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Vermont’s Northland JournalMarch 2015 • Volume 13 • Number 12 • Issue 156

Published monthly Publishers: Scott and Penny WheelerOffice Manager: Emily WheelerCopy Editor: Jeannine B. Young

The Little House Desktop PublishingProduction: Theresa Perron-Janowski

Perron GraphicsCover design: Thomas Lichtenberger DesignsMailing Address: Vermont’s Northland Journal

P.O. Box 812, Derby, VT 05829Phone: 802.334.5920E-mail: [email protected]: www.northlandjournal.comWeb Developer: Bill Alexander www.alpinewebmedia.comSubscriptions: Annually: $25; 2 years: $45, in the U.S.

Prices include shipping and handling. Issues are mailed in envelopes. Allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of first issue.

Back Issues: Back issues available on a limited basis.The cost is $3, plus $2 per issue for shipping & handling.

Advertising & Scott Wheeler at 802.334.5920 e-mail: [email protected]

Mission Statement:

The purpose of Vermont’s Northland Journal is to preserve andshare the history of Vermont’s North Country in a nonpartisan manner. The publication also serves as a forum forgroups dedicated to preserving the history of the region.

While this publication does not have a Letters to the Editor page, we do provide space for people to share their own historical memories.

The publisher will review any submission, and reserves the right toaccept, reject, or edit any material. No responsibility is assumed byVermont’s Northland Journal, its publisher, editor, or staff, for loss ordamage to materials submitted. Return postage must accompany allmanuscripts, drawings, photographs, etc., if they are to be returned.

Copyright 2015 Vermont’s Northland Journal.All rights reserved. Printed by Blanchard Litho of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada.No part of Vermont’s Northland Journal may be reproduced withoutthe written permission of the publisher.

Attention, Subscribers:If you should have an address change—permanent or temporary—please contact the Northland Journal with your new address asthe Journal is mailed at a class that the U.S. Postal Service doesn’tforward. This will help ensure uninterrupted mail delivery, andwill prevent you from having to purchase issues that were notforwarded to you. Direct all questions to the Publishers, Scottand Penny Wheeler, at 802.334.5920.

In This Issue

Cover photo: This issue of the Northland Journalincludes part one of a series about the SpaceResearch Corporation, which was located on theVermont–Quebec border at Jay, Vermont, andHighwater, Quebec. Photos courtesy of Arthur Aiken.

� Publisher’s Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

� Space Research Corporation: Dr. Bull’s Salesman Speaks—Part 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

� Family Traditions Mean Sweet Rewards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

� The Awakening and Sweetwater Sugar Making . . . . . . . . . . 18

� Maple Sugar Time Is Near . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

� The Most Expensive Maple Sugar Ever Made . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

� A Pinch of This, a Pinch of That . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

� Sugaring from the Archives of Glover Historical Society . . 26

� Two World War II Veterans Share Their Stories . . . . . . . . . 29

� Martin E. Turner and His “Modern House” of 1929 . . . . . 32

� Real Estate Companies Joining Ranks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

� Genealogical Queries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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Send a check or money order to P.O. Box 812, Derby, VT 05829, or orderonline at www.northlandjournal.com. (Offers are good only for delivery in theU.S.) Or you can now order an online version and read it anywhere in theworld. Check out the Journal’s website for more details.

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:34 AM Page 2

3March 2015

Iabsolutely love my work chronicling NortheastKingdom history. For that matter, it is far morethan a job. It is a mission, even a passion. Each

morning I bound out of bed ready to continue mymission of recording the history of Vermont’sNortheast Kingdom, much of it as told by the peoplewho lived it. It’s great to know the history and storiesthat appear in the Northland Journal, whether writtenby me or another writer, will be around for futuregenerations. Even more important, it’s touching toknow a little piece of the people interviewed willforever live on through their stories even after theyno longer walk this earth.

Meeting so many people from such rich anddiverse backgrounds, most who grew up decadesbefore me, is one of the favorite parts of my work.Not only do they share their stories with me, theyoften share their hearts and souls, sometimes tellingstories they haven’t even told their families. Ibecome great friends with some of the people Iinterview, although some are old enough to be mygrandparents. They appreciate me taking the time tolisten to them and record their stories, and I am farricher for knowing them.

Because many of the interviewees are ofadvanced age, I eventually lose many of them as theyhead off on their journey to the other side. Althoughthey may have lived a long, good life, losing them is

very real to me. On a number of occasions, I havebeen asked to provide some of the final words abouttheir lives at their funerals.

During a two week period between December 20,2014, and January 2 of this year, I lost four peoplewho I am honored to have had tell me their stories.

Roy Davis of Derby passed away on December20 at 89 years old. In 2011, Roy and his beloved wifeof six decades, Shirley, talked about their life offarming and sugaring. In an article I wrote abouttheir lives, I humorously compared their life togetherto the 1960’s television sitcom Green Acres. On thatsitcom, Lisa Douglas, a glamorous Hungarian-borncity girl played by Eva Gabor, agreed to marry NewYork City lawyer and aspiring farmer Oliver WendellDouglas, played by Eddie Albert, but she neverdreamed she’d end up living on a farm deep inAmerica’s heartland in a community namedHooterville. Not only did their love survive thechallenges of farm life, but the fictional couple livedout a downright humorous life with their countryneighbors. One of their neighbors was a televisionobsessed pig named Arnold Ziffel, the adopted “son”of farm couple Fred and Doris Ziffel.

Although Roy and Shirley (Canning) were noOliver and Lisa Douglas, their lives do have somesimilarities. Married for 60 years, the Davises farmedfor decades in Derby. Shirley isn’t Hungarian or a

Publisher Scott WheelerPUBL

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They Are Gone, but Our Memories ofThem Will Forever Live On

Roy and Shirley Davis’ marriage produced four children and thousands ofgallons of maple syrup. Photo by Scott Wheeler

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:35 AM Page 3

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city socialite, and she was certainly no farm girlwhen she met Roy, a farm boy born and raised. Shegrew up a city girl in Thetford Mines, Quebec, asizable community located between Sherbrooke andQuebec City. Living the life of a farm wife was thelast thing she had on her mind.

Roy was never a lawyer like Oliver Douglas.Although Roy was a farmer, he certainly was nevera bumbling one like his fictional counterpart.However, like Oliver, Roy loved the land. Andwhile Oliver dreamed of becoming a farmer, Roy, anative of Barnston Township, Quebec, a shortdistance across the border, was already a veteran ofmore than two decades of farm life when he askedhis bride-to-be to marry him. He wasn’t shy abouttalking about his love for his wife.

“You know I’m an awful lucky person. You haveno idea how nice a person Shirley is. I don’t knowhow I was so lucky. I’m 100 percent serious. Imarried the best and nicest girl in the province of Quebec.”

Wanted, Genealogical QueriesPlease mail your genealogical queries to Scott Wheeler,

Vermont’s Northland Journal,, P.O. Box 812, Derby, VT 05829

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:35 AM Page 4

5March 2015

Then on December 21 came the death of a man Ihad become good friends with over the years, Dr.Ray Griffin of West Glover. He was 92 years old. Dr.Griffin and his wife of 69 years, Olive (Urie), helpedme record so much history of the Barton–Gloverarea, including, but not limited to, the ski areas inthat region along with the long-gone Barton CountryClub. They also reflected on the Great Depression,the Flood of 1927, and World War II. The Griffinswere such an amazing couple who took theirwedding vows seriously to the end. In recent years,with her husband, a large man, health failing him,Olive, a spry woman, happily transported him to allhis appointments. He was so blessed to have beenmarried to this remarkable woman, and he knew itfull well.

Dr. Griffin, who was a retired dentist, was a childof the Great Depression. His family lost everythingduring the Depression with the exception of theirdignity. However, the loss of the family home wasnothing compared to the pain Dr. Griffin felt when helost his brother, Everett, during World War II. Amember of the 10th Mountain Division, Everett dieda true hero’s death in Italy, saving his men during a

Dr. Ray and Olive (Urie) Griffin were married for 69 years. Photo by Christopher Roy

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:35 AM Page 5


German attack. Dr. Griffin also served in the Armyduring WWII, but he never saw action. During hisservice he spent a day at the Nuremburg War CrimesTrials watching Nazi war criminals being brought tojustice. He was a great steward of history, and a truegentleman through and through.

The “Greatest Generation” lost another one of itsmembers on December 28th. John Cadieux of

Newport, who was a proud Navy Seabee duringWWII, passed away at 90 years old. John was agood, humble, and honorable man who loved history,including his family history, and his collection ofhistorical memorabilia. He was proud of his militaryservice, including during the invasion of Guam.When I first met John many years ago, his sidekickwas his neighbor and good friend, the now late TedChaffee, also a WWII Navy man. They were the bestof friends, although John was a diehard Democrat,and Ted was a loyal Republican. Come electionseason it was common for John to place politicalsigns of his favorite Democratic (and I also believeBernie Sanders) candidates on the front lawn of hishouse. Drive a few yards up Sias Avenue, and whenTed was alive, you could see his lawn festooned withsigns of Republican candidates.

Ida (Starr) Cadieux was John’s partner in life foralmost 70 years. In 2004, when my family and Iaccompanied a busload of WWII veterans to the thennewly unveiled memorial to that war in Washington,D.C., John and Ida, and Ted and his wife, Mary, wenton that journey. Everybody had a great time.

John, like Roy Davis and Ray Griffin, was achild of the Great Depression, and he wasn’t afraidof work, and as a longtime cancer survivor, heunderstood his mortality. I used to joke to John he’dprobably have been gone years ago if it wasn’t forIda keeping him on the go. She didn’t give John timeto think about dying. Even as John’s health continuedto slowly deteriorate, Ida cared for him. She caredfor him enough not to just allow him to idle his finaldays away in misery. Instead she kept him active,providing him with an outstanding quality of lifeuntil the end. Only weeks before his death I metthem at a church meal.

This photo of John and Ida Cadieux (couple on the left), and Tedand Mary (Fedele) Chaffee was taken at the World War IIMemorial in 2004. Photo by Scott Wheeler

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7March 2015

Then, on January 2, came the death of Carlisle“Carli” (Simons) (Frizzell) Whitehill of Island Pond.I met the 83-year-old Newport native in 2007 whenour family was hosting a gathering of Gold StarFamilies—families who’d lost loved ones at war.Carli’s first husband, Marshall Frizzell, was killed in1966 when the helicopter he was piloting in Vietnamcrashed. He left behind his wife and their threeyoung children. Although she found love again,marrying Kenneth Whitehill in 1967, she neverforgot Marshall, the biological father of her children,a man who’d given his life for his country. Sheserved as one of the speakers at the Gold Stargathering, sharing the story about the life and deathof Marshall.

These four Northeast Kingdom residents nolonger walk among us, but their time here will notsoon be forgotten, and their stories will live on forfuture generations to learn from. May they all rest inpeace. My thoughts are with their families. �

Carlisle “Carli” (Simons) (Frizzell) Whitehill speaking before agroup of Gold Star families in Derby in 2007.

Photo by Christopher Roy

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Mindy Starr, CME,is a MedicalPractitioner–Examiner and Occupational MedicineAdministrator with sevenyears of occupational medicine experience and14 years in the medicalfield. She is the co-ownerof NEKMC.

Bruce Latham, DO,an Occupational MedicineDoctor, brings with him 35years of experience. Healso provides primary caremedicine at the clinic.

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Mindy Starr, CME (left), and Shirlene Geoffrey, LPN, alongwith Dr. Bruce Latham.

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:35 AM Page 7


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9March 2015

Space Research Corporation: Dr. Bull’s Salesman Speaks—Part 1

by Scott Wheeler

Myths and distortionsabound in one chapterof the history of the Jay

community, and the greater borderregion—some repeated so manytimes people think they are fact.The chapter includes a brilliantrocket scientist, weapons of war,international intrigue, and afaceless assassin. These are theyears between the early 1960s and1979 that Space ResearchCorporation (SRC) operated thereon a compound that straddled theVermont–Quebec border.

There is far more to thischapter of the region’s history.Often omitted from the story ismention of the dedicated menand women who worked at SRC,including some of the bestscientists in the business and thetechnology they developed,some which extended far beyond weaponry.

When most people think aboutthe community of Jay, Vermont,they think of it as the home of JayPeak Resort, a resort whichattracts about 400,000 skiers andboarders to its slopes each year.Nestled up against the forest-covered Green Mountain chainand the Quebec border, thecommunity seems to have aweather system of its own.Snowfalls are often measured infeet, not inches.

The Space ResearchCorporation years are in starkcontrast to that image. It is a timethat has been all but forgotten bymany of the people of the

region—except by those wholived it. It’s also a chapter that hasbeen the subject of numerousbooks, documentaries, and at leastone major movie.

During these years, Dr. GeraldBull headed up SRC on a 6,000-acre tract of land that straddles theinternational border at Jay,Vermont, and Highwater, Quebec.A wide array of munitions—long-range artillery shells and big gunsand cannons capable of deliveringtheir deadly cargo with pinpointaccuracy—were developed andproduced there and sold aroundthe world. What many peopledon’t know, however, is that SRCalso conducted research anddeveloped technology for manypeaceful purposes, including forspace missions, and to help airtraffic controllers better do theirjobs at airports around the world.

Many media outlets, evendocumentaries, have mistakenlyreported the Vermont side of thecompound was located in NorthTroy; it was actually located in adesolate section of the communityof Jay. The cause of this error waslikely due to the fact that Jaydidn’t have a post office, whichmeant SRC’s American mailingaddress was North Troy, thecommunity adjacent to Jay.

This is a chapter of theregion’s history that Arthur Aikenof Glover knows well. He workedfor Dr. Bull at the bordercompound and at anothercompany owned by Dr. Bull,SRCI, in Brussels, Belgium, foralmost 20 years. Aiken served in anumber of roles includingMaterials Management Manager,and he traveled the world sellingtechnology developed at SRC.

Truck hauling a 16-inch, 60-ton gun barrel up the steep hill leading to the Highwaterentrance. Arthur Aiken, the subject of this article, wearing the suit, is seen walkingalongside the truck. Photo courtesy of Arthur Aiken

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:35 AM Page 9


“Working at Space Researchwas a dream come true,” Aikensaid. “Every day spawned a newchallenge—laying out a new roadto the rocket assembly building,installing a short railroad to serveas a recoil for the propellant

tester, putting a telemetry radar ona nearby mountain, moving a 16”naval battleship gun barrel,bulldozing a pond.”

Fast forward to 1979, Dr.Bull and some of his associatesfound themselves under thescrutiny of the U.S. Government,accused of illegally shippingarms to South Africa in violationof a U.S. and United Nationsembargo on such activities. Dr.Bull’s life in the U.S. began tocrumble. In 1980, he and SRC’snumber two man, Colonel RogersGregory, pled guilty in FederalDistrict Court in Rutland toshipping munitions, includingmore than 50,000 artillery shells,to South Africa. They were eachsentenced to one year in federalprison, with all time suspendedexcept for four months.

The sentence is said to havestunned Dr. Bull—after all, heinsisted, elements of the U.S.Government, including theCentral Intelligence Agency(CIA), had not only sanctionedthe shipments, but had also

encouraged them. Even moresurprising to him was none ofthose government officials cameto his rescue.

Embittered by his convictionand subsequent imprisonment,Dr. Bull eventually settled inBrussels, Belgium, a city knownas the home of manyinternational arms developers anddealers. There he continued hisresearch and development ofmunition systems.

Aiken, who was involved inthe sales to South Africa, said hedoesn’t blame Dr. Bull for beingbitter. “I believe that U.S.Authorities were aware of theorder from South Africa and letthe order proceed,” Aiken said.“When the media exposed thetransaction as a violation of theITAR [International Traffic inArms Regulations], the SpaceResearch Corporation was on its own.”

Dr. Bull’s life came to aviolent end on March 20, 1990,in Brussels, when an assassin, orassassins, shot him at close

Dr. Gerald Bull headed up Space ResearchCorporation. This is a photo of Dr. Bull,which was on display at the Museum ofCommunications and History of Sutton inSutton, Quebec, during the fall of 2014.

Photo by Scott Wheeler

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11March 2015

range. Some have accused theIsraeli secret police, the Mossad,of carrying out the assassination.He was certainly on Israel’sradar. According to publishedaccounts, at the time of Dr.Bull’s death, he was workingwith then-Iraqi dictator, SaddamHussein, to build a 100-yard-long Supergun. If completed, itwould have been able to fire aprojectile more than 1,000 miles,including into the heart of TelAviv, Israel. The project wascalled Project Babylon.

There are others, though, whohave gone so far as to theorize Dr.Bull was taken out by elements ofthe U.S. Government itself tosilence a man they could nolonger control.

Dr. Bull’s life, work, anddeath at the hands of an assassin,have been the subject of anumber of books. The bestknown is probably Bull’s Eye:The Assassination and Life ofSupergun Inventor Gerald Bull,published in 1992. Filmdocumentaries have also beenmade, including a PBS Frontlinesegment called The Man WhoMade the Supergun, which firstaired in 1991. In 1994, HBOfirst aired a movie calledDoomsday Gun.

Twenty-five years after Dr.Bull’s assassination, many of theformer ranking members of SRCare still reluctant to talk abouttheir work with him. This has ledsome people to wonder if they arehiding something, or if they fearmeeting the same fate as theirformer boss. Aiken has nowstepped forward to tell his story—the story of Space Research, and

the story of a man he knew andrespected, Dr. Gerald Bull. Healso wants to demystify life andwork at SRC.

“It is important for the publicto know that Dr. Bull and theemployees of the Space ResearchCorporation were a combinationof skilled technicians, engineers,machinists, laborers and clericalworkers with families whoresided in the local communitieswhere their children attendedlocal schools and parents shoppedin the local stores,” Aiken said.“These folks were not gunrunners as occasionally dubbed bythe media, but rather they wereemployees of a bona fidecompany working with the U.S.Government, often with highlyclassified information.”

The workers, including thelaborers and clerical workers,were well paid—money whichwas infused back into theeconomies on both sides of the border.

“The workers were paid well,but I think most people weremore dedicated to the work thanthey were to the money,” Aikensaid. “It really was interestingwork.”

Dr. Bull was certainly noshadowy figure operating on thefringes. A native of North Bay,Ontario, Dr. Bull earned adoctorate’s degree from theUniversity of Toronto at age 22,the youngest person to ever earn adoctorate’s degree from thatuniversity, earning him the title,“boy rocket scientist.” Heeventually became a Professor ofEngineering Science in theDepartment of MechanicalEngineering at McGill University.Dr. Bull also helped put Canadainto the space race.

While countries such as theUnited States and Russia werefocused on landing a man on themoon, Dr. Bull worked to developthe technology that would allowhim to fire payloads, including

This was the Highwater entrance to the Space Research compound. The display is of agun launch multi-stage rocket capable of carrying a satellite into orbit.

Photo courtesy of Arthur Aiken

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 11


satellites, into orbit withoutrocketry. He theorized if he coulddevelop such technology, it wouldbe far cheaper to launch satellitesinto orbit than to use rockets. Theproject, which came into being in1961, was called High AltitudeResearch Project (HARP) and wasfunded by both the U.S. andCanada. Dr. Bull never didaccomplish this goal, at least in partbecause funding for the projectdried up.

In the 1960s, he helped NorwichUniversity in Northfield, Vermont,establish an aerospace program. TheAmerican government was sointerested in and so impressed withDr. Bull and his technological ideasthat, in 1973, through an act ofCongress, with the help of thenU.S. Senator Barry Goldwater, Dr. Bull was allowedto become an American citizen. This wasn’t out ofnicety. Instead, it was to grant Dr. Bull the highestlevel of security clearance, which would allow him towork on highly classified government projects.

A native of Mansonville, Quebec, a community afew miles drive from North Troy, Vermont, Aikenwas working at Fred Korman Electric inMansonville, providing cost estimates in theindustrial division while also working as anapprentice electrician, when in 1964, a friendworking at the newly formed SRC in Highwatersuggested he apply for a job there.

Aiken began working for SRC in December ofthat year when he was 25 years old as the Materials

Management Manager; jobs included purchasing,receiving, and shipment of materials for thecorporation. He said, “All the maintenance andconstruction workers reported to me, and I got myorders from the Highwater Laboratory Manager,Robert Stacy, or Dr. Bull.”

SRC was in its fledgling stage when Aikenarrived and had not yet straddled the border into Jay,but it was already conducting important research. Hesaid, “The operation at Highwater had 12 to 15employees and an operating gas gun firing range, asmall shop and an administrative office building.”

Little did he ever dream SRC would eventuallygrow to include upwards of 200 workers and straddleboth sides of the border. Most important, never in hiswildest dreams did he think it would become a focalpoint of international intrigue, and eventually even murder.

Aiken keeps it no secret he is proud of his yearswith SRC, as he explained how the company endedup settling on the border in the first place. “Theoriginal purpose of SRC was to conduct research atMcGill University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, forthe newly formed engineering department headedby Dr. Bull. The department grew under hisleadership working with hyper-velocity gas gunstesting panels composed of different materials, most

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The Highwater main office is shown here in the background; machine shop and gas guntesting shop are in the foreground. Photo courtesy of Arthur Aiken

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 12

often classified materials. During a test, anexplosion blew out the walls of the room housingthe gas gun firing room. It was then that McGillUniversity asked Dr. Bull to find another site toconduct his research.”

The Highwater location was chosen, at least inpart, because it was in such a desolate location, andbecause Dr. Bull already owned land there, Aikenexplained. “This was a perfect location for the gasgun testing laboratory, the beginning of the SpaceResearch Institute of McGill University. Over theyears, the facility changed from a research instituteto a company doing research, development, and thesales of the developed systems and products. As Dr.Bull’s capability and his reputation of gun expertise

became known throughout the United Statesmilitary, and different tests were required, I was toldwe needed a larger security buffer that we couldcontrol while tests were being conducted. It waspreferable to lease the land or if unable to lease thento purchase it. Giltaur Corporation, a companyowned by Dr. Bull and his father-in-law, Dr. Gilbert,funded the land leases and purchases. The greaterportion of land was forested mountain land leasedand renewed annually.”

In time, Aiken assisted SRC in the purchase ofthe Ed Sargent farm in Jay. The land was adjacent tothe land the company already controlled inHighwater. “We needed the land because we neededan American entrance to the manufacturing facilitiesin Highwater,” Aiken said.

There were a number of reasons an Americanentrance would prove beneficial. It would mean thatmaterial being shipped to SRC from the UnitedStates wouldn’t have to officially be imported intoCanada, and American workers would not have toobtain Canadian work permits.

“The SRC compound was unique in that it wasthe only industry to straddle the Canadian–UnitedStates border with private customs’ service,” Aikensaid. “The senior custom’s officer from the NorthTroy Port of Entry and I laid the ground rules. Whenwe had an agreement on the operating procedures,Dr. Bull and a custom’s official signed the firstborder crossing agreement.” The crossing was onlyopen several hours a day.

The manufacturing plant and test firing rangewere located in Highwater, while the administrationbuilding and electronic development were located in Jay. �

Next month Arthur Aiken will take readers deeperinto his world with the Space Research Corporation.

13March 2015

Construction of the Highwater firing range. Photo courtesy of Arthur Aiken

Assembly of the HARP Flyer propellant tester. Aiken said he and theother workers got some good overtime hours since they workedthroughout the night. Photo courtesy of Arthur Aiken

WantedGenealogical Queries

Please mail your genealogical queries to: Scott Wheeler, Vermont’s Northland Journal

P.O. Box 812 Derby, VT 05829

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 13


by Tanya Sousa

Steve Wheeler and his wife, Amy,have been in the maple sugaring andmaple products creation and sales

business for 15 years, but the roots to whatthey do reach much further than that inmore ways than one. Their business, Jed’sMaple, is the sweet reward for generationsof experience and ingenuity.

Steve’s father sugared. Steve’sgrandfather sugared. In fact, his great-great-grandfather William Jewett, whobuilt the famed seven covered bridges inMontgomery, sugared too. “It’s a familytradition,” Wheeler said. He remembershis grandmother’s stories of packing theentire family into a horse-drawn sleigh andgoing to the sugarhouse and making anevent of sugaring season days and nights.

He recalls being six years old andbeing given jobs easier for a little body to do duringsap boiling time—like climbing through a small holein a tarp to retrieve pieces of wood for stacking.“When I got older, I was given other jobs,” he said.He wasn’t allowed to do the tapping for a long timesince it took more upper body strength and bodyweight to do safely. His father and grandfatheralways did that. “I didn’t see any of it as work,”Wheeler muses. “I loved it.”

He loved it so much that he did a project on“reverse osmosis,” a maple sugar-making process,for his high school chemistry class.

Although Steve Wheeler was admittedly “bittenby the bug” of maple production, he had a visionwhen he was young—a vision, he says, that includedbeing successful in a different way than he looks atsuccess now. He wanted to be rich—a professionalclimbing the ladder of corporations. Indeed, hemoved from the area, married his lovely Amy, andboth were on that track. Not long after the couple hadtheir first child, though, they took a hard look at theirlife goals and realized they had changed.

Wheeler said, “We wanted to raise our kidswhere they would be safe. We wanted to be able tospend time with them.” With that in mind, the small

family returned to Vermont. They raised vegetablesand their own animals, and Steve began tappingsome maple trees on a very small scale—planningonly 50 to 60 taps the first year.

His father, grandfather, and other relatives hadalways worked the maple sugaring as a side hobby,although at the peak of it his grandfather did haveseveral thousand taps going. “That’s as much as youwanted to do then on your own,” Wheeler laughed.

So a hobby is what Steve imagined too. “It was ahobby gone awry,” he smirked. “The first time I putholes in the trees it was magic.” The first year’s tapsended up being closer to 800 instead of 60. He had1,300 taps the second year. He called upon the familyingenuity and handiness and rebuilt a usedevaporator that was in bad shape and turned it into afunctional beauty of sorts. He sold out of his firstyear’s syrup, made more, and continued to havedemand as well as the passion for doing what he wasdoing. Before too long he had 10,000 taps and athriving full-time business.

“My children got to hang out with Dad,” he said.They helped—and still do—by packing boxes andgoing to shows, where they get the opportunity to seenew places and visit historic sites, while at the sametime, putting on labels or doing other activities they

Family Traditions Mean Sweet Rewards

Steve Wheeler’s family has been sugaring for generations. Paul Wheeler is drivingthe tractor (a new 1950 Ford Tractor with half-track lags). Arthur Brown is the otheryoung boy standing by the tank. The older gentleman pouring sap is Jude Wheeler,Steve Wheeler’s great-uncle. Photo courtesy of Steve and Amy Wheeler

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 14

are willing to do and that thefamily deems safe andappropriate. Family is important toboth Steve and Amy—soimportant that their company,Jed’s Maple, is named after theireldest son. Later on they started asecond branch of the business,Jonah’s Maple Supply, sellingsugar-making equipment, namedafter their youngest son.

The company continues togrow and stay lively. Steve feelsthis vibrancy and constantadaptation are, in large part, thereason for their success (alongwith his wife’s keen marketingskills!). In Boston, they’re arecognized brand. They sell allaround the country and the worldvia their website and catalog. Oneday Wheeler received a phone callfrom Fox News Radio and wasinterviewed about how climatechange has affected their sugaringoperation. “My sister was driving in Washington,DC, and nearly went off the road—she heard mequoted on the news!”

Their products branched fromstraight maple syrup to a numberof other items, and their cataloglist is constantly being renewed.Best sellers like maple cottoncandy and maple dressings, alongwith others that perform well, stayon. New products are created andtested each year and those thatdon’t hold their financial weight insales are removed from theofferings.

They provide tours of theiroperation and are open for theannual Maple Open HouseWeekend. This year they plan tobe open both the official weekendof March 28 and 29 and theweekend before as well.

“We want to become adestination,” Steve explained. “Iwant people to be able to see whatwe do—and to learn how maplesugaring can be done in

15March 2015

Steve Wheeler pouring some of his family’sfamous maple syrup. Photo courtesy of RickDesrochers of Northern Dreams Photography

(802) 766-2700 • (866) 4PUREVT 259 Derby Pond Road, Derby, VT 05829

Gift Shop Hours: Mon.-Fri. 8 am-4 pm, Sat. 10 am-4 pmwww.jedsmaple.com

Sugaring is a tradition that runsgenerations deep in Vermont. Fifth generation sugarmaker

Steve Wheeler and his wife, Amy,and their two sons welcome youto their sugarhouse and gift shop

on Derby Pond Road in Derby.

Experience this age-old Vermont tradition.

Home to Jed’sMaple Productsand Northeast

Kingdom Mustards& Condiments

Maple Museum

Grand Opening

March 21 & 22

Maple Open House

March 28 & 29

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 15

environmentally friendly ways,”he said, referring to the fact thatthey boil using used vegetable oilrather than wood or diesel orother fossil fuels, and they recyclethe steam from the process backinto water again so that there is

less energy needed to heat thewater since it’s already quite hotcoming in as steam.

The Wheelers also want toteach visitors about the history oftheir family business and thehistory of the land and buildings

they use or did use to build thebusiness. They’re in the processof turning one of the olderbuildings into the Wheeler FamilyMaple Museum, which they hopewill open this spring.

The land they use is as richwith maple sugaring history as theWheeler family itself. They arelocated in the old Mitchellsugarbush. According to SteveWheeler, the landowner beforeMitchell was a fine woodcraftsman who slowly culled theforest of non-maples and used thewood for stepladders, truckbodies, and other products. By thetime he was ready to retire, themaple grove was ready for use.W.S. Mitchell then purchased theland from that owner and used itto produce maple syrup.Eventually the land ended up inthe Wheelers’ care.

When asked what it is aboutthe sugaring business that keepsthem going and loving it, andwhat, exactly, was the bug thatbit Steve in the first place, hesaid, “I think it’s the familytradition. My dad is the familyhistorian—he does it on paper—but I do it too by doing. I hopeone of my kids will want to keepit going later. If they don’t, it’sokay, but I hope so.”

He continued, “When thesnow is blowing sideways andhitting your face, or when treebranches are dropping downaround you because that wind isbreaking them off, and the coldhurts your hands but you can’twear gloves because you can’t docertain things wearing gloves, Iremember my father and mygrandfather. They went out in the


This is the sugarhouse that was used when Steve was growing up. It will become theWheeler Family Maple Museum this spring.

Photo courtesy of Rick Desrochers of Northern Dreams Photography

Each spring, along with many other sugarhouses around the state, Jed’s opens its door tovisitors. Steve and Emily love entertaining and educating. Steve is seen in this 2014 photoreading to the young guests, educating them about the sugaring process.

Photo by Scott Wheeler

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 16

nasty weather and did what they had to do withoutcomplaint. The measure of a man to me is that at theend of his life, does his wife still love him? Is hisfamily proud of him? Does he have a goodreputation? I can work towards those things doing this.” �

Tanya Sousa writes children’s books andmagazine articles, and has also published many shortcreative nonfiction stories. Some of her work may beseen or purchased at the Radiant Hen Publishingwebsite: www.RadiantHen.com. Find her new novel,The Starling God, at www.forestrypress.com.

17March 2015

Some of the many other maple products sold by Jed’s. Photo by Scott Wheeler

Steve’s father, Merle, checking the pipeline in 2014, and putting up new. Photo by Rick Desrochers of Northern Dreams Photography

(See his ad on page 8.)Jed’s was spotlighted on NBC’s Meet the Press in2014. Here is the Wheeler family flanked by theNBC team at their business. Left to right: Member ofNBC’s tech crew, and Steve, Jonah, Jed, and AmyWheeler, along with NBC correspondent KevinTibbles, and another member of the NBC tech crew.

Photo courtesy of Steve and Amy Wheeler

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NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 17

by Bea Nelson

For the Abenaki, both then and now, the newyear is celebrated in early spring, which wecall the awakening or new beginnings. The

people too, the Alnobak, would begin again with thefirst early signs of spring.

The Abenaki didn’t have calendars that started inJanuary. Instead, their year started when it was timeto leave the wigwoms of the winter villages. Theyhad rested and stayed close to the hearth fires duringthe cold, long nights of the hunger moons. Now itwas time to start a new cycle of activity, for a newcycle of seasons that would help them be ready foranother year and another winter. For the Abenaki,everything moves in a circle, each new day startswith the sunrise, and each New Year begins in spring.

When the “fee-bee” song of the chickadee isheard during a warmer midday sun, and thechipmunks come out of sleeping to fill their cheekpouches, these are early signs of the awakening. So,too, are the purplish pink and reddish browns noticedon the hillside forests, or the gathering of the crows.When squirrels clip off tender twigs for a taste of sapand tiny icicles from where the deer have browsed,or the owl hoots in the distance, these are signs ofnew beginnings and the sweet water run.

History books don’t record when the method ofmaple sugar making was discovered or learnedbecause the Native Americans were doing it longbefore the white man first arrived. In the 1500s and1600s French explorers, Eastern Coastal fishermen,Jesuit missionaries, and English captives werewriting accounts describing the process as they hadobserved it. Peter Kalm, the Swedish naturalist wrotein the 1700s about how the French garrisons ofsoldiers made a yearly supply, and that they hadlearned from the Algonquin people. We, the Abenaki,have an oral history story that explains the discovery.

Nizwia’s GiftIt is said that one day when Woksis was out

hunting in search of game, Nizwia, his wife, wasbusy inside the wigwom making him new moccasinsfor the coming new cycle of seasons. Soon she

decided that she had better put some food in thecooking pot to be ready when Woksis came back tothe lodge. He would be cold and hungry.

As Nizwia started toward the stream for water toboil the moose meat, she noticed that Woksis had lefta tomahawk in a tree nearby with a bark containeralso left resting against its base.

“He is a good hunter,” she thought to herself,“but would he ever learn to take care of things, or tofinish what he had started.” As she bent down to pickit up, she noticed that the tree juice had run down thehandle and into the container. “It looks like water…ithas a sweet taste…I will use it in my cooking potand it will save me a trip to stream.”

After she put the moose meat into the pot and gotit going, Nizwia busied herself with the moccasinsinside the wigwom. She was embroidering Woksis’favorite design with moose hair and the porcupinequills that she had carefully dyed with his favoritecolors from special plants. Nizwia became very busywith what she was doing and forgot about thecooking meat. The sweet water had boiled down tothick brown syrup. Nizwia thought she had spoiledthe moose meat, but it was too late. Woksis hadreturned and he was hungry. What would he think?

Woksis emptied the cooking pot and wished therewas more. He had never tasted anything like it!Nizwia explained that she had discovered the sweetwater coming from the tree (after letting him knowshe found his missing tomahawk).

That evening while he was visiting and smokinghis pipe with the men of the village, he told them thatKchi Niwaskw (kit-chi-ni-was-kwah) Great Spirit,had taught Nizwia how to make a delicious food byboiling the sweet water of the maple.

Ever since that time the Wabanaki peoples havemade maple sugar when the sweetwater runs in thetrees at the time of the new cycle of activity andmoving on to sugar camp.

And so it is said…�


The Awakening and Sweetwater Sugar Making

Wanted, a unique story of your family history.Please mail your story and we will edit it for print to

Scott Wheeler, Vermont’s Northland Journal,, P.O. Box 812, Derby, VT 05829

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 18

In spite of the fact that the snow still lies bankedup in huge mounds in the fields, and the roads are yetwaist deep and full of “thank ye marms,” and that thewoods are pretty near neck deep…, the month ofMarch is passing and the farmers are beginning tolook over their sugar equipment, for the Vermontharvest of the sweet is at hand.

The papers carry advertisements of sugar makingmaterials, and before long, in the markets of the greatcities “pure Vermont maple products” will be on sale,if they have not alreadyappeared, long before atree has been tapped inthis state.

Up in this latitudethere will not be muchsugar made before thefirst of April when thefrost of the cold nights issucceeded by thawingdays, so that the sap in themaple will begin to run.

Whether the sap runsup or down the tree is amoot question, which hasbeen discussed at lengthfor years, but the farmersare perfectly willing toleave the matter to thescientists so long as thesap runs into the bucketswhich they hang up on trees. Happy is that farmerthese days whose hillside grove is so situated that hecan pipe the flowing sap from the trees into the vat atthe boiling house. Long lines of pipe are stretchedfrom tree to tree, each one connected with the pipeline by a short length from the spigot so that withoutany attention the sap flows continuously down thehill to the sap house, necessitating the gathering onlyfrom the trees which cannot be linked up with thegeneral pipe line. In the olden time the sap wasgathered on a bob-sled drawn by slow-moving oxenor carried by hand on snow-shoes when the snowwas too deep for the oxen to draw the sled.

Maple sugar is produced in some other sectionsof the country, but those who have sampled the sameagree that there is something peculiarly palatableabout the Vermont produce not found elsewhere.Once having tested the genuine article, most folkswant no other.

Contrary to the belief of some unsophisticatedcity dwellers, maple syrup does not flow from mapletrees. Vast quantities of sweet sap must be gatheredand boiled through long hours and with sleepless

vigilance, before theproduct has been “boileddown” sufficiently to beof the proper consistencyto be designated asmaple syrup.

But when thatcondensed, double-distilled sweetness is putupon the breakfast tableand a heaping plate ofbuckwheat “flapjacks” isset before a hungry man,oh boy! there is a dish fitfor the gods. No wonderthe world looks good tothe individual who hassuch a meal under hiswaistband to start the day with.

There is a readymarket for the sweet produce in this northern climate,the total annual value of the maple sugar products ofthis state amounting to not less than $2,266,000, andmany of the farmers of the state depend in a largemeasure for their living on the harvest of the mapletrees. It is estimated that in this state there are some10,000 producers of maple sugar and syrup, who tap5,000,000 trees every year.

There is one matter which ought to be brought tothe attention of the sugar-makers of the stateconcerning the marketing of the season’s product.The law is quite strict concerning the weight andmarking of the packages of sugar, and syrup when it

19March 2015

This article is from the March 21, 1923, issue of the Orleans County Monitor.

Maple Sugar Time Is Near

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 19


is sent to the market for sale. Concerning the legal weight the law says:“The legal weight of the gallon of maple syrup

shall not be less than eleven pounds and the legalmeasure thereof shall be two hundred and thirty-one

cubic inches. Whenever maple syrup is sold by thegallon, quart, pint, or gill, or multiple or fractionthereof, it must be sold according to such legalweight and measure. The legal quart shall be a fourthof a gallon; and the legal gill, a thirty-second of agallon. A person who sells or offers for sale a lessquantity of maple syrup than represented or sells thesame in a manner contrary to the law shall be finednot more than five dollars for the first offense, andfor each sequent offense, not more than ten dollars.”

Among the acts of 1919. Number 162, an act toprovide for the marking of net quantity of food incontainers of packages reads as follows:

“A dealer of his employee who sells, offers orexposes for sale food in containers or package formshall have the correct net quantity of the contentsplainly and conspicuously marked on the outside ofthe package or container in terms of weight, measureor numerical count; however, reasonable variationsshall be permitted and allowance and exemptions asto small packages shall be established by rules andregulations made from time to time by commissionerof weights and measures.

“All markings on containers must be on the topor side and must not be obscured in any way. �

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You Can Now Read theNorthland JournalO N L I N E

Vermont’s Northland Journal is a monthlymagazine dedicated to sharing and preserving the

history of the Northeast Kingdom through thewords of the people who lived it. For the first 13

years, we offered only a print version of theJournal; however, that has now changed. Whilethe Journal will always have a print version, youcan now order a special subscription so you canread it online. Check out the subscription page

on the Northland Journal’s website atwww.northlandjournal.com

and learn how to subscribe to the online version, or the paper version.

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 20

by Sylvia C. Dodge

“Did I ever tell you the story of the mostexpensive maple sugar ever made?” mygrandpa asked me one sunny afternoon as

we stood outside our sugarhouse during boilingseason. My dad and his buddies were boiling inside,but me and Grandpa were taking a break from whatDad called our “supervisory” duties by enjoyingsome of the first really mild weather of the season.

The sap run had been a big one that morning. Ithad been a cold, clear night—and today the sun hadcome out strong and warm water was dripping fromthe last of the icicles on thehouse and Mom was letting mebe outside without wearing mywinter hat and mittens.

“It’s maple syrup, Grandpa,”I said, like a know-it-all—“notmaple sugar.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,young man,” he replied,“because a long time ago, peopleliked to boil the sap down waypast being syrup. It was sortalike your grandma’s maple candy—sugar, notsyrup—but anyway, this story I’m going to tell yougoes way back, maybe 200 years ago. My owngrandpa told me this story, and I think he probablygot it from his grandpa before him.”

“You know how your dad has expanded hissugaring operation this year, doubling it by tappinganother 30 acres. Well, before there was any suchthing as maple tubing and oil-fired boiling rigs, therewas a guy named Gerrit Boon, who had big, bigideas about making money from sugaring.

“Just like today, there were big banks back thentoo, and this guy, Gerrit Boon, convinced some NewYork City bankers that there was money to be madefrom tapping trees and making maple sugar. Backthen there were not that many people living up north,like we do, and the bank gave Boon enough money

to buy 100,000 acres of land—can you believe it!That’s the size of about four whole towns puttogether.

“Boon’s plan was to tap all the maples on thathuge parcel of land and make a fortune, but for thefirst year he decided to start small. He picked a 60-acre test patch (that’s about as big as your daddysugars today) and Boon had every tree cut off thatpatch of woods except for the sugar maples.

“Boon had a good plan. He had learned thetechnique from the Indians who still lived in thenorthern parts. Boon started preparing for his

experiment in the summerbefore his first sugaring season.

“Back then folks weren’treally that good at makingthings out of metal. They didn’treally get good at metal-working until about the CivilWar, and Boon had his idea alot earlier than that. He didn’thave access to metal taps orbuckets. Instead he had to usehollow reeds or stems

sharpened at one end to funnel the sap out of thetrees. I think elderberry stem was one of thefavorites.

“Anyway—the way they tapped trees was to usea hatchet and cut a V-shaped gash in the maple, waydown low, as close to the base of the tree as theycould get. They would insert the hollow stem into thegash, kind of caulk around it to seal it with pitch, andthen catch the sap in the wooden bowls. They werekind of like small troughs—and Boon had hundredsof them made that summer.

“Boon built big, wide toboggans outfitted withbarrels so that the sap could be gathered and pulledby horses safely to the sugarhouse.

“Boon had thought of everything, right? He hadbig dreams. Even with his test patch he had thebiggest sugaring operation ever tried—and if all went

21March 2015

The author, Sylvia C. Dodge of Lyndonville, wrote the following about this mostly fictional article,“Embellished and imagined from a brief mention in Adirondack Country,” written by William ChapmanWhite, published in 1954.

The Most Expensive Maple Sugar Ever Made

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 21


well that coming spring he was going to make afortune. So he sat back in satisfaction and waited forthe seasons to turn.”

I loved my grandpa’s stories. I could see it in mymind as I looked at our own hillside full of mapletrees in back of our sugarhouse. I could see a funnygash at the bottom of the tree, and a wooden bowlfull of clear liquid on the ground.

I guess that my grandpa was kind of imagining ittoo because we both were quiet for a minute or so,sort of looking off into the trickle of the meltingsnow and the sparkle of the sun on the white, wethillside.

“What went wrong?” I asked after a time.“You see, back then most sugaring was done on a

very small scale. It was easy to gather sap, becausefolks didn’t tap too many trees. Equipment like stems

and wooden troughs worked, because folks couldkeep track of small-scale tap runs.

“Where Boon went wrong was with the woodentroughs. He wanted a lot of them, and he wantedthem thin so they’d be easy to carry, but whathappened is that those troughs, strewed out over 60 acres of sugar-woods, could not stand up to the weather.

“At night sap would freeze in them, or if theywere empty at night frost would get them, and thenwhen the sun came out the next day lots of those thinwooden troughs warped or cracked.

“So most of the sap Boon tried to gather endedup leaking out into the snow. He tried making new,stronger troughs but he didn’t have enough time, andsoon the trees budded and the peepers started singingand sugaring season was over.

“After all those big dreams and that hard workhe ended up only making a few hundred pounds ofmaple sugar, and even though he had ideas aboutfine-tuning the operation the next spring, thebankers that had backed him thought one trywas enough.

“It had cost about $15,000 to make that smallamount of maple sugar—the most expensive maplesugar ever made.”

Again, me and my grandpa were quiet.I looked at the tubing connecting the maples on

the hillside and thought of the sap flowing from allof those taps into the tank at the bottom. I watchedthe smoke billow out of the cupola of oursugarhouse as it did most afternoons this time ofyear. We both stood still, without talking for acouple minutes.

And then me and my grandpa went back inside toget back to supervising. �

Sylvia Dodge was born and raised in St.Johnsbury. She has worked as an editor at theJournal Opinion, a weekly newspaper in Bradford,and at The Caledonian-Record, a daily newspaperin St. Johnsbury. She currently is employed asDirector of Career and College Counseling atLyndon Institute, and before that, worked as aguidance counselor at Craftsbury Academy. Shehas a passion for local history, gardening, and allthings that have to do with the out-of-doors.

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NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 22

23March 2015

The use of maple syrup in recipes was practicaland economical in my Aunt Blanche’syounger days of baking and cooking, to say

nothing of how wonderful the taste was. It wasreadily available and plentiful so it was common topour as much as you wanted over that bread puddingor on the pancakes my Gram would fry up in thedeep, hot lard. Nothing like them! (Speaking ofbread pudding, I went to lunch at Roaster’s Café inNewport recently, and they bake bread pudding theclosest to Gram’s that I have ever tasted! They evenpoured maple syrup on top for me.)

The use of maple syrup today is about health,flavor, and being less processed than white sugar. Itis a delicate 100% pure maple sweetness you can usein your tea, coffee, on your oatmeal, and in recipes,especially baked beans. Once you start using it thatway you will discover it is quite satisfying to yourpalate. And I always feel good that I am supportinglocal agricultural businesses rather than big corporateproducers. I usually try to get a darker grade for mybaking and cooking; I think it has better flavor forthat use.

I have several family members who make maplesyrup, and there is nothing like stopping by theircamp in the spring and seeing the steam rolling upfrom the top of the sugarhouse and getting a canningjar of hot syrup right off the tap. And to top that off,there is usually a fresh doughnut available too!

Today sugaring is definitely different from theway my dad did it. He had a wood-fired arch, and hewould open the two front doors and feed the fire withlong slabs of wood to keep the sap boiling in thestainless steel pans atop the arch. My cousin EvanPerron still burns wood, and I enjoy walking down tosee his sugaring operation because it reminds me ofthose memorable days that will one day be gone.

In one of my visits with my Aunt Blanche, shegave me a little recipe book called The OfficialVermont Maple Cookbook, published in 1983, and allthe recipes in this little booklet call for a Vermontmaple syrup product. I did look on the Amazonwebsite—you can still buy this book, but the price

has increased by 400%. Whereas it once sold for a$1, now you can get it for $4. The book wasdedicated to the late Elizabeth Perley Carr, whospent a large part of her life supporting theVermont maple industry. In fact, she loved thatindustry so deeply that she requested a sugar-on-snow party in her honor at the funeral home afterthe committal service.

The following recipes are from that book.

Maple Syrup Muffins

2 cups sifted flour1/4 cup sugar3 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 cup butter1 egg1/2 cup milk1/2 cup maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400degrees.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salttogether in mixing bowl. Cut in butter until wellblended. Beat egg, milk, and maple syrup and stirinto dry ingredients just until blended. Do not over-beat. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin tins 2/3 fulland bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Yield: 12muffins.

Vermont Spring Chicken

1 chicken, 2-1/2 to 3 lbs., cut up1/4 cup butter, melted1/2 cup maple syrup1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind1 teaspoon saltdash of pepper1/4 cup chopped almonds2 teaspoons lemon juice

A Pinch of This, a Pinch of Thatby Theresa Perron-Janowski

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 23


Email from Russ and Norma (Woodard) DeGrafftto Theresa:

On arriving back to their home, in Connecticut,on New Year’s Eve, from a family visit in Vermont,our neighbor generously shared a copy of Vermont’sNorthland Journal that you people published inNovember 2014. Much to my wife’s delight was anarticle directly related to her cousin and to some ofher past memories. Located on page 30 of this issueis an article written by Theresa Perron-Janowski thatspoke about Richard Simino. Richard lived with mywife’s family when he was in 8th grade, probably tohelp out with family chores. We are still in contactwith one of the younger Simino brothers who lives inNew Hampshire, made copies of your article and sentit to him as he is also a genealogical researcher.

Now, speaking about the Blake Bobbin Mill,which was located in Sutton. They cut the logs intobobbins and sent them over to Claremont, NewHampshire, and possibly down to Rhode Island.(Interesting enough, my long ago relatives worked themills in the Pawtucket/Providence, Rhode Island, areaas well as those close by in Massachusetts.) My wifewas working there the day that the mill burned. Herjob at the mill was as a bobbin sorter and she wasprobably 16 or 17 at the time. In fact she believes shewas the one who discovered the fire burning out ofcontrol on a conveyer belt. To escape the fire she andher aunt smashed a window and escaped through it tosafety. We don’t believe anyone was injured. The millwas partially rebuilt but the area was eventuallyreclaimed by the wetlands. Her major regret waslosing her new jacket and lunchbox. �

Place chicken pieces in shallow buttered bakingdish. Mix remaining ingredients and pour evenlyover chicken. Bake uncovered 50 to 60 minutes at400 degrees. Baste occasionally. Delicious on bed ofrice. Serves 6.

Maple Apple Pie

6 large apples, pared and thinly sliced1 cup maple cream1/4 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon cinnamon1 tablespoon flour2 tablespoons butterpastry for 2-crust 9” pie

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.Arrange pared and sliced apples in pie plate lined

with pastry. Pour maple cream over the top of theslices. Sprinkle with salt, cinnamon, and flour. Dotwith butter. Cover with top crust. Brush with milkand bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes and then 350degrees for 40 minutes or until crust is golden brown.Yield: one 9” pie.

Writer’s note: If you are making a pie for the firsttime, you should also brush milk on the rim of thebottom crust before putting the top crust on. This willhelp hold the two together. I put my apples,cinnamon, flour, and salt into a bowl and mix themtogether before putting them into the crust. Thisgives each piece of apple a nice coating of thecinnamon and flour. You can also add the maplecream and mix well, than place into the crust. �

A Letter to A Pinch of This, a Pinch of That

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 24

Recipes sent by Russ and Norma (Woodard)DeGrafft

The following recipe came from A Vermont CookBook, By Vermont Cooks, copyright 1958. This VERYOLD RECIPE was submitted by Mrs. Fred Tenney.

Date and Cream PieBaked pie shell1-1/2 cups stoned dates1/2 teaspoon lemon juice1 cup cream1 tablespoon sugar

Chop dates, add lemon juice. Whip cream, addsugar. Combine with dates. Fill pie shell. Decoratewith jelly cubes.

The following recipe is from The Burke HavenParish Cookbook. It was submitted by HazelWoodard (my wife’s mother who passed away in1995).

Apple Sauce Meatballs

2 pounds ground beef 1 cup crushed cornflakes 1 small onion, chopped 1 egg, beaten 1-1/2 teaspoons salt1/8 teaspoon pepper1/4 teaspoon garlic salt1/2 cup applesauce2 cans tomato sauce

Combine all of the above ingredients excepttomato sauce, and shape into small meat balls(24–28). Place in open roasting pan and pour tomatosauce over them. Bake at 350 for 1 hour.

The following recipe was taken from the WestBurke United Methodist Church Cookbook,submitted by Pastor Bob Leno. Rev. Leno went toLyndon State College with my wife and me, became avery old friend, and officiated at the service whenHazel passed away.)

Apple Pie

8 apples 3/4 cup maple syrup 1 cup flour1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon nutmegDash of salt

Peel and slice apples in a large bowl. Pour in allof the other ingredients and mix by hand until all ofthe ingredients have covered the apple slices. Preparethe pie crust. Place contents of the bowl into a 9 inchpie plate. Sprinkle some water on top; cover with topcrust. Make slashes in the top crust. Place in the ovenat 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 325degrees. Baste the top crust with beaten egg white.Allow to cook for 35 minutes. Cool and serve.Makes 8 servings.

25March 2015

Send your recipe story to:[email protected]

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 25

This recipe was provided by the GloverHistorical Society. It was written by Alice M.Greves and is from a notebook of recipes fromGlover women that was given to Isabelle Elliott atthe time of her marriage in 1947.

Maple Syrup Cake or Grandma’s Molasses Cake

Sift flour, salt, soda, and baking powder alltogether. Bake in hot oven twenty minutes. [Thesescant directions were handwritten on the card.]

– Alice M. Greves ~ April 16, 1947


Alfred Perron sugaring-off party, 1942. Front, left to right: Lionel Perron, George Gagnon, Stanley Gaboriault (with big paddle), ArmandPerron, Alfred Perron (kneeling, center), and Georgette Gaboriault (with paddle), Ruth Gaboriault (in front), and behind her, Joyce andJackie Perron, Irene Gaboriault, and Florence Gaboriault (in white dress). In back, left to right: Dale Hanson, Paul Gaboriault (with tie),Norman Perron (plaid shirt), John Perron, Gideon Gagnon (hat and tie), Mike Hanson (head turned with hat), Marie-Ann (Grenier) Perron,Gabrielle (Perron) Gagnon, Rita Perron, Germaine (Paquin) Perron, Grace June Hanson, Rachel Gaboriault, and Mrs. Gaboriault. Othershidden in rear.

Sugaring from the Archives of Glover Historical SocietyJoan Alexander, secretary of the Glover Historical Society, provided these photos, captions, and two

recipes in honor of sugaring season. This year the historical society is celebrating its 25th year of preservingthe history of Glover. The museum is open by appointment by calling Joan Alexander at (802) 525- 6212 orBetsy Day at (802) 525-4051.

1 cup sour milk 2 eggs, well beaten1 cup maple syrup2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon bakingpowder

1 teaspoon sodaa little salt

Maple Walnut Fudge

From West Glover Parents Club Recipe Book, 1958,submitted by Glover Historical Society.

Combine syrups, milk, cream, and salt. Place overlow heat, stirring until mixture begins to boil. Cookwithout stirring to 236 degrees (soft ball in coldwater). Remove from heat, cool to 110 degrees(lukewarm) without stirring. Beat until fudge iscreamy and loses gloss. Add nuts. Turn into greasedshallow pan. When firm, cut into squares. Makesabout 1-1/4 pounds.

– June (Cook) Young

2 cups maple syrup1 tablespoon light

corn syrup1/2 cup milk

1/4 cup cream1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 cup walnuts,

coarsely cut

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 26

27March 2015

NOTICE: Check out our website:www.northlandjournal.com

Mit Lyman sugarplace, 1937 or 1941. Front row: Charlotte Walcott,far right; Marion Bickford, second from right. Back row: BeatriceLafoe, elementary teacher, third from left in plaid coat.

Harley Drew sugarplace near upper farm. Harley Drew on left.

Charles Wright sugarhouse, West Glover. Charles C. King in centerof door opening; little girl in fur coat is Shirley Scott Barber.

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 27


Phillips sugarhouse. Left to right: Harry Alonzo Phillips, his sister Nora (Phillips) Simpson; the other couple, possibly their neighbors Levi& Mary Partridge.

Ross Wright sugaring in 1923. His farm was in West Glover–Albany.

Maple Sponge Cake

From The Official Vermont Maple CookbookSubmitted byTheresa Perron-Janowski

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat egg yolksuntil light and fluffy. Add vanilla. Combinedry ingredients and add to yolks. Beat eggwhites until stiff. Heat syrup to boiling pointand slowly pour 2/3 into egg whites whilebeating constantly. Pour remaining syrupinto egg mixture. Mix well. Fold egg whitemixture into yolk mixture. Pour into greasedtube pan and bake for 50 minutes. Cool onrack. Glaze with a mixture of 1-1/2 cupconfectioner’s sugar, 1 tablespoon cream,and maple syrup to right consistency.

4 eggs, separated1/2 teaspoon vanilla1/4 teaspoon salt1 cup sifted cake flour

1/2 teaspoon bakingpowder

3/4 cup maple syrup

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 28

by Bethany M. Dunbar

Igrew up in Craftsbury, the daughter of anEnglish professor who was also a World War IIveteran. My mother was an artist and worked in

an airplane factory during the war. My dad(Addison) and mom (Helen) Merrick followedDad’s big brother’s footsteps back to Craftsbury inthe late 1960s after spending time with him thereyears before.

Although I’d heard a few stories here and thereabout the war, when Dad reconnected with an oldwar friend I had the lucky opportunity to hear many more.

Dad and Seymour Leven of Cavendish met inPeyote, Texas, in late 1944 or the very beginning of1945. They were in the U.S. Army Air Corps, gettingready to be shipped out to the Mariana Islands in theSouth Pacific.

Leven, who later became a psychiatrist,remembers it well. He walked into a Quonset hutwhere a bunch of the men had already chosen bunks.He looked around.

“The only one reading was him,” Leven said.My dad remembers that he was reading MagicMountain by Thomas Mann. The two became fastfriends, chasing women together when time off thebase allowed. This was before my father had metmy mother. Leven said he thought Dad would be agood guy to chase women with, because he was sogood looking the women would flock to them. Headded that his plan actually worked pretty well.

They would both soon be shipped to Saipan.They never ran into each other there and lost touch.

Fast forward 45 years to 1990, and Leven wasflying in a six-passenger plane from Boston,Massachusetts, to Hanover, New Hampshire. Onthe seat next to him was a copy of YankeeMagazine. He picked it up and the page floppedopen to a spot where the subscription card wasattached.

“There looking at me was this handsome dude,”said Leven with a laugh. “I called him immediately.”

It turned out that both had settled in Vermontafter the war and lived within a few hours of each other.

Yankee Magazine had written an article about anhistoric farmhouse that Mom and Dad had up for salein Tamworth, New Hampshire. The article appearedwith a photo of Mom and Dad.

“He showed up the next morning in Cavendish,”said Leven. “We’ve been meeting and eating Frenchfood ever since.”

Both had been married for decades. Us kids wereall grown up by the time they got back in touch andstarted taking day trips to restaurants in Canada. Inrecent times, my partner Jim and I have joined themon these happy jaunts—and it’s always an adventurewith Dad, Seymour, and his lovely, charming wife,Gloria. My mother died two years ago, but myparents and the Levens had many happy trips beforethat.

Dad and his friend each have memories of theirtime in World War II that include long days in theplanes, narrow escapes, the horrors of war, and thebonds that formed in service.

Both served in B29 bombers, and both said theplane and equipment were advanced for the times.Leven was a tail gunner, and my father was a radiooperator.

The advantage of a B29 over earlier planes wasthat it had a pressurized cabin, so it could fly up to30,000 feet and the crew did not need to wearoxygen masks. The guns were computerized, and the

29March 2015

Two World War II Veterans Share Their Stories

Left to right are Seymour Leven, a female acquaintance, andAddison Merrick. This photo was taken in Texas in 1945.

Photo courtesy of Seymour Leven

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 29


plane could fly 3,000 miles without needing to refuel.

“Iwo was a big deal for us,” said Dad. When theU.S. forces captured Iwo Jima, it meant a stop on theway, if needed, during a long bombing mission.

“The training I got was very, very good. It wasvery intense,” said Dad. “A lot of things I didn’t likeabout the Army, but the training was good.”

The point of all that training was to make sure hecould contact rescue planes if another bomber wentdown in the ocean. It was up to my father to give thecoordinates. The first time he had to do it, he hadthree possible frequencies he could use. Somethingwent wrong with the first one he tried. The secondone didn’t work either. By then Dad was sweatinghard. But the third frequency worked, and the rescuewas made by a submarine.

My father did not take instantly to the radiotraining. He liked the Morse code but soldering radioparts together was not his natural talent. Heremembers trying to copy the guy next to him in theradio class. The moment of truth came. Each soldierturned on the radio he had built, and each one playedmusic from a nearby station. Dad’s gave off a seriesof small explosions.

Luckily, he was so good at the code he was givena chance to take the class over while training othersin Morse code.

Meanwhile, Leven was learning how to takeapart a 50-caliber machine gun and put it backtogether, blindfolded, in one minute.

Leven described his crew as a particularly sharpbunch of men. Dad’s crew was something different.

“We would be voted the crew least likely tosucceed,” Dad said. “We called the pilot HopalongWhite because he’d bounce along on the landing.”The crew didn’t trust his co-pilot’s flying skills muchat all. But he had nerves of steel, Dad said, and thatsaved their bacon more than once.

Both Dad and Leven had close calls.Dad remembers the Japanese gunners flying

through the middle of the U.S. planes’ V formationto try to draw fire from the U.S. gunners—hopingthey would shoot each other by mistake. Once hisB29 got so close to a Japanese plane Dad could seethe Japanese’s soldier’s moustache through thewindow of the glass turret.

One time the co-pilot screwed up and went waytoo high, then started to drop.

“I had this really out-of-body experience,” Dadsaid. He said he could see himself from above andknew that he was most likely going to crash and die.He braced his feet out of instinct. But somehow, theco-pilot pulled the huge bomber out of its drop at thelast minute and the crew lived.

Another time, his crew armed their bombs anddropped them without opening the bomb bay doorsfirst. For a few minutes the armed bombs wererolling around in the belly of the plane with theirlittle propellers whirling before the crew could getthe doors open.

“We bombed the ocean,” Dad said.Leven described an incident when there was a

huge bombing raid on Tokyo. It was a maximumeffort from the Marianas, which meant 800 planes atonce over Tokyo.

“We were in a unit that was in a later echelon,”Leven said. “By the time we got over it, it wasalready in virtual total ruins.”

Smoke and flames were shooting up into the air10,000 feet, and the bombers were coming in atabout 6,000 feet. The plane hit a thermal updraft andshot up to 9,000 feet all at once, nosed over, did aflip, and then started to fall from the sky. It droppedto 3,000 feet before Leven’s pilot managed to pull itout. Leven’s belt broke, and his lighter shot out ofhis pocket and cut him on the chin.

“I got a little nick, for which I never claimed thePurple Heart,” he said. The Purple Heart medal is forsoldiers wounded in military service.

Addison Merrick of Craftsbury (left) and Seymour Leven ofCavendish. This photo was taken as part of a video made in WestGlover in 2014. Photo by Katie Dunbar

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:36 AM Page 30

31March 2015

Both remembered a key war decision made bya general named Curtis LeMay. U.S. planes weregetting buffeted by upper air currents, whichaffected the accuracy of the bombing run duringthe daytime raids, so General LeMay decided toshift to night raids, done close to the ground. Thatway the Japanese could not see them, nor couldthey track them.

Before the atom bomb was dropped, Leven gotshipped back to the states for special training. Laterthere were rumors his crew might have been abackup for the Enola Gay, the plane that dropped anuclear bomb. The crew was in special training inSan Bernardino County, in what is now Edwards AirForce Base.

“It was never, for us, elucidated,” said Leven.Both remembered the moment when they heard

the nuclear bomb had been dropped. Dad was in hisB29, halfway between Japan and Saipan.

“We were flying back from a mission. I hadturned the radio on. Sometimes I would tune inTokyo Rose. I could switch it so all the gunnerscould hear it, and the pilot, and everybody. I waslistening to the news and that was it.” He said it washard to describe how it felt.

Leven remembers feeling relief when he heardthe news.

“I felt great relief because I knew it had to be theend. I didn’t think of it in any specific detail. Onlylater can you conceive of the incredible horror thatthis thing was.”

At the time, it just seemed great to think their15-hour days would end soon.

“War is hell. You’re reduced in moral strength tosome degree. You’re there to live,” said Leven.

By skill or chance or a combination, both didlive. More, they managed to reconnect years later toenjoy some French cuisine and share some stories, inperson, with those of us in the next generation. Avideo made by my daughter, Katie, means even moregenerations will have a chance to see and hear thestories from the men who lived through it. �

Bethany M. Dunbar of West Glover is the authorand photographer of Kingdom’s Bounty, acollection of photos, stories, and information aboutfarmers and food in the Northeast Kingdom. She isthe Community Projects Coordinator at the Centerfor an Agricultural Economy in Hardwick. She wasformer president of the Vermont Press Association.She was an award-winning editor at the Chronicle inBarton for more than 20 years and has written forvarious other local and statewide publications.

In the pages of the April issue of the Journal…

Don’t ever miss a copy of the Journal:To subscribe to the Northland Journal, send a check or money order for $25 (12 monthly issues), or $45 (24 monthly issues) to Vermont’s Northland Journal, PO Box 812, Derby, VT 05829. Prices are based on delivery in the United States. Or go to the Northland Journal website at www.northlandjournal.com to subscribe online. We also offer an online version to the Journal, which proves particularly beneficial to those living outside of the U.S.

During the Prohibition years(1920–1933), bootleggers sped alongthe roads of the Northeast Kingdomtransporting alcohol south from Quebec.Some of the booze was consumed locally,but much of it was destined for urbancenters far from the Quebec border.Smuggling was dangerous business, forthe smugglers and for lawmen. The Aprilissue of the Journal is going to includethe first segment of a series aboutsmuggling on the border.

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:37 AM Page 31


by Beth Kanell

“His house is equipped withhot water heat, hot andcold running water,

electric lights, in fact is a modernhouse in every sense of the term,such as you find in the cities.”

That was how formernewspaper editor Arthur F. Stonedescribed the home of Martin E.Turner and his wife, Elizabeth, in1929. Today it conveys a serenegrace, and if you sit in a rocker onthe broad front porch, you canwatch the eagles soar along theConnecticut River. Inside thegracious home is an elegant andunusual fireplace, a kitchen with itsown serving hatch, and anassortment of details, some ordinary, somemysterious.

Back when this was the “new house” that Mr.Stone enthused about, it was one of the first inBarnet, Vermont, to set such a standard ofconvenience and elegance. The town’s Grand Listassessed it at the astounding value of$200—a very large home indeed!

For Martin Turner and his wife,Lizzie, this marked how far they hadcome. Lizzie Nelson grew up inMonroe, New Hampshire, where herfather had a “retail butcher route.”Martin, born January 12, 1871, in thesame town of Monroe—across theriver from Barnet—was the only boyin his family and was sent to thepublic schools. But Barnet’s townhistory (written by Fredrick PalmerWells) says firmly that the boy was“thrown on his own resources” at ageten.

Luckily, he found a place at theprosperous home of John Buffum,one of Monroe’s early settlers. Mr.

Buffum and his family amassed so much land andwealth in the region that the Buffum will at probatewould take up six entire hand-inked pages in theBarnet town records! From this mentor, MartinTurner clearly learned well. Soon he had a man’sstrength and earned a man’s pay. And that, in turn,

took him across the Connecticut Riverto the village of McIndoe Falls, in thetown of Barnet, where a timber andriver-logging entrepreneur namedGeorge Van Dyke owned theenormous business called theConnecticut Valley Lumber Company.Martin signed on to work for thetimber baron. At the same time,Martin was looking at local realestate, and soon he would startinvesting!

After Martin married ElizabethNelson, he took charge of her parents’family farm in Monroe. In 1907 hemoved back to McIndoe Falls and setup his own meat business, which heran for seven more years. He musthave been doing well: That year, he

Turner’s 1928 “new house,” most recently the Maplemont bed and breakfast on Route 5,just south of Barnet Village. Photo courtesy of Beth Kanell

Martin E. Turner and His “Modern House” of 1929

Martin E. Turner. Photo courtesy of

NorthEast Kingdom Genealogy, from the collection of Les Moore

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:37 AM Page 32

33March 2015

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When Mary E. Wright ofDerby died of cancer, herhusband, Ulric Wright Sr.,was devastated. He diedtwo months later. Familymembers say he died of abroken heart. In despairat their loss, the couple’sfour sons and theirpartners founded theMary E. Wright Halo

Foundation, a foundation dedicated to helping people with cancer.Unlike many organizations, nobody involved in the Halo Foundation ispaid, and 100 percent of the proceeds go toward helping people withcancer. The group also donates time helping people with cancer,whether it is mowing a lawn, or piling firewood. To contribute to the fund, send donations to Mary E. Wright HaloFoundation at 1071 Upper Quarry Road, Newport, VT 05855. If you’d like to volunteer or learn more about the Halo Foundation, call(802) 334-7553 or email [email protected]. Also check

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Three of the four Wright sons and their partners: Back row, from leftto right: Chad, Matt, and Todd. Front row from left to right: AmandaWright, Cassy Moulton, and Hillarie Wright. Missing from the photo isBenjie Wright.

Mary E. Wright Halo Foundation:

Brown’s Drug Store was founded in 1889 and has beendoing business in Derby Line ever since. More than ahundred years later pharmacist and owner, Buzzy Roy, is

still doing business with the old-fashioned, yet never outdated,belief that the customer is more than a number; the customer isa friend.

Shop Brown’s for all your prescription and over the counterneeds. A visit to Brown’s is more than a visit to a store; it’s ajourney into an important part of Derby Line’s past.

BROWN’S DRUG STORE40 Main Street, Derby Line, Vermont 05830

(802) 873-3122

One thing that hasn’t changed for decades at Brown’s is Buzzy Roy’s smiling face.

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:37 AM Page 33


bought the farm and stock of William Welch for$2,500, a hefty sum at the time. And then it was timeto get serious about big business.

Turner linked up with Austin E. Carter, and thepair of them, under the soon important trading nameof Turner & Carter, became dealers in livestock,lumber, and hay. Looking through the Barnet landrecords, you can see young Turner scooping up realestate left and right—a meadow here, a house there,a pasture along the river. And his passion turned alsoto horses.

Author Arthur Stone marveled at the size of thehorse dealing business Turner built up, declaring thatin 1928, Turner had sold more than $15,000 worth ofthe necessary animals. So it made perfect sense that,like millionaire Theodore Vail who was showing offa modern dairy farm up in Lyndon, Martin Turnerwanted the best, most modern kind of farm and barnfor his own livestock.

Stone wrote, “His dairy barns, built with a viewto labor saving, are perhaps not equaled in thestate.” A “high drive” at the west end of the barnallowed hay to be easily loaded into the hay mows.A silo took up part of the barn itself, and again,silage went in at the top, to create a higher proteinfeed for the cows. “Everything about the place ishandy,” Stone marveled.

The name “Maplemont” graced the new place bythe time the barn was built (it’s dated 1936), and isstill on the barn. About 182 acres came with the barnand new house back then—a big spread, but modestcompared to the 485 acres Turner held in Monroe,New Hampshire, plus his half of a 100-acre farm inNewbury. And that was all personally owned! For, inaddition, he had his share of the Turner–Carteroperation, which even rented land to the new utilities

The very up-to-date Maplemont barn, with high drive, huge haymows, and integral silo. Photo courtesy of Beth Kanell

In Vermont author Beth Kanell’s THE DARKNESSUNDER THE WATER, teen Molly Ballou confronts therisks of her Abenaki heritage. In THE SECRET ROOM,Shawna and Thea unearth the Underground Railroad,through evidence “today.” In COLD MIDNIGHT, followteens Claire Benedict and Ben Riley to the roofs ofdowntown St. Johnsbury, Vermont, at night—and a murder.

The Darkness Under the Water: “Deep waters in American history and in the human

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The Secret Room:“One of the best, most realistic, literary

mystery stories I’ve ever read.” – Howard Frank Mosher

Cold Midnight: “A can’t-put-it-down mystery … filled with

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– Lisa von Kann

Order books at www.BethKanell.com or locally.

Northeast Kingdom Mysteries

Attention, Subscribers:If you should have an address change—permanentor temporary—please contact the NorthlandJournal with your new address as the Journal ismailed at a class that the U.S. Postal Service doesn’tforward. This will help ensure uninterrupted maildelivery, and will prevent youfrom having to purchaseissues that were notforwarded to you. Direct allquestions to the Publishers,Scott and Penny Wheeler, at802.334.5920.

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:37 AM Page 34

35March 2015

in the region, along its landholdings bordering the profitablerailway along the river, whereloading and unloading weresimple.

At his own home farm,Turner’s “modern methods” werecredited for bringing the farm to“a high state of fertility.” Sadly,the same could not be said of hismarriage, for it appears that he andLizzie had no children. But theymust have had a busy dinner tableanyway, with sometimes as many

as four farm laborers showing upin the census there, and by 1920, anine-year-old “ward” named LottieGochie (perhaps of the samefamily that had bought MartinTurner’s meat business from himback in 1904). At another point,Lizzie’s sister is shown in thecensus at their home.

Martin Turner’s death inDecember 1939 left Lizzie awidow, and eventually she soldthe property; it stayed with theGilmour family for some time,and in 1994, Tom and SherryNewton Tolle finalized ownershipof Marjorie and Albert Gilmour’splace through Marjorie’s estate.Happily, they established a bedand breakfast at Maplemont, sofor 20 years, visitors from aroundthe world could explore MartinTurner’s “handy” barn and hisand Lizzie’s “modern house.”

Of course, Maplemont has hada few more upgrades, keeping itcomfortable without taking awaythat 1929 grace. And Tom andSherry, now retired frominnkeeping, hope to find a newowner to enjoy the grand oldhome and barn. May the nextowner prosper as Martin E. Turnerdid—a “progressive citizen,”wrote Arthur Stone, “who is

always ready to forward theinterests of the town.” �

So far, digging into Vermonthistory has led Beth Kanell towrite three published novels setin the Northeast Kingdom; shehas four more on the way. Shealso writes poetry and books ofadventure travel, as well as somelocal history, especially for herown town of Waterford, Vermont.Follow her investigations atBethKanell.blogspot.com andseveral linked book and history blogs.

Martin and Lizzie Turner’s elegantfireplace. Photo courtesy of Beth Kanell

One of the mysterious little doors set into thehouse. Photo courtesy of Beth Kanell

Record Your Story in the Pages of HistoryThe Northland Journal is dedicated to sharing and preserving

the history of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom through the wordsof the people who lived it. Why not consider recording your

memories of the Kingdom in an earlier time in the pages of theNorthland Journal. Keep your memories alive for eternity.

Send stories and/or photos for consideration to Vermont’sNorthland Journal, P.O. Box 812, Derby, VT 05829. Or you can

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NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:37 AM Page 35


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exfoliater), all natural bath salts, lipbalm,shower gels and lotions, and more!

ALPACAS FOR SALEBreeders, females, and/or fiber pets.

MOUNTAIN LAKE COTTAGES1.800.757.3072

52-Old 5A, Lake Willoughby, Westmore, Vermont 05860mntlakecottages.myfairpoint.net • www.vermontmountainlakecottages.com

HOMETOWN STORE3609 U.S. 5 DERBY, VT 05829

(802) 766-2411Locally owned by Richard & Jesica Counter

KIMBALL W. JOHNSONPresident

2163 VT Rte. 5AWestmore, VT 05860

Toll Free: 888.546.8358Fax: 802.525.3441

[email protected]

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:37 AM Page 36

37March 2015

Here is a sample of our offerings

Traditionally Italian done uniquely in Vermont

NEW • NEW • NEWFantastic and Affordable

ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT Specials!

802-334-7770Open11:00untilclosing.

4278 US Route 5, Derby, VT 05829

• 11-3 ALL-YOU-CAN-EAT soup & salad: $7.99 EVERY DAY

• Wednesday night is TRIVIA NIGHT: 7 to 8 p.m. Lots of prizes!

• Full-service bar • Wide selection of wine • Daily lunch specials • Wood fired pizza

Derby Line – Juststarting out or ready todownsize, this is thePERFECT home! Greatlocation on village lot,

walk to park or Main Street amenities. Paved drive leadsto attached 2-car garage. Low traffic on dead-end street.Big yard for gardens or kids to play. New roof & heatingsystem, bright kitchen, walk-out basement with laundry.Just $99,000. Cindy Sanville. #4258416

Newport – Convenientlocation, walk to GardnerPark, Main Street orboardwalk along LakeMemphremagog. Charming

farmhouse sits on city lot with lovely lake view. Inside you’llfind nicely restored hardwood floors along with manymodern updates that do not detract from its originalcharacter. Fireplace, eat-in kitchen, 3 BR, enclosed porch,detached 2-car garage. $139,900. Travis. #4367237

Irasburg – Rentno more! Nicelyimproved 3 BRhome with detachedgarage on just underan acre on the edge

of town. Convenient to skiing & riding at either Burke or JayPeak, VAST trail access up the road, just off I-91. Easycommute to work. Cozy fireplace in living room, largekitchen, laundry room, enclosed porch, much more. Lowtaxes help keep it affordable. Make it yours for $109,000.Lyell Reed. #4399369

Brighton – Rustic log cabinsits quietly on 25 woodedacres with a cabin down bythe river. Main home offers 2BA, 3 BR, cathedral ceilings

with exposed beams, combined kitchen/dining, woodstove, lower level family & game rooms, root cellar &workshop. Stroll down to the Clyde River frontage toenjoy fire pit by the cabin. Home is furnished, idealvacation getaway. $235,000. Annette. #4384676

Newport – Easyone-level living,tastefully remodeled,well cared for.

Adorable 2 BR cottage offers open living & kitchen withlarge open second floor used as bedroom. Lots of naturallight in the sunroom along with great view of LakeMemphremagog. Overflow company will enjoy separateguest cottage. Tree-shaded lot includes ROW to the lake.Very cute & comfy. $154,900. Steve. #4393059

Canaan – Greatpotential for horse orbeef farm, organicgardens, or a small

housing project. This 37A parcel offers 20A of nice meadowwith over 1,400’ frontage along Route 102. Nice long-rangeview of surrounding mountains. Lots of recreationalopportunities in both Vermont and across the river in NewHampshire. This land abuts conservation land. $169,900.Dan. #4400857

Farm & Forest Leading the way in the Northeast Kingdom802.334.1200 • 800.273.5371 • 800.626.4222

5043 Rte. 5, Derby Road, Derby, VT • 623 VT Rte. 114, East Burke, [email protected] • www.farmandforest.com

Visit us online to view our entire inventory, meet our agents or browse the MLS!

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:38 AM Page 37


Two of the most loyal, longtimeadvertisers of the Northland Journal andhighly respected real estate companies—Century 21 and Farm & Forest Realtyand Burke Mill Properties—have teamedup to better serve the NortheastKingdom. Following is the press releasethey issued.

We are extremely excited toannounce that as of today AndreaKupetz and Burke Mill Properties havejoined Century 21 Farm & Forest Realty.Andrea brings to our firm 29 years ofexperience and dedication to Burke RealEstate Sales and Rental community. Weare also proud to welcome MariannBertolini (Sales Associate), BrandyGoulet (Sales Associate relocating fromour Derby Office) and Lawrie Easterbrooks (RentalManager) to our dedicated team of real estateprofessionals.

Our East Burke Branch has been very successfuldue to the hard work of Annette Dalley (ManagingBroker), Emma Gunn (Sales Associate), and LorieDemas (Support Staff). This success led us to thedecision that it was time to practice what we preachand purchase rather than continuing to lease. Andreahad the perfect location and a wonderful building forus to plant our roots in the Burke Community.

Our family owned firm is dedicated to continuingto deliver the personal service that Burke MillProperties has been known to deliver along with ourWorldwide Marketing expertise. Through Century 21

our listings reach over 800 websites and our printadvertising is highlighted by our full page four colorad in every issue of Homes & Land of Vermont. Ourfirm has been the top selling agency in the NEKsince 2000 and the acquisition of Burke MillProperties will help us expand our presence inCaledonia County.

Check out Farm and Forest’s website:http://farmandforest.com/.

Congratulations to Farm and Forest and BurkeMills. Thank you for your years of support anddedication to the Kingdom.

Scott Wheeler, Publisher

The Century 21 Team. Photo courtesy of Century 21

Andrew,Place

your adhere

Scenic View Community Care Home, LLC979 VT Route 100, PO Box 154, Westfield, VT 05874

Norm & Lyne Limoges R.N.Nous Parlors Francais

e-mail: [email protected]

Residential Level III CarePrivate & Semi-Private Rooms802.744.6554

Real Estate Companies Joining Ranks

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:38 AM Page 38

Proud to print the Northland JournalFast, Reliable, and Reasonable Prices!

800.361.0266Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada

39March 2015

Mary Ann,May I assume that you have all the information

you need about Henrietta QUIMBY and WilliamRush CLEAVELAND? According to local recordsshe died in Barnston, their home, and was buried inBoynton, which is the QUIMBY family home. AliceA. ATWOOD was the daughter of BenjaminATWOOD and Caroline BOYNTON. She and W.RUSH were married June 12, 1879, in theCongregationalist Church here in Stanstead. NormanCLEAVELAND was born in Royalton, VT, andmarried Alice TUCKER. Their story is in our CountyHistory Forests and Clearings. You can read aboutthem on page 304 by going tohttp://www.ourroots.ca/f/toc.asp?id=880.

Perhaps only two of their children survived.Jedadiah Tracy CLEVELAND was born 1 Jan 1848and William RUSH 26 Mar 1845. Strangely, theywere neighbors of another branch of theCLEVELAND family and I am sure they used thespelling of their name to remain separate, but localrecords list them under both spellings. Newton wasborn 6 Feb 1874 and was baptized at the AnglicanChurch in Coaticook. Wm. Mayo not found yet.

Thank you, David Lepitre(This got to me via Diana Butcher on August 29,

2014.)

I have basic information about Henrietta Quimbyvia a descendent of her aunt. If you could point meto the local records saying she died in Barnston thatwould be very helpful. I have no details about causeof death; death certificate; newspaper reports, etc.Are you in that area? I ask because of a family storyI would really like to either verify or demystify. Itinvolves a scalding accident for Newton when hewas very young. I am also missing the date the Wm.Rush C. family left Barnston for California. The CAcensus records for Newton and Mayo giveinconsistent dates.

The Cleveland “neighbours” devolved from hisuncle, Sylvester aka Vester. I have not found anybaptismal records for Mayo. Also, in my files, thereis only a tiny death notice for Alice AtwoodCleaveland. It says she died in a Stockton, CA,hospital. She was a cousin of Henrietta, via theBoyntons.

Thanks, MaryAnnM.A. Montague, [email protected]

MaryAnn,The index to the deaths for the region indicates

that Henrietta Quimby, wife of William RushCleveland, MD, of Barnston Corner, died 23 Feb1877; her death is recorded in the Anglican Churchof Coaticook books. Burial took place 25 Feb 1877.

� � �

I’m looking for information about mygrandfather Lawrence Joseph BLAIS, born around1886. He moved to northern New Hampshire andmarried Ruth HODGDON in 1918. I have a picturethat says he was a lumberman and sold Christmastrees. The picture shows him with rail cars full oftrees at the West Stewartstown, NH, railroad depot.

His parents’ names were Francis BLAIS andMelina Crete. I believe his parents were born inCanada within the Canada, Vermont, and NewHampshire triangle. Not sure if Lawrence was bornin Canada or the States. Names of his siblings wereAnnie CORDEAU, Frank BLAIS, FlorenceHUGHES, Ethel WHEELER, Jennie PARENT,George BLAIS and Fred BLAIS. I believe that FredBLAIS used to be a lawyer in Berlin, NH. Hope allthis helps.

Jace, [email protected]

In this space we will print genealogical queries that have to do with the Northeast Kingdom and those that cross overthe border into Quebec. These queries should be concise and structured to obtain responses that will fill in the missingparts of your family history. Our readers’ knowledge of local history is very extensive. Their combined talents should bevery useful to all genealogists trying to get to their “roots.”

If you wish to respond or submit queries, please contact David Lepitre: [email protected] or P.O. Box 484, DerbyLine, VT 05830-0484. A self-addressed stamped envelope should be included with written requests for information.

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:38 AM Page 39

SECURE YOUR PASS ONLINEIt’s the only way to guarantee access to the Pump House and every now and then we’ll offer up discounts. But only online. jaypeakresort.com/DayPass

NJ March 15 2/10/15 7:38 AM Page 40

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