History of Norwich, (Windsor County) Vermont United States of America

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Biographies:

Orestes Cleveland, manufacturer, was born in Duanesburg, Schenectady county, N.Y., March 2, 1829; son of Job Cleveland, a farmer, who gave the boy a good district school education and about 1844 found for him a position as errand boy in a jeweller's store in New York city. He applied himself to study and soon could hold his place with a number of college graduates who had formed themselves into a debating society, of which he, the youngest member, was elected president. In 1854 he was admitted as a member of the jewelry firm and added to the business that of manufacturing. In 1853 he was married to a daughter of James Dixon of Jersey City, N. J., inventor of the Dixon crucible, and a few years later sold out his interest in the jewelry business to associate himself with his father-in-law, becoming an expert in graphite manufacture. In 1861 he was elected alderman of Jersey City as a Democrat and in 1862 was president of the board. In 1864 he was elected mayor of the city and was re-elected in 1865 and 1866. In 1868 he was elected from a Republican district a representative in the 41st congress, and introduced in March, 1869, the bill that resulted in the centennial exhibition at Philadelphia in 1876. He was first vice-president of the United States centennial commission and the leader of the forlorn hope that finally, after five years' battle with opposition, made the project a reality. In 1884 he was again elected mayor of Jersey City by over 1400 majority, although the city had been under Republican control for several years and their last mayor elected by over 2500 majority. He was re-elected in 1888 by over 7000 majority, and again in 1890. He then retired from public life. He died at Norwich, Vt., March 30, 1896.

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

Frederick William Partridge, soldier and diplomatist, was born in Norwich, Vt., Aug. 19, 1824; son of Capt. Cyrus (1786-1842) and Mary (Loveland) (1786-1866) Partridge; grandson of Capt. Isaac Partridge of the Revolution and of Joseph and Mercy (Bigelow) Loveland; great-grandson of Capt. Samuel Partridge of the Colonial wars, and of David and Mercy (Lewis) Bigelow, and a descendant of Thomas Bigelow, the immigrant, and of Elisha and Lucy (Sparks) Level, who immigrated to Glastonbury, Conn. Frederick William Partridge attended the district school; the Norwich Literary, Scientific and Military academy, and Dartmouth college one year; studied law at Albany, N.Y., and in the office of Franklin Pierce of Concord, N.H., and had charge of the Harrisburg Military college, Pa., established by his cousin, Capt. Alden Partridge , 1845-47. In January, 1847, he enlisted in the U.S. army and went to Mexico as special commissioner of President Polk to visit the seat of war and report his impressions of the conduct and progress of the campaign to the secretary of war. Having no credentials, as his mission was secret, he was captured by the American army as a spy, ordered to be imprisoned at San Juan de Ul?a, commanded by his cousin, Lieut. Henry S. Burton, 1st artillery, and after his release returned to Washington without accomplishing his mission. He resigned from the army in 1847 and was located on a farm in Kendall county, Ill., 1847-55, during part of which time he was captain of a company of militia. He was married in 1852 to Mary, daughter of William Pauline of East Aurora, N.Y. He continued his law studies under Isaac N. Arnold in Chicago, 1855-57. In 1857 he removed to Sandwich, Ill., and in 1861 became senior captain in the 13th Illinois volunteer regiment. He was made major of the regiment in June, 1861, lieutenant-colonel in December, 1862, and colonel, June 18, 1864, for gallantry at Lookout Mountain, and was brevetted brigadier-general for acts at Missionary Ridge. He was wounded at Chickasaw Bayou, Miss., at Chattanooga, and at Ringgold Gap. He was mustered out with his regiment, July 18, 1864, practised law in Sandwich and had an office in Chicago. He was postmaster of Sandwich; clerk of the circuit court, and U.S. consul-general at Bangkok, Siam, 1869-76, when he saved the life of the son of the king and did much to promote the safety of Christian missionaries in the kingdom. He returned to the United States in 1876 by way of Singapore and the Suez Canal, visiting the chief cities of Europe. He served as U.S. examiner of pensions at Rushville, Ind., and Tiffin, Ohio, 1882-89. He died at Sycamore, Ill., Jan. 29, 1899.

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

Edmund Farwell Slafter, author, was born at Norwich, Vt., May 30, 1816; son of Sylvester and Mary Armstrong (Johnson) Slafter; grandson of John and Elizabeth (Hovey) Slafter and of Calvin and Mary (Armstrong) Johnson, and a descendant of John Slafter the immigrant ancestor. He was a student of Thetford academy, and was graduated at Dartmouth college in 1840; studied at Andover Theological seminary; was principal of the academy at Topsfield, Mass., 1841?42; was admitted to the diaconate of the Protestant Episcopal church in 1844 and advanced to the priesthood in 1845. He was rector of St. Peter's, Cambridge, Mass., 1844?46, and rector of St. John's, Jamaica Plains, 1846?53. In 1849 he was married to Mary Anne, daughter of Charles and Elizabeth (Brown) Hazen, of Boston, Mass. He was assistant minister of St. Paul's Boston, 1853?57, and a superintendent in the American Bible society, resident in Boston until 1877 when he resigned and devoted his time to historical work. He became a member of the Massachusetts Historical society, and a Fellow of the Royal Historical society of England, and received the honorary degree of D.D. from Dartmouth in 1890. He is the author of: The Assassination Plot in New York in 1776 and Memorial of John Slafter, with Genealogical Account of his Descendants (1869); The Charter of Norwich, Vermont, etc. (1870); Sir William Alexander and American Colonization (1873); The Copper Coinage of the Earl of Stirling, 1632 (1874); Voyages of the Northmen to America (1877); Voyages of Samuel de Champlain (1882), and History and Causes of the Incorrect Latitudes as Recorded in the Journals of the Early Writers, Navigators and Explorers relating to the Atlantic Coast of North America, 1535?1740 (1882); Memoir of John Checkley (1897); memoirs of Samuel de Champlain, Fitch Edward Oliver, M.D., Charles W. Tuttle, Rev. William S. Bartlet; Remarks on the Life of Samuel Eliot, LL.D.; Remarks on Coat Armor; Annual Reports as Registrar of the Diocese of Massachusetts, and many monographs on historical subjects.

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

Alden Partridge, educator, was born in Norwich, Vt., Jan. 12, 1785; son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Wright) Partridge, and grandson of Samuel and Ruth (Woodwood) Partridge. His father, a soldier in the Revolution, was present at the capture of Burgoyne at Saratoga. He entered Dartmouth in August, 1802, but left before graduating to accept the appointment as cadet at the U.S. Military academy and was transferred to the artillery corps in July, 1806; promoted first lieutenant of engineers, Oct. 30, 1806; captain in the engineer corps, July 23, 1810, and in November, 1806, was appointed assistant professor of mathematics, serving as full professor with the pay and emolumeuts of major, 1812-13, and as professor of engineering, 1813-16. He was acting superintendent of the academy, 1808-15, in the absence of Colonel Williams, and superintendent, 1815-17. On Jan. 17. 1817, he was relieved of the superintendency and on April 15, 1817, resigned his commission in the U.S. army. He then instructed a volunteer corps and gave lectures on fortifications and military science in New York city, and in 1819 engaged in the survey of the north-eastern boundary. In the latter part of 1819 he founded in Norwich, Vt., the American Literary Scientific and Military academy of which he was superintendent and professor of mathematics, philosophy and military science. The first class of one hundred students entered Sept. 4, 1820, and on Aug. 22, 1825, the institution was removed to Middletown, Conn., and had an attendance of two hundred and ninety-seven students. Failing to obtain a charter from Connecticut he removed the military school back to Norwich, Vt., in 1829, where he had conducted a flourishing seminary, 1825-29, as a preparatory school for his military academy. In November, 1834, he obtained a charter from the legislature of Vermont for the Norwich university with full power to confer degrees and to possess all other powers and immunities belonging to the colleges and universities of the United States. He was elected its first president, which office he resigned in 1843, owing to differences with the other trustees as to the management of the university, and Truman B. Ransom was elected president. He was married in April, 1837, to Ann Elizabeth, daughter of John Swasey of Claremont, N.H., who with their son, Capt. Henry V. Partridge, U.S.V., survived him. Capt. Alden Partridge was surveyor general of Vermont, 1822; a representative from Norwich to the state legislature, 1833, 1834, 1837 and 1839; the unsuccessful Democratic candidate for representative in the 22d, 24th 25th and 26th congresses, and the unsuccessful Independent candidate for representative in the 31st congress in 1848. He established a military school at Portsmouth, Va., 1839, known as the Virginia Literary, Scientific and Military institute, and others at Bristol, Pa., 1842, at Pembroke, N.H., 1847, and at Harrisburg, Penn., 1850; was camp instructor of Pennsylvania volunteer militia at Reading in 1849, and in 1853 opened at Brandywine Springs, Del., what he hoped to make a National school of education in the arts of peace and war. The buildings burned in the autumn of 1853 and he planned to remove to Bristol, Penn. He returned to his family at Norwich, Vt., where he was stricken with what proved a fatal illness. He is the author of: An Excursion (1822); Lectures on Education (1825); Lectures on National Defence (1827); Journal of a Tour of Cadets (1827). He died in Norwich, Vt., Jan. 17, 1854.

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