Putnam patriot., 1924-05-02

What a difference sixty years has made in the small villagesi Then each one had its mills. stores. shops. and carried on its business and manu- featuring Nnw the larger places have absorbed these and many a small hamlet has suffered a decline in business and population in conse- quence.
 A Complete Settlement
 In our own South Woodstock sixty years ago there were two good gen eral stores. four mills, a sash and blind i factory, building in which was a | tailoring establishment and a milli- nerv store, a wagon shop. black smith shop and shop where boots and shoes were made and repaired.
 4 garage, carried on by Messrs. Anderson takes the place of the wagon shop. though not on precisely the same site. where Petter Davison work ed so many years. "The village Smithv" where Darius Fisher, well loved by all the children, toiled is now owned by A. R, Scranton as is also the home where Mir. Fisher and his sister Esther lived and made q pleas. ' probably does more business than the two did in those days of the early sixties.
 The mills are gone with one exeen- fion. the brick mill on "the flat" which is now used for other than it's original purpose The mills owned and oneF= ated bv Daniel Warmer are gone. one being destroyed when the new dam at the reservoir built west af the village. gave way iH Feb. 1866. leav- ing just the ends of the mill standing. The other mill property was sold to N T. Adams. and was operated for seYz erai years, until the death of 8E Adams. when l. X Lowe purchased f and now only part of the walls are loft standing The smaller Wanien mil ou the west road WIS bought b. James Randall, and was finally de- atfayed by fire The sash and bin shop owned ny John Lake grand father of eX-Governor Everett J. Lake. was ruined by the same freshet that carried away the Warner mill After~ard James Goldman and Jul son Sanger erected a mill on that site and manufactured twine for number of years, but that has been gone for several years now.
 The Masonic Hall
 The tiny shop where Eldridee IF l fanV mended shoes has also been gone for many years, although the house is now occupied by his daughter Mrs Belle Young. The store 6aildine. with hall above occupied by S. M kenHer. who was at one lime. ane e the men prominent n tasn affains was sold Co $. II. Phillips. who cafria1 on store and furniture and under taking business until his death in 1893. has been sold recently to the Masonic Lodge, who have moved the building south Of the entrance te the fair ground and fitted it up for Masonic temple. leaving an unsightiy cellar. which it is hoped may be even tually transformed into q pleasant little snot by the waterside.
 The building known as the Warner block was built in the fall and win ter of iS65-56 Besides a iarge store there were rooms fitted for nice tenement and above large hall. with stage and dressing rooms. to be used for public entertainment. l. was opened tn the public early in Feb A3N'f Af A EAAHh HeAAA EAhtM uA LIE owner, and the writer well recalls the pleasurable excitement of that ball among the villagers-so soon to be fol- lowed by the catastrophe before men, toned, and which really was the cause of closing the business activities of Mir Warner m Woodstock. After ward a store was conducted there by W P. Snow. N. II. Andrews. and ]. F. Russell
 Fire and Water Damage
 After the death of \. T. Adams the Warner property was purchased by J A. Lowe The building in which Owen T. Palmer carried on his tailor. inb business was bought by Prescott Randall, moved further up the hill and remodeled into a pretty home now owned by Henry W. Bishop. Fire as well as water wrought changes too Four houses opposite the home of 1 Mrs. Lowe were burned, one being oe- | eupied bv Mir. Lowe and family Later he purchased of O. H. Perry his boy hood home, where he died and wher,f Mrs. Lowe now lives. Judge Perry building a new home in the southern part of the village where w II. Young