Vermont Community History: Worcester

The Farms on Pratt Road
By Jordan F.

Pratt farm photo I talked to Earlene Dailey Forbes and my grandfather, Jerry Nelson. Earlene grew up on Pratt Road, and she is related to all the Pratts. My grandfather purchased the Pratt farm and land in 1995. He has given me the Old Pratt Barn at the beginning of Pratt Road. On the corner of Pratt Road and Calais Road, the Min Brown place used to stand. That was the first Pratt home. All that is left is a rock foundation. At the very, very far end of Pratt Road there was a house the White family moved from the Calais Road to the end of Pratt Road. It was what people called a "plank house." Jesse White Pratt and Calvin Pratt built the house that now stands there, in the years 1905-1911. The plank house was moved again and attached to the Pratt house.

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

Pratt House

Jessie and Calvin Pratt were Earlene's grandparents. She told me that Calvin used to drive his team and wagon into Montpelier to pick up supplies for Worcester families. They would place orders for bulk supplies, like big bags of flour, that they couldn't buy in Worcester. This was in the 1920's and earlier. This is a picture of Calvin and his wagon and team.

The Pratt house still stands today. It is owned by Dot and Cricket Davy. Dot is Earlene's niece, and the great-granddaughter of Jessie Pratt. She and Cricket Davy have done a lot of work to it, so they can live in it. When my mother was younger, she said one side of the house you could see in and see the floor beams of the second and third levels. There are 148 acres of land with the house.

Beryl Dailey was a Pratt. She had eight siblings: Nora, Milo, Marion, Milton (or Pop), Harold, Robert, Ruth and Leighton. They were all born in the Pratt house. Ruth died at 16. In these pictures, you can see Earlene as a baby, taking a bath in the washtub at her grandmother's house, and then with her mother, Beryl Pratt Dailey.

The Collier house is at the bottom of our driveway, Nelson Extension, and it was bought by Earl and Beryl Dailey. They raised their two children there. They had two daughters, Earlene Forbes and Dolena (Dolly) Richardson. The next pictures show Earlene and her family at their house – the Collier house. They had a cat that loved to go sledding!

Earlene Dailey Forbes and her sister, Dolly, with their father

Earlene Dailey Forbes and her sister, Dolly, at their home on Pratt Road with their mother, Beryl Dailey

The farm at the beginning of Pratt Road was the Pratt's third home. We call it the Pratt farm. It was originally owned by the Gymer family. It was built during World War II, and finished in 1946-47. Old lumber was used to build it. Milton Pratt, or Pop Pratt, as we know him, was the last farmer to operate the farm, until around 1993. That's when Pop became too ill to continue farming. There used to be a big house behind the barn. All that's left is a rock foundation and my old barn. Pop raised cows, geese and chickens (for the eggs) and pigs. Pop also raised a lot of potatoes. Earlene remembers helping him plant acres of potatoes!

Pigs

Ducks

Pop Pratt had a team of horses that he named Franklin and Eleanor. They were named after President Franklin Roosevelt and his wife, Eleanor.

I want to thank my grandfather and Earlene Forbes for helping me learn about my home neighborhood on Pratt Road. Below, Earlene Dailey Forbes at her family home on Pratt Road in 2004 (left) & as a child (right).