Colonel Gideon Warren and family came from Williamstown, Mass., into Hampton, among the first settlers, and located in the south part of the town on five hundred acres, a part of which is now included in the village limits. He built his house on the site of the house now owned by Wm. Hyland. His sons were Caleb, Eben, Asa, and Bishop. Caleb was in the army of the Revolution, and was a pensioner. He married Rachel Webster. They had fourteen children grown to adult age. Those who remained in the town were Ethan, Eben, Rachel, and Mary; the others moved to the west. Ethan married Eunice Owens for his first wife. Their son, Gideon, is now living on his father's homestead, formerly owned by a man named Doolittle. Eben married Abigail Savage; Rachel married Jason Kellogg, Jr.; and Mary married John New. They are both living at Hampton Corners. Squire A. Warren lives on the farm first owned by Jason Kellogg. Chauncey Warren lives at East Whitehall on a farm. They are sons of Ethan. Colonel Gideon Warren was at Ticonderoga, and was wounded in his elbow, which stiffened his arm for life.

   Benjamin C. Owen and wife emigrated from Roxbury, Mass., at an early day. He bought land on the Bass patent, now owned by Mrs. Warren, south of the village. He was a soldier in the Revolution, and a pensioner, and was known as Major Owen. One of his daughters became th wife of Ethan Warren.

   Jason Kellogg was born previous to 1786. He was the first town clerk, elected in that year, and continued to hold the office thirty-six years. His farm was the one now owned by Squire a. Warren. His sons were Silas D. Kellogg, well known as a surveyor, Jason, Jr., Zina, and Ezra, who became an Episcopal minister. The family moved to Ohio after Mr. Kellogg's death, which took place in 1821-22. His first wife, Miriam, died Oct. 4, 1789, aged thirty-one years. His second wife, Martha, Nov. 25, 1812, aged fifty-six years.

   Rufus Hotckiss came from Connecticut at the close of the Revolution. He settled on the Granville road, about two miles from Hampton Corners. He made a clearing and put us a log house, then went back, was married, and moved here with his wife. Of six children, only two are living in the town.

   Shubael Pierce and family--five daughters and four sons--came from Swansea, Mass., about the year 1800, settled in Salem, and then moved to Hampton, locating in the southwest part of the town, on the farm now owned by Levi Prouty. Mason Pierce, a son, married Anna Archibald, of Salem; their family was Hiram, now living in Colton, St. Lawrence Co., N.Y., Prudence, Lucina, Diodema,--married Horact Hotchkiss, and are still living in Hampton,--Solomon, and Betsey Ann. Mr. Pierce moved to Eaton Co., Mich., after the death of his wife.

   Ashbel Webster moved into Hampton from East Hartford at an early period. He bought land of Colonel Warren, and settled where the village now stands. H. Martin has his house on the spot. He had fourteen children. Miner Webster, a son, lived on the homestead, but sold off to John P. Adams and Daniel Mallary. Nathaniel Dailey bought of them. Miner Webster built a distillery.

   William Morris settled on what is now known as Morris Hill, and gave it his name. He followed weaving, and wove blankets and cloth.

   Elisha Kilbourn, Enoch Wright, Samuel Waterhouse, and a man named Carver, owned a large tract of land in the northern part of the town, and were the first settlers. Their land was on the river, north of Low Hampton. Eli Parsons was an early settler, and lived near the river. Among others early near the Whitehall line, west and south of the Baptist church, were Peter and Thomas Christie, Ebenezer West, and a man named McFarlane. Beriah Rogers, supervisor in 1816 and at other times, and also justice of the peace, lived about two and a half miles southwest of Low Hampton. Richard and Samuel Wheat lived in this vicinity. In the southern part of the town, among the early settlers was Captain Stephen Brooks, noted as a hunter. He lived on the road west of Hampton Corners, about three miles out. North of the corners lived Captain Peter P. French and Esquire Samuel Beaman. They built and kept the first store in town, and Captain French kept the first tavern. They were one mile north of the bridge. Captain French and family moved to Pennsylvania. McNoyes kept the tavern after French. Esquire Beaman was agent for the sale of lands and a prominent man in the town, and was supervisor and justice of the peace. His son, the Rev. N.S.S. Beaman, D.D., late of Troy, was born in the town. Lucy, a daughter, married Charles Bulkley of Granville.

   Samuel Hooker was an early settler in the southeast part of the town. His son, Martin P. Hooker, resides on the homestead; another son, Samuel P. Hooker, lives in Le Roy, N.Y. Ebenezer Popple was an early settler, and gave the name to Popple Hollow. Roderick Chapin was also an early settler in the Hollow. Caleb Warren and Captain Lemuel Hyde lived on what is the D. Smith farm, about three-fourths of a mile south of where Gideon Warren now lives.

   Abiather Millard came from Connecticut. He settled on the hill about half a mile west of Poultney river, at the upper bridge. He was a blacksmith, and followed his trade, together with farming. He was a soldier of the Revolution. His son, Paulinus, born in 1792, is still living on the homestead. He married a daughter of Elder Draper, the first Methodist preacher. Paulinus Millard was in the War of 1812, and was at Plattsburg. His sister, Mrs. Stacy, is living in Benson, VT.

   Another Abiather Millard, also a blacksmith, came in at an early period, and settled at the lower bridge. He and the Abiather Millard mentioned above were not related by blood, but married sisters.

   William Miller, Sr., the father of the celebrated "prophet" Miller, had a family of sixteen children, of whom there are now living in the town and vicinity Solomon P., now living on the homestead on which he was born; Mrs. Shaw, now living in the town with her son-in-law, Levi W. Manchester, and Mrs. Joseph Adams, of Fair Haven, Vt.

   From Mrs. Daniel Mallery, residing in Delavan, Wis., we receive the following. She is a daughter of Colonel Pliny Adams, a pioneer of Hampton. Colonel Pliny Adams and wife, Lucretia (Vail) Adams, moved from Salisbury, Conn., to Hampton Corners, about 1793. Here he opened a store, which was the first and only one at this point for a number of years. His first store was the old yellow house, afterwards converted into a tavern, and long kept by Daniel Rockwell. In 1803, Colonel Adams built the house now standing next the tavern building, and resided in it for some years. He built a store across the street from his house, which he occupied till his death, in 1816. He was appointed captain in a militia company, and furnished the uniforms for most of his company from his store. On the breaking out of the War of 1812, he was commissioned as colonel, and led his regiment to Plattsburg.

   Among the old settlers were Samuel Beaman, afterwards called "Old Squire Beaman," who owned a large farm on the "intervals," and Major Peter P. French, also a farmer, who raised a large family. Near him, on Hampton plains, lived Mason Hulett, a farmer. His youngest daughter, Mrs. W.H. Webster, now resides in Omro, Wis. "Old Squire" Jason Kellogg, justice of the peace and farmer, had sons who grew to be men in honorable positions; one of them, Rev. Ezra B. Kellogg, is now a minister of the Episcopal church in Ohio.

   Prominent in later years was the family of Eli Richards. He came from Connecticut in March 1813, and settled on the farm now owned by Ralph Richards, his son. He had one daughter, Mrs. Franklin Norton, of Clermont, N.H. After the death of her husband she returned to Hampton, and resides with her brother.

(Extracted from Sleeper News, vol. 2, no. 1, February 1994. Copyright 1994.)

Return to Hampton page

Return to Main page