Vermont Historical Gazeteer, Vol II: "In 1832 Mr. John Seward was killed by a fall when at work on the grist mill." Mother-in-law Jerusha Smith died just a few days earlier.

Oral tradition in the Seward family attributes his fall to excess alcohol consumption when celebrating the completion of the grist mill. Some speculate that he may also have been celebrating the death of his mother-in-law.37