by Helen-Chantal Pike
We here at the “tiny, but mighty” Waterford Historical Society always appreciate when folks reach out. We’re starting our sixth year, and with a variety of projects* anyone can participate in. We’re as committed as ever to discover Waterford history’s from those who lived it or even on it!
Recently, Kimberly McBey wanted to share photos of her ancestor, Tobias Lyster, and we were thrilled! Here was a part of Waterford where for a while the mail was delivered via the mail carrier for Summerville, a town and that no longer exists but was incorporated into St. Johnsbury (St. Johnsbury is using the term currently to refer to that section of town east of the railroad tracks.) This town border area is one that we’ve always been curious to know more about – and bet many residents who live across Waterford’s 40 square miles are, too.
Tobias emigrated south from Quebec Province in 1869 when he was about 20. After working various Waterford farms for five years, he bought the 325-acre spread previously owned by Joseph A. Gould on Hastings Road, a thoroughfare that once went by the more practical name of Road 11.
 |
| Photo courtesy of Kimberley McBey. |
We were intrigued.
Kimberly cited her main source as “Successful Vermonters” published in 1904, which profiled Tobias who, with his bride Ida Hall, worked diligently on what was described as good farm land.
They started first with fruit trees and chickens, then branched out with cattle, both for dairy and meat. Finally, they diversified with White Chester pigs and shoats – young hogs that had been weaned. They called their thriving business Globe Stone Farm. Anyone can read the full profile here because the enormous, and heavy, book has been digitized!
The couple’s farmhouse and original barn are no longer standing. But, at least one of Globe Stone Farm’s later barns still is.
 |
| Original farmhouse and barn. Photo courtesy of Kimberley McBey. |
 |
| A later barn still stands. |
*So here we pause briefly with a shout-out for new volunteers to help pick up where the core group of founding WHS members left off, entering the town’s historic barns in the state Barn Census. Great project for a pair of students interested in history! Terrific outdoors project. And a wonderful child-parent/grandparent project to do together. We have forms! We have clipboards! Contact us!
Now, back to the Globe Stone Farm story!
Tobias’s grandson, Allen Lyster, carried the farming heritage into Fairground Garden on Route 5, near the Comfort Inn in St. Johnsbury, according to Kimberly. Writing us via Facebook email, she added “A lot of gardening in my family ... and to think where my home sits now ... has been in the family for this long.”
Well, we
just had to mosey out that way where Hastings Road connects to Simpson Brook
Road.
 |
| View of the barn looking up Hastings Road. |
 |
| Hastings Road. |
And not just because of Kimberly’s comment.
We noticed this item [see newspaper clipping below] in the February issue of The North Star Monthly. We’ve only ever heard of horseback riders making their way along the length of Hastings Road, one of our town’s Ancient Roads that no longer goes through…but perhaps one day it will again.
In closing,
we’d like to pay tribute to Tobias and Ida Hall Lyster who rest in Passumpsic Cemetery in Waterford. And to thank Kimberly
McBey for reaching out. We hope to hear from you again.
Please contact Beth Kanell: bethpoet@gmail.com or Helen Pike at pikeprose@gmail.com if you want to participate in a Waterford Historical Society project. We have others! History never sleeps…
To browse more material on this blog, click here, and note the white search box at the top left corner.
No comments:
Post a Comment