The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1890-04-03
CULTNATED FARMS.
The Pettibone Farm In Manchester,


Editor Sifter;-About three miles south
of Manchester Coult IIonsc we come TO
the large, commodious aud inviting farm
buildings of J. ]. pettbone, situated on
the old stage road from Bennington to
Rutland. Nj. pettib0ne's farm Is among
the largest and most productive iu Ben
nington County, and the homestead has
been in possession of the family 10 YEARS.
Mr.. Samuei Pettibonc came into possess
ion of it In l7s0. IL then consisted of
250 acres of land, and since that time 250
acres have been added, making he farm
now owned by the grandson TO consist
of 800 acres OF land Mr. ]. j. Pettbone
keeps 300 sheep, Is head of cattle and
three horses. or his neat stock IL are
cows, and he manufactures his milk into
butter and pork. The product of his farm
last year was s1.aSres of corn, acres of
oats and his WOOL, lambs, butter and pork
He cut about 100 tons of hay. Mr.. Petit
bone is much intere ted in the improve
ment of farm stock and having ample
means and being an excellent Judge of
stock he owns some that are very fine
The Holstein is his favorite of which he
has eight head registered. About II
months ago he paid $500 for a calf 6
months old which weighed 1850 lbs when
it was II months old. 1t is 20 months old
now and a splendid animal Since you
have Kindly offered me space to briefly
give some historical features of the old
farms in Manchester | very gladly give
some items that are connected with this
Old farm. One hundred and twenty-six
years ago man by the name of Samuel
Rose built Git is said) the first dwelling
house in Manchester on or near the site
of the present dwelling of Mr. j. J. Petit
bones. Sixteen yeas alter Mr.. Samuel
Pettibonc, the grandfather of J j. became
the owner of the Rose property, which
consisted of 250 acres of land and the
primitive appurtances. Mr. Pettibone was
then 40 years of age. The county was in a
primitive state. A road had been laid out
a year or two before, and the June previ
GUS a"meeling house had been decided up
on to be built 'as near the dwelling house
of Christpher Roberts as the ground and
the circumstances viii admit (The Chris
topher Roberts house was the house that
the Late SaIpu,l ll.nn hnS nwnaI aud
occupied and the meeting house" was
bull, just north of the Cemetery at Mar
chester Centre. And the road running
past Mr.. Pettibone's became the great
thoroughfare between Bennington and
Rutland. Mr.. PettiDone lived on his
purchase forty-two years and died in
1922, aged 50 years, leaving the farm to
his son, John S, the father of J. j. Mr..
John ). Pettibone was graduate of Mid
dlebury College, thorough farmer, and
positive man in every undertaking. A
friend of right and justice, and keen to
detect any erGakedneAs or mismanage-
ment in town affairs, and had the will and
the ability to expose and chastise it, as
many of the old people of Manchester
who attended our town meetings in the
tifties and sixties will remember. Mr..
John s lived on this farm life time and
died at the ripe age of 81 years, leaving
the farm to his son, John j, the present
owner.
R.RNIrMyIJJE. Mar. 3lst. 1890.