History of Westford, (Chittenden County) Vermont United States of America

Philo Judson Farnsworth, physician, was born in Westford, Vt., Jan. 9, 1832; son of Levi and Lucy (Curtis) Farnsworth; grandson of Levi Farnsworth and of Amasa Curtis; great-grandson of Ebenezer Farnsworth who served in the army of Ethan Allen at Ticonderoga and assisted in taking St. Johns and Montreal; and a descendant of Mathias Farnsworth who settled in Massachusetts in 1666. He was graduated from the University of Vermont in arts in 1854 and in medicine in 1858 and in 1860 he received the degree of M.D. from the New York college of physicians and surgeons. He was professor of materia medica and therapeutics in the University of Iowa, 1868-94; was a member of a number of medical societies, and a contributor to professional periodicals. He published: A Synopsis era Course of Lectures on Materia Medica (1884).

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Luke Potter Poland, senator, was born in Westford, Vt., Nov. 1, 1815; son of Luther and Nancy (Potter) Poland. His father, a carpenter, removed from Brookfield. Mass., to Westford, Vt., in 1814, and was a representative in the state legislature. Luke Potter Poland attended the public schools and the academy at Jericho until 1882; was a clerk in a country store in Waterville; worked on his father's farm and in the saw mill; taught school at Morristown Vt., for one winter, and studied law in the office of Samuel A. Willard. He was admitted to the bar in 1836 and practised in Waterville. He was register of probate for Lamoille county, 1839-40; a member of the state constitutional convention in 1843, and state attorney for Lamoille county, 1844-45. He was the unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant-governor on the Free Soil ticket in 1848, a judge of the state supreme court, 1848-60, and chief justice, 1860-66. He removed to St. Johnsbury, and on the death of Senator Jacob Collamer in 1865 was chosen by the legislature to fill the unexpired term, terminating March 3, 1867. He was a representative in the 40th-43d congresses, 1867-75; was a member of the judiciary committee; had charge of the bankruptcy bill, securing its passage, and obtained the passage June 3, 1874, of the act to revise and consolidate the statutes of the United States. He was chairman of the committee to investigate the Kuklux outrages; chairman of the Credit Mobilier investigating committee, and chairman of the special committee to investigate the troubles in Arkansas, his report being in direct antagonism to the views of President Grant. He was chairman of the state delegation to the Republican national convention of 1876, declined to permit the use of his name for vice-president and secured the nomination of William A. Wheeler. He was a representative from St. Johnsbury in the state legislature in 1878, and in 1882 he uusuccessfully contested Senator Morrill's seat in the U.S. senate. He was a Republican representative from the second district of Vermont in the 48th congress, 1883-85, by 804 majority. He was twice married: first, Jan. 12, 1838, to Martha Smith, daughter of Dr. William Page of Waterville; she died in April, 1854, and he was married, secondly, to Adelia H. Page, her sister. The honorary degree of A.M. was conferred on him by the University of Vermont in 1857, and that of LL.D. in 1861. He was a trustee of the University of Vermont, 1879-88, and the founder of the Westford scholarship in honor of his native town. He died in Waterville, Vt., July 2, 1887.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Westford, (Chittenden County) Vermont

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