The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1922-01-17
ANCIENT BARRE
is PORTRAYED
In Paper Prepared BY Miss
Blanche j. Tilden
Of Barre
FIRST LAND GRANT
WAS IN 1880
First Known Settlemnt
Was in 1888; First Town
Meeting 1893

| iioAA +fsNs NAiif NNttANAAtNhN ~ ti.~ $3.50
Of the Incorporation Of the city in 1897
as written by Miss Blanche y. Tide
and real .y her before re ;ant meet
| ing Of women Of Barre, contains Il
much interesting matter saat y !
herewith presented in comples, fern
In the cltsing years Of ZOO, t,e IT.
where to-day stands our thriving Ut
| tie city as well as the substantial
town Of Barre was like many another
4 place in this section Of our country
only wilderness, However, in 1880
the trapt Of land had been granted L
/ William Williams and his associates
/ [64 or Ue to be erected into Il town
ship ma on August IL, 1871, the towr
was chartered under the name of Wild
ersburgn. in @Deming's Vermont OFF.
| GERS" it il spoken of as having been
a gore Of land between the New Hamp-
shire end New York Grants.
There il no recorded evidence that
either Williams or his associates ever
saw their possessions. The conditions
under which the charter was granted
were that each proprietor, his heirs or
assigns, should plant and cultivate five
acres Of land and build an house at
least IS, feet square on the floor, or
have one family settled on each re-
spective right, within the term Of
three years next after the circum
stances OF the war would admit Of a
settlement with safety, on penalty Of
the forfeiture Of each right Of land
in said township, not 50 improved or
settled, and the same to revert to the
freemen of this state to be by their
representatives. regranted to such per-,
sons as shall appear to cultivate and
improve tie same That all pine tim
Der suitable for navy be reserved
for the use and benefit Of the freemen
of this state. There were also, as usn
al, some rights reserved for use Of
schools, seminary or college,
churches and ministers.
Into this wilderness came, as the
first settlers, in the year l7sS, Samuel
Rogers from Bradford. Vermont, and
John Gouldsbury Tor Gonlesbury ais It'll
was spelled on the early town rec
ords) later spelled Goldsbury, from
Brookfield, Mass. Thompson in his
early Gazetteer flS24) credits the lat
ter as being from Hartland, Vt. II is
possible that they had temporarily
stopped there.
The same author states that the
next year a number OF families came
md from that time on the town was
rapidly settled by emigrants from
Worcester county, Mass, and from
New Hampshire and Connecticut.
No town meeting was held until !
March. 1893, at which time the town |
was duly organized
Dissatisfaction Over Towns Name.
Dissatisfaction having arisen over
he name of Wildersburgh, meeting
was held in September of the same |
rear for the purpose of choosing an
,ther name to be presented to the
legislature for approval
Records state as follows Voted
hat the man that viii give the most
oward building meeting house in
aid town shall name the town and
he town will petition the legislature
or that name. The name of the town
'enducd and bid off by Ezekiel Dodge
Wheeler for 81 J.. lawful money, he
,eing the highest bidder, and said
Wheeler named the town Barre"
But on Sept. 3, 1905, ii was voted
that the note given by L. ID. Wheeler
nd others for the privilege of naming
he town OF Barre be destroyed and
ot collected
This statement leaves room for an
Their story regarding the choice Of a
anne as related by Thompson in his
azetteer of 1912 and confirmed by
III residents in years gone past.
1t runs thus--A town meeting was
allied in 1893. to be holden at the
ONE Of Calvin Smith, to select a new
anne. All were free 20 make sugges
ons, but among those present. Cap
rim Joseph Thomson from Holden,
lass, and Mr.. Jonathan Sherman from
ARE, Mass. seemed 10 contend more
irenuonsly than the Others for the
sme Of their choice. IL was proposed
rat the two should decide the matter /
' boxing. The terms were that they !
iould fight across pole, but if one !
noeked the other down they could 4
zen fight as they chose. I
The meeting adjourned to barn !
led recently erected by Mr.. Smith {
i'd in which a floor of rough hem i
elk plank had just been laid. The
hit was on and soon Thomson with n
blow sent his antagonist to the floor. q
rang upon him and directed his aim /.
ward his head and face.
Sherman was more supple. avoided h
e blows and soon Thomson was heard .
rroan. and strnck without effect. =
lerman then rolled him of. sprang 70 n
; feet and exclaimed with an EN-
attic oath-~There, the name is Barre :
v Gu r
The legislature sanctioned the name
e same year.