Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1896-11-30
South Barton.

This part of the town belonged to the
township of Sheffield until about 1856,
when it was ceded to Barton by an act of
the legislature, largely through the infiu-
ence of Chauncey G.. Drown. The land is
billy, rocky, and except in the valley be-
tween the mountains, not well adapted to
farming. 1t was very heavily timbered
originally and for forty years numbering
has been important industry. One of
the main thoroughfares of travel ran
through the valley, close along where the
railroad now runs, and before the coming
of the iron-horse much of the traffic of
Orleans and Stanstead counties was done
by this route. Among those who first
figured in the development of the section
were Abner Lord, his farm just across the
line in Barton, Andrew Folsom, who
brought up a large family of boys, Sam
uel Willard, Thomas Leavitt, J. r. Thomp-
son and Mr.. Drown. Sawmills were built
about fifty years ago where the j. Forrest
mill now is, and at point near the Drown
place further south. When the rail-
road was projected through the valley,
late in the fifties, numbering was begun in
earnest. Mr.. Drown took in, partner
in the lumber business, M. E. Blake, an
excellent mechanic and first class business
man. For years they cut large amount
of shipping lumbe and dimension tim Der.
Frye Tillotson of Oxford, N. H., and 9TH
ers erected large coal kilns near the sta
ton, and for ten years more thousands
of cords of wood were burned into coal.
Business was lively, buildings about the
station were put up, considera BILE store
traffic was done and times were good as
long as the timber held out. Mr.. Blake
moved away about 1870; Mr.. Drown car
ried on large business until the time of
his death, which occurred some twenty
years ago. He erected a fine brick resi-
dence near the depot. His son, Melvin,
who had been in Massachusetts,, where he
had spent some years in business with an
uncle, took Mr.. browns property and did
a large business in mbering and farming
for several years. The large brick resi-
dence was burned while he occupied it. A.
o. Blake succeeded to his fathers business,
bought lands and the lower mill property
and did good business in lumber for
several years, when he drifted off to
Lawrence Mass. Mr.. Willard left two
thrifty sons, Paul and Oliver, who have
been in partnership to this day, Paul,
however, residing on a farm in Sheffield.
Oliver has recently built two large barns,
one on the old home place, which he has
given to his only son, Ora; and another on
the old Folsom place which he has pur-
chased. John Forrest, Jr., and his son are
doing business at the Forrest saw-mill,
having recently put in a steam engine
Lyman Ell. Orcutt maintains general stores
business, and what is peculiar about it isl
the fact that he is almost totally blind and
is nearly helpless with rheumatic trouble.
He is just able to crawl about and mana
ages in some way to weigh, measure and
do up goods for quite a line of customers.
Recently, r. B. Lang having hired the
Drown sawmill, and enlisted help from
outside parties, has been doing a large
business in getting out rough bobbins. He
has an engine and considerable machinery
and is cutting out several hundred cords
of wood yearly. III. B. Orcutt, who resides
here, is night operator at Barton depot
A. A. Barber has hired the Drown place.
and runs a large farm business. The BUSH
ness at the station has long been run by
B. @. Berry.