Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-04-14
The Old Hyde Hotel i'm Wailing-
ford.


tearing it down to erect upon its site a
new house for his future residence. Hav-
ing been often in the old mansion and ex-
amined its antique structure, we propose
to collect few items and give them to
the readers of the HERALD, as a memen-
to of other days, thinking it might be of
interest to the older readers, who will re-
member this once famous hotel. As the
building is being torn down, let US take
look at it as it now stands, and has stood
with the exception of some little outside
dressing) for nearly 100 years. 1t is
two.story building, fronting the road,
without any "lean-to's" or piazzas of more
modern style. It's inside finish is peculiar
to its age, and bespeaks builder of means
as we'll as taste. The walls are wainscot-
ted and paneled with the best of pine,
abundantly supplied with cupboards and
side-boards. The dancing hall above is
splendidly paneled, and the convenient
arrangement of the cupboards, in the diff
ferent sides, shows how necessary the con-
tents must have been to run a dance in
those times. 1t is situated mile and a
quarter south of the village on the level
interval lands that emborder Otter
creek. The level road each way was the
arena of the great horse trots of those
days also, up and down its wide avenues,
the famous military parades of those
times were seen, for there the militia al
ways assembled for the June and Septem-
Der trainings The wide space between
the hotel and the barns that stood on the
opposite side of the road, was often the
scene of wrestling and boxing matches
There, also, the young men-men that
long since became old and passed away
met for games of ball and other pastimes.
There, also, the stages always stopped,
and for many years its proprietors were
stage owners, and its hostelry was as ia
nous as the house. If we go within, and
could elicit there from its silent walls a
little of its history, what tales it would
then unfold If these walls, that to the
eye are so redolent of tales of other times,
could find tongue, they could give US a
sucoinct history of the settlement, pro-
They could tell us of the gay parties, the
uproarous hilarity, the bridal scenes and
the court scenes.
The bar-room, with its antique bar,
II e !
of debachery, peculiar to its day But its
walls are silent, and, as we see them de-
molished, the older people, that pass, will
will heave a sigh for "Auld Lang Syne."
We recollect a story told us by Hosea
Eddy, Esq, of Rev. Mr.. Williams. one
of the first Congregational Ministers of
the town, who preached in the church
that stood near the Hotel. The morning
sermons were apt to be rather dull, but
during the intermission he would enter
the bar-room and get his toddy, and in the
afternoon his hearers would get "rouser."
Mr.. Eddy said that he could always tell,
by the size of his bumper" what
soathing to expect. Good Templars had
not been thought of in those days.
We have not been able to fix the exact
date of the erection of the hotel, as Oldest
kept by Jonothan Thompson, about the
year 1900. But by the town record we
find the lot was decided by Capt. Eliakim
Hall, one of the original proprietors of the
Tol,I;,b Taolyaon For GGthirtu
pounds lawful money" the lot contains
400 acres more or less" The deed was
dated sin Wallingf9rd in the county of
Charlotte in the Province of New York
this the 9Th day of February in the 14th
year of the reign of our Sovereign Lord
Geo. the Sd of Great Britton Anuo Do
mino I774" This was regular warranty
deed except Quietment."
The word Quietments suggests the days
of Ethan Allen and the bench seals"
Jedadiah Jackson, who came from Wal
| lingford, Connecticut. soon built the
hotel, and kept it till 1899, when he sold
to Jonathan Thompson for 'fve hundred
pounds lawful money" quite large sum
for 100 acres and the building thereon in
those days. Thompson kept the hotel, and
run the stages, till 1911, when he sold to
Orange and Stephen Hyde, two brothers,
who kept it till 1922, whence its name
Hyde Hotel" that it has borne during
the present generation. 1t was popular
resort under the management of the
Hydes, and also, under that of Thompson,
while "the memory of man runneth not
back" to Jackson, yet the style and finish
of the building indicates that it must
have been popular then. This waif, we
snatch from oblivion, to pin upon the new
edifice that soon will take the place of
this old landmark.
FERRIsBURGH.-Mr Lansing Hard, q
well known farmer of Ferrisburgh, died
Friday morning last in his 10th year.
Some two months since, Mr.. Hard acciden-
tally scratched his hand with pin. Soon
after he appliad strong camphor to the in
iured part. 1t commenced swelling and
continued to grow worse.--the original
injury healing in the meantime,--until
his whole arm. was affected and turned
black to the shoulder. Nopermanent re-
lief was afforned him, and in spite of the
hest medical skill, Mr.. Hard died, as
above stated.
BURIINGToN.-Edw Carswell the
temperance orator, lectures at Burling-
ton this, Monday evening.
The Free Press says the City Hall
MAO 6Ilad IN hear Georoe Francis Train