Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1890-09-19
HISTORICAL.
LIEUT.. DANIEL HIGLEY.
A Leaf from Early Times In Marlboro.

A Paper read by George II. Higley of
Ashland, Mass, on the occasion of the
Fifth Higley Reunion, held at Sims
bury, Conn, Aug. 2o-2l, 1900
Lieut.. Daniel Higley, who is the subject
Of this sketch, was the son Of Nathaniel
Higley, and the grandson OF Capt John
Higley the immigrant from England At
the time this account begins, he had com
pleted his honorable service in the Revo.
lutionary war, and was striking out in
search of new home for himself and
family.
1t was about the year 1881, when, join
ing in a somewhat general tide Of movement
northwnrd be went from Smsbury, Conn,
to Marlborough, in the southern part Of
Vermont, town adjoining Brattleborough
upon the west. According to the best in
formation obtainable, he was then about 43
years Of age His rough experiences during
the Revolutionary war, and the full strength
Of mind aud body belonging to middle life
fitted him well for the work Of a pioneer
settler
In order 10 understand clearly his field Of
operations the peculiar difficulties he had
to meet and overcome, so that we may have
the true measure Of the man. some notice
must be taken Of the character Of the
country which he had chosen for his home
Marlborough was at that time a wilder
ness. In 1861 few individuals, wholly non
resident, had obtained a town charter from
the Province of New Hampshire, aud four
years later the first two families moved in
TO town. Settlers afterward began 10 come
in slowly from Massachusetts and Connect
cut. Later dispute arose between the
states of New York and New Hampshire,
as TO which had the better claim upon the
territory lying west Of the Connecticut
river and east Of Lake Champlain The
settlers were involved in this quarrel, but
for the most part opposed the claims of
both states, and sought to set up a state
government for themselves. Congress was
| finally prevailed upon to set of the new
state Of Vermont and thus was ended IA
| bitter controversy, in which some lives Of
the settlers had been lost Before Lieut.
| Higley came to Marlborough the town had
| been organized, meetings held aud officers
| chosen. small beginning had been made
in providing roads through the forests. In
! 1915 a Congregational church had been
established, aud it was about this time the
/ first meeting house was built, which was
/ occupied for town meetings As well As for
| Sunday services The year before the
| arrival of the subject Of this sketch there
| had been new raids from the French aud
| Indians, so that the whole country had
been stirred up. The inhabitants of Mari.
borough voted in town meeting. that
every able bodied man should arm and
| hold himself in readiness to defend the
settlement" Though in this section no
Indian massacres subsequently occurred.
and none of the inhabitants were afterw ard
carried away captive by the Indians, yet
there was ever present an apprehension of
danger from that source. 4 small sprink
ling Of the population were Tories, who
united with the Indians in causing annoy
ance. The great majority, however, Of the
early settlers were patriots At an early
meeting of the town, very strong reso
luton was passed and put upon record,
| condemniug the course of the British par
| Lament toward the colonies and an equally
strong resolution is recorded in favor Of the
| proposed new state of Nermont-action
! which was locally regarded as an exhibition
Of the highest patriotism After the
| questions Of the war had been settled, and
| the new state established, so that the tow II
| felt sure Of its standing, the patriot citizens
! did not fail to pay OIL the score against their
enemies by expelling them from the town
! The records show the issuing Of not few
writs 10y the selectmen, by which the con
I 4
such persons, with their families, beyond
/ the limits of the town, and the returns Of
the officers show that they did not fail TO do
their duty, though compelled at times to
| call in aid TO overcome not unnatural
resistance. There had been some confusion
caused at first by the issuing Of different
town charters from the contesting state
| Jurisdictions to different individuals, pur-
| porting to grant land titles. But the early
inhabitants appear to have been reasonable
men, and to have compromised, dividing
| the township among themselves equitably.
| The town, which was six miles square, was
divided into sixty equal parts, or as they
were called, rights, aud these were
properly assigned. Each right contained
| 3S4 acres.
1t was in the year 1881 that We first
come upon doings in which Lieut. Higley
was directly interested. On the fourth day
Of September in this year he took the free
mans oath in Marlborough, which appears
to have been an oath of allegiance 70 the
state of Vermont. Later in the same year,
on the 26th day of November, lie received
a deed of land, described as right No 49,
This deed was from Seth Smith, Esq of
marlborough, and purports to be given in
consideration Of the sum Of nine shillings
4
surely for 3S4 acres of good land though it
be covered with wood; it being rule in
those days that three acres of cleared land
were worth fifty in wood. 1t may he that
the small consideration expressed does not
truly represent the price paid, or that in re-
cording the deed an error may have crept
in. The deed also recites that Daniel
Higley, the grantee, is ''of Sinsbury in ye
county of Hartford and state of Connecti
cut, thus identifying his lineage beyond
all possibility of dispute.
The land granted by this deed lay in the
northw esterly part Of the town, from fouI
to five miles distant from Marlborough
village, and was decidedly elevated in it.
physical character, being in the nature Of a
broad range of hills with surfaces gently
sloping to the east and west, and affording
convenient location for series of farms
This range became afterwards known u
this day as the "Higley Hill" A part OF
the land obtained under this purchase the
grantee retained, and it is still in possession
of Warren Higley, grandson, who resides
at the homestead, and is able at the age of
71 TO attend personally to the conducting
of the farm. One half of right No. 40 wa.
sold the next year, l1S2, by the grantee tC
one Dibble or Dabo of Simshury, evidently
an old neighhor for the sum of sixty
pounds, which, considering the price paid
was certainly good trade. The granite,
in this deed is still described as Of Sims
bury.
The lands of the town of Marlbo
rough at its settlement were covered
with a dense growth of timber; upon th,
highlands, maple beech and birch, with q
| sprinkling of ash ON other lands in addition
to these, spruce aud hemlock The hills
though high, were broadened often int
plains upon their SUBMITS aud covered
with a rich soil There were some valley
lands, through which flowed clear streams
of water abounding in trout, while numer
Gus small brooks, also abounding in tn,
same fish, came down from the hills. Il
was the custom TO build the first log houses
on the hills, as those lands were considered
more healthful and were quickly cleared
ms carry custom OF bulldlhg explains why
it is that the roads in Marlborough go ovei
the hill tops, when they might as well have
gone along the valleys at easy grades, Tn,
dwellings were located first, and the road
crooked about among and over the hills t,
reach them. A spot upon the crown of tn,
hill was chosen 10y our pioneer for the sit,
of his house A little way to the north tn,
land was a few feet higher, and at som,
distance to the south there was an abrupt