Saturday, May 6, 2017

When Alden Hull Managed the Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford

Recently Christopher Ryan, a St. Johnsbury Academy alumnus, wrote to the Caledonian-Record about Alden Hull, whose daughters still live in this area. Here is his letter (if you click on the image, it should enlarge so you can read it):

And here is a postcard featuring the inn with its "Motel" sign on the roof, from the days when Mr. Hull managed it along with the St. Johnsbury House. At some point, the Waterford Historical Society hopes to host a gathering of people who worked for Mr. Hull -- many worked in both locations at the time, according to the day's needs.

Waterford's Hill Cemetery: Greening Up, and Two Revolutionary War Veterans


A small but dogged crew from the Waterford Historical Society brushed out the two sections of the Hill Cemetery this morning, as our contribution to Green-Up Day and in recognition of the many Waterford residents buried there. (A follow-up crew added raking afterward.)

The photos here show the graves of Revolutionary War veterans Moses Wright and Caleb Bugbee, and Mr. Bugbee's family. DAR member Nola Forbes, who was present when the DAR marker for Mr. Wright was set into the lovely little cemetery, shared details of both men's lives, families, and military service. She also planted a flag at each of the two grave sites. This salute to the men and the town's past is greatly appreciated.

To learn more about Waterford's veterans of this early American conflict, join the Waterford Historical Society at its May 24 meeting:
Waterford's charter took place in 1780, in the midst of the ongoing American Revolutionary War. Among the town's first non-indigenous settlers were a startling number of Revolutionary War veterans. Where did they come from? What are their stories? Where are their graves? And are they connected to today's town residents? Beth Kanell, author of both historical novels and some regional histories, presents insight into this early wave of Waterford residents, on May 24 at 6:30 pm at the Davies Memorial Library in Lower Waterford.