Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-06-27
BRATTLEBOROs EARLY DAYS.


er at the Last Meeting of the Brattleboro
Professional lub-something About This
Town 100 Years Ago.
The final meeting of the season of
the Brattleboro Professional club was
held in the Brooks House last evening,
the occasion taking the form of ia
dies night Supper was served in
the Brooks House dining room at
O'Clock and number of friends in ad-
diton to the regular club members
were present. The paper Of the even
ing was given by Judge Hoyt II.
Wheeler, the subject being, Brattle-
/ boro One Hundred Years Ago. Judge
Wheeler said in part:
In lob what is now Brattleboro was
a part of the province of New Hamp
shire Its charter was granted by Ben
ming Wentworth who was the royal
governor living in Portsmouth. No
permanent settlement outside of Fort
Dummer and the surrounding mead
ows was made before 1862. In July of
that year Samuel Wells settled where
the women's retreat now is, John Arms
where the Retreat farm house now
stands and Colonel John Sargent on
the spot where the present road leads
to the suspension bridge across the
Connecticut. Governor Wentworth
erected a grist mill on Milestone
brook above the present Main street
where settlers might come to grind
their own grain, no regular miller be-
ing IL attendance.
In 17G4 this town with the rest of
what is Vermont became part of the
province Of New York and charter was
granted by that province in 1176. In
III Esquire Stephen Greenleaf set
tied and first lived where the Richard
son farm now is. Afterwards he bought
the governors right of Samuel Wells.
He opened the first store in town and
traded for three years, afterward re-
turning to the pursuit of agriculture.
In 1S02-one hundred years ago
there was no Connecticut river bridge
or road that way. There was no Green
street, Elliot street or Canal street,
but road led from Joseph Clark s,
back of the American house, and
wound around the hill .afterward cut
away for the depot to the lower island
in the Connecticut. West river bridge
had just been built and road to it.
Previously travel had been by way of
toll bridge spanning the West river at
a point near the present site of the
pumping station. There were no
houses on Main street above the foun-
tain. The principal merchants were
Holbrook & Hosford and Moses John
son at West Brattleboro. Most mer-
chandise came from Hartford by boat,
landing where the electric light plant
now stands. The boats were helped
through the swift water below the
bridge by means of rope. A ferry
from the landing to the island was
known as Barrett's ferry.
The lawyers in town were John W.
Blake, Richard Whitney and Samuel
Knight Royal Tyler. who lived or
Meeting House hill, was at that TIM
chief Judge of the supreme court. The
first church was on Meeting House
nill where the cemetery is and was
quilt in 176S. 1t was abandoned in
1902 and worship was afterward held
n meeting house which stood in
'ront of where the present Congrega-
ional church in West Brattleboro now
stands. The minister, Rev. William
Wells, was not only the first gentleman
If the town but the foremost farmer,
he heaviest taxpayer and the only man
n town who owned a gold watch.
There was probably not four wheeled
'enlcle III TOWN hltnOugu III loUt SIX
,haises were owned by different peo-
lie and nine men were known to
lave possessed silver watches Mail
vas sent once a week to and from Bos-
on by way of Lowell, Nashua, Keene
nd Chesterfield, once week to and
rom Providence, r. l., by the way of
Worcester, Mass. once a week to and
rom Bennington via Wilmington, once
n two weeks from Sutfield, Conn; by
he way of Greenfield and from Han
yer, n. H., through Windsor The
part of the town was in
Vest Brattleboro but the principal
was in the east village on ac-
cunt of the better connections.
The sale of liquor was free enough
% years ago to satisfy the most ar
ent high license man of to-day. Re-
alters secured licenses by paying from
l. 30 to s15, and rum, gin, brandy and
inc were advertised by merchants for
ale in quantities. Everybody drank
ome but nobody got drunk.
The subject was Interestingly dis
ussed by DR.. James Conland and DR..
r. I4aWtOp