Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-06-25
HISTORY OF COUNTY
TAKEN FROM VERMONT GAZATEER
PUBLISHED In The
YEAR 1862
Continued from last week
Continued from last week }
CONCORD

where Jackson Perry now lives, and
raised the first grain (rye) in town;
by cutting some of which, as soon as
it would possibly do for use, and
beating it out upon stone, and
drying the grain in kettle, he fur
nished a poor family with susten-
ance, and kept them from starving.
Benjamin Streeter began the farm
where John Morse now lives-his
father, Zebulon Streeter, chopping
the first tree. "Mr. Amos Under
wood settled on the place where the
late Aaron Tilton lived; Mr.. Moses
Chase where John w. Williams now
lives. A Mr.. Knight began the place
where the Hon. Samuel G. Babcock
now lives. Levi Ball began the place
where Mr.. James B. Ball now lives;
Samuel Wetherbee commenced the
farm where Samuel Haywood now
lives; Jonathan Lewis on the place
lately owned by the heirs of Nathan
Morse; Jonathan Woodbury. the place
where Nathan Pike now lives; Jesse
Woodbury. the place where Abel
Stacy now des;Benjamin Streeter
I'd, the place next above, where
Charles F. Gregory lives. -
The foregoing is probably the most
correct account of the early settle
ment of the town which is now avail
able.
In 1795-seven years after the first
settlement-there were but II fami-
lies in town; in 1898, 40.
Among the early settlers were
Jonathan Lewis, Amasa and Joseph
w. Morse, Solomon Babcock Jona-
than Hutchinson, Amos Underwood,
Daniel Gregory, Benz. Streeter,.
Jonathan and Jesse Woodbury.,
Samuel Hudson and Samuel Wether-
bee. The early settlers came prin-
cipally from Royalston and West
boro, Mass, or towns in their vicin-
ity. One portion of the town was
settled by "Woodburys' from the
former place, and has ever been
known by the name of "Royalston
Corner" bis
The first town meeting was held
March 3,1794; Joseph Ball first town
clerk. The first "freeman's meeting"
was Sept. 2, following. Elijah Spof-
ford was chosen representative.
At meeting of the proprietors,
held in 1876, it had been voted to give
two lots of land to anyone who would
build a saw and grist mill in town,
and keep the same in repair for Is
years. At subsequent meeting it
had been voted to give an additional
hundred acres to to the builder of
the mills. The first mills were by
Joseph Ball, sometime prior to 1895,
upon Halls Brook" in the S. E.
part OF town, on the site of what are
now known as "Goss's mills" The
the grist-mill, at least, was rough
specimen, compared with those of
the present day, the following anec-
dote, although gross exaggeration,
| will serve to illustrate:
| A Mr.. Powers having some grain
ground there, his wife, as he said,
tried to sift it with a meal sieve.
but could not, it being so coarse. She
next tried to sift it by using the lad.
der for sieve but it would not 90
through between the rounds; and il
was only by taking out every other
round that the thing could be accom-
| lished."
i Still this mill was of great service
to the people, for previous to its
erection, they were obliged to go tc
Lancaster or Haverhill, N. H., a dis.
tance of 30 or 40 miles; and this jour.
ney must be performed either on foot
or on horseback.
| 1t is related of a Mr.. Lewis, that
having bought bushel of corn al
Lancaster, N. H., (25 miles off he
got it ground, and taking it upon
his back started for home; but being
overtaken by night and darkness
; when he had reached the S. E. part
OF the town he lay down on the
Confirmed IN naoa g