The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1895-10-25
ID RFORD to be seen at its
AM best, must be visited in
EIPE summer when clothed in
w her robes of emerald, but

wv her robes OF emerald, DuI
as we see the first beams
of the winter sun rising above the
pine clad hills, at first just tint
ING the summit of the Fairlee
Pa1isade across the river, and
anon lighting up with crystal
radiance the fairy frost work on
the long line of trees that adorn
the mall, we irvoluntarily eXclalm
ct is a goodly land and fair to
look upon" This long street with
it's great square houses built by a
former generation, with its i'm
mense elms, and wide perspectlves
possesses a certain indetinable
and p1aintive charm, suggestive
of the past, and which seems to
echo the voice of some aged pat
riarch saying, "Orford has seen
better days" And here we ought
to say that the street itself scarce
1y bears external evidence of decay
but is trim and in good repair.
You only miss the smart activity
of the growing village, an ele-
ment which the rest and health
seekers will gladly dispense with.
We shall find that it is in the
interior points, in the northern
and eastern parts of the town,
locally known as Indian pond,
Davis town and Quint town where
we shall find the old cellar holes,
the broken barns, and ruined
houses, mute and ineXpress1bly
sad witnesses of once happy and
prosperous home circles, long since
broken, and never to be renewed
this side of the dark river.
Let us briefly glance at the dis
tant footprints of the early pion-
eers who laid the foundation of
the town. The young Mann of
y and his brave and bonny bride
of 10, (Lydia Porter) Mann, as
they begin together the long jour"
ney of sixty miles on horseback,
over the narrow foot-Path marked
with b1azed trees, between
Charlestown and Oxford, and at
the same time the longer and
more toilsome journey of sixty
years, from youth to the grave.
The father of John Mann had
purchased fifty acres for $50 loca-
ted lust below the village, and
our young couple will not have to
raise that hardest farm crop,
mortgage. The bride carried
sundry parcels that contained the
family wardrobe fastened to the
saddle, while Mr.. Mann carried a
knapsack, some cooper tools and
an axe. These were the 'slnews
of war" that in strong and hope
full hands were to carve a home
out of the wilderness.
Various obstacles, mud holes,
fallen trees, etc, frequently re-
quired "a change of base" and
the unloading of the pack. Set
tiers were only beginning to come
in to the different towns along
the route.
In Claremont two young men
had made a clearing; in Corinth
there was but one family, that of
Moses Chase; in Plainfield there
was one family; in Lebanon three;
in Hanover one; and IN Lyme
three families. The new comers
were welcomed to a rude but cor
dial hospitality and their journey
ended Oct. "a, 1865. The young
couple were kindly welcomed by
Mr.. David Cross and wife, the
only family in town, and invited
to participate in the first house
warming of the town. The roof
of the house was covered with
bark and the floor was made of
hewn logs, while blanket drawn
through the center served as a
partition between the rooms.
When an auger was needed to
make a bedstead. it was only to
step over to neighbor John Cham
berlain's, Quail John" in Thet-
ford, only nine miles distant, and
borrow one, and when the chairs
had been put together, take a
morning walk and return it.
The same autumn the Moreys
and Mr.. Caswell came into the
town. From this time forward
the town increased so rapidly that
in 1867 there were seventy-five in
habitants, and in 1873 they num-
bered 22S.
Among the early settlers were
the following: Timothy Sargent,
Rev. Samuel Todd, Capt. Jona-
than Derby, Clement Emery, DIR.
Eli Carpenter, Asa Tyler, Capt.