Caledonia

GRAY, James

Vermont Historical Magazine, No. XI, October 1867, p 418
(extracted from a section on the history of Sheffield, Caledonia County)

James GRAY, one of the first settlers of the town [Sheffield, Caledonia 
County, Vermont], was born [no date is given] in Barrington [Strafford 
County], New Hampshire; he married [Miss?] Hannah BURRILL of the same place 
[no date is given], and moved to this town [Sheffield] with his family in the 
spring of 1794. There being no bridge across the [what?] River at Wheelock 
[Caledonia County] at that time, they crossed upon the dam, and passed on to 
their claim, which was upon lot eighty-six, now owned by Mr. HOLMES. Mrs. 
GRAY was the first white woman that ever came into this town. The following 
year [1795?] Mr. GRAY moved, and commenced anew upon the lot where Isaac 
PEARL now resides. [See also Caledonia County, Vermont, biography of Jacob 
G. GRAY, who married "Elvira W. PEARL" of Sheffield; Jacob G. related to 
James?] Here he [James GRAY] lived until a year before his death, when 
feeble in health, and bowed down with hard labor and the infirmities of age, 
he left to spend the remainder of his life with his son George, upon the 
place now owned by his grandson, L. M. M. GRAY, Esq., and here he [James 
GRAY] continued to reside until his death. His son Jonathan also came the 
same year [1794] with his father; to him [Jonathan GRAY] belongs the honor of 
having felled the first tree in town. The hardships incident to early 
settlers bore heavily upon Mr. [James] GRAY. At this time there was no grist 
mill near, and he was obliged to take his grain sometimes even to Newbury 
[Orange County, Vermont] to be ground, and often for want of a horse, he 
carried it upon his own back. Yet with all his labor and hardships he was 
healthy and vigorous, and lived to the good old age of eighty-five years.

Submitted by Cathy Kubly