USA > Vermont > Windham County > Whitingham > Some facts about the early history of Whitingham, Vermont > Part 3
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WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
No "reasonable consideration" was granted them nor was their western boundary correct. Oct. 7, 1783, another petition was dated setting forth that the subscribers were settlers in the town of Whitingham and ask for a tract of land bounded as above except west on land granted to Moulton and Green and company, stating that some of them had lived there a number of years. Expecting at least a settling lot and ask that the land be sold or granted to them. Containing about four thousand acres, and signed Jonathan Thompson, Benj. Crittenden, James Reed, Eli- phalet Gustin, Daniel Wilcox, Amos Green, Benjamin Lampee, Lieut. Williams, Jesse Groves, Amasa Shumway, James MacMullet, Samuel Thompson, Nathan Cobb, John Mack.
It would almost seem as though this last peti- tion was drawn and signed by some one not familiar with either the territory or the names of the people there.
50
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
WHITINGHAM AFTER GRANTS BY VERMONT.
169} chains
Robert Bratton and Others
Walker's, Well's, Hunt's
Silas Hamilton and Others
177 chains
178 chains
178 chains
132-2
Nathan Whiting and others
Fitch's Patent
125 chains
178 chains
Green and Moulton
Nathan Whiting
178 chains
Really 302 chains
Called 290 ehains
178 chains
So it seems the legislature refused to meddle with the grant to Whiting, and to Whiting and others except the handle which seemed uncertain land. Thomas Gamble probably came to the war from Ireland. He deeded his 2,000 acres to William Gamble, Jr., late of Ireland, then
51
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
living in the State of New York. In the descrip- tion the date is given as 1789, but the deed is dated January 12, 1797, and recorded February 14, 1798. William Gamble, then of Hinsdale, N. H., deeded this tract to John Van Dusen of Great Barrington, Mass., Nov. 13, 1797, and re- corded the same day as the above. John Van Dusen deeded it to John Fuller by a deed of warranty, June 16, 1806.
Although the legislature of Vermont seemed to have recognized some of the grants made by New York in this town, it is claimed by some that all those grants and the charter itself were void, and they base their final stand upon the fact as they claim, that the legislature of Ver- mont passed a law avoiding "all grants, cedes or patents made by or under the government of the Colony of New York except such grants, cedes or patents as were made in confirmation of the grants, charters or patents made by or under the government of the late Province or Colony of New Hampshire." That such a law was passed is true, but it has not been recognized by the Supreme Court of the State of Vermont and was
52
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
in direct conflict with the agreement of the com- missioners of the State of New York and the State of Vermont, when the State was admitted into the Union. If there was any question in the minds of anyone as to the validity of grants, charters or patents issued by New York not in conflict with these of New Hampshire the de- cision of the Supreme Court in the case of Reads- boro vs. Woodford as late as 1904. Reported in 76 Vt. page 376 settles it. The town of Reads- boro was chartered April, 1770, about a month later than Whitingham, and by the Province of New York also. The latest grant of land which we have found. Hon. Clark Jillson, a native of this town, and who was Judge of the District Court, and at one time Mayor of the City of Worcester, Mass., spent much time in research about the town of his nativity, and furnished us a valuable book in his "Green Leaves from Whitingham" which book was unique in this- Mr. Jillson gathered his facts, wrote them down, set the type and became the printer also of his work, except the last twelve pages, which were printed after his decease. Probably, had he lived,
53
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
much more would have been found and written by him. He discovered many things which had been forgotten and were not known by his gener- ation, yet he had not found it all as he says of the grant of the three lots to Jonathan and Arad Hunt. "This grant was made in such a way as to render its location doubtful unless the three lots were more clearly defined than was custom- ary in those days."
Walker's Patent was early divided into six- teen lots, each lot containing exactly 196 acres 146 rods and were numbered as follows :
54 WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
Wilmington
3
2
1
Bratton's Grant
5
6
7
8
12
11
10
9
13
14
15
16
Fitch's Patent
Bratton's grant had some sort of numbering, but there is very little that has come to light, and the only grantee that I am now sure of the name besides Robert Bratton was Nathaniel Davis.
Hamilton's grant, the same size and shape as Walker's, was planned somewhat as follows :
Hamilton's Grant
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
55
Wilmington
Walker's Patent
Halifax
Fitch's Patent
Some of the settlers here had located, and some of the measurements were varied a little from the exact plan, as I intended this, and some of the surveys were not correct.
FITCH'S PATENT: The grant to Nathan
56
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
Whiting and his associates at the time the town was chartered was called Fitch's Patent.
It was divided into lots of 250 acres, except the jog north at the west part south of Bratton's grant was 30 rods further north and consequently 30 acres more land each, and lots 13, 14, 15 and 16 were in the handle and finally included in Green and Moulton's grant. Of the four lots I have not located their situation and form of numbering, if they ever were situated and num- bered, and though called in the records 250 acres. they would contain nearly 288 acres. The part excepting the handle was as follows :
Bratton
Walker
Hamilton
Readsboro
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Green and Moulton
Whiting
Whiting's Patent was divided into 15 lots called 200 acres each, but in fact measured more than 211 acres, and is in plan like this :
Halifax
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
57
Fitch's Patent
3
4
10
15
Green and Moulton
2
5
8
11
14
1
6
7
12
13
Massachusetts
Green and Moulton's grant was divided into lots of 100 acres, but the lots were not regular in form and in number. Some are 160 rods north and south ; some 160 rods east and west and some irregular in form to meet the arrangement of highways and the situation of streams. They
Halifax
58
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
were in three different divisions or lots and some small part were not lotted at all.
Most of these lines of grants and lots may now be readily traced, but some have been changed by purchase, some for convenience of parties, some by carelessness and alas! probably some by cupidity of one of the owners.
The town of Halifax is bounded : "Beginning at A Marked Tree Standing half a mile West of Green River in the boundary line between the Governments of Massachusetts Bay and New Hampshire and from thence due West on Said Boundary line Six Miles & at the End of Said Six Miles to turn off at a Right Angle and run Due North Six Miles & at the End of Said Six Miles to Turn off at A Right Angle & run Due East six miles, and at the End of said six miles to turn A Right Angle & run Due South Six Miles to the Tree first Mentioned."
As the Massachusetts line was run West 10 degrees North, so this line must have been 10 degrees also.
The town of Wilmington is bounded : "Begin- ning at the North West corner of Halifax,
59
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
thence Running West 10 degs. North by the Needle six Miles thence North 10 Degs. East by the Needle Six Miles, thence Turning off at Right Angles & Running East 10 Degs. South Six Miles to the North West Corner of a Township formerly granted in this Province by the name of Marlborough, thence South 10 Degs .: west by Marlborough aforesaid to the Corner of Halifax begun at." This then dis- proves the oft repeated assertion that the towns of Wilmington, Marlboro, Halifax and Whitingham do not corner, and establishes the fact that they do.
For more than a hundred and thirty years this town thus existed, with its wealth of scenery and beauty ; its mountain and vale ; its hills and glens ; its rocks, rivers, ponds and lakes. The Deerfield flowing through the western part of the town; not far from it the largest boulder in New Eng- land. Some of the finest views in the world are here. The only natural floating Island on Sadawga Lake. On the original plan of Hamil- ton's Grant there was a Hamilton Pond; one Caleb Ryder, once living north of the pond
60
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
changed its name to Ryder's pond, and later a Mr. Fuller living where Schuyler Murdock now does, the name again changed to Fuller's pond. Roberts pond has been changed to Laurel Lake, but the old Sadawga pond still bears the name it always had; the name of the old Indian, who is said to have inhabited its shores and going down the river in his boat, went over the falls and was drowned. This pond now called Sadawga Lake covers an area of more than two hundred acres, since the Newtons raised the dam to its present height. At the time this town was first settled by the white man, there was a general desire that the frontiers be peopled, as a defence against the Indians and wild beasts, and probably many of the first inhabitants had little or no legal title to their possessions; but who were these first set- tlers? Leonard Brown, Esq., son of Dea. Jonas Brown and a life long resident of this town, in his interesting work "History of Whitingham" tells us that, "We have been told by Rev. Ebenezer Davis, Col. Obed Foster and Alfred Green that they had learned from their fathers, who were
61
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
amongst the first settlers and spent their whole life in Whitingham, that the first opening in the forest of what is now the town of Whitingham, was made on the hill, on or near the old Heze- kiah Whitney farm west of the Seymour Hough- ton place. According to their story, two men came up there from Massachusetts and cleared three or four acres, as early as 1765 or 1766; one or both of their names, they thought was Bolton. It was said they spent two successive summers there ; lived chiefly by hunting and trapping, and returned to Massachusetts to spend the Winter. They designed to make this place a permanent home, but one of the men died the winter fol- lowing the second summer spent there, and the other then abandoned the idea of making his home there, and did not return." Whether the particulars to date and time are true to exact fact, or not, I believe there is something to this tradition, and that the name of the survivor was Robert Bolton and though he may have aban- doned his home there, yet stayed for a time in this vicinity, settling in this town or Halifax. It will be remembered that Halifax was settled be-
62
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
fore Whitingham. By the first census, taken in the spring of 1771, I find the name of Robert Bolton. This census shows 4 men above the age of 16 years and under 60, 4 women between those ages, 3 boys under 16 and three girls. The names of the 4 heads of families were Silas Hamilton, Aaron Goodrich, Stephen Ayres and Robert Bolton. These would be early settlers if they were settlers here at all. Some writers have at- tempted to make Robert Bratton, an early settler, Robert Aiton, one of the grantees of the time the town was chartered, and this Robert Bolton one and the same person. It seems, however, un- wise to attempt such a task which must prove in the end quite unsuccessful ; but we see no further record of this Robert Bolton in this town. There were Boltons about this time in Halifax. Aaron Goodrich is not mentioned in our records. He owned land in Halifax, in the second lot east from the Whitingham line, and died before 1778. Nor do we learn anything more about Stephen Ayres living in town. A descendant of Silas Hamilton is still living here. It is probable that this census was taken at the hotel of Silas Hamil-
63
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
ton, and that during the winter the few inhabi- tants scattered about gathered there for the winter. Robert Bratton was not included in this census, and probably he went to his native home to spend the winter, and was here summers prob- ably before the date of that census.
Whitingham held its centennial celebration in August, 1880, the summer of a hundred years from the first town meeting we now have a rec- ord of. This record reads :
"At an annual Town Meeting, March 30th, 1780, the men Whos names are under Ritten Ware chosen to Ofis. Eliphalet Hyde, Town Clerk.
James Angel, Eliphalet Hyde, Silas Hamilton, Selectmen.
Silas Hamilton, Treasurer. Abner More, Levi Shumway, Constables.
Abner More, Ebenezer Davis, John Nelson, Jr., Highway Surveyors.
Thos. Stearns, Eliphalet Hyde, Listers.
64
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
Levi Shumway, Abner More, Collectors. Thomas Stearns, Grand Juror. John Butler, Sealer of Waits & Meas- ures. Amasa Shumway, Thos. Stearns, Deer Reef."
This record is not signed nor is there a record of anything else done at that meeting, and all the officers were in the northeast part of the town except four, Ebenezer Davis, John Nelson, Jr., Levi and Amasa Shumway. The very reading of this record ought in itself to be evidence that it was not the first town meeting. "At an annual Town Meeting" does not read like the beginning. The first legislature under the constitution of Vermont was elected in March, 1778, and Silas Hamilton represented the town in that legisla- ture, and in September, 1778, Silas Hamilton and Robert Bratton were Selectmen, acting as such and Thos. Hunt, Constable. What has be- come of these early records we do not know, but without doubt, from 1771, or about that time
65
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
there was some kind of meetings and voting, and probably roads were made by voluntary labor. A petition to the legislature dated Sept. 29, 1783, and signed Leonard Pike, Levi Shum- way, Bille Clark, Joshua Coleman, John Rugg, Nathan Green, James Reed, Jesse Groves, Na- thaniel Streeter, Fitch Lamphire, Elijah Pike, Amos Green, Jona Thompson, John Marks, Joseph Doubleday, Jonathan Shumway and John Nelson states that they were "settlers of the Town of Whitingham - some of us Removed here near or quite ten years ago. We have undergone a Great Deal of Hardship & toil in Making and Repairing Roads and bridges." Another petition states that "Your petitioners since the Year 1772 have entered upon and settled a Tract of Land in the Town- ship of Whitingham," &c. and this is signed Amasa Shumway, Eliphalet Gustin, Benijah Lamphire, Eleazer Gleason, Benjamin Critten- den, Jonathan Edgcomb, Eliphalet Gustin, Jr., James Mullett, Levi Shumway, Chandler Lam- phire. This was dated Oct. 2, 1783. And Oct. 7, 1783, another petition covering about the same
66
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
as the last was signed by Jonathan Thompson, Eliphalet Gustin, Benjamin Crittenden, Daniel Wilcox, Lieut. Williams, James MacMullett, James Read, Amos Green, Jesse Groves, Samuel Thompson, Nathan Cobb, John Mack. I am in- clined to think this last and perhaps one of the others were the work of one man. Most of the names signed to the second petition were of per- sons who lived in the southeast part of the town, in Whiting's Grant, while most of the signers to the first petition lived on Fitches Patent. These then were some of the settlers.
March 30, 1780, the following persons were made freemen by taking the freeman's oath:
Robert Bratton
Samuel Buttler
John Buttler
John Nelson
James Angel
John Nelson, Jr.
Thomas Sterns
Silas Hamilton
Abner Moor
Benjamin Blodget
Jonathan Edgcomb
Eliphalet Gustin
Eliphalet Hyde
Amasa Shumway
Moses Hyde
Levi Shumway
Ebenezer Davis
Robert Nelson
Reuben Washburn Thomas Hunt
In 1781, Henry Lee, John Rugg, Beriah Sprague, Jabez Foster, Amos Green, Timothy
67
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
Sto Barton, Jonathan Dix, Jonathan Barton, Sterling Sterns, Samuel Day, Elisha Blake, Nathaniel Streeter, Nathan Lee, Rodger Edg- comb, Charles Dodge, Bille Clark, Nathan Green, James Read, Daniel Wilcox.
In 1783, Isaac Lyman, John Howard, Nehe- miah Sprague and a man by the name of Fuller.
In 1784, James Roberts, James Glass, Levi Redfield, James Wilcox, Jesse Groves, David Bratton, Robert Liscomb.
Although a record of the town meeting of 1780 is preserved, we have no record of the work of the listers. In 1781 the grand list shows the fol- lowing names: James Angel, Jonathan Barton, Timothy Sto Barton, Elishu Blake, Benjamin Blodget, Benjamin Blodget, Jr., Thomas Blod- get, John Blashfield, Boyd, Robert Bratton, Robert Bratton, Jr., John Butler, Samuel Butler, Bille Clark, Joshua Coleman, Ebenezer Davis, Nathaniel Davis, Samuel Day, Thomas Day, Jonathan Dix, Charles Dodge, Jonathan Edg- comb, Roger Edgcomb, Jabez Foster, Elijah French, Calvin Fuller, Isaac Fuller, Amos Green, Eliphalet Gustin, Daniel Halloway, Silas
68
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
Hamilton, James Howard, John Howard, Thomas Hunt, Eliphalet Hyde, Moses Hyde, Benijah Lamphire, Henry Lee, Nathan Lee, Abner Moor, John Nelson, John Nelson, Jr., Samuel Nelson, Bimslee Peters, Leonard Pike, James Read, John Rugg, Amasa Shumway, Jonathan Shumway, Levi Shumway, Beriah Sprague, Sterling Sterns, Thomas Sterns, Luther Washburn, Daniel Wilcox. Fifty-five in all, a substantial increase in ten years. Four men in 1771-fifty-five in 1781, making the inhabitants of the town about 200,
Eliphalet Hyde is called in this list Capt. Silas Hamilton, Esq. Boyd's first name is not given but it was William. The name of James Roberts does not appear, yet he was one of the eight to whom Hamilton's grant was chartered. The list of 1782 also contained 55 names, but 13 of those on the 1781 list had fallen off, namely: John Blashfield, Robert Bratton, Jr., Roger Edgcomb, Isaac Fuller, Elijah French, James Howard, Eliphalet Hyde, John Nelson, John Nelson Jr., Jonathan Shumway, Sterling Sterns, Thomas Sterns, and Luther Washburn and thir-
69
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
teen were added, to wit: Benjamin Barber, James Blodget, Joseph Coleman, Benjamin Crit- tenden, Nathan Green, L. Fitch Lamphire, Robert Liscomb, Isaac Lyman, Silas Moor, Leonard Pike, Jr., James Roberts, Nehemiah Sprague and Nathaniel Streeter. The list of 1783 contained 56 names, Samuel Butler, Wil- liam Boyd, Moses Hyde, Samuel Nelson, Benja- min Barber, Silas Moor, Leonard Pike, Jr., Nathaniel Streeter, James Blodget and Benja- min Crittenden dropped out, and John Butler, Jr., David Bratton, James Glass, Benjamin Ly- man, Andrew Nelson, John Otis and Henry Woodhouse were added, and Robert Bratton, Jr., James Howard, John Nelson, John Nelson, Jr., who were off the 1782 list were returned. The list of 1791 contained 80 names and the census as taken by the United States was 442 people in 1790.
Before any of these lists were taken it appears that Samuel Darby had a house and occupied land on Etherington's Patent as early as Nov. 5, 1776, and that, as early as Nov. 21, 1771, James Cary was here making a contract to cut wood on
70
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
the same patent. In taking the census of the United States in 1790 the head of the family was put down, and in columns, free white males 16 years old and upward, free white males under 16 years, free white females, all other free per- sons, slaves. Whitingham was as follows :
Free white Males males over 16 under 16
Females
Anderson, Wm.
2
1
3
Angel, James
3
4
Armstrong, Simeon
1
Bratton, Robert
3
1
2
Bratton, David
1
3
2
Barton, Jona.
1
3
2
Barton, Timo.
1
3
3
Barton, Benja.
1
1
1
Bishop, Solomon
1
3
4
Bradley, Eli
1
Butler, Saml.
1
2
1
Blodget, Thos.
3
3
5
Blodget, Benja, Junr. .
1
4
2
Bond, Solomon
1 2
3
Barr, Simeon
1
3
Carnaga, Andrew
2
2
2
Coleman, Joseph
1
Cooley, Benja.
1
3
3
Carley, Jona.
1
2
1
Clark, Billy
1
2
5
2
Blodget, Benja.
71
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
Free white males over 16
Males under 16
Females
Day, Samuel
3
4
4
Dodge, Joshua
1
1
2
Dix, Jonathan
1
2
3
Davis, Nathaniel
1
2
5
Doubleday, Elisha
1
3
3
Foster, Jabez
1
5
1
Frazier, James
1
1
3
Fuller, Calvin
1
3
Gustin, Eliphalet
2
2
Goodnow, Benja.
3
1
2
Graves, Jesse
1
4
2
Gains, James
1
3
4
Green, Amos
1
2
3
Green, Nathan
1
1
5
Glass, James
4
3
5
Hunt, Thomas
3
2
3
Hayward, John
5
1
3
Hayward, John, Junr.
1
1
2
Hambleton, Jona.
1
Lyman, Isaac
3
2
5
Lyman, Benja.
2
2
5
Lyman, Eleazer
1
1
2
Lyman, Silas
1
Lamphier, Banajah
1
2
Lamphier, Reuben
1
Lamphier, Chandler
1
Lyon, Joseph
2
2
Lovell, Samuel
1
1
2
Mullett, James
2
5
1
72
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
Free white Males males over 16 under 16
Females
Munn, Calvin
2
1
4
Morey, John
1
1
2
Nelson, John
1
2
2
Nye, Jona.
2
1
1
Nye, Wm.
1
5
Otis, John
1
2
Otis, John, Junr.
1
2
Pike, Leonard
1
6
7
Pike, Elisha
1
1
Pike, Elijah
1
1
Pike, Nathaniel
1
3
Roberts, James
1
3
4
Rugg, John
4
1
8
Ryder, Caleb
1
2
3
Reed, James
1
2
2
Sikes, Francis
1
1
3
Smith, Jonas
2
1
2
Streeter, James
1
1
2
Shumway, Levi
1
4
2
Shumway, Amasa
1
2
6
Sprague, Nehemiah . .
1
8
Tarr, Simeon
1
Vicory, Merrifield
1
1
1
Wilcox, Danl.
1
5
4
Wilcox, James
2
2
6
Whitney, Aaron
1
2
Wright, Richard
2
2
2
Wood, John
1
1
1
73
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
The name Graves should be Groves; Hay- ward, Howard and Lovell, Lovett.
In the examination of some of the early deeds it is difficult to determine whether they are war- ranty, Quit Claim or Mortgage deeds. It is pos- sible that some lands were transferred without any paper title. Many deeds, probably, were never recorded, and some were recorded in other places than our town books. It must be remem- bered New York claimed this territory until bought off by Vermont for $30,000. New Hamp- shire for fifteen years and Massachusetts for a shorter time. In 1777, Vermont declared her independence and claimed sovereignty here, and no wonder the early settlers were in a dilemma, and when, in October, 1784, the legislature of Vermont passed an act empowering the select- men of Whitingham to issue a warrant for the collection of a tax of one penny an acre on all unappropriated lands in Whitingham for the purpose of building and repairing roads and bridges, and under this act Constable Daniel Wilcox sold to pay this tax, lands he called un- improved about 5,000 acres of Fitch's Patent,
74
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
19 in Whiting's Patent, 50 in Hamilton's grant, 652 in Bratton's Grant and some 1,200 acres in Walker's patent. Some of these lands were sold to the real owners, some to agents of the real owners, and some probably to real purchasers ; probably some of these were redeemed by the legal owners. Jesse Groves, Constable, says the legislature granted a tax of one penny an acre in October, 1789, and proceeded to sell to pay this tax, 16 pieces of land, probably, mostly to the real owners before the sale, among them 1,219 acres in Walker's patent to Jonathan and Arad Hunt. These taxes were assessed before Vermont was recognized as a State, but the fad of having your lands sold and buying them yourself was spreading. The "Governer and Council" states that in 1796, a tax of two pence on an acre was voted by the legislature, but the Constable, Capt. Samuel Parker, called it one and sold 13 lots for that tax, and the next year Constable Capt. Amasa Shumway sold 76 lots on the other penny calling it, however, as passed by the 1797 legis- lature. In 1807, the legislature assessed a tax of one cent an acre on all the lands in Vermont to
75
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
erect a State Prison, and John Roberts, Consta- ble, sold 44 lots of land on this tax. Yea, even this fad had almost become a craze. When the legislature of 1812 voted a tax of one cent an acre, Constable Shumway advertised all the land in town for sale to pay the same. He called each 100 acres 95 and all other lots nearly in propor- tion. In these various sales, some of the prin- cipal owners had their lands sold more than once; it is supposed to perfect their title. James Roberts, one of the leading men in town at those times had his home sold three or more times, and bought it himself. By this time it would seem that all the land in town ought to be well defined and its title secure.
Now what did these early people do that was different from other people? We may know they went on reducing the forest, building log houses, then better, and enacted those things necessary for their comfort and convenience. They builded roads, chose officers and estab- lished society, same as other people in those days. There was no organized church in this town until 1804, but in 1781 citizens of this town sub-
76
WHITINGHAM, VERMONT
scribed toward building a meeting house, near the corner of the town. Probably this house was never built. What move, if any was made prior to 1780 to build a meeting house our records do not show. At the March meeting in 1781, "Voted that the Selectmen shall run a senter line through the town East and West, North and South and lay out two main Roads as near the senter line as the land will allow of." At the March meeting in 1784, "Voted that the Select- men find the senter of said town and make re- port to the next March annual Town Meeting." Mr. Jillson thought this finding the "senter of the town was for the purpose of building near there a meeting house." At a meeting September 7, 1784, "Voted that the town will not except the spot the Selectmen put the stake for the Meeting house." "Voted that the Meeting house spot be Eastwardly from James Reed's house about 60 or 70 Rods on the hill amongst the Wind- falls." Town meeting, September 6. 1785, "Voted that the road be Surveyed and Recorded ten rods wide that leads from Mr. Groveses Westerly by the spot of land voted by the town
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