Evening star., 1909-05-14
HENRY A. WILLARD.
1s22-le09.

=. he halls from the old Granite state,
Whose mountains eise On high
To test the power Of storm and fate
And kiss the star-lit sky.
Vermont on every held Of war
Has battled for the free:
As true n yonder polar stan
For God and Libertyi
Fair freedom shines upon her hills.
And beauty fills her wales
Where leap the trout in rushing rilIs
And honor never fails
Her sons and daughters long ago
Migrated south and west:
Brought knowledge to a friend or foe
And worked for all the best.
They built the city and the state.
AS pioneers of right.
And rule among the good and great
In every Freedom fight.
The Willard clan for seventy years
Has loved grand Washington:
Progressing, without doubt or fears
From rise to set Of sun.
And our host at eighty seven
Is but a youthful boy,
Whose hopes are centered in high heavei
Without base alloy.
So here's to willard in each glass
Good health and love and cheer;
And may his glory never pass
But grow from year to year.
JOHN A. JOYCE
May IA. 1909.
Then there was a song by Herndon
Morsell an original toast by Harry o.
Hall and an address by Brainard III. War
ner, who is also a member OF the Oldest
Association. One Of the most
interesting features of the affair was DR..
A. G. WiIkinson's "reminiscences Of Henry
A. Willard and old WilIard's Hotel.
The luncheon and attendant informal
program lasted from L o'clock until a
little after 3 and were most enjoyable.
The members of the Willard family pres
ent in addition to Henry Augustus Will
three grandchildren, Henry Augustus
Willard. I'd; William Bradley Willard and
Sarah kellog Willard.
Native Of Vermont.
Henry Augustus Willard was born in
Westminster. VT. May II. 1922. He was
the son Of Joseph Willard and Susan Orr
Clapp Willard. On his fathers side he is
descended from Maj. Simon Willard, who
came from Horsmonden. Kent. England.
to Boston in May. 1884, and later removed
to Concord where he held various posi-
tions of trust during a long and distin-
colonial forces in the Narragansett war
and, in 1875, in King Philips war. On
his mothers side Mr.. Willard is descend
ed from Joseph Dorr. one OF the famous
Boston tea party"
A great grandson. Rev. Joseph Willard.
was graduated from Yale in 1714 and was
killed by the Indians near Rutland. VT.
in 1723. His son William was q soldier
and frontiersman in Vermont. who made
himself disliked by his neighbors by de-
Tending the New York court party in
its claim to the Hampshire grants, being
involved in the Westminster massacre, In
1775
Sterling, Self-Made Man.
Mr.. Willard's career has been that Of
a rugged. sterling. self-made man. AS
a boy he worked on a farm in summer
to earn money with which to pay for his
schooling in winter. When lad he be-
Bellows Falls. vt, and later was a
clerk in Chase's Hotel, Brattleboro.
From ,Battleboro, as young man OF
tyenty-one he went to Troy. N. Y, and
was steward on the New York and Troy
steamboat line, plying on the Hudson
between New York and Troy. 1t was
while thus employed that he met Mrs.
Phoebe Warren. sister of Mr.. Ben
jamin Ogle Taylor. through whose in
1uence he was persuaded to come here
In 1S47, when he opened the City Hotel.
later changing its name to Willard's
Hotel. Mr.. Willard managed Wfllard's
Hotel alone until 1853, when his brother
Joseph became his partner, and the two
brothers conducted the hotel until 1861.
when they leased it to other parties, by.
whom ii was conducted until 1892. Mr..
willard in 1892 sold his interest In the
hotel to his brother Joseph. The site
Of the present Occidental Hotel was