The Bailey Family
and Bailey's Mills, Vermont
By Charles F. Bailey
[The following statement was published in 1903 in The History of Reading, Vermont, Volume 2: Windsor, Vermont. Charles F. Bailey (July 27, 1857 – 19??) was the son of George and Albina Shedd Bailey who remained at Bailey’s Mills when his two brothers and a sister, Ransom, Samuel and Sarah Bailey, moved to Illinois where they founded Baileyville.
[This statement is quoted in part in Samuel Bailey (1794-1891): His Letters and Papers. That privately printed volume includes transcriptions by William M. Bailey of 56 letters and 27 other documents relating to the business of Samuel Bailey in the period 1851 – 1890. The originals of those letters and papers were given to William Bailey by S. David Bailey and are today preserved by Elizabeth Bailey.]
To all residents of Reading, one of the old landmarks is that cluster of buildings in the valley on the banks of Mill Brook, known as Bailey’s Mills.
Here has been activity, and what was once the center of a prosperous neighborhood now shows decay and is growing old and unless something is done to stay the hand of time, nothing but ruin will mark the place which has been the scene of so much activity.
Sketch of the life of Levi Bailey
Levi Bailey the founder and builder of this place was born February 5, 1766, and was the son of Samuel and Hannah Bailey, his father having been killed in the Battle of Bunker Hill. All that I know of his early history is that he lived in Massachusetts, until about 1785, when he came to Reading, and purchased land that is part of the farm now owned and operated by H.S. Fay and here as a young man in the twenties, began his labors in a new country.
He first cleared the land and then erected buildings suitable to the times, and as his means increased purchased more land and branched out in various lines.
Married Hannah Bailey. February 1, 1751, he was married to Hannah Bailey, and they started house keeping in their house on the place above described, and here and in the new neighborhood they reared a large family, which have scattered, now only one survivor remains, Mrs. Rhoda Warren, living in Weathersfield, Vermont, at the advanced age of 92 years.
From what I have learned from tradition and from the works that remain, he must have been a man of strong personal character, and accomplished whatever he undertook.
He purchased the property at Bailey’s Mills at different times and from different persons, during the last years of the eighteenth and the first years of the nineteenth centuries.
From what I can remember of tradition at the time of his first purchase, which was a half interest in the waterpower, there had been some improvements made upon the same, a dam had been built, and a saw mill erected.
A series of mills. He soon, however, had full control of the same, and in modern terms started out to boom the place and develop its resources. This saw mill was followed by a grist mill, the grist mill by a clothiers’ works, and then a carding mill, one of the first to be started in the state, and these were in due time followed up by a linseed oil mill, a full and complete woolen mill for the manufacture of woolen cloth, a starch mill, a blacksmith shop, and store.
These were all run at different times, and with varying fortunes at the place from about 1800, up to his death in 1850; and he owned and managed all of these, with perhaps the exception of the store which I don’t think he owned, only owning the building and renting the same.
During the time in addition to the business carried on at Bailey’s Mills, he was extensively engaged in farming, owning and farming several hundred acres of land situated in Reading, and for a number of years was a member of the firm of Bailey and Gilson, who conducted a general store at the Middle of the Town, but in this business he only furnished capital.
A stock buyer and merchant. He was an extensive buyer of stock, and as was the custom then, drove the same to the Brighton market.
During the busy part of his life, from 1800 to 1840, he carried on the largest business of any man in Reading, and was a considerable portion of the time considered the wealthiest man in Reading.
He built a large number of buildings at Bailey’s Mills, upon the old farm and upon other property owned by him, some of which now remain—particularly the brick house and factory building at Bailey’s Mills; others have been torn down or burned, and a part fallen by the ravages of time.
He met many losses by fire and flood. I have been told by my grandfather that his losses by fire and flood amounted to over $13,000 and this without insurance was a total loss to him.
Hannah, his wife, died June 29, 1822, aged 58 years. Levi Bailey died at his home at Bailey’s Mills, October 21, 1850, aged about 85 years.
The children of Levi and Hannah. The following are the names and date of birth of the children that grew to maturity, two having died in infancy:
Hannah, born December 18, 1791. Samuel, born January 14, 1794. Betsey, born August 23, 1795. Levi, born February 15, 1797. Thusa, born May 13, 1799. Sarah, born August 28, 1800. Rosamond, born June 8, 1804. Plooma, born March 25, 1808. Kendall, Born March 17, 1810.
All of the children, with the exception of Rosamond who died when she was about 21 years, lived to advanced age, all but one living past the age of three score years and ten. Two lived to be over seventy, three over eighty, and three over ninety, with the one survivor now living at the advanced age of 96 years.
Hannah married Daniel Forbush and resided in Reading most of her life. Samuel lived at the old place and will have notice later.
Betsey married Jeptha Shedd on November 17, 1817 and lived at the Shedd place. They had two children, Fredrick, born May 24, 1820, who married Lovira Bailey; and Albina, born May 16, 1822, who married George Bailey. Jeptha Shedd died July 21, 1831 and Betsey Shedd married Joseph Shedd. She died at Bailey’s Mills in 1883.
Levi married Lucinda Johnson, removed to Missouri and from there to Iowa, where he died at the advanced age of 92 years. He left several children and grandchildren.
Thusa married Oliver Holmes, removed to Missouri and died aged 73 years. She left several children and grandchildren.
Sarah married Shubal C. Shedd and died aged 85 years. Rhoda married Asahel W. Warren and lives at Wethersfield, Vermont. She has two children living, James residing in Stanislaus County, California, and Asahel B., residing at Ascutneyville, Vermont, and several grandchildren.
Plooma married Benjamin Kinball, removed to Missouri, and died over 80 years; Kendall married Emily Sutton, removed to Missouri, and died about 78 years.
Sketch of the life of Samuel Bailey
As Samuel lived the most of his life at Reading, it is important that a sketch of his life should be given here. Born in Reading on January 14, 1794, he lived at home and worked at the various enterprises his father had on hand, until December 31, 1819, when he married Dolly Newton, and started a home of his own.
He still continued to be engaged with his father in his various manufacturing enterprises up to the time of his father’s death.
He developed a large amount of mechanical ingenuity and could work with almost any kind of tool. He also understood blacksmithing and all the various industries carried on at that time at Bailey’s Mills, and has done all the different work required in these various occupations. It was a common saying in Reading, if anything is broken “take it to Uncle Sam, he can fix it if anybody can.”
Continuation of Bailey’s Mills. After the death of his father, he purchased the Bailey Mill’s property, and soon after sold an undivided two-thirds interest in the water-power and factory to his son George and to Oliver Bailey of South Woodstock, who, about 1854, went into the business of manufacturing stocking yarn, and a general store under the firm name of O.S. and G. Bailey, which firm did business of various kinds: general store, carding mill, grist mill and farming, up to 1873, when he gave up all interest in the various lines of business.
During the last twenty-five years of his life, he spent much of his time in his shop, doing various jobs of repairs for himself and neighbors, experimenting with various inventions, and making different articles of wood or iron as his fancy dictated, until his failing faculties would not permit him to work further. During the last five years of his life he lived in Iowa and Dakota, and at the residence of his son Ransom, near Grundy Center, Iowa. [He died on] February 14, 1891, at the ripe age of ninety-seven years, and one month. His wife, Dolly, died at Reading, July 28, 1848.
He afterwards married Achsah Bruce Wheeler, who died at Reading, Vermont.
Nine children were born to Samuel and Dolly Bailey. Their names and dates of birth are as follows:
Orwell, born November 1, 1820. George, born June 16, 1822. Lovira, born October 18, 1825. Ransom, born February 24, 1828. Samuel, born March 14, 1830. Sarah, born January 5, 1835. Levi, born December 12, 1837. Mary, born April 26, 1842. Charles, born October 16, 1846.
Baileyville, Illinois. Orwell went to Illinois, afterward to Iowa, where he now resides at Holland. He has been extensively engaged in farming, and dealing in real estate, at which he became wealthy. He has now retired from active business. He married Maria Rogers and five children were born of which four survive: Charles, Frank, George and Eugene. All are engaged in farming and dealing in real estate, and all are married.
Lovira married Frederick Shedd and resided at Bailey’s Mills and on the Shedd Place, and died March – 1889, aged 63 years.
Ransom went to Illinois, from there to Iowa, and now resides in Cedar Falls, Iowa. [He] is engaged in farming and dealing in real estate, and has amassed a fine property. He married Mary Dyer, and they have two children, James Levi and Samuel Orwell, who reside at Cedar Falls, Iowa, and are engaged in general hardware and plumbing.
Samuel went to Illinois, then to Kansas, and now resides in Wichita, Kansas. [He] married Relief Philbrick. They have five children, viz., George S. Emma, Ward, Fred and Cora.
Sarah went to Illinois, and now resides at Morrison, Iowa, married to Truman Pattee. The following children were born unto them: Lovira, Martin and Fred.
Levi died at Baileyville, Illinois, January 31, 1866.
Mary married Henry N. Bryant, died May --, 1869, leaving one child.
Jennie, who married Eugene Bailey, resides near Grundy Center, Iowa.
Charles died at Reading, July 25, 1855.
George Bailey married Albina Shedd on June 25, 1856, and started house keeping at Bailey’s Mills, where he now resides. He has engaged in various enterprises at Bailey’s Mills all his life, as a member of the firm S. and G. Bailey, and also since 1873 in running a carding mill and grist mill up to 1885, when the dam was destroyed and no business has been done since that time in the old mill.
He has also been engaged in farming. He is now the oldest resident in that part of town, where he has spent a useful life, always ready to accommodate any one in need or trouble, and is unusually respected for his upright dealings and strict honesty.
Albina Shedd, his wife, died January 7, 1898, aged 75. Their children are:
Charles F., born July 27, 1857, and Abbie S., born November 7, 1862.
Abbie S. Bailey married John. P. Barnes and now resides at Felchville, Vermont.
A sketch of Charles F. Bailey, prepared by the editor, will be found under the head of Attorneys and College Graduates.
Three additional essays are included here on Bailey's Mills.
S. David Bailey wrote or was involved in all three.
See The Story of Bailey's Mills, Vermont,
The Story of the Spite Cemetery and
200-Year-Old Feud Is Laid to Rest.