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Vermilyea shares lesser-known stories from Revolutionary times
Patrick L. Sullivan
Feb 25, 2026
Peter Vermilyea at Scoville Memorial Library Feb. 19.
Patrick L. Sullivan
SALISBURY — Historian Peter Vermilyea took a group at the Scoville Memorial Library on a tour of the American Revolution that included a soldier who fought in the Continental Army and lived to see the end of the Civil War.
Vermilyea, who is the author of several books and the head of the Social Studies department at Housatonic Valley Regional High School, also touched on a serial killer and the role of Black soldiers in the conflict.
The Feb. 19 event was part of the library’s ongoing discussion of the American Revolution and Russell Shorto’s book “Revolution Song.”
Vermilyea engaged with the audience of about 25 people throughout the presentation.
He started with the strange case of Barnett Davenport, Litchfield County’s first mass murderer.
Prior to the Revolution, Davenport lived in what is now Washington, Connecticut, and decided to kill his family, set fire to their home, and fake his own death.
He wasn’t clever enough, however, and was eventually found hiding in a cave in Cornwall.
“This complicated the Revolution,” Vermilyea said.
Because of the notoriety of the Davenport case, in Litchfield County, soldiers in the Continental Army were not allowed to pass through unless they were with their units.
“This is at odds with our perception of the patriots who won the Revolution,” he said. “In their time they were not allowed to walk through the towns alone.”
Asked about Black soldiers in the Revolution, Vermilyea said unlike the Civil War, when Blacks fought in segregated units, the Blacks who fought on the colonists’ side were mixed in with everyone else, at least at first.
He said about 30,000 New England men responded to the events in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts in April 1775.
“Immediately this starts to slide,” said Vermilyea. The volunteers were not a professional force, and when it was time to go home and bring in the fall crops, they left.
He said about 10% of those 30,000 men were Black.
When George Washington arrived on the scene as commander of the Continental Army, he ended the mixed-race units for fear of losing support from the southern colonies.
Asked about Litchfield County men fighting in the French and Indian War, Vermilyea said the war, which lasted from 1754 to 1760, started when an obscure colonial officer of the British army named George Washington “stumbled into a French camp.”
“Remember Litchfield County towns were essentially brand new,” with many founded in the 1730s.
“This was the frontier.”
Many of the men who fought under the British flag during the French and Indian War turned out to be Loyalists once the Revolution started.
“And consider this —in 1763 Americans were the healthiest, wealthiest people in the world. They attributed that status to their place within the British Empire and specifically to their being subjects of the British king.”
“And 12 years later they were shooting at British soldiers,” he said.
During the Civil War, Rev. Elias Brewster Hillard interviewed surviving Revolutionary War veterans, including Lemuel Cook.
Born in Plymouth, Connecticut, in 1759, Cook’s father, a farmer with a 100-acre spread, died young, causing hardship for the family.
When the Revolution started, Lemuel and his two brothers signed on with the Continentals, in part to support themselves and their families.
In 1776, Cook enlisted in Captain Moses Seymour’s troop of the 2nd Continental Light Dragoons and fought in major battles, including White Plains and Brandywine.
Cook was wounded several times and was there on Oct. 19, 1781, when the British surrendered at Yorktown.
Cook remained in the army for two and a half years after that, and his honorable discharge papers were signed by George Washington.
He returned to Plymouth and the family farm and subsequently moved several times through New York state.
During the Civil War, one Rev. Elias Brewster Hillard, in search of surviving Revolutionary War veterans, tracked down Cook, who was living in Clarendon, N.Y. near Lake Ontario.
Hillard interviewed and photographed Cook.
When the minister asked the centenarian veteran about the Civil War, Cook said it was “terrible but necessary” to put down the rebellion.
Cook died in 1865, age 106, having fought in the Revolution and lived through the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, and the Civil War.
Vermilyea marveled at the changes that occurred during Cook’s life.
When Cook was born, “transportation had not changed from Caesar to Washington.”
“Communication had seen little progress since Gutenberg,” he said. “And he was born a subject of the English king, not a citizen.”
Cook witnessed revolutions in communications (the telegraph), transportation (steam engines for ships and trains).
He saw new political parties and institutions form, large-scale migration west and the conflict over slavery.
Vermilyea said Cook’s funeral had to be held outside to accommodate the crowd.
The 44th Psalm was read, including:
“We have heard with our ears, our fathers have told us.”
“That’s a fitting quote,” Vermilyea said. “Fitting for him, and for us looking back.”
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Police Blotter: Troop B
Lakeville Journal
Feb 25, 2026
Police Blotter: Troop B
John Coston
The following information was provided by the Connecticut State Police at Troop B. All suspects are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Head-on near Haut Boy Hill
On Wednesday, Feb. 18, Christopher Franzi, 54, of Torrington, was traveling southbound on Route 63 in Cornwall near Haut Boy Hill in a 2008 Acura when his vehicle collided head-on with a northbound 2000 Mercedes Benz. The Mercedes was driven by George Cafiero, 56, of Wassaic, New York. Both vehicles sustained disabling damage and were towed from the scene. Cafiero was transported to Sharon Hospital with minor injuries. Franzi was transported to Waterbury Hospital with an ankle injury, and was issued an infraction for failure to maintain lane and operating too fast for conditions.
Subaru rollover in Sharon
Laura Bushey, 57, of Lakeville, was northbound on Route 7 River Road in Sharon on Friday, Feb. 20 in a 2020 Subaru Outback when the vehicle lost control, crossed the centerline into the southbound lane and struck an embankment, rolling over and coming to rest on the driver side in the southbound lane. The vehicle was towed from the scene. Bushey was issued a written warning for traveling too fast for conditions.
The Lakeville Journal will publish the outcome of police charges. Send mail to P.O. Box 1688, Lakeville, CT 06039, Attn: Police Blotter, or send to editor@lakevillejournal.com
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Salisbury home prices retreat from peak; sales remain steady
Christine Bates
Feb 25, 2026
28 Undermountain Road is a newly constructed 3 bedroom/2 bath home built on land owned by the Salisbury Housing Trust. The 1,310-square-foot house cost approximately $500,000 to build and was sold to a qualified buyer for $255,000.
Christine Bates
SALISBURY — The 12-month trailing median price for a single-family home in Salisbury fell to $775,000 for the period ending Jan. 31, 2026 — its lowest point in the past three years — even as home values across much of Connecticut continued to edge higher.
The figure marks a decline from the $945,000 median recorded for the 12 months ending Jan. 31, 2025, and from $892,000 for the comparable period ending Jan. 31, 2024.
Median prices have been trending downward since reaching a historic high of $1,350,000 for the 12-month period ending May 31, 2025. While January and February are typically slow months for publicly listed properties, the 12-month rolling figure reflects a broader reset.
In contrast, median prices statewide — including in neighboring towns such as Sharon and Kent — continued to rise in January.
The number of sales in Salisbury on a 12 month rolling basis remained within its historic range.
A total of 49 single-family homes sold in the 12 months ending Jan. 31, 2026, compared with 47 sales in the period ending Jan. 31, 2025, and 55 sales for the 12 months ending Jan. 31, 2024. Historically, annual sales of single-family homes in Salisbury typically range between 40 and 50 transactions.
Inventory appears to be ticking up modestly. As of mid-February, there were 17 single-family homes on the market. Of those, nine were listed above $1 million and eight were below that threshold.
Only three properties were listed below the current $775,000 median price.
Local data also show how incomplete online listings can be in reflecting overall activity.
Salisbury’s January transfer records, available through the Town Clerk and published in The Lakeville Journal, show five real estate transactions. Only one — 53 Upland Meadow — was publicly listed.
The remaining transfers were handled privately off market, including the highest-priced sale at 36 Lincoln City Road, the lowest-priced transaction on Farnum Road, a commercial building on Main Street, and an affordable home sold by the Salisbury Housing Trust.
The discrepancy highlights how internet-based market data, which rely largely on MLS-reported sales, can understate actual transaction activity in towns where private, off-market deals remain common.
January transactions
145 Farnum Road — 2 bedroom/1 bath 860 square foot home on 1.03 acres sold by Lala Enterprises LLC to 145 Farnum Road LLC for $227,000.
36 Lincoln City Road — 3 bedroom/3.5 bath home on 1.05 acres sold by Belter Properties LLC to Eric and Kathryn Beelitz for $1,175,000.
332 Main Street — Commercial building on 0.33 acres sold by Colonial House & Barn LLC to McBride Builders LLC for $1,000,000.
28 Undermountain Road — 3 bedroom/2 bath newly constructed home sold by Salisbury Housing Trust to Dayana Herrera for $255,000.
53 Upland Meadow Road — 4 bedroom/2.5 bath home on 3.83 acres sold by Kevin King and Dejthankon Inprasit to Jennifer Eve Kaplan Trust for $1,017,000.
* Town ofSalisbury real estate transfers recorded as sold between Jan. 1 and Jan. 31, 2026, provided by SalisburyTown Clerk. Transfers without consideration are not included. Current market listings from Smart MLS. Note that recorded transfers frequently lag sales by a number of days. Compiled by Christine Bates, Real Estate Salesperson with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Licensed in CT and NY.
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Irving Francis Robbins
Lakeville Journal
Feb 25, 2026
Photo by Sarah Kenyon, courtesy of BTCF.
CORNWALL — Irving Francis Robbins of Cabot, Vermont, age 85, died in his home with his family by his side on Feb. 11, 2026.Irv lived an active and fulfilling life, and he often spoke of how truly fortunate he was.He took great pleasure in family, friends, teaching and coaching, travel, the forest, and UConn basketball.
Born in May of 1940 in Torrington, Connecticut, to John and Dorothy Robbins, Irv grew up beside the Weigold dairy farm near Winchester.
The youngest of four children, Irv’s early education began in a one-room schoolhouse.A childhood spent fishing and hunting sparked his lifelong interest in the forest and self-sufficiency.Baseball games and jaunts through the woods with his siblings were balanced with work at home and on the farm. As a young man, Irv worked at the Great Mountain Forest in Norfolk where his interest in the forest grew.
A member of the Army National Guard and a graduate of Western Connecticut State University and the University of Hartford, Irv’s teaching career spanned several decades.
He was a stalwart figure at Sharon Center School where he taught for twenty-nine years and coached multiple sports.
An advocate for youth athletics, he helped organize the first Region One track meet for elementary students, an event he championed for many years. Above all, he enjoyed the students and staff of SCS.
While on sabbatical in the early 1990s, Irv taught English at a language university in Wrocław, Poland for a year, an adventure he relished.
Irv married Cindy in 1965. After several years in Oregon and Vermont, the couple returned to Connecticut and chose Cornwall to raise their children. A kind and patient father, Irv was supportive of Leslie’s and Luke’s education and interests. His luge run provided hours of fun every winter, and his maple syrup was a household favorite.
Irv’s many extra jobs, from lawn care to security at Lime Rock Park, ensured his family’s educational opportunities.
After retiring from teaching, Irv built two homes in Cabot, Vermont: one atop a hill, off the grid, on a Class IV road, and the other, easily accessible, at the bottom of that hill.He and Cindy enjoyed Vermont living with Irv working the land with his tractor and backhoe. He developed vegetable and flower gardens, meadows, and forest paths. He planted firs for Christmas trees, harvested wood, and maintained and plowed the long road to his home.
Irv was an involved grandfather, lucky to live near both of his children and their families in retirement.A good neighbor, Irv liked to visit and was always ready to lend a hand. He was open to meeting new people and took interest in their experiences. Ever the advocate for independence and self-reliance, Irv tutored newcomers to the United States in English and encouraged people of all ages to pursue their education.He will be missed dearly by those who knew and loved him.
Irving was predeceased by his wife, Cynthia Robbins; his sister, Shirley Pedone; and his granddaughter, Madeline Robbins.He is survived by his daughter, Leslie Robbins (Nick); his son, Luke Robbins (Taeryn); his grandchildren, Crawford, Hudson, Silas, and Alaina; his brother, William Robbins; his sister, Patricia Bodmer; as well as many nephews and nieces.
A Celebration of Irv’s life will be held later this year. To receive updates about the service, please email:lukecrobbins@gmail.com.
Contributions in Irving’s memory may be made to the Irving and Cindy Robbins International Studies Fund, a fund of Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, which Irv established to support immersive international travel experiences in cultures outside of North America for students, teachers, and alumni of Region One school district in Connecticut. Contributions to the fund may be made by visiting www.berkshiretaconic.org/donate, or by mailing a check made out to Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, with the fund name on the memo line, to 800 North Main Street, Sheffield, MA 01257.
Memories and condolences may be shared with family at CaledoniaLifeServices.com.
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Carolyn G. McCarthy
Lakeville Journal
Feb 25, 2026
LAKEVILLE — Carolyn G. McCarthy, 88, a long time resident of Indian Mountain Road, passed away peacefully at home on Feb. 7, 2026.
She was born on Sept. 8, 1937, in Hollis, New York. She was the youngest daughter of the late William James and Ruth Anderson Gedge of Indian Mountain Road.
Carolyn’s first job out of high school was at the Time and Life building in Manhattan, New York. In 1956, she went on to work for Capital Airlines until they disbanded.
She began banking in White Plains, New York, where she met her husband Edward James McCarthy. They started their family and relocated to Pleasant Valley, New York. She then returned to banking in Poughkeepsie, New York and later pursued real estate.
Carolyn was very creative and enjoyed home making, gardening, sewing, knitting, cooking and baking. Her Christmas cookies were always remarkable. She had a pioneer spirit and embraced the toil of yard chores. She was very independent and at 87 she still shoveled the driveway in the winter, mowed the grass, trimmed the bushes, raked the leaves and dragged the brush. She took pride in the manicure of the grounds where she resided.
Carolyn was a wonderful mother who had an enormous heart. She loved all animals, wild or tame. She will be dearly missed by her family and the people that knew her.
She is predeceased by her husband Edward McCarthy Sr. and her brother Dr. Stafford Gedge of Minnesota.
She is survived by her son, Edward (Anne) McCarthy of Greenfield, Massachusetts, and grandsons James and Theodore, son Sean McCarthy of Oak Hill, New York, sister Nancy Dougherty of South Carolina, nieces Lynn Warner, Debra Phillips, Susan Nelson, Christine Richards and nephews William, James and Robert Gedge.
A private service will be held at a later date.
The Kenny Funeral Home has care of arrangements.
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Nor’easter drops more snow
Riley Klein
Feb 25, 2026
The Northwest Corner was hit with another winter storm Monday, Feb. 23.
Riley Klein
Heavy snow blanketed the Northwest Corner again this week as a late-February nor’easter swept across Connecticut.
The blizzard began Sunday night, Feb. 22, and continued through most of the day Monday, Feb. 23.
While the brunt of the storm hit the coastline — where wind gusts topped 60 mph and snowfall totals climbed to roughly two feet in southeastern Connecticut — communities in the Northwest Corner saw lighter winds but significant accumulation, with some areas measuring 12 inches of snow.
Power outages were reported across the state, with Eversource listing more than 14,000 customers without electricity Monday.
In the Northwest Corner, 67 customers were without power around noon Monday, according to Eversource’s outage map. By early afternoon, all but seven had their power restored.
Region One schools were closed Monday and Tuesday due to the storm. An email from Superintendent Melony Brady-Shanley said “an extensive clean-up effort” required a second snow day in the district.
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