USA > Vermont > Windham County > Whitingham > Green leaves from Whitingham, Vermont: a history of the town > Part 3
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RIVERS.
Deerfield River, a stream of considerable size and importance, flows through a portion of the town at its northwest corner and also at its southwest corner, which is in conformity with the original "set out," wherein care was taken "that the Length thereof doth not extend along the Banks of any River otherwise than is conformable to our said Royal Instructions."
This stream rises in Stratton and runs in a south- easterly direction about 50 miles and falls into the Connecticut near Greenfield, Mass. Upon this river and its many tributaries there are numerous mills and ' manufactories, and their falling waters are utilized as they pass down to the sea. The "Iron Horse" has pursued his ambitious course along the rocky banks of this fretful stream as far north as Readesborough, where an extensive mill for the manufacture of paper pulp has been recently established.
The watershed in this vicinity comes so near being perpendicular that this stream, during a shower often expands into a torrent in a few minutes, and those who own land on both sides of the river are some- times obliged to remain away from home over night in case of a sudden and unexpected shower.
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A few miles beyond where this river leaves the town of Whitingham, at a point not many rods below the Zoar bridge, is a large rock projecting from the north shore into the river about 20 feet. This rock is 15 feet high and from 2 to 5 feet thick. The action of water and pebbles has perforated its center and made a large opening through it in the form of an arch, 10 feet high and 5 feet wide. This lusus naturæ is called by Prof. Hitchcock, the arched rock.
North River runs in a southerly direction through the northeasterly part of the town, and after passing through a portion of Halifax unites with the Deer- field near Shelburne Falls. There are many other streams in town flowing north, south, east and west, which indicate an uneven surface, well supplied with water. These streams furnish motive power for the mechanical industries of the town.
Wonderful changes have evidently been made in this locality by the action of ice and water, when both were more plenty than they now are. The water courses have been worn down or changed through volcanic action, during the lingering ages of the past, so that nearly all the streams in Windham county are much lower than the surrounding country, and often their banks are found to be extremely rugged.
In some localities water-worn rocks are found far above where the streams now run. Along the Deer- field at various points are cavities of unequal size in solid rock, called pot holes, some two feet in diameter 6
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and three feet deep, which have been worn by the unceasing gyrations of small pebbles acted upon by water; and in many instances these cavities are far above high water mark, and show beyond question that the wonders of Nature are silently fashioned and the details of their grandeur wrought out through the drowsy flight of uncounted years.
PONDS.
There are no large bodies of water in this town, for the reason that there is not room enough between the hills to entertain any collection of surplus water worthy to maintain the dignity of a lake. But there are several small sheets of water, some of which will yet become of great value as storage reservoirs.
This is especially true of Sadawga Pond, which can be made to contain an immense quantity of water, by raising the dam at the outlet, and this is now about being done, whereby the water will be raised six feet. This pond is the best known of any in town, and is located about one mile westerly from where the first church was erected.
It has an available area of more than 500 acres, but of late probably less than 200 acres have been covered with water. It has upon its surface a float- ing island of some 50 acres in extent, which accumu- lation is increasing from year to year, and within the last 50 years has somewhat changed in form and size.
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It was claimed that this pond derived its name from a "lone Indian" who continued to dwell about its shores after his tribe had "moved on."
It is said that "Old Sadawga" lived by hunting and fishing, and that he occasionally made a business trip to Northampton and Springfield to dispose of his furs, baskets and other articles, and that while going down Deerfield River in his canoe he was wrecked at Shelburne Falls and drowned. As this Indian was known to the first settlers of the town, his tradition- ary fate is not improbable.
Adjacent to this pond was a large tract of intervale land called Sadawga Meadows upon which no timber grew, but it never failed to produce a liberal supply of grass. Before the town was much settled these meadows were resorted to by the pioneers, for the purpose of cutting the grass and making hay for win- ter use, and it appears that this territory was then treated as common land, and that persons came there from a long distance and from other towns to cut the grass and make their hay.
Nathaniel Davis went there one day in August to cut some grass. When night came on his work was unfinished, and he concluded to remain till the next day. He was without shelter and exposed to wild beasts of an unfriendly character, but a little prepara- tion would serve to make him comparatively safe. He built a fire and prepared a bed of hemlock boughs upon which he retired for the night. The climate in
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this locality was not such as to require artificial heat in mid-summer, but fire was an essential factor in such a wild lodging room as this. Nature's starry canopy was above him, and around him an unbroken- wilderness added to the loneliness of the hour. No voice was heard save the dismal hoot of the owl, and its echo from hilltop to hilltop.
Sometime in the night Mr. Davis was awakened by screams which sounded like. a human voice, and he answered back in a similar tone. In a moment he saw a huge catamount rushing towards him, where- upon he began to stir up the smouldering embers, and at the sight of fire the animal, with apparent re- luctance, withdrew and disappeared in the darkness.
In the northerly part of the town there is a small natural pond, in early times called Beaver Dam, since that Rider Pond, but recently, for some years, Fuller Pond. It formerly covered 50 acres, and is so situa- ted as to have an outlet at each end both of which reach the Deerfield, one near the north part of Whi- tingham and the other in Coleraine near Shelburne Falls, but about 30 miles apart. This body of water has decreased in size so that in a dry season less than 5 acres are covered with water. Traces of the old dam, probably built centuries ago, are still visible, and under the earth may be found parts of trees of considerable size bearing tooth marks of the beaver.
Near the northeast corner of the town is a sheet of water known as Roberts' Pond, covering some thirty
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acres. A small stream runs from it but none into it from the surface, except the rainfall, which can have but little to do with the amount of water it contains, · as the watershed is quite limited. The water in this pond is said to be very deep, and trout were caught there in abundance years ago, but of late there are at least two fishermen to one fish.
In the southeasterly part of the town there is a pond covering some 40 acres whidh was formerly called Beaver Pond, the dam having been originally built by beavers. The farm on which it is situated was once owned by David Eames, and since by Lis- comb Brigham and Dea. L. A. Warren. It is now owned by James Shippee. This pond is used as a reservoir for the Hagar Mills, formerly belonging to Captain Levi Lamb.
GEOLOGICAL FEATURES. .
Nearly all soils are composed of disintegrated and decomposed rocks, and partake largely of their chem- ical qualities. In the process of disintegration animal and vegetable substances are more or less mingled therewith, but not to such an extent as to obliterate the distinctive elements of their composition.
As a general thing in New England we may expect to meet with a soil that contains about 66 per cent. of silica, 16 per cent. of alumina, 6 per cent. of potas- sa, 5 per cent. of oxide of iron, and a small quantity of lime and magnesia, but in Whitingham oxide of
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iron and carbonate of lime are more abundant than is here indicated.
In the southwesterly part of the town are several inexhaustable beds of limestone of a superior quality, and about 50 years ago the manufacture and sale of lime in the winter season was the chief employment of the farmers. This industry flourished from 1820 to 1840, when wood began to be scarce and it became necessary to abandon the business, which was grad- ually done till only 2 kilns are now in use, and those only occasionally in the fall and winter. About 1830 there were as many as 9 kilns in full operation, 3 be- ing at Lime Hollow, 2 in the vicinity of the Timothy Jillson place, I at the Newell place, and 3 in the Dix neighborhood. John Parsons and Benjamin Battles were the lime kings of Lime Hollow. The common at the center of the town was the grand receptacle for casks of lime, several hundred being frequently stored there awaiting transportation.
The rock formation in this town is mostly gneiss, but its component parts are not so blended as to constitute a first class granite for building purposes. In the easterly part of the town talcose schist abounds to some extent, but not in such form as to render it of great commercial value.
Gold, silver and lead, have been discovered in sev- eral localities, but not in quantities to warrant any extensive outlay in mining operations, though some of the ore, recently found, is said to be quite rich.
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There are numerous veins of quartz in the rock form- ation where traces of gold may be found, but whether these veins are sufficiently extensive and rich to be- come remunerative is yet undetermined. A mining company was formed here and incorporated by the Legislature in 1867, but no startling results have been developed during the 20 years of its existence.
There are several clay deposits in town, and among them may be mentioned the one about a mile south- westerly from the center, formerly worked by Nathan Green, who made brick there for several years pre- vious to 1837. The first brick ever made in town was manufactured near Heath line, in the southeast- erly part of the town, by Singleton Williams.
The scenographical geology of Whitingham will bear comparison with any country on the globe where it is safe for man to travel. There are higher moun- tains and deeper valleys even in New England, but they are so much less accessible as to detract largely from their beauty and modify the enchantment of their grandeur.
BOWLDERS.
Diluvium or drift is composed of sand and gravel in which may be found rocks generally rounded more or less by attrition, and frequently of enormous size. It is not uncommon to find them hundreds of miles from the place of their origin, sometimes in elevated
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positions and completely exposed to view. They are called bowlders, erratic blocks, and lost rocks.
The largest bowlder in New England, called the Green Mountain Giant, may be seen in the westerly part of the town upon a hill 500 feet above the Deer- field and within two miles of that stream. It stands upon a flat rock, is 40 feet in length, its horizontal circumference 125 feet, its cubic contents 40,000 feet, and its weight 3,400 tons.
Nearly a mile below Jacksonville there is a bowlder standing on a plain not much above the river, 61 feet in circumference and 10 feet high above the ground. Its angles have not been much worn as is commonly the case with bowlders, but it looks like a block split from an immense ledge and not transported a great distance. Near this place are several gravel mounds, probably produced by the action of ice and water du- ring the glacial period, at which time this rock might have been transported down the valley in a mass of gravel or an ice floe, which prevented it from being much worn by atrition. The result of glacial action is often noticed in Vermont, and it is not uncommon to meet with a moraine even in this hilly country; and these deposits are made up largely of gravel, interspersed with bowlders of various sizes from a few pounds weight to several tons.
There are many other large bowlders in the town, the best known being the one domiciliated on a flat rock at the highest point on Tenney Hill. The top
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of this bowlder is nearly on a level with Wachusett. Near this spot Prof. Hitchcock erected a signal pole to aid in his examination of the geological features of Massachusetts, and a general survey threof, as he had been commissioned for that work, June 26, 1830.
While engaged in the survey he visited this bowl- der several times, and became much interested in the unobstructed view from its apex. The real history of these erratic wanderers has not yet been written, but they evidently came from a northern latitude un- der control of some powerful agency, as shown by their present location and in many instances by striæ now visible, more ancient than the advent of man.
SPRINGS.
No town in Vermont is better supplied with pure cold water than Whitingham. Gushing from the hillside, it winds through the dank meadows in limpid streams, uncontaminated by mineral or vegetable de- posits to any considerable extent.
At the foot of Streeter Hill, on the westerly side, is a spring from which flows quite a brook, at all sea- sons of the year. This spring is 26 feet deep and for several rods around it the soil will quake when stepped upon, indicating a large body of water below. The stream from this spring takes a northerly course and is known as Carley Brook. On the west side of Tenney Hill a swamp within which is a large spring furnishes water for two brooks. The one running
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north is known as the Yeaw Brook, and that running south the Porter Brook.
Nearly all the small brooks in Whitingham origin- ate in springs within the limits of the town. This is so with the stream near the Willis place, where Col. Isaac Martin run a grist mill 70 years ago. Fuller Pond is fed by springs and the stream running from it is supplied by them. The stream from the Pierce Meadow uniting with North River at the Jillson place, the Coleman Brook, the stream in the southeast part of the town, known as the Branch, the brook near the Stone place, the Toby Brook crossing the road which leads from the Hezekiah Murdock place by the shingled school house to Readesborough Bridge, the stream just north of the center running into Sa- dawga Pond, and numerous others are supported in dry weather exclusively by springs.
In the village of Sadawga there is a mineral spring to which many resort on account of its medicinal and hygienic qualities. An analysis of its waters show that they contain muriate of lime, carbonate of lime, muriate of magnesia, carbonate and per-oxide of iron, allumina with an acid trace. It is said to be a spe- cific for cutaneous eruptions, scrofulous humors, dropsy, gravel, chronic ulcers, liver complaint and many other diseases.
This spring was discovered by David Eames in 1822, who claimed that the use of its waters saved his life. Mr. Eames believed what he said about it,
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and while he lived constantly recommended its good qualities to his neighbors and friends.
While this water has some medicinal qualities, its taste is not much different from ordinary spring wa- ter and its hygienic properties, as represented by the chemist, are in no way disclosed by its taste.
FORESTS.
Previous to 1780 the town was well covered with a heavy growth of timber, beech, birch and maple being the principal hard woods, and spruce, hemlock and balsam, the soft. No pine timber of any great value ever grew in Whitingham, and only now and then an oak, but hemlock trees in some parts of the town were of immense size, ranging from 2 to 5 feet in diameter and at least 100 feet high.
The most valuable tree indigenous to Whitingham is the sugar maple. It grows tall and large, straight and graceful, with a foliage unsurpassed by any other tree in Vermont. From this tree is obtained the much admired birdseye and, curly maple lumber, so eagerly sought by manufacturers of costly furniture.
But its chief value lies in its sweetness, which is developed by skilful processes into a merchantable commodity known as maple sugar.
This industry being one of the earliest resorted to after the first log cabin was constructed, it may not be improper here to call attention to some of the methods employed 75 years ago in the manufacture
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of sugar, which appears to have been an enterprise requiring some energy, combined with a strong re- liance on doubtful expectation. It required a strong constitution to cope with the hardships to be encoun- tered in this sweet employment.
The collection of maple sap was performed in the rudest possible manner. The first thing done would be to make a quantity of troughs wherein to collect the saccharine fluid. They were made by cutting logs about 3 feet long from an ash tree 12 inches in diameter. These logs were split once through the center and then "dug out" with an axe, making two from each log, with capacity to hold about 10 quarts. The man who could make 30 of these troughs in a day was considered smart.
The next thing to be prepared was the spouts to conduct the sap from the tree to the trough, which were split in a curved form from straight grained timber and sharpened at one end, a cross section of which would appear thus ~. An instrument made of steel, called a "tapping gouge," the sharp end of which was of the same form as the spout, would be driven into the tree and the circular spout firmly set in the cleft. Then, with an axe, a notch would be" cut in the tree an inch or more deep, directly above the spout. This was called "boxing," and was very injurious to the trees. This being done the trough was set under the spout, and thus the sap was col- lected. It then had to be gathered into one place,
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which was done by the use of a sap yoke, so called, made to fit the shoulders, with a string at each end upon which wooden hooks were suspended. Upon these hooks buckets were carried, one on either side. It was not a pleasant task, but when the snow was very deep snow shoes or "rackets" were worn. In this way the sap was collected and turned into hogs- heads at a central place.
The next thing in order was boiling the sap, and in preparing for this it was necessary to remove the snow from a spot of ground perhaps 15 feet square. Two posts were then set in the ground about 12 feet apart, the upper end of which terminated in the form of a Y. Upon the top of these a pole was laid, the same being about 8 feet from the ground. Two logs 2 feet or more in diameter and 12 feet long are then laid parallel to this pole and about 2 feet apart.
Chains are then thrown over the pole and about 4 kettles suspended thereon and between the logs. When these kettles are filled with sap and a fire built under them the boiling process goes on till all the sap on hand is boiled down to a syrup, after which it is strained through a fine cloth and then again boiled till it will grain when cooled. This last process is called "sugaring off," and is quite an event in coun- try life, full equal to an old-time husking. But the fun comes in at a point when the syrup may be laid on snow and become plastic like wax, and in a state of sweet submission to sweet admirers.
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During March and the early part of April, the farm- ers of Vermont are active in the manufacture of this material, and it is estimated that 25,000 gallons are now annually made in Whitingham.
The fires kindled in the various sugar camps about town in early times, became beacons in the night, to be seen by widely separated settlers, indicating that industry was struggling for life in the wilderness.
WILD BEASTS.
While the town was in an uncultivated state, and for a while after it began to be settled, there were numerous wild animals in the forests, some of which were not pleasant companions to be alone with, es- pecially in the night time. There were over forty species in Vermont, and Whitingham had its share.
The largest of all was the Moose, which is of the. the deer kind, and taller than the horse. The male is equipped with a pair of horns weighing from 50 to 60 pounds, the head being over 2 feet long, and the whole animal having an unfinished look, not pleasant to behold. When running it overreaches with its hind feet and is often thrown down in that way, which was probably the cause for a belief of the ancients, who claimed that this animal had frequent attacks of epilepsy, and was obliged to smell of its hoof before it could recover.
Bears were plenty when the town was first settled, making it necessary to guard domestic animals from
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their visitations, but they are rarely seen at the pres- ent day. Fifty years ago Daniel Olden killed two in his cornfield in one night, in an adjoining town, one of which weighed nearly 400 pounds.
Wolves were the most troublesome and dangerous of all the wild animals therabouts, on account of the ferocity they manifested in the destruction of sheep. It was not common for them to attack mankind, but they have always been considered an unpleasant sub- ject for a man to meet alone, unarmed. A wolf was killed in Vermont that weighed 92 pounds.
When the town was organized, in 1780, there were plenty of Deer, and at the first town meeting one of the officers elected was a "deer rief," whose duty it was to enforce the laws for the protection of deer. This was an affair of the town, not provided for by charter, as all the officers therein mentioned are in active service to-day.
A birdseye view of Whitingham would disclose a picture of unequalled beauty. Near the westerly line of the town, extending its entire length, is the Deer- field valley through which winds that beautiful river, a thousand feet below the adjacent hills. On the casterly side of the town is the valley of North River running nearly parallel with the Deerfield, both of which recieve the surplus waters of Rider pond, the same meeting again in friendly embrace, after passing beyond the limits of the town.
Between these streams and far above them, the
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hillsides and even the hilltops are decorated with for- est, field and hamlet. In the springtime the dark green shade of the opening buds, delicately tinged with the opal blush of pioneer blossoms, welcome the ruddy light, the herald of day. In autumn, the dying foliage in its winding sheet of crimson and gold, dis- pels every thought of decay and fills the mind with adoration and delight.
But when we take a view of the town as it was in 1780, we shall find few attractions for the settlers, and many obstacles with which they had to contend before the soil could be made productive. The cli- mate, the location, the lack of a well defined policy in matters of civil government, went far to discourage a speedy and successful settlement.
But the pioneer settlers of Whitingham were a hardy race who defied the opposition of the elements and of man. They caused the forests to vanish be- fore their sturdy stroke, and took issue with wild beasts or unfriendly men, established their independ- ence by solemn decree, and forced civilization to establish a new free state, the first to be admitted into the Federal Union.
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CHAPTER III.
EARLY SETTLEMENT. r
N THE 12th day of March, 1770, by virtue of the authority of King George, Whitingham became the property of the following persons, as tenants in common: Nathan Whiting, Samuel Fitch, Eleazer Fitch, James Smedley, Andrew Myers, Robert Aiton, and Samuel Boyer. It was ten years before the town was organized by the choice of officers, during which time large accessions were made to its population.
A census was taken in 1771 showing the condition of Whitingham's progress previous to that date.
White males under sixteen years of age, 3 White males over sixteen years of age, and under sixty, 4
White females under sixteen years of age, . 3 White females over sixteen years of age, and under sixty, 4 Total, 14
Heads of families, 4.
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There were no colored people in town at this time. This census gave Westminster a population of 478; Guilford, 436; Halifax, 329; Wilmington, 71.
From all the facts I am now able to gather, Robert Bratten and his family were the first to settle perma- nently in Whitingham. They were from Coleraine, and returned there three successive winters before making their residence continuous. Their first visit was in the spring of 1771, and their abode near Deer- field River, in the northwest part of the town.
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