Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1913-10-24

lady whom | was consulting con
ccrning data for this paper said she
wondered at my being asked to write
Wardsboro paper and assured hel
| wondered at it too. | have ordinaril
~ the utmost faith in Mrs. Kdder 5
good judgment but there seems to be
an opinion that she should have asked
Il, native to write local history and
not to have entrusted the sacred
charge to rank outsider and a
stranger in II strange land. -a'.
You see, a thermometer like poet
must be born and not made but | will
try, however. to ma he myself over for
this one occasion and then if you
still feel me too alien to have attempt
ed the task, remember that many of
my ancestors counted Vermont as their
birthplace and the first soldier to fall
from this state in the Revolutionary
war was an ancestor of mine and bore
my maiden name Remember, too, that
my husband S great grandfather came
to the town among it's earliest set
tiers and titled that beautiful hillside
toward South Wafdsboro and that many
of you still own, relegated to your
kitchens and back porches, old split
bottom chairs, erect of back, simple of
outline and made by one, Simeon Fish
er, jr once your collector and town
clerk and our children S great grand
father. So while you are overlooking
Mrs. kidder S slip in judgment, if you
can, | will touch briefly upon the early
history of the state in order to proper
ly set the stage for the coming of the
settlers into Wardsboro
In 1919 Champaign, "A Frenchman.
bn lnly l..
gave His name, looking eastward out
upon. the high snow-capped mountains
was the first white man to set. ewes on
Vermont.
AT that time the territory he looked
upon was traversed by Indian tribes.
principally the Iroquois and they had
perhaps made temporary homes there.
but the only traces Of a permanent
Indian settlement in this state far out
date this period. There is, in fact no
clue as to whether the Iroquois or the
Waubanakee were the fashoners of
the ancient pottery and the rude i'm
PIGMENTS and weapons of stone found
deep buried there. But II the lroquois,
they long before Champlain S day
abandoned Vermont as Il home, for not
one lroquois name remains on noun
TAM, lake, rock or river. 1t is supposed
that the land lying about Lake Cham
plain was debatabe ground among
those aboriginal tribes and never for
any length of time was inhabited
The French and English colonies in
America continued the rivalries and
jealousies of the old world and were
in constant hostility here. From 1890 |
to 1860 there were repeated wars be
tween them. The French made allies
of the Indians and it is due to this |
that settlement by the English was
so hazardous until after the English |
had thoroughlvSSrGCbleta thss fFensh.r
During these wars Vermont was re-
pcatedly crossed and recrossed by mil
ltary bands and a few military settle
ments sprang up+among them Fort
Dummer, i'll 1924, the first permanent
settlement in Windham county and
for that matter the first in the state.
During these wars also, grants of land |
lying within the present limits of the |
state We're made by Massachusetts,, |
New Hampshire and New York, and |
each state laid claim to the entire ter. |
ritory.
The settlers, however, under Ethan |
Allen organized themselves into com |
panies and agreed to protect each 9th
er against all claims of these states
and all efforts to drive them from
their land. They were called the |
- Green Mountain Boys and their |
opposition was so determined that "A
bloody interstate contest seemed in
evitable until the brea king out of the
war engrossed the minds |
and hearts of all The settlers, how.
ever, intent on still maintaining their
rights, placed the affairs of each town
III the hands of committee. These
committees met in general convention
whenever occasion of common need
called for it.
Such general convention in 1777 |
adopted a constitution, proclaimed the
settlers independence, chose rcpresen-
tatives to Congress and asked admis.
sion to the confederacy.
Meantime the settlers were render
ing valiant service to the other states |
in resisting English dominion but they
asked nc favors for themselves and |
enjoyed none Of the benefits of the
Union. For Is years. Vermont was
KEPT out of the union and not until |
1871 was she admitted as the 18th |
state. The constitution as originally |
drafted remains materially the same |
today. The name was at first New |
Connecticut, but was later changed |
to ''Verd Mont the green mountain |
state. This is most appropriate for