1790-1799

1790

The tanner – and his leather for shoes, saddles and harness – were important in every frontier town. Osgood True’s Tannery, 1790, was the first of several early tanneries in Lebanon. The present day E. Cummings Leather Co. has been in operation since 1939. (J-12 & F-8)

1791

Post routes were established from Concord, and the post riders covered their routes once a fortnight on horseback. Postage on a private letter was sixpence for each 40 miles and mail was delivered directly to the address of the recipient.

1792

Robert Colburn sold part of his farm on “the plain” for a common (now Colburn Park) on condition that a new meeting house be built there. This settled a long and bitter dispute over location, and the new meeting house was built on the common in 1792. (F-8)

Early historian, Jeremy Belknap, wrote in 1792 about a deep gorge in Lebanon’s Mascoma valley. This glacial gorge, “The Devil’s Kitchen,” was an early tourist attraction, and its high waterworn walls and large potholes can still be found, high above the river. (D-13)

1795

A fish inspector was appointed to control taking of salmon and shad that came up the Connecticut to spawn ˘ salmon in the White River, shad in the Mascoma. These rivers were said to have been “almost solid with fish” in spawning season.

1798

Amni B. Young, 1798-1874, a self-educated architect born in Lebanon, became the first Supervising Architect, U.S. Treasury Dept. He designed about 70 federal buildings, Lebanon’s Congregational Church, Vermont’s state capitol, and buildings at Dartmouth. (F-7 & F-8)

1799

The tything-man, a town officer, was elected annually, 1799-1845, to maintain order in the church and to enforce observance of the Sabbath ˘ no labor or travel except of necessity, no games, no play, no recreation. He was not a well loved man.