Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-04-07
The Leisure Hour.
THE DE.ECO.v' .I.vD EEES TE.uES.


The good man whose history is here par
TALLY related, was born in the town of Mil
ford, Worcester Co., Mass, about the year
17G0. Baniamin Howard, the father of my
deacon, was a farmer of that town-de-
scended through four generations from the
first of the name who settled at Braintrec,
Massachusetts. lie married Mary Wheat
on, and became the father of n large family
of sons, of whom my father, a part of
whose story am to tell, was the youngest.
Benjamin Howard removed to Wind
ham county, Vermont, about I76 The
sons, except the two youngest, were grown
up. Two or three remained at Milford,
formerly part of Mendon, and the rest
went with their father to seek their for
tunes in the Hampshire Grants. Some
persons who had gone before made a most
favorable report of the fertility of the soil,
rating il far beyond what its sub equent
character could maintain. A spot on the
north side of West river about twenty
miles from Brattleborough was selected
for a residence. Only n few farms in the
vicinity We're then occupied. The country
between the Connecticut river and the
Green Mountains was almost wilderness,
and the settlement of the country proceed
ed very slowly, until the end Of the Revo-
lutionary war, in which nearly all of my
uucles were engaged. My father was too
young, being about fifteen years old at the
time of the removal.
The New Hampshire Grants extended to
the New York line; but the State of New
| York claimed to be bounded on the east
| by the Connecticut river. Thus war, bit
ter in spirit, but not attended with much
| bloodshed, prevailed for some years, be-
| tween the New Workers and the Green
Mountain boys, who, led by the indomita-
| BILE Ethan Allen, successfully resisted ev-
cry attempt to place the Grants under the
government of New York. My father was
an Ensign in Aliens army, and, suppose,
served faithfully for the term of one year,
when Congress interfered, and made new
State of the contested territory, calling il
Vermont, the Green Mountain State, and q
glorious record it has.
Fifty years have passed since l was IA
miliar with these scenes. But they are
doubly dear to me from long absence.
have often visited them in my dreams, ant
/ look with filial feeling upon anything
connected with my dear native State, ant
especially upon the county of Windham
where so many of my earlier days wer'
spent. This county includes about twent,
towns at the southeast corner of Vermont
Its whole surface is uneven and rocky
The great range of Green Mountains, whicl
| lao ic Gtn vii Of
beautiful outline, stretches for more than
Il hundred miles from south to north, wit
a slight variation to the east. Its easter
slope is very gradual, and in some place
almost imperceptible, being made by brok
en- masses OF granite, with occasional spur
from the main range. Small rivers fin
their way to the Connecticut from tn
whole of the slope, and the land watere
by these, when not too rough, is reasona
bly, fertile. Jamaica, whore lived the dea
con, and which was my own native town
was taken from Townshend, about eight
years ago, and running up the eastcrl
slope of the Green Mountains Joined tn
town of Winhall in the county Of Ber
nington. The West river, Il considerabl
} stream came from the northwest throug
Londonderry, and passing through jana
ca centrally, wontto the great river, as til
Connecticut was then called.
+, 4 mile from the west line of Townshen
a small stream came down rapidly froI
the north, and was named Turkey Mour
tain brook. Within few rods of whei
the highway crosses this brook was rath'
: a small frame house, withan apple orchar
= ! on the opposite side Of the road, and bac
> of the house was Il meadow, stretchii
along the bank of the brook. Here live
the deacon more than thirty years of Ii
life. Here died Benjamin Howard, at Il
,. age of seventy-ono, and here Mary, h
wife, died at the age Of oghty-seven, M
here, too, were born nine of the twel
children which kind Providence besto,
A. ed upon the good man, perhaps TO compe
he safe him for the lack Of more worldly a
" r. QUESTIONS.
All these things were altered, when, thl
teen years ago, l visited the old homeste
- some things for the better, some for Il
worse. The high hills appeared to be lo'
cred and what was worse, the apple-tre
were all gone from the farm where | "
4 born, victims OF the foolish idea that a
ples, If not made into cider, were good
nothing, when in truth, that was the wol