The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-07-26

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of Corinth.@ We can only
outline the general course OF
events.
The town is six miles square,
being bounded on the north by
Topsham, east by Bradford, south
by Vershire, and West by Wash
ingion. It is land of hills and
valleys, irregular and diversified,
but containing no high hills or
mountains, ponds or lakes to in
tertere with the operations of ag-
riculture.
The town was chartered by
New Hampshire in 1864, to Col.
John Taplin, Maj. Henry Moore
and Mr.. Ward. The state OF
New York afterwards extended a
confirmation of the grant and
Col. Asa Porter and a Mr.. Pills
bury afterwards became proprl-
tors. The town was decade be-
hind the river towns in the time
of settlement.
In the spring of 1777, Ezekiel
Colby, John Nutting and John
Almond spent several weeks here
in manufacturing maple sugar.
They started from Newbury, each
with a fve-pail kettle on his
head, and travelled twelve miles
through the woods, guided by a
pocket compass. They encamped
the first night on a small island
in Waits River, near the present
village of East Corinth, and the
next day arrived at their destina-
ton near the center of the town.
That year Mr.. Colby moved in
with his wife, the first family in
town. The next year Mrs. Colby
gave birth to a son, the first male
child born in town. He was
named Henry, and received 100
acres of land as a gift from the
proprietors.
In 177S John Nutting with his
family located near the center of
the town. He was justice of the
peace, and a useful and influen-
tial citizen. The next year, 1879,
Edmund Brown, Samuel Norris,
Jacob Fowler and Bracket
Tow1e arrived with their families
and John Aiken of Wentworth,
N. H., erected a grist mill which
was used the following year.
The year 1880 was an eventful
one for Corinth. That year the
town was organized, and the first
grist mill was put in operation.
George Banfield was first town
clerk, David McKeen, first con-
stable, Nehemiah Lovewell, first
representative. During this year
a small fort was built, and Lieut..
Elliot was stationed here with
twenty men, to guard the inhab-
itants ugainst tories and Indians.
In 1871, Col. Waite and Maj.
Kingsbury with two companies
of soldiers, under Captains Sealy
and Nelson, built fort on Cooks
Hill near the center of the town,
and this was an outpost to guard
the river towns.
In October of this year five
men from this fort being on a
scout, proceeding down Winooski
river, were fired upon in the town
of Jericho by a party of sixteen
tories, and three of them wound
ed. John Barret, one of the num-
Der, lived only forty hours and
was buried near the margin of
Winooski river. The others were
carried as captives to Quebec and
kept until the next spring, when
they were allowed to return. In
1882, a British scouting party of
twenty men, under Major Breck-
enridge, after annoying the set
tiers of Newbury, killing one man
and taking another prisoner; pro-
ceeded to Corinth, where they
compelled the settlers to take the
oath of allegiance to King George.
Such were the dangers. and
hardships endured by these brave
pioneers. Col. John Taplin, one
of the original proprietors and the
progenitor, of the numerous and
influential family of that name,
early settled in the northeast
part of the town. He owned the
land where is now the village of
East Corinth, where he in COM
pany with his son Goldbourn
Taplin, built the first grist and
saw mill in that part of the
town. Samuel Corliss, Capt.
Daniel Stevens and Reuben Page
were among the earliest settlers
in this part of the town. The