A school age youngster during the battles of Lexington and Concord, it wasn't long before Jedediah Hyde Jr. enlisted, joining his father and the Connecticut Grenadiers at age 14. After the Revolutionary War, the Hydes departed the militia with surveying skills, equipment, and Grand Isle land in northern Vermont.
     Jedediah Hyde Jr. was the first to build along the shores of Vermont's Lake Champlain. His cabin, constructed of cedar logs, became home for the Hyde family for 150 years. The one room cabin, measuring 20' x 25', was heated with a stone fireplace. One of the oldest homes remaining in the United States, built in 1783, was move moved a few miles to its present site. Under the direction of the Vermont Historical Society, the structure underwent restoration in 1956 and again in 1985. The Grand Isle Historical Society provides tours during the summer months, when visitors can view original county maps, furniture and household implements.
     Grand Isle, largest island in Lake Champlain, some fourteen miles in length, is also known as South Hero. The Hero Islands were named to commemorate those that served in the American Revolution.