The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-06-30
FORT BRIDGMAN
MARKER UNVEILED
Site of Vernon's Earliest Settle
ment Honored,
EXERCISES WERE HELD TUESDAY

Granite Boulder Suitably Inscribed
Placed on Hubbard Farm by Brattle'
boro Chapter D. A. R., and Vernon
Citizens-An Interesting Program
Another milestone IN the history OF Brat
tleboro chapter, Daughters OF the Anerl
can Revolution and OF the town OF wv
non wos successfully passed Tuesday when
through their united efforts an elaborate
nropram was carried out defeating the
marker placed by them upon the site OF
Fort Bridgman. on the Hubbard farm. Inc
day was the l56th anniversary OF the third
burning OF the old fort,
The marker consists OF large granite
boulder, upon the face OF which Is bronze
tablet. Ii is located at the edge oil the
higb bluff or terrace overlooking the Ton.
necticut river and the railroad track and
in plain sight OF the latter, where travel.
ers passing upon this great thoronghlare,
as well as upon the public highway, may
see the marker and the beautiful Tag way,
ing above it, This flag, which was lifted
from around the marker unvelllng II, was
given by Vernon members OF Brattleboro
chapter. The flag pole, 10 feet high, from
which il floats. was the gift OF IL a.
Staten, The inscription upon the tablet
reads as follows;
This rock marks the site OF Fort Brdg-
man. the first white settlement IN Vernon,
VT. built in 1871. The scene OF many In
dian massacres, sacked and burned by the
Indians for the third time June =, lioo,
after having slain Caleb Howe aud taken
captive fourteen persons, among whom
were his wife, Jemma Howe, and her
seven children" q
Here the d. a. Il.
Insignia appears.
Land given for this purpose by Hub
bard brothers This boulder from the
Howe farm was contributed by Hon.
George Howe of Boston, Mass, a lineal de
scendant of Caleb and lemima Howe
Erected by the town of Vernon, June q,
1911. Tablet placed by Brattleboro Chap
ter, Daughters OF the American Revolu-
ton"
The threatening weather of the morning
kent many at home, but the party OF 40 or
so who went by the l0l5 train from Brat.
tleboro and walked through the grassy ra-
vine (where the Indians are said to have
concealed themselves OF tines, to the man
road found not even dew upon the grass
and were able to visit the old cemetery III
which are buried the early settlers OF Yer
non. Many visitors came by team and au-
tomobile. The townspeople OF Vernon. who
appropriated $50 for this purpose and did
much to make the day a success mingled
with their guests Easthampton Chapter
ID. A. r., and Greenfield Chapter, d. \. r.;
were represented by regent and several
members each 1t is needless to state that
a large number from Brattleboro chapter
were present Mr. and Mrs. + l.. Hubbard
came from East Sullivan, \. H. and
welcome guest was Edwin Howe of Hately,
Canada great grandson of Caleb and Je-
NINA Howe, who made the journey from
the Kings domain to visit the early home
of his ancestors, witness this ceremony
and meet many relatives who had been
strangers to him until this time. All told,
the crowd was estimated to be between 3OO
and 400 persons, among whom were many
former residents of the town, making 1t
sort of cold Home" day.
Promptly at 100 p. m. the program
which was arranged by Brattleboro chap
ter, Mrs. w. +. Root, regent presiding
was begun with music by the First Reg
ment band of Brattleboro. This was fol
lowed by the invocation by Rev. Roy NJ
Hougbton of Brattleboro. Mrs. W. f..
Root, regent, gave welcome in an eloquent
and brief address. The marker was then
unveiled by Miss Calma Howe, daughter
of Hon. George Howe of Boston, lineal de,
scendant of Caleb and Jemma Howe, and
Miss Margaret Barber. daughter of Dr.
George F. Barber of Brattleboro and de-
scendant of an earlier generation OF the
same Howe family, The laurel wreath was
placed upon the marker by Miss Dorothy
Hubbard, daughter of w, e. Hubbard OF
Brattleboro, and descendant of Nernon'sS
early settler of that name. The school
e ,l,Ig mt INV
salute to the flag and sang song OF the
flag. This completed the exercises at the
marker, and while the band played March
dedicated to the d. A. r." with George
Hubbard as marshal, all marched to the
seats under the trees, near the Hubbard
home, where the speakers stand had been
erected.
Edwin Howe of Hately, Canada, was
called to the platform and expressed his
pleasure at being present. He gave some
interesting facts regarding his branch OF
the Howe family, his ancestor being
Squire Howe, the child aged four years at
the time of his capture. Mr.. Howe stated
that he is one of the six living children OF
his father whose combined ages at this
time are 44G years
Hon, Kittridge Haskins of Vermont de-
liyered the historical sketch of the day,
including not only Vernon's history, but
that of the Connecticut valley, northern
Massachusetts, and southern Vermont and
New Hampshire, to the extent necessary
to make plain Vernon's story. Mrs. Lima
r. Hubbard of Brattleboro sang The Flag
of Our Union and was in excellent voice
for the occasion. Mrs. ]. J.. Stockwell, a
native of Vernon, read an interesting
sketch of Jemima Howe, the Fair Captive
After a song, The Sword Of Bunker Hill,
by Mrs. w. E. Stellman, Mrs. Mary Howe
Burton of Clinton, Mass, read Jemima
Howe Tutes Will, and the Vernon school
children united in singing Our Old Red,
White and Blue DR.. H. D. Holton made, a
brief address in behalf of the Sons OF the
Conn. native of Vernon, spoke for that
town both as host and guest. After music
by the band and an address by DR.. N. z.
Wood of Mortified, Mass Mrs. Burton,
who was introduced as 'Our Own Mary, .
by Mrs. Root, appropriately sang Home,
Sweet Home. The exercises closed with
the singing of America.
The story of the building and occupancy
of Fort Bridgman is one in which there Is
no need to introduce fiction. The fort,
which stood on the Hubbard farm in Yer
non about 100 rods from the Connecticut
river, was built in 1740. 1t was nearly
square and made of timbers laid horizon.
tally one above the other. The angles OF
the structure were locked and there was
roof. The building was furnished with
loop-holes on every side through which to
observe and attack the enemy The upper
story projected over the lower one and IT
was possible for the inmates of the fort to
fire directly upon the heads of enemies.
The fort was built by Orlando Bridgman.
The first record Of trouble with the In
dams at Fort Bridgman was on June "a,
1746 when 90 redskins came to the fort
and attacked party of Vernon men at
work in the meadow nearby. In the fight
William Robbins and James Parker were
killed. NJ ellison and Patrick Raw were