Around fifty members and guests of the Greensboro Historical Society met on August 9 in Fellowship Hall to learn more about the life and accomplishments of Timothy Hinman, a remarkable historical figure who spearheaded the construction of a wilderness road leading from Greensboro to Derby in the early 1790s.
Peggy Gibson, retired director of the Orleans County Historical Society, spoke first of Hinman’s many accomplishments, including learning surveying in the Revolutionary Army after being recruited at the age of fifteen, leading the construction of the Hinman Settler Road, founding the town of Derby, and serving as both a county judge and a state legislator. Gibson then presented many more details about the Hinman Settler Road, both historical and present-day.
Gail Sangree, who has done extensive research on Timothy Hinman, then spoke on other aspects of his life. Highlights of this in-depth talk included learning of the difficulties Hinman experienced trying to keep his own expenses separate from those of his new town and hearing the story about how he got into financial trouble after borrowing the then-enormous sum of $11,000 from the Vermont State Bank. As a result, he spent several years in jail before again being elected to town office.