East Montpelier, Vermont: The 14-Hour Marriage That Ended in Murder

East Montpelier, Vermont. September 5th, 1889, 11 o'clock in the morning. Laura Cutler Gold walked up the path to her family's farm in East Montpelier, Vermont, wearing yesterday's wedding dress. She'd been married for 14 hours. Her new husband, George, stopped at the woodshed to gather kindling for the stove. Inside the farmhouse, the elderly woman Laura had hired as a chaperone was waiting with a warning. Sherman Caswell, the hired hand who'd worked the farm since 1867, was upstairs, and he was drunk.

TIMELINE
1867: Sherman Caswell, the hired hand who'd worked the farm since 1867, was upstairs, and he was drunk.
1884: When William Cutler died in 1884 and his wife Fanny in 1888, their only daughter Laura inherited everything.
1889: September 5th, 1889, 11 o'clock in the morning.
1890: In late March 1890, six months after the murder, the state of Vermont tried James Sherman Caswell for first-degree murder.
1902: In 1902, serving 12 years, Sherman Caswell was pardoned.
1911: Laura continued living with Lucius Gold until her death on April 2, 1911.

WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of East Montpelier is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.

Episode 184 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

If you liked this: Episode 195 (Waterbury, Vermont)

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

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