MEMORIES OF THE 



Food was scarce, and no one had any more of it than he 

 wanted for himself, unless it was the product of the forest and 

 stream. At first, venison and fish was the principal diet. Later, 

 came such additions to this bill of fare as could be had from 

 corn pounded in a dug-out stump mortar, and a few vegetables 

 raised in the first clearing ; and still later, the luxury of corn- 

 meal, procured by backing corn over six miles to Adams, where 

 a mill had been established. Grandmother Brown's brother 

 Stanton was the hunter of the family, and kept them well sup- 

 plied with venison, which they ate fresh, salted and jerked. 



Wild animals were thick, particularly deer and bear, with 

 some wolves and an occasional panther. This interfered with 

 the early raising of pigs and sheep, and father often pointed out 

 to me the spot where he watched the stone bake-oven, while the 

 wolves, drawn by the odor of the cooking, barked and howled 

 on the opposite side of the creek. They were cowardly, and 

 feared only when in packs. But the bears were bolder and 

 more troublesome, and when it came to the raising of young 

 stock it had to be carefully corralled or penned up each night, 

 and even then the bear occasionally got away with a pig or a 

 lamb. But the actual damage which the wild animals did was 

 nothing in comparison with the terror they inspired in the 

 women and children when left alone. 



The town settled rapidly, and neighbors, some of them old 

 acquaintances in the East, came in from Vermont and Connecti- 

 cut, settling close to one another for the mutual benefit of so- 

 ciety, roads, schools, and religious meetings. The Pierrepont 

 estate, William C. Pierrepont, agent, owned the township, and 

 sold lands in quantities to suit the purchaser. At first, they 

 bought small lots of from ten to fifty acres only, calculating to 

 add more when required. It was bought upon contract, and 



