M. Coleman Twitchell Papers

Andrew Addison Buell (1841-1916) was a businessman who found success as a lumber merchant. Born in Whitehall, New York, he was the son of Julio T. Buel and Sarah (Barney) Buel (note the change in spelling between generations). Andrew served in the Civil War rising from the rank of Private to Lieutenant (1862-1864). He married Margaret Waugh Bell (1854-1917) in Ottawa in 1876. Margaret was born in Canada and her parents were Robert Bell and Margaret (Waugh) Bell. Andrew and Margaret had two daughters, Mary Vaughan Buell (called Mate or Matey) (1878-1957) and Kate Bell Buell (1880-1974). The Buell family moved to Burlington, Vermont in about 1888. Andrew Buell was associated with the Export Lumber company and Hull Lumber company, both of Canada, as well as the Horatio Hickok Lumber company (from about 1899 to 1914) based in Burlington, and Ottawa Transportation company. He was known professionally as A. A. Buell. His nephew A. B. Buell (the son of his brother George H. Buel) was also involved with the Horatio Hickok Lumber company.

The Buell family’s Burlington estate, Redstone was designed by Herbert C. Burdett, of the Buffalo, NY architectural firm of Marling and Burdett and completed in 1889. The family home was sold to the University of Vermont in 1921. It was renovated shortly thereafter, opening in 1923 as the womens' dormitory Redstone Hall. The sixty acre estate includes the home, carriage house (Robinson Hall), Gardner's House (Redstone Lodge), brick water tower, and central green were all placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991 as part of the Redstone Historic District. It includes other UVM buildings built after the namesake.

In 1906, Mary Vaughan Buell married Marshall Coleman Twitchell (Sr.) (1871-1949). He was the son of Marshall Harvey Twitchell (1840-1905), who was born in Vermont and served in the Civil War. He led an eventful life, including time as a Private in the Vermont infantry, service as a Lieutenant with the US Colored Troops; service as a state senator in Louisiana, work with the freedmen's bureau, assassination attempts, murder of extended family members, the loss of both arms; and about 25 years as the US Consul of Kingston, Ontario, Cananda. The details of M. H. Twitchell's life are best recorded in other sources. M. C. Twitchell had a half-brother, Emmus George Twitchell (1880-1961). Both attended Queen’s University in Kingston Ontario. Marshall graduated from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 1893. Emmus graduated from Queen’s in 1902 (AB) and 1906 (MD). Marshall interned at the Mary Fletcher Hospital and next trained at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and New York Eye and Ear Institute. He taught at the University of Vermont College of Medicine from 1899 to 1914 on the subjects of otolaryngology and ophthalmology. Emmus served in France during WWI as an Army Captain in the Medical Corps from 1917 to 1919. Emmus also taught at the University of Vermont College of Medicine with the same specialty, starting in 1917 and becoming a professor in 1935. Emmus married twice and had three children. His son John (1926-1983) was a general practice doctor in the Burlington area and taught at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.

Marshall Coleman Twitchell Jr. (1912-1987) was the son of Mary Vaughan Buell Twitchell and Marshall Coleman Twitchell. He was called Cole in his youth and also went by M. Coleman Twitchell (probably to differentiate from his father). He was a ranked tennis player in the state and competed nationally. He also helped found the Burlington Tennis Club. He graduated from Phillips Exeter Academy (1930), Williams College (1934), and Harvard Medical School (1938). He interned at the Mary Fletcher Hospital then was a resident at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary. He returned to Burlington and worked as an ophthalmologist for 35 years. He taught at UVM College of Medicine. In 1937, he married Laura Wooster Tracy (1913-1996, UVM Class of 1934) and they had 3 children.

Kate married George Read Critchlow (1873-1951), a physician and surgeon, in 1904. He served in the Medical Corps of the Allied Expeditionary Forces for one year during World War I, including time in France. They had 4 children and lived for many years in Buffalo, New York before returning to Vermont in 1949.