Pittsford was granted October 12, 1761, to Ephraim DOOLITTLE and sixty-three others, by Benning WENTWORTH, in the customary form. The names of the grantees were as follows:  Ephraim DOOLITTLE, William NUTTING, Samuel BOWERS, Joshua HUTCHINS, Abraham NORTON, John HUBBARD, Alexander SCOTT, Andred POWERS, Nathaniel MORE, jr., Robert CROWFORD, Edward FLINT, Daniel MCFARLING, George ROBINS, Phinias HAYWARD, Ezra SANGER, John OAKS, David OAKS, John JENKS, John BENHAM, Daniel THOMAS, Elisha WHITTLESEY, Ashbel STYLES, Elish HALL, Samuel MANSFIELD, John HALL the 5th, Lent MERIMAN, Daniel LORD, John LOOMIS, Richard WIBERT, esq., Daniel BOYDEN, Theodore ATKINSON, jr., esq., Joshua JOHNSON, Lucius DOOLITTLE, Ebenezer HARVEY, Joseph BURT, Aaron BURT, Aaron DENIHO, David FIELD, John ARMS, Josiah ARMS, Elisha HALL, jr., Charles WHITTLESEY, esq., Nathaniel CHANCY, esq., Lucius HALL, Samuel WHITTLESEY, Chancy WHITTLESEY, Jedediah WINSLOW, Timothy PATTERSON, David PURPAW, Nathan JEWETT, Benjamin HUNTLEY, Daniel DREGGS, Amos JONES, Phineas NEWTON, Elisha FULLER, Samuel FULLER, jr., Elkanah FOX, Elisha HARVEY, William STEWARD, Daniel WARNER, esq., Peter JOHNSON, Samuel BREWER, Samuel JOHNSON, Jacob HEMMINGWAY. None of these grantees ever had a permanent residence in the town.

      The proprietors' record of Pittsford for the first ten years are lost, so that their organization and first officers are not known. The township being divided into seventy shares, it seems from the records that there was for a time a good deal of traffic in these shares, and at one time Captain DOOLITTLE, who was undoubtedly foremost in advancing the settlement, owned nearly one-fifth of the township. A few brief extracts from the early records will be of interest and value.

      The first existing records are of the year 1771, and under date of March 19, we find the following proceedings:
 

"Warned by Gideon WARREN Proprietors' Clerk. A Proprietors' meeting Now Held at the House of Ebenezer HOPKINS, Firstly Voted and Chose Ebenezer HOPKINS Proprietors' Moderator to be Moderator for Sd Meeting. "Then voted and Chose Benjamin COOLEY Proprietors Clerk. Then Voted to lay out the first Division of Lots and Number the Same. Then Voted and Chose Isick ROOD First Committy Man. Then Voted and Chose James HOPKINS 2 Committy Man. Then Voted and Chose Moses OLMSTEAD Committee Man. Then Voted to ad Ten acres to every Loot in the first Division for Highways. Then Voted that every Man should have his Hundred acres where he has Don his Work. Then voted that all Lots be the same size. Then Voted to give the Committy three shillings a Day. Then Voted to have the same Committy lay out the Hiways."

      This meeting was continued by adjournments from time to time, with such intervals as were judged necessary by the proprietors for the transaction of the public business.
 

On the 9th of June, 1772, the proprietors "Voted to disannul a vote formerly passed concerning sizeing Land by Sd Meeting in March 19th 1771. Then voted to lay out one hundred acres for a meeting house Lot." On the 21st of July, "Voted that every man that lives in the town, and has land in the town, shall pay the Committy for Laying out the Public Rites, according to what Land they own in the town." September 1st, "Voted that Benjamin COOLEY be a Committe man in the room of Isaac ROOD to lay out land and highways." October 8th, "Voted to lay out five acres to every Right amongst the pine timber, where the Commitee shall think best for the public good." December 1st, "Voted to give the Proprietors of this Place to the fifteenth day of May next, to come and make their first Pitches. Then voted that William WARD should git it put in the Publick Prints." Under date of October 14, 1773, it was voted "for the Second Division Piches to be drawn and number the same." January 3, 1774, the meeting voted "to have Ebenezer LYMAN, P. CLERK in said town." "Voted that Samuel ELLSWORTH, Stephen MEAD and Benjamin  COOLEY be sessors, Benjamin COOLEY, Collector." At an adjourned meeting December 19, 1774, the proprietors "voted Ebenezer LYMAN Collector to collect the cost of laying out the township of Pittsford. Voted 6 shillings on a Right to lay out town and Public lots and Pine lots and town Plot."

      The principal business transacted at the other meetings of 1774, 1775 and 1776, was the voting on men and plans for laying out the lands and their allotments, and need not be followed in detail.

      In the long controversy with New York, which has been described, the early inhabitants of this town were forced to play a conspicuous part; but previous to 1771 no direct effort was made to dispossess the proprietors and settlers of Pittsford of their lands; extensive improvements were already being made and in January, 1771, they felt called upon to present the following petition, although a previous one had been unfavorably received : 
 

"To his Excellency the Right Honorable John Earl of Dunmore, Captain General and Governor in Chief of The Province of New York,  In Councill. "The Petition of the subscribers Inhabitants on a Tract of land commonly called Pittsford, on Otter Creek, about Twenty Six miles South Easterly from Crown Point. "Humbly Sheweth, "That there is a certain Tract of vacant land now within this province, formerly Deemed and reputed to be within the province of New Hampshire, lying to the Northward of the Great Falls on Otter creek, commonly called Rutland falls, and bounded as followeth: Beginning at a Maple Tree Marked P. P. on the north line of Rutland, which line divides pitsford from Rutland, as was granted by the Government of New Hampshire. Thence runs West five degrees North, foure miles and ten Rods to a Beach Tree, from thence runs North twelve degrees West, six miles to a Beach Tree, from thence runs East five degrees South foure miles and ten Rods to a Beach Tree, from thence runs South twelve degrees East six miles to the place where it began, containing Fifteen Thousand acres, Which Tract of land was granted by the Governor and Counsell of the Province of New Hampshire, in consequence of which we your Excellencys petitioners have actually settled and made considerable improvements thereon ; and are willing and desirous to com  the same. Therefore most humbly pray your Exceelncy will be favourably pleased to grant us the same under the usual restrictions &c, and your Excelencys Petitioners shall ever pray. "Benjamin Cooley, Isaac Roode, James Meade, Samuel Waters, Felix Powel, Peleg Sunderling, Asa Johnson, Daniel Johnes, William Marshall, Samull Cripper, Isaac Buck, Jeams Hopkins, Gideon Warrin, Moses Umstead, Bless Willoughby."

      According to Dr. CAVERLY's history, "the early settlers of Pittsford acted with great unanimity in the struggle to maintain their titles against the establishment of any claim under the New York patent of Socialborough; though a few of the non-resident proprietors were willing to relinquish their claims on condition that they should have secured to them a tract of land of equal value in some other part of the royal domain."

      But all of these troubles were soon swallowed up in the tide of the Revolution and were eventually settled, as already described.

      It was not until the year 1769 that a single proprietor's right in Pittsford was disposed of to an actual settler. In this year Gideon COOLEY bought of Ephraim DOOLITTLE one right in the south part of the town, on which he had already made some improvements. He was a son of Benjamin COOLEY; was a soldier in the French War, and had passed through the valley of Otter Creek during his service. He came to Pittsford in the spring of 1766 to more carefully examine the lands that he had previously selected us a place for settlement.

      For details of this patent and oilier features of the controversy, see early chapters of this work, the history of the town of Rutland and that of Clarendon.

      After closely inspecting the vicinity of Sutherland Falls, he discovered about seventy acres on the east side of the creek, jutting in towards the falls and covered with shallow water, retained there by an old beaver dam. He believed he could cut this dam, drain the tract and have a fruitful field. He accordingly applied to Captain DOOLITTLE for a deed of it. The latter, anxious to settle the town, promised him one right of land free if he would improve it and become a bona fide settler. Gideon then returned to Greenwich, worked one year for his father in order to secure the release of his brother Benjamin, not yet of age, and in the summer of 1767 the two brothers packed up the few necessary tools and provisions and started on horseback for the spot in the wilderness which was to be their future home. Arriving safely, they began a clearing and built a log house. It stood a little northeast of the residence of Samuel B. LOVELAND, on the east side of the present highway. In the fall they returned to spend the winter in Greenwich. Owing to the fact that Gideon had the possession of the land and improvements secured to himself, some feeling sprang up between the brothers, and Benjamin went into the township of Addison and took up a lot of land on the border of the lake. Early in May of the next year Gideon returned to his possession and with a hired man continued his improvements. Again in the fall he returned to Greenwich, intending to remove his family the following year. In the mean time Benjamin had suffered from fever in his new location and returned to Greenwich. Gideon, perhaps actuated by sympathy, interceded with Captain DOOLITTLE in Benjamin's behalf and obtained from him a pledge of a deed of one hundred acres on condition that Benjamin should improve it. This arrangement was satisfactory and early in the spring of 1769 the two brothers, with Gideon's wife and five children, set out for the Vermont wilderness. Thus began the settlement of Pittsford. Benjamin's land included what has been known as the COOLEY farm; here he built a log house in 1771, which stood about two rods west of the dwelling now on the farm. He married Ruth Beach, then of Rutland, and a little later built his first frame house, which was burned in 1802, when the second one was erected by him.

      In 1770 seven families came into the town, as follows: Roger STEVENS purchased a large tract of Captain DOOLITTLE and built a house a little west of the present Gorham bridge, on the south side of the old Crown Point road. Ebenezer HOPKINS came from Connecticut, where he was one of the original proprietors of Harwinton. James HOPKINS, who had made a tour of inspection to Pittsford in the previous summer. He located two rights of land, the first one, being just south of the village, and the other on the west side of the creek. His grandsons, Ebenezer and Martin HOPKINS, came from Stockbridge to reside with him. No descendants of these Hopkins families are left in town. Samuel CRIPPEN came from Connecticut and purchased a right of James MEAD, and built his dwelling a little west of the house recently occupied by Austin CHINGREAU. Felix POWELL, who was the first settler in Dorset, Vt., and removed thence to Pittsford; he built on land now owned by George WHEATON. His daughter was the first white child born in this town, but she lived only a few weeks. Isaac ROOD came from Windsor, Conn., and built a small house on the north side of the brook opposite the residence of John RICHARDSON. He lived there until his death in 1775. Isaac BUCK, from Connecticut, located on land now occupied by Thomas D. HALL, bringing in his family the same fall.

      In the next year but one family came into the town, that of Moses OLMSTEAD. A part of the land he secured included the present farm of Charles HENDEE.

      In 1772 Thomas TUTTLE, Noah WAITE and Samuel WATERS settled in the town; it is not known just where TUTTLE located; WAITE's first division included land now owned by William E. HALL and others.

      In 1773 three families came in, William COX, Samuel ELLSWORTH and Stephen MEAD. COX was in the French War and served as lieutenant at Lake George .in 1758. He came from Waltham, Mass., and his tract included the farm now owned by Julia SARGENT, he built a house on the east side of the creek. Samuel ELLSWORTH was from Connecticut and purchased what is now the south part of the farm owned by George WHEATON. He held some early offices and was a surveyor. Stephen MEAD was a brother of the first settler of Rutland, James MEAD, with whom he resided a short time before coming to Pittsford. His lot was north of Samuel CRIPPEN's and included the present farm of J. B. DOUGLAS.

      In the year 1774 a large number of families came into the town, among whom were the following: Stephen JENNER, from Stevenstown, Mass., purchased of James Mead land that included the site of Hitchcockville and eastward The next year he built a house seventy rods east of the site of the present academy. Jonathan FASSETT came from Bennington, Vt., and originally Hardwick, Mass. His son Amos came to Pittsford and built a house a the west of the village site. He was called Dr. FASSETT, but he was not, probably, strictly entitled to the distinction. Ebenezer LYMAN, bought land and made a clearing where Dennis SMITH resides. Caleb HENDEE, from Coventry, Conn., came into the town and purchased lands a part of which constituted the present farm owned by the Widow THOMAS. He became one of the leading farmers. His son, Caleb, jr., was a prominent citizen, born in October, 1768. He taught school in early life and afterward followed surveying. He built the house in which he afterward lived in 1815. He held the office of surveyor of Rutland county many years, and in October, 1817, was appointed surveyor-general of the State, and held numerous minor offices; was appointed assistant judge of the county in 1806 and judge of probate in 1809-10; was town clerk and treasurer in 1800 and held the office about twenty-five years; was appointed ensign in the third company of the third regiment, second brigade and second division of the State militia in 1794, and in the following of year was elected captain of the same company; he was afterward promoted to colonel and then to brigadier-general. He represented the town in the General Assembly eleven years beginning with 1803, and in 1814 commanded the company raised in this town for the defense of Plattsburg. He died on the 4th of December, 1854, after a long, busy and honorable career. His sons were. German F., Charles J., and Caleb R.; the latter studied law in the office of John PIERPOINT, then of Pittsford, went to Zanesville, Ohio, but returned in 1836, and married Mary Ann GRANGER; they went again to Zanesville, but after two years practice there he returned and devoted his attention to farming He died in 1842. German HENDEE, at present living in the town, is a great- grandson of General Caleb. Samuel HENDEE, son of Caleb, sr., located on the home farm with his parents in 1810, and died there a few years since after a long life of great usefulness. Solomon HENDEE was a son of Deacon Caleb. He built the stone house on his farm in 1828; died in 1863. 

      William WARD came to Pittsford from Shaftesbury, Vt., and bought a farm on Otter Creek, which included the farm now owned by George WHEATON; he remained here but a few years. William WARD, now living in town, is descended from this family. David WARD came to the town in 1826 and located where he spent the remainder of his life. He belonged to the same family. 

      Joshua WOODWARD came to Pittsford in 1774 from Massachusetts and bought lands which included the farms of Joseph NOYES, F. B. BARNES, Edwin LEONARD and James BUCKMAN. His eldest son was John WOODWARD, who was in the Revolutionary War and lived for a time in the house built by his father, and later where Joseph NOYES lives. He removed to New York. 

      Benjamin STEVENS, brother of Roger who has been mentioned, came into town in this year from Manchester, Vt. He bought the land which forms the farm recently owned by Edward and Richard HENDEE, northwest of the village. His eldest son was Daniel, who purchased in 1793 the farm then owned by Benjamin STEVENS, jr. (his brother) and lately owned by Benjamin 3d, now occupied by Edward HINDS. He died in 1829. James was another son of Benjamin, also lived in town, his land being the westerly part of the farm just mentioned. He removed to Canada in 1794. Simeon, another son, purchased one hundred acres adjoining his father's homestead; he died in 1847 at the age of eighty-four. Jonathan, still another son, came here in 1787 and bought fifty acres of land; after some years he removed to Canada. Others of this family will be mentioned further on. Gideon SHELDON came from Duchess county, N. Y., and purchased lands including the farm recently owned by Byron MORGAN, in Whipple Hollow, where he built a house.; He had two sons, Gideon and Thomas, who were captured by Indians near the close of the Revolutionary War, while returning to the barn with grain. Indians took them and proceeded to the house where they frightened away the mother and ransacked the premises. The boys were carried to Canada where Thomas died; Gideon was returned home after a few months. 

      Samuel MONTAGUE, originally from Massachusets, came to Pittsford in 1774 from Bennington, and pitched fifty-five acres, including what is now the north part of the farm of Frederick WOODCOCK. His sons Adonijah and Rufus came about the same time; they were weavers, like their father, and served in the Revolution. None of their descendants are in the town at present, as near as great-grandchildren.

      The inhabitants of Pittsford were directly interested and concerned in the Revolutionary War. When Ethan ALLEN was making his preparations for the capture of Ticonderoga, he dispatched Major BEACH through several towns of Rutland county and others to collect men for the expedition. Beach passed through Pittsford and called at the home of Captain Benjamin COOLEY and delivered his message. Captain COOLEY took his gun and with him started Isaac BUCK, jr., John DEMING, Hopkins ROWLEY and Ephraim STEVENS for the place of rendezvous. Thus citizens of Pittsford joined in that memorable event. At that time there were thirty-eight families within the limits of the town, and about one hundred and ninety-five persons. The details of the great struggle for freedom need not be entered into here, and the events in which Pittsford settlers were directly interested can only be briefly touched upon.

      On the day of the battle of Hubbardton, great excitement prevailed in the town. Most of the inhabitants left their houses on the night succeeding the battle, expecting immediate attack upon their homes; and with the approach of morning the women and children and a few of the more timid men fled away southward. Some of the families returned to the towns from which they had emigrated, but the majority came back to their homes as soon as it was deemed safe. On returning after the alarm of the near approach of the army had subsided, the male inhabitants set about preparing a place of refuge in case of another invasion. This resulted in the building of "Fort Mott," of which the following description is given by Dr. CAVERLY:  "The place selected was theresidence of William COX, on the east bank of Otter Creek. This was surrounded by a high breastwork of hemlock logs set endwise in the ground, and on the west side this work was carried down the bank into the channel of the Creek which supplied the inmates with an abundance of fresh water. In form the enclosure was nearly square, and contained about three-fourths of an acre of ground, in the center of which was the log dwelling which took the place of a block-house. This work was accomplished by the combined voluntary efforts of the neighboring inhabitants for their mutual security against the sudden attacks of roaming parties of Indians and British, piloted by the detestable renegade Tories, familiar with every road, by-path, log-house and ambush in the settlements. This was afterwards named Fort Mott, from Mr. John MOTT, who often acted as commander of those collected within it."

      The period from this time to the close of the war was one of constant peril to the settlers of the town. We have mentioned the capture of Gideon and Thomas SHELDON. Two other boys, Joseph and John ROWLEY, were also carried into captivity, but they were returned a few months later.

      The battle of Bennington and its victory left the inhabitants of the northern department a period of comparative security; and the Committee of Safety kept a careful ward over the interests of the people.

      When the continental troops were withdrawn from this State, the frontier towns were left at the mercy of an enemy that was always ready to take advantage of their defenseless situation. Rutland was the headquarters of the State troops, and a small garrison was kept at Fort Mott. In May, 1779, the commander of the fort was informed that a force was coming up Lake Champlain to harass the settlers. A scouting party was thereupon sent out, consisting of Ephraim STEVENS (commander), Benjamin STEVENS, jr., Ebenezer HOPKINS and Jonathan ROWLEY, jr. Although ordered to not cross the lake, STEVENS did so at Ticonderoga, in a canoe. After visiting the fort they embarked in their canoe and proceeded down as far as Basin Harbor and landed. After reconnoitering the vicinity they again entered their canoe, convinced that no Indians were about. They now foolishly discharged all of their pieces as a sort of salute. In a few moments a party of Indians appeared and ordered them to come ashore at the peril of their lives. This was refused and STEVENS and his men pushed out into the lake amid a shower of bullets, none of which took effect. The Indians then jumped into another canoe and rapidly gave chase. An Indian lay flat in the bow where he kept up a fire with deliberate aim. Soon young ROWLEY was hit in the head and killed. Finding escape impossible, the party surrendered, and after scalping the young scout, the Indians took the party ashore and started into the wilderness. After enduring many indignities and cruelties at the hands of the savages, the story of which is filled with interest, the party was taken to Quebec, whence they escaped in the following fall while engaged in harvesting, under a guard. They were recaptured near the head waters of the Connecticut by a party of Indians, taken again to Quebec and thrown into prison. After one fruitless attempt to dig through, the walls of the prison, which was frustrated by an intoxicated prisoner, their, second attempt, made in the winter of 1781, was successful; but after getting within a day's journey of Vermont, amid much suffering from cold and hunger, they fell in with a party of British and were again taken back to Quebec. Their relatives had given them up for dead. In June, 1782, Benjamin STEVENS, sr., learning that some prisoners were to be exchanged at Whitehall, went thither hoping to hear of his son. The first to disembark was his own son. Ephraim and Ebenezer HOPKINS were also exchanged on this occasion. There are not many more heroic figures in the Revolution, as far as relates to Vermont, than Ephraim STEVENS. (See Caverly's History of Pittsford.)

   "The inhabitants of the town were frequently alarmed by the reported approach of small parties of the enemy, and on all such occasions the women and children repaired to the fort, where they remained till the alarm subsided. In the month of November Deacon Caleb HENDEE, Elder Elisha RICH, of Clarendon, and Deacon MURRAY, late of Orwell, went in company to Neshobe to view a lot of land near the house of George and Aaron ROBBINS. After an inspection of the land they called at the house of the Messrs. ROBBINS and then returned to Pittsford. A few minutes after they left the house it was attacked by the Indians and the two owners killed. Most of the other inhabitants of Neshobe were made prisoners and their houses burned. About ten o'clock that night the news of this attack reached Pittsford. The same hour Deacon HENDEE, with the assistance of Elder RICH, Deacon MURRAY and Richard HENDEE the deacon's brother, who happened to be there at that time, placed his whole family (including his aged mother) on horseback, and traveled all night as far as the town of Clarendon, where they arrived at the house of Elder RICH early the next morning. A company of Colonel Gideon WARREN's regiment was dispatched to the scene of distress, where it remained three days, but the enemy having retreated the company was withdrawn. Captain WRIGHT and the lieutenant being absent, Ensign BLANCHARD had command of the force on this occasion. We find the name of Stephen MEAD, of Pittsford, on the roll of this company.

   "Fort Mott was ill adapted to shield the people from the protracted efforts of a powerful foe. Accordingly, being roused by the startling acts of cruelty and bloodshed which had been perpetrated, they resolved to have a fort built that would accommodate a large garrison and afford them adequate protection."

      The subject was laid before the board of war and the final result was the erection of what was called Fort Vengeance. The following account of this fort was furnished to Henry HALL, of Rutland, by General Caleb HENDEE, and is taken from Dr. CAVERLY's work: 

   “The site selected for its location was on the upland about a mile north easterly from Fort Mott, and around the very spot then occupied by the dwelling house of Caleb HENDEE, sr. The stage road from Pittsford village to Brandon passes over the ground formerly occupied by this fort. Like all the other forts in Vermont it was a picket fort; a trench was dug five or six feet deep; the trunks of trees, mostly hard maple and beech, a foot or a foot and a half in diameter, were sunk into the trench as closely together as possible, extending sixteen or eighteen feet above ground and sharpened to a point at the top; between each log a stake was driven to fill the space left by the round unhewed logs; within the pickets a breastwork was thrown up about six feet broad at the base, and composed entirely of dirt and logs. At a height convenient for the garrison were loop-holes between the logs and large enough at the center for the barrel of a musket to pass through, and radiating outside and inside so that the soldiers within could move the muzzles of their guns in the loop-holes and command a wide range without, while the loop-holes were so far from the ground on the outside that the enemy's shots coming through them would pass over the heads of the garrison. The form of the fort was square, enclosing an acre or more of ground. On each corner jutting outside was a flanker, with two stories, that is, a floor was laid across each about eight feet from the ground answering for a ceiling to the space below; above this floor or ceiling was the sentinel's box with loop-holes above and below, from which the musketeers could rake the approach to the fort in every direction with a deadly fire.  On the east of the fort was a large double gate of oak plank, thickly studded with large headed nails or spikes so as to be completely bullet proof, while on the west side of the fort was a wicket-gate; within the fort, extending along the north side were the officers' barracks, and on the south side the soldiers’ barracks. In the northwest corner was the magazine for the munitions of war, a framed building; in the northeast and southwest corners were wells, which were soon neglected and the garrison supplied themselves with water from a spring thirty or forty rods east of the fort. The space between the officers' and soldiers' barracks was the parade ground. The fort was finished in June, 1780. After the war the barracks were long used as dwelling houses, and one room of them may even now be seen, standing at the west end of Samuel HENDEE's barn yard."

      The new fort was doubtless in a condition for occupancy early in June, 1780. After the fort was finished it was occupied by Major Ebenezer ALLEN, of Tinmouth, and about one hundred and fifty men. 

      In 1780 the people of the State were again left largely to their own resources for protection against the common enemy, and measures were taken for strengthening the forts of the county. Two companies of rangers were also raised and kept in constant service, in which were a number of Pittsford men. No large body of the enemy appear to have visited Vermont during this summer; but small parties of Indians and Tories made constant incursions, which kept the inhabitants in a state of alarm.

      In midsummer Samuel CRIPPEN was captured and a little later Betsey COX; the latter was, however, permitted to escape to the fort. Mr. CRIPPEN was permitted to return from Canada in about a year, and died in Wallingford in 1783.

      In June, 1781, the Indians laid their plans for a vigorous night assault on Fort Vengeance; but they were discovered in the vicinity by some soldiers during the day previous and a well-planned ambush, which fired on them during their approach, frustrated the assault. Captain James BROOKINS was then in command of the fort, with a company under him in which were a number of Pittsford men. 

      But the end came, practically with the surrender of Cornwallis in October, 1781, and peace soon settled over the distressed country. With the final settlement of the difficulties with New York, the settlers again gave their attention to the improvement of their farms, and others rapidly took up the land around them, as will be further narrated. 

      During the last twenty years of the last century numerous settlements were made in town, the more prominent only of which can be alluded to except in the briefest manner. Jonathan WARNER, who had been in the town in 1772 and bought two rights of land, came in to settle in 1780; a part of his land included the farms now occupied by his great-grandson, John WARNER and that of E. M. BAILEY; his first clearing was made near where Mr. BAILEY now lives.

      In 1780 Eleazer HARWOOD made a clearing on land which he had pitched in 1776, including a part of the present farm of John M. GOODNOUGH.

      Jonathan DIKE settled in town in 1781, but removed to Chittenden three years later. His son Jonathan was sheriff of the county and otherwise prominent. Mrs. Capen LEONARD is a granddaughter and Cyrus DIKE a grandson of the elder Jonathan.

      Peter RICE settled here in 1781 and in 1789 bought one hundred acres, which included the farm now owned by Ransom BURDITT. Phineas RIPLEY, a Revolutionary soldier, came in the same year and made his first clearing on the east side of the brook. He lived there till 1802, when he built the house now owned by Carlos A. HITCHCOCK.

      Several families settled in town in 1782. Eleazer WARNER was one of the more conspicuous of these; he came from Granby, Mass., and located in the south part of Sugar Hollow; built the first frame house north of the bridge and in 1792 bought the lot known as the John BOOTH place; he died in 1835. His son Samuel located on the farm now owned by the widow of Douglas BATES, where he resided until 1825, when he went to live with his children. Samuel's son, Nathan Smith WARNER, lived in town and in company with his brother-in-law, Marshall WOOD, became the owner of the KINGSLEY tannery (elsewhere mentioned); he removed to Rutland in 1852. Eleazer Chapin WARNER, another son of Samuel, was a farmer of the town, and in company with his father and brother, purchased the David CRIPPEN farm, and in 1841 bought their interests in the place. He is still a respected resident of the town.

      Amasa LADD came into the town in this year and two years later purchased lands which included the farm now owned by Joseph GAGNON. He built the present house there about 1790, which is now one of the oldest in town; he afterwards removed to Malone, N. Y. The Kellogg family settled in this year, when Amos, son of Joseph, came in and located; the latter came from Weybridge, where he had lived with one of his sons. About the year 1805 he came to Pittsford to live with their son Amos. Amos was in the Revolutionary service and held a commission. He located on the farm afterward occupied by his son, Samuel H., who was born in 1798. Amos Cushman KELLOGG, son of Amos, located on the home farm with his brother, Samuel H., where he lived till 1837, when he purchased the place where he spent the remainder of his life. Newton KELLOGG, now a prominent citizen and connected with the banks of Rutland, is a son of Samuel H.

      Elisha RICH, a native of Massachusetts, came here in 1783 and made the first improvements on what has been known as "Furnace Flat." In that fall  he built a grist-mill on the brook above where the bridge now stands; Samuel ADAMS built a saw-mill a little below the bridge. The land he obtained embraced three pieces, making 440 acres, including "the flat;" he built a small house near where the brick house was afterward erected. In 1784 he sold his mill and one hundred acres of land to Thomas and Samuel ADAMS. In 1785 he was settled as pastor of the Baptist Church in Pittsford, where he continued in acceptable service until 1803; he soon removed to Pennsylvania. Joshua MORSE settled in 1783 on a farm which embraced lands now owned by Capen LEONARD; he built a log house a little northeast of the present dwelling of Mr. LEONARD and a few years later a frame house west of this and near the road. Justus BREWSTER settled in 1783 where Edward PHALEN now lives.

      The BROWN family came in this year and became prominent in the town. Elijah BROWN, jr., came to Rutland in 1780 and soon afterward to Pittsford; it is not known just where he settled. Their son, bearing the same name, was born in Rutland. He became a tanner and currier and in 1805 bought of Andrew PRINDLE a half interest in the NELSON tannery, and in 1808 purchased the other half; the tannery place is now owned by John HUDSON. In company with his brother, Samuel A., he carried on business until 1827, when Elijah sold his tannery interest to his brother and bought the Western Tavern, which he kept until 1839. He was accidentally killed in Providence in 1860. Samuel A. resided on the tannery property until his death in 1867. Willard C., a son of Samuel, enlisted in the Second Berdan Sharp Shooters and now lives in New York State. Oliver BROWN, son of Elijah, was a harness-maker and lived in the  village until 1842. Charles D., son of Elijah, jr., was connected for a few years after 1847 with the furnace property, but removed from town not long afterward.

      The ADAMS family located here in 1784. Elisha, the father, purchased the grist-mill and also built a saw-mill, just above the furnace, which were both operated a number of years by members of the family. The family first occupied the house built by Elisha RICH, who sold them the property, but soon constructed another log house on the hill. Samuel ADAMS, one of the sons, afterwards built the red house, owned some years ago by A. G. ALLEN. Thomas, another son, located on the farm now occupied by his son, Elias T. Arbela, another son of Thomas, removed west many years ago.

      Elias HALL came to Pittsford in the spring of 1784 and purchased lands including the place now occupied by George BATES; about 1795 he sold this and lived a few years in a house which stood where the Baptist meeting-house is located; he removed to Williston and died in 1820.

      Prominent among the settlers of 1785 was John HITCHCOCK, a native of Connecticut; he located on lands covering the farm now occupied by Elijah GIDDINGS; this he soon deeded to his son John and purchased the lot forming the farm now owned by his grandson, Captain Charles HITCHCOCK. His son, Remembrance HITCHCOCK, came here from Brandon and lived with his parents about three years from 1797. He built the house which is now the residence of Charles HITCHCOCK, and in 1800 the house occupied by Frank BRESEE, moving into the latter as soon as it was finished. In later years he built the present residence of his son, Allen HITCHCOCK, as well as that occupied by Mrs. Obers. His son Lyman located on the farm now owned by George N. EAYRES, where his parents resided for a time. He removed to Chittenden. Carlos A. HITCHCOCK, at present one of the wealthiest men of the town, is a son of Lyman; has held several town offices and represented the town in the Assembly. He now lives on what is known as the SHELDON place, in the village. Moses Hitchcock was a son of John, jr.; was a blacksmith, and moved to St. Lawrence county about 1806. Chapman HITCHCOCK, son of John, was conspicuous in early years as a singing school teacher and choir leader. Captain Charles HITCHCOCK has occupied a prominent place in the town; has held the numerous offices and represented the town two terms.

      Thomas Hammond was given one hundred acres of land in Pittsford by his father-in-law, Ichabod CROSS, and he built a small house which stood near the Cox Fort (Fort Mott). After two or three changes of residence he bought in 1814 the farm now owned by George WHEATON, and built the large house there, in which he took up his residence. He became a very prominent citizen; was six years assistant judge of the county, beginning in 18 15, and four years from 1816 a member of the Executive Council; was two years assessor under the general government. He was conspicuous in the organization of the State militia and rose from captain to colonel. Moreover, he was a devoted Christian. His son, Thomas Denny HAMMOND, born in 1812, also has an honorable record; he was the first to respond to the call for troops in 1812, and served as orderly sergeant. In 1820 he removed to Orwell, where he was honored with several high offices. He died in 1841. Augustus, son of Thomas HAMMOND, married a daughter of Sturges PENFIELD and located on the home farm. In 1867 he purchased his father-in-law's farm, on which he died.

      In 1786 Jacob WEED settled in town, coming from Massachusetts; his lot included a part of the farm now owned by Cyrus DIKE. Jeremiah Powers, sr., settled in Sugar Hollow, but not until 1792, locating on a lot including the present farm of William NICHOLAS; he died in 1801. His son Jeremiah had preceded him to this town in 1786, locating on lands including the place now owned by E. M. BAILEY; he died in 1845. Joab, son of the first Jeremiah, came here in 1799, and located in Sugar Hollow, and died about 1830. Lot KEELER settled in the town in 1786 and made a small purchase which included the homestead now owned by HILLS and Benjamin TAYLOR, where he built a log house. His son Lot, jr., spent his life in town and died in 1871. Abraham OWEN came in this year and located on lands embracing the easterly part of the farm now owned by Orlin SMITH; he died in 1813. 

      The name of Nathan WEBSTER appears first on the records in 1785, when he purchased twelve acres of land, including the site of the present Otter Creek House in the village; for this he paid forty pounds. He cleared this spot and removed his family, probably in 1786. The site of the village was then covered by a heavy forest. The house he built was the beginning of the village. The site was early known as "Blackberry Hill," from the quantities of that fruit that grew thereabouts. Amos WEBSTER was probably a brother of Nathan, and purchased lands in 1785 which embraced all the territory on which the village was built, east of the north and south road, between the town hall lot and the road leading to Hitchcockville, together with lands lying eastward of the village, now owned by various persons. He built a house the following spring about where Carlos A. HITCHCOCK's residence now stands, which was afterwards known as the “Webster House."

      In 1787 Reuben IVES, a native of Massachusetts, came into the town and bought land of Richard HENDEE, including that now owned by Volney BAIRD, Charles SMITH and others. Simeon PARMELEE also settled in this year; he was a Revolutionary soldier and purchased a farm on which he lived some years and removed to Westford. His brother Hezekiah, son of Simeon, sr., located on the paternal homestead; after several changes of residence he died in the town in 1853. Rev. Simeon PARMELEE, Rev. Ashbel PARMELEE and Rev. MOSES were of this family and became distinguished in the ministry. Simeon PARMELEE, son of Hezekiah, located in the easterly part of the town on the farm of his father, and formerly devoted a large share of his time to his trade, that of mason. He is a respected citizen and deacon in the Congregational Church. The Jackson family were numerous in the town in early years; David, son of David, settled in the south part of the town and died in the War of 1812. Jonathan's purchase included the farm now owned by Hiram BATES; he died :. on that place. James removed to Pennsylvania. Samuel removed to Canada before 1812. Daniel settled in the west part of the town. Anthony PHILLIPS' came to Pittsford in 1787 and purchased a lot including what is the farm now owned by his great-grandson, Moses PHILLIPS. His son Jacob located on the home farm an died in 1848. Orin W. was a son of Jacob, and also settled on the home farm, where he died and left it in possession of his son.

      Asa STEVENS came to the town in 1788 and bought a tract including the present farm of W. P. WARD, and other lands; here he resided until his death in 1817. Dr. Abiathar MILLARD came in this year and located in the village, building what was probably the fourth house on "Blackberry Hill." Nathaniel FAIRFIELD settled in 1788 in the west part of the town, where he and his son Samuel lived for some years.

      Ithiel BARNES came to Pittsford and purchased of his cousin, John BARNES, in 1798, eighty acres of land in Whipple Hollow. The following spring he built his house and went back to Connecticut for his family. His father was James BARNES, and he followed his son to this town in 1793, also locating in Whipple Hollow; he died in 1809. Ithiel BARNES, jr., located in the town in 1830; he died in 1866. John R. was the son of John, jr., and was born in 1822 and located on the home farm with his parents. Nehemiah BARNES, son of John, bought a farm in town in 1819, and the next year exchanged with Nathaniel K. ANDREWS, for the farm now owned by Chauncey THOMAS; he lived there until 1865, when he exchanged for the place where he afterwards lived. His son Charles, now living in town, is one of the respected citizens. Franklin B. BARNES, now a resident of Pittsford, is a son of Nehemiah. In 1855 he purchased what was long known as the Abraham DRURY farm and resided there until his death. Jeffrey BARNES, son of John, located on the home farm with his parents. He made several changes of residence and finally in 1832 exchanged places with David HALL and obtained the Mead farm, now owned by B. J. DOUGLASS. In 1855 he purchased the place where he afterward lived. He was a leading citizen and held various political offices; he died in 1861.

      Stephen POWERS, son of Peter, a captain in the Revolutionary army, had a son named Peter, who served in the navy. In 1789 he came to Pittsford and bought a farm ; a part of this he sold and in 1792 he bought one hundred and forty acres, which included most of the present farms owned by George N. EAYRES and Marshall WOOD; he lived in a small house near where Mr. EAYRES's house stands; he died in 1854. His son, also named Stephen, located on the same farm; he died in 1862.

      The town-plot lots were surveyed in 1785, in conformity to the vote of the proprietors, and these acre lots were laid out on either side of the north and south road, thirty-four on the east side, and an equal number on the west, and extending from a point forty rods and seven feet north of the north line of the Baptist burying-ground, to the south line of the Congregational meeting-house lot. In this plot four acres were laid out for the Congregational meeting-house lot; two acres and ten rods for the Baptist meeting-house lot, and two acres for the North burying-ground. The whole town plot consisted of a little more than eighty-six acres, but only about seventy-six acres were included in the foregoing lots, consequently there remained in the easterly part of the plot ten acres of common land which, according to the vote of the proprietors, was reckoned a part of the second division of the school lot.

      A few new settlements were made in town in 1790, among them being Abraham and Calvin DRURY, Phineas HAMMOND, who lived on the farm now occupied by John RICHARDSON, and Abraham CARPENTER, who located in Whipple Hollow and did faithful service in the ministry.

      In 1791, besides those mentioned, came here Colonel Israel KEITH, who was a graduate of Harvard University; he purchased three acres including the lot on which the old furnace building now stands. In the fall of the same year he built the furnace and began the manufacture of iron. He did not remove his family hither until 1800. There are no descendants of Mr. KEITH now in the town; but he was for many years a prominent figure in the early manufacturing interests. His brothers, Scotland, Daniel and Alfred, lived for longer or shorter periods in town.

      William BAXTER came here in 1792, bought several acres of land on Furnace Brook, including one-half of the Adams saw-mill, which has been described. He removed to Massena, N. Y., about 1830. The WICKER family came here in this year; Luther, Frederick and James; James and Luther were both Methodist preachers. Marshall WOOD is a grandson of Luther.

      Jeremiah NEEDHAM came to Pittsford in 1792, and in 1797 bought the north half of the farm first occupied by Gideon COOLEY. He worked more or less at shoemaking in connection with farming, and removed to Essex county, N. Y. in 1806.

      Oliver BOGUE came to town in 1792 and lived four years on the farm which had been occupied by Joshua MORSE and one year on the Jonathan FASSETT farm. He afterward made several purchases of real estate. He died on the farm occupied in recent years by Charles MUSSEY, in 1828. Marcus Cook BOGUE, son of Alexander and grandson of Oliver, came to Pittsford from West Rutland, where he had been a merchant, in 1859. He followed mercantile business here until 1867, when he sold to Rollin S. MEACHAM and bought the old Hopkins farm and followed that occupation; in 1870 he removed to Sioux City, Iowa, where he now resides.

      Abraham WALKER settled in town in 1794, and shortly afterwards located in the village, where his son Tilly afterward resided. James HEWITT came in about this time and located in the west part of the town. After making his clearing he built the house in which he lived until his death in 1858. His son Seth also located on the homestead. Benjamin CHAFFEE came into the town in 1794 and located on the farm afterwards owned by his son Demas; he died there in 1850.

      Alfred BUCK, son of Isaac, the pioneer, located in 1795 on the farm now, owned by German HENDEE. He built the red house on the west side of the road in 1803, and there lived until his death in 1842. His son Addison was a merchant in the village many years and postmaster for a time. In 1795 Nathan GIBBS came here and purchased a one-fourth interest in the furnace property. This he carried on in company with his brother Cornelius, Edward KINGMAN and Luke REED; in 1797 he bought the KINGMAN interest and soon afterward purchased the other two interests and managed the whole for a period. John MILLER settled here in 1795 and bought land which is now owned by George LEONARD; he died about 1832.

      Samuel MORGAN bought a tract of land in town in 1793 and settled here in 1796; he removed to Rutland in 18 12 and died there in 1830. His son, of the same name, located on the home farm and lived till about 1835. William, a brother of Samuel, settled in the west part of the town in 1799 and lived there until his death.

      John PENFIELD, of Fairfield, Conn., after serving three years in the Revolutionary War, came to Pittsford in 1795 and bought of Ebenezer HOPKINS the grist-mill built by Nehemiah HOPKINS, which has been alluded to, and some land in the vicinity. In the following February he brought in his family and they lived in the house now owned by William B. SHAW. In the next December he opened a public house there, which he kept until 1811. He died in 1829. The PENFIELD family has been prominently associated with the history of the town. John, jr., son of John, came here in 1797, having previously learned the saddler's trade. He opened a shop in what is now Meacham's store; he left the town in 1803 and died in Whitehall in 1848. Sturges PENFIELD, another son of John, sr., came in with the family, having learned the hatter's trade in Rutland. He married Laura GIDDINGS and died in 1866. His daughter, Eleanor B., is now the widow of the late H. F. LOTHROP. (See biographic sketch herein.) Mr. PENFIELD was a leading man in the community, a man of the strictest integrity and great energy. Allen PENFIELD, also a son of John, married a daughter of Thomas HAMMOND and took his father's place in the tavern, and in the following year occupied the house built by his father and now owned by Asher BURDITT, where he lived until his death. He managed the hotel until 1828, when he sold it and removed to Crown Point, where he became conspicuous in the iron business. Abel PENFIELD, another son of John, came with the rest of the family in 1796; he learned the clothier's trade with Eleazer Harwood and first located in Hartford, Vt., in company with Mr. Harwood, where they continued from 1812 to 1820; he then returned to Pittsford and occupied his father's house (now the residence of Asher BURDITT) until 1828, when he h built the house in which he afterward resided. About the same time he purchased a third interest in the woolen factory, the grist-mill and ten acres of land, the other two-thirds being owned by his brothers, Allen and Sturges.  In 1824 he sold his interest in all of this property except the grist-mill, which he rebuilt, and the same is now owned by Mr. BURDITT. He died in March, 1871. Charles L. PENFIELD, a respected citizen of the town, was a son of Abel. The place is now owned by the Rev. Mr. FOSTER.

      Richard M. POWERS, son of Jeremiah, in 1795 purchased and began improvement of what was known as the WRIGHT place, where he built a house the same year. He soon afterward sold this to Robert WRIGHT and bought the farm now occupied by his son, Artemas C. POWERS; he died in 1848. 

      Christopher BRESEE came from Massachusetts and in 1797 purchased the farm now owned by his grandson, Wallace E. BRESEE; Jacob F., now living in the town, is another son of Christopher. Peter, a brother of Christopher, also lived in the town. but subsequently removed to Canada.

      Oliver and Timothy MORSEMAN settled in the town about the year 1797, their father having purchased land here several years earlier. Oliver located on what was the WAIT farm, and Timothy on land purchased by his father and built a house about where George MORSEMAN's barn now stands; the latter had a son Timothy, jr., who resided in town. Elisha WOODRUFF settled in 1797 about a mile north of the village, and in 1798 built a saw-mill; a few years later he erected another mill a little below the first; he operated both until 1811; he was accidentally killed in 1820 by a log rolling on him.

      Eli HUDSON came here in 1798 and bought the farm recently owned by Manuel ACKLEY; in 1820 he purchased the Josiah EDDY farm, now owned by Howard LEONARD; he died in 1821. His son Seth was a carpenter and lived in the town. John W., another son, is still living and the oldest living person in the town who was born here. Stephen AVERY bought in 1798 of Benjamin COOLEY the place in the village now occupied by Dr. SWIFT. His brother Elijah purchased in the same year a place in the village; they afterward carried on mercantile business in the village in company a number of years. Elijah died here in 1803, and Stephen, after removing to Brookfield, where he remained about six years, returned and in company with others, erected a woolen mill, which stood just below Mr. BURDITT's grist-mill. Mr. AVERY retired in 1821 and removed to Brandon where he died. Robert LOVELAND, from Connecticut, located here about 1798 and lived on the COOLEY farm until his death; his son, Bassett, now lives on the homestead. Aaron Nelson LOVELAND, also a son of Robert, was born in town and lives on what is known as the Barnes farm, which he has greatly improved. Robert E. is a son of Samuel Babbet LOVELAND, and lives on his father's homestead.

      Among those who located in the town in 1800 we may mention Luke OSGOOD, who purchased land that included most of the present farm of William CREED. He died here in 1853. Leonard RAWSON Purchased of Israel KEITH what was known as the Eleazer HARWOOD farm, now occupied by George PUTNAM ; he died here in 1816. Joshua KINGSLEY settled on the premises now 'owned by John M. GOODNOUGH; He was a tanner and followed the business in this town some years; he removed to Troy about 1830 and died there in 1857. 

      Jirah BARLOW purchased in 1799 land that formed a part of the estate of the late H. F. LOTHROP, lying east and northeast of Penfield's mill lot, including the water privileges, “together with the falling-mill, dye-house, two strings of tender bars, dwelling-house and shop, and one pair clothier's shears, one iron screw and box, and one clothier's plait." This property he bought of Chester POWERS who had it from Noel William AVERY in 1797; the latter had built the mill the previous year; the mill stood on the Ripley Brook, a little .way from its junction with Furnace Brook. Soon afterward Mr. Barlow bought the water privilege below Penfield's mill and built what formed a part of the straw-board mill; here he had a grist-mill, saw-mill, oil-mill, distillery, and pot-ashery, and once owned the farm now owned by C. A. HITCHCOCK (the Ripley farm); he removed to Illinois about 1820.

      Isaac WHEATON bought of Stephen Mead in 1801 a tract which included part of the farm now owned by Ransom BURDITT. In 1802, having sold this. place, he purchased what has since been known as the WHEATON farm; he died there in 1851, and the place passed into possession of his son, Isaac C. He made extensive improvements on the place and lived there until 1868, when he sold it and bought the HAMMOND farm, which at his death passed into possession of his son George, who now occupies it. Isaac C. WHEATON was a worthy and respected citizen. Rufus WHEDON (as he spelled the name) was a Revolutionery soldier and brother of Isaac. In 1828 he purchased the farm which had been improved by Ebenezer HOPKINS. He died in 1840, and the place is now occupied by Edwin NOYES, son-in-law of William WARD.

      David HALL, son of David, was born in Brandon in 1795, and in 1803; the family came to live in Pittsford, locating on the farm now occupied by Alexander PARMELEE; he died in town in 1841.

      Thomas BURDITT, from Lynn, Mass., came to Pittsford about the 1804, and located on land now owned by Ransom BURDITT, on the easterly slope of West Hill; himself and wife both died in this town. 

      Jacob LEONARD was from Easton, Mass. His children were Isaac, Jacob, Capen and Militiah. In 1801 he purchased a tract of land a part of which lay in the northeast part of Pittsford and a part in Chittendcn. In 1805 the Pittsford portion was deeded to his son Isaac, who built a house and made the first improvements on it. In 1795 he (Isaac) had married Ruth FULLER and they came in and located on this land, which is now owned by their grandson Isaac. Mr. Leonard died in 1855. Caper LEONARD was a son of Jacob and a brother of Isaac; he removed from Chittenden to Pittsford in 1815 and settled on the farm in the north part of the town now owned by Charles HITCHCOCK; he died there in 18455. Martin LEONARD was a son of Isaac; he located on the paternal homestead and died there; his son Isaac now occupies the place. Hiram LEONARD, son of Caper, located on the RAWSON farm, which he had purchased of Timothy LESTER in 1827. He was quite well educated and taught school some years. He removed to Mill village about 1840, bought the saw-mill now owned by George N. EAYRES, and built his house. He died in 1885. Caper, another son of Capen LEONARD, was born in Chittenden, June 25, 1808, and married Mary Ann DIKE, granddaughter of Jonathan DIKE, elsewhere mentioned. He resided some years in Chittenden and removed to Pittsford in 1852, occupying the farm on which he still lives. He represented Chittenden in the Legislature from 1837 to 1841 inclusive, and in 1843; represented Andover in 1860, and was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1850. He was elected senator from Rutland in 1868-69. Newell LEONARD was a son of Isaac and located on a part of the John MILLER farm, where he died; his son now occupies the place. Josiah, another son of Isaac, located on the farm now occupied by his son Edwin. 

      Martin LEACH, from Easton, Mass., was a blacksmith and worked at the trade with his brother in Pittsford as early as 1798, and later in Middlebury. In 1808 he came here and occupied the place where the widow of the late Asa NOURSE resides; his shop stood a few rods west of the house. In 1809 he gave up his trade and bought the farm now owned by Moses P. HUMPHREY; he died in 1855. His brother Andrew came here in 1795 and worked for a time in the shop formerly occupied by Elias HOPKINS. In 1805 he purchased what was long known as the LEACH farm, and built a shop near where Thomas TENNIAN's shop now stands; in 1806 he built the house now owned by Edward COTTING; he died in 1852. Rev. Cephas Augustus LEACH, who became a prominent minister in Illinois, a graduate of Middlebury College, was a son of Andrew LEACH.

      Joseph TOTTINGHAM came to Pittsford in 1805 and in the same year purchased a lot in the village. In 1813 he bought a farm of Jonathan KENDALL, of which a part is now owned by German HENDEE. He committed suicide in 1859. His son Joseph located on the same farm and died in 1853. 

      Daniel SHERMAN came here in 1806 and bought the place now owned by his son Henry. He was a wheelwright and worked at his trade most of the time until his death in 1854. His son is also a wheelwright, but has of late years devoted most of his attention to farming.

      Zachariah RAND, a son of Colonel John, who gained distinction in the Revolutionary War, settled in Pittsford in 1809; he located in Sugar Hollow, and died in 1826. His son, Ebenezer Blanchard Rand, located on the home farm.
In 1840 he bought the Ewings tavern and kept a public house until his death in 1851. His son Newton located on the home place. Egbert B. Rand, now a resident of the village, is another son of Ebenezer B. Nathan Hawley settled in Pittsford in 1809, having purchased the Dr. Abiathar MILLARD place; he died in the house now occupied by Miss Achsah LEACH, at the age of eighty years, in 1849.

      Oliver WOLCOTT, a Revolutionary soldier, of Massachusetts, came here in 1810 and leased what is now a part of the town farm; he changed his place of residence several times after that and died in 1845. His son Joseph has spent his life in the town.

      Ezra SPENCER lived here two years from 1811, removed to Pennsylvania, but returned and was one of the volunteers in the Plattsburg defense. In 1815 he again went to Pennsylvania but returned in 1819, bought the Simeon CLIFFORD farm and occupied it until 1843. After that he resided near the marble quarry until 1865, then he removed to Hitchcockville and there died. Consider BOWEN settled in Pittsford in the same year. He was a Revolutionary soldier and after the war worked at his trade as carriage-maker, in Hartford, Conn., for a time, and then removed to Chittenden, and thence to this town. He died in 1834 on the farm a part of which is now owned by Joseph NOYES.

      John HALL, son of John, was a Revolutionary soldier, and came to Pittsford about 1810. He never owned real estate here and removed to Chittenden and thence to Luzerne, N: Y., where he died about 1842. One of his sons was Elias, who was father of Royal HALL, who located in Pittsford in 1840 and lived here until his death. His widow survives him. William E. Hall was the fifth son of Elias and came here in 1856; he had been connected with the Troy and Schenectady railroad as treasurer and superintendent, but gave up his position on account of impaired health. In 1856 he bought what constituted a part of the old WAIT farm and gave his attention largely to farming; he was justice of the peace for some time.

      Jacob SHELDON settled in town and located in the house now occupied by the daughters of Mrs. Elizabeth BOGUE. About 1848 he purchased the place now owned by C. A. HITCHCOCK, where he died in 1851. His son, Jacob Vanhess SHELDON, located in town in 1850; was born in town in 1823; he is a blacksmith and followed it some years. In later years he purchased the Webster Hotel and kept it a number of years, selling it to Lewis F. SCOFIELD; he then removed to Wisconsin.

      Thomas BURDITT, of Lynn, Mass., located here about 1812, settling in the west part of the town; he died in 1860, after improving the farm on which he spent the greater part of his life. His son Jonathan spent his early life on his father's farm and finally bought the farm east of Marshall Thomas, near what was called the "Four Corners." In 1852 he bought what was known as the MOSHER place, and died there in 1868. Bradley BURDITT, another son of Thomas, settled on the farm purchased of Orlin SMITH. In 1862 he removed to the village and lived there until his death. Richard FLOYD and Charles BURDITT, sons of Jonathan, settled on the home farm, where the former died; Charles now occupies the place. Another branch of this family is descended from Asher BURDITT, son of Asher, a Revolutionary soldier. He came to Pittsford in 1815 and settled on the farm now owned by his son, Ransom BURDITT. In 1826 he purchased of Jason HARWOOD thirty-three acres on the east side of the road, also now owned by RANSOM; in the house on this tract he lived until 1846 when he bought the place now occupied by the widow of his son, Franklin BURDITT, and died there in 1855. Ransom was born in 1821, and still resides in the town. In 1864 he bought the Rice farm, where he now lives, as one of the leading farmers of the town. He is an energetic and public-spirited man. His brother, Franklin, also became before his death one of the most thrifty farmers in the town.

      Charles G. BOARDMAN, a descendant of Timothy, located in 1817 on the Abraham DRURY farm, now occupied by Frank B. BARNES. Mr. BOARDMAN kept a public house there in connection with his brother, Samuel W. In 1823 Timothy BOARDMAN deeded to Charles G. the tavern stand and sixteen acres of land, and to Samuel eighty-four acres of the north part of the DRURY farm. Charles G. removed to Rutland in 1837. Samuel W. removed to West Rutland in 1836, and in the next year to Castleton, where he lived until 1860, when he removed to Middlebury. In 1869 he returned to Pittsford and died here in 1870. He was a writer of ability and greatly respected. His son, Charles BOARDMAN, entered Middlebury College with the class of 1850 and died in his sophomore year. His third son was Rev. Samuel Ward BOARDMAN, graduated at Middlebury in 1851 and at Andover Theological Seminary in 1855. After preaching a number of years he resigned his pastorate and was appointed professor of rhetoric, English literature and intellectual philosophy in Middlebury College. This he resigned in 1862 and again entered the ministerial service. Rev. Simeon Gilbert BOARDMAN, the fourth son of Samuel W., graduated from Middlebury in 1855, and became scarcely less distinguished than his brother.

      Junia SARGENT, son of Timothy, who was a Revolutionary soldier, came to Pittsford in 1819 and located where John RICHARDSON now lives. After several changes of residence he removed to Hubbardton, but returned after several years and spent the remainder of his life with his son Leonard. He died in 1869. His son Junia located on the BARLOW farm and later bought the place where he now resides. Leonard SARGENT, before mentioned, became a carriage maker and now lives in the west part of the town, where he carries on that business.

      Henry SIMONDS settled here in 1819. He, with his brothers Josiah and John, bought what was known as the MERRIAM store and traded under the name of J. Simonds & Co. Shortly afterward Josiah sold his interest to his brothers and the firm became Simonds & Co. In 1826 they bought the place now owned by German HENDEE; they had a distillery at one period near the house. In 1834 John sold out to Henry, who continued the mercantile business. Henry died in 1865. John died in Brandon in 1869.

      We have now reached a period in the town history where the record of settlements must be dropped for a time. On the 11th of July, 1811, occurred the great flood. According to Dr. CAVERLY, "Otter Creek rose to an unprecedented height, the waters overflowing the intervale to a vast extent on either side. When at the highest pitch, they washed the door-sills of the house of Stephen MEAD on the west side, and boat! were propelled on the line of the highway from Milton POTTER's to Mr. MEAD's. The bridge near Mrs. COOLEY's, as well as the Walker and Hammond bridges on Otter Creek, were swept away; but the Mead bridge was, by great exertions, saved, though its structure was greatly damaged. When it was perceived that this was seriously endangered, the neighboring inhabitants turned out, and having taken up the planks, piled heavy timbers upon the rails, so that the superincumbent weight was sufficient to resist the force and uplifting power of the water."

      At a special meeting called on the 3d of September, the town “voted to raise two cents on a Dollar on the list of 1811, payable in Grain first of January, 1812, and two cents on a Dollar on the list of 1812, payable in Grain first of January, 1813, to Rebuild and Repair the four large Bridges in sd Town carried off by the late freshet and to defray other expenses. Voted that the Selectmen, with the addition of Adget LATHROP, and Ashbel LEE, be a committee to superintend the Building and Repairing the Bridges aforesaid."

      In the War of 1812 it is known that residents of this town played a conspicuous part; but the loss of records renders it impossible to go very much into detail of the contest as far as relates to this town. The following list of names are of those. who are known to have served in the regular army during that period for longer or shorter terms: John AXTELL, John BARNES, jr., Israel BURDITT, David L, BEEBE, Rufus BUR, Enos BAILEY, jr., John BETTS, Elisha COX, Amherst LEE, John LAMPSON, Samuel MILLER, Bildad ORCUTT, Amasa OWEN, R. M. POWERS, R. M. POWERS, jr., Joab POWERS, Gardner POWERS, Zebulon POND, Nathaniel RAND, William SPENCER, Gideon SHELDON, Lucas THOMAS, Abel WHEELER, Samuel WHEELER, Arden WELLER, Edward WHEELER, Robert WRIGHT, Samuel COOK, John DEAN, Asa DURGEE, Ezra DAY, Justin DARLING, Leonard FARGO, W. D. HITCHCOCK, Samuel P. HAWES, Reuben JACKSON, Graton JACKSON, John H. Lincoln.

      When the northern invasion was made and Plattsburg threatened, Rutland county furnished two hundred and sixty-four men to oppose the advance of the enemy, of whom one hundred and six were from Pittsford. On the 10th of September the men who had assembled in response to the call met in the village and unanimously chose General Caleb HENDEE to command them. After organizing, which occupied the forenoon, the company started for Burlington. Arriving at Vergennes the next day (Sunday), they drew arms from the arsenal for those who were not supplied and continued to Charlotte, which they reached that night. Monday morning they advanced to Burlington, crossed the lake to Plattsburg, but arrived too late to take part in the battle; they soon afterward returned to their homes.

      David HALL, son of David, settled in the town in 1820, and died on the farm which is now in possession of his heirs, in 1860 -- a farm which he brought to a high state of cultivation and made one of the best in town.

      The name of German F. HENDEE has before been mentioned; he was a son General Caleb, and located on the home farm, and in 1839 bought the place which had been improved by Benjamin STEVENS, sr. He died in 1863, and was a prominent and respected citizen. German, Elisha Rich, Edwin II., and Charles J., are sons of his, and all have occupied prominent positions in the community.

      Thomas F. BOGUE, second son of Jeffrey Amherst, who has been mentioned, located in town about 1829, and became a leading citizen. He held various offices and died in 1864. Dan B. BOGUE, now living in town and one of the oldest men, is a brother of Thomas F.

      John COOLEY, son of Captain Caleb, settled on the north slope of the hill and a little later where was situated the "Pocket Furnace," as it was called; he there built the two-story house occupied by Austin HEWITT, and afterward built the house now occupied by his grandson. He carried on the manufacture of iron ware in the furnace for a time, and died in 1856.

      The GRANGER family have been quite conspicuous in the town. Simeon, of Salisbury, Conn., purchased his real estate in Pittsford in 1823, and became the head of the firm of Simeon Granger & Sons, in 18224. In 1826 he removed his family to the town and occupied what was known as the KEITH house. He died in 1834. His son Lyman graduated at Union College and the Litchfield Law School, and began practice with Moses STRONG, of Rutland. He became interested with his father and his younger brother, Chester, in purchasing lands in Pittsford, and in 1823 he and his brother bought the furnace property of Andrew LEACH. He then located at the village and the firm was formed, as before stated. He removed to Granville, N. Y., in 1837 and died in Utica in 1839. After the death of the father, Simeon, the furnace property claimed by the heirs was purchased in 1835 by Chester and his brother, Edward L., and the business continued by the firm of C. & E. L. GRANGER until 1846, when the younger member died, and the property was purchased by George HODGES, and the firm of Granger, Hodges & Co., was formed; the property was later transferred to the Pittsford Iron Company, and Mr. GRANGER went to Pennsylvania and carried on the iron business. He finally returned and died in this town. Edward L. died here in 1846, after a life of great activity and usefulness. His son, Edward Myron, was attending the Military School in Norwich, Vt., when the Rebellion broke out. He enlisted at the age of sixteen and was transferred to the Second New York Cavalry, where he was made orderly sergeant. He was shot on the 19th of September, 1864, while acting as aid to General HATCH.

      Thomas H. PALMER, a native of Scotland, came from Philadelphia, where he had worked at the printing business, to Rutland about 1826, and in 1829 bought the Phineas RIPLEY farm in Pittsford; he occupied for some time the RIPLEY house, now owned by C. A. HITCHCOCK, and in 1832 built the brick house, where he resided until his death in 1861. Mr. PALMER became distinguished throughout the State for his interest and effectual labor for the improvement of the schools. He held the office of town superintendent, and finding the condition of the schools anything but what it should have been, he set; vigorously to work for their improvement. In this work he was eminently successful, and he was soon persuaded to extend his labors and hold educational meetings in other towns. In 1844 he was invited by Governor SLADE to visit Middlebury to explain his views to the college faculty, and it was there determined that the school laws of the State should be remodeled. After this Mr. PALMER canvassed the State in the school interest and started the scheme which resulted in memorializing the Legislature and the passage of the necessary laws. He published a series of books entitled the "Moral Instructor," for the use of readers in the schools. In 1838 he was the successful contestant for a prize of five hundred dollars offered by the American Institute of Instruction for the best essay on a system of education, best adapted to the common schools, etc. In 1854 he published an arithmetic; and this brief enumeration conveys but a faint impression of the great educational labor performed by him in various directions. His sons, James N. and William H. PALMER, lived in this town and were respected citizens.

      Orlin SMITH settled in Pittsford where, in 1835, he purchased the farm now owned by. David HOLDEN; in 1846 he bought the OWEN farm of Asahel WOOLCOTT, and still resides there. His son, Rollin C., lives with his parents and has been honored by his fellow-citizens with numerous political offices and other evidences of their confidence.

      Levi WOOLSON came to Pittsford before 1820 and lived in the family of Thomas BURDITT until he was of age. In 1849 he bought the place where he passed the remainder of his life, and where his widow still resides.

      Eber THOMAS was a settler in Chittenden, where he became the father of fourteen children, twelve of whom were sons. One of these, Augustus, located in the north part of the town, where he passed his life and died. His son now occupies the place.

      Charles Thomas COLBURN became a resident of this town in 1832. He was a descendant of Moses COLBURN, who was born in Massachusetts, and died in Sheffield, N. B., in 1790. Charles Thomas was a blacksmith and settled in Fairhaven, Vt., where he lived until 1832, in the fall of which year he removed to Pittsford. The next year he purchased the property now occupied by his son, judge Charles S. COLBURN. He died April 22, 1878. Charles Shepherd COLBURN is the only son of Charles T. He fitted for college at Burr Seminary and graduated at Middlebury in the class of 1858. He studied law in the Harvard Law School and graduated in 1862, In the fall of that year lie opened an office in Rutland, but soon laid aside his duties to accept an appointment as Clerk in the pay department of the army. In February, 1866, he resumed practice in New York city. In 1877 he came to Pittsford, chiefly on account of his father's affairs, and was elected town clerk the same year, which office he has held since that date. He was probate judge in 1877-78, and senator in 1882-84.

      John STEVENS, son of Simon, a soldier in the French and Indian war, came to Pittsford in 1836; he married a daughter of Asher BURDITT and located in the house now occupied by Asher BURDITT, the younger. In 1837 he purchased of Abel PENFIELD one-third of the grist-mill and privilege, and soon afterward another third; in November, 1838, he acquired the whole property, which he successfully operated. He died in the town. 

      The FENTON family located in town in this year. Samuel T. bought the farm now owned by Jeremiah Leonard; he sold that in 1859 and purchased the largest part of the farm now owned by C. A. HITCHCOCK. He still lives near the village; has held many offices.

      Asa NOURSE came to Pittsford to reside with his brother Josiah in 1819; he taught school for several seasons. In 1824 he purchased an undivided one half of the saw-mill north of the Colburn bridge, and in 1830 he bought of Andrew LEACH some land and buildings just east of Leach's blacksmith shop. In 1835 he purchased the other half of the saw-mill, which had passed to the possession of his brother William. In later years he gave most of his attention to farming. His widow survives him. Several others of this name have been well known citizens of the town.

      Amos HITCHCOCK located in town in 1838 and was a son of Chapman HITCHCOCK; he settled on the farm a part of which is owned by Frank BRESEE, and died in 1852, in the respect of the community. Charles HITCHCOCK is another son of Chapman and was born here in 1822. They located on the paternal homestead, where he still resides, as one of the respected citizens of the town. Elisha Pike HITCHCOCK is a son of Amos, and located on the home farm in this town. He was active during the War of the Rebellion in drilling recruits, for which lie was fitted by education. He kept a store in Middlebury a few years, but returned to Pittsford and gave his attention to farming.

      John M. GOODNOUGH settled here in 1838; he was the youngest son of Willis, son of Timothy. He has occupied a station among the leading citizens and still lives to enjoy it.

      Bishop P. BOOTH located on the farm now owned by his widow in 1840, and died in 1866. Jeffrey A. RANDALL located in 1840 in the village, where he is still engaged as a shoemaker with his son Julius. Seba F. SMITH settled in town in 1840 and two years later bought a part of what was the PARMELEE farm; he is still living. Forbes MANLEY became a resident of this town in 1841. He bought the FENN farm in 1841, which he, in connection with his son Benjamin; improved in the character of its buildings and otherwise.

      Warren CHAFFEE, son of Simeon, located in Pittsford in 1842 on the farm formerly owned by Josiah PARSONS, in the southeasterly part of the town, where he still resides. Robert R. DRAKE, son of Alvan B., born in Castleton, located in the village about 1842, where he engaged in the mercantile business; he died in 1885, and his son now carries on the same line of business and is postmaster.

      Samuel Dana WINSLOW settled here in 1844; he is son of Dr. Kenelm WINSLOW, and was born in the town. His father was one of the early merchants here and in 1841 transferred his business to the son, who continued it until 1852, after which he gave his attention to farming and breeding of fine stock.

      Henry W. MERRILL settled here in 18¢4, coming from West Rutland, where he had carried on mercantile trade. In Pittsford he purchased what is now the academy; he represented the town one year and finally in his later years lived a retired life.

      Marshall J. WOOD bought in 1844 an undivided half of the KINGSLEY place, consisting of the tannery and twenty-five acres of land. He carried on tanning and shoemaking in company with N. S. WARNER. In 1855 he purchased the south part of the DOOLITTLE farm, where he still resides.

      Joseph Holt PEABODY located here in 1845. He is a son of Daniel PEABODY and located on the farm now owned by Frank B. BARNES, where he lived until 1858, when he purchased the place in Hitchcockville where he now lives. He carried on mercantile business a number of years.

      Thomas Denny HALL, son of David, resided some years on the place afterward occupied by his brother Dan K. HALL, at which time his father lived on the John BARNES farm west of Otter Creek. By arrangement, Thomas D. and his brother Norman P. took that farm and their father removed to the place east of the creek. In 1860 he erected his new dwelling on the north pact, his brother having located on the south part.

      William MITCHELL, now deceased, located in 1848 on the farm which his father had lived on; the latter died in September of that year. Mr. Mitchell erected all of the buildings there and enlarged the farm by purchase; his widow now resides on the place.

      Howard LOTHROP, of Easton, Mass., invested while he was a young man in the property known as the Keith furnace, and afterward became the sole owner. In superintending the operation of this establishment he passed about twelve years here, though he kept his former residence. He sold the property to GIBBS & Co. about 1809 and was here but little after that. His son Henry F. came to Pittsford in 1844, to take charge of property belonging to his father. In 1848 he married the daughter of Sturges PENFIELD, and built the homestead where he resided until his death in 1885. His widow survives him. 

      We need not go farther into the feature of settlements in this town, except .to mention a few of those who are still living; Pascal WHITAKER settled here in 1848, and carries on the carriage-making business. James BUCKNAM located here in 1849 and now resides on a farm he purchased in 1858. William B. SHAW, eldest son of William R., came to Pittsford in 1848 and bought the brick store property at Mill Village. Here he carried on a successful mercantile business. Artemas C. POWERS, son of Richard Montgomery, located on the home farm and became one of the prominent citizens of the town and held many offices. Willard HUMPHREY, son of Joseph, moved into Pittsford in 1853 and bought the farm now partly owned by Frank BRESEE; resided there until 1863, when he purchased the place where his son lives; he died a few years since

      Abner T. REYNOLDS bought the LADD farm in 1853, and resided there since; he has been blind a number of years. Daniel P. PEABODY, now sheriff of the county, located here in 1853; he was in business for a few years with his uncle, Joseph Holt PEABODY, but has held the office of sheriff several years. 

      Nathaniel WILLIS bought the Richard HENDEE farm on the west side of the creek, where he now resides, and which he has greatly improved. James T. GORHAM, son of James, purchased about 1855 the place now occupied by, Rollin S. MEACHAM, after trading here about four years, he bought of Robert R. Drake a house and store in the village, and later built a new store; he soon afterward removed to Ludlow, went into the army and died in St. Louis. George N. EAYRES, now and for a number of years superintendent of the House of Correction in Rutland, located in this town in 1855; he still owns real estate here. Rollin S. MEACHAM, a descendant of Isaac MEACHAM, who was born in Williamstown, Mass., and son of Alanson, has resided in this town most of the time since 1859. In 1864 he entered the army as commissary clerk, but returned in 1864 and settled in the village. (See mercantile interests.). Moses P. HUMPHREY, son of Joseph, purchased in 1801 the LEACH farm of Stella HUMPHREY, which she inherited from Ashbel HUMPHREY. Oliver T. BATES settled in the west part of the town in 1862; he is a son of Hiram and now lives on the home farm with his parents. Dr. A. M. CAVERLY (the town historian) located here in the spring of 1863. He was descended from an English family which is traced back to 1389. Later members of the family were conspicuous in the old French and Revolutionary Wars. Dr. CAVERLY was a son of Moses 3d, and born in 1817. He studied with Dr. R. J. P. TENNEY, of Loudon (later. of Pittsfield), and with William W. BROWN, M. D., of Manchester; attended lectures at Dartmouth College and the Philadelphia College of Medicine, which institution afterward conferred on him the degree of M. D. He also attended lectures in the medical department of Harvard College; was elected principal of the South Grammar School in Manchester in 1846; resigned in 1852 and began practice with Dr. BROWN, his former preceptor. In 1853 he located in Troy, N. H., where he practiced until 1863, and then removed to Pittsford, where he resided until his death, his widow survives him and lives in the village. His daughter is the wife of Dr. SWTFT, and he has a son in practice of medicine t in Rutland. Judson J. SMITH settled permanently in the town in 1867, and in 1870 bought of the town the farm first owned by Frederick WICKER, where he still lives. Jacob Franklin BRESEE, son of Jacob, married in 1863 and lived on the home farm with his brother Wallace until the spring of 1863, when he removed to the Amos HITCHCOCK farm, where he still lives. Samuel BUTLER, son of James E., came from Rutland in 1863 and settled in Whipple Hollow, where he has since resided. Willard S. HUMPHREY enlisted in the Second Vermont Regiment and was discharged for disability in the fall of 1862; he settled on the home place and still resides there. 

      While the foregoing extended account may not include all of those who have located in Pittsford, it is believed that it names the greater part of those who have been chiefly instrumental in building up the town. Those who have  been and are connected with the business interests and who have not been referred to, will be mentioned in later pages.

      In addition to what we have already written relative to the growth of the town and its progress in material interests, there is little which calls for attention. The railroad was constructed through the town in 1849 and a train of cars came into the town for the first time on the 19th of October.  The depot was built in 1850, and it appeared necessary to open a road from there across the creek to the north and south road on the west side, and another from the depot to the stage road on the east side of the creek. These roads and the necessary bridge were not then constructed, on account of a determined opposition. In 1853 a new board of selectmen laid out a road from the depot in a northwesterly direction, then across the track and westerly, crossing the creek a little north of the mouth of the Stevens Brook. In June of the same year they laid out another road from the depot in a southwesterly direction to the foot of "Town Hill," so-called. But a large portion of the citizens were not in favor of these roads and applied to the court for an injunction staying further work. The court appointed a committee, consisting of Harvey SHAW, Silas W. HODGES and John BUCKMASTER, to examine into the subject and decide the matter. They went over the different routes and finally decided that the public good would be best served by opening the road first laid out by the selectmen in 1851. The proposed roads of 1853 were discontinued.

      The record of this town in support of the government during the period of the great Southern Rebellion is one of which its inhabitants may always be proud. Dr. CAVERLY wrote on this subject as follows: "The great unanimity with which the people of the town supported every effort to raise troops, pay bounties and aid the families of the soldiers, was as gratifying as it was remarkable. It is believed that the town fully met every obligation imposed upon her; and the ladies, true to their noble instincts, did very much through their Soldiers' Aid Society, for the comfort of the soldiers. The people of the town contributed about two thousand dollars to the Sanitary and Christian Commissions."

      The following list shows the names of the men who enlisted from this town in Vermont organizations, as compiled by the adjutant-general of the State.

      Volunteers for three years credited previous to the call for 300,000 volunteers of October 17th, 1863.-- Thomas ALCHIN, co. G, 5th regt.; Henry H. ALEXANDER, co. C, 7th regt.; Marcus ATWOOD, George N. BADGER, co. C, 10th regt.; Elliott BEAN, co. M, 11th regt.; James BLAIR, co. C, 10th regt.; James W. Blair, co. C, 2d regt.; Elisha C. Blodgett, co. G, 5th regt.; Charles H. Bowers, co. I, 7th regt.; Peter H. BOWLINE, co. G, 5th regt.; William H. BRACKETT, Co. C, 10th regt.; William H. BREED, George BROWN, Co. G, 5th regt.; Willard C. BROWN, Co. E, 2d 9. s. s.; Charles H. BURR, Co. C, 10th regt.; Henry A. BURR, Co. H, cav.; John BUSHEE, Co. G, 5th regt.; James D. BUTLER, Co. B, 9th regt.; Willard A. CHILD, 4th as.; Willard A. CHILD, 10th su.; Dunham CLARK, Co. H, 5th regt.; Sandy COOK, Co. C, 4th regt.; James CONNELL, Co. G, 7th regt.; William CONNELL, Benjamin S. COOLEY, Eugene A. COOLEY, Co. B, 7th regt.; Patrick CORNEY, Co. A, 7th regt.; Thomas Cunningham, Co. C, 10th regt.; Peter DEFORGE, Edward DIN, Co. B, 7th regt.; John W. DIKE, Co. C, 10th regt.; James P. ELMER, Co. H, 5th regt.; James FALLON, Jeremiah FALLON, Co. B, 7th regt.; Loomis C. FAY, Jesse GERARD, Co. B, 9th regt.; David GREENOUGH, Co. H, cav.; John C. HART, Co. F, 1st s. s.; Charles HEMINWAY, Co. C, 5th regt.; David C. HENNISY, Co. G, 7th regt.; Erwin V. M. HITCHCOCK, Co. C, 7th regt.; Edwin S. HUDSON, Co. C, 10th regt.; Willard S. HUMPHREY, George M. JOHNSON, Co. B, 2d regt.; William JOHNSON, Co. B, 2d regt.; Willis F. KEELER, Co. H, 2d s. s.; Milton KEMP, Co. E, 2d s. s.; Curtis KIMBERLY, Co. F, 1st s. s.; Francis LATTERBUSH, 2d bat.; Charles LEONARD, Co. C, 10th regt.; George H. LINCOLN, Michael MALONEY, Co. B, 7th regt.; Henry A. MITCHELL, Co. G, 5th regt.; Willard H. MITCHELL, Co.  I, 7th regt.; Byron D. MORGAN, Co. C, 16th regt.; Charles MYATT, Co. G, 5th regt.; Thomas O'BRIEN, Co. B, 9th regt.; William PEABODY, Co. C, 10th regt.; Edward PELKEY, Jeremiah PELKEY, Co. G, 5th regt.; William PELKEY, Co. B, 7th regt.; William PELKEY, Co. A, 3d regt; Joseph N. PERRY, Co. L, 11th regt.; Edward PHALON, Co. B, 7th regt.; Rollin PHILLIPS, Co. K, 2d regt.; Amos POTTER, Francis A. PREVOST, Co. B, 7th regt.; Julius J. PREVOST, Co. M, 11th regt.; Peter PREVOST, Co. C, 7th regt.; Charles PREVOST, William H. ROWE, Co. G, 5th regt.;Jerome SMITH, 2d bat.; William D. SMITH, Co. E, 2d s. s.; Joseph SOULIA, Co. B, 7th regt.; Charles K. SPENCER, Co. K, cav.; Daniel W. TAFT, Co. G, cav.; Henry TRUMBULL, Co. H, 5th regt.; Nelson VEVER, Co. I, 7th regt.; William S. WALKER, Co. B, 7th regt.; Arnold F. WALLACE, 2d bat.; Nathan N. WESCOTT, Co. E, 10th regt.; Seneca E. WHEELER, Co. 7th regt.

      Credits under call of October 17th 1863, for 300,000 volunteers and subsequent calls. Volunteers for three years. -- Augustus L. BREED, Co. B, 9th regt.; Charles F. CHURCH, Co. C, 11th regt.; Martin DUFFY, Co. I, 17th regt.; Nathan B. DUTTON, Co. C, 11th regt.; Harvey GREEN, Co. C, 10th regt.; Samuel H. GREEN, Co. E, 2d s. s.; Daniel HALEY, James HAMMERSLEY, Co. I, 17th regt.; Darwin JOHNSON, Co. C, 11th regt.; Frank KING, Morris MURPHY, Edward Pelkey, Co. G, 5th regt.; Orville H. PROUTY, Samuel SENICAL, Co. H, 17th regt.; Edmund R. STILES, Co. C, 10th regt.; George H. SWIFT, Co. H, 2d s. s.; Joseph WHITE, Co. C, 10th regt.; John R. WIGHTMAN, Co. G, 17th regt.; Henry E. WOOD, Co. I, 17th regt.

      Volunteers for one year. -- Albert FREDETTE, John FREDETTE, Co. B, 7th regt.; Isaac ROOT, Co. A, 7th regt.; Peter THOMAS, Co. B, 7th regt. 

       Volunteers re-enlisted.   George BROWN, Co. G, 5th regt.; Willard C. BROWN, CO. E, 2d s. s.; John BUSHEY, Co. G, 5th regt.; Benjamin S. COOLEY, Eugene A. COOLEY, Co. B, 7th regt.; Willia F. KEELER, Co. H, 2d s. s.; James MANSFIELD, Co. F, 4th regt.; Charles A. NICHOLS, Francis A. PREVOST, Co. B, 7th regt.; Peter PREVOST, Co. C, 7th regt.; Joseph SOULIA, Co. B, 7th regt.; Charles K. SPENCER, Co. K. cav.; Nelson VEVER, Co. I, 7th regt.

      Naval credits. -- Joseph C. BLAIN, Lyman C. GRANGER.

      Veteran Reserve Corps. -- Henry A. BURR.

      Not credited by name, three men.

      Volunteers for nine months. -- Stephen A. ALLEN, George BARNARD, Albert BASSETT, Alexander BEAN, Cornelius BRADLEY, Thomas CLARK, Henry S. DIKE, Robert ELLIOTT, Co. G, 12th regt.; Edward F. FARMER, Albert W. FLETCHER, Co. H, 14th regt.; John FREDETTE, Daniel S. GOULD, Hannibal L. GOULD, Co. K, 12th regt.; Isaac GATES, Co. H, 14th regt.; George GRANGER, Dan R. HALL, Caleb R. HENDEE, Charles HUDSON, Rufus C. JONES, Alvin S. KEMP, Milton V. KEMP, John KEOUGH, George H. MORSMAN, William H. MORSMAN, William H. PALMER, Chig PORO, Felis PORO, Jock PORO, Amos J. POWERS, Dennis SMITH, Ithiel B. WORDEN, Co. G, 12th regt.

      Furnished under draft and paid commutation. -- Wallace E. BRESSEE, Charles BURDETT, John CHAMBERLIN, James F. FISK, William S. GRANGER, Charles J. HENDEE, Isaac M. LEONARD, Luther LEONARD, John RICHARDSON, George R. SHAW, M. C. SPAULDING, W. H. H. STEVENS, Chester G. THOMAS, Amos D. TIFFANY.

      Procured substitute. -- William W. GATES, Sardius MANLY.

      Entered service. -- Joseph C. BLAIR, 2d regt, George F. DODGE, Co. C, 6th regt.; Nelson B. RUGG, Co. I, 3d regt.

      The population of the town has fluctuated less than in most other towns of the county. The following figures reveal the number of inhabitants at the different dates given: 1791, 850; 1800, 1,413; 1810, 1,936; 1820, 1,916; 1830, 2,005; 1840, 1,927; 1850, 2,026; 1860, 1,839; 1870, 2,127; 1880, 1,983.

      The present officers of the town are as follows: Town clerk and treasurer Charles S. COLBURN; selectmen, T. J. KETCHUM, E. R. HENDEE, E. C. GIDDINGS; constable and collector, W. T. DENISON; listers, H. G. PEABODY, Junia SARGENT, E. D. HINDS; town agent, R. S. MEACHAM.

      For several years after the first settlement of this town, the inhabitants were so few and scattered that no effort was made to establish a Church. Several of the early settlers went to Rutland to worship, the names of Ebenezer HOPKINS, sr., and Samuel CRIPPEN appearing among the organizers of the first church at that place. On the 14th of April, 1784, the Congregationalists organized the first church in the town, with fifteen members as follows: Thankful DRURY, Tryphena HOPKINS, Abigail MORSE, Molly FASSETT, Sarah ADAMS, Nehemiah HOPKINS, Simeon TUPPER, Joshua MORSE, Elisha ADAMS, Eleazer HARWOOD, Ebenezer DRURY, Ebenezer HOPKINS, Elias Hall, Jonathan WARNER, Jonathan FASSETT. Deacon Eleazer Harwood conducted services by reading sermons and otherwise for about two years, when he felt impelled to devote himself to the ministry, which he did, and served the church most acceptably until near his death in 1807. Rev. Holland WEEKS was the next pastor and was installed in December of the same year. The succeeding pastors of the church have been Revs. Asa MESSER, John INGERSOLL, 1823; Willard CHILD, 1826; A. G. PEASE, 1842; Charles WALKER, 1846; Myron A. MUNSON, 1865; Russell T. HALL, 1780. Rev. C. C. MCINTIRE is the present pastor of the church, which has a membership of 218. The deacons of the church are Simeon GILBERT, Simeon PARMELEE, Moses P. HUMPHREY, Charles L. PENFIELD, Thomas D. HALL, Amos D. TIFFANY. The Congregational society was organized in 1827. The present church edifice was begun in 1835 and dedicated July 18, 1837. In 1879-80 a commodious lecture room was built and a fine organ put in the church, at an outlay of $4,500.

      The Baptist Church was organized December 2, 1784. The record is as follows: "On December 2, 1784, a number of the Baptists met at the house of Moses OLMSTEAD to inquire into the state of each other's mind in a spiritual sense considered; likewise to know each other's thoughts concerning coming into church order, and so have the privilege of watching over each other.

   "Consequently Elisha RICH, Caleb HENDEE, Abel STEVENS, Moses OLMSTEAD, Mary STEVENS and Esther ROWLEY made declaration of their faith in Christ, and came into covenant relation to watch over each other as God's word directs. Then agreed to have Elder RICH serve us at present as a preacher. Agreed to take the Scriptures as the only rule of faith and practice as well as government and discipline."

      On the 3d of January, 1785, the church met at the house of Moses OLMSTEAD, stead, and William SUTHERLAND, Colburn PRESTON and Joseph ROWLEY were received into fellowship. Others were soon added. Elder Elisha RICH was the first pastor, beginning in 1785, and during his ministry, nearly one hundred were added to the church. In January, 1808, the church, after having settled some serious dissentions which had arisen in it, voted to request Elder William HARRINGTON to come and improve his ministerial gifts at this place. He came and continued until 1817. Soon after 1819 the church became so weakened by deaths, removals, etc., that it became difficult to sustain preaching and in October, 1824, it disbanded. The present church was organized in 1841, Rev. L. B. STEELE is the present pastor. The deacons are Allen MILLS and William WARD. Sunday-school superintendent, Clarence SARGENT. The church building erected in 1802 became very much impaired during the period when the church was disbanded; but after the reorganizing it was remodeled and improved into substantially its present shape. 

      The first preaching by a Methodist in this town was in 1798-99. by Rev. Joseph MITCHELL, and as a result of his labors the society was organized in 1799, under the labors of Elder MCLAIN. The class at first consisted of only four members -- Israel LAKE, Mrs. Colonel COOLEY, her daughter Mary, and a fourth whose name is not known. The early meetings were held at Colonel Cooley's house. The church building was erected in 1816, and at the present time the Rev. Marcus M. Curry preaches one sermon here every Sabbath. The membership is about 175. Following are the names of the stewards: A. A. HEWITT, F. W. ALEXANDER, J. C. HOWE, Charles A. HITCHCOCK, G. A. TARBLE, Charles HITCHCOCK, James E. LEONARD, J. H. PEABODY, Henry WALKER, B. W. INGALLS, S. K. BURBANK. The Sunday-school superintendent is Charles HITCHCOCK.

      The East Pittsford Methodist Church, which is situated just over the line in Chittenden, was organized in 1851, by Aruna LYON, the first pastor. During the same year a small church was built. The society is not large and a pastor is sent there from other churches.

      St. Alphonso's Catholic Church, located at the Mills, was organized by their first pastor, Rev. Charles BOYLAN, in 1870, and the church was erected soon afterward. Rev. J. M. GELOT, of Rutland, now serves the church, which is in a prosperous condition. A society is also in existence at Sutherland's Falls, of which Father MCLAUGHLIN, of Brandon, has the charge.

      The hamlet, or village, of Pittsford, dating from the ,from the early establishment of mills and the other necessary shops for the accommodation of the inhabitants, is nearly as old as the town itself. Allusion has been made in our account of the early settlements to most of the early interests of a business or manufacturing character, in connection with the men who established them. The post-office was established at Pittsford in January, 1808, with Oliver KEITH as postmaster. Since then the following have served in the office: Joshua BROOKS, October, 1808; Ozem STRONG, October 1, 1809; John BARNES, jr., January 18, 1815; Thomas Tiffany, February 20, 1819; Asher SOUTHWORTH, November 22, 1821; Isaac HAYDEN, January 2, 1823; German F. HENDEE, June 21, 1824; Whipple SPOONER, January 6, 1827; Eli BROWN, Elijah BROWN, jr., March 4., 1828; Addison BUCK, May 19, 1837; Samuel D. WINSLOW, May 28, 1841; Sidney P. GRISWOLD, September 25, 1845; Samuel D. WINSLOW, May 4, 1849; Robert R. DRAKE, May 20, 1853; Henry SIMONDS, April 13, 1861; George H. SIMONDS, December 6, 1865; Dan K. HALL, January 10, 1870; L. F. SCOFIELD, July 1, 1872. Frank C. DENNISON and the present official, R. H. DRAKE, recently appointed.

      The first merchant in the town is supposed to have been Augustine HIBBARD, his store being kept in the east room of the house built by Nathan WEBSTER on the site of the present Otter Creek House. Many of the other early merchants we have alluded to. In 1819 J. SIMONDS & Co. bought what was known as the MERRIAM store and business was continued there by some member of the family until 1870, the last one being George H. SIMONDS. He was followed by P. BRISTOL & Co., who were succeeded by the DENISON Brothers (W. T. and F. C. Denison) in 1878. They are in business there at the present time. Addison BUCK purchased the place now owned by Mrs. John STEVENS in 1827, built a store and began trade; his store was burned in the next winter and he rebuilt on the site and continued business until 1853. C. A. HITCHCOCK began trade here in 1876 and two years later took as a partner S. K. BURBANK, and they are now in business. Dr. WINSLOW's mercantile business has been alluded to. In 1838 Seneca D. TOWNSEND and Ira BUTTON  built the store afterward occupied by Lyman ROCKWOOD, Thomas F. PALMER, James T. GORHAM, Marcus C. BOGUE and Rollin S. MEACHAM. This store burned in 1879 and Mr. MEACHAM resumed trade in the old PENFIELD store, the first one at the mills, which has been described, and is one of the most successful residents of the town. George A. EAYRES began trade in 1880 in the brick store built in 1849 by William F. MANLEY and German HAMMOND; others also occupied the store at different periods. Mr. EAYRES also carries on in addition to his store, a saw-mill, planing-mill, makes cider-presses, shingles, etc., in a large factory built by him in 1883. In 1842 Robert R. DRAKE opened store in town and in 1861 bought the present store occupied by his son, which had been erected the preceding year by James T. GORHAM. Mr. DRAKE continued in trade until 1871, when he was succeeded by DENISON & RICE, who were followed by the DENISON Brothers, before mentioned. After they removed to their present location Mr. DRAKE again took the store and carried on business until his death in May, 1885. His son succeeds to the business and is postmaster. Joseph PEABODY opened a store in Hitchcockville in 1858, which, he still continues. He also manufactures moccasins, mittens and gloves for shipment, in which he does a large business.

      Saw and grist-mills are the first necessity of pioneers in the way of manufactures, and it was one of the first acts of the settlers in Pittsford to secure a grist-mill. At a proprietors' meeting September 3, 1771, was " voted to give Samuel CRIPPEN fifty acres of land upon his getting a mill first, to grind by the first of December next." It appears that he did fulfill this requirement, as the proprietors, at a meeting in April, 1772, voted to give him until the following September to build the mill," upon the condition that he builds a good mill." Prior to the fall of 1772 the nearest were at Bennington and Charlestown, some sixty miles distant. Mr. CRIPPEN doubtless completed his mill in the fall of 1772, and in December of that the proprietors voted to give him the land, "upon condition that he keeps grill-mill in good repair ten years from this time fit for grinding." This stood on "Mill Brook," or "Sucker Brook" about where William C. COTTING's turning-shop afterwards stood.

      The proprietors afterwards voted lands to Roger STEVENS, jr., and to Felix POWELL for encouragement in building saw and grist-mills. POWELL did not build his saw-mill, and the privilege was voted to Jonathan FASSETT. There have been in all six grist-mills and numerous saw-mills built in this town, to which more or less allusion has already been made. The fourth one was built in 1795, by Nehemiah HOPKINS, on the east branch on about the site afterwards occupied by the John STEVENS mill; it has been mentioned as passing into the possession of John PENFIELD. The John STEVENS mill was bought of him by Franklin BURDITT, and passed into possession of Asher BURDITT, who now runs it.

      The first fulling-mill and cloth-dressing factory was built by Noel William AVERY in 1796; it stood on Ripley BROOK a little above its entrance into East Branch. This is the factory we have described as having been sold in 1797 to Chester POWERS and by him to Jirah BARLOW; he continued the business until 1826. About 1811 Captain Caleb COOLEY built a similar establishment on Ripley Brook. His son-in-law, Justin DARLING, had the management of these works for some years. Daniel SHERMAN bought the factory in 1823 and continued business until 1852, when it was abandoned. In October, 1812, the Pittsford Manufacturing Company was organized by Stephen AVERY, John PENFIELD, Sturges PENFIELD, Allen PENFIELD, Thomas HAMMOND, Caleb HENDEE, jr., and bothers, for the establishment of a manufactory of woolen cloths. The company carried on the business until 1820, WHEN HENDEE, AVERY, HAMMOND and John PENFIELD retired and STURGES, ALLEN AND Abel PENFIELD continued. Finally, in 1827 Sturges PENFIELD became the sole owner and continued the business until 1860, when he retired and John STEVENS purchased the factory property and converted it to other uses. About 1822 clothier's works were built on East Creek, in the southeasterly part of the town (East Pittsford). They, changed hands several times and were abandoned after a few years' operation. 

      The first tannery in town was that built by Nathaniel KINGSLEY near the school-house site in district number 2; he was also a shoemaker, the two trades being often associated in early times. After Mr. KINGSLEY's death his son Joshua carried on the business until about 1835, when it passed to possession of Samuel WARNER & Son. The last owner was Abraham BUTTERFIELD, but soon gave up the business and the tannery went to ruin. Isaac and Kendrick BRESEE began tanning in 1804, continuing until 1820, when KENDRICK removed from town. The brother continued the business until 1852, when he removed away and the work was abandoned. Frederick FREEMAN continued a tanning and currying works about 1805, which passed through hands to Joseph TOTTINGHAM in 1812; they were soon afterward abandoned.

      The iron furnace, which for many years constituted one of the most important industries of the town, has been sufficiently described in foregoing pages.

      The stock company called the Pittsford Iron Company, which succeeded GRANGER, HODGES & Co., did a large business for a few years; but owing to competition in more favored localities, the profits were small and the business was suspended. In 1865 a new company took the works, repaired the furnace and again began operations, but the business was not sufficiently remunerative to warrant its continuance.

      Two iron foundries have existed in town, the first having been built in 1827 by Cyrus GIBBS and John COOLEY, near the mouth of Ripley Brook; it was connected with a trip-hammer shop which had been previously occupied by Amos CRIPPEN, and which has been alluded to as the "Pocket furnace." The other foundry was built in 1829 by Simeon GRANGER & Sons, near the blast furnace. This was where the manufacture of stoves, etc. was carried on, as before described.

      Three distilleries have been operated in this town, all of which were long ago abandoned. The first was that built in 1811 by George WILSON and William HOUSE. After several changes of ownership it was bought by John and t Henry SIMONDS and for a number of years did a large business in making whisky. The second one was built by Allen PENFIELD in 1819; this stood on the East Branch a little south of the residence of Sturges PENFIELD ; the building was finally converted into a dwelling by Sturges PENFIELD. The third one was built by Robert WRIGHT in 1820 and stood on the west side of the creek; Mr. WRIGHT ran it several years when it was abandoned.

      It is probable that the first marble quarrying in this county was done in the town of Pittsford, before the beginning of the present century ; since that early date the industry has possessed considerable importance, as it does today. In 1795 Jeremiah SHELDON opened a quarry in this town, and four years later Eli HUDSON opened one a few rods north of the "Pittsford Quarry Company's" opening. The third quarry in the town, as it was also the third in the county, was opened by Charles LAMB about the year 1806. The Pittsford Quarry Company was incorporated in October, 1865, by William Fox RICHARDSON, Francis GARDENER N. H. HAND, Thomas A. DEXTER, H. L. HAZELTON, George W. MESSENGER and R. S. WADE. The company built a mill and operated a few years, until about 1872 or 1873 and suspended. The property is now owned by F. W. SMITH & Co.

      The Central Vermont Marble Company's quarry was opened by H. F. LOTHROP, German HENDEE, La Fayette HENDEE and Oliver AMES in 1869. They operated about a year and leased the property to George HALL, who organized the above company in 1870. The company worked it about three years; but it is at present idle, although measures are soon to be taken to resume the, business.

      The Florence & Wakefield Marble Company are successors to the Black & White Marble Company; the latter succeeded the Wheaton Marble Company which worked a quarry in this town from 1870 to 1873. It was then idle until 1882 and after that year until 1884. In the present year (1885) it has passed to the possession of the Florence & Wakefield Marble Company, recently organized.

      F.W. SMITH & Co. have been for several years interested in the marble industry in this town. They have a valuable quarry in the western part of the town, about three-quarters of a mile from the Central Vermont Railroad, with which it is connected by a switch. The first year of this quarry was 1880, and the product has since that time been large. In 1883 the North Pittsford Marble Company was formed, in which Mr. SMITH is a leading spirit. This company opened its quarry and worked it until quite recently; but it is at present idle.

      The other manufacturing interests of this town are at the present time of a minor character. J. C. LEONARD carries on carriage-making, in which he has been engaged in the town since 1852, when he worked for WHITAKER & FISH; he began for himself in 1854. F. WHITAKER is engaged in carriage-making, also. 

      In the old sash and blind factory of Charles T. COLBURN is a wagon repairing and manufacturing shop now carried on by N. S. WILLIAMS & Son, who succeeded WILLIAMS & HATHAWAY. Martin SMITH and Edward RANDALL began the manufacture of butter tubs in town quite recently, in which business Mr. SMITH has been interested several years. Leonard SARGENT & Sons carry on wagon-making in Whipple Hollow.

      Caleb HENDEE, jr., taught school in Pittsford as early as 1786-87, and was the first teacher in the town as far as there is an existing account. In March, 1781, the town voted to appoint a committee to divide the town into school districts; the committee were Amasa LADD, Thomas HAMMOND, Amos Kellogg, David GITCHELL, John BARNES, John HITCHCOCK and James EWINGS. The division was made and the town laid out into six districts. In three of these school-houses were built within a short time, and others followed later. “Almost innumerable changes and subdivisions have been made since, which need not be followed here. The town now comprises fourteen districts and the schools are liberally maintained.

      In 1882 the Pittsford School Association was organized and chartered. Its object was the establishment and maintenance of a high school, or academy, in the town. This school was first opened in March, 1882, and before the charter was secured, the sessions being held in district school-house No. 3; E. P. HITCHCOCK and his wife were at the head of it. In September, 1882, tile school occupied its present location in a building which had been a private residence, and the building was subsequently bought. In December, 1885, the school was placed under the direction of Mrs. Professor COMMETTE, a teacher of ability, and experience.

      There are four cemeteries in this town, the first of which was laid out in 1785, near the Baptist meeting-house. There was a burial ground at an early day on the west side of the creek, on lands formerly owned by James Hopkins, which were given to the town by him for that purpose. This has been transformed into farming lands and passed to private ownership. The third burial ground was laid out in 1793, when the town "voted to lay out a burying place northeast of the meeting-house plot, on the town plot."  This ground was laid out by a committee and in 1794 the town instructed the selectmen to fence the ground. The first headstone put up here was in memory of Sally HAMMOND, daughter of Captain Thomas HAMMOND, and Mrs. Hannah, his wife. In March, 1857, an association comprising a large number of the citizens of the town was formed and given the name of the Cemetery Association. The hill lot a little east of the village, containing six acres, was purchased and in the following autumn the association was incorporated by the General Assembly under the title of the Pittsford Cemetery Association. This ground has since been beautifully laid out in walks, drives and lots, trees and shrubbery planted, fences built, and made into a spot around which the tenderest memories may willingly center, as the resting place of the beloved dead.

      In the latter part of 1865, the Catholics of the town purchased two acres of land between the village and the mills, which has been fenced and greatly improved for a burial ground.

      In the spring of 1788 Dr. Abiathar MILLARD, from Rehoboth, Mass., settled in Pittsford, relieving the inhabitants of the town from the necessity of sending a long distance when sickness entered their households.  Dr. MILLARD removed from the town about the year 1808. Dr. Alexander EWINGS settled here about 1792 and remained until 1805 when he removed to Canada. Dr. William FRISBIE came here from Middletown about the year 1803, and removed to Ontario county, N. Y., about 1820. He was eminent in his profession and an honorable and upright citizen. Dr. Kenelm WINSLOW, who has already been mentioned, located here about 1811 and died in 1861, after a professional and private life of great usefulness. Dr. Freeman H. MOTT settled in Pittsford in 1819, but removed to Ohio in a few years. Dr. Aaron BAKER, a native of Rutland, came to Pittsford in 1819 and bought the house which had been built by Gordon NEWELL in the village; he was a man of superior qualities and died here in 1825. Dr. Peleg C. BARLOW, graduated at Castleton in 1822, practiced here most of the time until 1838, when he removed to Illinois. Dr. Anderson G. DANA studied his profession with his brother-in-law, Dr. Kenelm WINSLOW, with Dr. Selah GRIDLEY, of Castleton, and Dr. Joel GREEN, of Brandon; graduated from the Philadelphia Medical College; came to Pittsford in 1824. In 1843 he removed to Brandon, where he died in 1861. (See history of Brandon.) Dr. George B. ARMINGTON located in Pittsford in 1831 and practiced until his death in May, 1863. He was a well educated physician and had a large practice. Dr. James S. SWINGS practiced here next and removed to Wisconsin in 1847. Dr. George PAGE graduated from Middlebury College in 1840 and soon afterward located here. In 1851 he removed to Crown Point. Dr. Ebenezer H. DRURY graduated at the Castleton Medical College in 1842 and began practice here in 1343, where he continued until 1863, since which he has retired, with little exception. He is one of the oldest men in the profession in Rutland county. Dr. Edson GIBBS located here about 1855 and practiced until 1864, when he removed to Brandon. Dr. A. M. CAVERLY has already been alluded to in connection with other members of the family. He located here in the spring of 1863 and continued in practice until near the time of his death. He was a thoroughly educated man both in and out of his profession. Dr. Thomas J. KETCHAM began practice here in 1868 and still continues it.  He was born in Sudbury in 1822; graduated at Castleton College in 1847, practiced in Sudbury until 1849, when he spent three years in California ; he then practiced one year in Sudbury and two in Brandon, coming here afterward. 

      Dr. Henry H. SWIFT was born in Hadley Mass., in 1854; studied medicine at the University of Vermont and graduated in 1880. He came directly to Pittsford and has remained here since. Dr. CAVERLY was his preceptor.

      Dr. Charles Orson BRIGHAM was born in Ogdensburg, N. Y., in 1848. He studied medicine at the University of Vermont and is now practicing under a license; will graduate the coming year.

      Dr. C. A. FLANDERS (homeopathist) was born in Chelsea, in 1847; studied his profession in Waterbury and attended lectures at the Hahnemann College  in Philadelphia; he practiced one year in Richmond, Vt., one year in Underhill Vt., and six years in Cornwall; for the past six years he has practiced in Pittsford.

      There have been comparatively few lawyers in Pittsford. The first was Nathan B. GRAHAM, brother of John A., of whom notice has been sufficiently made in the chapter on the bar of the county; he removed to Rutland in 1796. Gordon NEWELL began practice here in 1804, having been admitted to the bar in 1801. He represented the town in 1818-19 and was assistant judge of the county court in 1847-48; died in 1865. Ebenezer N. BRIGGS located here in 1823 and two years later removed to Salisbury and thence in 1839 to Brandon. (See history of that town.) Lyman GRANGER began practice here in 1824, but two years later gave up the profession for other business. John PIERPOINT began practice here in 1827, in which year he was admitted to the bar. About three years later he removed to Vergennes and became chief justice of the Supreme Court of Vermont; he died recently. John G. NEWELL, eldest son of Gordon, practiced here from about 1831, in which year he was admitted, until his health forced him to cease; he resides in Boston. James R. NEWELL, his younger brother, practiced in company with his father from 1832, but gave it up in a few years. Charles S. COLBURN, of whom we have given a brief sketch, is now the only practicing attorney in the town.
 
 

History of Rutland County Vermont with Illustrations and 
Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers
Edited by H. Y. Smith & W. S. Rann, Syracuse, N. Y.
D. Mason & Co., Publishers  1886
Chapter XXXV.
History Of The Town Of Pittsford
(pages  726-766)

Transcribed by Karima, 2002
 
 

Childs' History of the Town of Pittsford, Rutland County, VT., 1881-82

Childs' Business Directory of the Town of Pittsford, Rutland County, VT., 1881-82

The Divided Loyalties of the Stevens Family  During the Revolution

More on Divided Loyalties - Benjamin Stevens

Pittsford Historical Society