Pioneer Families -
Extracted From
Chapter XVII
Early history of the town of Hopkinton :
history of East Village (Nicholville) and vicinity,
diaries of Elisha Risdon and Artemas Kent,
soldiers of the Civil War,
genealogical record of sixty of the pioneer families

Carlton E. Sanford
Boston: Bartlett Press, 1903

[Transcribed by Dave Swerdfeger]




IN this chapter is given the genealogical records of many of the pioneers of the town, of all that I have been able to gather sufficient data and information to make a fairly full record. The preparation of these records has required much time, labor, correspondence, persistence and patience. Had I had in the beginning a full comprehension of the tedious labor required, I now feel sure I should not have undertaken it. That there are some errors in dates and possibly a few in names I am quite satisfied, since considerable of my information came from elderly people who wrote feebly and indistinctly. I think it will be readily understood, if the reader will bear in mind that it is in continuous order; that the first, second, third and fourth generations are each carried slightly to the right, and that each generation always has the same indentation.

HENRY McLAUGHLIN b. December 20, 1758, Lisbon, Ire.; d. Middleburg, Vt., February 7, 1813; m. Mary Dunton, b. November 9, 1762, Williamstown, Mass.; d. Middleburg, Vt., February 14, 1813, Came from Bristol, Vt., in 1804, with his only son Thaddeus and purchased a large tract south of village Green. He opened a hotel very soon, at first on south end of village Green. THADDEUS LAUGHLIN b. September 13, 1782, Dorset, Vt.; d. June 22, 1846; m. Hannah Kent, January 17, 1805; b. March 30, 1783, Dorset, Vt.; d. March 18, 1832; m. 2d, Huldah Kent. His wives were sisters of Artemas, Asahel and Moses Kent. He came to town in 1804 from Bristol, Vt., with his father, Henry McLaughlin. They at once built a log hotel and I am morally certain that it stood on the south side of the village Green. Mrs. Caroline A. Laughlin so told me and Mrs. Harriet Sprague, daughter of Gideon Sprague, writes me that her father first lived in a log house on the Green. They soon built a log hotel on or near the site of the present Laughlin residence, which latter I feel sure was built in 1816, as Mr. Kent states in his diary that Mr. Laughlin then went to Vermont for materials for a house. A hotel was kept there for many years. The front west room was the barroom. He was the first postmaster, receiving his appointment in 1808, and holding the office for over thirty-five years. Had six children by first and one by second arriage: Henry D., b. September 17, 1806; d. June 18, 1865, at Ogdensburg; m. Harriet Sawyer, of Parishville, who died March 20, 1879. He was a physician in practice in Hopkinton till August, 1835, -when he went to Ogdensburg. Had one child:
  • James H., who died some years ago. Thaddeus H., b. April 20, 1808; d. June 20, 1878; m. Maria M. Hopkins of Panton, Vt., February, 1833; d. June 22, 1863; m. 2d, Caroline A. Sprague, May 10, 1865; d. November 29, 1901. The first wife was a daughter of Roswell D. Hopkins and the second a daughter of Dr. Gideon Sprague. Had one child by first marriage: Hannah M., b. September 2, 1837; d. January 5, 1857. Roswell H., b. December 13, 1809; d. December 24, 1893; a bachelor. Mary D., b. March 7, 1815; d. October 20, 1892, at Fond du Lac, Wis.; single. Hiram K., b. December 4, 1818; d. April 8, 1896, at Fond du Lac, Wis.; m. Elizabeth J. Cary, October 12, 1858. Had one child, who is the sole survivor of the Laughlin family: Thaddeus W., 1. Fond du Lac. Joseph, d. in infancy. Frances K., b. February 5, 1838; d. March 25, 1850.

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