Silas Lapham Griffith

Silas Griffith of Danby opened his first of six general stores in 1858. His real fortune came from Vermont’s forested mountains where he amassed 50,000+ acres, often through foreclosures. He had nine sawmills annually processing two million feet of lumber. His mill at Mount Tabor grew into a company town with a school, stores, and housing. Not abiding waste, he built 35 kilns to convert scrap into charcoal, producing a million bushels yearly, and sold sawdust to ice houses. Griffith was a ruthless and ambitious businessman yet dedicated to his community. He contributed to schools and churches, and established the Danby water works and memorial library. Much of his land was acquired by the U.S. Forest Service after his death.