practice by suspeDding ther-
mometer by string from the limb Of an apple tree
few rods distant from the house, He visited the
thermometer early next morning. but no yestige of
glass or mercury could he md. The wind hHd done
the mischief and the instrument was complete
wreck. After q moments reflection Knight said TO
himself, Amy d-d fool might have known better
than that"
The Judge Porter place will be further sketched in
another paper in connection with his history and
family genealOgy. Lieut.. Gates built some years be-
fore his death two-story addition to his house. He
died very suddenly in 1907 while absent from home
His estate was sold to John LAughton In 1870 He
was the grandfather Of Augustine Laughton and
sometimes called "Dea." John to distinguish him
from John LAughton, the father Of Capt Asa, the
living In town. John, the father Of Asa, school
teacher and good mathematician. His name ap-
pears on the records as county surveyor Of lands
and roads. After 1872 his surname was spelled Law
ton. He died in 1917. "Dea." John lived on the
Gates farm 43 years. Milo X. Adams his son-in-Aw,
bought the farm and took care Of the old folks for
several years He rebuilt that part Of the house first
built by Gates. Mr. Iaughton repurchased the farm.
He died In 1853 and the place came into possession Of
| Daniel Rice, a nephew of Mrs LAughton who sold
| the same to Ira Haven. James Miller was the next
owner and after he died the estate sold to John
Miller, the present owner. Mrs. Harriet (IAughton)
Adams, after the death Of her husband Milo K, in
1875 was the last occupant Of the house built By Co
ton skinner, which has since been pulled down to
| give place for workshop.
John Miller, brother Of Marshall, both Of whom
Revolutionary soldiers, bought one-hAf Of lot
No. "a west OF No S. in 1881, and Daniel Gates pur-
| chased the other half the same year The northern
half was settled by Miller, on which he built house
where the Miller family resided about 100 years.
Additional land has been purchased and the Miller
farm at the present day contains 100 acres, one-haf
| owned by Thomas N. Reed aud the other half by
Leayitt E. stark, who occupies the buildings the
farm. At the beinning OF this century John Miller
was one Of the leading business men OF the town.
He constable and collector for the year 1901 and
received $3.50 for collecting the taxes At the present
| day the town pays s25 for that service. stephen
Woodbury. offered to collect the taxes for nothing in
1902 and was chosen as Mr.. Millers successor. Bella
| Shaw, Esq, and Silas Taft succeeded Woodbury. in
1903 and served without compensation. Mr.. Shaw re-
tired after one years service, but Taft served till 1906
when he, probably tired Of small proht, and as
the record reads, TAFT having absented himself,
John Miller collected the state tax that year for S.
He chosen constable and collector for the four
succeeding years. The contract for 1909 reads that
he should collect the taxes for the per cent. allowed
by the state treasurer and run all risks Of people alb
scondng after the taxes put into his hands for
collection and to have no abatement on the taxes ex
| cept the per cent. aforesaid Mr Miller Sc
ectman for the years 1871, l6, H. %. He was never
town representative, but received on two or three
that office in opposition to Jason Duncan who repre-
sented the town II times. Elder Jonathan Huntley,
his successor stands next in length Of service, hAv
ing been chosen representative eight times. 1t was
customary in those days to send the TO the
legislature annually for several years. Money inhu-
| ence was not always consideration in the candi-
dates qualification for the office 1t is said that one
of the towns worthy representatives, years ago, who
had the honor of being reelected several times,
could not afford to have boots and Accustom-
ed to borrow his neighbors "thin boots" TO each
| year during his stay at Montpelier. His accommo-
| dating friend used remark iOcOsey that he
had the honor to represent the town himself but his
boots went to the legislature several times. John
Miller died in 1884 and bis son John b., the youngest
OF the family, succeeded to the parental farm. He
was an active business man, prosperous farmer, and
prominent in town Affairs, having held the ohce of
selectman hve years He was often appointed to set
tie the estates Of deceased persons Mary Davenport
the wiie OF John Miller, was dAughter OF Charie,
first settlers in this town. descendant Of hers now
living in DummerSton has bright pewter plate that
was the property Of Mary Hart before her marriage
In 1885 Her initials NJ. H., are plainly visible or
the plate, After the death Of Mr.. Davenport she be
came the second wife Of Alexander KRthan, Esq.
who first married in 1855, Mrs. BarnA Sargent
Of BrattebOro has a few mementoes of Mr.. Kathani
hrst wife One article pair of stays worn by hel
in early life; another s piece of her dress made o
brighthgured calico. While were looking at thes
relics Mrs. Sargent showed us a teaeup and saucer
said to have been brought over In the Mayhower II
1920. She also has pewter platter 10 inches in diam
eter that will hold "bOiled victuals" enough for oni
Of the large families Of ye olden time. An ancien
wine glass was exhibited; and Mr. Sargent brOugh
forth from his closet of antiquities spontoon useC
in the French ana Indian war as an instrument o
death.
Marshall Miller died June 10, 1907. 1t his SOL
Marshall that was judge Of probate, etc, we in
tended to state In previous paper. The family rec
ord of Capt Isaac Miller, the ancestor Of all the Mil
Ter families in town, was not published in the tow
history, He to Dummerston March 8, 1870
His children, 70 in number, all born in WOroes
ter, Mass. They we're Vespasian, born June 2, l74I
died July 1872; Hosea, born April l742, died Ma
T. 1898; Rosanna, born May 10, l744, died June q
1894; Sarah, born Oct. 22 lT45 died Nov. 27, 1921
Tilotson, born Aug. as 1747, died Aug. 3, 1904; Pa
ience born June T. l749, died Jan. %, 1922; Isaac
born Nov. 12 1884, died Feb. IA, 1926; Marshall bor
Sept. 20 1854, died June 10, 1907; John, born Dec
20, 1856, died Dec. 49, 1884 Joseph, born Feb. q
1853 died Sept. 26, 1874; Catharine, born June Is
1859, died Jau. 2 1888; William born Oct. 2, 1891
died April 16, 1902. D.. NJ.
April, 1886.
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The Effect OF Ihe Strikes.
Denison, Texas, has been one of the chic