The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-27

the old stage coach tavern between
Shelburn Falls and Bennington The
lantern is 16 inches high, eight inches
in diameter, octagon shape, fitted for
three candles, and has three ears to
hang it up by.
The Old Park House in Huntington,
Mass, which was burned recently, was
| owned $50 years by President Grover
Cleveland s grandmother.
Col. John Sargent (who was born at
Fort Dummer Dec. 4, 1922, with his
brother Thomas bought a tract of land
comprising AGO acres, lying in the N.
| E. corner of Brattleboro. The deed is
dated as follows: Brattleboro, April
| twentieth, seventeen hundred and
| seventy, County of Cumberland, Prov
| ince of New York.; the consideration,
1.-TWO hundred and eighty-six pounds
| of lawful money of New York.
| He erected commodious dwelling on
the site later occupied by J. H. Sar-
| gent( a lineal descendant) wherein he
for many years dispensed a generous
hospitality to the weary traveller and
| elated the spirits and patriotism of his
friends with liberal potations of the
fluid of the times
|
Drummer was built by Fairbanks Moore,
who with his son was killed and scalped
when the Indians attacked their home
at midnight March 6, 1853. The son IS
wife and little children were taken cap
tives to Canada
The Vermont Phoenix of 1849 gave
an account of human bones found in the
vicinity of their old home, it was be-
| TO
Fairbanks Moore and his son. who were
supposed to have been buried beside
their log cabin, which the Indians
burned One of the skulls contained
an ounce bullet, which undoubtedly was
the cause of death. After this unfor-
; tunate event the place was sold to
Major John Arms (about 1862, who
established the famous Arms Tavern,
which he kept until his death, from the
), kick of a horse in 1870. After his death
the tavern was carried on for many
years by his widow, Susanna (she was
a daughter of Col. Josiah Willard), and
their son, Josiah
There was no more picturesque char
| acter in Colonial life then the individ-
) ual who presided over the tavern. He
was always a prominent parsonage in
the management of public matters, and
always held public Office Before The
. appearance of the daily paper, with
its columns filled with Geographic news
from every part of the civilized world
the stage coach was the conveyor OF
the daily gossip and the village tavern
the place where the people gathered
to hear and discuss the happenings
5 which had been repeated to listening
people travelling by coach Sitting
around the great open fireplaces the
town meeting orators discussed the
great problems of the government
which they had done so much to es
! tablish, and the milder gossip of the
day with judgment and candor
Major John Arms was no exception
! to this rule When he was landlord OF
the first tavern in this town, he re
ceived his commission as major Gin
7 1860. He also was Brattleboro S first
I postmaster.
! The 10Th of February preceding hi,
. death meeting was warned to BIZ
J held at Major Arms 5 the first Tues
l day in March to choose a committee t.
] hire a minister. As can be seen from
7 early history this tavern was the oh
$ jective point for business interests. and
uuFmg the reign OF Mayor J0hn Arms i
e son, Josiah, this old tavern was mad,
n famous by being the stopping place Of
d Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain
I boys. Later the place was owned by
r Peleg Kingsley, Joseph Goodhue ant
/, others.
! Other old taverns in Brattleboro. bu
of later day, were Hayes Tavern a
t West Brattleboro, built soon afte1
y ITS by Rutherford Hayes, blacksmith
n Revolutionary soldier, grandfather o.
$ President Rutherford B. Hayes; tn,
h Vermont House near present site o.
: the Episcopal church and the Pau
e Chase stage house.
5, Another old tavern of interest was il
e West Dummerston known as Taft
e Tavern and kept by Josiah Taft. VIII,
n was a relative of ex- President William
J II. Taft.
d most interesting place is the evil
d lage of the Seven Taverns' (Rocking
lie ham, VIZ, to which an annual pilgrim
n age is made to visit the old spireles
re church Quilt in 17S7), in which hun
L dreds of people gather to hear note,
is speakers of the day.
cat this point in the reading of tn
y paper, the water color painting of tn
lie Arms tavern was shown)
If The tavern was a large two-stor,