Essex

CHASE, Willard

Men of Vermont: Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters & Sons of 
Vermont. Ullery. Brattleboro: Transcript Publishing Company, 1894, p 70 
(portrait p 70)

Willard CHASE, of West Concord [Essex County, Vermont], was born in Landgrove 
[Bennington County, Vermont], 10 March 1840, son of George and Eunice 
(ABBOTT) CHASE. Coming to Concord [Essex County, Vermont] with his parents 
two years later, he was brought up on the same farm where he has since 
resided. His father was a frugal, industrious farmer, skilled also in many 
handicrafts, and the subject of this sketch naturally received much training 
in these directions. Being an ambitious, self-reliant boy, he acquired a 
thorough common school education. As a farmer, he evinces the same energy 
and thoroughness, making specialties of creamery butter and maple sugar. In 
1890 he made 10,000 pounds of sugar. Mr. CHASE is an earnest Republican. He 
was school district clerk and treasurer for twenty-one years. Called to the 
position of selectman at the age of twenty-six, he has filled that position 
ten terms; he was five years overseer of the poor, and also served in most of 
the other town offices, and was representative in the Legislature of 1878.

On 01 January 1868 he [Willard CHASE] married Ann Maria W., daughter of the 
late David W. and Sally (STILES) LEE, of St. Johnsbury [Caledonia County, 
Vermont]. Mr. CHASE is a public-spirited man of strong convictions and 
benevolent impulses. Has always been a temperance man in principle and 
practice, and a prominent member of the International Order of Good Templars. 
In the long and eventful existence of the West Concord Universalist Church, 
a period of more than half a century, Mr. CHASE has been a constant attendant 
and active worker; about thirty years superintendent of the Sunday school, 
and many years chairman of the parish committee. He is also president of the 
Northern Association and treasurer of Universalist Convention of Vermont and 
Province of Quebec, which office he has held the past fourteen years.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly