Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-03-28
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toricRi Literature.
The latest addition to the published his
tories Of Vermont towns is the history of
Hartford, compiled and recently issued NV
| William Howard Tucker Of that place. The
history makes a volume Of nearly 500 pages.
and shows the results Of large amount of
painstaking work. Mr. Howard states that
he has given four years of steady applica
ton TO his task, finding the work grow up
on him as he proceeded. as always happens
in such case. The thing which made the
compilation Of the history especially din
cult was the discovery Of blank space
covering the n years from ms TO 1902
when the records had been DESTROYED The
people who figured in that period are all
dead, and the missing links had to be gath.
cred and fitted in by village to-vllage and
house TO house visitation in all the surround
ing country. The history begins with the
issue Of the charter Of the township of
Hartford by Gov Wentworth of New
Hampshire, it being the first charter issued
after tho close of the French war. Its
date was July 1. 1867 The township was
formally organized on the 29th of the fol
lowing August and the growth Of the town
and the record made by its inhabitants is
thereafter traced with method and com.
pleteness. The physical characteristics of
the town are described, aud there are brief
descriptions Of its four villages White
River Village, Quccbee, West Hartford and
White River Junction.
To the general reader the most entertain
ing chapter of the volume is the eighth.
which describes, with a ready aud graceful
pen, the Customs Of the olen time
Like the pioneers Of all other Vermont
towns, the early settlers Of Hartford we're
a people of simple, frugal habits, warm
hearted, generous minded, self sacrificing
IN their personal relations, independent and
out spoken in their political convictions. Of
unbending honesty and conscientonsness
in their dealings with others Their fare
was plain aud coarse and their habits of
life severe. and it was for this reason Mr..
Howard thinks, that the universal habit Of
drinking flip, tOddy and sling" proved less
harmful than is the case with the more
dantly bred people Of today. The first
settlements we're on the hills, because they
were more lightly timbered, because the |
vegetable mold formed by the hard wood
trees was more favorable to vegetation than |
that on the pine lands below, aud because |
the lowlands were more likely TO he swampy |
and malarious. pen picture is given Of |
the log houses Of the time with crevices |
chinked with clay the floors laid of split |
and hewn logs, wide fire places, and print
tive furniture aud means Of cooking. The |
food consisted wholly Of such things as |
could he grown on the little patches Of |
cleared land and Of the game aud fish then
so plentiful. Every girl was trained 10 the
arts Of housekeeping The ambition " |
each, as she grew up, was to own one calico
iress, for which six yards constituted a
pattern. and it took twelve weeks h earn
the money to pay for the cloth and trim
ningS. The children were taught to rever
snce the aged, honor aud obey their parents
and respect their teachers. They we're
taught, moreover, that the prime qualifica
lions for useful aud happy life were hab-
is OF industry. economy aud honesty. aud
the keeping Of their wishes and desires
within their means. These early genera
lions were not without their keen social en-.
oyments which consisted Of cuttings, az
pie parings, neighborly visits, and bees"
or the performance Of all sorts Of neigh.
porhood work
The building of the first hr;ds,as tho
Early river boating, both by fiat boats and
'teamboats and the opening of the first
'ailroad line are described The first ground
broken for a railroad in Vermont was ON
he Central Vermont line at Windsor Dec.
ID, 1910. The first rail was laid at White
River junction early in lS47, and the first
passenger train was run from White River
Junction to Bethel June 26 ls4s The
movement Of population, the neurology Of
he town, and its part in the war Of 1912.
md its contribution to the war Of the re
'ellion are given in detail. The history Of
he churches and schools is carefully traced
cry valuable tables of statistics of various
finds are given. Chapters Of genealogies
# leading Hartford families complete the
'Olume. The value and usefulness of the
'ook are greatly enhanced by careful in
exes by chapter and by title. The work
: manifestly Of value in two respects: it is
4 present interest to all living sons and
daughters of Hartford, and it furnishes
arge amount Of original information upon
which future historians will draw.