Washington

BOOTH, Isaac Phillips

Men of Vermont: an Illustrated Biographical History of Vermonters & Sons of 
Vermont. Ullery. Brattleboro: Transcript Publishing Company, 1894, pp 35-36 
(portrait p 35)

Isaac Phillips BOOTH, of Northfield [Washington County, Vermont], was born 10 
September 1843 in Union [Tolland County], Connecticut, son of Isaac Billings 
and Lydia Olney (PHILLIPS) BOOTH. [According to the 1880 census enumeration 
for the subject in Morristown, Lamoille County, Vermont, his father and 
mother were born, respectively, in Connecticut and Rhode Island, and the 
parents of Lydia Olney PHILLIPS were both born in Connecticut.] He early 
evinced a love for books, and the height of his youthful ambition was to 
obtain an education; but the circumstances of his parents were such as to 
give him but little encouragement, yet he availed himself of his slender 
opportunities to the utmost, and by private reading and study, succeeded in 
obtaining a fair preparation for college.

Feeling himself too poor to pursue a collegiate course, he concluded to 
settle down to a business life, but his first ventures proving unsuccessful, 
he resolved to return to the vocation of a teacher, some experience of which 
he had had in his earlier days. He first opened a private school in White's 
Corners [Hamburgh, Erie County], New York, but was soon called to take charge 
of a new graded and high school in that place; and after remaining there two 
years was elected principal of the Kent [Portage County], Ohio, grammar 
school.

Having spent his vacations and other leisure in reading law, in 1870 he was 
admitted to the Portage County [Ohio] bar, and shortly after entered the 
office of M. S. CASTLE, of Cleveland [Cuyahoga County, Ohio]; but this 
profession he also found uncongenial to him, and he turned his attention to 
the church. Accordingly, he entered St. Lawrence University, from which he 
graduated with honor in 1874, taking both the theological and university 
course, and immediately entered upon his pastoral duties at Huntington, Long 
Island [Suffolk County, New York] where he remained two years, and then 
changed the scene of his labors to Morrisville [Lamoille County, Vermont], 
and subsequently to Northfield [Washington County, Vermont], in which place 
he soon was elected to the professorship of Latin and Greek in Norwich 
University, receiving from this institution in due course, the degrees of A. 
M. and D. D. [The oldest child of Isaac Phillips BOOTH included in the 1880 
census enumeration of the family in Morristown, Lamoille County, Vermont, was 
born about 1869 in Ohio, and next listed, Alfred F., was born about 1873 in 
New York.]

In 1885 Dr. BOOTH resigned his position in the university and became 
principal of the graded and high school in Northfield, where he remained 
until his appointment to the office of county superintendent of schools. In 
1880 he represented Morrisville, and served as chaplain in the House of 
Representatives, and six years after was elected a member of that body from 
Northfield, serving on the committee on education, and earnestly advocating 
the present school law. In 1891 he again took charge of the graded and high 
school, but has now accepted a call from his old parish at Morrisville. Dr. 
BOOTH has always taken a deep interest in educational matters and has 
discharged the duties of town superintendent in nearly every place of his 
residence.

On 01 May 1866, he [Isaac Phillips BOOTH] was married to Julia E., daughter 
of Laurens CRAWFORD, Esq., of Stafford [Tolland County], Connecticut. 
Fourteen children have been born to them [selected places and approximate 
years of birth, added by submitter, based on the enumeration of this family 
in the 1880 census of Morristown, Lamoille County, Vermont]: Lydia J., 
deceased; Earnest V., deceased; Laurens C., deceased; Alfred F. [born about 
1873 in New York]; Clarence H. [born about 1874 in New York]; Louis P. 
[Lewis?, born about 1875 in New York]; Edwin [born in New York about 1877]; 
Frank L.[Frank Leon, born about 1879 in New York]; Maud G. [not listed in the 
1880 census, thus born after its enumeration]; Annie M., deceased; Ralph A.; 
Mabel E.; Julia B., deceased; and Paul C. Mr. BOOTH is past master of the 
local Masonic lodge, a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and 
chief templar of the lodge of that order in that town, and a trustee of 
Norwich University. [Bracketed material added by submitter, who is not 
researching these surnames, to support and clarify the information given in 
the biography and to raise questions.]

Submitted by Cathy Kubly