Homestead of Captain Silas Sheldon, called Silas II – Russellville Road 
(Burned-No photograph available)

This Silas Sheldon was called Silas Sheldon II even though his parents were Israel Sheldon Jr. and Keziah (Bates) Sheldon.

Silas II was born in 1795 and died in 1884.  His wife was Anna King, daughter of Aaron King and Anna (Sheldon) King.  They were married in 1820 and had seven children.
     Emily Louisa
     Silas Bates, b. 1823, m. 1844 Phebe Barnes, no children
     Henrietta, b. 1825, m. 1846 Elisha Austin Edwards
     Louisa, b. 1827, m. 1846 Joseph S. Clark
     Flavel King, b. 1831, m. 1852 Eunice C. Clapp, she died 1861 age 29; he m. (2) 1865 Adella Brown
     Anna, b. 1834, m. 1856 Lyman Bartlett
     Julia, b. 1838, m. 1860 Nathan H. Lyman

The Silas Sheldon II family stayed on this farm until 1849 at which time they sold out to Orange Strong and bought the Sylvester Woodbridge farm in the village.

Orange Strong transferred ownership of the farm on Russellville Road to his son, George Strong in 1871, and George’s daughter, Lucy, sold to Aurilla Benson in 1884, 65 acres for $2350.  Aurilla’s husband was Almon Benson.  The buildings burned in the early 1890’s and the Bensons moved to Westhampton.  They sold the cellar hole and land to George and Fred Wilson in 1900 for $800.  The buildings were never rebuilt.

The Wilson brothers farmed the land for some years in conjunction with their home farm (the Justin Wright Clark farm), but after their deaths the land was idle.

The administrator of their estates sold the land to Homer Perkins in 1963.  He is a real estate developer, and probably will eventually sell most of it as building lots.

 

–From “History of Old Houses”  by Atherton Parsons

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