colby clan communications - Colby Family Association

COLBY CLAN COMMUNICATIONS
Descendants of Anthony and Susannah Colby
Editor:
Barbara J. Zdravesky 123 Mulberry Street, Pawtucket, RI 02860 401.724.2827 Barbara.zdravesky@gmail.com
Treasurer: James Colby Box 6663, Scarborough, ME 04070 jcolby6@maine.rr.com
President: Alice Volkert, 24001 Muirlands Blvd, #4341, Lake Forest, CA 92630 Alice@volkertservices.com
June 2013
From the Editor
It’s almost reunion time again! I’m surely looking forward to
getting up to Vermont, to enjoy the beautiful landscape, the
peaceful atmosphere of the Green Mountains, and the joyful
company of Colby relatives! Jim and the entire reunion
committee have put together a very interesting program this
year, and I hope you’ll be able to enjoy it with us. Wear
comfortable shoes, grab your camera, and come relax for the
day in East Orange. Stretch out the fun and come up the night
before to join the group on Friday evening for casual
conversation and lots of laughs. As always, bring along your
Colby photos and other interesting research documents to
share. Thank you all for the stories, photos, notes, and
donations that you continue to send. We definitely appreciate
your support of the Clan, and we love hearing from you. Have
a fantastic summer!
60th Annual Colby Clan Reunion
August 16-17, 2013
East Orange, VT
Hosted by: James W. Colby, Janet (Hogie) Keysser,
James Wilson Colby, Maurice Coffin Vercoe
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
From the Editor
1
Colby Reunion
3
In Memoriam
2
Interesting Colby Facts
2
From the President
Friday evening – August 16
We will have a casual gathering at the Hilltop Inn in Berlin,
VT (in a conference room near the lobby), from 6:00 –
9:30 p.m. Join us for refreshments, a relaxed conversation,
and an exchange of genealogical information!
A block of rooms is available at the Hilltop Inn
(802.229.5766) at $85.00 + 9% tax; the hotel is 2 miles
from exit 7 on Interstate 89. The hotel will honor this rate
until July 15.
Other lodging options are: the Comfort Inn
(802.229.2222), via the same exit, the Best Western Hotel
(802.244.7822) from exit 10, and the Capitol Plaza Hotel in
Montpelier (800.274.5252).
Saturday reunion – August 17
Enjoy a day in the New England country! We will gather
in East Orange, where you can relax in a one-room
schoolhouse, visit the village cemetery to find your Colby
relatives, take a village tour, and enjoy a delicious meal
Cont. on page 2
Colby Clan Communications 1
Cont. from page 1
prepared by local residents. Learn about local area Colbys
who “went West,” hear a rendition of the Gettysburg Address,
attend the annual business meeting and awards celebration, and
learn about the rural life of yesteryear – before the days of farm
tractors, television, the internet, and supermarkets. Jim Colby
will talk about “Life on the Charlie Colby Farm in the 1940s: a
self-sufficient era.” Bring your children and grandchildren, since
even Jim’s children cannot comprehend this 1940s lifestyle!
The day’s schedule (changed slightly since March newsletter)
9:00am – 11:45am: Arrive, register, and have coffee
10:00am – 10:30am: Village Walk with Jim W. Colby
10:30am – 11:15am: East Orange Cemetery with Elaine Smith
11:20am – 11:40am: Janet Keysser’s talk on Colbys who went West
11:40am – 11:55am “Gettysburg Address” by Maurice C.
Vercoe
12:00pm: Invocation and Luncheon (hosted by the Women of
the East Orange Church)
1:15pm: Welcome, by Maurice C. Vercoe
Colby Clan annual meeting and awards
“Life on the Charlie Colby Farm in the 1940s” by James W.
Colby
3:00pm: Benediction
Other tours that will be offered by the reunion committee:
3:15 – 4:00, local home site of Jonathan Colby, Sr. (1772-1854) and
Betsey Berry/Sally Ring
3:15 – 4:30, local home site of Laban Rollins (1802-1872) and Nancy
Colby (1806-1891)
3:15 – 4:00, local home site of Corporal Ezekiel Colby (1763-1848)
and Ruth Davis
The cost of the reunion is $12 per person ($7 for children 15
and younger). RSVP form is on page 7.
Reunion committee contact information:
Jim W. Colby 703.820.8095
Maurice Vercoe – mauver4@gmail.com
From the desk of your President
As it gets warmer (even here in Southern California) I start to think
of August and the COLBY REUNION! I am loving the thought of
Vermont! Vermont is a special place. I always look forward to
seeing all the cousins who are able to make the reunions. Please, try
to be there! An idea was suggested to me that I think sounds very
possible. We need to tell the stories of our Colby ancestors. What
we need is for those who know the stories to write them! Let’s start
with our own close ancestors and write about them. Please write
your Colby story and send it to me. Once I have a nice group of
them (at least to start with) I will see where would be best to publish
them. An on-going saga!! Names, dates and places are important;
but learning about people is so much more fun. Be a part of this!!
Love to all of you and see you in Vermont!
Alice Colby Volkert
alice@volkertservices.com
Interesting Colby Facts
Nichols-Colby Sawmill in Bow, New Hampshire
The following excerpts were taken from a 1975 article published in
The Journal of the Society for Industrial Archeology. The complete
article is available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40968824
Before its destruction in a 1938 hurricane, the Nichols-Colby
sawmill in Bow, New Hampshire, was thought to be the oldest
surviving sawmill in that state and one of the few up-and-down
mills left in New England. The mill was probably built during
the first quarter of the nineteenth century and was not altered
significantly after the 1850s. Old Sturbridge Village staff
members, after years of attempting to identify other surviving
sawmills built in New England before 1840, feel that the
Nichols-Colby mill may indeed have been one of the last of its
period and type. Fortunately, it was well documented, and a
great deal of information is available concerning the structure,
its machinery and power equipment. Based on this
documentation, the museum is proceeding with plans to
construct a full-size, operating replica, making allowance for
changes in the mill that are thought to have occurred after 1840.
An up-and-down sawmill, still capable of operation, was
considered a rarity even four decades ago, when field workers
for the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) of the
Works Progress Administration in New Hampshire discovered
the Nichols-Colby mill. That was three or four years before it
was destroyed. Details of the building, equipment, and site
were recorded in field notes and photographs, which are now
on deposit in the library of the New Hampshire Historical
Society in Concord. These include seven books of carefully
prepared field notes, probably done in 1935-36 by Eugene W.
Clark under the direction of Professor Eric T. Huddleston of the
department of architecture at the University of New Hampshire.
Twenty sheets of preliminary drawings were completed around
the same date, which were later re-done on standard HABS
sheets. These drawings, which are still in the HABS office in
Washington, for some reason were never edited or forwarded to
the official depository in the Division of Prints and Photographs
in the Library of Congress. In addition, Arthur Cheney in 1936
constructed a very accurate scale model of the mill, which was
based on Clark's materials, the preliminary drawings and his
own observations of the site. The model is now in the museum
of the Fox State Forest in Hillsboro, New Hampshire. Waterpowered, up-and-down sawmills had become an established
feature of the New England landscape during the seventeenth
century. By the end of the following century, the sawmill had
developed into a relatively standard type of mechanism
utilizing water power to drive the saw. By 1825, the operation
of a sawmill was fairly automatic. A log was first rolled up
along the logways and into the mill, where it was fastened to
the carriage. If the log was to be formed into boards, it was
first sawn into a square balk by cutting off the bark edges. The
balk could be cut into boards of any thickness by manually
adjusting the cross- feed. The advance of the log into the saw
was controlled by the sawing machinery and powered by the
waterwheel. The saw was started by opening a control gate that
supplied water to the flutter wheel. It cut on the down stroke
and, by means of a connecting rod attached to the flutter wheel
crank, it actuated a series of levers and ratchet pawls. These
were geared to the carriage and advanced the log toward the
saw.
Cont. on page 4
Colby Clan Communications 2
IN MEMORIAM
Natalie J. Cross, 79, a resident of Gage Street, passed away
Tuesday April 16, 2013, at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center
in Bennington. Natalie was born in Bennington on Feb. 20, 1934,
the daughter of Clarence B. and Mary (Leighton) Cross and
attended local schools. Natalie worked for Bennington Brush
Company as an office worker from 1957-1981 and then for
Vermont Container for nine years. Natalie enjoyed knitting,
kayaking, shopping, listening to soft music, traveling and spending
time with relatives. Natalie is survived by her cousins, Elizabeth
Rudinsky and her son, Thomas Rudinsky of Hollis, NH, and
Richard Davis of Franklin, NH, and many other cousins. Graveside
funeral services for Natalie were held on April 23, 2013 at
Parklawn Cemetery in Bennington. The Rev. Mary Lee Clark of
the Second Congregational Church in Bennington officiated. If
friends desire, gifts in Natalie's memory may be made to the second
Congregational Church, c/o HANSON-WALBRIDGE & SHEA
FUNERAL HOME, P.O. Box 957, Bennington, VT 05201.
David Gordon Colby, 45, of Memphis (TN), passed away at his
home on Wednesday, March 27, 2013. He was a board member
with the March of Dimes, Reguladores Law Enforcement Club,
Memphis Blues Society, River City Jack Russell Terrier Club, All
Jacked Up Racing Team and the Magnolia Classic Jack Russell
Terrier Trial. Mr. Colby is survived by his wife Angie Colby;
mother Barbara A. (Beebe) Colby; father David L. Colby; two
children Victoria Brooke Colby and Dawson Ratliff Colby; two
step-sons Sean McRae and Hayden McRae; one step-daughter
Alanna McRae; two sisters Sheryl Colby Taylor and Sandra Colby
Hurley; three brothers Derek L. Colby, Kyle E. Colby and Brian
Forrester; two nieces, three nephews, and one grand nephew. Also
surviving are countless cousins, aunts, uncles and friends who will
miss him dearly. A celebration of David's life was held on April 1
at the Memphis Funeral Home and Memorial Gardens on
Germantown Road. Memorial gifts may be made to the Victoria B.
Colby and Dawson Colby Charitable Fund at any Metropolitan
Bank.
Virginia Ellen Colby Andersen, age 92, went home to heaven to
be with her husband Pat and son Norman Saturday evening,
January 12. Virginia was born in Loyal, Wisconsin, to James
Richard Colby, a banker, and Mina White Colby, a homemaker and
seamstress, on November 1, 1920. While attending business college
in Wausau, Wisconsin, she met Albert Harold Andersen ("Pat") in a
flower shop. She talked often about how handsome he was in that
blue shirt the day they met. They were married on October 15,
1945, upon his return from serving overseas in World War II. Pat,
the love of her life, passed away two weeks after their 25th
wedding anniversary. Her heart has remained his since. Virginia is
survived by her children, daughter Deborah Anderson of Lake City,
MN, and grandchildren Holly, Jeff, and Ryan; daughter Marlene
Conroy of Lake Geneva, WI, and grandchildren Rick, Andy, and
Jenny; son Alan Andersen of Eau Claire, WI, and grandson Zac;
sister-in-law Margaret of Nashville, TN; and a multitude of greatgrandchildren, and was preceded in death by her parents, husband
Pat, son Norman, grandson Mark Douglas Osborn, brother James
Colby of Memphis, TN, and dear friend Bruce Hepburn. She
loved her older brother Richard, who took great joy in teasing his
little sister. When her daughters were young, she dressed them in
beautiful dresses for Christmas and Easter, and she loved being
the mother of two sons. Later in life, she enjoyed spending time
baking chocolate chip cookies with her granddaughter Jenny's
three sons. Virginia was a devout Methodist, playing the organ
and leading choirs in several churches along the way, and was last
a member of Lake Street Methodist Church in Eau Claire, where
she regularly attended Sunday services. She devoted much of her
life to the care of her son, Norman, who died at age 30. Her life
was also deeply affected by the untimely death of her beloved
four-year-old grandson Doug. Virginia Andersen was a
sweetheart. She loved to play and sing hymns, and she loved
flowers, and sparkling jewelry, and taking long walks as her
father once did. She was an elegant woman with a radiant smile
who brought a quiet grace and a good amount of humor to a
gathering. Her words for others were always kind, and she was
often heard to comment, "true beauty comes from within."
Virginia was a gentle woman who considered everyone she met a
friend, who did unto others as she would have them do. She had
lovely silver hair, and wore purple well, and will be dearly missed
by those whose lives she graced.
Ernest W. Colby, 70, of Hampshire Hill Road, Worcester (VT),
died May 22, 2013, near his home in Worcester. He was born in
Northfield, VT on March 17, 1943, the son of Ernest and Lodema
(Austin) Colby. He attended Montpelier grade schools and high
school. Ernie worked for many years with Buzz Emmons at
Vermont Expert Tree Service and later with Asplundh Tree
Service of Vermont and Bombardier in Barre Town. He most
enjoyed hunting and fishing and being on his land on Hampshire
Hill with family and many friends. He is survived by his wife,
Gloria, whom he married in 2005; daughter Cherie Jarvis and her
husband William, of Morrisville, VT; a son West L. Colby and
his wife Laura, of TN; five grandchildren Will Jarvis, Joshua
Jarvis and Alana McLane, Lyden L. Colby and Tyler J. Colby;
three great-grandchildren Caleb Jarvis, Alexa Dyland, and Aiden
Colby; stepson Donald Pierce Jr. and his companion Lori May, of
Middlesex; three stepdaughters Karen Kerin of Middlesex, Lisa
Forbes and her husband Mike, of Worcester, and Patricia O'Neill
of Worcester; seven step-grandchildren Jillian and Allison Pierce,
Lucy and Zoey Kerin, Trevor and Jennifer Forbes, and Katelynn
O'Neill. Ernie is also survived by his mother Lodema Utton of
Mobile, AL; three sisters Barbara Hartman and her husband Jeff,
of Mobile, AL, Donna Keough and her husband Harold, of
Montpelier, Judy Colombo and her husband Harry, of Montpelier;
uncle Fred Austin of Barre; and many nieces and nephews. He
was predeceased by his stepfather, Lancer Utton, and a brother,
Bob Utton. A memorial service was held on Thursday, May 30,
at Guare & Sons Funeral Home. Burial was in the Waterbury
Center Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may
be made to American Legion Post #3, Children & Youth Service
Fund, 21 Main St., Montpelier, VT 05602.
Colby Clan Communications 3
Cont. from page 2
Interior view of main sawing floor. (HABS photo, courtesy of New
Hampshire Historical Society.)
West side of mill showing log ways. (HABS photo, courtesy of New
Hampshire Historical Society.)
It was usually possible to vary the length of one lever arm, thus
changing the length of the stroke and altering the amount of carriage
feed. Pine boards, for example, could be sawn faster than oak
boards, because they were softer. The difference in cutting speed
was accommodated by varying the rate of carriage feed rather than
the speed of the wheel. Thus the waterwheel could be run constantly
at the most efficient speed. There were sawmills in other parts of
Bow (a total of five as early as 1817) and in neighboring Dunbarton,
the town line of which was only a few rods from the mill. It is
probable that a nearby mill provided some of the building materials
for the Nichols-Colby, since the builders made extensive use of
sawn framing timbers. The few hewn members were mostly too
long to fit a sawmill carriage. The mill changed hands several
times between 1821 and 1845, when it was acquired by Aaron
Nichols. In 1859, Nichols deeded it to his son, who four years later
sold it to George W. Colby; the site has belonged to members of
the Colby family since that time. The owners were nearly all Bow
and Dunbarton farmers, most of whom lived nearby. The NicholsColby mill stood below the outlet of Spectacle Meadow, as it was
called in early deeds and the HABS drawings. Spectacle Meadow is
one of the headwaters of Black Brook, which flows into the
Merrimack River at Manchester. The site can be located on the
Concord Quadrangle sheet at latitude 70° 13' longitude 43° 06'.18.
The pond on the Concord Quadrangle appears on that map as a
swampy area approximately 0.25 miles north of the road through
Baileys Corner, from Dunbarton to Bow Center. The dam at this
mill was typical for its day. It was composed of two stone walls
approximately 10 feet apart and was about 100 feet long. The
space between the walls was packed with rammed earth, which
served as an impervious filling material. The wooden flume
projected through the dam, as did the overflow. This type of dam
usually leaked around the penstock casings, and some collapsing
can be seen in the dam's water face. The overflow provided flood
protection for a century or more, but it was not of sufficient
capacity to protect the dam from the hurricane of 1938. The dam
failed at its junction with the penstock, as did many others of this
type of construction. The ensuing flood pushed the mill off its
stone piers, and as it fell into the stream it collapsed on itself. The
swollen stream carried many fragments away and washed others
hundreds of feet downstream. Some wreckage remains, but it is so
broken and rotted that structural parts can no longer be identified
with certainty. The mill was operated steadily through the last
decades of the nineteenth century, but was damaged by vandals
early in this century and was run very little after that. When the
HABS field team found it, the mill was still capable of sawing
boards, but was showing definite signs of decay from neglect. It is
ironic that the building, with its entire complement of machinery,
was destroyed shortly after it was identified as an historically
important structure. The mill and its contents do survive in
drawings and photographs, and those of us who are interested in
the history of New England sawmills are indebted to the architects
and draftsmen who carefully recorded the mill on paper nearly
forty years ago.
The Nichols-Colby sawmill at Sturbridge Village
Reproduced by Old Sturbridge Village in 1984, this rare water-powered
sawmill—erected on the millpond site that David Wight, Jr. first created
in the 1790s—is used to cut lumber for Old Sturbridge Village and other
historic sites. The Sawmill is based on what had been one of the oldest
surviving sawmills in the area: the Nichols-Colby Sawmill of Bow, New
Hampshire, which was destroyed in a 1938 hurricane. In 1936, two years
prior to the hurricane, the sawmill plans were recorded by the Historic
American Building Survey; the plans are now housed at the Library of
Congress, where they were studied by OSV staff. Although the Village
demonstrates sawmilling in spring, summer, and fall, rural mills were
busiest during late winter and early spring, when waterpower was most
abundant and the demands of farming were less pressing. Sawmill account
books suggest that since it was so difficult and expensive to transport logs
and lumber, mills like this one concentrated on custom production for
local customers.
Save Our Sawmill Campaign
Note from Norm Abram, Old Sturbridge Village Trustee:
Our sawmill, which is based on the water-powered Nichols-Colby Upand-Down Sawmill of Bow, New Hampshire c. 1820, has for almost thirty
years amazed visitors as they watched the power of water harnessed to cut
huge logs into useable boards. Please join me today in making sure that
the necessary repairs to this important building are completed. As my
way of thanking you for helping me in this effort I invite you to join me
on Saturday, October 5th to celebrate our success. Your gift of $100 or
more will secure two tickets to the Reopening Ceremony. I'll be on hand
to discuss the building, its history and operations and to thank you
personally for your support.
http://www.osv.org/donors/save-our-sawmill
Did you know?
One man running a sawmill could produce a thousand feet of lumber in a
day, while two men using a handsaw might produce only a few hundred
feet.
Colby Clan Communications 4
Colby Mansion in Waterbury, VT
George J. Colby, age 23 and his 21 year old brother Edwin,
came from Bolton in 1856, having purchased 30 acres of land and
a shop (in what is now called Colbyville) formerly owned by
Erastus Parker, who had planted two or three acres of willow
trees. The Colby brothers had experimented with basket willows
and saw a market for willow ware. After securing mill
machinery, a willow peeling plant was established and the
manufacture of willow cabs was highly successful. An example
of a Colby baby carriage is on exhibit at the Historical Society
Museum. The Colby clothes wringer was patented by George
Colby in 1860; becoming so popular that two shifts of workers
were required to turn out 100 wringers a day. The Civil War
outbreak caused production to dwindle.
When the Colby Mansion was constructed around 1870 it was
described as possibly the finest in the State outside Montpelier. It
was designed and built by local Waterbury industrialist George J.
Colby. The mansion was the execution of Colby's ideas on
proper house construction. Although Colby had no known
architectural training, he was a self-educated innovator,
attempting to improve upon healthy ways of living through
architecture and modern conveniences. The house is not only a
well-designed, well-preserved upper class home from the
Victorian era, but it also reflects the philosophy of a local,
influential individual whose ideas were shared by many
Americans at the turn of the century, and eventually found
widespread application throughout the country. Colby was wellknown locally for his financial empire, which included a print
shop, machine shop, the manufacture of willow ware and
wringers, and the invention of a bark-peeling machine. He also
wrote political pamphlets and helped organize the local library
and cemetery association. In 1871 he published his ideas on
domestic architecture in a series of eight articles in The
Household, entitled "Household Architecture." The Colby
Mansion was the embodiment of these ideas. It was
symmetrically designed (promoting circulation), with forced hot
air heat, a well-lit and ventilated basement, natural-finished
interior woodwork, shallow hipped roof, and indoor plumbing.
The marble sinks originally installed in each bedroom are still in
place. In addition to these basic features, to promote healthful
living, Colby also accentuated his home with features typical of
the Victorian era, including a lavish degree of decorative detail, a
projecting entrance bay, porch, and two bay windows. The Colby
Mansion is located north of Waterbury on Vermont Rt. 100. It is
currently the Colby Mansion Home for the Aged, and not open to
the public.
Text taken from the following website:
http://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/centralvermont/cv10.htm
The Lilac cottage in Wiscasset, Maine. Built by Ambrose Colby.
According to "Wiscasset in Pownalbourgh," it was said that he
squatted the land.
(posted on our Facebook page by Glenn Poulin)
The names on the back of the picture are John Colby & Miss Lottie.
There is no date, or any other information.
(posted on our Facebook page by Karen Lou Moore. She thinks it could be
her grandfather John Valentine Singer Colby, but is not sure of this)
Colby Clan Communications 5
Jonathan COLBY was born on Sep 4, 1809 in Corinth, Orange
County, Vermont. He appeared in the census in 1850 in Corinth,
Orange County, Vermont.
Occupants listed at this residence:
- Jonathan Colby, Jr. 41 Farmer
- Malinda Colby 38
- Cordelia Colby 16
- Loyal D. Colby 14
- Soloman W. Colby 11
- Mary C. P. Colby 8
He appeared in the census on June 13, 1860 in Whitewater,
Winona County, Minnesota. He appeared in the census on July
23, 1870 (and on June 7, 1880) in Plainview, Wabasha County,
Minnesota. He died on Jan 16, 1898 at Plainview, Wabasha
County, Minnesota, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in
Plainview, MN.
Jonathan Colby, who left behind him an honored memory as one
of the hardy pioneers of southeast Minnesota, was born in
Corinth, Orange County, Vermont on September 4, 1809. The
first 46 years of his life were spent in his native state, and in 1831
he was there married to Malinda Pratt, who died in 1854. Of that
union five children were born, of whom Mrs. John Q. Richardson
is living. Mr. Colby continued his residence in Vermont for a year
after the death of his wife, and then he and his son, L. D. Colby,
joined the throng of gold seekers on the way to California, where
for two years they were engaged in mining. They then returned to
Vermont, remained there a year, and in 1858 came to Minnesota,
stopping at Elgin until the following spring. Jonathan Colby then
took a claim in Whitewater Township, Winona County the farm
later owned by David McCarty but three years later moved to a
farm a few miles southeast of Plainview, in Plainview Township,
Wabasha County. In 1859 he married his second wife, Azubah
Melendy, and until 1897, a period of 37 years, was actively
engaged in looking after his farm, being recognized as a practical
and successful agriculturist, and an excellent man and citizen. His
health finally began to fail, and for a year before his death he was
obliged to leave business affairs to the care of his wife. On
January 16, 1898, he passed away, deeply mourned by his family,
friends, and fellow citizens. Before leaving his native state he had
connected himself with the Freewill Baptist church, and had
remained faithful to its teachings. He was a man of good
principle, good business judgments, and had bettered the world by
his having lived. Parents: Jonathan Colby and Betsey Berry.
Jonathan Colby and Malinda Pratt were married in 1831 in
Vermont. Their children were: Cordelia C. Colby, Loyal Dyke
Colby, Solomon W. Colby, Mary Cornelia Colby, George W.
Colby. Jonathan next married Azubah (Colby) about 1855.
Malinda Pratt was born in 1812 in Canada. She appeared in the
census in 1850 in Corinth, Orange County, Vermont. She died in
1854 and is buried in the East Orange Cemetery, VT. Malinda’s
father Guilford I. Pratt is also buried in the East Orange Cemetery.
Her mother Polly Kendall Pratt is buried in the West Corinth
Cemetery.
(text and photos taken from findagrave.com and from
freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com)
Calvin Leslie Colby
(grandfather to Barbara Colby, who posted the photo on our Facebook
page)
Covered Bridges of Vermont
There are just over 100 authentic covered bridges in Vermont,
giving the state the highest number of covered bridges per square
mile in the United States. A covered bridge is considered
authentic not due to its age, but by its construction. An authentic
bridge is constructed using trusses rather than other methods such
as stringers (a popular choice for non-authentic covered bridges).
There are 11 covered bridges in Orange County, Vermont, nine of
them being of the kings post design. Five are in Tunbridge, VT.
A covered bridge is a timber-truss bridge with a roof and siding
which, in most covered bridges, create an almost complete
enclosure. The purpose of the covering is to protect the wooden
structural members from the weather. Uncovered wooden bridges
have a life span of only 10 to 15 years because of the effects of
rain and sun. Bridges having covers for reasons other than
protecting wood trusses, such as for protecting pedestrians, are
also sometimes called covered bridges. The various designs are
called town lattice, queen post, burr arch, howe truss, kings post,
and paddleford truss. The Robbins Nest Covered Bridge is a
covered bridge that crosses the Jail Branch of the Winooski River
Cont. on page 7
Colby Clan Communications 6
Cont. from page 6
off US Route 302 in Barre, Vermont. The bridge is of queen post
design built by Robert R. Robbins. Even though not historic, the
bridge was built as a replica to one that stood just downstream and
was swept away in the Vermont Flood of 1927, and is of authentic
design and construction. Ownership of the property has transferred
at least once, and in 1990 the owners installed steel beams to
reinforce the deck.
The state tree is the sugar maple.
Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the US,
producing over 500,000 gallons a year (5.5% of the global supply)
Milk is Vermont’s number one farm product.
Vermont was the first state to outlaw slavery.
Vermont does not allow billboard advertising.
What is a Morgan Horse anyway?
The Morgan horse is one of the earliest horse breeds developed in
the United States. Tracing back to the foundation sire Figure, later
named Justin Morgan after his best-known owner, Morgans served
many roles in 19th-century American history, being used as coach
horses and for harness racing, as general riding animals, and as
cavalry horses during the American Civil War on both sides of the
conflict. Morgans have influenced other major American breeds,
including the American Quarter Horse, Tennessee Walking Horse
and the Standardbred. During the 19th and 20th centuries, they
were exported to other countries, including England, where they
influenced the breeding of the Hackney horse. In 1907, the US
Department of Agriculture established the US Morgan Horse Farm
in Middlebury, VT for the purpose of perpetuating and improving
the Morgan breed; the farm was later transferred to the University
of Vermont. The first breed registry was established in 1909, and
since then many organizations in the US, Europe and Oceania have
developed. There are estimated to be over 175,000 Morgan horses
in existence worldwide as of 2005. The Morgan is a compact,
refined breed, generally bay, black or chestnut in color, although
they come in many colors, including several variations of pinto.
Used in both English and Western disciplines, the breed is known
for its versatility. The Morgan is the state animal of Vermont and
the state horse of Massachusetts. Popular children's authors,
including Marguerite Henry and Ellen Feld, have portrayed the
breed in their books; Henry's Justin Morgan Had a Horse was later
made into a Disney movie.
Vermont State Trivia
The state is nicknamed the Green Mountain State.
The state flower is the Red Clover.
The state animal is the Morgan Horse.
Reunion RSVP
Please RSVP by August 3, 2013 to Jim Colby
Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________________
Other people attending with you ($12/adult, $7/child (15 and younger):_________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
Email address or phone (in case there are changes or questions):
______________________________________________________________________________________
I can not attend the reunion, but have enclosed my annual dues ($5/calendar year): ________________________________
I am paying dues for these calendar years: ________________________________________________________________
Other people for which I am paying dues: _________________________________________________________________
Please mail this form with your payment to: James Colby Box 6663, Scarborough, ME 04070
Or email the information to Jim at: jcolby6@maine.rr.com
Colby Clan Communications 7
Barbara J. Zdravesky
123 Mulberry Street
Pawtucket, RI 02860
Colby Clan Communications 8