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Gc 974.301 Ad2sw 1766798
M. L.
REYNOLDS HISTORICAL GENEALOGY COLLECTION
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ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01085 9459
STATISTICAL AND HISTORICAL ACCOUNT
OF THE
Ut. COUNTY OF ADDISON, VERMONT.
WRITTEN AT THE REQUEST OF. THE HISTORICAL SOCIETY (.F BILDLEBURY,
BY SAMUEL SWIFT,
THE NEWBERRY
CHICAGO -
MIDDLEBURY : A. HI. COPELAND. 1850.
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1766798
Cameron & Walch, Lich.
39 de 34 John St N. Y.
Samt Swife
F 84302 .8
Swift, Samuel, 1782-1875.
Statistical and historical account of the county of Addison. Vermont. Written at the request of the Historical society of Middlebury, by Samuel Swift. Middlebury, A. H. Copeland, 1859.
132 p. front. (port.) pl. 23°m.
1. Addison co., Vt .- Deser. & trav. 2. Addison co .. Vt .- Hist. I. Middlebury historical society, Middlebury, Vt.
Rc-3114
Library of Congress
3.57.259
748
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015
https://archive.org/details/statisticalhisto00swif 0
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Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1859, by
A. H. COPELAND,
. In the Clerk's office of the District Court of the United States for the District of Vermont.
PRISTED BY MEAD & FULLER, MIDDLEBURY.
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NOTICE.
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In writing the "Statistical and Historical account of the County of Addison," it has not been my intention to interfere with the histories of the several towns, which may be published ; nor state any facts cr Statistics, exeept such as have some reference to the County generally. I should have been gratified to notice some of the distinguished citizens in the several towns, especially such as have been in office in the county ; also the Academies and other High Schools, which have been established in several towns. But I was unwilling to take these out of the hands of the historians of the several towns, which they will be much better qualified to describe, and which are more properly within their province.
This work was written, when the materials were collected, in 1855. Since that some changes of a public character have taken place, and some information has been received, which I have inserted in the text or notes ; but most of the chapters remain as they were written,-no new materials have been collected.
S. SWIFT.
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CONTENTS. (COUNTY OF ADDISON. )
CHAPTER I.
PAGE.
Territory-Face of the Country-Soil-Original Forests-Lime-Marble-
Streams.
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CHAPTER II.
County Seats-County Buildings-Courts-Changes of the Judiciary.
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Indians-Indian Relics.
CHAPTER III.
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CHAPTER IV.
French Settlement in Addison County-Conquered by the British and their
Retreat-Grants of Land by the French .
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CHAPTER V.
New Hampshire Charters-Controversy with New York.
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CHAPTER VI.
Opposition West of the Mountain-Negotiations with the Inhabitants of Ben -
nington-Affair at Walloomsic-Capture and trial of Hough-Col. Reed's
Claim-Captain Wooster's Grant -Dunmore's Grant.
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CHAPTER VIL.
Efects of the War and the Declaration of In lependence on the Controversy-
Conclusion of the Controversy.
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CHAPTER VIII.
Incidents of the War in the County of Vdl lison.
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CHAPTER IX.
Agriculture-Wheat-Transition from Grain to Stock-Sheep
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CHAPTER X.
Cattle-Horses
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CHAPTER XI.
113
Agricultural Society-Medical Society
CHAPTER XIL.
121
Population-Character-Advantages-Dangers.
APPENDIX.
No. I .- unter Judges of the County Court-1-isant Judges of County Court -County Clerks-State's Attorneys-Sheriff --- High Bailiffs-Judges of Probate District of Addison,-District of New Haven. 125
No. II .- Statement of Agriculture, Farmy and Implements, Stocks, Products &c., taken from C'ensus of 1850 130
No. III -A Table showing the population of the several towns in tho County of Addison, at each United States Census, since Vermont was admitted into the Union. ...
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COUNTY OF ADDISON.
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CHAPTER I.
TERRITORI-FACE OF THE COUNTRY-SOIL-ORIGINAL FORESTS- LIME-MARBLE-STREAMS.
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Soo after the organization of the Historical Society of Middle: bury, the importance of procuring, as early as possible, histories of the several towns in the County became a subject of consideration. Already nearly all the men who had shared in the occurrences and toils of the first settlement had passed away ; and their imme- diate descendants, who are the next best witnesses, will soon follow them. It is known to all, who have any knowledge of the subject, that no histories are so interesting to residents, especially . descend- ants of the early inhabitants, as the history of the perils and hard- ships of the first settlement in their respective towns. Yet this subject had been everywhere too much neglected, and was likely to be neglected, unless some exterior influence should be brought to bear upon it. The subject was, therefore, brought more distinctly before the Society, at their annual meeting on the 29th day of De- cember, 1846. At this time a committee was appointed to consider the subject and make report at the next meeting. At a subsequent meeting, on the 23d of February, Professor STODDARD, one of the committee, made a report, which was accepted, and the plan recom- mended was adopted, and a committee appointed to carry it into effect. This committee appointed competent agents in the several towns, and sent to them circulars, embracing the plan recommended
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
by the society. But the committee have found it a more difficult task than they had anticipated to accomplish so desirable an object. Some of the agents declined the undertaking, and others, who had given encouragement, neglected the task so long that all hope from them was given up. In many of the towns new agents were ap- pointed, and requested to perform the service. In two of the most important towns, gentlemen, fully competent to the undertaking, had collected materials, and made progress in the work; but in the midst of their labors, one of them was arrested by death and the other removed from the State. Notwithstanding the faithful exer- tions of PHILIP BATTELL, Esq .. Secretary of the society and one of the committee, a few only of the histories have been completed. But it was thought best to delay the publication no longer. On examination and inquiry, however, no person could be found willing to undertake the publication of the whole together, as was proposed, or separately, on account of the limited sale which must attend the work. Since the passage of the act of the Legislature at their ses- sion in 1858, it is proposed to commence the publication of the his- tory of each town separately. as fast as they are written, and the towns shall furnish the requisite encouragement. The histories are obtained through the agency and published under the direction of the society. But it is to be understood that the society take to themselves none of the credit or responsibility of the composition. These belong exclusively to the several authors.
As the plan is designed to embrace the histories of all the towns in the County of Addison. it is thought proper to introduce them with some general account of that territory as a whole. The County properly has no history. It has its geography and its geology ; but it has no active independent existence; no acts or laws of its own to be recorded. It is a field rather, in which the State operates by its acts and laws. It has its courts, but they are established by the State; and it has its officers, but they are appointed or commissioned by the State. Its history is only the history of a part of the State, and the history of the State is its history. This fact may justify the record we make of incidents, which properly belong to the his- tory of the State. In doing so we have relied on original docu-
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
ments, and do not design to give any general history, but to confine ourselves chiefly to such incidents as are not contained in our present State histories, and thus perhaps correct some views and facts stated by them.
The County of Addison is situated on the west line of the State and nearly in the centre north and south; between 43º 50' and 44° 10' north latitude. It is bounded on the west by Lake Cham- plain, the western boundary of the State; on the north by the towns of Charlotte, Hinesburgh and a part of Huntington, in the County of Chittenden ; on the north-east by a part of Huntington, and by Fayston, Warren and Roxbury, in the County of Washington; on the south-east by Braintree, in the County of Orange, and Roches- ter, in the County of Windsor; and on the south by Benson, Sud- bury, Brandon and Chittenden, in the County of Rutland. It em- braces at the present time the following towns :
ADDISON, GRANVILLE,
NEW HAVEN, STARKSBOROUGH,
BRIDPORT, HANCOCK,
ORWELL, VERGENNES,
BRISTOL, LEICESTER, PANTON, WALTHAM,
CORNWALL, LINCOLN, RIPTON, WEYBRIDGE,
FERRISBURGH, MIDDLEBURY,
SALISBURY,
WHITING.
GOSHEN, MONKTON, SHOREHAM,
The County formerly embraced an unincorporated tract of land known by the name of Avery's Gore; the east part of which, by act of the Legislature passed November 6, 1833, was added to the town of Kingston, now Granville, and the north part was added to Lincoln, by act of November 12, 1849.
This County was established by act of the Legislature October 18, 1785, and the territory which it contained is described in the act as follows : "Beginning at the northwest corner of Orwell, then running eastwardly on the north line of Orwell, Sudbury, Brandon and Philadelphia, and then so far east as to intersect the west line of the first town, that is bounded in its charter, or some town or towns, which are dependent for their original bounds on Connecticut River as aforesaid, to the south line of the Province of Quebec, which is the north line of this State; then westwardly in said line through Missisque Bay, &c., to the centre of the deepest
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
channel of Lake Champlain ; then southwardly in the deepest chan- nel of said lake till it intersects the west line from the northwest corner of said Orwell; then east to the bounds begun at; which territory of land shall be known by the name of the County of Ad- dison ; and the east line of said County of Addison shall be the west line of the counties of Windsor and Orange, so far as they join."
The County by this act embraced the territory to the north line of the State, so far cast as to include a large part of the Counties of Washington and Orleans. The town of Kingston, now Granville, not included in the original boundaries, was set off from Orange County to this, by act of the 19th of October, 1787. The act es- tablishing the County of Chittenden was passed on the 22d of Octo- ber, 1787, making the north line of this County the same as at present, except that it embraced the town of Starksboro, which af- terwards by the act of 1797 was included in this County. The town of Warren, which was included in this County, by act of the Legislature in 1829, was annexed to the County of Washington ; and the town of Orwell, then in the County of Rutland, was, on the 13th November, 1847, annexed to this County. These constitute all the changes made in the territory of the County since its first establishment, leaving in it the towns above enumerated.
The eastern part of the County extends over the first range of the Green Mountains; and five of the towns are situated on, or among the mountains, and others extend their eastern borders up the west- ern slope. About a quarter of the county is mountainous, or has a soil of similar characteristics. The soil of this tract is generally loam of variable compactness, and some is gravelly or sandy. Some of the hills are so stony or steep as to be better suited for pasture than for tilling. But large portions are not too stony or steep to be excellent tilling lands, and are quite productive of many valuable crops. When opened for a season to the influence of the sun, they produce good crops of corn, spring wheat and other grains, and they are especially valuable for grazing. The alluvial lands on the branches of White River in the eastern towns, and on other streams, are especially valuable for these purposes. The towns west of the mountains are in part very level, and in part, what may be called
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
rolling, with a few hills too prominent to bear that designation. Among which is Snake Mountain, a long ridge of moderately ele- vated land, lying on the borders of each of the towns of Addison, Weybridge and Bridport. In these towns, the prevailing soil is clay, of different degrees of stiffness, with some loam, gravelly and sandy land, on the more elevated portions, which rise above what is said by geologists, to have been once covered with water.
On the borders of Lake Champlain, especially in the towns of Addison, Panton and Ferrisburgh, are very extensive flat lands, composed of clay, with a mixture of vegetable substances, which were obviously once the bottom of the lake. These lands, when cleared are remarkably productive of grass ; but for other crops are too stiff for easy cultivation, and are liable to suffer when the season is too wet or too dry. In this tract are several sluggish streams. One of which especially, being of greater extent than the others, bears the name of Dead -Creek. It rises in Bridport, and runs northerly, through Addison and Panton and empties into Otter Creek in Ferrisburgh. This, as well as the others, is supplied to a moderate extent, from small springs at the bottom of the channel, but principally by rain water and melted snow, collected from an extensive surface in small ravines. The stream being nearly on a level with Otter Creek, the water is increased or diminished by the rise or fall of the latter stream, whose waters set up into it. An- other called Ward's Creek, also rises in Bridport, and runs through a corner of Addison and empties into the lake about a mile south of Crown Point, and another called Hospital Creek empties into the lake a short distance north of Chimney Point. The quantity of water in these depends on the height of the water in the lake. These sluggish streams afford water for cattle in their neighborhood, through the summer, except in the driest seasons.
Lemon Fair rises in Orwell and runs through the eastern part of Shoreham, southeast part of Bridport, and northwest part of Corn- wall, and empties into Otter Creek in Weybridge. In Shoreham there is a considerable water power on this stream, but below that it . is very sluggish, and its quantity of water depends much on the height of the water in Otter Creek, in the spring and other freshets.
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
On the borders of this creek are also extensive flat lands, which have no superior for the production of grass.
On the borders of Otter Creek are also extensive flats, which in the spring and other high freshets are overflowed by the waters of the creek. A part of the tract, especially in Cornwall and Whiting on the west side, and Middlebury and Salisbury on the east side, is so low as to be called a swamp, and, except small patches called islands, consists of vegetable substances to the depth, in some places, of ten feet. These lands when cleared and thoroughly drained be- come very productive.
The natural growth timber on the flat lands last mentioned, was pine, cedar, tamarack, soft maple, black ash and elm, with an occa- sional mixture of other trees. And similar timber was the growth of a similar swamp in New Haven, and another in Shoreham. On the flat lands on the border of the lake, the original timber was pine, oak, soft maple, black ash, and some other trees in smaller numbers. On the western slope of the mountain were a few patches of pine, and in other parts of the mountainous region were fine groves of maple, beach, birch, black cherry and hemlock, and a very handsome growth of spruce, which has become an important article for building and for exportation. In other parts west of the moun- tains were considerable tracts of pine and oak. Besides these the principal trees were maple, beach, ash, basswood, butternut, walnut and hemlock. The large quantities of pine and oak have been so freely used for building and for exportation, that they have already become scarce and high in price.
In the western part of the County, the lands on the borders of the lake, especially in the towns of Bridport, Addison and Panton, are greatly deficient in water. There are no considerable running streams, except the dead streams we have mentioned. The living water from springs is very limited ; and some of these are so strongly impregnated with Epsom Salts, that the inhabitants have evaporated the water to procure the salts for medicine. It is said that cattle are fond of the water, and that the springs were much visited by the deer before the settlement of the country. In some parts the inhabitants are obliged to resort, to a great extent, to rain water for
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
family use; and farmers, who live at a distance from the lake and creeks, are much troubled in dry seasons to obtain water for their cattle. Except the limited water power on Lemon Fair in Shore- ham, there is none in that town or either of the towns above men- tioned of much value. And yet these towns are among the most wealthy agricultural towns in the County.
. The range of granular lime stone, which enters this State from Berkshire County, Mass., at Pownal, and passes through the Coun- ties of Bennington and Rutland, passes also through this County. The lime produced from it is of a very superior quality, and is thought, by those acquainted with it, to be much superior to the lime from Maine, which is common in the Boston market. Considerable establishments,-one especially, near the Whiting Railroad Station, built by L. P. White, Esq .- have been formed for manufacturing it; and large quantities are already exported by the railroad to the eastern towns; and the demand is such as to authorize an extensive enlargement of the business, where the requisite fuel is not too ex- pensive.
From this range large quantities of marble are taken out and manufactured in Bennington and Rutland Counties, and exported to every part of the United States. The marble improves, in its fine- ness and compactness, as it advances north, and it is believed that the best in the whole range is to be found in Addison County. It is of a finer quality than any which has been discovered, unless it be the quarry in Sudbury near the south line of this County. It is pronounced by competent judges to be superior to the Italian marble for statuary, and the only doubt is, whether large blocks can be ob- tained sufficiently sound. No sufficient exploration has been made to settle that question. No persons have been able and willing to invest a sufficient capital for that purpose. Some injudicious ex- penditure was made on a quarry about a mile east of the village of Middlebury. But it has been in hands not yet able to maka a thor- ough exploration. Another quarry, on which there has been some expenditure, is at Belden's Falls, two miles north of the village of Middlebury. It was purchased, together with the water power, by the late Col. PERKINS, of Boston, and PERKINS NICHOLS, of New
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
York, both too far advanced in life to engage personally in the business. Under a contract made with them, a company of men undertook to make an examination of the quarry, under the super- intendence of a scientific gentleman, Professor FOSTER. The ex- amination was continued for several weeks, and a considerable num- ber of blocks were taken out, and the Professor, to the very last, expressed entire confidence that the marble was sound, and that a large establishment would soon be made for the purpose of working it. But the work was suddenly stopped without any reason known to us.
Doct. EBEN W. JUDD, of Middlebury, was the first person who wrought marble by water power in this State. He and his son-in- law, LEBBEUS HARRIS, carried on the business extensively for sev- eral years ; but both dying, the business was closed. They wrought principally the blue and clouded marble in their neighborhood, as more easily obtained. They in the meantime purchased the quarry of beautiful black marble on the lake shore in Shoreham, large quantities of which they wrought at their works in Middlebury. It was used principally for chimney pieces ; for which purpose we think there is none superior. Doct. N. HARRIS, who afterwards owned the quarry, in company with one or two associates, got out consid- erable quantities of the marble, and, in unwrought blocks, put it on board boats and sent it to New York, where it is understood there was a large demand for it. We believe the quarries in Addison County will yet be a source of wealth, as well from the lime as the marble to be obtained from them.
There are also, in several places, valuable quarries of limestone suitable for building purposes. The most important are in Panton and neighborhood, from which are taken the beautiful building stone much used in Vergennes; and a quarry of excellent dark blue stone in the south part of Cornwall, in convenient layers for building, with a handsome natural face, which was used for the front of the College Chapel, and for underpining of many other buildings in Mid- dlebury. In Weybridge and some other towns is found valuable building stone.
The County does not abound in metallic ores. "Iron ore is found
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
in the south part of Monkton in large quantities. This ore makes excellent iron," and has been extensively manufactured at Vergen- nes, Bristol and other places. But it is said, that it is not rich, and is therefore usually mixed with ore from Crown Point, and other places west of the lake, in order to manufacture it economically.
About a mile north of the ore bed, on the east side of a ridge running north and south, is an extensive bed of kaolin. It is white, sometimes grayish white, dry to the touch and absorbs water with rapidity. It is said, " It might be manufactured into the best China warc." Under this conviction a factory for the manufacture of por- celain ware, from this material, was many years ago established at Middlebury, on the bank of the creek about a mile south of the village. But it did not succeed, either through a defect in the ma- terial, or the inexperience of the manufacturer. But it has been extensively used for the manufacture of stone ware, and fire brick.
Notwithstanding the deficiency of water in some of the western towns, we are not acquainted with any equal extent of country, which furnishes a more abundant supply of water power than the eastern and northern parts of the County. Otter Creek is one of the largest rivers in the State. It enters the County from the south in Leicester, through a part of which it passes, and is in part the boundary between that town and Whiting ; runs between the towns of Salisbury and Cornwall; through the west part of Middlebury, between the towns of New Haven and Weybridge, and the towns of Waltham and Panton, and through Vergennes into Ferrisburgh, where it empties into Lake Champlain. There are few rivers, of no larger size, which afford, in the same distance, so much safe water power. From the head of the falls in Middlebury, to the foot of the falls in Vergennes, there is a descent of about three hundred feet, in a distance of about thirteen miles, divided into six or seven falls convenient for mills. In some of these, the water has a per- pendicular descent, in others it falls over precipitous rocks, and in some the fall is sufficient to allow the use of the water several times. Mills on none of them are endangered by sudden and violent fresh- ets. For twenty-five miles above the falls of Middlebury, the banks are low, and very extensive level flats adjoin them through the whole 3
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HISTORY OF ADDISON COUNTY.
distance. In a violent rush of waters from the mountains, from melting snows or heavy rains, the water in the creek, instead of rushing in a swollen current down its channel. rises but little before it spreads over an immense extent of country, and is not wholly drawn off until the stream is reduced nearly to its common level. This of course is a protection to all the falls below. Similar flats above the falls at Vergennes, extending far up the Lemon Fair, furnish a similar security to that power. The waters on some of . these falls are but partially used, and on several not at all.
At Middlebury, there is on the east side a cotton factory in full operation, and a large grist or flouring mill. On the west are a woollen factory, a grist mill, saw mill; pail factory, a plaining ma- chine and other machinery for working wood, besides another wool- len factory not now in operation. At the Paper Mill falls, three quarters of a mile farther down there are on the east side, a paper mill, oil mill, saw mill, carding machine and trip hammer shop: and on the east side a furnace and machine shop. Belden's falls a mile and a half further north, is a very valuable water power, on which there are no works. A mile or two further, and four miles from Middlebury, is Painter's falls in a similar condition. One or" two miles further down the stream is the Quaker Village falls, where are a grist mill, two saw mills and some other works, and on the rapids, just above, there was, if not now, a saw mill.
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