Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-05-28
HISTORICAL
SKETCHES
OF ESSEX co.
Continued from,last week.
BY MRS. MARGARET G. MARSHALL

| ne HTSC settlers OF brunswick IN
common with the early inhabitants
of adjoining towns, endured many
privations and hardships not known
at this day. Living at distance of
130 miles from the seaboard, all
heavy articles, such as salt and iron,
in fact all those articles so necessary
to civilized life that could not be OBJ
tanned from the soil nor found in the
woods or waters, had to be trans
ported upon the backs of men or
horses, having no convenience of
roads, and guided through the forest
by spotted trees; being obliged to
ford streams that run across their
route, and often swollen so as to be
impossible except by swimming;h
ing no mills either for the manufac-
ture of lumber, or converting their
grain into meal or -four, nearer than
Haverhill, N. H., a distance of 65
miles; and in addition to all the pri-
vations incident to their situation,
being surrounded by the hostile
Indians, who at any time might
pounce upon them with the bloody
tomahawk, we should think their
situation anything but desirable.
But more their currency was most ly
the fur of the wild animals, and the
salts of lye, and many horses back
and sides has been made sore in car
rying those salts in bags to market.
When we take retrospective glance
at the condition Of the early settlers
of Essex county, it will materially
help us in appreciating our condition
and perhaps should serve to lessen
that spirit of complaining in which
we are apt to indulge. However.
that Providence, who it is said,
''tempers the wind to the shorn
lamb" seems to have prepared our
fathers and mothers for the position
in which they were placed, by giving
them strong and vigorous constitu-
tions, and that spirit Of endurance
so essential so their condition, and
rarely excelled. The first school in
town was kept by Susan Bailey, in
1895; it was kept in a log house that
stood at the foot of the hill, near
where Andrew ]. Taylor's dwelling
house at p resent stands.
The first division of the town into
school distl lets was made in 1918; by
which three districts were made,
called the upper, middle and lower
school districts, which embraced all
the inhabitants then in town, and nc
further districting or alteration has
been made since. The second term
of the Court in Essex county was
held in Brunswick, in David Hyde's
barn. The presiding judges were
Daniel Dana, Mills DeForest and
Samuel Phelps.
| The first road in town was survey.
ed by Eben W. Judd, in 1890; it was
laid up the Connecticut river from
the N. line of Maidstone to the S
line of Bloomfield, and followed
nearly the same track as the high
way now travelled. The proprietors
voted tax of $40 on each origina
right, to build the same.
| In 1893 road was laid out anC
built, from Connecticut river west
erly through Brunswick and Wen
lock, to Island Pond, and thence t,
Magog Lake. The road was bull
} by the proprietors of the town thru
which it passed, for the purpose Of
encouraging the settlement of theil
lands. This road extended six mile.
in this town. In 1820-21, five fami
lies settled in Brunswick, upon land
through which this road passed: bu
, after making some little improve
ments, they found the area of arabl,
, land so limited by mountains on on
side, and swamps on the other, tina
in two or three years they were com
PEELED to abandon their lands whicl
have since grown up to bushes, an,
no further attempt has been made
settle on the lands they occupied, o
on other lands in town back from
, the Connecticut river.
, The first child born in town wa
George w. 'Hix, son of David Hi,
but in what year he was born, or an
: other circumstance connected wit
. his history, but little is known.
: The first tavern in town was keI
by William Marshall, who located j
1916, and opened his house for tn
reception of public travel, which fo
many years was the home for all VIII
I desired entertainment, and was til
e only inn in the town if we excel
one kept few years by Thomas {
French. He died in 1888, aged
n years. His son George Marshall W,
a chosen State Senator for Essex coul
!. ty in 1916. In 1847 he moved wit
O his family to the state of Wisconsin
n where he now resides. The wido
a of William Marshall, now in her III
lyear, resides upon the premises, ar