Parker's Gore was a tract of land bought of the county by Jonathan PARKER, of Rutland, in 1804. This tract was to have been sold to the highest bidder by the high sheriff of the county, which office was then held by Abraham IVES, of Wallingford. On the day advertised for the sale to take place, IVES opened the sale at 12 o'clock at night, in the interest of certain Rutland men. PARKER therefore bought the land at a nominal value, making the sale of advantage to said sheriff. For this crookedness IVES was obliged to resign his office and leave the state to evade prosecution. The township retained the name of Parkerstown until November 6th, 1827, when it was changed to the present one of Mendon. 

      The town was organized March 11, 1806, and the first town meeting held on this day at the residence of Johnson RICHARDSON, the first justice of the peace. At this meeting Darius SHIPMAN was chosen moderator; John PAGE, town clerk, and Benjamin FARMER, Johnson RICHARDSON and Daniel BRADISH, selectmen. The selectmen were also appointed a committee to receive a deed of Jonathan PARKER for a certain mill-privilege for the use of the town. 

      Mendon lies mostly on the Green Mountains, and the surface is very broken and uneven. Much of the land is high and cold, being unfit for settlement or cultivation.  There is some good farming-land, however, especially along its western border, and much good grazing land. Sheep-growing is carried on quite extensively, but as large portions of the town are covered by heavy forests, lumbering forms the principal industry of the people. The town is watered by numerous mountain streams, abounding in trout and affording good mill-sites, of which East Creek, flowing a westerly course through the northern part of the town, is the largest. 

      In 1880 Mendon had a population of 629, was divided into seven school districts and had six common schools, employing ten female teachers, at an aggregate salary of  $603.88. The number of pupils attending common schools was 150, and the total cost of the schools for the year ending October 31st. was $689.18. Dr. Orel COOK was school superintendent. 

      Mendon, (p. o.) a hamlet located in the north-western part of the town, is the only settlement. It contains one store, one blacksmith shop, one sawmill, one church (M. E.), and about one hundred inhabitants. 

      E. H. RIPLEY's saw-mill, located at Mendon, was built in 1853, by William Y. RIPLEY. It cuts about 2,000 feet of lumber per day. 

      Orel COOK's saw-mill, on East Creek, was rebuilt by him in 1871. It has a capacity of about 5,000 feet of lumber per day. 

      Darius COUTT's saw-mill, located on East Creek, was built about the year 1836. It has since been rebuilt and a circular-saw added, and now has a capacity of about 4,000 feet of lumber per day. 

      Of  the first settlers of Mendon but little is known, although many grandchildren of the early settlers still reside in the town. In 1811 Mendon had only eleven voters. The first birth recorded in the town was Trowbridge Maynard RICHARDSON, son of Johnson and Sibel RICHARDSON, born November 17, 1800, and died May 6, 1803. The first marriage recorded was that of Simon PARKER and Lucy PERKINS, by Johnson RICHARDSON, justice of the peace, January 2, 1810. Johnson RICHARDSON was also the first representative, elected in 1812. 

      Jonathan Eggleston, from Pequomick, Conn., Johnson RICHARDSON and some of the first town officers, with their families, were the first settlers of the town. Eggleston settled in the north-west part of the town about the year 1792, and many of his descendants still reside there. The first tavern was kept by Johnson RICHARDSON, in the northern part of the town, near East Creek. The building has long since gone to decay, and in the middle of what was once the cellar, there is growing a tree about two feet in diameter. 

      The Indian “Capt. John" was quite a character in the town, being the only Indian, so far as known, ever living within its limits. He belonged to some tribe in the western part of New York, from whom he had to flee for exposing some of their plans to the whites. 

      It seems they had planned the massacre of a white settlement near their village, and John, being friendly, warned the whites of their danger. They accordingly were prepared, and repelled the Indians when they made the attack. For this act John was obliged to flee from his people to the whites; they, however, mistrusted him, and as a punishment slit both his ears. He subsequently joined the American army, where he acted as a scout, and was afterward pensioned by the Government for his services. After leaving the army, not daring to be seen by his people, he fled to the wilds of Parkerstown, and built a camp not far from Johnson RICHARDSON's, dwelling here and in the surrounding towns for many years. Indians from his tribe often came here in search of him, but the whites would secrete him until they left. On one occasion John was cornered by three Indians, when he promptly shot two of them and wounded the third. After this he was molested no more.  John lived to be very old, none knew his age, but was supposed to be about ninety when he died. 

      In May, 1871, a large fire occurred in the part of Mendon called the "Notch," by which a saw-mill, two barns and seven dwellings were burned, with the goods and household stuff they contained. Several famines were left destitute. The loss was estimated at about  $20,000.00. 

      Zidon EDSON from Grafton. Vt., was one of the early settlers of Parkerstown. He built the fist mill in town, in 1810, which was destroyed by a freshet in 1811. 

      James K. PEARSON came to Mendon from Rutland in 1835. He was a prominent man and held several town offices. He died in March, 1853. 

      Cyrus EDSON from Bridgewater, Mass., moved to Parkerstown in 1825, where he lived until his death, at the advanced age of 85. 

      William SHEDD was one of the early settlers of Rutland, and subsequently removed to Mendon, in 1846, where he resided until his death, April 26, 1873. His son, Henry, born June 5, 1841, came to Mendon with his father and has resided in the town ever since; he represented the town in the General Assembly in 1880, and has been selectman a number of years. 

      Daniel GLEASON, with his son Abel, came to Rutland from Keene, N. H., about the year 1800. Henry, son of Abel, is now a resident of Mendon. 

      Dr. Orel COOK was born in Rutland in 1813, and located in Mendon in 1870. Dr. COOK was graduated at Dartmouth College. During the war he was acting surgeon of the hospital at Louisville, Ky. He has held various offices in the town, and was a member of Assembly from Mendon in 1872 and '74, and is now State Senator. 

      The following is a list of the town clerks since the organization of the town: John PAGE, 1806; Johnson RICHARDSON, 1808: John PAGE, 1809; Philip PERKINS, 1810; Zidon EDSON, 1811; John SHAW, 1812; Wm. SABIN, 1813; Elisha EASTERBROOKS, 1817; Nathan FISHER, 1823; Draper RUGGLES, 1833; Edward MUSSEY, 1834; Ira SEWARD, 1835; Edward MUSSEY, 1836; Zidon EDSON, 1840; James K. PEARSON, 1841, Ebon C. FRENCH, 1850; James K. PEARSON, 1852; J. R. Royce PEARSON, 1863; Alpheus S. SNOW, 1855; James W. KIMBALL, 1857; James E. SEWARD, 1859; Newton SQUIRES, 1860. Mr. SQUIRES still holds the office, 1881. 

      While Johnson RICHARDSON was keeping the public house at Mendon, it was necessary for Mrs. RICHARDSON to keep a servant. On one occasion this servant happened to be a bright, smart lass, by the name of Lydia FALES. Mrs. RICHARDSON's son, Rufus, had an eye for beauty, and consequently paid numerous little attentions to the pretty Lydia, and as a natural consequence, they soon became very much in love with each other.  Both were "workers," and quite economical, and neither liked to spare time to go to Rutland to get married, that being the nearest place they could get any one to perform the ceremony. Thus affairs stood, until one day Esq. WILLIAMS of Rutland, while on his way to Woodstock, stopped at RICHARDSON's to bait his horse. Lydia was washing that day, and had finished all but mopping the floor. She was right in the midst of this healthful exercise, when Rufus came rushing in and informed her a justice of the peace was in the house, and they could be married immediately. This Lydia agreed to, providing she could have the ceremony performed just as she was, without having to stop to change her dress. This was agreed to, and she dropped her mop, the Squire came and performed the ceremony, after which she resumed her work. She made him a good wife, was a good neighbor, and a kind mother to a large family of children. Rufus became one of the first businessmen of the town, and was considered so as long as he lived. 

      During the late war of 1861 and '65, Mendon furnished, in number, for soldiers, more than half the number of legal voters in the town, paid $13,000 bounty money, and $2,400 commutation money. She also furnished two men over the quota required of her. Quite a number of men belonging to Mendon, enlisted in and went for other towns. 

      The Methodist Episcopal Church of Mendon, located at Mendon village, was organized by the Union Society, July 28, 1859, with Elder SPENCER as pastor. At its  organization it had but twenty members, the membership having since increased to  forty, with John S. MOTT for their present pastor. The building was erected in 1860, will comfortably seat about 300 persons, and cost $1,000. The value of the church property is at present estimated at about $1,200. 

Gazetteer and Business Directory of  Rutland  County, VT.;
1881-82, Compiled and Published by Hamilton Child;
Syracuse, N.Y.; Printed at the Journal Office
August 1881, Part Two, Pages 148 - 151.

Transcribed by Karima Allison 2004