Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-11-17


Hobbs, Antony Burgess, and John Hart
ley came into town with their families.
These four families were the only inhab-
itants of Westfeld for two years. Mr..
Olds was man of ability, and had been
lawyer and a clergyman. He repre-
scented the infant town Of Westfeld in
1900, and the next year was chosen as
sistant judge of the county. He remain
ed in town until 1904, when he moved
to Craftsbury. Westfeld was organized
March 20, 1902, and every freeholder
held one or more Office. In 1903 other
settlers came into town, among whom
was David Barber. He built house
near the main road where it crosses the
Taft brook, and soon Lucina, a daughter,
was born. She was probably the first
child born in town. Lucina married
Rev. Fl. L. Gilman, and is now living
in Sutton. Mr. Barber raised up large
family and lived in town over fifty years.
His eldest son, Deacon Lewis Barber,
now resides in Glover. During this
summer Thomas Burlingame came to
town and began settlement on the
river, and in November of the same year
Rodolphus Reed of Massachusetts, came
to Westfeld. They encountered great
hardships in their journey from Crafts
bury. Mrs. Reed had an infant only
| two weeks old, and was in such a state
of health that comfortable journey
would have been severe. Init nrAat e-,eur
storm had completely blocked the roads,
aud they were three days in making the
journey. The first night they camped
out in the deep snow on Lowell mountain,
with nothing but salt mutton and a
little whiskey for food and drink. The
second day, by the greatest effort, they
reached the Caldwell shanty, in Kelly
vale, and remained in it over night. 1t
was logged up on three sides and covered
with bark. The fourth side was open.
Here Mr.. and Mrs. Reed and the in
FAINT found the second nights rest. The
next day they reached Mr.. Old's. The
families mentioned, with the exception
of some transient persons and a mulatto,
James Prophet, who lived with Judge
Odds constituted the population of West
field until the spring of 1904, when
Capt. Medad Hitchcock moved into town
from Massachusetts. He had three sons
Thomas, Heber and Smith, and made
his pitch on the fat where the present
village of Westfeld is now situated
Capt. Hitchcock was man of some
means, and he and his boys were full
of vigor and energy and they gave
new impetus to the affairs of the town
Capt. Hitchcock soon erected saw mill
and a little later his son, Thomas, pu
up grist mill. These mills were
great convenience and blessing to tn
early settlers, as up to this time the.
had been obliged to carry all their grail
to Craftsbury OF. Richford, usually o.
the back, and they had no boards o
lumber for their buildings until tn
starting of the saw mill.
William Caldwell of Barre, Mass. wa
the first settler of Lowell. He came fror
Peacham in 1903 and made pitc
t east of the present site of Lowell vi
e lage. He built the shanty, previousl
!. referred to, made some other improve
e ments and returned to Peacham.
7 was not till the year 1906 that he move
his family on to his new farm. In tn
spring of 1907 John Harding (Judg
Harding, whose death occurred la'
; weary came into town. He came frol
Barre, Mass, to Eden, Vermont, whel
G he married Polly Hutchins, and move
into Kellyvale on handsleds in Marc
;. 1907. The party consisted of five mel
y Mrs. Harding and her child. The woma
1t and child rode on one sled, and the pr
e visions, goods and household efec
were brought on the other four. JudI
Harding often spoke of the sweet night
{ rest he enjoyed the night he reached Il
log house, he had prepared for his fami
in the wilds of Kellyvale, and Il
- pleasure experienced the next day
d their new home. Major Caldwell, WI
S lived some distance away, was great
surprised at seeing smoke rise, d;
1t after day, in the distant woods. /
he finally made cautious approach, 81
he pecting the smoke might rise from
Indian camp, but was greatly pleased
he learn that a family had moved in
Of town, his nearest neighbors having be-
w twelve miles away.
TO BE CONTINUED.
re The New York Ecening Post sa
$ that the Republican party has no reas