Pawlet (VT) One Hundred Years
Hiel Hollister
1867
J. Munsell, Albany
ADAMS, GIDEON, from Canterbury, Conn., 1770, m. Jude Leach, a sister of James Leach, Sen., who
died in 1819, aged 75, leaving three children, Jude, Margaret, who married Joseph Keigwin, and Mary,
who married John Kirby, Middlebury. He settled where Henry S. Lathe now lives.
He at once took a leading position in the town, which then contained only nine families.
He was in the legislature in 1778, and served, in the whole, six years. He was town clerk and justice 39 years.
He was a man of ready wit and genial temper, of strong sense and sound judgment, and won and retained through his
whole career, the confidence and esteem of his fellow citizens in an eminent degree. He died in
1827, aged 84.
ADAMS, JESSE, from New Lebanon, Conn., 1786, settled on the present farm of N. W. Bourn. After
his death, in 1812, aged 55, his numerous family removed to Nunda, N.Y.
ADAMS, BENONI, claims commemoration as one of the earliest singing masters in town. He
sang
the old fugue tunes, which, on being reproduced in recent times, are found to be immensely popular.
His home was in New Milford, N.Y.
ADAMS, GEORGE JONES, from Maine, 1857, occupied the pulpit of the Disciple's church at West
Pawlet, six or eight months. He had been an extensive traveler on the Eastern continent. He
exerted a magnetic and fascinating influence over most persons with whom he came in contact.
In his religious history he had "swung around the circle," having been, it is understood, a Methodist,
Mormon, Freewill Baptist and Spiritualist before he joined the Disciples. He was also professor of
elocution and a theatrical performer. He is now the founder of a colony of 160 persons at Jaffa in
Palestine. Newspaper reports, during the last winter, have represented this colony as on the point of
breaking up; but the latest accounts (April, 1867), show it to be in a thriving condition. They took
the timber for their houses from the state of Maine, and are said to have 300 acres under cultivation and
plenty of provisions.
