The Lake Champlain and Lake George valleys, Vol. I, Part 1

Author: Lamb, Wallace E. (Wallace Emerson), 1905-1961
Publication date: 1940
Publisher: New York : The American historical company, inc.
Number of Pages: 446


USA > Vermont > The Lake Champlain and Lake George valleys, Vol. I > Part 1


Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.


Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38



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The Lake Champlain and Lake George Valleys


AD MAJOREM DEI GLORIAM


ISAAC JOGUES, JESUIT MARTYR AND DISCOVERER OF LAKE GEORGE IN 1646. Statue Erected by the State of New York in 1939


The Lake Champlain 0


and Lake George Valleys


BY


WALLACE E. LAMB


1


VOLUME I


THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL COMPANY, INC. NEW YORK


COPYRIGHT THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL COMPANY, INC.


1940


1516354


Dedication


To my wife, Edith Engvall Lamb, without whose inspiration these volumes would be drab, this research is dedicated.


Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2019


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Acknowledgment


Throughout the eleven counties of this research live a number of individuals who, either because of personal friendship or because they realized the great need of historical investigation here, have made this work possible. Without their cooperation it would have been manifestly a hopeless task to attempt to gather available his- torical materials. Their number is easily in the hundreds. Without being unkind to the others it is but fair to pay special tribute to the service rendered by the New York State Library at Albany, particu- larly by Edna Jacobsen.


At Clark University, under the able direction of Dr. George H. Blakeslee, Dr. James B. Hedges, and Dr. William Langer, I was first filled with zeal for things historical and first learned the tech- nique of historical research. Since then the personal interest and encouragement of Dr. Alexander Flick and Dr. Dixon Ryan Fox have also meant much to me. In addition, I am grateful to Dr. Herschel Heath, now head of Department of History, Ashland Junior College, Ashland, Kentucky, for good advice and stimulation.


I am indebted to those who have made the publication of this work possible, financially. Without the offices of The American Historical Company it would have been entirely impracticable. Dr. Winfield Scott Downs, James A. Dailey and Arthur A. Penno are especially entitled to mention. Their personal interest and advice have been deeply appreciated. The gentlemen who served as the Advisory Council also rendered valuable service. If anyone is entitled to spe- cial reference here it is Judge Paul L. Boyce, of Glens Falls. The publication of a work on local history is necessarily expensive because of the limited field. Those who subscribed therefore played an impor- tant part. To them I am grateful for their faith in me.


In conclusion, I would never have acquired the education that makes this research possible except for the self-sacrifice of my mother and father. What I owe to them cannot be measured.


WALLACE E. LAMB.


Advisory Council


HON. O. BYRON BREWSTER Elizabethtown, N. Y.


HON. PAUL L. BOYCE. . Glens Falls, N. Y.


W. B. WOODBURY . Lake George, N. Y.


DR. BURKE DIEFENDORF Ticonderoga, N. Y.


S. H. P. PELL. Ticonderoga, N. Y.


FRANK C. HOOPER. North River, N. Y.


HON. HARRY E. OWEN Port Henry, N. Y.


HON. CHARLES M. HARRINGTON Plattsburgh, N. Y.


HORACE J. TABER Greenwich, N. Y.


H. C. HERRICK Vergennes, Vt.


ROBERT W. MCCUNE Vergennes, Vt.


CHARLES H. GOLDSMITH. Saranac Lake, N. Y.


THOMAS P. WARD.


Saranac Lake, N. Y.


SEAVER A. MILLER Saranac Lake, N. Y.


GEORGE M. HALL. Hudson Falls, N. Y.


LEROY C. RUSSELL Middlebury, Vt.


HON. WARREN R. AUSTIN Burlington, Vt.


HON. P. J. FARRELL. .Swanton, Vt.


REV. JOHN HENRY HOPKINS Grand Isle, Vt.


MORTIMER PROCTOR Proctor, Vt.


CHARLES C. WARD. Plattsburgh, N. Y.


DR. ALFRED L. DIEBOLT Plattsburgh, N. Y.


DR. GEORGE K. HAWKINS. Plattsburgh, N. Y.


FREDERICK W. KAVANAGH Waterford, N. Y.


HARRIS CRANDALL Saratoga Springs, N. Y.


HON. HARLAN B. HOWE. Burlington, Vt.


HON. ERSKINE C. ROGERS Hudson Falls, N. Y.


Contents


PART I


CHAPTER PAGE


I-Our Geologic Heritage. I


II-The Indian Meets White Civilization 16


III-The Beginning of the Duel for Empire. 43


IV-The Battle of Lake George


67


V-The Capture of Fort William Henry 87


VI-Robert Rogers and His Rangers III


VII-The Abercrombie Fiasco


124


VIII-The End of the Duel for Empire. I39


IX-Early Settlements and the Dispute Over the New Hampshire Grants 153


X-The Life of the Early Pioneer 169


XI-The Green Mountain Boys in Action 184


XII-The Attempt to Conquer Canada . 204


XIII-Benedict Arnold and the Battle at Valcour Island. 213


XIV-The Capture of Ticonderoga by Burgoyne


226


XV-Burgoyne Fights the Wilderness 253


XVI-The Battle of Saratoga 272


XVII-The End of the Revolution 299


XVIII-The Champlain Valley in the War of 1812 309


PART II


I-Bennington County 327


II-Rutland County 348


III-Washington County 370


xii


CONTENTS


CHAPTER PAGE


IV-Addison County 395


V-Chittenden County 4II


VI-Clinton County 435


VII-Saratoga County 454


VIII-Franklin County 478


IX-Essex County 496


X-Grand Isle County 526


XI-Warren County 534


XII-Transportation 560


XIII-Lumber and Other Forest Products 599


XIV-Mineral Products


623


XV-Agriculture 65I


XVI-The Development of Resorts 678


XVII-Industrial Change


707


XVIII-Banking and Finance 720


XIX-Insurance 732


XX-The Press 742


XXI-The Legal Profession 756


XXII-The Medical Profession 767


XXIII-Religion and Education 778


XXIV-Political and Social Development . 80


Illustrations


PART I


PAGE


Isaac Jogues, Jesuit Martyr and Discoverer of Lake George in 1646 Frontispiece, Volume I


Ira Allen Statue at the University of Vermont. Frontispiece, Volume II


The Heart of the Camplain Valley. 3


Lake George View. 12


The Indian, Lake George 28


Lake Champlain View. 52


Secret Stairway, Fort St. Frederic. 60


South and East Barracks, Fort Crown Point. 69


Flag Bastion, Fort Ticonderoga, Begun in 1755 . 75


Fort Ticonderoga As It Appears Today. 84


Fort Ticonderoga From the Air; a View of the Topography of the Upper Champlain Valley. 96


In the Narrows, Lake George 107


In the Narrows, Lake George. II7


The Narrows in the Distance; Bolton Bay in Foreground. I28


Embarking at Head of Lake George of Abercrombie's Expe- dition I36


The Flume, Ausable Chasm, New York


150


Corner Stone of the Old College Building, University of Ver- mont I66


Batterkill River at Middle Falls 176


Ethan Allen Tower. 186


Old Arch Bridge, Keeseville . 188


xiv


ILLUSTRATIONS


Keeseville, Corner of Front and Clinton Streets 202


A Lake Champlain Beach. 216


Ruins of Fort George 230


Ausable Chasm 242


Valley of the Ausable Above Burgoyne's Ford.


255


Monument Commemorating Battle of Bennington 268


Surrender of Burgoyne at Schuylerville.


280


Washington at Half-Way Brook. 30I


Commodore Macdonough's Victory at Battle of Lake Cham- plain 313


Macdonough Memorial Monument . 320


PART II


Putnam Memorial Hospital, Bennington 335


Bennington College 342


Two Views-Hudson River and Falls, 1931 377


Public Library and Municipal Building, Hudson Falls . 384


New City Hall, Burlington, Vermont. 419


Burlington City Hall Park in 1865. 428


U. S. Customs House. 446


Interior, Hall of Springs, Saratoga Spa.


474


Airplane View of Saranac Lake 507


Ice Rink, Saranac Lake. 521


Olympic Arena at Lake Placid 523


John Brown Monument 541


Ski Trail Near Keeseville.


553


The Steamer "Doris" 562


The East Esplanade of the Hall of Springs 574


Olympic Stadium at Lake Placid. 587


Air View of the New Saratoga Spa . 600


XV


ILLUSTRATIONS


"Green Mountain Boy" 619


Marble Columns Being Finished at Proctor, Vermont 633


Interior World's Largest Marble Quarry 637


View of Hudson Falls. 645


Typical Vermont Scene . 655


Church Street, Burlington. 667 The Mt. Van Hoevenberg Olympic Bob-Run 679


The Modern Mineral Water Bottling Plant 686


Memorial Auditorium, Burlington 693


Greenwich, New York-Main Street. 704


Bennington, Vermont, Views. 717


Glens Falls Insurance Company 739


City of Rutland, Vermont, and Backbone of Green Mountains. 753


Fleming Museum 759


Southwick Memorial 779


Ira Allen Statue 797


Ira Allen Chapel


803


Introduction


This is a Sunday morning in July. All is quiet and serene. Only a gentle zephyr disturbs the perfumed air, wafting the fragrance of flowers and the scent of pine to me. Across Lake George's narrow valley, rising abruptly into the sky, Buck Mountain stands like a sen- tinel. Underneath, the clear calm water faithfully reflects the green of the towering slopes, while overhead, small snow-white clouds gather like a diadem around the summit, making the sky seem even more blue by contrast. Then over this summery scene comes the peal of bells calling the faithful to church and resounding sweetly across the beautiful waterway discovered by that sainted martyr, Isaac Jogues. Truly, "God's in His heaven : all's right with the world !"


Throughout this entire area beauty and holiness today abound. It must be that Lake Champlain is also calm and still. Down through the islands and the eastern shore the strong scent of clover rises from the fields and greets the traveler with its sweet fragrance. Mount Mansfield rules the Green Mountains in all her queenly glory, while from the lofty heights of Whiteface the wonders of the Adirondacks are before us. Indeed, Lake Placid seems almost at our feet, while the St. Lawrence itself does not appear to be far away. At Sara- toga Springs, health and happiness are literally spouting from the ground. Throughout these eleven counties hordes of parched trav- elers are drinking in scenes of indescribable beauty all the way from the rugged walls of the Ausable to the rounded hillsides of Benning- ton. The entire atmosphere is penetrated by the spirit of the Infinite.


It is such days as this which awaken the poet's soul in us all and set us to the hopeless task of recording our impressions with pen and ink. The beauty of this area undoubtedly has been responsible to a large extent for the vast array of pamphlets and books dealing with our mountains and our valleys. Those who fall in love with its charms tend to write of it with all the zeal and ardor of lovers. The fact that this section has had a great and important military history certainly has never deterred them. In writing of past wars it has been the general practice to disregard the sordid aspects and con-


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INTRODUCTION


centrate chiefly on the heroic and the romantic. The armies that wended their way up and down these valleys were decidely picturesque ; many of the leaders, like Robert Rogers, leader of "Rogers' Ran- gers," for example, were unusual and unique; while the entire area abounds with interesting anecdotes. These factors cast a romantic spell over all the sylvan beauty and fan the enthusiasm of the would-be writer already kindled by love of beauty. As a result, most of the books written on this area are partly military, and party descriptive of it beauty, in varying proportions. Most of them are interestingly written and many have had a wide circulation.


On the other hand, their value as history is in general question- able. Their writers as a rule have been less interested in historical accuracy than in beauty and romance. Their tendency has been to accept the word of previous writers without question and to be exceed- ingly credulous of contemporary legends. In other words, their work has been commendable as literature but not as history. Many of the major historians themselves are even open to question. Like Parkman -- whose word is accepted in many quarters as gospel truth-much that they wrote was based on narratives written long after the actual events occurred. We all know how stories grow with the telling and how fickle is the human memory. We also know that witnesses are sometimes not even interested in giving a true and unprejudiced account. There is no reason to believe that those who served in our Colonial or Revolutionary armies were any exception to this rule.


Much of the history of the Champlain Valley in the Revolution has to do with the life and career of Benedict Arnold. He had warm friends and bitter enemies. After his treachery his enemies made the most of their opportunity to discredit him; while his friends had van- ished or were silent. No one has to be an apologist for Arnold to state that the history of the Champlain Valley in that war has ever since been distorted because of his connection with it. In fact, there is a possibility that the true story of this section in that period would never have been known had it not been for British and French sources, and if we were wholly confined to the American evidence. It is only recently that we have approached a sane perspective and historical accuracy. Although not accepting all that Hoffman Nickerson has written, his book, "The Turning Point of the Revolution," can be cited as an example of the recent tendency to approximate a sound historical basis for that period.


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INTRODUCTION


Another outstanding example of careless research and also of unwise credulity of former writers centers around the life of Isaac Jogues. It is amazing how so many authors have been content but to skim the surface of his saintly career. The fundamental dates of his existence have been copied anad recopied for three centuries, yet there has always been wide disagreement. According to some reputable his- torians he discovered Lake George in 1642, according to others equally authentic the correct date was 1646, while still others cling to 1644. The year accepted by the average writer has depended upon which former historian he was using for reference. Those who turned to Parkman's pages, for example, found 1642 given as the correct date, and proceeded to repeat this error, apparently without realizing that other reliable authorities had come to different conclusions, and without doing further research themselves. Yet the evidence avail- able overwhelmingly favors 1646; and although it may be heresy, Parkman was wrong. To be sure, no one can ever prove the matter beyond a shadow of doubt in all minds, but of what can we all be completely certain !


Between the military history of this region and the records of the development of the arts of peace there exists a decided contrast. Whereas the period of the wars has been the subject of countless pamphlets and books, very little, comparatively, has been written of the rise of industries, of the professions and of our social institutions. Authors have concentrated their attention on the romance of war rather than on constructive achievements. There is not even one county out of our eleven that today has a satisfactory history of its development ! Most of the county history available was written about fifty years ago. Although this material constitutes the most valuable source of local development, it is in general poorly written, contradictory, and historically unsound. For example: if the author wanted to chronicle the history of a church in a community he would simply ask the minister or a prominent layman to submit a sketch; if he was ready to sum up the political history of a town he would call upon a citizen with an interest in its past development; in other realms of history similar methods were used. As a result, much of the material was written by amateurs who had no knowledge of histori- cal technique, and whose main object was to tell a good-sounding story, making their church, their town, their profession or themselves


XX


INTRODUCTION


shine as brightly as possible. In many cases they completely left out the important things. That someone, sometime, might be interested to know where a town obtained its name, or when it was first settled, seems not to have occurred to some of them. Town records were very carelessly kept, while those that were available were in many cases not deemed important by local historians of a half century ago.


Much of our local history has been lost altogether. Much that is yet available is disappearing fast as the aged pass on and valuable documents and papers are lost. What has been preserved demon- strates that the story of the development of our towns and villages has been in numerous cases a heroic and interesting one. It is a genuine misfortune to have so much of this narrative lost. A town with traditions is more likely than otherwise to be a town with a future. There is an imperative need for a new county history, based on sound research, in each of our eleven counties without exception. In every case this would necessarily be the work of years of scientific study, but in the end this labor would certainly be more than justified. It has been manifestly impossible for me to visit and ferret out all the historical information in all these scores of towns myself; in fact, it could not be done in a lifetime. As a result much of the material con- tained in my chapters on the various counties has been taken from secondary, rather than primary sources. In case of contradictions among authorities I balanced the scales to determine the weight of evidence. This is the only procedure possible until such time as the counties are aroused to safeguard their historical heritage.


In the chapters dealing with the economic, professional, religious, educational, political and social development of this area I am tread- ing on virgin soil. No one has ever seriously tackled this problem before. The county histories are hopelessly inadequate even prior to their date of publication, while in some fields the development of the entire states of Vermont and New York has been almost neglected. The available material is as a rule very much diffused and difficult to secure. Even the State libraries have little to offer in some respects. The lack of knowledge of this section on the part of the public is woe- ful. Citizens who have spent all the years of their lives in certain communities are not even aware of sensational economic develop- ments that sometime accurred there. Much has been written con- cerning the evolution of transportation facilities in this area, yet


xxi


INTRODUCTION


hardly anyone realizes what great contributions were achieved by the Champlain Valley in this field or the sensational character of some of the changes, which led to the rise and fall of so many towns. The average citizen has little conception of the size of the original tim- ber, the extent of the forests and the part played by this area in the lumber, tanning and wood-pulp industries. Neither does he realize the magnitude of our mineral development nor the great contributions made in the field of agriculture.


Throughout the years of my research in the history of this area I have been frequently astonished at what has taken place. I still wonder at the lightning-like changes in the field of industry that have occurred, seemingly without rhyme and reason; I was surprised to find such huge banks in this rural area; and, although I have spent most of my life within twenty miles of Glens Falls, not until I delved into the insurance field thoroughly did I realize what a remarkable story existed here. Probably few of our people know that the press of this region was flavored with such names as Horace Greeley and William Lloyd Garrison. Some of the contributions in the field of religion were unique; in education we possess a glorious heritage. Representatives of the bar have made bright names for themselves on the bench and in the field of politics. The public seems to be cog- nizant of Dr. Trudeau's work at Saranac Lake, although it has for- gotten the interesting story of Dr. Beaumont. Everyone is more or less familiar with the development of this region as a resort area, although few seem to recognize some of the dangers that threaten its future. Some phases of the political history of the Champlain Valley have been but poorly understood and perhaps the same might be said about our social development. Many labored attempts have been made to draw a portrait of the average Vermonter-particularly since the election of 1936, when he won the reputation of being a political maverick-but few of the metropolitan writers seem to understand him. We are certain they would be no more successful in dissecting the average northern New Yorker, who is in so many respects the political and social bedfellow of his friend on the other side of the valley. One fundamental purpose of the final chapter is to explain ourselves.


I have been particularly impressed with the unity of these eleven counties, not only geographically, but also historically, economically,


xxii


INTRODUCTION


politically and socially. Although the area involved could be broad- ened somewhat to include other counties without seriously weakening this unity, it could not be limited further. The boundary line between New York and Vermont is a purely arbitrary one. The people on both sides have more or less the same interests, hopes and aspirations, and, just as the waters of the Winooski, the Otter and the Lamoille mingle with those of the Saranac and the Ausable in Lake Champlain, so are entwined forever the common traditions of western Vermont and northeastern New York.


At the height of the Iroquois Confederacy this entire area was in the possession of the "Romans of the New World." Without becoming involved at this juncture in the land controversy between the two states, it is interesting to note that practically all the land com- prising these eleven counties was once included in that ancient subdivision known as "Charlotte." From the military point of view unity is obvious. In the defeat of Burgoyne, although Sara- toga County was the scene of his ultimate surrender, other coun- ties played an important part. The naval battle at Valcour Island, Clinton County, had a profound influence on the outcome, as did the murder of Jane McCrea and Schuyler's stubborn tactics in Washing- ton County, and also the battle at Bennington. In the War of 1812, Macdonough won his famous victory in Plattsburgh Bay near the New York shore, but the timber used in his ships came from around Vergennes, while the iron came from the Vermont town of Monkton.


In the day when lumber was king, it ruled the lives of both New Yorkers and Vermonters. Both sides of the valley benefited greatly from the opening of the Champlain Canal. Mineral deposits became important sources of wealth in both states. Agriculturally, there was also more or less unity and, in the day when cattle were being driven to Boston, we are told that animals from northern New York farms augmented the herds from Vermont. The lines of commerce gener- ally extended in similar directions and exports and imports were much the same. In every chapter in these books the evidence bears strong witness to the common economic, professional, political, moral and social unity of the people living in these eleven counties.


In my judgment, the bond between the two sides of the valley was exposed to strain by the railroads. Most of the railroad traffic was north and south for reasons of geography and this situation did not


xxiii


INTRODUCTION


make for unity between east and west. This was not a serious factor, however, so long as traffic on the lake remained extensive and pre- served social and business intercourse between New Yorkers and Ver- monters; but with the great decline in navigation the tendency was for the people on the two sides of the valley to drift apart. Recently the building of bridges across Lake Champlain to accommodate trucks and pleasure cars has provided increased intercourse. The number of cars with New York registrations today seen in Vermont and vice versa indicates that the trend toward disunity has been completely arrested. The demand for increased travel facilities from east to west is constantly growing, and the future unity of the valley is there- fore brighter. In any case, as this section develops into a resort area we find that Vermonters and New Yorkers have more and more in common. Because of the physical nature of this section and the present characteristics of the resort business, we are not competitors but part- ners. What benefits one county, benefits the other ten. I prophesy, therefore, that in the Champlain Valley of the future the traditional unity of northern New Yorkers and western Vermonters will be as great as in ages past and greater than at the present time. No one can adequately understand the history of this area without conceiving it as one unit.


CHAPTER I


Our Geologic Heritage


Far into the depths of dim, distant ages, the geologist stretches his wand. Out of the mists comes the story of the creation of our lovely hills and valleys. As we survey the wondrous work of the Creator's hand, we have every reason to feel that this section of our Nation has been especially favored. Whether we behold the grand, majestic sway of Lake Champlain or the clear limpid depths of Lake George; whether we scan the rugged peaks of the Adirondacks or the refreshing verdure of the Green Mountains, the idea of divine favor- itism persists. The geologic history of this region is as interesting as the story of the people who have passed this way. Let us then follow the trail of the geologist who depicts to us the birth of our mountain peaks and the creation of our waterways.




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