Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-10-20
THE TOWN OF DUMMBRsToN
Between the Years 1852 and
and I771.


OF the Town I'm 1854,
Ihe first settlement in Fulham, now Dunn
merston, was made June 5, 1852, bv Cant.
John kathan from Worcester, Mass. His
mousse, around which fort was built.
was located near where the Putney rail
road station now stands. The first saw
mill in town was built by him, probably
on what is now called Sackett's brook. not
tar from his buildings. The late Beniam-
IN Hall stated in his history of eastern
vermont that the charter of the township
IN lob was granted to Capt. John Kathan
unitedly with number of other persons.
and purchased from New Hampshire pro-
prletors, and that Kathan in few years
had with him eighteen associates and their
families who were helping him rapidly to
subdue the forests of Fulham and accom-
pllsh the conditions of their charter. As
matter of fact the charter of this town
was not granted to Capt. Kathan nor any
OF his associates; nor was the township
purchased from New Hampshire proprie-
tors. The names of the charter members
are given in the history of Dummerston.
Their number was fifty, besides Gov. Ben
ming Wentworth, for whom two shares,
500 acres, were reserved, and Sampson Will
lard, who was to have one whole share.
Probably none of the grantees ever resided
within the limits of the town. They were
residents of Massachusetts when the early
ftlarc hnYpbt So l..
of land recorded in the land records was
share of land in Dummerston belonging to
Jonathan Hubbard, Esq, of Townshend,
Mass, one of the charter members. 1t
was by him sold to Col. Josiah Willard of
Winchester,.N. H., Jan. 8, 1854, for 81 old
tenor bills. Capt. John Kathan bought
whole share, 400 acres, of Capt. Samuel
Hunt, gentleman, of Mortified, Mass, for
$780, 1t was the land on which he lived
and which he sold to his son John, June
II, 1886, for e4O0.
May II, 1856, Capt. Fairbank Moor,
Benjamin Moor, Fairbank Moor, jr., Rob
ert. Cooper, Aaron Cooper, John Kathan,
John Kathan, jr., Daniel Shattuck, Dan
lei Shattuck, jr., Joshua Cooper and Gid
con Shattuck signed a memorial or COM
plant against Nathan Willard in COM
mand of Fort Drummer. The complaint is
recorded in the Massachusetts, archives,
Vol. 70, page SAT. Secretary of State VIM.
NJ. Olin of Massachusetts kindly furnished
the writer a copy of the memorial. 1t is
probable that these signers were among the
Is associates of Capt. Kathan, in subduing
the forests of Fulham. Martha Moor,
the wife of Capt. Kathan. was the sister
of Capt. Moor, and it would be quite nat
ural for the two families to live near each
other in those times. In 1874 Capt. Moor
removed to Walpole, N. H., when there
were only six families living in that town.
His wife was Juda Bellows, born 170S, and
sister of Col. Benjamin Bellows of Wal
pole. I. He, with John Kilburn, was subdu-
ing the forests of that township, and prob
ably the captain wanted to help them.
Two of his sons, Fairbank, jr., and Ben
jamn are named in the history of Wal
pole. Fairbank, jr., married Esther Kath-
an, who was admitted to the church in
Mortified, Mass, Nov. 2s, 1856. Ben
jamin married May IL, 1755, Margaret
Kathan, daughter of Capt. Kathan, and
settled in BrattlebOro in 1857. Capt.
Moor and his son Benjamin were living
in Brattleboro March 6, 1853, when they
were killed by the Indians. Fairbank, jr.,
lived in Putney in 1853, on what was called
in 1926 the Timothy Underwood place.
He was Revolutionary soldier and march
ed from Rockingham, VT, for Ticonder-
oga. Robert Cooper was sergeant in
Capt. Josiah Wizards company at Fort
Dummer in 174S and was from Mortified,
Mass. Aaron and Joshua Cooper may
have been relatives of Robert. Daniel
Shattuck married April 16, 1719, Martha
Sergeant, daughter of Digory Sergeant,
killed by the Indians in 1904. Her broth
err, Lieut.. John Sergeant, was killed by the
Indians, March 20, 174S, near Fort Dunn
mer. Daniel Shattuck's first visit to Dunn
merston was Nov. 80, 1924, in company
with twenty-five other persons under the
command of Capt. Josiah Kellogg of Fort
Dummer. 1t was scouting party sent up
West river valley to lodge on the top OF
West river mountain and watch for
"smoaks morning and evening" Daniel
Shattuck, jr., and Gideon Shattuck were
probably sons of Daniel Capt. Timothy
Lull. ancestor of E. p. Lull, commandant
of the Boston navy yard about ten years
ago. came to Dummerston from Ipswich
Mass. in 1853. His wife died and was
hurled in this town, and he afterwards re-
moved to Hartland, VT. When the census
| of Fulham was taken April II, III, the
number of families in town had increased
IN A and the inhabitants to lS9.
The writer is indebted to Judge IL. ii
Wheeler of Brattleboro for copy of the
census return. In his letter, dated Dec
27. 1887, containing the document, he ex
Mains that only 43 names of heads OF fam
lilies appear in the list and that name ha'
probably been omitted in transcribing thu
census return. On examination the write
fonnd several clerical errors which hav'
been corrected in the following description
Of persons named in the return. Th
name omitted was Samuel Button. In
historical paper printed in The Vernon