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THE DUNTON FARM - Never in all her long centuries of wonderful picturing
was Dame Nature in a gentler or more artistic mood than when with her giant
brush and divine inspiration she fashioned the wonderful setting that was
destined thousands of years after to be the town of Kirby, and in no part
of this beautiful region was she more kind than in that portion where rests
the Dunton farm. For centuries upon centuries these grandeurs were for
the eyes that knew naught else, for the red man and his fellows, who made
the products of the streams their sustenance and its fertile lands their
happy hunting grounds. Then came Peter Page, before the year 1800, the
sturdy pioneer with his woodman's axe, and carved himself a home from the
richness that was his for the asking.
Peter Page purchased the westerly side of Lot No.37, which embraces
the Dunton farm. His deed was from John Atkinson and dated December 1,
1806. He cleared the land and built a house here on the bank of the Moose
river. Page had a large family and was of an advanced age, and in 1810
he deeded his farm to his son, Phineas, conditioned upon his support during
his lifetime. An amusing condition among others was, "That the said Phineas
shall furnish the said Peter with three glasses of good spirituous liquor
every day." Several generations of the Pages were reared here and much
of historic interest has occurred on this spot, which is one of the prettiest
locations in Caledonia county, lying on a southerly slope overlooking the
Moose River valley and being only five minutes' drive from post-office,
stores, railroad station, church, and school. The buildings are new and
commodious, with all the modern conveniences, and is all in all a beautiful
and tasty farm home.
William S. Dunton was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, but has
lived in Vermont most of his life. October 27, 1898, he was married to
Maud L. Pearson of St. Louis, Missouri, daughter of Wesley R. Pearson,
formerly of Kirby. Her father, Wesley R. Pearson, was a son of Gilbert,
who married Clarinda Ford, daughter of Robert Ford of Kirby.
Mr. and Mrs. Dunton bought their beautiful home from the estate
of Hosea Bartlett and have made marked improvements. The children are Lucy
Ray, Robert Ford1 and Algernon Piercy.
Source:
Successful Vermonters, William H. Jeffrey, E. Burke, Vermont, The Historical
Publishing Company, 1904, page143-144.
Prepared
by Tom Dunn, June 2006
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