Vermont AHGP
Part of the American History and
Genealogy Project
South & East Cabot, Washington County, Vermont
South Cabot
The first beginning here was made by Parker Hooker, in 1810. He built a sawmill on the site of the present mill. He lived in Peacham, a distance of 4 miles through the woods, with no road or guide but marked trees. The first business at his mill was to saw the boards to cover a barn for himself at his home in Peacham. He snaked his boards with oxen through the woods, a stock at a time. He soon cleared two acres, near the present residence of Mrs. Alvisa E. Hooker, and built a log-house. This mill was rebuilt by Liberty Hooker, in 1839.
This place now contains 13 dwelling houses, one store, a post-office, saw-mill, grist-mill, blacksmith shop and schoolhouse; also a large shop for the manufactory of wagons, etc. There was formerly a large shop in which wood and iron work was done, which was burned in 1876. This place was formerly known as Hookerville.
East Cabot
John Heath, son of Lieut. Jonathan Heath, the second settler of the town, in 1817 commenced in this locality, on the place now owned by Charles Howe. He cleared a few acres. His team to draw his logs together, to go to mill and to meeting was one stag. He made salts, of lye and took them to Danville and Peacham for necessaries for his family. Very soon after William Morse, Leonard Orcutt, Sterling Heath, and several others commenced clearing and making farms. John Clark opened a tavern opposite the Molly pond, which in after years was known as the Pond House, and George Rogers, Esq., made a fine farm near the school-house, now occupied by S. R. Moulton.
The road from Danville four-corners to Cabot was built in 1829. Esquire Orcutt was the moving spirit in the enterprise. It was first used as a winter road, and Lyman Clark drove the first stage through from Danville to Cabot. Previous to this, the stage and all the travel went over the Plain. For 45 years this was the leading thoroughfare from Danville to Montpelier, over which a great amount of heavy teaming was done.
While Esq. Orcutt was getting this road through, a petition was presented to the selectmen to lay out the Molly Brook road. Esq. Orcutt's head was too long for the petitioners; he accomplished his favorite scheme.
The Molly Brook road occupies quite a prominent place in the road history of the town. Leading from East Cabot to Marshfield, on the extreme east part of the town, it was opposed by the Centre and west part. The first petition for it in 1830, was refused, the reason set up for the laying of the road was to avoid the hill in mile long on leaving Cabot village; the road proposed being in two counties. The next step was to petition the Supreme Court for a committee. John W. Dana was elected an agent to attend court, and defend on the part of the town. In 1845, petition was presented to the Legislature for a charter for a turnpike, and it went on in this way, petitions first to the selectmen, then to the court, each one being opposed by the town, for 45 years. When one set of men died out another took their places; in 1865, the road was finally completed, and is now one of the leading thoroughfares through town.
Source: History of Washington County Vermont, Collated and Published by Abby Maria Hemenway, 1882.
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