Vermont AHGP
Part of the American History and
Genealogy Project
Cabot Village, Washington County, Vermont
In 1788, Lieut. Thomas Lyford, the third settler in town, and the first settler at the village, bought a lot of land of Jesse Levenworth and Lyman Hitchcock. On this land the village of Cabot now stands. The Winooski River runs through the grounds. Mr. Lyford was a mill-wright; there was no saw-mill within ten miles; he decided to build a saw-mill upon his lot upon the Winooski River. He selected the spot where John Brown's shop now stands.
Lyford and his son, Thomas Jr., next built a grist-mill, where the grist-mill now stands. This mill had but one run of stone, split out of a granite stone where Allen Perry's house now stands, and used for the steps of the present mill.
About 1794, Lieutenant Lyford built the first house in the village, where Mrs. Jos. Lance now lives. His son, Thomas Jr., attended to the mills and commenced clearing up the land.
The second house was built by Samuel Lee, where Enoch Hoyt and his son, George Hoyt, now live; the third by Elias Hitchcock, where the garden of Caleb Fisher now is. John W. Dana, on the Plain, bought a small house that stood where Mrs. Haines' house now does, and fitted it up for a store, the first mercantile business here. After a few years, George W. Dana built quite a large store. It was becoming evident that this was to be the business centre of the town.
In 1817, a distillery was put up where Union Block now stands. Marcus O. Fisher bought the site and put in a tannery, enlarged the building, using part for a currying and shoe-shop. "The old red house" was one of the landmarks of the town for years.
The next business started was wool carding and cloth-dressing, by George Fielding, who built a shop on the site of the present carriage-shop in the spring of 1833. In August, the highest waters ever known on this river, carried away the shop before finished. He rebuilt in 1834; carried on cloth-dressing for a year and sold to Jason Britt, who carried on the business of wool-carding and cloth dressing here 44 years; building on the same site in 1855, a larger and better shop, a part of which was used for a carriage-shop by different parties till 1874, when it was enlarged and an extensive business undertaken by A. P. Marshall.
The first tavern was built where Mrs. Joseph Lance's house stands, small, and one story. It was taken down in 1833, and moved over the river. The present hotel stands on the same site. Fisher was landlord 4 years, and sold to Horace Bliss, who kept it 10 years, when it was known as a first-class house.
There are people now living in the village that well recollect when this common was a frog-pond, and filled with fir and alder bushes, and was so muddy through the street, ox-teams were stuck in the mud before where Union block now stands.
Population of village, June 1, 1881, 258; 64 dwelling-houses; 2 stores; 1 millinery shop; 1 hotel; 2 blacksmith shops; 1 carriage manufactory; 1 tin shop; 1 harness shop; 1 cooper-shop; 1 grist-mill; 1 saw-mill; 1 graded school; 2 churches.
By an act of the Legislature, November 19, 1866, the village was incorporated. The first village clerk, W. H. Fletcher; first board of trustees: John M. Fisher, John Brown, Theron H. Lance, William P. Whittier, J. P. Lamson.
The village has a good fire department well equipped with engine, etc., etc. But few fires have ever occurred in the village. The most destructive was January 5, 1881, at which time the fire department did excellent service.
Source: History of Washington County Vermont, Collated and Published by Abby Maria Hemenway, 1882.
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