The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-09-27
GREAT INTEREST.
Continued from Page ~

until about 1880, when what is now
known as the Stratton- Sunderland turn
pike was built. Just how much of the
present highway was included in the turn
nike is uncertain, but probably that part
of it between the forks at the foot of the
| gorge in Sunderland and the 'Grout job
on the head waters of the Deerfield in
| Stratton.
The first village of Stratton was consid
eraby north of the present highway and
| two or three miles northeast of the now
deserted second village At this old com
munity center in Stratton four roads con
! yerred one from Winhall one from
Somerset, one from Jamaica and Wards
/ boro and one from Arlington OF these
the first two have utterly disappeared and
even the route they followed is now
| hardly known. The old road from STRAIT
ton to Arlington wound over the Sunder-
land mountain tops and at one point was
over 1000 feet above the present high
way. After the turnpike was built the
old road through Sunderland was discon-
! tinued, though after the big freshet in the
fall of 1869 the mail was carried on foot
| by the old route for several months.
| When Stratton village was moved to its
second location the highway east followed
to the accommodation of travel.
Before the days of railroading this old
/
horse stage coaches were filled with pas
sengers, taverns and road houses were
frequent and heavily laden wagons and
fox-cartS carried the products of industry
| from east and west. The Kelley Stand,
where the meeting Saturday was held,
was one of the best known taverns of
southern Vermont 1t was kept by Viii
| liam Kelley, who was famous land
lord and popular alike with travellers and
transfers.
History. said Mr. Batchelder, is now
repeating itself. The railroads took
away the glories of the old stage and
coaching days, but the automobile has
brought them back. The people are now
seeking the hills and the mountains the
roadside tavern is again coming into its
own. Dwellers in the great cities in
search of rest and recreation are hunting
out the paths by which their great-grand-
sires fought their way through the will
| derncss Travel requires roads and this
| old road over the Sunderland and STRAIT
ton pass. the highest and one of the most
scenic and beautiful in Vermont should
not be closed for. the want of u few paltry
dollars.
4 Miss Ethel Eddy, Dorothy Garfield
=, Fisher and Senators" Durham and
| Andrews further emphasized the impor-
tance of keeping this useful highway for
further service. People are turning more
and more to Vermont as the most charm
ing vacation spot and summer paradise
in America. Closed roads and inacceS
Sible mountains are not the lure which
| Vermont should offer.
Mr.. Hapgood brought out the further
point that the timber reOurces of the
Green Mountains are Of great and grow
ing value The wilderness here is 30
miles broad, and for protection against
forest fires it is essential that roads be
, kept open by which fire fighters can
quickly enter and supply a line against
an advancing fire like trenches to stay the
s progress Of enemy forces Mr.. HapgoOd
. also called attention to the fact that il
was on this old mountain road that Mrs
y Harrison Gray Blake persisted in the
snow in December. 1921, but saved her
, child by tearing off her own clothes to
wrap them around her baby.
. The last speaker and the-specIal guest
!. of honor was Hon. s. Il. Bates. state high
, way commissioner. Commissioners Bates
> at the time he spoke had been over the
= road Only from Arlington to the Kelley
, Stand, but later completed the trip t.
= West Wardsboro. He declared himself
b. astonished to find how little was required
2 to make the route passable and safe for
r mountain travel. Later he told the re
! porter that he believed that $1,000 would
/ save the road and that $500 to $500 a
r year would keep it open and safe foI
$ careful driving.
- The commissioner marveled at the fact
. that this. though said to be the highest
a of the highway passes over the Greer
Mountains, is a road of easy grades anC
| firm foundation. Not a yard of rock re
! moval is required on the entire length OF
| the highway. While he made no searcl
for material he believed that an investi
a cation would disclose banks of mountain
z hard-pa such as that which is proving
: good road material in other places. II
n is a road. said he, that is not easy to make
2 a boulevard, but which can readily anC
Q cheaply be made passabe.
70 Commissioner Bates told of the condi
. tions under which state money is USED
and said that as this is not a selected
n highway it would not be possible to us'
T.. funds from the highway department. II
n will be necessary to raise money BY pub
l. lie subscription, by special appropria
ton, or by local taxation. He promised
I. to cooperate with the people of Benning
ton and Windham counties in every way
In his power in improvement of this anC
other highways.
Commissioner Bates and the other
speakers were cordially received ant
heartily applauded. The company was
photographed in front of the old hute
by II. w. Williams Of Bennington. after
which the party dispersed Of the dozel
or more automobiles which made the tril
up from the Windham county side. only
one returned that way, though two from
Bennington county went home that way.
Among those who went from WIudhan
county were: Brattleboro-Mr ant
Mrs. George l.. Dunham, Mrs. y.
Hawley, Mr.. and Mrs. j. Lewis Morse
! Harry J.. Emerson, Paul ). Emerson
Miss Edith Stolte, Miss Mary Croker
Miss Amy Holland, Mr.. and Airs. Rober
{. Clark, julius +. Warren. Miss Sadie
| T. Winchester, Mrs. Irving IL. Ellis. Mr.
and Mrs. Robert II. Dunklec and SON Asa
| Gilkey, Miss Edith Gilkey, Miss Ethel 4
Eddy, Master. Elmer H. Eddy. Wards
boro-John Il. Gleason. Martin H. Glea-
son, III. III. Forester, Fayette III
Sprague, Merle Putnam, Edwin Fits
Henry Payne. Stratton-Alr. and Mrs.
+. A. Eddy and Ray Lyman.