The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-06
OLD ROAD FROM
TROY TO BOSTON
It Ran Through Stratton Where Luther
Torrey Once Kept an Inn-Some
of His "reminiscences.

To tell the young people OF southwest |
ern Vermont and eastern New York that
the only route for vehicles from Albany
and Troy, y. y to Boston, from about
the year 1900 to more than forty years
thereafter lay through Vermont might
cause them some surprises nevertheless 1T
is true and it is also true that it was the
route for freight shipments as well as
passenger travel for there were no rail-
roads in the United States at this time
and no roads over the Taconic and Hoo
satonic mountains in Massachusetts.
This road entered the state of Vermont
from Hoosic, New York, passed through
"Old Bennington to Arlington, crossed
the Green Mountains to Stratton, thenceI
to Jamaica and followed the West River
| to Bratteboro where il crossed the Con-
nectieut River into New Hampshire and
| followed the Colonial road to Boston.
| Along this route at convenient distances
| of half day travel for horses were the old
fashioned inns or hotels as they would
| be called at the present time; and here
the four horses attached to the STAGE
would gallop up and be exchanged for
| four others while passengers and driver
got drink, in the barroom and food in the
dining room to be ready for the next half
| udg Udsn. lne SiOWeF lIetSilt Wagons
| loaded with dressed hogs from New York
4 state, piled up like load of hay with
feet sticking in the air, or other produce,
would take day to make the half day
trip of the stage coaches and be housed
for the night. On the return trip from
Boston the wagons would be piled up as
high as before but with Goldfish or other
goods wanted in the interior, New
| l. al ~ hut
The highest point of this route was at
Stratton on the top of the Green Noun
tains and here was as we'll populated and
prosperous six miles square as. could be
found in the state at that time The
people had moved on from the colonies
OF Massachusetts,, had found giant spruces
/ for their houses and barns, lordly naples
for their sugar, and plenty of bears and
coons and fish for meat. Sheep for cloth
ing had been brought with them and cows
for milk, oxen for work and saddle horses
Cor the marked trail from neighbor to
neighbor and for excitement on the stage
route What more could be asked for at
that time:
The inn-zeeper at Stratton at the time
of which | write was Luther Torrey who
had come from Ware. Mass. and from a
family educationally aristoeratic. He had
married into the Hyde family which Is
noted in Massachusetts, To this time for
It's business acumen and trading faculties
and Luther Torrey was prevailed upon by
his brother-in-law to trade his house in
Ware for 100 acres of primeval forest on
the top of the Green Mountains of Yer
mont and 90 there to make his home.
Many interesting stories of life at that
time have been passed down from this
inn keeper grandfather of mine, among
which Is the following
At no great distance to the south of the
eastern part of the highway leading from
/ Rondville to Manchester NAV be seen a
large handsome wooded mountain, mostly
; in the town of StTaton. Halyed into this
} mountain on its south side is a much
smaller mountain, wholly in Stratton and
known there as the little Stratton noun
tain.
At the south foot of this mountain and
extending up its south side somewhat was
| large farm, where lived at the time oil
: which | write and for many years Abe
; Grout, a soldier of the Revolution, anC
: his son, Deacon Abel Gront, jr., w1tl
their families The sugar lot was above
the clearing on the mountains slope ant
Of indefinite extent.
i Then, as now, mostly to the north an'
e northwest to the summit of the Greer
G Mountains and for miles beyond to Man
5 chester was an unbroken primeval forest
!. Early on the 18th Of April 1925 Samue
f Newell Grout, seven years old, went Will
+, his father, Deacon Abel Grout, TO thi
e sugar lot When his father was ready t
e return he called to Newell and, supposin
n he would follow. went home 10 breakfast
n Newell not following, the dinner hor
e. was vigorously blown and search was be
is gun for him and continued till about l
IF O'Clock before the neighbors were Gale
to assist
A party Of eight men with tin horn
soon assembled and little footprints wer
found in the snow in the sugar lot wit
10 the toes pointing northwesterly. III
i ground was bare in places and there va
- much difficulty and hindrance in follow
, ing them. After crossing the headwatel
v Of the Deerfed river the boy turne
n. enthusiastically and went within abo,
tn forty rods of the road leading from Stra
tn ton to Arlington He then made shat
20 turn to the northwest
ID -Four of the men then left FOR hon
~ The others continued strenuously on al
on, sometimes hunting for the tracks 10
on the bare ground and when found ru
- ming as fast as they could, creling al
erooking arpund till night, dark night,
more dark on account Of the dense fc
est came on and they could follow
farther.
As nearly as | could learn of my gran
father. who stuck to the finish they we
i then not far from Bowen pond Witho
coats. which they left at home, expect
, only warm short job, without dim
: or supper. without means of making
; fire. they broke off spruce and balls;
! branches with their hands. made them
; bed and laid down on it, two under a
! two over TO enjoy cold. April mig
When the 'nnders' We're tired ii
{ changed places with the "unpers."
4 Crazed with fear that his little boy v
! perishing with hunger. cold and fatie
: or was being devoured by wild. name
ing animals OF which the Green Mo-