Orleans County Monitor

HISTORY OF DERBY.
It is thought that the first child born in town was a daughter of Henry Buzzel, in 1796, though on the town records there are the names of the Kellum children, Joseph born May 25, 1794, and Mary born May 23d, 1796. Mr. Kellum was an Indian, half-breed, who came from the vicinity of the Connecticut river, at an early day, and settled on the farm now owned by Mr. Todd; it is probable that his first children were not born in town, though the dates of their birth are here recorded. Ezra Hinman, born in May, 1797, was the first male child born in town. April 23d, 1800, Lydia Newcomb was born.
After this time the population of the town increased quite rapidly, both by births and immigration. It is believed that there are now no descendants of the Buzzel girl or of Ezra Hinman in Derby.
The first white persons who died in town were two children of Solomon Ashley, who died in 1800, and were buried in the burying ground near Derby Centre. This burying ground was cleared very early, and the first crop of wheat ever raised in town was raised upon it.
In 1797 there was a burial in town of a man named Carr, a transient person who was found frozen to death on the road in Salem. A rum-bottle disclosed the cause of his death. Citizens of Derby and Salem rallied and brought the corpse to Derby, and then built a huge fire and thawed out the frozen body, and buried it a few rods north-west of the forks of the road near O. S. Badger's, at the Center. In 1802 a Mr. Grimes went into Canada, and while there took the small pox and died soon after his return to Derby. He exposed several other persons who were violently sick but recovered. The excitement occasioned by the breaking out of this disease was great, but proper sanitary measures prevented a wide spread of the malady.
Previous to 1800, a man lost his life in the narrows on the lake or river, about where the south bridge is built across the lake at Newport. A party from New Hampshire or Maine, were driving a drove of cattle through by way of the Clyde, to a settlement on the west side of Magog in Canada. When they reached the narrows of the lake they swam their cattle across, the men assisting by swimming over on horses. By some means one horse gave out and the rider was drowned. The body was recovered and carried to his home for burial.
Indian Point on Memphremagog is said to have long been a favorite camping ground for the Indians, both while they visited this section on fishing and hunting expeditions, and when they passed through the country for other purposes. There being no bridge at the "Bridge," so called, for many years, the crossing was done by boats and scows from the Point to a landing opposite. Scows of sufficient size to carry a team were made, and parties on either side were ready to row passengers or teams over for hire. A road from the Point, running nearly east, crossed the town and ran into Holland.
While speaking of the Point, it may be well to mention the fact that in 1811 a man by the name of Caleb Prouty, an old hunter and fisherman, was drowned on one of his fishing excursions.
Beebe Plain was named after Zebe. Beebe, the original settler who made a pitch in that part of the town in 1796.
It will be remembered, from what has already been stated about the early settlement of the town, that pitches were made in the several sections of the town at about the same time, from 1796 to 1797.
TO BE CONTINUED.