The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-09-30
EARLY NEwFANE HIsroRY.

haps none, in quiet beauty and richness
of historic associations surpass the town
of Newfane.
This place is some miles northwest Of
Brattleboro, on the Brattleboro and
Whitehall railroad.
The county seat of Windham county
has been here since 1880, before that time
it was at the old village of Newfane hill,
about three miles away. About an hours
time brings one to the summit of this
cone-shaped hill, surrounded by a vast
amphitheatre.
On the south lies stream in a deep
valley whose opposite side slopes up to
the bleak highlands of the adjoining
towns, shutting out more distant views.
In the west is fine view of Green
Mountains, extending from Hoosac
mountains and Greylock through the
chain including Woodford, Haystack and
! Stratton mountains to Mt. Holly in the
northwest. Away to the north stands
Windsor's trusty sentinel, Ascutney,
clearly defined against the sky.
But in the east the eyes meet vision
compared to the Sierras of Mexico. Back
from the lower hills of Vermont, piled
up, one against the other, rise the hills
and mountains of the Granite State.
In the north Sunapee guards the line
in the east Monadnock and Wachussett
show their finest profiles while away in
the south far as the eye can reach, Hol-
yoke and Tom, the twin mountains, their
tireless vigil keep"
Here, indeed, there seems to be place
where, cut off from the lower world of
action, one might stand face to face with
the great reality of life; here one might
look through Nature up to Natures
God"
And here almost at the summit of the
hill the early settlers built up village.
Though the land was granted some time
previously not until 1776 was it settled.
In the summer of that year Jonathan
Park and Nathan Steadman, twenty
three and twenty-one years, cleared the
land for two farms on and near the old
common and lived in log hut together.
The first winter they returned home to
Worcester, but the second winter they
remained here alone in the wilderness,
housing their stock five miles to the
north of their clearing, and every day
through the long winter one of them
went the five miles and back to feed and
care for the cattle.
Another of the same stamp was Eben-
ezer Dyer, who soon after settled on the
banks of the river, near the present vii
lage. He was an anti king man, law
yer by profession and on having a fine
of nine shillings imposed on him, he had
lain in Jail seven years.
Quite little settlement sprang up
here on the hill, and in 1887 the county
seat was removed here from Westmin-
ter. History gives us picture of thriv-
ing village, supporting all the business
common to rural centers. What remains
now? Just below the crest of the hill is
the old common, but not building
stands in sight.
A dreary waste, you may say, with
only cellar holes to mark the site of once
prosperous homes. And yet the sadness
is half gone, for, after taking away life,
nature has seen fit to obliterate nearly
all traces of it, Certainly scene like
this is much pleasanter to view than the
remains of weather beaten houses, with
decaying timbers and open, staring win
dows.
Crossing the common one sees to the
right the foundations of the academy
and the site of the church, while a short
distance below were the old Jail, court
house and hotel.
Passing on, one stands on the very spot
where the whipping post stood. Here
the last whipping ever given by law in
the State probably took place. Old
Mother White of Wardsboro, having been
convicted of cOunterfeiting in 1907, was
tied to the post which was in the form
of an upright cross. Her body was barred
to the waist, her arms bound to the cross
bar, and thirty-eight lashes were laid on
her back, the high sheriff giving the
number, the rest being allotted to his
deputies.
The blows were laid on with great
force, and she writhed and shrieked in
agony. The whole town turned out to
witness the show, and the windows of
the academy and church were filed with
women and children, eagerly watching
the sight.
Near this place the old Field mansion
stood. Great lawns still retain their ter
raced form, and the cellar holes are Just
as of old, though the buildings have long
since been removed.
Here lived old Gen. Martin Field, noted
as lawyer throughout the State. OF
his sons, Roswell NJ. Field was the best
known. He gained national reputa-
ton by having sharge of the bred Scott
case until it was carried to the United
States court, when he turned 1t over to
Montgomery Blair.
Together with Blair and Gen. Lyon he
has the credit of having saved Missouri
to the Union in the civil war.
He left son destined to become more
famous than himself, though in differ
ent sphere. Eugene Field was raised in
Massachusetts, but much of his time was
spent in Newfane in his boyhood days.
He lived when there with his grand
mother, Gen. Fields wife, at fine old
place on Fayetteville common and has
written some very pretty papers about
his life there.
Perhaps it was here that Deacon Fris-
bee sprinkled ashes on the slide
Here in the old Field homestead met
many jolly parties in the olden time, and
among them is record of one which de-
serves notice as being almost unique.
According to peculiar construction
of legal maxim of that time it was sup
posed that if widow, the executrix of
her first husbands estate, married again
while possessed of any property furnished
by her first husband her second hus-
band became liable for all the debts of
the estate.
Hence, when the widow of VIM. Ward,
whose estate was somewhat involved,
wished to marry Maj. Moses Joy, they
repaired to Gen. Fields house; the bride
was conducted to closet and after be-
ing completely disrobed by her tire-wo-
man, extended her fair arm through a
small opening in the partition, and was
so united in marriape with the orrnon