Henry and Aurora Labrie – Valley Road

The farmstead now (1966) owned by Henry Labrie was first settled by Aaron Searle, son of Nathaniel and Priscilla Webb.  Aaron Searle, born in 1727, married Hannah Pomeroy in 1752.  They had nine children:  four of their sons went to Vermont.  Hannah Pomeroy Searle died in 1793, and Aaron died in 1810.

Aaron Searle left the farm to his son, Ira.  Ira was born in 1770 and married Polly Everett in 1793.  Ira’s second wife (m. 1806) was Catherine Coleman.  Ira sold the farm to Isaac Norton in 1825.

Seth Norton, the son of Isaac, apparently was the next owner.  Then one of Seth’s sons, Lemuel B. Norton became the owner.

Lemuel B. Norton sold it to Samuel A. Spooner in 1866.  S. A. Spooner to Matilda Lanoue, 94 acres in 1896 (486-299).  Matilda Lanoue to David H. Lanoue 94 acres in 1900 (533-289).  David H. Lanoue to William Buckley (Buckley was probably not a resident) 94 acres, 1902 (556–81, 91). William P. Buckley to Ira O. Lanoue (quit claim deed) 94 acres in 1904.  Paul Wiesel to John J. Kangisser, 1918. John J. Kangisser to Joseph Bourbeau 94 acres, 1919.  Joseph Bourbeau to Emile Bichel, 1920.

Emile Bichel to Henry Labrie 94 acres in 1932.  Mr. Labrie has added many acres to the original farm by adding land from the farm homesteaded by Nathan Searle (not the house), the land south of the road on both the original Samuel Clapp farm (Benjamin Norton-Mayo) and the Searle, Bates, Swanson, Lohr place.

Mr. Labrie is a prosperous farmer having raised a large family that has helped more than is common now-a-days on the farm.  Four of the sons and a daughter have built houses and live on that part of the farm that was the Ben Norton place.

–From “History of Old Houses” by Atherton Parsons

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