Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1879-11-18
GUILFORD, VERMONT,
A VACATION RAMBLE.

|
Guilford, Vermont, and as some of the
early families in Paris had relatives in
Guilford, and sometimes visited them, a
brief account of the town, and its early,
and some of its later inhabitants, may be
| of interest to their descendants in Oxford
County. or course it will be understood
that do not usurp the editors preroga-
tive. and use the "we" editorially in this
article, but employ the first person plural
simply because | was not alone in my ram
bles. The town of Guiford is situated on
| the northern border Of Massachusetts. Il
| little more than one hundred miles distant
! from Boston. From Portland, the most
direct route is ny the Portland and Roch-
ester and Nashua and Worcester railroads
to Aver Junction. thence by the Fitchburg
and Vermont and Massachusetts roads TO
| Millers Falls and thence by the Connecti-
cut Valley road to Brattleboro, Vermont
Brattleboro is situated on the Connecticut
river, and Guilford is the adjoining town
on the west, or rather on the southwest
4 glance at the map shows that Vermont
is quite narrow on the south side, only
about forty miles wide, but widens gradu-
ally towards the north. where its width
exceeds a hundred miles. The Vermont
towns OF Vernon, Guilford, Halifax, Whit
| ingham, Readsboro, Stamford and Pownal
are situated in succession from the Con-
necticut river, along the Massachusetts
border 10 the easterly line of New York.
Brattleboro is situated next north Of Yer
non, and is the first OF a second tier OF
towns Persons familiar with New Eng
land history, are aware Of the long and
bitter controversy for the possession Of
the territory now comprising the State Of
Vermont, between the States Of New Hamp-
shire and New York The territory was
then called the New Hampshire Grants,
aud the quarrel over it which began before
and continued till after the close OF the
Revolutionary war, was finally settled by
the erection of the disputed territory into
a new State
Those in favor Of the New Hampshire
claims and afterwards of an independent
State. were known as Green Mountain
BOYS" and the celebrated Ethan Allen was
their leader In this controversy the in
habitantS ofthc border towns we hayemen-
toned or a majority Of them. took sides
with New York, and were called "Yorr-
erS" During the war of the revolution.
the tories sided with the New York parti-
zeus which made them numerically very
strong. AZ one time Ethan Allen with u
hundred Green Mountain Boys came into
Guilford and issued a characteristic proc
lamation TO the effect that unless the poo-
pie Of Gulford should peaceably submit o.
the authority of Vermont, the town should
be made aS desolate as were the cities OF
Sodom and Gomorrah. Aliens troops were
fred upon in Guilford, and the result was
that most of the malcontents were taken
prisoners by the Green Mountain Boys and
the contest virtually settled.
The town ofGuilford was chartered April
2d 1874, by the State Of New Hampshire to
Elijah Williams and IS others, most ofthem
from Massachusetts, and the old town of
Rchoboth contributed not few 10 the unm-
her OF the first settlers. Al this time the
town and most of the territory in the vi
cinity was an uubroken wilderness. Under
the charter referred to, the grantees organ
lied the town and claimed the right 20
transact town business. The first land was
cleared in town in 1851, and Micah Rice.
the first settler. moved in l7Gl. lie was
soon followed by Jonathan Bigelow, John
Barney, Daniel Lynde, William Bigelow,
Ebcnezer Goodenough, Paul Chase, Thos.
Cutler, John ShepardSon, Edward Carpen-
ter, David Thurber grandfather of our
host, William Yaw, Solomon Warren, Sol
omon Fessenden and many others. The
surface Of the town is very hilly but the yir-
gin soil was good, and the heavy forests
rapidly disappeared before the axe Of the
hardy and resolute pioneer. Power was
granted to these pioneers by their charter
TO transact their municipal affairs a ma
jority should see tit, subject only TO the
control of the parliament of England. The
enterprising band of first settlers, having
little to fear from the nominal power Of
parliament, in the wilderness Of the New
Hampshire Grants, assumed the title which
was virtually created by their charter, that
of an Independent republic.
The population of Guilford rapidly in
creased and in a short time it became the
most populous town in the State. In l1I2
the inhabitants annulled their original
charter and declared the town to be in
Cumberland county, New York. The town
after this was in a continual turmoil on the
vexed question of allegiance, until after the
close of the war and Vermont became
State. During these unsettled times con-
siderable number of the inhabitants settled
elsewhere, and the town of Bainbridge was
originally, almost entirely settled by refu-
gees from Guilford. After the settlement
of the long controversy there was a new
influx of emigrants, and the unsettled lands
were speedily taken up. Dairying seemed
to be the favorite pursuit oy the early set
tiers, and the dairy products Of this town
once exceeded those of any other town in
New England. The hillsides afforded rich
pasturage, and also an abundance Of hay.
Scores offarmerS in town kept from twenty
TO fifty cows Early in this century di-