Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1885-06-26

Slate Ouarry-LOcatiOn OF School houho IN ltbd-
DR.. John Wilson C'Thunderbolt9 Teacher in the
Dstrict-Ferries, when Chartered-storea, Shops,
Saw Mills and Taverns-The Old Sargent Bible
Lieut.. Sargent soalped by the "Indan Enemy" In
i7ls, and His Scalp In Possession Of His Descend
ants Nearly 80 Years.
January 14th, 1885, was one Of the fairest
days of winter. No morning In June was
ever more lovely at sunrise than the dawn Of
that winters day. The air was not disturbed
by the slightest bre, ze, and the mercury in
dicated zero weather. Very soon after the
sun rose the writer went to the summit Of a
hill in the pasture north Of John f. Hough-
toms, from which he obtained fine view Of
the plains below and the surrounding land
scape. No snow was TO be seen except patch
an In the glens and along the edges Of the
woods. The level tract Of land is called
"Shad Plains" and was 80 named because of
the abundant growth Of the sbad-fiower in
this locality in early times. Most Of the farm
dwellings in the district can be seen from the
summit Of the hill on which we stood also
the little red school house, in which we were
10 spend six hours OF the day in educational
work During the few minutes that were
spent on the hill top, taking birds eye view
OF tue scene below, we decided 10 look back
ward a hundred years, and catch glimpse OF
the locality M il was In the times OF the early
settlers. Eighteen families now reside in the
district, having 20 children Of school age. In
1898, 81 families with about 40 children be-
longed 10 the district. The number OF schol-
ara reported in 1920 was 40. Formerly the
district included the families AZ far north as
the John +. StearDs place the northern lin
it il now south of the road leading from the
great road TO the upper ferry. At the begin
ming Of the present century there was quite a
village in the northern section OF the district.
What was long known a. Roger BiIchards 3
store burned in 1870, was owned in 1904 by
Capt. Jabez Butler, a Revolutionary soldier,
Samuel Stearns, NJ d., LII d., and Asa Hough-
ton, astronomer. DR.. Stearns probably lived
in the house north Of the store. Asa Hough-
ton was his nephew, and may have had a
homo with the doctor sister OF Dr. Stearna
WAS the wife OF Wm. Hsrschel, the celebrated
astronomer. Capt. Butler occupied the tav-
ern, now the house of Nelson Willard, in 1902,
and was probably inn keeper several years be-
fore that date. Thomas Lewis kept the tAv'
ern in 1904, and Daniel Harvey in 1910. Ben
jamiu Bangs had hatteT's shop east side OF
the road, near the store, in 1905. 1t was own.
ed by Jacob Houghton in 1870 who sold oui
TO Asa HOuRhton. A cooper's shop was also
near, on the same side Of the road. In 1898
Charles Davenport lived on what is now the
Stearns place. The old apple-tree which be
set out near his house about l77G was blown
down the past winter. II measured 10 feel
in circumference Mr.. SteaTns claimed thai
he gathered from il in a single year 10 bush
, els Of apples. William Miller, son Of Capt
Isaac Miller, who surveyed the town into lotI
IN 1867, lived on the old homestead in whaI
now forms the ell Of Geo. A. Walkers house
IL was at Mr.. Miler's house where Col. Ethan
Allen stopped over night in 1884, on his way
to Guilford TO help drive out the "Yorkera
Benjamin Whitney, John Fuller and AaroT
Brooks lived near Mr.. Miller. Whitney bough
his farm in 1881, paying for il 900 Spanish
milled dollars" AsAhel Webster owned G(
acres of land, on which he built the hous'
that is now the home Of Dea. Adm A. Dut
ton. He was q blacksmith, and bad IhoI
that stood south Of the present buildings, nes
a butternut tree growing on the west side o
the road He sold his place to Giles Als1an
| der in 1905 for $500 and removed to Ben
ninglon. On his way over the Green Noun
tains TO his new home he stopped ON ih
height of land that overlooked the Oonnecti
cut valley, and gave a long, lingering look to
ward the region he Was viewing for the las
time. man who passed him al that momen
reported him as seated on g log, shedding
tears abundantly.
Charles Davenport, jr., lived east Of Web
ater's farm, and Jesse Hildreth lived near tn
ferry in 1888, then known a. Hildreth's ferry
| His parents were Joseph and Lydia Hildreth
who lived on what il called the Morris Law
ton place, now occupied by p. W. Manley
They were residents OF the town before l77l
when Mr. Hidreth was one Of the commit
tee to locate the first Aground and fol
ward the building OF the first meeting house
He settled near Putney West Hill on Ian
since owned by VIM. Wheeler. At that tim
ha nllinaA 10 fgaN hia erFiAl arnun1 a
mill in Hinsdale. N. H., some 16 miles dii
tant. He carried it ON his back TO the ferry
then went by boat on the river. Joseph Hi
dreth was born in 1924, and was the son {
Joseph Hildreth, probably from Petershan
Mass. He died July 4, 1896, aged 70. Lydil
his wife, died May 26. 1893, aged 6S. The
children (oTder uncsrtain) were Josepl
born l74S, Anna, ID. Stephens, Sally, Ezekie
Jesse, Wilson, Lucy and Polly. Joseph ma
ried Submit ---- about 1875. He died Ma
%, 1912, aged G., and his wife Aug. G, 1872!
aged ~ They had lG children-one boy an
10 girls. Hannah, the eldest, married Jamt
johnson in 1892 Phoebe married Alpher
Higgins in 1897 Joseph married Abigail b.
mis- No record of the other children. j,
seph and Abigails children were Joseph, job
and George The latter married Mary ClATl
and WAS the father of Joseph Hildreth, no
living in BrattleboTo, whose son Joseph
the ninth generation Of the family named j,
seph. Jesse Hildreth married Lucy Sever
Sept 10, 1887, and his brother Wilson ma
ried Lucy Hudson, Sept. 2S, 1880. His ri
ter Lucy married Caleb Higgins in 1896, al
after her death in 1897 he married her sist'
Polly the following year.
Bella Shaw, gentleman. lived in 1898 pro-
ably in the house now occupied by Willis Ra.
He sold the place in 1894 TO LsonRrd FArwt
| 81 L ha aNrfaA ala 40 NWn
the rock near by aud sold the same to a maj
ufacturer OF school states in New York. II
! slate rock or quarry was sold by David BEN
! ! in 1892 TO Jonathan Willard OF Lancaster, Il
cluding one-half acre of land. Ephraim AL
Q Joseph Carter owned a share in the slate qua
ry in 1894, for which they paid Willard 81
} Joseph Wales was an owner in 1895, and 30
/ his claim to Thomas Clark in 1910
Mr.. Willard also owned a store, then stan
!. ing on land of Rufus Sargent, east side
I tho 'great road" the site Of which is now
little south Of Parker Morse's barn. He 30
the store to John Patterson, gentleman,
Shirley, Massachusetts. Stephen Beal, wi
lived a little east from Rufus Sargent, 6
forwards owned the store. He sold il
Joseph Jacobs who sold it TO Bella Shaw
1900. Some years later il was sold 10 Benz
min Pierce, and removed TO the place own
by the late Don HoughtoD, where il WAS 60
verted into a dwelling. II now forms pG
of the ell OF the new house built in 1870
Mr.. HOughtOn and now owned by lis 10
John r. Houghton. The double doors OF
old store are still in service in frcnt OF t
wood-ToOm.
The school house stood in 1898 on land j,
south of the dOoTyard Of the place owned
the late John Prssson and now occupied
, Henry Tower The location ia given in
;, old deeds AZ being west Of whore Bella Shl
lived and at the northwest corner Of land 81
with the slate rock II was removed TO
present site near Samuel WheeleT's in 49,
DIR. John Wilson, known as ''Thunderbol
taught school in this building during the W
ter Of 1919 20. The old road TO the fei
then passed south of the school house inste
OF north OF il, a. at the present day.
Wilson came intO Dummerston from N
> Hampshire by way of the ferry, aud, comi
up the old road, stopped at Peter Willar
- blacksmith shop, which then stood north
his house and west of the highway. He
terWaTds built brick shop south of the bui
ings, which is now Mr. Wheeler's cider.mi
The old buildings on the place used 10 sta
where the horse barn ia now located. 4
present dwelling house WAS built by Pc
Willard in l8O3 part Of the old house be
used in its construction. He kept tavern
several years, and parts of the old bar. ro
4 may still be seen in the house. DR.. Will
boarded few years at Mr.. Willard's, tea
3, ing school winters and praotioing medicine
some extent. IL is said that there IL a su