The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-27
Fifth in Series of Articles
By BrattleborO Chap
ter, ID. A. r.
ROADS AT FIRST
BUT Birdie PATHS
Few Well Defined Roads in Vermont Be
fore 1853 - Early Path Through
Brattleboro About Where Main
Street Is-Old Taverns Hereabouts.

6raJJleDOIO ABOUT WHeIe mdln
Street Is-Old Taverns Hereabouts.
Old Roads and Taverns was the sub
jeet of paper given before Brattle-
boro chapter, Daughters of the Ameri-
can Revolution, by Mrs. n. NJ. p AXE
~ Dec. ., 1919, and is published here
with as No. ) in the series of historical
pen sketches furnished by the chapter:
The subject of roadmaking is inter
esting or dry according to ones point
of view. The surveyors account is
not apt to be so thrilling, but one must
consider that a highway is not an un-
important factor in the tide of human
life. The old first or military road was
from Boston to Concord, Groton, Lun-
enburg and Townshend in northern Mas
sachusetts Keene, n. H., was the first
settlement above Townshend. The high
way between these towns was author
lied by vote of the proprietors of
Keene on May 20, 1877.
And from Groton Historical Series,
Vol. w, page 255, we find the follow
ing: ''The subscriber would inform the
public that he runs q line of stages on
the middle post road from Boston t,
Walpole, n H., and that he passes
through Concord, Groton, New Ipswich
Jaffrey, Marlboro, Keene TO Walpolt
twice week, and meets line of stage
coaches that convey passengers, etc, on
through Winsor to the colleges at Han.
over twice week. Viz. Leave Mr.
Wheeoek Is, sign of the Indian Queen
No Marlboro St., Boston, every
Wednesday and Saturday at O'Clock
in the morning and arrive at Concord
by clock, and Groton by II O'Clock
New Ipswich at 6 clock in the even
ing Of the same day. Leaving New Fps
witch at o'clock in the morning every
Thursday and Monday, arriving al
Keene the same day at noon, and al
Walpole at 6 clock in the evening Of
the same day. Cor the return trip the
opposite route was given.) Great at
tention to bundles, letters, packages, o.
any business in my line. | am the pub
lies humble servant. Groton, Nov. "a
1903
(signed) DEARBORN EMERSON.
In 1856 the governor Of the state Of
Massachusetts requested the assembly
. 10 dDDOlIlJ ii Iltll W IlNdSult lH6 us
lance between Crown Point and LAX,
Champlain and give what knowledge
they could of the country. This route
was surveyed and Gen. John Stark, Ma
ior John Hawks and Col. John Golf,
were appointed to build the road iron
Crown Point to No 4 on the Connect
cut river NO is now Charlestown
n H.)
4 ~ Il, hnr NV
than bride paths, till these were wild
ened enough by cutting away the tree
on each for an oxsled or cart to max
its way; even then it was long tim
before all stumps, roots and big stone
were removed.
In Vermont previous to 1868 few,
any, well-defned roads were laid GU
and kept in proper repair; the path
and roads being extended from one set
Element to another, here and there a
new emigrants came in to make nev
homes.
The passing of people on foot or o
horseback up and down the Connection
previous TO 1862, before wagons ma
come into use in this region, made
track about where the road is now fro1
Vernon to Prospect Hill cemetery, t
the bridge at the mouth of the Whet
stone. From this point the track wa
continued northward through the wood
near the line of the present Main an
Linden streets until it came to the r,
treat meadows. Roads were laid OF
through the wilderness in as good
manner as circumstances would perm
and Were passabe for carriages, esp
cially in the earliest settlements. 7
-. L. a.
passing another, | will speak of an il
cident which occurred over $50 veal
ago The driver of a team coming l
behind another, with much profane la
guage demanded TO pass The carriaa
in front quietly kept along on the be
of the road. After a while anoth,
team came up, and desiring to pas
called out, "Sir, will YOU kindly allo
me TO passl' Upon this request a hea
appeared from the carriage in from
saying, 81 will gladly allow a gentl
man to pass The speaker was &c
George Washington.
As aid in early road making had bee
sought in lotteries, so later it w;
sought from corporations called tur1
pike companies. The first of these cor
panies incorporated in Vermont was
1896, with authority to build roa
from Wilmington to Bennington and
place gates upon it and to collect to
from travellers. Later when the roa
was extended Widow Sylvia (McCun,
Crosby had charge of collecting the to
from a gate between West Brattlebo
and Marlboro
When Governor Wentworth built h
grst mill by MILESTONE bridge and NJ
jor Arms his Inn, as they did in 17G
the various tracks through the wilde
ness began to take on semblance of
highway.
The locations of old taverns al
stage houses will prove of great assis
ance in locating early roads. As ia
erns were sometimes built before roa
from town to town, they not only flu
nished the traveller good beds and pie
tiful larder, but were of great nece
sity in making the change of hors
needed for the long journey from 30