Beginning March 2nd, 2020 the Mailing Lists functionality on RootsWeb will be discontinued. Users will no longer be able to send outgoing emails or accept incoming emails. Additionally, administration tools will no longer be available to list administrators and mailing lists will be put into an archival state.
Administrators may save the emails in their list prior to March 2nd. After that, mailing list archives will remain available and searchable on RootsWeb
Dudley Chase; more than the Governor's Mansion!
Or "trading places"
By Harriet M. Chase
(Published in my local weekly paper; "The Herald"
It was several months ago < last winter as a matter of fact> when doing
land record searches at the Randolph Town Archives, a very interesting fact
came to light. At first I thought it could not be, but with months of going
through these records, it can be verified that the esteemed Dudley Chase,
not only built the "governor's mansion" in Randolph Center, but he also
owned the Raymond Chase farm! This farm belongs to Brent and Regina Beilder
today.
< it has recently been coined the "Governor's Mansion". Chase along with
other folks had hoped that Randolph Center would become the state capital.
It did not>
Raymond and Mary owned the now Beidler farm from 1938-1965, at which time it
was sold to Guy and Alice Lake and Dorothy Wathley. Checking further back,
one can see references to the "Dudley Chase Farm" at the "Four Corners".
Though it does not seem like four corners now, it can easily be understood
when the stage road came up the South Randolph Road, right between the Chase
house and barn, and on the westerly side of the veterans cemetery; a four
corners is made right at the farm. Names of other owners which bound this
farm and a school "to the south", affirms the location. This school referred
to is the one which was about at the corner of the South Randolph and Davis
Roads.
Just how far Dudley Chase land holdings went towards the Alton Farnsworth
farm and just how much land he DID own in Randolph Center village, would
take another year's worth of study!
The only verification of his purchasing this "Chase farm" is in the records
of TAX Sales in 1808. This shows that Mr. Chase purchased Lot # 23,
originally granted to Wm. Lewis, consisting of 226 acres. Chase bought 214
acres for Three dollars! Upon the death of Dudley Chase, in 1846, Benjamin
W. Dyer bought this land, now consisting of 190 acres for Two thousand
twenty five dollars.
Chase not only took the opportunity of this tax sale to purchase this farm,
but 107 acres of the lot north of the now Beidler farm, wedging close to the
Langevin House.(Veterans Cemetery) Adjoining these plots is another piece
of land west of which he bought 60 acres.
"Leaving the farm" for a moment, lets look at some of the land that Dudley
Chase did own in Randolph Center village.
We see that Dudley bought 6 acres of land, a few rods North East of the
burying grounds, near the meeting house. To the North or South side of the
highway is not certain. Could it be what the Vermont Tech Orchard is now?
Possibly for that was part of the Raymond Chase farm until he sold it to
Lawrence and Esther Brigham in 1955.
Briefly and skimming over the land which Dudley Chase sold, show that he
owned much more than the "governor's mansion" in the Center village. He sold
what we would call house lots, which indeed houses were built many of which
majestically stand today.
Dudley Chase was one of fifteen children of Deacon Dudley Chase of Cornish,
NH. who bought a great deal of land in Bethel Gilead. The majority of
Dudley, Jr. siblings settled in that area. He graduated from Dartmouth
College in 1791 and soon came to Randolph Center to practice law. His public
offices included United States Senator, persecuting attorney for Orange
County and chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme court.
The Raymond Chase family can not claim to being very closely related to the
Dudley Chase family. But adding to another coincidence is that Mary and
Raymond Chase, with their two oldest sons lived at the "governor's mansion"
before buying the now Beidler farm. <The known Dudley chase "mansion" was
purchased by Jacob Kimball Parish> My folks worked the land and took care of
"Widow Parish" and at her death they needed to seek another place to work
and live. So they did!
< the now under Vermont Land Trust is owned by Brent and Regina BEIDLER.
They are very much into organic farming and often make the news, even have
been on the national news>
Harriet, buried under in Randolph!