USA > Vermont > History of Vermont, natural, civil, and statistical, in three parts, with a new map of the state, and 200 engravings > Part 1
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REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01188 3177
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5.48
HISTORY
OF
VERMONT,
NATURAL, CIVIL AND STATISTICAL,
IN THREE PARTS,
WITH AN
APPENDIX.
1853.
BY ZADOCK THOMPSON.
&UNITY
VERMONT
THE NEWBERRY LIBRARY CHICAGO
Burlington: PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR. STACY & JAMESON, PRINTERS. IS53.
598
F 843 .87
Thompson, Zadock, 1796-1856.
History of Vermont, natural civil and statistical. in three parts, with an appendix. 1958. By Zadock Thorn .. son. Burlington, The author. 1853. 4 pt. in 1 v. front. ( fold. map) illus. 24"". Imperfect: map wanting.
1. Vermont-Hist. 2. Vermont -- Deser. & trav .- Gazetteers. 3. Natural history -- Vermont.
Library of Congress
1792582
SBasert
F 812.87
Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 1858, by ZADOCK THOMPSON, in the Clerk's office of the District Court, for the District of Vermont.
3001
PRELIMINARY REMARKS.
A little more than ten years have now elapsed since the publication of my Natural, Civil and Statistical History of Vermont. In that work I endeavored to collect and present as concisely and clearly as I was able, and, at the same time, as fully as the state of knowledge and my prescribed limits would permit-
I. An account of the Natural History of the State, embracing its physical geography, zoology, botany and mineralogy.
II. The Civil History of the State, comprehending the settlement of the ter- ritory, the organization of the goverment, and the progress of legislation and improvement, together with a full account of the controversy with New York, the negotiations with the British in Canada, and of our various political, literary and religious institutions.
III. A Historical and Statistical Gazetteer, embracing a full account of all the counties, towns, streams, &e., in the State, arranged in alphabetical order.
Since the publication of that work, rail roads and the magnetic telegraph have been introduced into the State, and very considerable changes have taken place. A Geological Survey of the State has been commenced, but was discontinued, without any full publication of the results; in consequence of which, the greater part of the discoveries made and the facts elicited, have been lost to the State and the world ; while a very small additional appropriation in 1847, would have secured to the State a Final Report on the Geology of Vermont, which would have been not only creditable to the State Geologist, but an honor and treasure to the State. But notwithstanding the loss, which has been occasioned, by this penny wise and pound foolish policy of the legislature, our general knowledge of the geology, and of the mineralogieal productions of tho State, has been greatly enlarged by the information elieited and made publie during the continuance of the survey.
During the last ten years, I have spent a large portion of my time in collecting and preserving facts in relation to the natural and civil history of the State, thinking that the time might possibly come, when I should be warranted in the publication of a new and improved edition of the whole work. But the new materials having largely accumulated, and the number of copies of the original work, on hand, being such as to afford no encouragement for a speedy republica- tion of the entire work, I coneluded to select some of the principal items into the form of an Appendix, which might be bound with the remaining copies of the original work, and also be bound separately for those who already have the origi. nal work and desire the Appendix.
partment of Natural History. This is not owing to any lack of materials for making additions to the other parts, but because those materials could not be so conveniently used in their separate condition. Additions to a work of this nature
PRELIMINARY REMARKS.
are, necessarily, fragmentary ; and to be used advantageously, they must be in" corporated by re-writing the whole. But as this could not be done without re- printing the whole, I have selected, for the Appendix, such materials as I thought would be most interesting and useful in their separate state ; and these, for the most part, relate to Natural History.
Since the publication of my work in 1842, much light has been thrown upon the early history of our State by the antiquarian researches of Henry Steveus, Esq., and facts have been developed, which remove the mystery from certain transactions in our revolutionary struggles. But the introduction of these mat- ters into the Appendix would require a repetition of much of the history of that period, to make it intelligible, and, consequently, more room than can be spared for it.
The history of our legislation during the last ten years, if fully written, would furnish an interesting and instructive chapter; but that, too, is excluded for the want of room. Perhaps the most important acts of legislation within the time. are those which relate to schools and the sale of alcoholic liquors. But, these several acts have not yet been fully tested by experience. The general school law of 1845, appeared to have been drawn with much care, and to promise an efficient provision for the advancement of primary education in the State, and it is to be regretted that it had not been more fully tested, before it was mutilated by repeals and additional enactments ; and was violated by the body which enac- ted it, by their neglect to appoint a State Superintendent of Schools. But in spite of all obstacles, I am happy in believing that the cause of education is advancing, and that one of the most elficient causes of this advancement in our large villages, is the establishment of Union Schools. These schools furuish to the children of the poor the same advantages which are enjoyed by those of the rich, for pursuing the higher branches of study, and thus afford a universal stin- ulus in all the classes in the several schools, which form the union.
To almost every article in the Gazetteer, alterations and additions might be made, but, for the reasons already stated, it was deemed inexpedient. If life and health should be spared for a few years longer, it would afford me much sat- isfaction to re-write the whole work. and, by incorporating in it the additional material, make it more worthy of the approval and patronage of my fellow citi- zens, but, as the great expense would preclude me from the possibility of being able to publish a new edition, that satisfaction is not likely to be realized.
Z. THOMPSON.
Burlington, April 9, 1853.
..... .
THOMPSON'S VERMONT.
1 Part First.
NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT.
CHAPTER I.
DESCRIPTIVE AND PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF VERMONT.
SECTION I. Situation, Boundaries, Extent and Divis- ions.
Situation .- Vermont is situated in the northwestern corner of New England, and lies between the parallels of 42- 44' and 45° of north latitude, and between 3º 35' and 5º 29' of east longitude from the Capitol of the United States at Washing- ton, or between 71º 33' and 73º 25' of west longitude from Greenwich Observa- tory .* The most eastern extremity of
* Where it is not otherwise specified, the longi- tudes given in this work are in all cases reckoned from the Capitol of the United States. The longi- tude of the Capital from Greenwich, according to the most recent observations, is 779 1' 48". It is very much to be lamented that the longitude of places in Vermont is so imperfeetly known. We are not aware that a single point within the state has been determined with any pretensions to ac- curacy. True, a few solar colipses have been ob- served and some caloulations have been made, for the purpose of deducing from them the longitude of the places ; but the only observations within our knowledge, which have hitherto been regarded as entitled 10 any degree of confidence, were those of the solar eclipse of 1811, made at Borlington by Prof. James Denn and John Johnson, Esq., and at Rut- land by Dr. Williams. The longitude of the Uni- versity of Vermont, deduced from these observa- tions by Dr Bowditch, was 73º 14' 34", and of Rut- land court house 72º 57' 27"' west from Greenwich observatory, and in accordance with these has the longitude of the different parts of the state been laid down upon our maps. In 1838, the author pre- pared, with much care, for observing the large solar eclipse of that yeur, for the purpose of determining
Vermont is in the township of Canaan, and the most western in the township of Addison. This state lies nearly in the middle of the north temperate zone. The longest day at the south line of the state, is 15h. 9m. 9g., and at the north line, 15h. 25m. 50s.
Boundaries .- Vermont is bounded on the north by the province of Canada, on the east by New Hampshire, on the south by Massachusetts, and on the west by New York. The north line of the state runs upon the parallel of latitude 45º north. This line was first surveyed by commissioners appointed by the provinces of New York and Canada, in the year 1767. It was afterwards run, but very erroneously, by I. Collins and I. Carden. in 1772. In 1806, Dr. Samuel Williams made some observations with the view of ascertaining the true north lineof the state, and still further observations were made in 1818, by Messrs. Hassler and Tiarks, sur- veyors under the treaty of Ghent. Ac-
the longitude of the University. But the opportu- nity proved unfavorable, the sun being hid by clouds during the greater part of the eclipse. Of the be- giuning he had a tolerable observation, and from this alone he carefully calcolated the longitude by Dr. Bowditch's precepts, and the result waa 73º 10' 36" for the longitude of the University , or about 410. less than was obtained from the preceding observations ; and, as he is inclined, from other circumstances, to think it as near an approximation to the truo log - gitude as any yet obtained, he hus adopted it in this work.
PT. I.
1
2
NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT.
PART I
BOUNDARIES.
EXTENT .- AREA. DIVISIONS.
cording to the latter, the 45th parallel lies | former being about 175 miles, and the lat- a little to the southward of the line pre- ter, following the course of the Connecti- cut, 215 miles.4 The state is divided into two equal parts by the parallel of 44d. Om. north latitude, and also by the meri- dian in Id. 19m, of east longitude. These two lines intersect each other near the western line of Northfield, and abont 10 miles south westerly from Montpelier, and the point of intersection is the geographi- cal centre of the state. vionsly established, but it is not yet finally settled. The eastern boundary was es- tablished by a decree of George III, July 20th, 1764, which declared the western bank,of the Connecticut river to be the western boundary. of New Hampshire. The southern boundary is derived from a royal decree- of March 4th, 17-10, and was surveyed by Richard Hazen, in Feb- ruary and March, 1741. This line, which was the divisional line between Massachu- setts and New Hampshire, was to run dne west from a point three miles to the north- ward of Patucket falls, till it reached the province of New York. It was run by the compass, and ten degrees allowed for westerly variation of the magnetic needle. This being too great an allowance, the line crossed the Connecticut river 2' 57" to the northward of a due west line. In consequence of this error, New Hamp- shire lost 59,873 acres, and Vermont 133,- 897 acres, and the south line of the state is not parallel with the north line. The western boundary was settled by the gov- erments of Vermont and New York at the close of their controversy, in 1790. This line passes along the western honn- daries of the townships of Pownal, Ben- nington, Shaftsbury, Arlington, Sandgate, Rupert, Pawlet, Wells and Poultney, to Incorporated. Counties. Poultney river ; thence along the middle Addison, Feb.27, 1787 Middlebury, 22 of the deepest channel of said river, East Bennington bay and lake Champlain to the 45th de- Feb.11, 1779 Bennington 17 Manchester, Caledonia, Nov. 5, 1792 Danville, 18 gree of north latitude, passing to the east- ward of the islands called the Four Broth- Chittenden, Oct.22, 1782 Burlington, 15 Essex, Nov. 5, 1792 |Guildhall, Franklin, Nov. 5, 1792 17 ers, and to the westward of Grand Isle and Isle la Motte. The portion of this line St. Albans, 14 between the southwest corner of the state Grand Isle, Nov. 9, 1802 Lamoille and Poultney river, was surveyed in 1813 Oct.26, 1835 Hydepark, Orange, Chelsea, and 1814, and the report and plan of the Feb. 1781 survey are in the office of the Secretary Orleans, Feb. 1751 Rutland, Nov. 5, 1792 of State at Montpelier. Rutland, frasburgh,
Extent and Arca .- The length of Ver- mont from north to sonth is 1573 miles, and the average width from east to west 574 miles, which gives an area of 9,056; square miles, or 5,795,960 acres. The length of the north line of the state is 90 miles, and of the south line 41 miles, but, on account of the great bend of the Con- nectient to the westward, the mean width of the state is considerable less than the mean between these two lines, as above stated. The width of the state from Barnet to Charlotte through Mont- pelier, which is 50 miles nearer to the northern than to the southern boundary, is only about 60 miles. On account of the irregularities in the western and east- ern boundaries, botn these lines are lon- ger than the mean length of the state, the
Dicisions .- The Green Mountains ex- tend quite through the state from south to north, and, following the western range, divide it into two very nearly equal parts. These form the only natural division, with the exception of the waters of lake Champlain, which divide the county of Grand Isle from the counties of Franklin and Chittenden, and the several islands which compose that county, from each other, and from the main land. For civil purposes the state is divided into Il coun- ties, which are sub-divided into 245 town- ships, and several small gores of land, which are not yet annexed to, or formed into, townships. The names of the coun- ties, the date of their incorporation, tho shire towns, and the number of towns he each county at the present time (1842,) are exhibited in the following table :
Shire Towns. | No.
North Hero, 5 12
17
26
Washington Nov. 1, 1810 Montpelier, 17
Windham,
Feb. 11, 1779 |Newfane, 23
Windsor,
Feb. 1781 Woodstock, 23
* Dr. Williams (vol. [, p. 24) seems to have, in- atvertently, taken the mean of the two ends of the state for its mean width and thus computed tho area at 10,237 1-1 square miles, or lleli, too much ; but this is the area which has usually been given in our geographies and other works respecting Ver- mont. As the area of countries forms the basis of statistical tables, it is a matter of some consequence that it should be correctly stated. Suppose for ex- couple, w. wish to know how Vermont compires with the other states in density of population, wo divide the population of each state by its area and the quotient is the average number of persons to cach square mile in the states respectively. Now if we take the last census and the area at 10.237, the population is only about 28 to a square mile, but if we take the true nren, 9,056, it i- 32 to the squato mile, which would effect very materially ity relation to the other states. According to the census of le-bi, Vermont wus set down ay the IOth stale in density
3
DESCRIPTIVE GEOGRAPHY.
CHsp. I.
FACE OF THE COUNTRY.
PRINCIPAL SUMMITS.
in fuet.
DIAGRAM Of the relative altitudes of some of the principal Heights in Vermont above the sea.
4279 The Chiu, or North Peak of Manshield Mountains, .
4183 Camael's Dump,
1e6 Sinewsbury Mountain,
39>3 The Nose, or South Peak of Mansfield Mountains,
3924 Killington Peak,
370G Equinox Mountain, Manchester,
3320 Ascotney Mountain,
2063 Middlebury turnpike, 1912 Peru turnpike, Icc2 Kuyus turupiko,
95) Summit level at RoxImry, . . SOS Summit level at Williamstowny
791 Manchester villinge
485 Montpelier villiage, 130 Norwich University, . 370, University of Vermont,
90,Smface of Lake Champlain,
SECTION II. Face of the country. of the roads, more particularly in their more judicions location near the streams, the difficulty of crossing the mountain has Mountains -The surface of Vermont is generally uneven. A few townships along the margin of lake Champlain may be called level ; but with these exceptions, the whole state consists of hills and val- leys, alluvial flats and gentle acclivifies, nearly vanished. In the southern part of Washington county, the Green Mountains separate into two ranges. The highest of these ranges, bearing a little east of north, continues along the eastern boundaries of the counties of Chittenden and Franklin, «Jevated plains and lofty mountains. The fand through the county of Lamoille to celebrated range of Green Mountain?, which give name to the state, extends quite through it from south to north, keep- ing nearly a middle course between Con- necticut river on the east and lake Cham- plain on the west. From the line of Mas- sachusetts to the southern part of Wash- ington county, this range continues lofty, and unbroken through by any considera- ble streams; dividing the counties of Windham, Windsor and Orange from the counties of Bennington, Rutland and Ad- dison. In this part of the state, the coul- munication between the eastern and west- ern sides of the mountain was formerly difficult, and the phrase, going over the mountain, denoted an arduous business. But on account of the great improvement
Canada Ime ; while the other range strikes off' much more to the cast through the southern and eastern parts of Washing- ton county, the western part of Caledonia county and the north western part of Es- sex county to Canada, This last is called the height of lands, and it divides the waters, which fall into Connecticut river, in the north part of the state, from those which fall into lake Champlain and lake Memphremagog. This branch of the Green Mountains, though it no where rises so high as many points of the western branch, is much more uniformly elevated : yet the acclivity is so gentle as to admit of easy roads over it in various places. The western range, having been broken through by the rivers Winooski, Lamoille and Missisco, is divided into several sec- tions, these rivers having opened passa- ges for good roads along their banks, while
of population, whereas, if' the true area bad beru used in the computation, she would have rank- od as the eighth.
4
NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT.
CHAP. I.
MOUNTAINS.
RIVERS AND STREAMS.
the intervening portions are so high and steep as not to admit of roads being made over them, with the exception of that por- tion lying between the Lamoille and Mis- siseo. This part of the Green Mountains presents some of the . most lofty summits , in the state ; particularly the Nose and Chin.in Mansfield, and Camel's Hump in Huntington. These, together with other important mountains and summits in the state, are exhibited in the foregoing table and cut, and will also be deseribed in the Gazetteer, under their respective names. The sides, and, in most cases, the sum- mits of the mountains in Vermont, are covered with evergreens, such as sprace, hemlock and fir. On this account the French, being the first civilized people who visited this part of the world, early gave to them the name of Verd Mont, or Green Mountain ; and when the inhabi- tants of the New Hampshire Grants as- sumed the powers of government, in 1777, they adopted this name, contracted by the omission of the letter d, for the name of the new state .*
* This name is said to have been adopted upon the recommendation of Dr. Thomas Young-(see part 2d, page 106.) The following account of the christening of the Green Mountains, is given by the Rev. Samuel Peters in his life of the Rev. Hugh Peters, published at New York in 1807.
" Verd-Alont was a name given to the Green Mountains in October, 1763, by the Rev. Dr. Peters, the first clergyman who paid a visit to the 30,000 settlers in that country, in the presence of Col. Taplin, Col. Willes, Col. Peters, Judge Pe- ters and many others, who were proprietors of a large number of townships in that colony. The ceremony was performed on the top of a rock standing on a high mountain, then named Mount Pisgah because it provided to the company a clear sight of lake Champlain at the west, and of Con- necticut river at the east, and overlooked all the trees and hills in the vast wilderness at the north and south. The baptism was performed in the following manner : Priest Peters stood on the pinnacle of the rock, when he received a bottle of spirits from Col. Taplin ; then haranguing the company with a short history of the infant settle- ment, and the prospect of its becoming an impreg- nable barrier between the British colonies on the south and the late colonies of the French on the north, which might be returned to their late own- ers for the sake of governing America by the dif- ferent powers of Europe, he continued, ' We have here met upon the rock Etain, standing on Mount Pisgah, which makes a part of the everlasting hill, the spine of Asia, Africa and America,holding together the terrestrial ball, and dividing the Atlantic from the Pacific ocean-to dedicate and consecrate this extensive wilderness to God manifested in the flesh, and to give it a new name worthy of the Athenians and ancient Spartans,-which new narne is Verd Mont, in token that her mountains and hills shall be ever green and shall never die.'
Rivers and Streams .- The rivers and streams lying within the state of Vermont are very numerous, but small. They, in most cases, originate among the Green Mountains, and their courses are short and generally rapid. Connecticut river washes the whole eastern border of the state, but belongs to New Hampshire, the western margin of that stream forming the boundary line between New Hamp- shire and Vermont. The Connecticut re- ceives the waters from 3,700 square miles of our territory. It receives from Ver- mont, besides numerous smaller streams, the waters of the eleven following rivers, viz : Wantasticook, or West, Saxton's, Williams', Black, Ottaquechy, White, Ompompanoosne, Wait's, Wells', Pas- sumpsic, and Nulhegan. Clyde, Barton and Black river run northerly into Mem- phremagog lake. Missisco, Lamnoille, Winooski and Poultney river and Otter ereek flow westerly into lake Champlain, and the Battenkill and Iloosic westerly into Hudson river. Deerfield river rung southerly from Vermont and falls into the Connecticut in Massachusetts ; and the Coatacook and Pike river head in the north part of the state and run northeriy into Canada, the former uniting with Massuippi river at Lenoxville and the lat- ter falling into the head of Missisco bay. All these streams and many smaller ones will be described in the Gazetteer under their respective names.
No country in the world is better sup- plied with pure and wholesome water than Vermont. There are scarcely any farms in the state which are not well wa- tered by springs, or brooks; and none, with the exception of those upon the isl- ands in lake Champlain, which are not in the vicinity of one, or more, considerable inill stream. But while Vermont is so abundantly supplied with water, there is, probably, no part of our country in which so little stagnant water is found. The waters of the lakes and ponds are usually clear and transparent, and nearly all the springs and streams are brisk and lively. It is a common remark that the streams in this state have diminished very much in size, since the country began to be eleared and settled, and it is doubtless truc to some extent. Many mills, which
He then poured out the spirits and cast the bottle upon the rock Etam."
There is no doubt that the name Verd Mont had been applied to this range of mountains long pre- vious to the above transaction, (if, indeed, it ever took place;) but we do not find that the name Verd Munt, or Vermont, was ever applied to the territory generally known as the New Hampshire Grants, previons to the declaration of the independence of the territory in January, 1777.
5
DESCRIPTIVE GEOGRAPHY.
CHAP. 1.
LAKES AND PONDS.
LAKE CHAMPLAIN.
formerly had an abundance, have ceased to receive the necessary supply of water during a considerable portion of the year ; and many mill sites, which were once thought valnable, have, from the same cause, become entirely useless. One of the principal causes of this diminution of our streams is supposed to be the cutting down of the forests, which formerly threw off immense quantities of vapor into- the atmosphere, which was again precipitated upon the earth in rain and snow. But it is believed that the quantity of water which annually passes off in our streams is not so much less than formerly as is generally imagined. Before the country was cleared, the whole surface of the ground was deeply covered with leaves, Tusubs, and logs, and the channels of all the smsiler streams were much obstruct- ed by the same. The consequence was, that, when the snows dissolved in the spring, or the rains fell in the summer, the waters were retained among the leaves, or retarded by the other obstruc- tions, so as to pass off slowly, and the streams were kept up, nearly uniform as to size, during the whole year. But since the country has become settled, and the obstructions, which retarded the water, removed by freshets, when the snows melt or the rains fall, the waters run off froin the surface of the ground quickly, the streams are raised suddenly, run rap- idly, and soon subside. In consequence of the water being thus carried off more rapidly, the streams would be smaller than formerly during a considerable part of the year, even though the quantity of water be the same. It is a well known fact that the freshets in Vermont ure more sudden and violent than when the country was new.
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