A History of Thetford

  The first inhabitants of Thetford were probably Abenaki Indians who
hunted here. The first Europeans to exercise control were the French.

  When Quebec fell to the British in 1759 during the French and Indian
War (1756 - 1763), the area was opened to British Control. Immediately in 1761, Benning Wentworth, governor of New Hampshire, set up sixty towns approximately six miles square on both sides of the Connecticut river (though his authority did not exist west of the river). He named these towns after favorites in the court of King George III. Thetford was
named for Viscount Thetford, who, as Duke of Grafton, was Prime Minister a few years later (1768 - 1770).

  Wentworth sold the Thetford charter to a group of proprietors from
Hebron, Connecticut, reserving 500 acres of choice land for himself. These proprietors divided up the land into 50-acre lots, and sold them to settlers who actually came to Thetford. These settlers found mainly
forested land; the trees had to be cut in order to make room for crops. The trees were a valuable crop in themselves. Thetford was fortunate to
contain the two branches of the Ompompanoosuc River, which provided several fine mill sites, which soon became villages, including Thetford Center, Post Mills, Union Village, and Rice's Mills. The first mills were grist mills to grind grain, and saw mills to turn the trees into lumber.
Another use for wood was to burn it to make charcoal and potash. For about four decades after the arrival of the first settler, John Chamberlin,
in 1764. Most settlers were involved in clearing, building, and
subsistence agriculture.

  In 1768, a town government was organized. A church was founded in 1773, and in 1779 Rev. Asa Burton arrived to begin his ministry of 57 years. In 1784, two school district were organized, and by 1801 population was widespread enough to justify thirteen school districts.

  Mills were built on the Ompompanoosuc and on other brooks; in addition to grist and saw mills, others produced wood products such as furniture and wagons, textiles, strawboard, and linseed oil. Population grew rapidly, reaching a peak of 2,113 in 1840.

  Roads were built to connect with Norwich, Strafford, and Fairlee. There
were several ferries across the Connecticut to New Hampshire, replaced
in 1822 and 1839 by bridges at North Thetford and East Thetford. These
bridges, together with the railroad which opened in 1845, caused the
growth of these villages, including hotels, livery stables, and stores.

  As farmers changed from subsistence farming to cash crops, an early
favorite was the wool from Merino sheep, a breed imported from Spain.
About 1840, the market dropped, and Thetford farmers increasingly turned to cattle products which could be shipped by railroad. However, there was better growing land to the West, and beginning in 1850 there was a slow decline in Thetford's population, which sank to about 1000 in the period 1900 - 1960.

  Thetford Academy, a co-educational secondary school, was founded in
1819. Under the leadership of Hiram Orcutt from 1842 to 1855, it built two dormitories and attracted boarding students from all over New England. Other notable principals were Gilbert E. Hood (1855 - 1858) and Carl A, Anderson (1925 - 1961).

  Peabody Library was founded in 1863 by philanthropist George Peabody
who had spent his boyhood in Post Mills, and in 1875 a bequest helped
found Latham Memorial Library on Thetford Hill.

  In 1869, the Chubb family arrived in Post Mills. Thomas Henry Chubb
began to manufacture fine fishing rods and sell all sorts of fishing gear;
the Chubb factory was a major employer until 1933. Chubb's father
Thomas, who had been a Commodore in the Confederate Navy, built the town's first summer hotel, the Commodore House, and helped promote the idea of marketing Thetford's scenery and climate to summer visitors. Other summer hotels were built, cottages began to dot the lake shores, and there was a boat livery (and a steamboat) in Post Mills.

  Beginning with the decade 1900 - 1910, the idea of Scouting and camping swept the country. The shore of Lake Fairlee were covered with girls' and boys' camps. Camp Hanoum on Thetford Hill, founded by a musician brought up in Turkey, provided an unusual combination of music and dance along with a Turkish flair. These camps prospered for most of the century, and brought with them parents and relatives looking for food and lodging.

  In the past half-century, the improvement of highways and of the
automobile have had far-reaching effects on Thetford. It is easier to work, or to vacation, or to go to school, farther from home. Working in
Hanover or Lebanon makes Thetford a bedroom community, and this is a main reason why the town's population has more than doubled since 1960. The 2000 census shows a population of 2,617. The interstate highway system brings visitors to Thetford most easily, but they can live for a weekend, rather than for a month or for the summer.

  Busing students has made it possible to consolidate Thetford's district
schools, and had ended the Academy's boarding department. Living in one town and working in another has made it harder to find people willing to run for town offices or to work for or support local organizations.

  In agriculture, there are fewer dairy farms and more nurseries and
fruit and vegetable growers. A considerable proportion of the population
works elsewhere, and jobs within Thetford are primarily service-oriented, with one significant exception. In keeping with Thetford's once booming manufacturing era, Pompanoosuc Mills has a large furniture factory in East Thetford.

  At present the principal services provided by the town are education
(which accounts for 80% of taxes raised), road maintenance, police, and
support of local and area service organizations, including a volunteer
fire department. Water is provided by individual wells or by community
water companies, waste disposal is by private contract, and sewage
disposal is by individual septic systems.