Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1873-04-23


,ridenis In The County HlStoty.
few days since We called on Capt.
lrios keeler. nov m his sTtk year.
We believe. the olJrst ihhshiisni sf
Town, aud CLEANED from him S5me
aad incidents Whicl. ~e know eanrioi
10 interest the readers IF the NEws-
LfE, both those who have listeuel TO
"DETAILS aud those. like us, who had
~ y heard them. Capt. Keeler is ye,
nrkably bale for a man Of bis years.
11ing retained quite .n amount Of men
snd physical vigor, notwithstanding
81 privAtious and toll Of life incident 10
~ esrly pioneers Of this section. We
~ the narrative mainly in his own
|1oris:-
<'My father, Aaron Keller, enlisted ia
1e Revolutionary war at the age Of IL
1nd remained till the close. leaving the
Fruy q Lieutenant. taking his pay wholly
~ Couiinen,ial money. which soon after
Fsr'l greatly deprecated in value and
|nal'y sold il TO Spectator for two shil.
|11@r snt siSpe nee on the pound, in coin
|raving him about $1,000. lie then
||G@1 in Wilton. CT, where ALEC resided
W. Elmore. who claimed to own a large
Incl Of laud on the lake shore in Yer
aooi. OF which father, Mr.. 0lmsted, aud
"a. Elmore each purchased 200 acres.
4 tho Spring Of l70l they started with
- ox-team and a horse following, 10 90
Ind take possession Of their purchase.
6ix weeks was occupied 10 the journey.
% arriving at Burlington they me; Il Mr..
||cacock who informed them that the +
&ract of land was ia the town OF Elmere,
enc 60 miles distant. This was damper
bu hem. and they were disposed TO go back
hrd abandon their purchase ; but the par.
y sotcd on the subject, and decided by
najoriiy Of one, to 90 and see the lanl.
nigh they did, and were all much pleased
|xilh the soil and location, so they decided
~ become settlers, and immediately com.
munced 'clcaring' and the erection Of a
bog house on each lot. In the fall they
Started for home intending to bring then
{a,nilies the next season. On reaching
eambridge they stopped with Il Mr.. Hall
|Uto made inquiries concerning their lands
I'M ascertaiucd how well they liked. Mr..
% / said he had 200 acres in Hyde Park,
~ offered to trade with father if he
|0onld give summers work Ito boot -
|[11 was taken with the idea. ~ he knew
|lt6 township was nearer Burlington aud
Did probably be settled sooner than
Eplore; SO they agreed to 60 back III the
|aorning and examine the land but the
1I6ers of the party tried to dssuade him,
|[Hd even threatened to 60 en- and leave
lii Father told them to leave plain
|1f1cks behind them, and be would soou
Low.
The next morning Hall and father came
s. yde Park, and father finding the soil,
be thought, not quite SO good as the
Zen iract-they made All even exchange.
ho next spring father took his family
effects and came to Cambridge. where
pt. Stafford offered hin. an empty house
an acre Of land to live in until he
ID build house on his own land. AL
time that season not occupied 10 Cam
tdge was spent in clearing an acre O.
I'D and building his house. The cleared
16fe was sewn with eats that year II,
|4ot his log house up (nea' where Mrs. N
+. kcelcr's barn now isl when an early
winter set in and stopped him for tina
|saason. In NJ arch of the next year h,
vent to his house on snow sLocs and shov
eI<d the snow cut of it, then FIVE fee
I'D and made floor of split logs. then
Yelled path through the snow to Da
W. Fitchs and went after his family.
was then FIVE years old. When W,
~ 10 the house, there was no doors OF
I1dows 10 il. and no fireplace but faith
Soon made door Of split logs ani Gu
Is for windows, using news apcrcs II
~ place OF glass, which were used fol
- years. The Eie was built near on,
I of the house for awhile, but in thu
1mer stone Gre place with Dutcl
161k and no jambs) was used, and chin
~ Of POLES or sticks -plastered with NOR
<f made Of straw aud clay. But littl'
lhe furniture was brought when VI
moved in. us the road was so bad
for awhile there was only table, bee
a rough wooden bench for furniture
be house; SO VIC suffered some priva
bat year we raisel wheat. corn. pota
and oats, and they all yielded boun
ilI crop. Fathers rule was 10 plan
he cleared land in the spring. thcl
u another acre and SOW it to turnips
/{hil cran he seldom failed of oetIinl