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Killington Peak & Pico
Peak
These two peaks were both owned by the late Mortimer Proctor of
the Vermont Marble Company. Pico was given to him as a 21st birthday
present in 1910. He sold it to Pico Ski Inc. in 1948.
Killington Peak was bought by Mr. Proctor in 1919 from M.E. Wheeler
of Rutland and given to the State of Vermont in 1938. The Vermont
Marble Company sold around Killington Peak some 6000 acres of land
to the State in 1945 to be included in the Coolidge State Forest.
This is the land which the Sherburne Corporation had leased from
the State for its ski lifts, lodges, etc. in 1957.
Hotels of years gone by-
In the early days almost anyone who had a little extra room was
expected to take in travelers. More formally recognized hostelries
were Josiah Wood's Tavern Stand at the Mission Church, the Coffee
House on Elbow Road in North Sherburne, and Ruftis Richardson's
hotel near the Harley Gifford house. But the most recent and best
Remembered one was adjacent to the present Grange Hall.
It was built in 1840, enlarged for a tavern in 1863, and run by
Benj. Maxham for 18 years. In 1889 Augusta Bates Taylor, great aunt
of Oren Bates and grandmother of Mrs. Florence Taylor Hall owned
the hotel.
In 1891 Ida Perkins married Horace Wilson and they lived at and
ran the hotel for seven years. There was no running water, so they
drew a barrel of water daily from a spring barrel and watering trough
500 ft. away (at the post office). Horace bargained with Mrs. Taylor
that if she would provide the pipe he would dig the ditch, which
he did. After it was laid she mentioned to him that it hadn't been
covered over. " That's right, Mrs. Taylor, I only said I'd
dig the ditch." So she had to pay for covering it, much to
her dismay.
The Tailors always reserved a room for themselves in the hotel in
case they came to Sherburne on business. They also owned the Michael
Smith house next door and occupied it on the 31st of March each
year, bringing livestock with them from Plymouth to escape the higher
taxes on personal property in effect in that town. In fact this
led to a lawsuit filed by Plymouth vs. Sherburne to recover lost
taxes. Testimony of Mrs. Wilson clinched the matter concerning their
residence in Sherburne, and Plymouth lost the case.
There was no hotel operation after the Wilson's left in 1898 and
the big house became a dwelling house for several families, and
eventually collapsed.
For more information about the history of the Town of Killington,
please visit the Vermont Room at the Sherburne Memorial Library.
Prepared by the Sherburne Historians |
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