Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-09-27
NEW ENGLAND PIONEERING.

torical society by DR.. c. L. French.
formerly Of Glover. and will parti-
cularly interest Glover people.
You will recall that the first paper
OF the year before this society. was
given by Frank Smith. Esq. Of Ded-
ham, on THE Evolution Of New
England Home" describing the prim.
tive home life of the early colonists
and what to the people of our day,
would seem its many privations.
When asked by our president to
occupy portion of this evening,
1t occurred to me that it might
be of some interest to continue this
line of thought by following the
struggles of these early settlers as
they and their descendants pushed
farther and farther back into the New
ENGLAND wilderness.
Pioneering in New England must,
to this generation. seem historical.
But not many generations have
passed since it was a reality. No
doubt some here can recall a sci c.
tion from one of our school readers
probably Towns Fourth-which be-
gan, mot many generations ago.
where We now sit, encircled by all
that exalts and embellishes civilized
wind and the wild fox dug his hole
unscared. Here too there lived and
loved another race of beings. Beneath
the same sun that rolls over our heads
the Indian hunter pursued the game !;
beneath the same moon that lights
our night, the Indian warrior wooed
and won his dusky mate"
1t is difficult for US to appreciate
tbof cnirit Of u,opdor1,1u< loJ
| those first settlers to leave home
and friends in a more settled COM
m1nity, for the discomforts and dan
gers of the wilderness. The same
spirit in their descendants has colo
nized not only Massachusetts and New
England, but the entire country.
| 1t was often the case that several
| families in some settled community,
decided to establish homes for them
selves in a new country. Burning
their bridges behind them. they set out
on journey as long to them as Cali
fornia is to US. although the distance
might be within the limits of single
state. For OK teams cannot compete
with the Twentieth Century Limited.
A stimulus to this spirit Of unrest,
was the fact that with the proceeds
of their farms in the older country,
much larger tracts could be bought in
the new. Large grants of land had
been made. as rewards for services,
to Revolutionary soldiers, thus open
ing them up for colonization. My ma
tive town of Glover, Vermont, was
granted to Gen. Glover of Revolution
airy fame. The first settlers came
from Keene, N. H., several being
Revolutionary soldiers. of whom one
was my grandfather, Silas French.
He disposed of his property in Keene
and converted the proceeds into gold,
not knowing, as he said, whether
they would take any other money uI
in the new country" He left Keene
on the 28th Of October, 1904, arriving
at his destination on November 4th-
journey of eight days. His con.
veyance was an OK team with a horse
in the lead; on the wagon was loaded
his personal belongings, among which
and on which rode his wife and ter
of his eleven children, the oldest sor
coming later. Wagon springs had moi
yet come into use in New England
the heavy body set square on the axle
SO that the occupants. as the sayini
was. "got the full spring of the ex.
The roads were of course, crude a
the best, and during the last half O
the journey, were not much more thai
blaZed trail through the wilderness
/ The making of roads consisted simply
of cutting out the fallen trees, fall
ing the few that could not be gotter
round, and bridging the streams Will
logs and poles.
1t is related that, as they passet
through Hanover on Thanksgiving
day. the ground being covered will
snow. they saw the Dartmouth stu
dents with their "circul ars" over thei
shoulders. marching in a body to
service in church.
Why thew selected that time of yea
to establish home in the wilderness
or on what they subsisted on tn,
journey and during the long cold win
ter, / do not know, but | do know
that later he and all his children di,
establish comfortable homes.
Probably they carried with then
cooked food for the trip, and corn an,
grain for the winter. And probabl
they stopped over night at the tavern
in those days every hamlet beaste,
tavern where they paid for thei
logging, out prepared Lnelr own m L
from the stock of food they carried
as was frequently the custom at tina
time. and for many years after, tn
landlady perhaps furnishing a pot O
/ tea; and as they were about to leav
! in the morning, the landlord YER
likely bringing out big mug of no
toddy. But | imagine their far
during those eight days and unit
their new home was established
! was rather dry and plain; fea
;, they did not possess the luxury er
joyed by another party which late
= emigrated to the same vicinity. Thi
J party consisted of farmer and
blacksmith from Westminster in tn
), southern part of Vermont, who poole
;, their fortunes and with their familie
: set out on seven days journey to
new home in the north. The farme
:, owned very good cow that he wa
,, loath to part with. Fearing that st
: would become foot-sore on the lor
y journey, he had the blacksmith she
" ner. as oxen are shod for work, an
70 as compensation, the blacksmith