Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-09-15
THE TOWN OF ACTON
Which Was Annexed to TOwnshend
in 1871.
Its Early Inhabitants and Some of their
Descendants.

Descendants,
1t is to be regretted that measures were
not sooner taken to preserve the history of
the early settlers, for the number of those
who have an acquaintance with that
history are growing less year by year. To
many there is nothing more interesting
than early local history, and the question
is often asked, GLOW came these small
towns and cores to EXIST" Many towns
have incorporated within their borders sec
tions which were not originally within
their limits and which are still known by
their early names. In some cases towns
were divided for the convenience of the
different sections. In others it would
seem that the grantees of certain sections
would choose locality to please them,
and survey a township regardless of other
towns, and thus large tracts would be left
between towns, and these would be organ
lied into towns or cores.
When the towns of Grafton and Towns
bend were surveyed, a tract averaging two
miles in width and about four in length
johnson, an officer in the kings army,
and was chartered as Johnson's Gore, Feb.
%, 1882. The name was changed to Ac-
ton Jan. 2, 1901, and the town was an
nexed to Townshend Feb. l, 1S41. The
town meetings were held in the school
house near the place now owned by Nathan
Robbins. Thomas Farr vas one of the
early settlers, and the first school was kept
in his barn, on the place now owned by n.
A. Wilbur, just east from where the school
house stands. Later John Melendy lived
there and kept a blacksmith shop. The
Kingsburys and Claytons settled in the val
ley, where j. Boutwell, now lives. Here
was a village of Is families; store was
also kept here. From this place highway
led south, intersecting the main road from
the Acton schoolhOuse to Smpsonvlle,
near the Wilkinson place, so-called, and
one also led west to Pliny Gales place.
The population of the town at the time
annexation to Townshend was about 1855:
at the present time AZ persons live within
its limits. A tavern was built and kept by
Noah Fisher on what was then the main
road from Kent to Boston. Ebenezer
Huntington lived where William Jenison
now lives, and practiced law. The JUS
tees of the peace were: Amos Halle, 1902
3, 1S06-11; Aaron Knapp, 1866: Alex
ander Halle, 1872; Lemuel Farwell, 1873
10; Ebenezer Huntington, 1S17-19; John
Eicha
Daniel Fisher, 1S36-40.
Amos Halle was the first proprietor's
clerk. He lived on the Nathan Fisher
place, now owned by David Wilbur. One
of his daughters married Luther Burnap,
the grandfather of the Hon. Wilder Bur
nap of Burlington. A family named
Jaynes, from Connecticut, and Philemon
Holden, from Worcester county, Mass,
settled early on the Town Hill, on the
place now owned by r. Hughes.
Philemon Holden had large family of
children. OF these Sabra married Eliakim
Davis of Reading; Dennis married Ach-
sab Gates and settled on the place owned
by r. Hughes. This place was cleared by
Jonah Gates, the father of Achsah, who
raised a large family here. Squire Holden
married Lucy Chain and lived on the
place north of Henry Thompson's; Jonas
married RoXanna Jordan, and died at
West Townshend; Willard served in the
war of 1912 and settled in Reading; Syl-
vanus, who settled in Enosburg, had only
one child, a girl; John married and set
tied in Galway, n. Y, and Lorenzo also
settled in New York state.
OF the family of Dennis, Sabra married
Minor Purdy and lived in Manchester;
Philemon married Lurintha Davis of
Reading and lived in Townshend; Ira was
for many years engaged in the soapstone
business at Cambridgeport and Perkins
vile, and established the business now
carried on by his son at Chester; Louise
married David B. Richardson, and lived in
Townshend. OF the children of Squire
Holden, Asa married Susan Densmore of
Windham, by whom he had one child.
She and the child died at Townsend,
Mass, after which he returned to Towns
bend and married Sarah Wiswell of that
place. They had three children. Asa
died in Townshend in 1859 Hollis, an
other son of Squire Holden, married the
Widow Ardilla Babbitt, whose husband
was killed by being thrown from wagon.
Three children were born to them. He
was killed by falling from a ladder in 1881
in Grafton. Sarah Holden married Nathan
Boynton of Grafton; Jonas married Sarah
Otis of Salmon Falls, n. H., and settled
there; Elvira married Christopher Harris,
with whom she lived but short time /;
George married Mary Boynton of Jamaica
and settled on the home farm, but now
lives in Andover; Lucy married David
Stiles, prominent man of Grafton; Mary
died at an early age in Manchester, N. II.
5. A. II.
few drops of Spaulding's Glue on a brush,
l..Il 1, - IL