In 1740, Fort No. 4 was built in north western New Hampshire as a frontier fort to guard against the French and Indians coming down from Canada to MA on what became known as the war path route. It was on the Connecticut River. Many settlers crossed over the river and made settlements before VT became a state. (The Vermont Controversy) have a file on that from the History of Charlestown, NH Then there was the long and ugly fight with NY by the settlers of early VT to retain the lands they paid for and developed. This was the 3rd and 4th generation from the original settlers of MA. I know because the grandsons of my ancestor founded that first fort in north western NH My own grandfather was several generations descended from those first Vermonters, those first NH fort folks and of course the immigrant Matthis Farnsworth of 1600s Lynn & Groton, Mass. They were subsistence farmers but the land supported their large farms and large families. My grandfather was also a farmer till he died. A dairy farmer. A commercial dairy farmer which supported 7 children and at peak 30 farmhands.