Vermont AHGP

Part of the American History and Genealogy Project

Men of Waitsfield, Vermont

The following are the names of men well known in the State who were born and raised up in Waitsfield:

Jennison Jones, Esq., was born in Claremont, New Hampshire, January 1, 1777, and removed in early life to Waitsfield, where he resided until his death. He enjoyed only the common school advantages of those days, but was one of those "self-made men" for which this country has been noted. As a young man he was a very successful teacher. He filled nearly every town office with perfect acceptance when in the prime of life, represented the town in 1827-28, and was especially interested in the history of the town, and accurate in dates and figures. This sketch of Waitsfield (as will be seen from the introductory note), has been prepared with ease by reason of his labors and writings. He married, Dec. 26, 1802, Miss Philany Holmes, and reared a large family. He died December 22, 1852, at the age of 75.

Ithamer Smith, Esq., was born in Shelburne, Mass., June 6, 1787, and came with his parents to Waitsfield in 1893. Allusion to his talents and a specimen of his poetry appears elsewhere in these pages. He was a leading anti-slavery man, and his experience was that of too many who so early espoused the cause of justice and humanity. Good men did not see as he saw, and were tardy to come up to his ground, and designing men scorned him and his cause, which made him sometimes almost bitter against them all. He removed to New York State in 1856, and died at the residence of his daughter, in Feb. 1862.

Among his children (who all obtained at least an average education), we notice Chauncey, an attorney, and once partner of Hon. Edward Everett, in Boston. Luther L., a successful teacher in the southern part of Massachusetts, and now a resident of New York.

Frank B., a graduate of U. V. M. in the class of '63, now a civil engineer in the interior; and Abigail H., wife of Rev. Chas. Cavern, of Lake Mills, Wis.

Hon. Jason Carpenter was born Aug. 15, 1772, at Coventry, Ct. Like many of his contemporaries, his school days were few, but his education practical. He came to Waitsfield in 1818, and was identified with its business and interests for the rest of his active life. He served as judge of probate for the County 2 years, and as representative from 1829 to '31, and from '34 to '36, inclusive. He married, _____ 18-, Miss Betsey Ingraham, by whom he had 6 children, of whom one finds mention in another place, the wife of Hon. Hiram Jones; while the record of another, Charles, as a most successful teacher, though cut off in the midst of his usefulness; and of another, George H., as a successful business man in Racine, Wis., must not be passed in silence.

Matthias S. Jones, Esq., was born in Claremont, New Hampshire, April 12, 1778, and removed to Waitsfield at an early date. He was one of the more prominent men of the town, filling in turn the most important offices in the gift of his townsmen; was justice of the peace more than 30 years, and town clerk for half that period, and represented the town in 1825, '26, '27.

He was twice married, Aug. 28, 1807, to Miss Betsey Joyslin, of Waitsfield, and May 26, 1836, to Miss Mary Prentice, of Weathersfield. His death occurred June 25, 1851. He reared a comparatively large family, all children of the first marriage, of whom are L. W. Jones, Esq., a successful merchant of Waitsfield, and a man of decided public spirit.

Edwin Jones, M. D., who was born June 3, 1825, at Waitsfield, studied for a time with Dr. D. C. Joslin, of Waitsfield, and attended one course of lectures at Woodstock, graduating at length at Pittsfield, Mass., and practicing at Orange, Vt., for three months, and at Vershire and Strafford the remainder of his life. He married, October 18, 1852, Miss Mary A., daughter of Rev. Elisha Brown, of Montpelier, and precisely 2 years later died at Strafford, a bereavement not only to those who knew him as a relative and friend, but to those who had learned to know him as a beloved physician.

Hon. Hiram Jones, another son, who was born June 26, 1808, and whose opportunities for acquiring an education were confined to the common schools of his native town, and who made such improvements of these scanty means, that he was called into places of public trust at an unusually early age. Besides almost continually serving as justice of the peace, and frequently holding other offices of public trust, he represented the town in 1840, '41-42, and was assistant judge of the county court from 1855 to 1857. (Died in 1872.) He married October 6, 1835, Laura L., daughter of Hon. Jason Carpenter. Six children were the issue of this marriage, of whom Walter A., is a resident physician of his native town, and George M. lost his life in the first battle of the Wilderness, the only one in which he was engaged. His enlistment was just at the time Gen. Grant took command in the 2nd Reg. U. S. S. S.

Hon. Roderick Richardson, Sr., was born in Tolland, Connecticut, in 1779, and in early life removed to Waitsfield. By trade he was a saddler. He was for many years postmaster of the town, and the owner of the principal store; was assistant judge of Washington County court 2 years. The date of his marriage to Miss Anna Davis we are unable to ascertain. Two sons and two daughters were born to him, the youngest.

Hon. Roderick Richardson, Jr., who as a man of enterprise and wealth was for many years a leader in the business of Waitsfield. He was born August 7, 1807, at Hartford, Connecticut, but obtained all his schooling at the common school in Waitsfield; was representative in 1837-38, '39, 50-51, and senator from Washington county 4 years; assistant judge of Washington county for one year; elected by the joint assembly, and declined a re-election. He is an earnest Episcopalian, having united with that church not far from 1853; at the present time is senior warden of Christ Church in Montpelier; one of the standing committee of the diocese of Vermont, and a delegate to the Triennial Convention of the Episcopal church of the United States at the sessions of 1862, '65, '68.

Roderick Julius Richardson, son of the above, was born in Waitsfield, May 31, 1840; graduated at Norwich University, and was made paymaster in the U. S. Navy, September 1861. Being ordered to the "Harriet Lane," he was captured with the remainder of her crew off Galveston, Texas, Jan. 10, 1863 ; was paroled that spring, and participated in the capture of New Orleans, the first siege of Vicksburg; went through the Mississippi River Campaign; was in the "South Atlantic Squadron" at Charleston, S. C, and in the "North Atlantic Squadron" on board the Steamer "Wabash" before the Wilmington fight, and participated in search for the "Alabama" and "Florida." In 1865, he received his discharge, and was elected cashier of the First National Bank, Montpelier, and is now a commission merchant in Boston. He was married Jan. 5, 1865, to Miss Faddie Ware, of Boston.

B. H. Adams, Esq., was born in Tunbridge, in 1810, and after receiving the usual common school education, studied law, and opened an office in Waitsfield, where he practiced until his death, which occurred in Oct. 1849. The writer remembers him as he appeared at leisure in the store a year or so before his death. He was a man of medium height and rather robust in appearance, of light complexion and pleasing address. It is said that he never made a plea of any extended length, but rarely failed to make a deep impression on all those who heard him. "He was a rare man," says one who was conversant with him, "gifted, eloquent, persuasive, powerful, genial, generous, benevolent to a fault, the best advocate I ever saw or heard." A full history of the man would of course present other than the professional side of his character, and would be obliged to state what we are sorry to say is too common in the history of talented men, that while they rule their fellowmen by their great abilities, they are too often the slaves of intemperance or gaming. The ready wit with which he sometimes secured a favorable verdict when he had by far the hardest side, is well remembered, and could we afford space for story-telling of this kind, we should provoke many a hearty laugh from the reader.

Orange Smith, M. D., was born January 27, 1796, at Brookfield. He was a graduate of Randolph Academy, and of the medical department of the U. V. M. He also studied medicine with Daniel Washburn, M. D., and attended lectures for some length of time at Dartmouth. He commenced at Starksboro; soon removed to Williston, and after one year of practice there removed to Waitsfield, and continued in practice there until near the time of his death, in 1863. Besides being a good physician, he was a very public spirited man, and one whose influence, especially in religious matters was not small. He entered into the practice of Dr. Miner, who was about to remove from town, and for some time lived on the farm now owned by T. G. W. Farr, Esq., but subsequently removed to the village. He married (March 2, 1825,) Miss Lucy Hatch of Brookfield, by whom he had three children, only one of whom (Charles D. Smith, Esq.,) is now living.

Waitsfield Vermont| AHGP

Source: History of Washington County Vermont, Collated and Published by Abby Maria Hemenway, 1882.

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