Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-01-06
FORMER POSTOFFICES.
Places Where Uncle Sans Mails Have
Been Handled i'm MiddIebury.

Been Handled in Middlebury.
The first postoffice in Middleburv. like
the first settler, was pioneer in its full
est sense. Its domcile was located in a
dense forest. Robert Huston was the
Pc postmaster, and his log house, mile
east where Henry Hammond's house was
recently burned, was the place where the
few inhabitants could go once in two
weeks, the stated time for the arrival of
mails. and ask for letters. This was in
lI93. The village and land surrounding,
except few clearings for buildings, was
covered with pine and hemlock trees.
What is now a pleasant street was the
n'rth and south road between Rutland and
New Haven. There was road running
east 10 the postoffice and another on the
west side of the creek, where was saw
mill and other works. a store had been
established about three wears where
Cobb's block now stands. South of the
present Addison house was the dwelling
of Gamaliel Painter. Northerly was the
house OF Samuel Miller, which stood near
the rear part of the Beckwith residence
the Darius Matthews house, being a part
of the Merrill house, taken down In 1881.
small house built by VIM. Young and
used by John Simmons as law office,
and house moved easterly from the
Stewart corner. On the west side of the
street was the twO-story tavern house
built by John Deming, where the Con-
gregational church now stands, and BOW
owned by E. c. Brown. On the opposite
side of the creek was the Daniel Henshaw
house, built in l7SS, and small building
where the Phelps house now stands.
There were other log houses, but these
were the principal dwellings in the vii
lage at that time.
Samuel Foot was appointed postmaster
in 1907. and kept the office in the tavern
house built by John Deming, which he
had purchased aud was then Keeping
Hon. liOratio Seymour was postmaster
from 1900 to 1909, and kept the office in
in his law office near the residence of the
late Philip Battell. After Seymour
came George Cleveland. who held the
Office 20 wears. the longest term ever
held by any person, from 1909 to 1929.
He was merchant from 1907 to 1913.
when he was appointed United States
SblAtCAVI VI ItNtUut. Ills store ana
office were kept in several places first at
south end of the bridge, then in the
Hooker & Brewster store. about where
f /. Cushman tradej. When the Hagar
BLOCK was built in 1916 he moved the
oticoxN the second story over the rooms
used 80 long by the Phnney girls. In
1923 it was in j. Hough's store, where is
now the express Office, and afterwards in
the Allen block. Calvin c. Walker, an
attorney, was appointed in 1929, and
moved the Office to the west front base.
ment of the Vermont hotel. He held the
office seven years and was succeeded by
Erastus w. Drury in 1886.
About this time the Brewster block
was built with an extension on the north
end, which made 3 convenient place for
a postoffice, and MIR. Drury was the first
person to occupy it for that purpose. |
Charles Bowen in 1912, Edward d. Bar
Der in 1915, f r, Wright In lS4S. Asa
Chapman in 1919, and f. r. Wright in |
1853, continued In the same place. DR.. |
VIM. p. Russell, druggist doing business !
in the adjoining store, was appointed In
1867 and moved the Office into his store. |
In 1861 Justus Cobb moved the office to
the Allen block, where he kept it l3 |
years. a. 5. Tracy was appointed In |
1874 and occupied the old office in |
Brewster's block, which was enlarged |
and fitted up with much greater conven-
fence and the addition of lock boxes |
George Hammond, C. C. Peck, John II. |
Stewart and J. NJ. Burke have each given |
their four years of patriotic service to
Uncle sam In the same location.
A mementO of an old postoffice. per-
haps the first one In town, has been kept |
1t consists of desk and two deep draw
ers below. The desk held the mail for |
delivery and the drawer for outgoing |
mail. The original lettering remains. |
Here is the first list of letters ever print
ed from this postofllce; it was in the |
Rutland Herald for July |, 1893 Charles
Hay, Esq, Ticonderoga Jeremiah Hatch,
Middlebury; stephen Porter, New Hav-
en-; Mr.. Pond, a black smith, the west |
SIDE OF Snake mountain. SAM.