Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1911-05-10
Vermont Pioneers
and Their Famiies.
by "SE1AWSIIIN"
Address All Communications and Queries to
VERMONT PIONEERS
Care of The Monitor Barton, VT.
Edited by "SHAWSHIN"

Ashbel and Aaron Shepard, with
their families, consisting of five per-
sons. viz. !: Ashbel Shepard and wife,
Aaron Shepard, wife and one child.
In coming from Cabot the women had
to proceed on foot, and all the furni-
ture for the two families was drawn
on three hand sleds. They settled in
block house on the Hazen road
Quilt by Gen. Hazen for a fort
This road was commenced by Gen.
Bailey in ITS, and continued fifty
miles farther north, through the
towns of Peacham, Cabot, Walden.
Harowick, Greensboro. Craftsbury.
Albany. Lowell and Westfeld, by Gen.
Hazen. in 1879. Ashbel Shepard
settled on what is known as the
Rand farm" on the west side of the
lake, and between H. S Talman's on
the south and the stone house on the
north. In August, the same year,
Aaron Shepard and his family re.
turned to Newbury, leaving his broth
er Ashbel and wife the only inhabi
tants of the town of Greensboro, and
Mr.. Nathan Cutler and family, in
Mlndon (now Craftsbury,) six miles
distant. the only white inhabitants of
the county of Orleans. During this
lonely winter Mr.. Shepard drew all
his grain from Newbury, more than
nifty miles distant, sixteen of which
he drew 1T on hand sled. He also
drew the hay to winter his cow from
Black River meadow in Craftsbury,
some three or four miles, over snow
tour feet deep; and at that time his
nearest nelgbbor on, the south was Mr..
Benz. Webster in Cabot, some fifteen
-
Loneliness. the two families in Green's
boro and Mindon were cheered by the
arrival, not of the cars. nor of the
stage coach nor yet of chaise. wagon
or sleigh, but by hand sled drawn
by three CHEEKY young men, and bear.
ing upon 1T precious burden-a
beautiful. healthy young girl of not
quite fourteen years. Her name was
Mary Gerold. She was a daughter of
Mrs. Cutler, of Mindon. The year
before. she was left at Sturbridge,
Mass, to attend school. In January,
1870, she was brought by Col. Joseph
Scott as far as Ryegate. Having
been detained some two weeks at
Ryegate at the house of Esquire
Page. she was conveyed to the house
of Dea. EIkins in Peacham. After
another delay of two weeks she was
enabled to advance a little farther.
Aaron Robinson, of Bennington.
brought her to the house of Esquire
Levensworth. in Dewey's Gore, which
is now part of Danville and Peacham.
There she was subject to another ten
days delay, when she came on horse
back to the house of Lieutenant Ly-
ford, on Cabot Plain. The next
morning she proceeded on her way. as
before described, toward Mindon,
drawn by Jesse Leavensworth, Josiah
Elkins and Ohed Cutler, a son of her
step-father. The party reached the
house of Mr.. Shepard. the only
house between Cabot and Mindon,
about noon. 1t hardly need be said
that Mrs. Shepard, in the absence of
her husband after hand sled load of
hay. gave them a hearty welcome and
as good dinner as circumstances
would allow.
Cheered and refreshed, the party
proceeded on their way, and just as
the sun was going down they reached
the house of the parents of Obed Cut.
Ter and Mary Gerold. For months
before this, no female had been seen
by Mrs. Shepard or Mrs. Cutler. Who
can express the joy of that mother
after such season of loneliness, al
such an arrival? Not only the arrival
of fellow creature of her own sex.
but of an affectionate daughter. Mr..
stone, in his sermon in 1854, says,
'She is even now among US, one OF
us and known by our children and
youth by the endearing title OF
"Grandma'am Stanley" I can well
RENE mher Grandma am Stanley. But
|
| have not been able to get the date OF
| her death.
But to return. About the middle
of March, 1880, Mrs. Cutler PROMPTED
by sense of duty as we'll as desire,
visited her neighbor. Mrs. Shepard,
making her trip in her best carriage,
the hand sled, and remained with her
some little time.
During this visit, on the 25th OF
March, 1890. Mrs. Shepard became
the joyful mother of the first white
child born In Greensboro, and probab.
ly in the present limits of Orleans
County. viz. William Scott Shepard.
l once bought stove of bin since ]
kept house. The proprietors of the
| town voted him one hundred acres of
land.
William Scott Shepard moved tc
! Wisconsin good many years since,
and has probably long since passed
away.
But to return. About this time
(March, l790,) Mr.. Aaron Shepard
and his family, who had left town in
August before, returned. and with
them Mr.. Horace Shepard and fami
ly, who began on what is known as
the Ring" farm, lying on the road
leading from the Stone house, known
as the Williams farm, to Mr.. Cooks.
Thus there were three families in
town instead of one-all Shepards.
At or near the coming of these fami-
lies came also-some of the way, it is
said, on foot, and some of the way on
a hand sled-Miss Susan Shepard, sis
ter of the three brothers, to reside ir
the family of Asbel Shepard as helper
and nurse. She afterwards married
Col. Levi Stevens. The same year
came Timothy Stanley, and built 6
sawmill at the outlet of the lake.
That and one built by Col. Crafts, ir
Mindon, were the only mills in Or
leans county for several wears t(