Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-03-21
BRATTLEB0R0 IN l77l.
An Interesting Chapter Of Local History

An Interesting Chapter Of Local History
sugge-ied by Major stephen GreenIrnp-
Pension Papers,
Major Greenleafs pension papers suggest
that what Brattleboro was when he came
here might he interesting. 1t was town
in Cumberland county in the province Of
New York. That the territory was in the
jurisdiction of that province had been set
tied since July 90 1894 when by royal de-
cree the boundary between the provinces
Of New York and New Hampshire was
fixed at the west bank of the Connecticut
river.
Maj. Gen. William Tryon was the royal
governor and commander in chief under
George the Third, by the grace Of God,
Of Great Britain France and Ireland
King defender of the faith" etc.
Chester was the shire town of the county
The court was the "Inferior Court of Com
mon Pleas and General Sessions of the
Peace" Thomas Chandler of Chester,
Joseph Lord of Putney and Samuel Wells
Of Brattleboro were the judges of that
court.
When Brattleboro was chartered by
Benning Wentworth, royal governor Of
the province of New Hampshire he re
served TO himself 800 acres, beginning at
the rocks at the upper end of Fort meadow,
so-called, thence up Connecticut River two
hundred and forty rods, aud TO carry that
breadth back west zen degrees north so far
as to contain eight hundred acres The
southeast corner of this tract was at the
rocks in the river at the lower end of the
railroad yard, the northeast corner was
on the river on Mr.. Bradley's land nearly
opposite the east end of North street: the
| northwest corner was between the two
roads in front Of the buildings on the Gil
bert Smith place; and the southwest corner
south of MILESTONE brook and west Of Mr.
o. l.. Miners
After the boundary was fixed between
New Hampshire and New York, placing
what is now Vermont within the province
Of New York, whether Gov Wentworth
should hold the lands reserved to him was
a question. That he might hold this tract
in this town was conceded on account of
the Improvements made on it by him He
built a grist mill on MILESTONE brook near
where the Main street bridge is, is 1862
Here is Il copy of a receipt given at the
time:
"BRATTlEBoRn, Dec 9th 1862
Then received of Wilder Willard four pounds
ten shngs sterling, in full for an UXX that was
damnifed by bringing His EXcellency the Gov
Paid me, JOHN ARMS"
A saw mill was built on the brook at the
same place in 1868. These we're the only
buildings on that tract at that time. A
road had been built from Vernon line, then
Hinsdale with bridge over the brook at
that place, then up past where the asylum
is, and across the upper end of the asylum
meadow and West river to where the bend
in the road beyond the Thomas houses
toward Dummerston is now; another road
left that road at the upper end of the
Asylum meadow and went round up over
the hill past the cemetery north of Centre
vile, then north of where West Brattleboro
is and past Abel Stockwell's in Marlboro,
where Barna Clark's farm is ON the top of
the hill and extended westward about -
miles from the Connecticut river and into
Halifax. There was no other road in that
direction. A path extended from this
road across the mountain to Albany. There
was road from the top of the hill at the
cemetery northwestward over Wickopee hill
to Newfane and in that direction north to
Chester the shire town. Another road
came from Guilford to the main road near
where Col. Hunt lives, and extended to the
Connecticut river at the site of Fort Dunn
mer. The Putney road from where Main
street is, past where West river bridge
now is, was not built till 1896. The meet
ing house stood on the top of the hill north
of Centreville in what is now the open
field, south of the cemetery, and little TO
the west of the southwest corner of the
cemetery. AS the location of this house
has been a subject of question, and thought
to be further north, reference is made to
what shows it was at this place: A road
was laid out about that time, extending
from the cemetery westward, on the south
of the centre line, so-called, and the north
side of the meeting house to William Cune's
land. The centre line extended east and
west through the town, aud is well known
and easily located Where the meeting
house spot has been supposed to have been
is north of the center hne; while this sur
vey shows that the meeting house must
have been more than the width of the road
south of it. 1t was built in 1853, and was
the only public building in town in 1771.
The inhabitants Of the town at that time
numbered 4O3. Among them was one
black female. There were - heads of
families. These are their names:
Edward King, Nathan Gould, Joel Atch
erson, William Bruce, Israel Field, Sias
Field, Nathaniel Church, Timothy Church,
Joseph Burt, Jacob Ball, Ephraim Knapp,
Reuben Camp, Ebenezer Hawes, Thomas
Reeve, Jonathan Herrick, Elijah Prouty,
Thomas Cooke. Philip Paddleford, Richard
Prouty, John Alexander, Jonathan Hobbs,
Sawyer Knight, Samuel Knight, Josiah
Camp, John Houghton, Thomas Farrand,
Eber Church, Reuben Field Josiah White,
Nathaniel Church, William Nichols, Simeon
Corkins, William King, John Pike, William
Goss Liba Wilder, Samuel Brown, Wilder
Willard, Nathan Willard, Nathaniel
French, Oliver Harris, Josiah Arms, Mala-
chi Church. Isaac Robinson, Samuel Wells,
David Church, Abner Reeve, Ebenezer
Fisher, Oliver Cooke, William Macomb, Alb
ner Scovil, Ben amin Butterfield, jr., Will
liam Elias, Henry Wells, Samuel Kent,
Elias Wilder, Lemuel Kendrick, Levi
Belding, Thomas Chamberlain, John
Wilder, Joshua Wilder John Sergeant,
Thomas Sergeant, Jesse Frost, Jacob
Spaulding, Benjamin Butterfeld, Daniel
Whipple, Zachariah Whipple, Benjamin
Gorton, Jonathan Church, John Comstock.
That no one among them had more than
two names is to be noticed. Perhaps but
one person in Cumberland county had
more than two names at that time; that
one was John Winchester Dana, who lived
in Pomfret, which was in Cumberland
county. These families resided along the
roads mentioned, the principal part of
them near the meeting house and northeast
of there. Samuel Wells, Judge of the In.
ferior Court of Common Pleas, lived
where the Asylum retreat is, just above
where the Newfane roads divide now.
Daniel Whippe was sheriff of the county.
He owned the farm now owned by Richards
Bradley just over West river. The house
stood on the road after it turned off beyond
the Thomas houses to cross the river
toward Judge Wells's. Abner Reeve was
the first minister. He came here in 1870
and was about 63 years old. His second
wife was Deborah Tapping. Their son,
Tapping Reeve, was judge at Ltchfeld,
Conn, and had law school there. He
married the sister of Aaron Burr, and was
the author of Reeves Domestic Relations, a
law book, Before Abner Reeve came there
was no minister in town, except at times a
chaplain at Fort Dummer. That was be
fore there were many marriages to be cele
brated. The marriage intentions of David
Church of Brattleboro and Demaris Church
of Sunderland were published December
%, 1858, by the town clerk in Brattleboro
They were married by Rev, Bunker Gay of
Hinsdale, December 29 1868 This was
the first publication of marriage in town.
Henry Wells was styled Henry Wells, NJ.
A. He was the first physician in town.
He bought the land where the Gilbert
Smith place is June 2, 1867, and built a
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