Comerford Dam Construction Photo, Showing Railroad

At the May meeting of the Waterford History group, we made summer plans, including a hike along the old rail bed from East Barnet to Comerford Dam. This rail spur was used to get materials to the dam site, especially the massive lengths of iron needed before the concrete could rise around them. I believe workers sometime rode the train, too. You can see the rails in this photo postcard; notice the numbering, which probably indicates the photographer offered a series of related cards.

Newest Waterford Map, In Progress!

First graders in Jenelle Noble's classroom at the Waterford School worked on this map last week. They were curious about locations of the 13-14 district schools, as well as some of the older place names in town. So we started with a HUGE map drawn on a bed sheet, with the school districts marked and numbered. Roads are marked but not yet named -- they may work on this! But each student already figured out where home is ... those are the felt squares pinned into place.

Orson Cushman, Waterford, Vermont: Sugarhouse, Family, More

The 1875 Beers map of Waterford (from the County Atlas of Caledonia County 1875) shows O. Cushman as the leading landowner in District 14 -- that is, West Waterford -- at the time. Orson Cushman also owned a sugarhouse which may then have been the oldest in town. Working with the map at the last meeting of the Waterford History Group, we decided the sugarhouse must have been roughly at the land currently owned by Pike Industries and the town of Waterford (transfer station, town garage). And it's gone.

Orson Cushman (April 2, 1820-June 13, 1904) was the son of Soule Cushman (1792-) and Esther Hendrick (1799-1879), and grandson of Waterford settlers Soule Cushman (1748-1795) and Thankful Delano (1757-1814). Orson married Julia Ann Morse (1825-1901; daughter of Oliver Morse, 1762-1841, and Betsey Morrill, 1788-1872, of the Danville Morrill and Varnum lines).

According to Child's Gazetteer of Caledonia and Orleans Counties 1764-1887 (published May 1887), Orson owned 800 sugar trees, as well as 14 cows. His brother Ezra Hendrick Cushman, who lived in Lower Waterford, owned 1000 sugar trees and 10 cows at that time, a good comparison. As another comparison, the Lower Waterford postmaster at that date, Claudius Davison, had 600 sugar trees and 40 head of cattle; Lorenzo Green, for whose family the Green School was named, showed 800 sugar tree, 12 cows, and 19 "head of other stock."

The photo here is of one of Orson and Julia's daughters: Nellie/Ella May Cushman (born Nov. 5, 1859).

More later on the links to the Cushman family cemetery on Walsh Road.

20th-Century Restaurants Near Waterford

It was a pleasure to post the image of the Countryside Restaurant; here are two other dining spots just west of the Waterford/St. Johnsbury line where the buildings are still on the sites, but things have changed a great deal! The first is Aime's Restaurant and Motel (the local pronunciation of Aime in this case is "Amy"). Now with a dark blue exterior, it's a convenience store and gas station called Pettico Junction. When this postcard photo was taken -- maybe the 1950s? -- it was one of the popular dining spots, and for many years included wild game on the menu.

The second and third images (courtesy of Dave Kanell-- thank you!) are the front and back of a postcard of Gerard and Susan Pilette's Frosty Bar, a bit further west along Route 2 (across the road from the current Fairbanks Scales structure). I remember stopping here with my small children, maybe around 1982 or a couple of years later. Now the building is painted white, and after many years of being empty, a "P" sign has announced permitted construction taking place. Wonder what's next? And will the Holstein go back onto the roof??

Use the "Comments" button below to add your memories of these or other Waterford-area eateries.

"Modern" History: The Countryside Restaurant (Drive-In), Waterford, VT

The owners of the Countryside Restaurant in Lower Waterford were Gladys F. (Jewett) Whittemore (–1984) and her husband F. Earl Whittemore (1900–1987). Although this postcard is widely labeled "1950s" by sellers on the Internet, it seems likely to be from the early 1960s instead. Here are David Morrison's recollections on this popular business:

It started in the late '50s I think, quite small -- just gas pumps (Texaco) and ice cream window service. Gladys Whittemore was a great cook, especially known for her pies. Before the brush and trees grew up on the south side of the road, there was a good view down river.

Earl and Gladys got older. Don Douse, Barb's husband, remodeled the whole building into living quarters. ... I think what prompted the Whittemores to go into business was the passing of Mitchell Curran. He and his wife Gertrude ran a little store, gas station (Mobil), and the post office (between my grandmother and mother) on [Route] 18 at the top of the rise, leaving the village for St. J[ohnsbury].

The '50s into the '60s was a strong period for the local church. Gladys W., Elizabeth Wark, Bertha William, Hazel Morrison, and others were in their prime, church suppers were frequent; they also did the "much mourned" Town Meeting dinner.

What memories do you have of the Countryside and the Whittemores? Did you have a favorite among Gladys's pies? What else was on the menu?

Hope to hear from you soon!

The remodeled Countryside, a private home today.

Under the Water, Under the Rocks: Waterford's Mining History

Just south of "Ross Mountain," in Waterford's old "District No. 2" and probably on the property belonging to C. Stoddard on the 1875 Beers map of the town, is a pair of small open circles, labeled "Copper Mine." It's another example of how early residents searched for what they needed within what was provided by the region. A rumor persists that gold was also mined at this spot, but it's only a rumor. Any material on the town's mines would be very welcome here.

Meanwhile, these two pages from C. H. (Charles Henry) Hitchcock's 1905 The Geology of Littleton, New Hampshire, give another look at this area where mines were not a surprise. Geology isn't my best area -- are there others who can comment knowledgeably on what these pages suggest?

Perhaps most important for the short term is to try to find and label the named mountains of 1905 on the maps of 2014!

Historic photo of the Elizabeth Mine, Strafford, VT. Photo source: "The Legacy of the Elizabeth Mine" website

"West Waterford": The Village That Once Was

"West Waterford" was a village of Waterford and even had its own post office -- but not for long. If you've traveled Duck Pond Road and seen the lovely landmark "Hovey Place," you've been in the heart of that old village. Names associated with it were mostly Hovey and Carpenter -- in this case, Amos B. Carpenter, whose name is written in very large script (indicating large holding) on the 1875 Beers map of town -- the "A.B. Carpenter" place was located to the west of the Hovey place, about halfway to what was then a T-junction where both a mill and the Town House are marked. Bodies of water nearby include Carpenter Brook and Frog Pond. The Carpenter family settled on the road in 1808, according to the map, and the Hovey family in 1803.

Here is the chronology of the West Waterford post office:

West Waterford, Caledonia County, Vermont
Established on January 5, 1856
Discontinued on February 28, 1902 (mail to Saint Johnsburg) [sic]
Reestablished on April 8, 1902
Discontinued on June 30, 1905 (mail to Saint Johnsburg) [sic]

Postmasters                  Appointment Dates
                               Through June 30, 1905

Amos B. Carpenter      January 5, 1856
James W. Curtis           April 21, 1862
Amos B. Carpenter      October 31, 1862
Edwin L. Hovey          December 11, 1863
Amos B. Carpenter      August 25, 1864
Cosbi B. Carpenter      August 13, 1884
Cosbi B. Carpenter (Reappointed)    April 8, 1902
Mabel H. Carpenter       July 16, 1903

And here, thanks to Dave Kanell, is an envelope (front and back) addressed to Amos B. Carpenter and showing, among others, the West Waterford postmark, in 1897.

  If you have more information on the post office -- which probably was in the homes of the postmasters, as far as I can tell -- or on the people mentioned here, please do add comments to this post, or e-mail material to Beth (BethPoet at gmail dot com) for a separate article here.