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“When Mrs. Lilian Axtell bought the Island House in South
Hero in 1914, tourism was new to the islands as a result of
the rail line coming across the causeway from Burlington.
She made many improvements to the House, including
changing the name to the South Hero Inn. She also
added three cabins, roughly 12’ x 12’ with a screened front
porch originally called “Honeymoon Cabins” and located
along Rt. 2…”-https://sites.google.com/view/shbimuseum/home
From the Honeymoon Cabin’s pamphlet:
“Lillian Ruth Robinson was born on 10 May 1863, in South Hero, Vermont… Lillian left South Hero as a young lady and eventually married Henry O. Axtell of Illinois…
Lillian’s…great-grandfather, Thomas Dixon, built the first Tavern House about 1795 on the corner of present day South Street and U.S. Rt. 2. The tavern was made of wood. After his death, Mrs. Dixon (his second wife) ran the Tavern, then sold to Helmer Kent. Helmer had the stone building built in 1829… Five owners later, Lillian Robinson Axtell owned the building.
In 1914, Lillian partnered with local merchant, Juan Robinson, in the operation of the inn. (Juan was her brother.)
In 1901, the Rutland Railroad started coming to South Hero on its way to Montreal. In 1917,…she…had three cabins built on the property…
Lillian sold the Inn in 1919… and left Vermont in 1920. She died on 29 December 1947, age 84 and is buried in Clay Center, Kansas.