In previous articles—The Spaulding Homestead and Revolution: Patriots, Hardship, and Survival on the Frontier—we examined the documented history of the Spaulding family in early Vermont. In this article, we turn to a bit of folklore—often described as “the knowledge of the people.” which offers insight into the cultural memory surrounding the family and their homestead.

In 1991, the Town of Panton published a revised edition of Panton—Past and Present: A Condensed History of the Town of Panton, Vermont, which compiled both archival research and local oral accounts. The following excerpts, drawn from that publication, pertain to the Spaulding family and their home, illustrating how historical fact, folklore and memory often intertwine.¹

THE SPALDING HOUSE

Two houses were put together to make the present house. Old beams, wide floorboards, and original sheathing are some of the characteristics of this lovely home.

Many interesting stories have been passed down throughout the years. In the fall of 1778, a large British force came up Lake Champlain in several vessels and thoroughly scoured the country on both sides of the lake. Every house in Patton was burned except one. Many believe this was the Spaulding house that was spared. However, others think it was Timothy Spaulding’s log home.

After the engagement at Arnold’s Bay (Panton and the Battle of Valcour – October 11, 1776), the Spaldings returned to their farm to find a dead British soldier in their house. His comrades had been obliged to leave him behind, as he was injured and unable to go further. They continued their chase of Arnold and his men down what is presently Lake Road. The soldier, whose name was McDonald, was buried on the property.

Inhabitants of the Spaulding house were frequently visited by straggling bands of Indians, who plundered and robbed them. Mr. Spaulding was at the well early one morning when Indians crept up from the shore over the hill to his home. He was scalped while at the well, but luck was with him that morning, and he survived—or so the story goes.

THOUGHTS

These stories are fascinating. While there is no definitive way to confirm the account of the British soldier or Mr. Spaulding’s unfortunate encounter at the well, they linger in the imagination. Every morning, as I take my dogs for a run in the woods and pass the old well, I find myself thinking of Phineas Spaulding—and wondering where the British soldier might lie at rest.

As a side note, the well is stone-lined and approximately twenty feet deep. I often marvel at how it could have been built by hand, and who had the courage and stamina to dig it. Remarkably, there are two other larger hand-dug wells on the property as well.

Regarding the two houses being joined together and the burning of the original structure, years of refurbishing the property have led me to develop a theory about both.

But more on that next time…

Footnote

1. Panton—Past and Present: A Condensed History of the Town of Panton, Vermont, revised edition (Town of Panton, 1991), pp. [28].