Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1899-09-22
OVER 1O1 YEARS.
Gardner Upham
Died Wednesday.

He Was the Oldest Citizen Of Windham
COunty.-Saw Lafayette at Boston.
His Interesting Stories About the Cold
Summer Of 1916.
Gardner Upham, the Oldest man in
Windham county, who has been in failing
health several weeks, died Wednesday,
aged 101 years, months and 10 days.
He was born May 2, 1898, in Gulford.
then the most important town in Vermont,
with over 2300 population. His parents
were Jonathan Upham from Connecticut,
and Mary Whitney Upham from Spencer,
Mass, both Of English descent. When he
was six years old his parents moved to
Windham, where they remained four years.
They carried on five years the old DIR.
Goodhue farm in Chester, part of which
was the meadow where the muster of the
Vermont National Guard was held in 1897.
The family returned to Windham, where
Mr.. Upham's parents spent the remainder
of their lives. Mr.. Upham's home was
always in Windham, with the exception Of
81 years after his second marriage, when
he lived in Grafton, returning to Windham
in 1871.
His boyhood was passed like that of
most farmer boys of his time at hard labor,
cultvating the land, clearing new land, ..
! burning charcoal, making stone walls or
new roads, and in winter threshing grain
with fail, and chopping wood. At the
age of IS, 1t being the memorable cold
summer of 1916, he worked for Mr..
Fisher on the river road In Newfane, hav-
ing engaged to work nine months for $3.50
per month. Some time in the spring Mr..
Fisher made proposition that II he pre-
ferred he might have as pay for his seasons
work large pair of oxen which he Fish
cry had, or he would pay him 100 bushels
of corn. But young Upham concluded to
abide by the first trade. In the fall, owing
to scarcity OF hay, the oxen sold for $40,
and corn sold readily for 81 per bushel.
He remembered distinctly when 100 years
old many incidents in relation to events of
the cold summer, one of which is that pre-
vious to Saturday, June IL, he had been
hoeing corn. Friday night was very cold
Saturday morning he started horseback
for Windham and soft places in the road
were frozen so hard as to bear the horse.
| On his way he met man who had crossed
the Green mountains that morning, who
reported that on the west side, where water
had run over steep rocks, he saw icicles as
large as his arm, snow was flying in the
air all day, and corn was frozen TO the
ground. Later the weather was more
favorable, and corn came up again, and in
the early part Of September it was fit to
cook for green corn, when there was an
other cold spell and 1t was frozen solid
But for the fact that rye and wheat were a
fair crop and potatoes were good, there
would have been famine.
After becoming Of age Mr.. Upham for
several years would make up his bundle of
clothes in the spring, take it on his back
and walk to Charlestown, Mass, work at
| brick making through the summer; then
in the same way return TO Windham, al
ways bringing nearly all the money earned
with him. 1t was during ore of these
seasons that Gen. Lafayette made his visit
to America, and Mr.. Upham had a good
view Of him.
On Oct. IL, 1927, Mr.. Upham married
Eunice A., daughter of Amos Emory,
Eco, Of Windham. To them were born
seven children. A son, James H., fitted
for college at Meriden, N. H., took a
course at Oberlin, Ohio, and entered Ban
gor theological seminary, but died of ty-
| phoid fever two weeks before the time Of
| MS VI tue OlutI
three daughters are now living, two died
in early life and one son died in infancy
| The daughters are Mrs. Frances n. Bemis
and Miss Hannah Upham of Windham,
and Mrs. Eugenia Dodge of Malta, H.
His second wife was Marilla (Stoddard)
| Wyman, sister of the late Judge Abishai
Stoddard, they being married in 1850.
He was last married to Mrs. Elizabeth
(Moore) Abbott, in 1872, her death occur
ring in 1879.
Mr.. Upham, though not a politician in
the accepted sense of the word, always took
a lively interest in all passing events. At
the age of 100 years he was well informed
on the Spanish American war. 1t Ia said
that he had a part in arranging the meet
ing on Stratton mountain in 1910, when
Daniel Webster addressed thousands of
people. He was a man of strict integrity,
who would at all times stand up for free
dom, right and justice.
Mr.. Upham was always buoyant in
spirits, and when he was 100 he said he
was sure he was stronger than he was 100
years ago, and he did not feel that he was
| growing old any faster. He attributed his
wonderful preservation to keeping cool"
and to regular habits.
His Tooth anniversary was a notable
event in Windham, large company gath
ering in his honor. Several visitors from
a distance were present, and interesting
exercises were held.