Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-08-22

some Enyettctiilc Opinions 0n nhct
nanmaamaa.an ........ IL

I'roposrd Ucmo,ai
AZ times ever since ite fleet thuut, csif.
tcuce ia colonial days, that portion az Yer
mont known n8 WiudLam county bus had The
question Of the location Of it's county build
ings brought up, discussed and settled for
the time, and again as new generations have
como upon the stnnd with tho various
changes incident to the movements of tho
population, and tho increased facilities for
travel and communication, new interests, or
rather the same old selfish interest undor new
garbs have como up and asked for change.
The earliest courts in eastern Vermont
were hold in Chester as the shire town of
Cumberland county, whose political existence
dates from nm not passed by the New York
legislature, July Sd, 7GG, and Chester being
nearest the contor was selected for the coun-
ty scat, and tho ASSESSORS woro directed to
levy n tax not exceeding 600 for tho eruo
ton Of tho court house and Jail. The FIRST
Tuesdays Of June and November were fixed
for the beginnings Of tho terms and their
length was not to exceed four days Obiec-
tions to the location were soon made oppo.
sition came from Rockingham, Westminster
and Brattleboro, and thoy who will take pains
to examine tho records Of those early days
viii be surprised to see how completely his
tory is repeating itself to-day. It is the same
old story, of tho noble spirit IF SELF laboring
for tho public good, and Rockingham and
Brattloboro willing TO take the dear po0r
public undor their protecting care and have a
courthouse and jail erected within their linz
its at tho oounty's expense.
May 10, 1772, the eighteen districts and
towns Of Cumberland county elected super-
visor5 who met at Chester on tho goth and &C.
lectod Westminster as the county scat. Jan.
10, 1777, the people of the Now Hampshire
grants assembled in convention at Westmin-
stor, and declared their territory TO be q free
and independent state under tho name Of
Now Connecticut aftorward changed to Yer
mont. Feb. 1G, 1871, the legislature of the
infant state divided Cumberland into the
three Counties Windham, Windsor and
Orange, and on the 18th the half shiros Of
Marlboro and Westminster wore established.
During the years that followed, with,thc at
tondant troubles of maintaining tho state
authority and tho increasing settlement Of
the hill towns with their naturally growing
litigation, a general demand for q common
centre for the courts mado itself felt to such
al extent that the half shircs were abolished
and in 1857 Newfano was selected az the
shire town Of Windhnm county. court
house aud Jail were erected upon the hill
near the meeting house and thrifty village
sprung up around them, and hero for thirty
years the county met in its legal wars. As
the population Increased, and the people gen.
orally settled in tho valleys, murmurs Of op.
position to the old hill grew loud aud long,
and about 1923 an act was passed allowing
the change. Then came a long, bitter strug.
glo for the now location Townshend, Now.
fame, Dummerston, BrattoborO, and various
other towns, presented their claims to the
commissioner, and after long, patient eK-
animation of the whole question, tho present
site was selected as the one best fitted to ac-
or NrfNa al N nd M 1tpfl1
were erected in 1925, and for twenty years
only the occasional murmur was heard that
by-and-by tho buildings will DO moved TO
Brattloboro. Astho buildings grew oldand pub
lie sentiment began to demand q better court
room and better sanitary conditions for tho
prisoners, the Brattleboro interest began to
talk boldly of their removal. This discus
sion resulted in an act of the Legislature in
1853 by which q commission was appointed
and tho buildings were repaired during the
year of 1854 at an expense of $4,000 and
for another twenty. five years the county build.
ing question was only stirred up by the at
tempts to organize new county in 1876, and
by the promoters of the Brattleboro Il White
hall railroad project, who never failed TO soy
to the people Of the West river valley, and
especially to Newfnne, Build this road and
the question of the removal of the county
scat will DO ended forever. The only
trouble is it is so difficult TO get here now in
tho spring OF tho year. Give tho world tho
same easy communication that they have
with Brattleboro and they will have no cause
for changing tho shire" All these things
have become matters of fact and Newfane is
as easy of access to-day by rail, telegraph
and telephone, as Bellows Falls or Brattle-
boro. Why, then, should the buildings be
removed 10 Brattloboro? Because Drattlo-
boro wants them.
Thus quoth the raven, ever more