James Headley Congdon, born July 20, 1779, came to Wallingford, Vermont in 1804 from North Kingston, RI. He had three wives; Lorenza Ives, Lorana Phillips, and Lydia Brock. He settled on the Sugar Hill section of town and there raised a goodly family of children. It has been said that during the haying season it was quite a sight to see 'Uncle Hadley,' as he was called, walking toward the hayfield, followed by nine sons, each over six feet in height, with sythe upon shoulder. 'Over fifty-four feet of Congdon was the common way of expressing it. [Thorp's "History of Wallingford" 1911] This is a picture (left) of his grave marker in the East Wallingford Cemetery on Sugar Hill.
James Headley's father James Congdon (born 1741 in North Kingston, Rhode Island) was on a trip to Wallingford, Vermont in February 1829 at the age of 88 to visit another son Peleg. He took ill and died in Wallingford and he is also buried in the Sugar Hill cemetery on the Congdon farm. Above to the right is his grave marker.
James Headley's fourth son by his former wife Lorana Phillips was James Headley Congdon, II. His ninth child by his wife Artemisa Dawson was Delia Congdon:
"Delia she used to make cookies to give to the children after school. Having suffered a crippling illness in her youth (perhaps scarlet fever), she was deaf and mute. On July 24, 1908, she was murdered in the milkhouse of the farm on Sugar Hill by Elroy B. Kent. He was the last person to be hanged in the state of Vermont. He had to be hanged twice because the rope broke on the first attempt."
James Headley's second child by Lydia Brock was Charles Henry Congdon (b. 1820).
Charles Henry Congdon moved to Danby from Wallingford, Vermont. He had two wives; Anna Smith and Adelaide Tuton. He was a school teacher for many years, and was very successful in that calling. Although starting life with limited means, he had, by possessing good natural abilities, and much activity, succeeded in acquiring a good property. Being a man of intelligence, he had been called upon from time to time, to fill various positions of trust and honor. He had been selectman four years, lister six years, long a Justice of the Peace, and was a member of the Legislature in 1854, in all of which he served with credit and ability. He was a good writer and debater, a friend of education, always having maintained an independence of character, and at the time was ranked among the leading, influential and enterprising men of the town.
Ch 1881-82: Wallingford, lawyer, surveyor and civil engineer, owns farm 365 acres, in Danby 988 acres, Mt. Tabor 560 acres, h Main
Charles and Adelaide Tuton lived in Danby, Vermont but the story is told that Adelaide didn't like living out in the countryside and she insisted that her husband provide a proper home for her in an urban setting. They moved to what is now 30 Main Street in Wallingford. The Danby farm (Cornalwin Hall) is show on the left circa 1860 and the Victorian home in Wallingford is shown on the right circa 2006. Standing in front are Andy, Dorinda, Barbara, & George.
Charles and Adelaide Tuton had two children; William Tuton Congdon and Clara Ann Congdon. Clara died at the age of 42 from rheumatoid arthritis. She is buried in Scottsville Cemetery in Danby, Vermont. William T. married Charlotte Clift and they had four surviving children; Clarence, E. Lester, Edythe, and Adelaide. Clarence was born in 1898 and Adelaide (my mom) died in June 2006 - a 108 year long generation. On Adelaide Tuton's death in 1933 the home in Wallingford was given to her oldest son Clarence for his lifetime use. Upon his death in 1949, the home was sold.
William T Congdon had been sent to live with an aunt in New Jersey after his father died in 1891. It was in New Jersey that he met his wife Charlotte Clift and they were married in 1896. He died of a ruptured appendix in 1917, just two years after his daughter Adelaide Frances Congdon was born. Because there was no money, the family was broken up. Clarence moved to Chicago, Lester sought work in the area, Edythe studied nursing and Adelaide was taken in by her grandmother's sister Grace and they moved to Glendale, California. Eventually, Lester started and ran the E.L. Congdon & Sons Lumber Company in West Orange, New Jersey which is still operated by the family today. His son Lester (Buster) eventually bought some of the old Congdon farm on Sugar Hill and built a log home. It is this home that now draws the family in the fall for reunions. There is usually a visit to the cemetery just below the log home to see all the Congdon headstones.
