Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1869-12-31
From Townshend, Mass. TO Athens,
VT. in 1898.

came with an oX-team, consisting OF ONE
yoke Of oxen and two yoke of steers, one
COW and one sled, on to which was load.
ed what household furniture was neces.
sary for immediate use consisting of one
chest of drawers, one desk, beds and
bedding, together with such cooking uten-
sis as was deemed absolutely necessary
for those primitive days in Vermont.
My father drove the ox-team and my
oldest brother, Asa Perham, rode the old
mare, and my mother, myself and my
two younger sisters rode on the ox-sled,
on seat prepared for that purpose. We
started from Townshend Mass and only
travelled as far as Rindge the first day,
and there stayed with a friend over night /;
my father having lived there at the time
| was born, in 1889. The next day it
was showing and we only drove to the
middle of the town in Jeffrey, where we
stopped and stayed with Judge Parker,
who married sister of my mother, and
who was the father of Judge Joel Par
ker, formerly Of the Supreme Court of
New Hampshire.
On the next day, the air being mild
and pleasant for March day, we drove
on through Keene to Westmoreland,
where we again put up for the night near
ferry across the Connecticut River
known as Robbins Ferry.
The morning following we crossed the
Connecticut River in ferry boat, to the
| Vermont side and was then in the town
of Putney.
From Putney we came through West
minister West Parish. The road leading
from Westminster to the south part of
Athens at that time, turned off at about
the north end of the farm formerly own
ed by Zadock Hitchcock, and at that
time passed through the premises Of
Mr.. Cotton, who lived at the first house
south of the farm where David Hitch
cock lived in 1880, thence running west
erly to the top of the mountain east of
Athens Hollow, coming out to where
Sylvanus NATION then lived and where
George Skinner afterwards lived. Along
this road, rough as it was, we came slow
ly with our ox-team and household goods
-Penates-and arrived in the town of
Athens about the twentieth Of March,
1895.
The highway coming into Athens from
Westminster as above stated, then pass
ed on over the hill where Daniel Fuller
Esq, then lived, thence to where VIII,
liam Beals then lived, the same place af-
forwards owned by Maj. Timothy Whit
ney, thence crossing the brook south of
where Amos Ball now lives, across the
farm now owned by Merrill Powers, up
on to the hill where Nelson Oaks former
ly lived, thonoo westerly up the brook
drumming from the Shafter Pond) to where
Nathaniel Oaks once lived, where stood
at that time, a large, unfinished one story
building then used to hold town meet
ings in.
David Evelith then owned the farm
now owned by Merrill Powers. Along
the above described road our ox-team
moved slowly, and on arriving in Athens
my father purchased the farm of Mr..
Eveleth and terminated our journey to
Vermont, on the farm where Merrill
Powers now lives.
The names of some of the earliest set
tiers in the town of Athens, we're Jona-
than Perham who lived on the Nathan
iel Powers farm near the east line of the
farm lately owned by Oscar l.. Perham,
but owned the whole of the Ivory Mack
farm in Athens. Ephraim Holden then
owned the farm now occupied by Edward
Ball James Shafter then owned the
farm known as the Shafter place, but
more lately owned by Amos Davis; Sam
uel Balch at that early period lived
where Austin Hitchcock now lives. ST.
las Brown then lived on the farm more
lately known as the Abner Powers place,
but was first owned and occupied by ST.
las Chapman, the grandfather of the
Hon. Clark III. Chapman. David Rob-
bins was then the occupant of the grist
mill that used to stand near where Dus-
tin Ball now lives. Stephen Harrington
then lived on the farm since owned by
Nelson Oaks. Ethalston Bailey's father
occupied the farm now owned by his son
Ethalston. Leonard Perham, son of
Jonathan Perham, at that time owned
the farm now occupied by Lyman Alex.
andcr
These settlers, with few others, made
up the town of Athens in 1895.
The HOME JoURNAL.-The Home
Il e u