Romaine Tenney

Romaine Tenney (May 7, 1900 – September 12, 1964) was an American bachelor farmer from Ascutney, Vermont who refused to leave his home, a 75-acre farm, which had been owned by his family since 1892 and his lifelong residence, in order for the farm to be bisected for Interstate 91 to meet Vermont Route 131. In the early morning hours of September 12, 1964, Tenney set fire to his barns and house and died in the blaze. A shotgun was found among the ruins and it is believed that Tenney committed suicide as the fire gained strength. The event made national news. Tenney was a quiet, friendly, and jovial man. He was kind, independent, and his yester-year approach made him beloved by all. He did not display any behavior that suggested a vigilante nature. He simply wanted to live out his days in the earthly place where he had been born and bred. A surveyor's gaze began the end for Romaine Tenney. The southbound lanes of I-91 at Exit 8 in Ascutney occupy what once was the Tenney farmstead.