Vermont Community History: Worcester

Back In The Olden Days
By Jordan J. and Jennifer F.

We are going to tell you a story about a sawmill and a covered bridge in Worcester, Vermont. The bridge used to be on Calais Road, going across the North Branch, and Ladd Mill was right next to it. The covered bridge was taken down in 1949, and the sawmill burned down in 1957. Before that they were both important to our town.

There has been a sawmill at that location on the North Branch for many years. The first sawmill was built around 1830. The first mill was built by Moses Rood. We read about the history of the mill, and found out that a number of different people owned the mill before the Ladd's.

This is a picture of Calvin and his wagon and team.

In this picture you can see the inside of the mill.

wendell photo We talked with Evangeline and Elaine Ladd to find out about the bridge. They told us, when anyone went through the bridge they smelled wood heat and burning pinewood from the saws in the mill. It was dark to go through, and they thought it was scary. Here we can see Wendell Ladd, their uncle, standing in front of the bridge.

The older kids sometimes pulled pranks on the bridge. One prank was on Halloween they stacked up logs so no one could go through!

On the bridge there was a sign that read "Horses at a walk, motor vehicles 10mph."

They remembered that there where holes in the sides and floor of the bridge. You could see the river and logs through the floor of the covered bridge. bridge photo It was too small for two cars to go through or for two wagons to meet. That's why they had to take the bridge down in 1949.

In our report we told you about the covered bridge and the sawmill. Even though the sawmill burned down and the bridge was taken down, they will always be in our memories in Worcester, Vermont.

group photo We want to thank Evangeline Ladd Walter and Elaine Ladd Purpel for sharing their old photographs and their memories with us. We also want to thank Alice and Doc Sicely for taking the time to talk with us and answer our questions, last fall and again this spring. It helped us to learn more about our town's history.

Doc and Alice Sicely at their home, with Jordan J. & Jennifer F., after their interview.