List of Notes and Resources
Benjamin Day Family Page
From "History of Jericho, Vermont" (1916)
pages 448-452.
The Day Family
By Buel H. Day and C. H. Hayden
Among the early settlers of the town of Jericho were Benjamin and Electa (Ransom) Day, who came from the vicinity of New Haven, Conn., where a large colony of the Days was located.
Benjamin and Electa bought and lived on the land located about half way between Underhill and Jericho Center. Carved from the forest by their hands, the farm remained in the Day family until about 1855, when it was purchased by James A. Shedd of Burlington.
Seven sons and two daus. were b. to Benjamin and Electa on this farm:
(1) Hiram Benjamin, b. 1804, d. 1886; (2) Giles, b. 1806, d. ___; (3) Galusha, b. 1808, d. ___; (4) Wilson, d. in California in 1851; (5) Buel H., d. in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was a medical student; (6) Silas, _____; (7) Dennis, d. in Minnesota in city of Albert Lea; (8) Salome, m. Nahum Whitmarsh of Jericho, Vt.; (9) Ruamah, m. Abraham Rugg and lived for many years in Jericho, where Alice, Electa, Frank and Hiram were b. They sold this farm here, moving to Milton, Vt., where they purchased a large farm where the family have continued to live until the present time. William a very bright and promising boy b. in Milton, d. at the age of 16, and his father and mother a few years later.
Of these children, Hiram B. was the only one of the boys who continued to reside in Jericho. For many years he owned the farm now in the possession of Elmer Irish and also the one now occupied by Mr. Geo. Haylette.
Hiram B. was prominent in town affairs holding the various offices in the power of his fellow citizens to grant. He twice represented the town in the Vermont Assembly.
Early in life he m. Elizabeth, dau. of Joseph and Hanna (Cady) Brown. Five children were b. to them: (1) Salome E.; (2) Naomi E.; (3) Giles H.; (4) Buel H.; (5) Byron W.
Elizabeth d. in 1855 and he m. 2 Polly Brown, sister of his first wife. No children were b. of this union. She d. in 1878. Hiram B. d. in 1886.
Of the children of Hiram B. and Elizabeth, Salome m. Henry Howe and one son, Hiram, was b. to them, who lived and grew to manhood in the family of Hiram B. Day. Hiram Howe m. Lena Brown, dau. of George Brown of Essex, Vt. They lived a few years on the home farm in Jericho, afterwards going to Rutland, Vt., where the were successful wholesale and retail confectioners. Salome d. at the age of 22.
Naomi E. m. Josiah B. Scoville, grain inspector of the port of Duluth for many years. One dau., Edith S., was b. to them, a prominent teacher in Duluth.
Giles H. early went to California and later settled at Fort Worth, Texas. He was Mayor of that city four terms, School Director ten or twelve years and was largely instrumental in the building up of the Fort Worth schools. He m. Annie Day of Indiana. One son, Lemuel E. was b. to them, now living at Fort Worth and a prominent citizen of that city. Giles d. in 1911.
Lemuel m. _______ and three sons and one dau. were b. to them:
(1) Giles, a doctor at Fort Worth; (2) Lemuel, attending High School there; (3) Buel, who d. in High School there; (4) a dau. who d. in infancy.
Buel H., b. Feb. 13, 1844, m. Mary B., a dau. of E. S. and Harriet (Bass) Whitcomb, July 3, 1866. Three sons were b. to them:
(1) Buel Clifton; (2) Carl Edward; (3) Guy Warren.
(1) Buel Clifton was b. Apr. 17, 1867. He was educated in the schools of Jericho, at St. Johnsbury Academy and graduated from the University of Vermont in the class of 1888 at the age of 21. In 1890 he was Assistant Sec. of the Senate in the Vermont Legislature. He was principal of the Craftsbury Academy for several years, resigning to take a post graduate cou8rse at Columbia University, following which he became Supt. of Schools at the Hamptons, Mass., for two years. He resigned to spend a year at study in Jena, Germany. On his return he became Supt. of the Boys' Parental School of Boston. Poor health forced his resignation and made necessary a sojourn in Colorado. Notwithstanding a stubborn fight for life his death occurred Mar. 30, 1910, at Colorado Springs, hastened thru injuries received in an automobile accident. Of a happy, sunny disposition he won many friends, and even during his final illness and sufferings was the bright star in the gloomy hospital heavens. (See Teachers)
(2) Carl Edward, b. Dec. 17, 1869, was educated at the Underhill and St. Johnsbury academies, graduating from the Packard Commercial College in New York City. During the season of 1886 he served as page to Gov. Ormsbee in the Vermont Legislature. After a business experience of over 20 years in New York City ( during fourteen years of which he was the New York representative of Holden-Leonard & Co.) he is now at Chicago, a member of one of that city's largest coat and suit manufacturing firms. He m. Mary Pearl Day, of Albert Lea, Minnesota. Two children were b. to them: Mary Dorothy, who graduated from Jericho Grammar School in 1912, and since attending Waterman Hall Seminary, Sycamore, Ill., and Carl B. H., who lives with his grandparents at Jericho (with his sister). Carl graduated from the Grammar School in 1915.
(3) Guy Warren, b. Jan. 25, 1872, m. Bertha Ellis of Boston. One son, Kenneth Buel, was b. to them, now attending the Boston High School at Boston. For a number of years he lived with his grandparents at Jericho, graduating from the Jericho Grammar School. Guy Warren d. May 10, 1911. His wife Bertha, d. in New York City. He was for years in the wholesale dry goods business with Lord & Taylor, Hempstone & Day, and Rusch & Co. He was recognized as a keen salesman and a business man of sterling character. He was a musician of exceptional ability.
Buel Harwood was b. in Jericho, held the various town offices for years, representing the town in 1872, and serving as senator in 1884. For nineteen years he was one of the firm of Whitcomb & Day, at Riverside, Vt., successor to E. S. Whitcomb. This business was conducted under these two names over a period of 40 years. Mr. Day was largely instrumental in securing the passage of the Burlington & Lamoille R. R. through Jericho, being one of the Commissioners for the bonding of the town for that purpose. The Riverside Steam Mill was built through the efforts of Whitcomb & Day, and was operated by them for years, employing from 50 to 100 men. Besides custom sawing this mill was equipped to produce steamed bent char wood, fork handles, etc., novelty turning, shingles and clapboards, as well as to do custom grinding. It was one of the largest mill properties in Northern Vermont. In 1888 it was sold to Ex. Gov. Woodbury. The Underhill and Jericho Cheese Factory, now known as the Riverside Creamery and operated cooperatively by the Jericho farmers, was built and run by Whitcomb & Day. The property is owned by Mr. Day at the present time. In 1888 Mr. Day, having disposed of his store interests and mill property, removed to New York City and entered the wholesale dress goods business where he remained for 23 years. In 1910 he returned to Jericho, purchasing the home farm of Mrs. Day's family, and later the place built by Henry M. Field at the corners, where the now reside, making a home much of the time for their grandchildren, Dorothy, Kenneth and Carl. Mr. B. H. Day d. Oct. 25, 1915, and was buried in the family lot in the Jericho cemetery.
Byron W. was b. in Jericho, Apr. 10, 1848. He owned for years and until his death what was Hiram B. Day's original farm at Jericho, at the present time owned by Mr. Geo. Haylette. Byron W. m. Persis M. Goodwin of Underhill. To them were b. four sons and one dau., all living at the present time. Byron and Persis d. within 12 months of each other. Three of the boys lived with their uncle and aunt, Buel H. Day, in New York until his return to Jericho. Hiram B. the oldest, was in the wholesale dress goods business, largely with Hempstone & Day, and is now of the firm of Pray, Small & Day, cotton goods brokers at 72 Leonard St., N. Y. City. Ernest Buel, third son, after a period of study in New York, went to his Uncle Giles at Fort Worth, Texas, graduated from the High School, and the School of Mines at St. Louis, returning to his uncle's at New York City, where he continued his education as a civil engineer, and where he is now in the employ of the McAdoo Tunnel people as civil engineer and architect, having charge of much of their most important work. Homer Giles was of the three who went to New York and is the private secretary of Henry Walters of the Atlantic Coast and Louisville & Nashville Railroads. Roy, the second son, is engaged in railroading on the New Haven & Hartford R. R., running from Providence to Boston. Mamie, the dau. m. Dr. Wiltse of Burlington, and at the present time is a trained nurse in that city, a graduate of the Mary Fletcher Hospital. Dr. Wiltse was for years State Chemist of Vermont.
Incidents
Hiram B. Day was a man of sterling character, but of few words. When the subject of temperance was being discussed he said there had been a great change in public sentiment, since he was a child, and then told how, when he was a little boy, walking from church with his father, the preacher joined them, and his father said, "That was an excellent prayer you made today." The minister replied that he could have done much better, had his drink been a little brandy instead of Old New England rum.
He was a member of the Gov. Thos. Chittenden household when a young man for sometime and delighted to relate how Anson Chittenden got the better of a gang of men who were shearing the sheep. Anson was not considered of brilliant mind and he was appointed to carry the fleeces of wool to the attic. The gang bet him a dollar that they would get their work of shearing done before his work of carrying up was over. The work progressed until all the sheep were sheared, excepting the old buck, which could not be found, until Anson was questioned, when he told them that it was in the attic with his fleece on his back. So his work was finished first, and he won the dollar.
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