Elmore Historical Society

Newspapers read by Ginny Kauffman and placed on Data Base
Lamoille News - 1878
Lamoille Newsdealer 1870
News Dealer - 1863, 1865, 1866, 1868, 1871 and 1872
News and Citizen — 1883, 1885, 1886, 1890, 1891, 1892, 1893, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1908
Morrisville Messinger 1915, 1927

INTRODUCTION OF ELMORE

During the closing years of the Revolution several men near Norwalk, Conn., obtained a grant of land in Vermont in payment for their services in the war. This land lay near the head waters of the Lamoille River and was named Elmore in honor of the Colonel. In November, 1780, a charter was granted to Col. Samuel Elmore and sixty-four others, including his three Sons, James and Seth Olmstead and Aaron Keeler. The charter was delivered to the men on August 21, 1781.
In 1790 the Elmore brothers, Aaron Keeler and the two Olmsteads came to the uncharted wilderness, cleared some land southeast of the center of the town. All returned to Connecticut excepting Martin Elmore, who lived alone in a cellar home throughout the following winter, seeing no human beings but Indian Joe and his squaw, Molly. They visited him and smoked the pipe of peace with him. The cellar was later built into the first home built in town on the now called Kay farm.
Seth Olmstead cleared the land and built a home where William Carpenter now lives. Here his son, Henry, the first white child in Elmore, was born May 14, 1793. Later in 1813 he built the first hotel in town. James Olmstead settled of the so-called Grout farm, and Col. Samuel Elmore lived on the Bangs place.
The western part of the town dates from 1810, following settlements on a road leading over Elmore Mountain.
The first census showed 12 persons in town, in 1791, hut by 1810 the population numbered 45.
The first town meeting was held July 23, 1792, with Joseph Leach as town clerk. Job Gibbs, Joseph Leach and James Olmstead were selectmen. Martin Elmore, first settler, played an important part in the early history of Elmore, serving as town clerk from 1797 to 1838. He was the first representative and a member of the Constitutional Conventions.
The first couple married in town were James Maxom and Sally Woods, parents of Mrs. Samuel Scott, of old Scott farm. Mr. Maxom died in the War of 1812.

Early industries were connected with lumbering mills were common in several parts of the town.
these were discontinued long ago.
Each community had a school and at one time there were ten schools in town, employing young men and women, many of whom later became prominent residents in town. At present there are four schools in town, as the mill communities are abandoned and large farms hav absorbed the small farms of early Elmore.
Two churches were in use early in Elmore’s history, each having a resident pastor, one at Elmore and one at East Elmore. At present Methodist services are held in the summer at Elmore, but members of other denominations attend church in neighboring towns.
Elmore furnished a quota of 64 men for the Civil War and a proportionate number for the World War.
Elmore’s only resident doctor was Dr. Joel Camp, who settled in town at the age of 25 and practiced until his death at the age of 84 years.
At present Elmore people are occupied with farming and in furthering a promising summer resort on the shores of Lake Elmore. Several other ponds in town hold a future promise of camping facilities. Her vacant farms also should attract people who wish privacy, beautiful scenery, abundant spring water, hunting, fishing, and country quiet, all within a few minutes’ ride of Elmore’s bathing beach and State Park.

Gila Carpenter.

INTRODUCTION OF ELMORE CONTINUED

Mediha,, ‘Ohio. March 2, 1938.
By Edward Elmore, Bishop.
In the years 1770 to 1779 the Elniore family lived in the town of Sharon, Conn. They were farmers and had good farms in the Connecticut River Valley. They had apple orchards and many other fruits.
The British were piling taxes on the people until they could not stand it so thep joined the Militia and started training for war.
There was the father, Colonel Elmore and three sons, Samuel, Martin and Jesse. There was one sister Molly.
In 1776 they joined the Continental Army and fought through the Revolutionary War. They sold their farms to teed the so1dira and when the war was over their farms were done. The Government gave them a grant of land in Vermont of one-half township and named the town Elmore after them.
In the spring of 1’790 they left their old home town and went by boat up the Hudson. River to Albany, New York.. From there through a canal to Lake it George, on to Lake Champlain and landed at Swanton, Vt. From there they followed up the Lamoille River to a bridle path which led to the town of Johnson1 sixteen miles from their land grant.
Martin lniore was a surveyor, so he set up the compass nd in two weeks time they had round and explored the land. There were more rocks than land but they located a spot to build their home and bulit a log house and fixed it up so a man could spend a winter there. In the fall they left for Sharon leaving Martin behind alone.
he olny human beings Martin saw the following six months was old Joe and Molly. They were Indians that lived about six miles the other side of the Woodbury Mountains. They hunted together and he visited their wigwam which was located between two ponds or lakes. They are called Joe and Mollys’ Pond today. On one of these visits The old hatchet was brought and they smoked the pipe of peace together.hey were fast freinds from that time on. Old Joe and. Uncle Martin uaed to go hunting together after my Mother was old enough to remember.
In the spring, 1791, the Colonel, Jesse and their families came back. Molly, who was an old maid, came with them. Samuel stayed in Conn. They brought horses and a cow or two, lots of seeds,apple $rees, and a peak of apple seeds. They set our orchards but the cold. winters killed the grafted fruit.. The seedlings grew so they had lots of common apples. They built a cider mill that was still standing when I was a Boy. The orchards were bearing lots of apples and there are apple trees in the same orchards today.
The second year they lived there, a man nameô Seth Olmsted settled on land next to the Elniores so they had neighbors. Martin started his home on land near by and Jesse cleared the farm where I was born. It was given to my mother on her wedding day. 200 acres.

Medina, Ohio. March 2, 1938.
By Eward Elmore Bishop. (cont’d)
Jesse married a Gibbs. He had two dauhters. Sylvia who married a Hill and. Beulah who married a “rout (or Grant) and. a son, Reman Gibbs &lmore, who was my “grandtather. They were all born in the 1780’s and 90’s and when I was a boy the Hills, Grouts and Elmores w.re the principle people in those parts.
Martin was a bachelor and his sister, Molly, was a spinster. he kept house for Martin until twenty rive years before her death when she went stone blind.. Grandfather Elmore then moved his family in and took care of them until they died. Mother was married and my brother John was four years old when Uncle Martin dieE (l8b’7)
Uncle Martin always held. a town office and was sent to the state legislature from the town of Elmore for twenty years. He surveyed the township, laid out the land. in 100 acre lots and laid out the roads.
randfather Elmore had six children. Eureta, Heman, Armenia, Emily, and Caroline, my mother. There was another sister who died. with the mumps after she grew up. Eureta, the oldest, never married. Reman had one child, George Elmore. Armenia had no children. Emily had Reman, Abbie and. Edmund. Edmund was a Methodist minister out in Nebraska and. is the only one living out of this family except myself. He also may be gone as I have not heard from him since his mother died at the age of 96.
“raudmother Elmore was left an orphan when she ws a hhby and was raised. by a family of the name of paulciing. She had one brother, ‘oseph Hopkins. He was in the war of 1812. At the close of the war he was made harbor master of New York harbor, a position he held until he was an old man. I remember when he was transferred to the Golden Gate Harbor in Calirornia. Stephen hopkins was and uncle of rr..y grandmother Elmore and .Joseph Hopkins. He was governor of Rhode Island and a signer or the Declaration or independence.
I have sega— seen all or these old people except the ones that came rrorn Connecticut. Jesse’s family were all born in Connecticut but they were all alive when I was a boy and I remember them well.
Edward Elmore bishop.