St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-02-26
THE HISTORY OF NEWBURY.

History of Newbury. Vermont, from the DIS
covery of the Coos County to Preseht
Time With Genealogical RECORDS OF h Mhn
Families. BY Frederic P. Wells; IN DeHaIi
of the Town. Published by the Caleuonlaii
Company, st. Johnsbury'
Such is the title of a volume containing
$50 pages of text matter, besides 80 halt
tone Illustrations. Some time ago the
public spirited citizens of Newbury de-
cided to have written history OF their
town, under the auspices OF the town IT.
self and a committee was chosen to push
the work to a successful issue. To Fred,
eric P. Wells was assigned the task OF
preparing the history, and everybody
who reads the volume just put out will
realize how thoroughly and reliably Mr..
Wells has done his work. He was pecu-
liarlv fitted for it, possessing himself a
large amount OF information regarding
the early DAYS of the town, and having
access to much valuable material bear
ing upon that subject. 1t may be SAID,
perhaps, that the foundation OF the vol
ume under consideration was an address
delivered in Newbury some seventy years
ago by Rev. Clark Perry, embodying the
results of inquiries made by him among
the oldest people as to the early events
of the settlement of the town, and the
period of the Revolutionary war. To
the facts given in this address Mr.. Wells
has added a host OF others, sparing no
effort to get hold OF anything that would
be of value in the historical narrative;
and the result is a publication crowded
with interesting and instructive intorma-
ton.
The history proper takes up Alb pages
of the book, this followed by some 300
pages of genealogical record. The front
ispiece is portrait of the historian, The
story begins with the first recorded
visits of white men to the Coos Country,
and the coming of the first settlers; then
follow the steps by which the first char
ter was secured and the town orgln'za-
ton perfected; tbirty-siX pages are given
to the part which the town took in the
struggle for independence, and the V,r-
mont controversy gets two chapters
the literary and educational history OF
the town is detailed there are fifty
pages of miscellaneous papers, many of
which are especially interesting; every
feature of the town lite, from the outset
to the present day, is treated. In the
genealogical record 800 family names
APPEAR, and ten thousand different per
sons are more or less fully mentioned,
With such events in their lives as are in
teresting from public standpoint.
Newbury has a remarkable history.
The lay of the land was tempting enough,
and the outlook promising enough, to
make it one of the first settled towns in
the state. Its early days were full Of
stirring events. Its early settlers were
men and women OF sterling worth and
sturdy purpose, and from its communal
life have gone out many whose abilities
of mind and heart have counted for much
in the life OF the state and the nation. 1t
were well that Newbury' history should
be written-and well written-for it is a
history OF which the town may justly be
proud, and in which the people of the
whole state are deeply concerned. Mr.
Wells has been careful in the compilation
oil his data, and has contributed to the
historical literature Of Vermont volume
of much value; and Newbury has done
herself lasting credit in thus securing a
systematic record Of her past events.
The CALIFORNIAN job department has
done an excellent piece Of work in the print
ing OF the book and proved again its eff
elcy in this direction. TheiIustratoy and
the binder have also most acceptablv done
their part 10 the makeup of the volume.
Its price varies from 1925 to 81 90, &C
cording to the style of binding. 1t is for
sale by the town clerk of Newbury to
whom all orders should be addressed, ac-
companied by forty cents for postage if
desired to be send by mail.