The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-09-27
West RiUer TOUns
TOWNSHEND.
rownsheud Fletcher Connections.

TownShend fletchcr oohhos'i
Mr. md Mrs. Albert Barnes iounge oil
RnlTalo spent Sunday at the Iownsnenu
Inn Mr.. Younge is relative OF Miss
Harriet Fletcher OF this place ana was
returning from Boston whittier ne anu
his wife had gone TO attend the annual
reunion of the Fletcher family held IN
Horticultural hall, which was most
Beautifully decorated with rare piahts'
oert Of them loaned from the conserva'
tories of some OF the guests, and wheh
300 sat down to sumptuous banquet
The president OF the gathering was aus
lin Fletcher. prominent lawyer IN Dos
ION who has acted in this capacity lot
Ok years MIR. and Mrs. lounge visited
The General Fletcher homestead IN west
Tovnshend now occupied by Fred Smith
and which is said TO be the oldest frame
hnnse IN this section of the state having
been built about the middle oil the
eighteenth century. MIR. hounge
direct descendant OF the general VINO was
n man very prominent IN lhis part Vi
tbe state. General Samuel tietcher was
horn in Grafton, Mass, IN i,i4 anu az
the age of II enlisted as a soldier IN the
French and Indian war. About flve years
iatar he was married and moved to
Townshend, VT At the commencement
Of the Revolutionary war he enlisted
and as orderly sergeant, served IN lhe
battle of Bunker Hill and after the pat
lie of Remington was commissioned
major and served until after the surren'
der of Burgoyne. He was made Drlga'
d;er General of the Vermont militia IN
Isl and receiving. later the grade OF
major general held the position Tor :
wears. General Fletcher represented
Townshend in the general assembly ol
Vermont at its first session ana at TWO
subsequent sessions. lie was CHOSEN q
member of the council IN li9 ana hel9
this office until 1870. He was appolhteqi
Judge of the supreme court IN l'e[ VWus
refused to serve He was Judge OF the
county court in l77s. 1884 and 1855 ana
Was HIGH sheriff of Windham county
from I7Ss TO 1906 He died September
X 1914. Mr.. Younge was much inter
aetad in the old homestead and TOOK
AWAY with him, as souvenirs, an Ola
iron knob for lifting the latch on one
&c tbe doors two of the wooden pegs
nsed 10 hold the rafters together ana
some old hand made nails. Both he ana
his wife spoke highly OF the beauty Oh
Townshend and its surroundings:
Speaking of General Samuel Fletcher,
reminds us of an interesting story tola
about his wife's father Col john hazei,
ton, who was especially instrumental III III
settling Townshend. At meeting OF
tbe gTanters held in Massachusetts, the
colonel rot it so fixed that the first pro-
nrietor who reached the place was to
have the first choice OF the lots when
had been surveyed. The surveyor by
the way. was paid only SIG for laying
ont fhe township Now it happened
that at this meeting there were two
Baird brothers who saw through the
coioners scheme. They determined TO
GET ahead of him and started for tins
town at the close of the meeting. Col.
Hazelton went home, passed comfort
able night in his own bed, rose early IN
the morning and said to his wife, Jane
put some bread and cheese into the sad
die bags" and to his boy, Peter, lead up
the old switch-tailed horse, tor am 60,
ing to Townshend." Soon he was on ms
wav and rode steadily on until he
reached the Elder Hodges farm in New
fame. Spending the night there he
started early the next day and forded
the West river near where the Holland
bridge now spans it. What was his sur
prise upon reaching the bank to see
smoke. Riding towards it he came upon
the two Bairds clearing spot, Tor thelr
cabin. Good morning, said the colonel.
"What on airth sent YOU up here SO
SOON" Good morning, replied one OF
them. What on arth sent you, up here
so soon?" The colonel saw the point
and putting spurs to his horse selected
lots farther up the river 1t was IN
June, l76l, that the Bairds, and Col.
Hazelton took up their lots but nothing
was done that year except TO build
log hut and commence work upon the
lots. Lack of proper shelter and sup
plies with the surety of long blockade
by the snow compelled them to return to
Massachusetts, for the winter. They re-
turned. however in the spring and con-
tinued to spend the summer in Vermont
going to their old homes for the winter
until 1865 when they ventured to stay
for the entire year.