Biography of
Hanks Surname of Pawlet, VT

Pawlet (VT) One Hundred Years
Hiel Hollister
1867  
J. Munsell, Albany

HANKS, WILLIAM, from Suffield, Conn., settled on the present homestead of Alex. Clayton. He was an enterprising though eccentric man.  He planted a vineyard north of his house, which, for a while, was promising, but the boys would steal his grapes, which so vexed him that he let it run down.  On many places in West Pawlet a vine derived from this vineyard still flourishes.  He built a grist mill on Pawlet river just below the Frary bridge.  He died in 1807, aged 79; his widow was burned to death in 1809, aged 73.  His sons, who settled in this town, were Oliver, Joseph and Arunah.

HANKS, OLIVER, settled at West Pawlet.  He held the position of magistrate fifty-one years, and secured and retained the confidence of the community through this long period.  His decisions, seldom appealed from, were never reversed.  His knowledge of legal forms enabled him to perform much of the law business required by the people.  He was in the legislature four years and solemnized 93 marriages.  He married Deidamia Porter, who died in 1840, aged 63, leaving eight children, Marcia, Romeo, William, Camillus, Isaac, Galusha, Safford and Ermina.  Camillus m. Jane Nelson, and moved to Ohio; Isaac m. Lucinda Whedon,. Wisconsin; Galusha m. Lovina, da. of Simeon Pepper, Jr.  Next, Mr. Hanks m. Rebecca Ross and died in 1859, aged 82.

HANKS, GALUSHA, m. Lovina, da. of Simeon Pepper, and settled at West Pawlet.  They have a family of twelve children, three of whom, were in the service.  Of their daughters, Martha m. Merritt W. Clark, of Poultney, and Olive J. m. Walter’ S. Warner.

HANKS, JOSEPH, ran the grist mill his father built.  He raised a numerous family, and with most of them removed to West Virginia, in 1816.  His eldest son, Jarvis, was a drummer boy, at the age of 14, in the war of 1812.  He afterwards became noted as a landscape and portrait painter, at Cleveland, Ohio.  His next son, Festus, became a Presbyterian minister in New Jersey, where he died in early life.

HANKS, ARUNAH, m. Lucy, da. of Jacob Perkins, and succeeded to the homestead.  Of his seventeen children, but few survive, and only one, Arunah, Jr., remains in town, who married a daughter of Abel Robinson.  Mr. Hanks died in 1830, aged 60; his wife in 1860, aged 88.