Today In Brattleboro History

Historic events for Mar 7

1882 Town Accepts Library Proposition

Town of Brattleboro adopts proposition to establish and maintain a public library.

1902 General Estey dies.

General Julius J. Estey dies. He had been president of the Estey Organ Company and the Peoples Bank of Brattleboro and was organizer of the Estey Guards.

1845 Boys and Rifles

A day or two since, some boys in our village were complained of, arrested, convicted and fined, for firing a rifle loaded with a ball, into a barn. The culpable negligence and recklessness of many of our village boys in the use of powder, and fire arms, has long been a source of complaint and alarm.

1857 Windham County Bank To Begin Next Week

We understand that the Windham County Bank will go into operation next week. Their Banking House will be in Williston’s Stone Block.

1861 Selectmen To Oversee Poor

The town neglected to elect an overseer of poor, consequently the duties of that office will devolve upon selectmen.

1861 Miscreants Poison Village Dogs

One night last week some miscreant or miscreants owning their neighbors a grudge scattered meat charged with strychnine about this village, in consequence of which about a dozen dogs came to an untimely end the next morning after they were let out. Among these were some of the most valuable and highly prized watch dogs and household pets in the village.

1873 Estey Organs Displayed at Vienna Fair

Messrs. J. Estey & Co. have shipped as assortment of their cottage organs for exhibition at the Vienna fair.

1873 Barnum To Visit With Prof. Faber’s Talking Machine

Barnum’s circus will exhibit here again during the coming season, with greater attractions than ever. Among the novelties of which Barnum has lately come into possession is Prof. Faber’s “talking machine,” which distinctly speaks in all languages with perfect intonations of the human voice.

1873 Town Meeting Quiet, But Taxes Too Low

Town meeting passed off with remarkable quietness. But few voters were in attendance, and the old officers were mostly re-elected with unanimity. The only unsatisfactory feature, (with many) was the vote fixing the amount of taxation for the current year. Forty cents on the dollar was the rate adopted - a sum barely sufficient to defray the ordinary expenses of the town.

1879 40 Million Feet of Logs Expected in Connecticut River

It is said that 1500 men are at work in the woods at the headwaters of the Connecticut, and that about 40,000,000 feet of logs will be put into the river this season.

1879 Talking at Tuesday’s Town Meeting

If talk will straighten out our town affairs, secure the prompt collection of taxes, and put us on a basis of economy, retrenchment and judicious expenditure, a good beginning was made on Tuesday.

1884 Locals Heading To Far West

A party of twelve persons from this vicinity start for Kansas and other points in the far west a week form next Monday.

1884 Boys Loafing in Town Buildings

Loud and general complaint is made by the people who have occasion to visit either the post office or the public library in the evening of the crowd of boys who invariably loaf on the stairs and in the public waiting space, making themselves noisy and generally disagreeable.

1884 New Chapel for Vermont Asylum

The new chapel, which the trustees of the Vermont Asylum have just completed, constitutes one of the most marked improvements ever made in Brattleboro.

1884 Everyone Was At Town Meeting

For the information of the voters of Brattleboro it is hardly necessary to enter into a detailed account of last Tuesday’s town meeting, because the voters were all there, and ready to take a hand in whatever “proceedings” might arise.

1890 High School Holds Mock Town Meeting

The High school exercises are to be varied this afternoon by holding a mock town meeting, the points for which were obtained at Tuesday’s meeting.

1890 Telegraph Office On Main Street Desired

A strong movement has been started this week for the establishment of a telegraph office here on Main street so as not to be obliged to make the journey down to the railroad station every time a message is to be sent.

1890 Local Ice Business Booms

The local ice business is having a great boom this week, and it is evident that Vermont ice will cool more refrigerators and mint juleps next summer than ever before.

1890 Town Meeting Consumed By Vote Counting

The annual March meeting was unlike any previous one held in Brattleboro, in that all the town officers were elected by ballot upon one ticket, and practically the whole day was consumed in voting and counting the votes.