John G. Roy
Inwood Manor or Lot 42
Below is an article written by one of the many owner of the Inwood Manor or Lot 42 as it was called. The article is about the very first owners of Lot 42 and how it became a dam and The Roy croquet factory. The article comes from a book called Barnet, Vermont circa 1923.
East Barnet Water Power
The first owner of this property was Mr. Enos Stevens, who purchased several hundred acre lots at a tax sale held Feb. 27, 1786. "He bought lots number 42, 43, and 44 which lies on each side of the River Pasumpsick and are parts of the origianl rights or share of John Card as appears as on the Proprietors' record of said town of Barnet. Said rights were sold by pulick sale at the home of Simon Stevens, Esq., in Springfield in said State of Vermont on the twenty-seventh day of Febuary, seventeen hundred eighty-six, by Samuel Stevens, Collector. The above tract of land is part of the Hale Farm, so Called." Mr. Enow Stevens sold the above property with the same description to James McLeran on Dec. 20, 1790. Mr. E. Stevens also sold to Wm. McLeran part of lats numbers 10, 11, 41, and 42, "containing 40 acres, more or less, and all the land about the falls in said Pasumpsick River on the west side said river and including the falls in said river that is not heretofore deeded to James McLeran" on Nov. 30, 1795.
Wm. McLeran sold to John McLeran, Oct 4, 1800, "A certain half acre of land on the Pasumpsick River, adjoining the great falls on said river a little below the bridge on siad river leading from James McLearn's in Barnet to Waterford, also the falls and river thereto adjoining."
John McLeran sold to John Crawford, Sept. 23, 1815, one-half acre of land lying on the west side of Pasumpsick River, "it being the smae which is now occupied by the said John McLeran as a mill yard and including the saw-mill, and also the falls in said river, part of the land deeded from W. McLeran to John McLeran." John Crawford sold the above to James Ferguson sold to Elijah McLeran on Jan. 23, 1819, 1/2 of saw-mill, 1/2 of falls, 1/2 of irons which belonged to the mill which was destroyed by fire on the evening of the 22nd day of Oct., 1818, all being the above on April 2, 1816 to Elijah Mcleran, who on Sept. 3, 1827, gave ma mortgage to John W. Chandler of Peacham, which included 377 acres of land, together witht he dwelling house, harn and other buildings including saw-mill, mill dam, mall saws and other utensils belonging to said mill. John W. Chandler secured a title to the property which he sold to Curtis E. and Amos B. Norris by deed dated March 1849.
Amos B. Norris secured a title to the property on the death of his father Curtis E. Norris. Amos B. Norris deeded to Norrisville Mfg. Co., Norrisville Mfg. Co. deeded to Alexander Roy and Alexander Moore, April 25 1881; they deeded the property on the west side to James G. Moore of Lisbon, N. H., May 6, 1881, who erected a pulp mill, he sold the pulp mill to H. A. Wilder & Co. of Boston, Mass., Who own it at the present time (1919). Moore and Roy deeded the east side to John G. and Elmer E. Roy in 1889.
From the records it appears that the dam was built between 1800 and 1810. After James G. Moore bought the west side in 1881 he made extensive repairs on the dam by raising it two feet. Parts of the origianl dam are still doing service at this date. James G. Moore improved the water power on the west side by blasting out the ledges and the pulp mill was run successfully until 1890. Since that date the west side has been idle. On the east side the Norris's built quite a large factory for turning bobbins and other wood work, which factory was destroyed by fire in 1875. In 1876 they erected a larger and better factory and continued the business for a few years. The Roy Brothers took up the manufacture of croquet set and other lines of work and increased their business and enlarged their factory until they are the largest manufacturers of croquet in the Untied States.
The first owner of this property was Mr. Enos Stevens, who purchased several hundred acre lots at a tax sale held Feb. 27, 1786. "He bought lots number 42, 43, and 44 which lies on each side of the River Pasumpsick and are parts of the origianl rights or share of John Card as appears as on the Proprietors' record of said town of Barnet. Said rights were sold by pulick sale at the home of Simon Stevens, Esq., in Springfield in said State of Vermont on the twenty-seventh day of Febuary, seventeen hundred eighty-six, by Samuel Stevens, Collector. The above tract of land is part of the Hale Farm, so Called." Mr. Enow Stevens sold the above property with the same description to James McLeran on Dec. 20, 1790. Mr. E. Stevens also sold to Wm. McLeran part of lats numbers 10, 11, 41, and 42, "containing 40 acres, more or less, and all the land about the falls in said Pasumpsick River on the west side said river and including the falls in said river that is not heretofore deeded to James McLeran" on Nov. 30, 1795.
Wm. McLeran sold to John McLeran, Oct 4, 1800, "A certain half acre of land on the Pasumpsick River, adjoining the great falls on said river a little below the bridge on siad river leading from James McLearn's in Barnet to Waterford, also the falls and river thereto adjoining."
John McLeran sold to John Crawford, Sept. 23, 1815, one-half acre of land lying on the west side of Pasumpsick River, "it being the smae which is now occupied by the said John McLeran as a mill yard and including the saw-mill, and also the falls in said river, part of the land deeded from W. McLeran to John McLeran." John Crawford sold the above to James Ferguson sold to Elijah McLeran on Jan. 23, 1819, 1/2 of saw-mill, 1/2 of falls, 1/2 of irons which belonged to the mill which was destroyed by fire on the evening of the 22nd day of Oct., 1818, all being the above on April 2, 1816 to Elijah Mcleran, who on Sept. 3, 1827, gave ma mortgage to John W. Chandler of Peacham, which included 377 acres of land, together witht he dwelling house, harn and other buildings including saw-mill, mill dam, mall saws and other utensils belonging to said mill. John W. Chandler secured a title to the property which he sold to Curtis E. and Amos B. Norris by deed dated March 1849.
Amos B. Norris secured a title to the property on the death of his father Curtis E. Norris. Amos B. Norris deeded to Norrisville Mfg. Co., Norrisville Mfg. Co. deeded to Alexander Roy and Alexander Moore, April 25 1881; they deeded the property on the west side to James G. Moore of Lisbon, N. H., May 6, 1881, who erected a pulp mill, he sold the pulp mill to H. A. Wilder & Co. of Boston, Mass., Who own it at the present time (1919). Moore and Roy deeded the east side to John G. and Elmer E. Roy in 1889.
From the records it appears that the dam was built between 1800 and 1810. After James G. Moore bought the west side in 1881 he made extensive repairs on the dam by raising it two feet. Parts of the origianl dam are still doing service at this date. James G. Moore improved the water power on the west side by blasting out the ledges and the pulp mill was run successfully until 1890. Since that date the west side has been idle. On the east side the Norris's built quite a large factory for turning bobbins and other wood work, which factory was destroyed by fire in 1875. In 1876 they erected a larger and better factory and continued the business for a few years. The Roy Brothers took up the manufacture of croquet set and other lines of work and increased their business and enlarged their factory until they are the largest manufacturers of croquet in the Untied States.