Distilleries

Vermont Historical Magazine – Cabot – by John M. Fisher – 1881 - OLD TIME DISTILLERIES.

Hanson Rogers, Esq., a stirring, energetic citizen, 1809, erected the first distillery in town, on Cabot Plain. As this was on nearly the highest land in town, where no running water could be obtained, he built quite a distance from the road, by a brook in the pasture now owned by Mr. W. S. Atkins, paying partly in blacksmithing — his trade, and the remainder in whisky. The distillery was ready for the crop of 1810 . So many potatoes were now planted, one distillery was insufficient for the increasing business.

A desire to make money appeared to pervade the people of those days even as it does the people of these days. Judge Dana, the, merchant, built another distillery nearly opposite the buildings owned by Wm. Adams. There now were two distilleries within a half mile of each other that could use up all the potatoes raised in the immediate vicinity. But other portions of the town, seeing the ready sale and good price for potatoes, began to raise them more largely, which rendered the building of other distilleries necessary. In l8l6, one was built on the farm now owned by W. S. Atkins.

Up to this time, the product of these distilleries, that had not been consumed at home, had mainly been conveyed by teams to Boston and Portland. Now a new avenue was opened. The cloud of war began to settle down over our country, and soon we were involved in a conflict with Great Britain, and Cabot distillers, only about 40 miles from the Canada line, lost no time in finding a market in that country for the product of their stills. The good, orthodox citizens of this place seemed quite intent on obeying the divine injunction, "If thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give him drink." This command, so explicit in its terms, the towns situated near the border seemed bound to carry out; a large number of cattle were driven over, and no small quantity of whisky found ready sale among the British soldiery. It proved a lucrative business to those engaged in it. It was smuggling, and was rather risky business, but the commandment was plain and imperative, and must be followed.

And about this time distilleries went into operation rapidly. One was put up by Deacon Stone, where I. F. Haines' woolen factory is now; one by Capt. Sumner, on the farm now occupied by R. B. Bruce ; one on the farm of Chauncey Paine; one on the old Cutting farm; one on Deacon J. L. Adams' farm, where Union Block stands, and one where Hial Morse now lives; so that 12 distilleries were in full blast at one time in Cabot. These made whisky very plenty, and it was used in all the different callings of life. Some even thought it was cheaper than corn for common living. It is said one poor man in Plainfield used to say that he would buy a half bushel of cornmeal, and carry it home, and his wife would make it all up into hasty pudding, and the children would eat it all up and go to bed crying with hunger. But let him buy a gallon of whisky, and they would all go to sleep like kittens by the fire ; he thought whisky the cheapest diet.

No occasion was ever perfect without it. If a neighbor came for a friendly visit; if the pastor came to make a call, or to join a couple in the holy bonds of matrimony, or perform the last sad rites of burying the dead, and especially when a child was born into the world, the whisky and flip went around merrily; and when the ladies had a quilting, every time they rolled the quilt all must take a little toddy, and when they had rolled it about four times, they were ready to drop work, tell stories, and have a jolly time. A story is told of one of these good old ladies who at the conclusion of a quilting put on her bonnet, one of those large, old-fashioned poke bonnets then in vogue, and got it on wrong side before, covering her face entirely, and was in great trouble to find the strings. The good old lady got out of the dilemma by the assistance of her friends, but never could tell exactly what the trouble was.

All the public gatherings were held at the Plain, and the occasion which usually attracted the largest crowd was that of June training. At this time, the military officers were elected for the following year. At one of these elections, John Dow, who subsequently became a prominent minister of the Methodist denomination, was elected captain. After the election, Capt. Dow, as in duty bound, ordered the treat, and all drank to repletion, after which the company was formed for drill and inspection, and the various evolutions gone through with. During the practice, one of the brothers of the newly-elected captain, who had imbibed somewhat freely, was unable to keep time with the music, and finally fell flat on the ground. His comrades helped him to his feet, and began to upbraid him for his unseemly conduct ; with maudlin wit he answered, " It is all right; the Dows to-day are rising and falling."

About 1815, the newly set orchards commenced bearing; great quantities of apples were brought into market, and cider-mills were built in different parts of the town, and some of the inhabitants began to have cider in addition to whisky for a beverage. The first cider-mill was built by Robert Lance, nearly opposite the residence of Albert Osgood, in 1819.

Cider and whisky were the staple commodities of the time, the former selling for $l per barrel, and the latter from 67 to 75 cents per gallon. So common was their use, they were regarded very much as "United States" currency in these days. No farmer thought of beginning a winter with less than 12 or 15 barrels of cider and one or two barrels of whisky in the cellar. It was no uncommon thing for a young man to hire out for the season for 300 gallons of whisky, and this he would dispose of for stock, store-pay, or anything he could get.

About 1823, the farmers began to think raising so many potatoes was running out their farms, and, after all, not so profitable as some other crops, and less were planted, and the number of distilleries decreased, until in 1832, there were none running in town, and New England rum was used by those who thought they must have something stimulating, and sold freely at all the stores and hotels in town.

About 1825, the temperance question began to be agitated; people commenced to think they could get along without quite so much stimulant, and from that time to the present, there has been a marked diminution in the quantity absorbed in town.

The writer has in this matter endeavored to state facts simply and fully, but does not mean to be understood as saying that in the manufacture and sale of liquors, Cabot was a sinner above the other towns in that vicinity, for it is probably a fact that for its number of inhabitants, it had fewer distilleries than any other town in this section.