Person Page 197

Gov. Thomas Chittenden was born on 6 Jan 1729/30 in Guilford, Connecticut ColonyG.^4,5
     Thomas married Elizabeth Meigs, daughter of Lt. Janna Meigs and Elizabeth Dudley, on 4 Oct 1749 in Connecticut ColonyG.^6,7,8
     Thomas and Elizabeth moved to Salisbury, Litchfield Co., ConnecticutG, in 1751 then just being settled.^11,12,13 He became a prosperous businessman in SalisburyG, and became prominent in civil and miltary offices there in SalisburyG.^14,15
     Thomas served as a Deputy of the General Court of ConnecticutG for six years, From 1765 to 1769, and 1772.³
     Thomas was a major of the 14th Connecticut Colonial Troops From 1767 to 1770, and a Lt. Colonel from 1770 to 1772.³
     Thomas and Elizabeth moved to New Hampshire GrantsG moved to the New Hampshire GrantsG, later Vermont, in 1774. He purchased a large tract of wilderness there on the south bank of the Winooski River, later called the Onion River. He began a settlement there at became Williston.^16,17,18,19 Their homestead was barely begun when they were forced south by the British in 1776. Thomas bought a new farm in Arlington, VermontG.^20,21
     Thomas and became a leader in the movement to form a separate government for the state of Vermont. He was the first president of the Committee of Safety, and a member of the Convention of Delegates that met at Bennington 25 Sep 1776 to consider the independence of the state, and one of those who framed the constitution at Windor.²² When the new independent state was formed, Thomas was elected its first Governor in 1777, serving 14 years until Vermont was admitted to the Union, then six years afterwards, without salary. In all, he was elected Governor every year except one until he died in 1797. He reportedly was a generous and humble man who exercised his office with sagacious diplomatic skill. Ethan Allen said of him, "He was the only man I ever knew who was sure to be right in all, even the most difficult and complex cases, and yet he could not tell nor seem to know why it was so."^23,24,25 He was sometimes called "One-Eyed Tom."²⁶
     Thomas died on 25 Aug 1797 in Williston, Chittenden Co., VermontG, at age 67.^9,10 Chittenden County, Vermont, is named for him.²⁷

Chittenden Lyon was born on 22 Feb 1787 in Fair Haven, VermontG.^4,5
     Chittenden moved to Eddyville, Caldwell Co., KentuckyG, in 1801 as part of the expedition led by his father that brought a number of families from Vermont.¹⁴ For details, please see The Trek from Vermont to the Kentucky Wilderness.
     Chittenden married first Nancy Vaughn, daughter of John Vaughn and Mary Patton, on 6 Apr 1817 in Caldwell Co., KentuckyG.^6,7
     Chittenden appeared on the 1820 Federal Census of Eddyville, Caldwell Co., KentuckyG, with a household consisting of one white male between 16 and 18, three between 18 and 26, two between 26 and 45 (one him), and two over 45; and one white female between 10 and 16, one between 16 and 26, and one over 45; and three male and three female slaves.³

Political Service --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Chittenden served in the state Senate from 1822 to 1824. He was elected to the Twentieth Congress and reelected as a Jacksonian to the three succeeding Congresses, 4 Mar 1827 to 3 Mar 1835, and was not a candidate for re-election in 1835.^15,16,17
     He sponsored, as Congressman, the application of Dr. Joshua Cobb to the United States Military Academy at West Point in United States Military Academy, West Point, New YorkG.^18,19,20
     Lyon County was named in his honor when it was separated from Caldwell County in 1854.¹⁴
     Chittenden married second Francis B. Jones on 10 Sep 1829 in Caldwell Co., KentuckyG.^8,9
     Chittenden appeared on the 1830 Federal Census of Eddyville, Caldwell Co., KentuckyG, with a household consisting of four white males under age 5, one between 5 and 10, one between 20 and 30, and one between 40 and 50 (Chittenden); two white females between 5 and 10, and one between 20 and 30; and 5 male and 5 female slaves.²¹
     He sold lot no. 72, at Franklin and 3rd Streets in EddyvilleG to John Hallick on 8 Nov 1830, for $50. According to the deed, Caleb Clark Cobb had build a "white house" on it which was currently occupied by John Cobb. John bought a second adjacent lot, no. 73, from Chittenden on 24 Oct 1831, for $20.²²

A Complex Will --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Chittenden left a will dated 16 Nov 1833, naming his brother Matthew and son-in-law Rubin R. O'Hara as executors. It was a complex will, leaving his wife, Francis B. Jones, during her life, the brick house in which they lived and the six town lots on which it stood, the part of his plantation adjoining the town of Eddyville and other property, rights to cut timber on other of his lands for fencing and firewood. She also was to receive half of the household and kitchen furniture, her choice of two horses, a yoke of oxen, four cows and calves, side saddles, one half of his ploughs and farming utensils, half his hogs, and growing crops. In addition, she was to receive slaves Selpha, her child Hannah and increase, Sarah Ann, a boy Isaac and a girl Fanny. She was free to dispose of the slaves and personal property as she chose, but the land, and buildings were to revert to his heirs at her death. He named his eight children, Margaret, Mary, Mathew, Giles, Chittenden, Thompson, Helen, and Larin, giving each a personal item, horse and silver for the older daughters, sword, watch, or cane and $100 toward education for the sons. Each of them, and any future children, were to receive an equal share of his remaining estate upon reaching age 21, or in the case of the daughters, when they marry if earlier.
     He asked his partner, Caleb Clark Cobb, to settle the business of "the late firm" of Lyon & Cobb "as soon as convenient." He asked Robert Livingston Cobb to settle the "late concern" of Lyon, Cobb & Co. according to agreements, and that the partnership R. L. Cobb & Co., in which he was a partner, continue as his partner and executor think proper and in the interest of all concerned. Finally, he notes that he has title to an undivided half interest in eight surveys of land west of the Tennessee River, which are to be divided, with one sixth going to each his brother Mathew, his sister Minerva, and the heirs of his sister Aurelia, since he holds it in trust for them.²³
     He and his nephew Frederick Henry Skinner formed the firm of Lyon & Skinner about 1836, the senior member being Lyon.²⁴
     He amended his previous will with a codicil dated 28 Jun 1839, in which he changed his executors to his wife, Francis B. Jones, and his nephew and partner, Frederick Henry Skinner (his brother Mathew, one of the orignal executors, having died the previous January). He also revised the distribution to his children to account for property worth $1000 now having been given to his two oldest daughters.²³ In undated instructions, he directed his executors to transfer a lot of land that he had already received payment for, and to convey to the trustees of the Eddyville Meeting house title to the lot on which it stood, for "so long as said church shall continue free for all denominations of Christians to worship in."²³
     Chittenden appeared on the 1840 Federal Census of Caldwell Co., KentuckyG, with a household consisting of one white male between the ages of 5 and 10, three between 10 and 15, one between 15 and 20, one between 20 and 30, and one between 50 and 60 (Chittenden); two females between 5 and 10, and one between 30 and 40 (Nancy); and four male and 9 female slaves. Ten persons are shown as employed in agriculture, and two in commerce.²⁵
     His will was proved on 21 Nov 1842 in Caldwell Co., KentuckyG.²³
     Chittenden died on 23 Nov 1842 in Eddyville, Caldwell Co., KentuckyG, at age 55.^5,10 He was buried in Eddyville Cemetery, Eddyville, Caldwell Co., KentuckyG.^11,12

An Active Businessman --- Text Stolen from ReigelRidge.com !! ---

     Chittenden was engaged in mercantile pursuits in EddyvilleG, and had large agricultural interests as well.¹⁴
     By 1826 he had formed a partnership with Caleb Clark Cobb, doing business as Lyon & Cobb. They described themselves as "partners in trade" in deeds, apparently engaged in other pursuits in addition to land. In 1826 they purchased a lot and a half in Eddyville. In two transactions in 1828 they acquired land on Lick Creek in settlement of chancery suits they had won against the former owners. Details of the suits have not been found, but they would appear to be for collection of unpaid debts. In 1829 they sold 360 ac. on Lick Creek that would appear to be the property acquired in the suits. In 1838 they sold the lot in Eddyville. In 1841 Caleb sold his interest in the half lot to his cousin Frederick Henry Skinner, who with Lyon, had erected a large brick building on it.²⁶
     By 1829, Chittenden and Caleb Clark Cobb had expanded their partnership to include Caleb's younger brother, Robert, now calling the partnership Lyon, Cobb & Co. The new partnership acquired property on the river, below Water St. and southeast of Main St., and built a 40 by 60-foot building on it by Jan 1834. By 1836 that building was expanded to a two-story brick structure 40 by 80 feet, which served as their store and ware house, apparently the base of their mercantile and trading business. That partnership ceased operations at the end of Jun 1836, when Robert took on new partners for the mercantile business, and Caleb and Lyon seem to have taken up other interests. Lyon sold his one-third interest in the property to Robert in Aug 1836, but Caleb kept his share until he began to dispose of most of his real estate in 1841. He sold his one-third interest to Robert in Jun 1841.^27,28
     His wife died on 4 Feb 1928.²⁹