Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-07-13
sewage into river can not be compelled
in a like manner to pay damages to its
neighbors.


ment to Ann Story will be dedicated In
Salisbury by the Vermont Society of
Colonial DANES on the 9th inst. who.
then. was Ann Story and why should
she be thus honorcd? She was II pioneer
in the town of Salisbury, which was one
of the first towns chartered under King
George III in Addison county-its charter
bearing date Of November 8. i7si. Her
husband Amos Story, was the second
settler who pitched" as the old phrase
was in that town. lie went there in
1774 with hts oldest son, a lad Of a.
leaving his wife and the rest of his
children in Norwich. Conn. He selected
a hundred acre lot built a little log
house and had begun a clearing, when
he was killed by the fall Of a tree The
following year Mrs. story went thithcr
with her tivc growing children. three
sons and two daughters). occupied the
log house. and undertook tho task of
clearing the land. and making a home
In Wilderness haunted nightly by
visited by hostile Indians. She was "a
woman Of large stature and remarkable
physical strength. able to swing an axe
and handle Il lever in rolling logs as
we'll as any man, and not afraid to fire
a muskct in time of need.
When the war of the Revolution broke
out most OF the few settlers in that part
Of the New Hampshire Grants moved
away to the southern counties where
they would he in less danger from the
tories and from Indian raids; but Mrs.
story remained, and hcr home was IA
stopping place and asylum for the pa
triots who came that way. In the sum
mer of 1716 a party of Indians came
down from Canada pllaging and burn
presence on the clearing nearest hers
was discovered by Mrs story. and put
ting her valuablcs in q canoe which WAS
in the creek. near her door. she padded
into the roc,sses of Il ncighboring swamp,
hidden in which she saw the flames arise
from her neighbours house and her own.
undsmaycd by this transaction Mrs.
Story rebuilt her house. using the trunks
of small trees which she could handle
without IL team; and she and her sons
dug a place of secret refuge in the bank
in her own language as follows: we
dug a cavern in the bank Of the Creek
whore we could retire for the night.
cooking and taking our meals Mt the
house. and labnring on the farm ir tho
daytime This cavern we made by dig
Sing horizontally into the bank. conceal
ing the dirt we removed under the water.
The passage at the mouth of the cave
was sufficient only to admit our canoe.
so that all must lie PROSTATE in passing
either in or out. The canoe could float
into the cave quite out of sight. The
place where we slept was an excavation
by the side of and above the passageway
for the canoe and of sufficient size Ia
accommodate the whole family. We
stuck bushes at the mouth of the cave
both when we were in and out of it 81
that the place of entrance would look
vent discovery"
Mrs. Story's retreat was. however. dis
covered by tory spy named Jenny in
the following way. The wife of a set
tier had been taken captive by the In
dams; but being advanced in pregnancy
she could not keep up with them on their
return to canada. and was left behind
on Ae journey. She found an asylum
with Mrs. story and was concealed with
the new born babe in the cavern. On,
day the tory, Jenny. was passing by, on
the footpath along the bank of the
creek, when he heard the crying of the
| chld, coming from under ground. He
Mrs. Story pushed out in her canoe
when he followed her till she landed a
few reds below. lie then accosted her
| and tried to obtain from her some infor-
ndtlOn III regard 10 inc movements vi
the wings. which she refused to give
Jenny" sand Mrs. Story" threatened t.
shoot me on the spot. but TO his threats
| bid defiance. saying that | did not fear
being shot by such consummate COW
ard as he" He finally passed on down
the creek. and Mrs. Story lost no time
| in notifying some of her neighbors tina,
tories were around, whereupon part!
Of wings was raised and put upon theil
track. Their camp. in Mcndon, was sur
| rounded that night while they were
asleep, and the tories. fourteen in num-
ber. were captured and taken to the gar
rison at Ticondnroga
| These facts are related more at length
| in Wceks's history Of Salisbury. Read
crs Of Thompsons Green Mountain
Boys will remember the use made by
the novelist Of the story of Ann Story
and her underground retreat. She was
| twice married after the close of the wal
of the Revolution and lived to be seventy.
five. She was buried in Middlcbury.
Tho Vermont Society of Colonial DANES
has thought the services and character
Of this brave and patriotic woman to bt
worthy of commemoration by monu