Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-12-04
BRATTLEBORO VILLAGE,
"A chapter Of Its Early History.

""ere the Roads RHp---Some of tho
First Industries, stores, etc.
- Inc earliest history of the VILLAGE of
nt, may interest some readers.
uneH tpe town was chartered by Gov. Ben
mug wentworth in 1853 he reserved TO
nlulseii tract of the land on the river
+ extending from the lower end of
Ihe depot yard up to Harris place
anu westward far enough to include 500
acres. This covered the valley of Whet.
stone brook beyond Centreville. which
stream was laid down on a man in the old
indian chronicle as Wheatstone river
Nothing was done upon this tract TIL 1862.
Wnen Governor Wentworth had a small
Prlst mill built on the brook Just above the
age TO encourage settlers. There was
no miller TO the mill, but the settlers could
go ana grind, themselves, as they might
nave occasion. Before that there had been
Two or three settlers about Fort Dummer.
and in that year John Arms came and set
Tied where the Retreat farmhouse is, Sam
uel Wells where the women's retreat is;
and John and Thomas Sargent went from
Fort hummer and settled above West riv-
er. In 1894 the west bank of the river was
made the boundary between New Hamp-
shire and New York; in 1865 Wells got
and in 1857 built a saw mill on the brook
by the grist mill. He sold this tract of
800 acres, in I'LL to Esquire Stephen
Greenleaf, who had come from Boston the
year before, and lived near the southwest
corner of the fair ground. He divided the
tract into two parts by a line running from
! about the east side of Mr.. Crowelrs park
near the north end of the reservoir, across
Whipple street, School street and Elm
street to Central street, which cut off 200
acres next to the river, and included the
saw and grist mills and their privileges.
In 1772 Samuel Knight, who had
lived northwest of Wells, and had just
been admitted to the bar of the New York
court, bought 20 and three-q quarters acres
of the north end of this 200 acres, which
came down to the lower end of High street,
and built house just north of the libra
ry, and lived there. This was the first
house in the populous part of the village,
and he was the first lawyer of the town.
At about the same time Nathaniel Church
came and lived on the west side of the road
at the Retreat In 177S Matthew Martin
of Townshend bought the remaining 173
and one-fourth acres of the 200 acres,
moved to where the American House is, and
built very good grist mill where the ma
saws below. In 1910 Aaron Whitney, a
merchant at Mortified, bought of Knight
and Martin the land on both sides of the
road from the Baptist Westinghouse to
the American House, and Gardner Chand-
Ter, who lived in a house on the garden
north of Col. Hunts, had it and afteIward
in 1884 had house and barn where the
Brooks House stands, built before and &C.
cupied by John Humphrey, and a shop
where the stone block is, which soon be-
came, If it was not then, a store, and was
the first one in the place. In 1881 Joseph
Clark came and lived where Stebbins's car
riage shop is at the corner of Canal and
South Main streets, and had fulling mill
on the brook above the bridge.
In 1882 those living along the road run
ming through now Main street we're Ben
jamin Gorton at the upper end Of the West
river meadow, Samuel Wells at the WON.
ems retreat, Josiah Arms at the Retreat
| farm, Nathaniel Church at the Retreat on the
west side, Samuel knight north of the libra
ry, Matthew Martin at the American House,
Joseph Clark at Stebbins's shop, Elnathan
| Allen, Oliver Evans, and Asa Putnam be-
yond on Cemetery hill, Elisha Pierce at
| the Wood farm, Gardner Chandler at Col.
| Hunts, and Nathan Willard at Fort Dunn
mer. A schoolhouse was built soon after
where the Chase street schoolhouse now
stands. When Mr.. Martin bought of Es-
quire Greenleaf he mortgaged the land
| back to secure e2106 lbs, 4d, and the
mortgage was assigned to Samuel Elliot,
ir., of Boston, and in 1884 remained I'M
paid. A land tax of 10 shillings on each 100
acres of the land was said to have been paid
by Martin on his land to Richard Prouty,
the collector, and repaid to have land sold
for the tax, which was done Aug. 10, 1854
The mode of sale was for the bidders to
say for how little of the land he would pay
the tax and costs. Lieut.. Oliver Waters,
gentleman" of Halifax, was the lowest
bidder for an acre and quarter beginning
at the southeast corner of Aaron Whit
ney's land and running thence easterly four
rods, thence southerly, westerly and mort
erly to Whitney's line, so as to include N
acre and quarter in precisely square FORM
This included the house where the Ameri-
can House is and the mills and the
land on both sides of the brook at its
mouth. The tax amounted to 81, Is, Sd,
and the tins If redemption expired. Mr..
Elliot died AM widow applied to the
legislature for relief by extension of the
time of redemption, or by declaring the sale
void, setting forth these facts and that
the principal value consisted in the mills
and buildings, the soil of the land being
but Indifferent, and "that from the Idea
she entertains of the Legislative Body OF
the State of Vermont she has the most I'M
shaken confidence that they will not be
less disposed to grant her relief because
this request comes from a widow and a
stranger, and on behalf of several helpless
orphan children who without justice be-
ing done in this matter must be reduced
! to the most extreme penury." Her petit
ton was referred to a committee but nc
definite action appears to have been takeI
upon it. The collector decided the par
sold to Waters, who, in 1887, sold it to Ell
nathan Allen, who took possession.
; Jonathan Church built, before 1787,a saw
! mill above Joseph Clark's falling mill
where the paper mill is, and in that yea
leased to Samuel Dickinson of Petershan
land between for a shop, with the privilege
7 of taking water from the dam sufficient L
9 run a tIip-hammer. Mr.. Dickinson moVet
i here and lived on the east side of the roaC
e north of the American House. la 179I
I John W. Blake, lawyer and the seconC
i one in town, bought out Samuel Knight
who had become a judge of the suprem
4 court, and moved to where d. S. Prat
!. lives; and Hiram Houghton bought, ant
I built house, on the east side of the road
t now Linden street. In 1902 Lemuel Whit
Q ney bought and built where Mr.. Dowle
II lives, and had q shop beside the road to
/ wards Hiram Houghton's; and Elnathal
Allen sold the land where Mrs. Va
. Doorn's house stands below the blacksmith