Wolcott, Lamoille
County, Vermont
WOLCOTT VERMONT, located in the eastern part
of the county, in lat. 44° 34', and long. 4° 31', bounded northeasterly by
Craftsbury, southeasterly by Hardwick, southwesterly by Elmore, and
northwesterly by Hyde Park, was granted by the State, November 7, 1780, and
chartered to Joshua Stanton and sixty-one others, August 22, 1781, as a
township of 23,040 acres. Its name was given in honor of Maj-Gen. Oliver
Wolcott, one of the original proprietors. The names of the other proprietors
were as follows : Joshua Stanton, John Fellows, Matthew Mead, Aaron
Comstock, Samuel Middlebrooks, Isaac Lewis, Clap Raymond, Abijah Taylor,
Levi Taylor, Ozias Marvin, Gamaliel Taylor, Jonathan Pynoger, William
Chamberlain, David Phelps, Jedediah Lane, Joseph Cook, Thomas Phillips,
Roger Lane, Samuel Lane, James Waterous, Samuel Lee, Theodore Sedgwick,
William Bacon, Paul Dewey, Peter Parrit, Jonathan Pettibone, Abraham
Stevens, Benjamin Seyley, John Adams, Zachariah Fairchilds, Lemuel
Kingsbury, Stephen Lawrence, Elizabeth Stanton, Joshua Stanton, Rufus
Herrick, Seth Austin, Joel Baulding, Benjamin Durkee, Giles Pettibone, Judah
Burton, Solomon Tyler, Hezekiah Lane, William Dean, David Crocker Dean,
William Goodrich, John Sedgwick, David D. Forest, Derrick J. Geois, Ezra
Fellows, Gad Austin, Sylvia Morgan, Elisha Taylor, William Fellows, John
Ashley, Steven Dewey, Benjamin Keyes, Enoch Shepard, John Fellows, Jr.,
Enoch Shepard, Jr., Samuel Shed, Joseph Goodrich, John Watson, David Pixley,
and Daniel Shepard.
In surface, Wolcott is somewhat hilly and uneven, though it possesses no
mountains. The soil is usually of a good quality and produces fine crops of
the grains and grasses indigenous to the latitude, while the rich pasturage
of its many hill slopes afford sustenance to many herds of cattle. Many
beautiful views are afforded throughout the town, the most accessible of
which being from the cemetery near Wolcott village, where one may obtain a
sweep of the fine country of the Lamoille valley, through Morristown, Hyde
Park and Johnson, to the mountains, and south into Washington county. Near
the vicinity of A. H. Keeler's, on road 8, a fine view of the country south,
west and north, to Canada, New York, and as far south as Camel's Hump,
including the sublime profile of Mt. Mansfield, may be obtained.
The Lamoille river forms the principal water-course, flowing across the town
from east to west, about a mile from the Elmore line. Its principal
tributaries are Wild branch and Pond brook, from the north, and Elmore brook
from the south, though there are a number of streams of minor importance.
Numerous mill privileges are afforded, many of which are utilized. Several
small ponds are found, the largest of which are Wolcott and Akins pond, near
the eastern line, and Peach pond on the western line.
The rocks that enter into the geological structure of the township are of
the talcose schist formation, with a narrow bed of clay slate in the eastern
part. No minerals of importance, except copper, have been discovered. About
six years ago this useful metal was discovered near the western line of the
town. A mining company was organized soon after, composed of Canadian
gentlemen, and though the ore is said to have yielded a good percentage,
nothing has been done towards the development of the mines for several
years. The vein extends south to the river, underlying the farm of C. C.
Twiss, and it is said to be only a question of time when this section will
be reckoned one of the richest copper producing districts in the State.
In 1880, Wolcott had a population of 1,166, and in 1882, was divided into
twelve school districts and contained eleven common schools, employing one
male and nineteen female teachers, to whom was paid an aggregate salary of
$1,025.88. There were 256 pupils attending common school, while the entire
cost of the schools. for the year, ending October 31st, was $r,180.56, with
Mrs. Angie Jones, superintendent.
WOLCOTT, a post village and station on the St. J. & L. C. R. R.,
located in the southern part of the town on the Lamoille river, contains
three churches, (Congregational, Methodist, and Universalist,) an hotel,
schoolhouse, three general stores, two groceries, a furniture store, drug
store, sawmill, grist-mill, two carriage shops, two blacksmith shops, two
millinery shops, a shoe shop, and about fifty dwellings.
NORTH WOLCOTT (p. o.) is a hamlet located in the northern part of the
town, containing two stores and a few scattered dwellings.
Manufacturing and Industry in Wolcott The Wolcott
Hotel was built by Ira Woodbridge at an early date, and came into the
present proprietor's hands, L. A. Tillotson, in 1874. Mr. Tillotson has made
many improvements, so that the house is now a well appointed hotel.
H. B. Bundy's flouring-mill, located on the Lamoille river, is operated by
four turbine water-wheels, and is supplied with five runs of stones. The
building, a two story structure 42 by 52 feet, with a basement, was erected
in 1878, upon the site of a mill destroyed by fire the year previous. Mr.
Bundy grinds about 30,000 bushels 0f custom grain per year, in addition to
6,000 bushels of wheat and 20,000 bushels of corn for the trade.
C. H. Reed's saw-mill, located on road 40, is operated by water-power,
employs twenty-five men, and cuts about 1,500,000 feet of lumber per year.
Joel R. Parker's saw-mill, located on road 18, corner 11, is operated by
water-power, is furnished with a circular saw, and cuts 250,000 feet of
lumber per year. The first mill on this site was built by Calvin Graves
about forty-five years ago. The present mill was erected in 1853. An upright
saw was used until 1872, when a circular saw was introduced.
E. Guyer's saw-mill, located on road 33, was originally built by Amos
Walbridge, in 1833, who operated it about eight years, when it passed into
the hands of Hezekiah Guyer and Gilbert Noyes. In 1851, Mr. Guyer purchased
the whole interest and retained the property until 1864, when he sold it to
his son, Earle, the present proprietor, who remodeled the mill and
instituted many improvements. He employs eight men and manufactures 900,000
feet of lumber per annum.
W. W. Cate's saw-mill, located at Wolcott village, was built in 1879. Mr.
Cate employs eight men and manufactures about 1,000,000 feet of lumber per
annum.
The Wolcott Steam Mill Co.'s saw-mill, located on road 41, was originally
built in 1881. About three weeks after business was commenced the buildings
were destroyed by fire. The present mill was immediately commenced, and was
in operating order by the 25th of May of that year. The mill contains one
band saw, jointing and edging saws, planing and matching machinery, etc.,
operated by a forty horse-power engine, having the capacity for cutting
18,000 feet of lumber per day. The firm employs about fifteen men.
D. N. Boynton's saw-mill, located at North Wolcott, employs about twelve men
and has the capacity for manufacturing 1,000,000 feet of lumber per annum.
C. C. Fisher's refrigerator and cold storage buildings, located on road 40,
have the capacity for storing several tons of poultry.
Charles E. Clark's carriage manufactory, located on road 38, was established
November 1, 1882. Mr. Clark manufactures all kinds of carriages, wagons and
sleighs, and does a general repairing and blacksmith business.
The first settlement in the town was made in 1789, by Thomas Taylor and Seth
Hubbell, who took up land in the western part of the town. Mr. Taylor came
the day previous to Mr. Hubbell, with his wife and two children, on
snow-shoes. Both families were subjected to great hardships, but Mr. Taylor
having more means escaped many of the privations that fell to the lot of Mr.
Hubbell and his family. The vicissitudes of the latter were unusually
severe, though but a counterpart of what many of our forefathers had to
endure.
Luke Guyer and Hezekiah Whitney came into the town next, and these four men,
with their families, constituted the first settlers, and many of their
descendants are now residents of the town. Settlement was very slow until
after 1800, the census report of that year showing a population of only
thirty-seven. In 1806, Mrs. Hubbell made a quilting to which she invited all
the ladies in the town, and they all came, numbering fourteen. The town was
organized and the first town meeting held March 31, 1791, when all the male
citizens were elected to an office, as follows: Hezekiah Whitney, moderator,
Robert W. Taylor, clerk, and Hezekiah Whitney, Thomas Taylor, and Seth
Hubbell, selectmen. The first child born was Charlotte Hubbell, in 1790. The
first justice of the peace was Thomas Taylor, in 1794, who held the office
for a period of thirty years. At this election Mr. Taylor was also elected
town clerk, first selectman and constable, and in 1801, he was elected to
the legislature, which office he held twenty years. Mr. Taylor also built
the first frame house, which is still standing, the property of C. A. Reed,
whose wife is a great-granddaughter of Mr. Taylor.
During the late civil war Wolcott furnished 134 enlisted men, thirty-two of
whom were killed, or died from the effects of wounds or exposure, while in
the service.
The Congregational Church
The Congregational church, located at Wolcott village, was organized by Rev.
Daniel B. Dodge, with the following members, in 1818: Thomas Taylor, Oliver
Walbridge, Perez Smith, Gideon M. Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, and Elizabeth
Walbridge. The church building is a wood structure capable of seating 250
persons, built in 1833, and the property is now valued at $9,000.00. The
society has forty members, with Rev. C. J. Richardson, pastor.
The Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal church, located at Wolcott village was organized at
an early date, and supplied for years by circuit preachers. Rev. George
Brown, a colored man, being the first resident pastor. Through his energy
and perseverance money was raised to build the present church building,
which was erected in 1855. The building will comfortably seat 300 persons,
cost $1,500.00, and is now valued, including grounds, at $3,000.00. The
society now has seventy-three members, with Rev. John Morse, pastor.
The Methodist Episcopal church of North Wolcott has thirty members, with
Rev. Charles S. Hamilton, pastor.
The Universalist Church
The Universalist church of Wolcott, located at Wolcott village, was
organized in 1875, with six members. Rev. I. P. Booth was the first pastor.
The church edifice was built in 1882, a wood structure capable of seating
165 persons, at a cost of $1,200.00, about its present value. The society
has about seventy-five members, with Rev. G. Foster Barnes, pastor.
For an interesting look into the early life of Wolcott, read the writings of
Mr. Justus Hubbell, the early settler.
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