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Baxter lived at Plainfield, Vermont. His
occupatation from 1798 selectman, representative to
the Vermont Legislature. Baxter Bancroft said that
as late as October 1804 neither his father nor his
neighbors had chimneys. Stoves were raised a few
feet from the floor, and smoke was allowed to go
out through ahole in the roof, which for many years
was made of large pieces of elm bark, tied on with
strings of the same material, and sometimes a storm
would blow them off. Often they caught on fire and
once his house burned. One summer the family had no
food but milk for a long time; then a neighbor gave
them a bushel of rye, badly sprouted. Both were
living in 1882.
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