USA > New Hampshire > The Connecticut River Valley in southern Vermont and New Hampshire; historical sketches > Part 9
USA > Vermont > The Connecticut River Valley in southern Vermont and New Hampshire; historical sketches > Part 9
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Southern Vermont and New Hampshire
BRIDGES ACROSS THE CONNECTICUT RIVER AT BELLOWS FALLS
The second bridge across the Connecticut river here at Bellows Falls, after the original toll bridges (one built in 1785 and replaced by the present struc- ture in 1840), was for the old Cheshire Railroad to enable them to reach the Bellows Falls yard, and con- nect with the Rutland & Burlington Railroad. It was located the same as the present double arched stone bridge that is serving the Boston & Maine Railroad.
It was a wooden bridge, with a double track, and was erected a few months after the completion of the Cheshire Railroad from South Ashburnham to Bellows Falls, until which time the station for Bellows Falls had been located over the river near where the present railroad engine house is, and was a picturesque affair. In its day it was a wonder, for its two spans of one hundred and forty feet each marked the limit of length of span at that period. Then, too, its location in a romantic spot, where the water of the river rushed through a narrow channel worn in the rocks, made all the surroundings of the place attractive. It was a mas- sive pine frame work, upon a principle of bridge build- ing that today seems primitive. It did its duty well until the autumn of 1899, when, a question having arisen as to its safety, the Fitchburg road, which then owned it, suddenly decided to replace it with the present beautiful stone arches. The old massive wooden bridge is still well remembered by many of our present residents.
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The stone used in the abutments and pier was all quarried from what was known as "Thayer's ledge" in Rockingham, near the Springfield line. It was drawn by team down to the Connecticut and loaded on large scows that brought it down the river to the head of the canal, where it was loaded upon small cars and run down to the bridge by hand. The ledge is located on the top of the divide between the Williams and Black rivers, about two miles from the Connecticut and at the top of a high hill. The late Charles Hapgood had charge of the boats which brought it down the river. A. P. Crossett, then a boy of eighteen, assisted the workmen in running the stone to the bridge on the cars.
The present double arch stone bridge of the Fitch- burg division of the Boston & Maine Railroad is unique in having two of the longest arches with the least rise of any bridge in the country. The spans are each one hundred and forty feet long with a rise of only twenty feet. Work was commenced on it by contractors Hol- brook, Cabot & Daly of Boston on September 13, 1899, and without interfering with the passage of trains for a single day the structure was completed December 10th of the same year.
The first bridge here of the Sullivan Railroad, sim- ilar in every respect to the first frame Cheshire bridge above described, was placed across the river almost directly over the dam during the summer of 1851, about the time of the completion of the Vermont Valley Rail- road from Brattleboro to Bellows Falls. The Sullivan Railroad had been open from here to Windsor nearly two years, using a station located near the New Hamp- shire end of the toll bridge. This primitive bridge in
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turn gave way to an iron lattice bridge in 1882, the first piece of iron being laid February 1, and the completed structure was tested May 18 of that year.
In 1911, because of the greatly increased weight of locomotives and cars, the Boston & Maine Railroad was obliged to replace the lattice bridge by the present sub- stantial structure, which was commenced in July of that year and completed about Sept. 1st, 1912. Two men were killed during the construction. On May 20th, 1918, eighteen persons were fined for trespass in persisting to travel across it against the rules of the railroad.
The present beautiful steel arch highway bridge across the Conncticut here was erected in 1904-5, two- thirds of the cost being paid by the town of Walpole, N. H., and one-third by Rockingham, Vt. The plans were prepared by J. R. Worcester, a civil engineer of Boston. The contract for the steel superstructure was awarded to Lewis F. Shoemaker & Company of the Schuylkill Bridge Works of Philadelphia, for $40,394, while the contract for building the stone work was awarded to Joseph Ross & Sons of Boston for $4,545, making a total cost of $44,939.
The bridge was completed inside of the appropria- tions made, and was opened to the public at 4 P. M. Monday, March 20, 1905, at which time W. H. Kiniry of North Walpole removed the last obstructions. A formal celebration of the event by citizens of the two villages occurred that evening. The school and church bells of North Walpole were rung and red fire and fireworks set off. The citizens' band played on the bridge and later at Russell Memorial Hall in North
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Walpole, where the principal celebration and public speaking completed the exercises.
The bridge consists of two spans, one 104 feet 8 inches in length over the Rutland Railroad tracks, and the other 540 feet in length over the river. This latter span is notable in that it is the longest highway arch span in the United States, excepting the one across the Niagara river near the falls, and because it is the only long-span arch with suspended floor in this country. The arch of the main span at its highest point rises seventy feet above the level of the road bed. The bridge is thirty-two feet wide over all and carries a carriage way and sidewalk twenty feet and six feet wide, respectively.
The bridge is built to sustain a maximum load of sixty pounds to the square foot on the road way and the sidewalk, and a concentrated load of eighteen tons on two axles two feet apart. The estimated weight of the steel in the bridge is nine hundred thousand pounds.
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Southern Vermont and New Hampshire
THE BRIDGE BETWEEN WESTMINSTER AND WALPOLE
The first bridge built across the Connecticut river at any point in its length was the toll bridge at Bellows Falls, built in 1785. The nearest one on the north was Cheshire bridge two miles above Charlestown, built in 1805, and the nearest one on the south, the one between Walpole and Westminster, was built in 1807.
WALPOLE-WESTMINSTER BRIDGES
The present picturesque re-inforced cement bridge between the towns of Walpole and Westminster stands in practically the same location as have stood bridges since the erection of the first primitive wooden toll bridge in 1807. 1
Toll was collected for crossing the river at this point until 1870.
During the day Wednesday, March 18, 1868, in the passing of ice down the river, without extremely high water, the half of the bridge on the Vermont side was carried away. After that had been replaced by the own- ers of the bridge the same half fell October 20, 1869, caused by the undermining of the west abutment. It had been owned by an organization known as the Wal- pole and Westminster Bridge Corporation. They did not have the money to again repair the structure and they became anxious to give it up offering to sell it for a small sum.
The town of Walpole, having held a meeting and voted to pay two-thirds of the expense of building a new bridge, and of buying the corporate interest in the
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old one, Westminster, at its annual town meeting, March 1, 1870, voted to appropriate the sum of $1,500 and in- structed its selectmen to unite with the selectmen of Walpole in buying the interests in the old bridge cor- poration.
At a special Westminster town meeting held April 23, 1870, it was voted to appropriate an additional sum of $700 to carry out an agreement which had been signed by the selectmen of both towns and had been accepted and ratified at this special meeting, which read as follows :
"Whereas the Walpole and Westminster Bridge Corporation and the stockholders of said corporation have signified their desire to give up said corporate property for a nominal sum in consideration of having a public highway laid and built over said franchise, and certain individuals in Walpole having pledged themselves to pay two thousand dollars, the Cheshire Railroad to furnish one thousand dollars in material and labor, and individuals in Westminster and Rockingham one thou- sand dollars for the purpose of having and maintaining said public highway, therefore, we, the selectmen of the respective towns aforesaid, agree to the following ar- rangement, to wit: 'The selectmen of Walpole, New Hampshire, to survey and lay out upon the line of the late bridge belonging to said corporation to a public highway to the west line of New Hampshire; and the selectmen of Westminster, Vermont, to survey and lay out a public highway to the line of said bridge to the east line of Vermont; and further in behalf of said towns do hereby agree to build and maintain a public highway or free bridge over said route in the proportion of two-thirds of the expense to be borne by the said town of Walpole and one-third by the said town of Westminster, said agreement to be in force and virtue until either of said
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towns shall vote to discontinue said highway, and they further agree that the necessary measures shall be taken by said towns to secure acts or laws by the legislature of their respective states legalizing this agreement (if not so now) and making such laws as shall be necessary to regulate the care and maintenance of said bridge hereafter as a public highway in the foregoing pro- portions.'
"Given under our hands at Walpole and West- minster this 23rd day of April, A. D. 1870. Charles Fisher, Frederick Watkins, Nehemiah Royce, selectmen of Walpole; Henry C. Lane, D. C. Gorham, Nathan Fisher, selectmen of Westminster."
At a special Westminster town meeting June 20, following, called for the purpose of appropriating a further sum for the above purpose, the town voted to instruct its selectmen to do nothing further about the matter and refused to appropriate any more money toward building the bridge. This action caused con- siderable feeling, culminating in the calling of the third town meeting held on July 8 following, which resulted in rescinding the action taken at the former meeting, and the selectmen were authorized and instructed to carry out the provisions of the above agreement and draw their orders on the treasury for a sufficient sum for the same. The bridge was built, a frame truss struc- ture, and opened for travel in the fall of 1870 with a grand celebration.
This, the third bridge to span the river at this point, was in use until its destruction by fire April 10, 1910. On this date, at about 8:30 P. M., the bridge was destroyed by fire. An incendiary was later arrested, tried and sentenced to the New Hampshire state prison, the evidence against him being conclusive.
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The next year the present cement structure was built, becoming an ornament, and credit, to the enter- prise of the two towns. Walpole paid two-thirds of the expense, and Westminster one-third, the same as the division in cost of the former bridge.
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Southern Vermont and New Hampshire
THE TOLL BRIDGE BETWEEN WINDSOR AND CORNISH-DATA REGARDING CATTLE AND OTHER STOCK PASSING IT
The old frame toll bridge in use crossing the Con- necticut river between Windsor, Vt., and Cornish, N. H., is one of the few remaining bridges over the Connecticut between the two states where tolls are still charged. The present structure was built in 1866, replacing one of a similar pattern which was carried away by flood during the night of March 3rd of that year. It is the third bridge over the river at that point.
The first bridge was built in 1796 at a cost of $17,099.27, an unusually large sum for bridges of that class at that time. Among the stockholders most prom- inent were several members of the influential Chase family of Cornish, and many citizens of Windsor, Hart- land and other Connecticut river towns. The second bridge was built in 1824, replacing the first, which had been carried away by a freshet in the spring of that year. This in turn was lost by flood in 1849. Up to that time each bridge had been supported by three piers between the abutments, while in the erection of that year's structure only one pier was used, the same as now. Thus, with the exception of the times when carried away by freshets, toll has been continuously charged for pass- ing the bridges for over 130 years. Not unreasonable rates have ever been charged, and there has never been strong talk of asking the two states to free the bridge. It has well served the public.
Examination of the interesting records of the dif- ferent bridges excites wonder at the changes which have
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come into practices and into modes of living in the dif- ferent eras of the 130 years. One prominent fact comes to mind in the knowledge of the large number of cattle and sheep that passed the Windsor-Cornish bridge in early years on their way to the Boston market. They were driven on foot, and not transported as now. The high peak of the patronage of the bridge for this class seems to have been reached between 1824 and 1850, when the railroad was built through the valley. On October 24th, 1825, 838 sheep and 259 cattle passed over the bridge. November 7th of that year the count was 920 sheep and 236 cattle. The record for that year shows a total of about 9,500 sheep and 2,600 cattle. In 1838, 14,084 sheep and 2,208 cattle were recorded.
The toll gatherer from 1825 to 1838, one "Col. Brown," was very faithful in recording many events of interest. Tuesday, June 28th, 1825, "Marquis Fayette passed with his Suit"; September 14, 1826, there was a "Muster at Cornish"; September 14, 1831, there was a "Wolf Hunt"; September 14, 1831, he recorded an evidently unusual amount of crossing the bridge because of a "Calvenistick Convention" held somewhere. Various passings of boats and rafts up and down the river are mentioned, and on February 16, 1825, there was a "Con- vention for Navigating the Valley of the Connecticut River.'
What an intersting amount of historical lore could be rehearsed by the different keepers of this, and other, Connecticut river bridges !
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Southern Vermont and New Hampshire
DATES OF BUILDING THE CORNISH-WINDSOR AND WEST RIVER BRIDGES IN 1796
An examination of the files of the "Rising Sun," one of the earliest newspapers published in Keene, N. H., between 1795 and 1798, shows definite information of the dates of opening both the Cornish-Windsor bridge, and the bridge over the West River in Brattle- boro, as well as much interesting information regarding those primitive structures.
In the issue of that paper November 8, 1796, is the following :---
"Windsor, Nov. 4.
"The bridge between Cornish and Windsor was com- pleted on Monday, the last day of October, and the dedi- cation was on Tuesday. The bridge is 521 feet long from the beginning of one abutment to the end of the other and 34 feet wide. It embraces the Connecticut River with two most beautiful arches, each 184 feet 4 inches long, with a pier in the center, 46 feet one way by 41 the other. With the addition of a triangular front ex- tending up the stream about 70 feet at the bottom and gradually diminishing until it comes sufficiently above high water mark so as to defend and break off the ice. It was built under the direction of Spofford and Boynton, who have built several on the Merrimack River. The bridge is believed to be the best of the kind yet built in America and the first of the kind over the Connecticut."
In the same periodical is the following :-
"Keene, N. H., Dec. 20, 1796.
"On Tuesday last the bridge over West River at Brattleboro was completed and by the best judges it is
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The Connecticut River Valley
considered to be as well calculated both for strength and convenience as any bridge of the same dimensions with- in the New England States. Its construction is entirely novel, the whole of which was planned and executed under the direction of Messrs. Mack & Wilder. The Bridge is 26 feet in width and 30 feet in height with 2 arches, each of 127 feet, supported in the center by a pier 30 x 26 defended by a dam connected to the pier, the original project of said Mack, which appears well calculated to protect it against every violence of the current and ice. The abutments on each side are timber placed on solid rock to which they are united by bolts and are as is also the pier and dam, filled with stone, upwards of 4,000 tons being used. The bridge contains 30,000 ft. of timber averaging 16 inches square all of which was growing in the forest a little more than 4 months ago. Numerous were the adjacent gentlemen who attended at the dedication who were made fully sensible of the generosity of its owners. The toasts were numerous and expressive of their wishes for its dura- bility as well as several truly Federal. By this bridge, chiefly owned by John W. Blake, Esq., the inhabitants of the county of Windham, but more especially those in the vicinity of Brattleboro must be greatly accom- modated."
Again among the communications to the paper :
"Keene, N. H., Nov. 15, 1796.
"Last week as the workmen at West River Bridge, Brattleboro, were leveling the land adjoining the south- ward abutment they dug up the bones of an Indian with some Indian implements. From the figures cut on the adjacent rocks it appears that the place has been no mean rendezvous of the savages."
The next year the following item relating to West- minster is of interest :
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Southern Vermont and New Hampshire
"Keene, N. H., April 4, 1797.
"On the 8th ultimo 17 trees were set on fire by lightning in the north part of Westminster, Vermont, and what is more remarkable, only two claps of thunder were heard during the shower."
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FIRST BRIDGE ACROSS SAXTONS RIVER- LOTTERIES FOR BRIDGE BUILDING POPULAR
The first bridge across Saxtons River at any point in its course was near its mouth, almost exactly where the present Boston & Maine bridge is. It was built in 1786, and since that date four highway bridges have crossed the river near this point, as various necessities have arisen.
October 24, 1786, at its session held at Rutland, the Vermont Legislature granted to Benjamin Burt, Eliakim Spooner and Jesse Burke, all of Westminster, the authority to "levy a tax of one penney per acre on each acre of land in Westminster to furnish the funds wherewith to erect the first bridge across the Saxtons river, near its mouth."
A system prevailed early in the settlement of this vicinity, as well as in all New England, of holding lot- teries under legal sanction, the profits of which were to be used in defraying many of the large enterprises of the day, as well as many of a more private nature.
In 1797, the people of the town of Rockingham, for the purpose of procuring money to make roads and bridges, chose Dr. Samuel Cutler, Elijah Knight and Levi Sabin "to visit the next General Assembly and petition and pray for a lottery." The same year, in August, Benoni Aldrich petitioned the selectmen, setting forth that "by the great rains, which have fallen of late, the bridge across Saxtons river, so called, was carried away, and the roads and bridges in other places much injured" asking that "a town-meeting be called to see what measures shall be taken for rebuilding the bridge."
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At this meeting strong opposition developed "as the river could be forded when the water was low, and in winter it could be crossed on the ice" and consequently no bridge was needed. This resulted in the bridge not being replaced for several years.
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FIRST CONNECTICUT RIVER BRIDGES AT BRATTLEBORO, CHARLESTOWN, WHITE RIVER JUNCTION AND HANOVER
The first bridge across the Connecticut river be- tween Brattleboro, Vt., and Hinsdale, N. H., was erected in November, 1804. The description of it, as well as of an accident that occurred there soon after, and its fall the next year, are recorded in the Political Observer, a newspaper printed in Walpole, N. H., at that time.
Under a date line of Brattleboro, December 1, 1804, that paper says :-
"On Tuesday last the new toll bridge over the Con- necticut River which connects Brattleboro with Hinsdale in New Hampshire was opened for passengers. The bridge does the highest honor to Mr. Kingsley, the archi- tect, as well as to Mr. Lovel Kelton and the mechanics who executed the work under their direction.
"It has been pronounced to have been erected upon the best plan of any yet put into execution in this part of the Union, combining greater strength with less weight of material and promising more durability.
"From the Vermont side a stone abutment projects from the bank 34 feet wide, 50 feet in length and 34 feet in height, from which is thrown the western arch 124 feet in the arc and resting its eastern end on a stone pier in the channel from which is extended an eastern arch of the same dimensions meeting a similar abutment on Barrit's Island. Upon the eastern side of the island another bridge 260 feet long with stone abutments and resting on trussels extends the passage to New Hamp- shire.
"The public are congratulated upon the completion - of these useful edifices. Perhaps there are few bridges in the interior which will be so extensively beneficial.
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The bridge is connected in the act of incorporation of a turnpike road through Hinsdale, Winchester and War- wick where it unites with the Massachusetts turnpike so that the invalid seeking health or the healthy seeking pleasure may now be transported in a wheeled carriage from Boston to Bennington and so on to Albany and Ballstown Springs entirely upon a turnpike road with- out the least interruption of even the smallest ferriage, reducing the distance from Boston to Ballstown Springs to 170 miles."
Under its general news head the same paper says under date of December 15, 1804 :-
"On Thursday, the 8th ultimo, Isaac Grant, one of the workmen completing the flooring of the new bridge connecting Brattleboro and Hinsdale fell backwards from the center of the western arch into the river. He fell about 30 feet into about 25 feet of water. He could not swim but on rising to the surface he was told not to struggle against the current which being swift carried him some rods below the bridge where he was saved by the exertions of two men who came to his assistance. He was so exhausted that it was some hours before he was restored to his senses.
"The humane activity and determined presence of mind of those who saved the life of this valuable citizen had they lived within the notice of a humane society would doubtless have been honored with a medal. It is only in our power to notice their merit by inserting the names of Jacob Locke of Walpole and Lewis Brewer."
The same paper says on February 16, 1805 :-
"We learn that on Thursday last the new bridge lately erected across the Connecticut River between Brattleboro and Hinsdale fell, and was crushed to ruins. The cause is said to have been the great weight of snow lodged on it. The private loss must be heavy and the public inconvenience not small."
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Regarding bridges over the river farther north, the "Political Observer" has the following on other dates :-
"October 10, 1806. The bridge between Charles- town and Springfield is completed which will facilitate travel from this town (Walpole) to Windsor."
"March 24, 1804. On Monday night of last week the bridge across the Connecticut river between Hanover, N. H., and Norwich, Vt., fell and was crushed to ruins."
"February 9, 1805. Mr. Elias Lyman of Hartford has erected a bridge across the Connecticut between Lebanon, N. H., and Hartford, Vt. It connects the White River Turnpike with the Fourth New Hampshire Turnpike. Great advantages are promised from this bridge. Its construction is said to be excellent."
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Southern Vermont and New Hampshire
NAVIGATION OF THE CONNECTICUT RIVER
A century ago the Connecticut river was an important artery in the transportation problems of all this section of New England, and the stories of the time when the boatman's song echoed through the valley, instead of the locomotive whistle or the honk of the automobile driver, are increasingly interesting as those days recede further into the past, and the present generation knows less of the problems of those days.
Nearly thirty years ago the writer secured the fol- lowing story of Sumner L. Howard, then 85 years of age, who had spent many years on the river as a boatman, after working here on the locks used in raising and lowering the boats at this point. He said :
"In the years when I was employed on the locks here, the main guard gates stood just where the stone arch highway bridge now stands on Bridge Street. Below this was a section known as the 'Stone hole' in which were two locks, the lower gate being opened by a windlass, and the others by long levers. Below this first section of locks, was a large mill pond extending to the grist-mill now owned by Frank Adams & Co., and below that, along where the sulphite and coating mills are now, there was a succession of six more locks, the lower one opening into the eddy at the point where the raceway of the coating mill is. My brother, Harrison Howard, and Jesse Brockway worked in the canal com- pany's saw-mill, standing where the Robertson Paper Company's mill is (the Babbitt & Kelley mill destroyed by the flood of November 4, 1927). When the locks were being used by boats, it took all the water so the mill could not work. At such times, my brother and Mr. Brockway assisted in handling the locks. Four men
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