Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1913-10-24
TH !. EatEfA N y 0fWARF'D[|S3IB3O()R0
Charter Was Granted in 1880 Something About the Tradi-
tons of the Town-Two Old Houses Which Can Be
Located-Named from William Ward

the entire state is divided by its mag
nilicient range of blue-green mountains
which dominate it.
The county of Windham was origin.
ally part of the oldro Cumberland
county, which in 1881 was divided in.
to Windham, Windsor and Orange
counties. AS before stated the first
settlement in the county was,l Fort
hummer in 1924. Newfane s original
charter was granted-'in 1853. South
Wardsboro was an unbrokeh s'wilder.
ness years after Newfane was -four.
ishing settlement.
Imagination can scarcely picture
the surroundings of those early settlers
1.-The vast and silent wilderness. the
mountains clothed to their very tops
with the primeval forest, trees of i'm
mense size, dating back to the May.
Hover, perhaps even so far back as
the discovery of America, the tangled
under-brush never before trod bv the
foot of the white man; the wild ami.
mails, bear, deer, panther lynx; birds,
unafraid because unacquainted with
the ways of men, wild turkeys, wild
pigeons, game in the greatest album
dance.
The forest held in dominion every
foot of the ground and before a man
could build the first crude shelter for
his family he must clear space of
trees Naturally those early homes
were made of logs, not like the trim
new log cabins which are so popular
III summer camps today, but rough
and unattractivc with earthcn floors.
The furniture was such as could be
Fashioned at home with AK and saw,
the chairs being often no more than
stumps of trees. The dishes, too, were
made largely of wood until later
date, when crockery and pewter were
imported from Europe. At first there
were no window panes, Just wooden
shutters to close in bad weather. There
was always huge fire place with a
built-in oven at the side and crane,
on which hung the great kettle.
The cooking was exceedingly simple
Bread was mostly of rye and Indian
flour, used half and half When white
Hour was obtainable the bread was
raised with homemade potato Yeast
Soda was obtained by soal;ing cob or
wood ashes in water and the water dis
solved sufficiently for the necessary
chemicals to raise the biscuits or cake.
To be sure, the resulting saffron color
would scarcely pass muster today, and
| can t vouch for the flavor, but the
long-ago boys and girls who were rails
ed on that diet spoke cloquently of
it S nourishng qualities. Modern
would doubtless turn up
their noses at two other favoritc
dishes of those days-pumpkin johnny
cake and dried apple johnny cake.
Sweets and pastry, such as we are ac-
customed to, were practically I'M
known.
In dress the settlers wore almost
nome made. Shoes were made from the
shEs sOf aninlals.4~grown upon the |
tarm, tanned at a nearby tannery and |
made by an itinerate cobbler. Summer |
'lothes were of linen, the flax for the
making of which was grown by the |
settler himself. The women prepared |
The thread and spun the cloth. The
resulting fabric was very beautiful
and today there are limitations of it
popular for fancy needle work.
All the wool was home grown, too
and dresses. coats, trousers, mttcns
and hose were made of the home spun
yarn.
Even the girls wore bonnets and a |
woman of 80 began wearing caps such
as grandmothers of today hesitate to
put on at so.
Housekeeping was very simple, no
telephone to answer, no VOluminous !
such as people of the |
present time indulge in, no vast. hoard
Of magazines, papers and books to
read and keep up IN. Garments once
fashioned of home-spun wore for years
and descended all the way down, from
big sister to the very tiniest member
Of the family There were So no big |
houses, no great quantities of bedding |
china and silver to care for. Visits |
were infrequent. The life was simple
and wholesome and exceedingly frank.
Modern pretense, modem sham, the
artificial local social standards, no less
harmful than they are false, were en-
tirely wanting Everyone wis poor
everyone worked and children were
trained early to assume responsibility |
Being in new country there was a
and n cooperation in the
face of common need and mutual dan
ger. 70
The church was the social center as
we'll as the spiritual Much of the
was controversial and long
were the arguments among the people
doctrine. II was stern, hard
life indeed, not only in religious be
lief but in actual practice.
Travel was largely by horseback for |
5he roads were mere bride paths. Some |