Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1898-04-29
IN AULD LANG SYNE.
THE MlDDLEBURY OF A HALF GEN.
TURY. AGO DESCRIBED.

- NiiNtn VI hiiiN 1tdfN ago w rites I'm
tertaingly of People and Places in our
Village in His Daytime Has wrought
Many Changes.
Concluded from last week.
cannot recollect who preceded viii.
liam B. Martin in the Vermont Hotel.
He kept it for several years. Next west
of the hotel was the house of Justus
Foote, the saddler. 1t was formerly the
Jail until superseded by the rough
marble palace on the corner of that
block. The house of Leonard Deming,
further on, must not be neglected. lie
would in these days be called crank.
His Remarkable Events" and other
works showed his literary taste, and the
painting of his house all over in red and
white checks his artistic aspirations.
Hon. Justus DOolittle, tall and digni-
fled lawyer and Judge, faced the other
Justus from the opposite side of the
street. Then came the store of Asa
Chapman, converted into dwelling
after his house at the south end was
burned in 1928. The north part of the
Masonic hall building was occupied as a
store and the south part by Justus
FOote and subsequently by Calvin Hill
as a saddlery. The old court house, the
Paul lead (Middlebury) House, the
blacksmith shop of Bazabel Brooks. the
wagon and carriage shop and the dwell
ing of Dea. Ira Allen, one of Middle
bury's best citizens, and the cabinet shop
of Nahum Parker, where $. A. Douglass,
the little giant, took his first lessons in
cabinet making. are enough to be noticed
in that direction. Ofthe business men Of
the east side whom | have not already
mentioned were Charles Bowen the
druggist, jonathan Wheelock, once a
merchant and | think in partnership
with William b. Martin, but | cannot
place either of them; Jabez Rogers,
once well TODD merchant and property
holder; Ozias Seymour, 5. w. Dewey,
William Slade, lawyers; John jackson,
a halter; Marshall, the Indian doctor,
whose catarrh snuil is still on the market,
and physician who had an office oppo-
site the old stone Jail
The bridge having been repaired,
which saw partially destroyed, with
the business buildings at the west end,
by the fire Of 1881, am now able to
cross and give some account of the resi-
dents of that side of town. But first let
me look over the railing of the bridge
and, resisting an unaccountable impulse
to plunge over into the depths, con-
template for moment the eyer moving
ever plunging waters Of the falls, and
the resistless swirl of the eddy below.
The Nichols building rises from the
ruins and after a long interval, the
buildings on the opposite side. a lane
leads down to the house where Aunt
Basha Nichols makes fine spruce beer.
A set of six or more steps leads up to the
level of the old Markham house q think
that was the name), which was once the
Midilebury bank. Another set of steps
carries you safely, in spite of ThiEza
Adams's overhangng sign of a magniti
cent flaring bonnet, up to the level of the
Henshaw house, the former home of ore
of our merchants. Further on is the
once stately mansion of Samuel S.
Phelps, one of the most eloquent and
successful lawyers of the county and our
representative in the United States
senate. His reputation and ability lead
as to expect much from his distinguished
son, and we are not disappointed. The
fine house of Seth Storrs burned down
in 1881, and succeeded by the brick
dwelling of Professor Turner (recently
of George c. Chapman), was near by.
Then came Sellicks cabinet shop and
Arson WilcOX's tin shop. At the end of
the street toward Cornwall was the
brick house of Mrs. Willard, the founder
Of u at ATiJJlah,r,, 81
the Troy On. W seminary. There in
later years lived Charles Linsley, a
prominent lawyer of the county. Seth
Storrs too was lawyer, but retired
from practice. He was also a prominent
Mason and very noticeable character
when, as chaplain, bearing the great
Bible in the st. Johns day procession,
or entering church. always wearing
short breeches, stockings and buckled
shoes, and having his head well powdered
and adorned with a queue.
The way to the college was across a
foot bridge spanning the river Styx, up
the steps and through the old wooden
building where the graded school now
is, then called the old college, across
college green to the chapel. Only two
buildings then belonged to the college,
both of stone.
On the street leading west from the
wooden mill were the mill and dwelling
of Mr.. Rutherford, the John VALET
place, and the brick house (now Sheldon's
museum) of Col. Judd, the first to saw
marble with soft iron saws. Here dwelt
and worked Nat Harris, the dentist. The
triangle opposite was place for piling
saw logs and stretching cloth. Then
came the store occupied, think, by
Birge brothers and afterward by the
Nallettes; the brick hotel, Hagar's book
store, and, across the Styx, the house
and shop of Elias Hall, the old gun
smith, and opposite him the house of
Moses Cutter. North, on Weybrldge
street, lived Doctor Zach Bass, more iolly