The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1896-04-03
Early History of Bradford
IN CONNECTION WITH THE NAMES GIVEN
To THE TOWN.

| @At - - -
IN CONNECTION WITH THE NAMES GIVEN
| TO THE TOWN.
| A tract of land lying on the Connecticut
river was reserved by Benning Wentworth
the governor of New Hampshire, for the
| Rogers Rangers, so called and the town.
| now Bradford, was designed for Captain
Moses Hazen and his associates. Capt.
! HaZen having common ded one of the.cDnt'
| panies of Rangers under Major Robert
| Rogers, at the time of the French war with
! Canada. In petition sent TO the governor
| by Hazen, for a cnarter of the town. it was
called Waits River town. Before The char
ter was granted New York claimed the
| land by their order in council of July Goth.
| I764 and cons equently no more New Hamp-
| shire grantSwere issued.
Had Capt. Hazen pushed his claim as
some of the other Rangers did, he would,
| doubtless, have come into possession of the
land; but he and his company were sent
with Rogers to take p"Ssession of the French
forts on the lakes, one of which was near
| Detroit. After this was ACCOMPLISHED
Captain IIazen returned by the way Of
| Montreal, where he found rich and beau
tiful French lady, whom he married, and
therefore remained in Canada for time
trusting his friends, as he Said to look ar
ter his township in Coos. The name Coos
| having been given by the Indians to a large
tract of land. including Newbury, Brad
| ford, and other towns on the river, and sig
nifying 'the pines" with which the mead
| forwards general in the Revolutionary
war. He died in Albany, New York, about
| the year 1890.
| Waits River town took the name of the
river which runs from the northwest
through the town and empties into the Con-
necicut. and was so named from one Cap.
tain Wait who commanded another eonl-
| IF RanUaIC Gp nf tha no
| ty that was with Rogers when he went
| from the head of Missisquoi Bay to St
Francis village, an Indian settlement where
they burned the wgwams on the 9Th Of
October, 1859, and completely subdued the
savage tribe which had been cruelty har,
RAISING the frontier settlers in New Eng
land for more than half century. The
company then came ION their way to No 4
now Charlestown) by Lake Memphrpma
Cog and Connecticut river, to the upper end
of the Coos Meadows, at the mouth of the
AmmonoOsuo, where they expected to find
provisions; but the officers who had been
sent with supplies, after, remaining two
days, had left,-Only few hours before the
party arrived.-They found the camntire
burning. but no food; and their distress
was so great, it is said, their powder horns,
ball pouches and other ,accoutrements were
| successfully boiled and eaten. Being in
wilderness and without any sustenance
whatever, the party separated into small
companies, each one to hunt for itself 1t
so happened that Capt. Wait killed deer
at the mouth of said river, and after taking
portion of the meat for himself and his
comrades, he hung the remainder, in sew
eral pieces. ON a tree in which he carved
his name. The lives of those who followed
were, possibly, thus saved, and in gratitude
to Capt. Wait they gave his name to the
river. :
The first charter of the town was issued
by Sir Henry Moore. governor of New
York, on the 7th of November, 1866, to John
French and his associates, and warrant
was issued the same day to the Surveyor
General for survey thereof.
In this charter the name given was Brad:
ford, in stead of Waits River town, as it had
formerly been called. French having died
before the survey was made, new charter
was granted May 3d. 1910. to VIM. Smith
and his associates and in this, our present
charter, the town is called M9oretoWn, as
compliment to GOV, Moore
1t appears from deed and d road str
vey, recorded in our towit records, that the
name Salem was given to the town for a
time. at least by some of the inhabitants
1t is thought that on account of the disa
Qrepment that arose between the Vermont
efs and New York claimants in regard to
their land, that there was dissatisfaction
| with the name of MOoretOwn. and in 1888
the name was again altered to Bradford by
| the Legislature of Vermont Why 1t was
called Bradford is not known. Some have
thought it was because there was town
named Bradford near Newbury and Ha-
verhiIl in Massachusetts,. Others have
thought it was named IN honor of Gov.
Bradford who was the governor of Massa-
chusetts for many years, and this latter
suppositioh is probably correct. !.
The first settlement within the limits OF
the town was made in 1865. before the frs
charter was issued, by John Hosmer or
| Osmer. who built his cabin near the mouth
of Waits River on the north bank, and not
far from the place where Capt Wait killed
the deer. The next year Samuel Sleeper. h
Quaker preacher. and BenOni Wright be-
gan settlement near Connecticut river, on
! The upper plain near the north bounds Of
| the town. .
In ITO, in a communication to the Gov
erhor of New York, 1t Is stated that at that
time the town contained thirty heads OF
families, nearly all of whom were old sol
diers of the provincial army.
Most Of the above facts are taken from a
manuscript prepared many years ago by
John McDuffee for Th0mpson's History Of
Vermont, but was not received in time to
be inserted. Portions OF said manuscript
were, however, used for Di, McKeen's His
tory of Bradford and MISS Hrmenway's
History of Vermont H. c. NJ.