Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-01-08
BRATTLEBOROs FIRST BALLol
B0X.
, ri, or History of the Time wine" "
was Probably First Used'

l 4 Ikit OF History vi
was Probably First Ised'
A square ballot box, neatly n,au' ,, ~
cborrv said to have been the ilrsI one 'I ,,'.
used i'm this town, has been very N,'' i;
and tboughtfully presented ny MI T a. -
p,,ttorfnld of BOSTON to Col Francis Ooou-
bne for tbe Brooks library, ana Is 10 w
mIaced in the museum. 1t has been llaIiI
cd down from Capt. Benjamin BullerIl'T'
one of the early settlers to TINS SIe". - n..,
son. and the tradition that IL was wv ~
one uscd here seems well tOulue" an.
doubtless correct. a somewhat aIICl'i''
/ slim of paper with it gives May l. li''' 90
| the date of its first use. me Wv" ~,
/ orranized under a charter from Wv
ON of the Province of New ork, WIZ"
was not granted till 1865: Benlalhih nu'
terrified came here i'm that year ana svu'''"
where DIR. Bemis now lives. Ills uee' was
/ dated February ,, 1867, ana was IoI "
tract 100 rods wide and eNlehulHS nh,
| Connecticut river west % Horth IL, eio"7'
/ TO include 100 acres adjoining Janus VI
| John and Thomas Sargent on Ihe no. o,, ~,
| The consideration was el2O. III 'D' ~
settlers lived in town away from roI' i ,,,
mcr. ON the 9Th of March LOS '"P''
| Fairbank Moore and his son Behlail'il'
who had attempted the year ncIoIe ~ 1 ~,
| tie where the asylum farm IS were hl'l'"
| by Indians: and the settlement was not r.,
snued tilI 1852. when John Arms ana
/ Samuel Wells came.
In t-GG when Capt. Buttcriield came
/ CAM Nathan Willard lived at Fort Dunn
/ NOR and Lent. Wilder Willard near there;
rude grist mill belonging to GOV. Ben
ming Wentworth OF New Hampshire, prob
! ,.F |
| MILESTONE brook Just west Of where Nam
| street bridge is: John Arms, afterward
| Major Arms. lived where the asylum farm
! is Samuel Wells. afterward Judge Wells,
| lived where the ASYLUM summer retreat is
! Samuel Knight. afterward Chief Justice
| Knirht. lived up the hill ives OF the
| Wells place: John Sargent, aitcrward COL
onel Sargent. lived south Of where the
new road turns off to the Chesterfield
bridge and where his descendant, George
| SARGENT. now lives: Thomas Sargent llYed
at the foot of the hill beyond, below Cham
bcrlaius horse mart. where his descend
ants now live: and perhaps Oliver lidrrls
/ lived on top of the hill southeast OF where
| Mr. Thurber now lives and Dca. Gilbert
Smith formerly lived north Of Centrevllle.
| Fort hummer meadow had been cleared ;
the rest of the town was covered by forest
eXcept where these settlers had cleared
! about their houses. Other settlers came
and the town was organized on the first
Tuesday i'm March. l76S, "thc time pre-
fixed by the Patent. probably at the house
of DR.. Wells who settled the year before
north of Oliver IIarri>s, where Mr. James
II. Capen now lives. Naturally no ballot
box would be- provided for this meeting
! The next meeting vas holden on the first
Tuesday in March. 1869. probably in tn,
meeting-hous which hal been built the
wear before lust south of the southwest
corner of the old cemetery on the top OF
the hil north OF Centreyille, and which
was used for town meetings. This ballot
box was, very likely. used al this meeting
mistake as to time must have crept into
the tradition; probably by some misunder
standing. one of 10 years changing 10!
for 1869, and May for March.
Capt. Buitertield was a prominent mar
of the town and of the times, a captain Of
New York militia. justice Of the peac,
of that province. and a firm supporter Of
that government. as most officials ant
foremost men were. He was in attendanc,
| as a Justice of the General Sessions Of tn,
Peace at Westminster when the New orl
court was overthrown, and was with tn,
court party in the ARRAY when William
French was killed and Daniel Houghtol
wounded. When those opposed to tn,
court returned the fire. "oue of their Ball
entered the Cuff of the Coat Of Benjamin
Butteriield, Esquire, one of his Majesty
Justices of the Peace. for said County O
Cumberland which went out at the elboy
without hurting him and another wen
through his Coat Sleeve and just Craze
the Skin" \ pistol was discharged "a
Benjamin Buttcrtield, the Son of the abov
named Justice Buttertield so that the Pow
der burnt large hole in the breast of hi
Coat This son was the grandfather q
the giver The great grandfather was ofte
moderator of the town meetings undo
New York and presided over this box
After the authority of the government q
New York here was overthrown, and tina
of the government of Vermont established
he doubtless kept possession of it an
handed it down in remembrance of tn
rule which he had so much respected an
1 tried so hard to maintain