Early Settlers of Cabot,

Early Settlers of Cabot, Vt.

John M. Fisher - 1881

Credit - History of Cabot, VT. :

"Vermont Historical Gazetteer, Washington County Vol. IV. No. 1. August, 1881." Edited by Abby Maria HEMENWAY Published by Miss Hemenway, Montpelier, VT.. Printed by Joseph POLAND, Montpelier, Vt. pp 76, 77, 78, 79, 83, 84 & 85

**Special thanks to the Cabot Public Library and the Cabot Historical Society. [BSD]

BENJAMIN WEBSTER of Salisbury, now of Franklin, N.H., uncle of renowned Daniel WEBSTER, encouraged by the liberal offers of the proprietors, came to this town in 1783, and made the first opening in the forest for a permanent settlement. The first clearing was made a little north of where George SMITH now lives, on the line of the Hazen road. In the opening, Mr. WEBSTER built the first log cabin. Its dimensions, we are not told, but assured it was sufficiently capacious to answer for a house, barn, shed, and all necessary out-buildings; and that this tenement completed, he returned for his family and moved them into town March, 1783, himself driving the cow, Mrs. WEBSTER traveling on snow-shoes, and the hired man with Mrs. WEBSTER's assistance drawing the few goods they brought with them on a hand-sled, among which was a wash-tub, and in this tub their little daughter two years of age, who afterwards became the wife of Hanson ROGERS, Esq., and after raising a large family of children, died in the village of Cabot, Sept. 28, 1868, aged 88 yrs. 3 mos., 14 days, highly respected by all who knew her. On their journey from Peacham to their cabin, the snow was 4 feet deep upon a level; and upon their arrival they found it drifted into their cabin, to the depth of a foot and a half. It had to be shoveled out before they could enter, and then they had only the bare ground for a floor. After getting settled a little, Mr. WEBSTER went to Newbury for provisions. While he was away, the sun coming out warm, Mrs. WEBSTER tapped some trees and made 40 pounds of sugar. It is said she could chop as well as a man, and greatly helped her husband in clearing up his farm.

Hannah Webster Rogers (1781 - 1868)

Came to Cabot in a washtub on a handsled

Photo Credit - Cabot Oral History Committee

LIEUT. JONATHAN HEATH was the second settler. His family arrived the first of any settler's family. The Lieutenant came with his family two days before Benjamin WEBSTER came with his. He built his cabin on the line of the Hazen road opposite the present burying ground on the Plain.

NATHANIEL WEBSTER and family were the third to arrive. He rolled up the logs for his cabin on the opposite side of the Hazen road from Benjamin WEBSTER's

LIEUT. THOMAS LYFORD who was with WHITCOMB in the daring adventure of shooting General GORDON, was the fourth settler. He located on the south of the road, near the three corners, near the burying-ground, in what is now Eli B. STONE's field.

The nearest trading point at first was Newbury, 24 miles distant, where they had to go for milling, taking their grain on a hand-sled in winter, or at other times on their backs through the mud. After about three years, there was a mill built at Peacham, and they went there. So great was the hardship to procure milling, they often resorted to battling their grain. They had no neighbors north of them, and none on the south nearer than Peacham. It was some two or three years before any permanent addition was made to their number. About 1787, six families were added to them, namely, Lyman HITCHCOCK, David BLANCHARD, Jeremiah McDANIELS, John LYFORD, James BRUCE, Thomas BATCHELDER, and families, emigrants from New Hampshire, who settled on the line of the Hazen road on the Plain.

Up to this time, 1788, the inhabitants had lived in primitive independence, regulating themselves by the principles of common law. The following appears upon the town book as the first step towards a town organization:

Proceedings of the town of Cabot. At the request of four of the inhabitants of the town of Cabot, I hereby notify the freemen and inhabitants of the town to meet at the house of Mr. Thomas LYFORD, in said Cabot, on the last Saturday instant March, ten o'clock before noon, then and there being met to choose 1st a moderator, clerk, and necessary town officers; 2d ,to see if they will raise money to defray the incidental charges, and do any other business that may be necessary. --Walter BROCK -- Justice of the Peace

The number of voters at the organization could not have been more than 10 or 12. The records of their meetings show that the first settlers seemed to regard military title as conferring almost permanent virtue or qualification for office, as seen by the following choice of officers; Capt. Jesse LEVENWORTH, moderator; Lieut. Jonathan HEATH, Lieut. Thomas LYFORD, Lieut. David BLANCHARD, selectmen; Maj. Lyman HITCHCOCK, town treasurer; Ensign Jeremiah McDANIELS, constable; Edmund CHAPMAN, surveyor of highways. Ensign Jeremiah McDANIELS was chosen collector of taxes. One private only was found qualified to six commissioned officers for promotion in civil office. The foregoing officers were all sworn into office by the said justice of the peace, Walter BROCK.

For 18 years of the settlement this was the metropolis of the town. The lot upon Walden line was owned by Nathaniel WEBSTER. His house stood a little south of where the road leading from the village to Walden depot intersects with the Hazen road. Next south was Benjamin WEBSTER's, the first settler; then came Dr. SCOTT's, Hanson ROGERS', Mr. SHEPHARD's and other houses and farms for about a mile on the line of the Hazen road.

The famous "yellow house" was built by Horace and Gershom BEARDSLEY, two stirring settlers from Massachusetts. It was the first framed house in town, and was first raised in the pasture now owned by Samuel S. BATCHELDER . . .All the men and women in this town, Peachan and Danville were invited to the raising. Those invited giving out word that they would drink the BEARDSLEYS dry that day, the BEARDSLEYS prepared themselves. They furnished a barrel of first proof rum, and a second barrel, slightly reduced. It was said never was such rum seen in Cabot before of after. All were invited to take hold and help themselves. In after years the old settlers enjoyed rehearsing the scenes at that raising. They said with a great many of them it lasted two days . . .

After the removal of the house to the Plain it was very nicely finished, and became the "Hub" of the town. It was 40 feet square upon the ground, with a large hall in the ell, used for all kinds of gatherings, and had a long shed attached running to the barn. As all the travel from the north going to the Connecticut river had to pass over Cabot Plain, it was a favorite stopping-place for travelers, and during the war of 1812, those engaged in smuggling made it their quarters.

Doings and votes from 1788 to 1806

. . .Mar. 25, 1779, the first auditors were appointed, Lieut. Thomas LYFORD, Mr. Thomas BATCHELDER, Lieut. Jonas WATTS, to examine into accounts of town officers, and report at next meeting . . .

March meeting, 1790, the selectmen were instructed to procure a piece of land for a burying-ground. Six years after, the first burying-ground was laid out . . .

1793, population 122; new school district, No. 2, formed, first full list of town officers elected: Capt. James MOSS, moderator; Lyman HITCHCOCK, town clerk; Samuel DANFORTH, James MOSS, David BLANCHARD, selectmen; Thomas LYFORD, town treasurer; Thomas BATCHELDER, constable and collector; Ephraim MARSH, grand juryman; James CHAPMAN, Martin DURGIN, Thomas OSGOOD, surveyors of highway; Ezekiel GILMAN, hog-ward; Edward CHAPMAN, fence-viewer; Jonathan HEATH, pound-keeper; Fifield LYFORD, sealer of weights and measures; Thomas LYFORD, leather sealer; listers, selectmen, (see list of town officers) . . .

Previous to 1795, the duty of listers was performed by the selectmen; at March meeting, 1795, the first board were elected: Capt. David BLANCHARD, Fifield LYFORD, Samuel WARNER.

1796. In 13 years, the settlement had extended to the south, east and west. The question began to be agitated in regard to removing the seat of government to the geographical center of the town. A meeting of the inhabitants was called at the school-house on the Hazen road to take the matter into consideration. As a matter of course, it was stoutly opposed by the pioneers of the town, those that had borne the burden and heat of the day, saw by this move their glory departing. So long had the business of the town been done here, that they had come (and perhaps all natural enough) to consider themselves the Mecca of the town. The day of the meeting came, the forces well marshalled on both sides, but those in favor of a change were too strong for the other side, and it was voted that,

"Hereafter all meetings for doing public business shall be held at the schoolhouse at the centre of the town, and the public property all except the pound (which consisted of the stocks and whipping-post) should be removed to that place:

It is said this was a hard blow to those living on the Plain; but we cannot learn as they threatened to secede.

. . .On all public days whisky went around freely, and officers all had to treat. March meeting, 1806, tradition says the whisky was kept in the closet of the school-house where the meeting was held, which was imbibed so frequently by candidates and their supporters, some of them got so they hardly knew which way to vote. About middle way of the proceedings of the meeting it was "voted that the door leading into the closet be shut and kept so for the space of one-half hour."

The first surveyor of wood and lumber, Oliver WALBRIDGE, was elected in 1806 . . .

WILLIAM OSGOOD from Claremont, N.H., the second settler here, bought one square mile west of the Centre road, opposite Lieut. WHITTIER, on which he settled his six sons. Four of them came in March 1791. First, they dug out sap-troughs and sugared, and then slashed 15 acres by the 1st of June, and returned to Claremont. They boarded at Lieut. WHITTIER's. In the fall Mr. OSGOOD came with his six sons. They cleared the slash, and built a log house, 40 ft. in length, where Solomon W. OSGOOD now lives. It is said this family were all strong, broad-shouldered men, able for the task before them.

DAVID HAINES commenced on the farm south of George GOULD's, so long occupied by his son Wm. HAINES, in 1797. When he came to town he was not possessed of a great amount of cash, it may be inferred by the fact he was the owner of two pair of pants and two shirts, and he swapped one shirt and one pair of pants for a hoe and axe to begin work with.

These places are now all excellent farms and in good hands.

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