USA > Vermont > Addison County > Bristol > History of Bristol, Vermont (1762-1940) > Part 6
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COUNTRY CLUB
The need of a golf course in Bristol had been felt for some time before a country club was organized. About seventy per cent of the tourists writing for information wanted to know if there was a chance to play golf. In 1929 a small group of people organized for the purpose of securing a golf course and clubhouse. Card parties and entertainments were given until enough money was procured to buy the so-called Jane Rider farm, north of the village, in May, 1929. In July, 1929, the Bristol Country Club was incorporated with Dr. G. F. Edmunds as president.
Work was begun at once on the golf links and they were opened to the public the following spring. The clubhouse was formally opencd Wed- nesday evening, October 1, 1930, by a bridge and whist tournament spon- sored by the Ladies' Auxiliary. The farmhouse was remodeled along colon- ial lines and a furnace was installed in the fall of 1930. On the first floor is a large reception room with a fireplace and open stairway, and the kitchen while on the second floor are the ladies' rest rooms. The country club has proven one of Bristol's greatest assets; it was one of the deciding factors in choosing Bristol for the home of the Middlebury College German School.
BRISTOL COMMUNITY HOUSE GAIGE-MOORE
In 1939 Mr. Kenneth Ives of Chicago offered to deed for a term of years to the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, in behalf of the town, Gaige- Moore, the home of the late Mrs. Rosc Moore Ives. The only conditions were that the grantees keep up the insurance and assume the necessary repairs. Tax remission would apply to this building as to any public build- ing. At the town meeting in March, 1939, the town voted to accept Mr. Ives' offer. Mr. Ives also agreed to pay half the cost of a tablet, designating Gaige- Moore as a Community House in memory of his mother.
A committee to have complete charge of the premises was appointed by the Chamber of Commerce. This committee consists of Lyle Churchill, Mrs. Wayne Shadrick, Mrs. John Selden, Mrs. John Kilbourn and T. R. Thomas. Since the time that the Community House was taken over by
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the Chamber of Commerce the boys and girls of Bristol under the direc- tion of Miss Grace Bosworth have put on two coats of paint in the rooms on the lower floor and have collected furnishings for the rooms. At the time of the committee's report, which was printed in the 1940 town report, the Community House had been used by the Chamber of Com- merce, the Boy Scouts, the Girl Scouts, the Home Demonstration Club, the Outlook Club and the Airplane Club. Applications had also been received by the American Legion and the Foresters who expected to move in soon.
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South And Elephant Mountains From Stony Hill
Western Approach To Bristol Village Greenwood Cemetery Left Of Highway
Interesting Spots in Bristol
There are many interesting spots in Bristol to visit. South Mountain with its Devil's Pulpit, Money Diggings, Rattlesnake Den and ruins of a charcoal kiln, all within a short distance of each other. The History of the Money Diggings is one of the most fruitful.
The story of the buried treasure at the foot of the South Mountain in Bristol starts about 1800 when an old Spaniard, named DeGrau, ap- peared in Bristol. Having procured the necessary supplies he took up his residence near the foot of South Mountain where he began digging among the roeks. At first he refused to account for himself, but when foreed he elaimed that as a small boy he accompanied his father and a group of other people to this same spot where they mined a quantity of silver bars. When winter came they had to leave but had no way of transporting the silver so they secreted it in a nearby eave which they closed up with stones and clay. They were to return the next year but events occurred which prevented their ever returning. They were now all dead except DeGrau and he had come to elaim the treasure. His story seemed accurate in detail and he spent some time digging, but he finally became discouraged and left, saying that he must have been mistaken in the location.
A few years later an odd looking vessel was found near this spot and some people thought that it might have belonged to the party that DeGrau told about. From that time on various parties started digging there, one group would give up discouraged and another would begin. About 1840 a group of a dozen men came from the Canadian border and began to work with system and diligence. They formed a stock company, inviting the public to join them. Every dollar that a person invested in the com- pany entitled him to $100 worth of the treasure, when it was found. The leading spirit of the enterprise was a man named Simeon Coreser, who be- ing a salesman of great ability, talked many people into buying stoek. This group worked 12 years on the project and spent $10,000 tunnelling in the rock but finally gave it up as hopeless. In 1860 Coreser eame baek but gave up after two months' digging .*
To Franklin Harvey who died in 1893 that was the end of the story, but that people are still gullible regarding buried treasure is shown by the fact that in 1934 a man from the nearby town of New Haven went to the same spot where he began digging and dynamiting until little remains of "Information from "History of the Treasure Diggings" written by Franklin Harvey in 1889-90.
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the original cave and the exeavations made by the party who started digging there in 1840. This man did not go to conjurors for advice, as did the early seekers, but used a "divining rod" which he believed would find the treas- ure for him. This man's luck was the same as that of all the previous searchers and there is little doubt that DeGrau was mistaken in his site, for silver has never been found in this vicinity.
RATTLESNAKE DEN
Near the center of the west side of South Mountain, not far above the "Money Diggings", is an area of several acres of what appears from a distance to be smooth, naked rock but on closer inspection proves to be a mass of broken stones piled promiscuously upon one another as if heaped by some giant hand. This heap of stones ean be seen from Bristol Flats and other places in Bristol and adjoining towns. In early days its was thickly infested with rattlesnakes and consequently has always borne the name of "Rattlesnake Den."
In the early days people in Bristol and adjoining towns made a prac- tice of hunting the snakes carly in the spring when they first came out of their dens to eurl themselves upon the rocks in the warm rays of the sun. At this season they are very sluggish and are easily captured. It was not uncommon for a hundred or more to be killed in a day. A letter from John Stewart of Royalton, Ohio, son of Samuel Stewart, one of the very first settlers in Bristol, states that his father. with Captain Cyprian East- man, Captain Gurdon Munsill and a few others whose names he had forgotten once went to the den in the spring of the year and killed 180 snakes. They were piled up like a cock of hay after they were killed and left there as at that time no use was made of their skins .*
The work of the early settlers in killing the rattlesnakes was very effective for it has been over 100 years since any of these snakes have been seen in Bristol.
BARKER CHARCOAL KILN
Midway between the Money Diggings and Rattlesnake Den, at the foot of South Mountain, lies the ruins of the Barker Charcoal kiln, so- called from the small stream of that name, on which it was situated. The usual method of obtaining charcoal was to heap the hardwood to be burned in a large pile on the ground and pack the earth all around it before firing it. It was a very arduous task as the current of air entering the kiln had to be regulated and the fire watched constantly. The Barker kiln was more extensive than the usual type being a stone enclosure, laid up with mortar, about 10 feet high and 20 feet square. Openings the size of bricks were made on all four sides for drafts and bricks kept on hand to fill these open- ings when it was necessary to close the drafts. The south side of this kiln
*Account of Rattlesnake Den written by Mrs. Jessie Stanton.
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is still in almost perfect condition and is an interesting place to visit when one is in the vicinity.
THE COBBLE CAVE
In the extreme south part of the town a short distance from the Middlebury line is a large round hill known as "The Cobble" which stands considerably above the surrounding land. On the south side of this hill and near the top is a barrel shaped cave which is often visited. The entranee to this eave is very narrow, but after one has foreed his way through it he enters a large room where the remains of a limestone stalaetite ean be seen, which was long ago broken off and carried away. This eave is very easy to reach as it is a very short distance from route 116.
BRISTOL ROCK
Another point of interest in Bristol is the Prayer Rock at the foot of Drake's Hill at the entrance to Bristol Village from the east. This is a large, smooth roek situated beside the highway. Dr. Joseph Greene of Buffalo, who grew up in this vieinity and was a frequent summer visitor to Bristol, had for a long time cherished the idea of having the Lord's Prayer engraved upon this roek. Dr. Greene's desire was strengthened by a trip abroad where he saw similar bits of engraving. In 1891 Dr. Greene eame to Bristol for his vaeation and at that time hired W. N. MeGee to do the engraving for him. After the engraving was done the letters were paint- ed with white paint, which has been frequently applied sinee so that the letters can be seen easily from the road.
BURNHAM'S FALLS AND DRAKE WOODS
Burnham's Falls, in Drake Woods is also a point of interest. Orin Burnham owned and operated one of the early forges in Bristol just above these Falls. This forge did not do well and Mr. Burnham beeame depressed as a result of which he committed suicide by jumping over the falls which have been known ever sinee as Burnham's Falls.
There was. at that time no road through Drake Woods and the ore, which was mined in Crown Point, NewYork, was drawn by ox team over a long road which wound around through Starksboro before reaching the forge. At last a road was opened through these woods and there is a story that to eelebrate this event Mr. Drake, the proprietor of a publie house on the Starksboro road adjacent to the newly opened road, gave a party to which he invited the public. Here rum flowed freely and before the night was over the merrymakers had thrown Mr. Drake into the fireplace, without fortunately eausing him any harm. It was due to this eelebration, so generously provided by Mr. Drake, that this seetion received the name of Drake Woods.
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BRISTOL POND (Lake Winona) (By Henry Harvey)
Bristol Pond which is located at the base of Hogback Mountain about three miles north of the village played an important part in the early history of Bristol. Undoubtedly of glacial origin, it now covers ap- poximately 200 acres, but at a much earlier period of geological history it must have been one of the larger and deeper lakes in this section of the state. Proof of this is found in the extensive swamp and marsh, bounding the lake on three sides, which doubtless was at one time part of the pond and must have added several hundred acres to its area. Vegetable matter has washed from the nearby hills until the basin is nearly filled with it. So far as is known no one has ever plumbed the depth of this vegetable matter. Several years ago a local sportsman lost his rifle, while in a boat on the pond and no amount of grappling could recover it. The east side, unlike the otlier three sides, is bounded by a hard sandy beach baek of which stands a growth of hard wood.
This pond was evidently a favorite haunt of Indians long before the town was settled by white men. Arrow and spear heads have been found here to prove that they used it as a hunting ground and pieces of pottery have been discovered to show that a group of them must have lived here. Soon after Bristol was settled a small band of Indians spent a whole summer in camp near the pond. One of these was a very old man who conversed very intelligently. Among other things he said that to the best of his knowledge the east side of the pond had been his birthplace. He died toward the end of the summer and was given Christian burial. He was one of the very first to be buried in Greenwood Cemetery.
Bristol Pond has always been frequented by fishermen. Northern pike or pickerel, bull pouts and perch are found here. Several years ago a colony of beavers came from parts unknows and built a dam at the outlet near the Bristol-Monkton town line, thus increasing the depth of water in the whole pond by nearly two feet. As soon as the food supply was exhausted the beavers moved further down stream and the dam soon gave way. Several public spirited citizens contributed their serviees, rebuilding the dam in a permanent form. After this beaver colony moved it seems evident that a branch established itself at a smaller pond in the south part of the town, known as Gilmore Pond.
The name of Bristol Pond was changed to Lake Winona by act of the state legislature. The act became effective February 17, 1931, but the pond is still known to local residents by its original name.
GILMORE POND
Gilmore Pond is located near the Lincoln line in Little Notch. This pond furnishes one of the main tributaries of the O'Brien Brook but it
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Looking East From Top Of Stony Hill Mount Abraham In Distance
aME'
H
Lords Prayer Rock Bristol
Bristol Rock
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is not its source as has been erroneously stated. The name is derived from that of a man who owned a sawmill located by the pond. Remains of the mill dam can still be seen.
A tragedy occurred here in the early years of the 19th century when two brothers, named Moody, from South Bristol were deer hunting. The two brothers became separated, going in opposite directions around the pond. One brother, reappearing was mistaken by the other brother for a deer and was shot.
BRISTOL FLOOD
The flood of 1830 was the most disastrous which had occurred in Vermont up to that time. No lives were lost in Bristol but the property loss to town and individuals was very heavy. The forge built in 1802 by Franklin, Munsill, Arnold and Bcal, which was located on the spot where one of the Bristol Manufacturing Company's buildings later stood, was just completing its fourth cycle of seven years each, and was swept away. After this it was never rebuilt. Ten bridges were destroyed and the road just below the spot where Baldwin Creek joins New Haven River was completely removed together with trees and stones, weighing from 25 to 30 tons, and carried down stream some distance by the force of the torrent.
In the flood of 1869 the Stewart gristmill and Howden and Bosworth sawmill were swept away and their big mill damaged. It has been said that the bridge there was also destroyed but this cannot be verified.
In 1897 a thunder shower raised the streams to flood proportions. The bridge by the Bristol Manufacturing Company, the Cold Spring covered bridge and one on the O'Brien brook in South Bristol were all destroyed.
In the flood of 1927 the chief property loss was to the Frary mill, the Drake and Smith Company and the Fred Hammond farm, where the A. Johnson Lumber Company is now located, on Bristol Flats.
In 1938 a hurricane swept over a large part of New England but in this section damage was done, not by the wind but by the water which again rose to flood proportions. TheBristol-Lincoln road was washed out for a long distance. From the point where this road leaves Route 116 as far as Lincoln Center there was nothing left but rocks and portions of the river bed except for occasional sections. This made it very inconvenient for traffic to and from Lincoln for some time as a long detour was neces- sary. The approximate cost of repair to the town of Bristol was $20,000. At this time the Cold Spring bridge was again ruined and the road from the bridge to the foot of Prime Hill was torn away. Several smaller bridges were also destroyed. The damage to the A. Johnson Lumber Company is described elsewhere. The high bank which lies along the south side of West Street above the New Haven River was undermined by the high water and sections of it fell into the river, taking with them one garage
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and threatening the safety of several houses on that side of the street. Beginning by the Bristol Manufacturing Company a retaining wall of hem- lock logs lias been built along the river to hold back the bank for a distance of a quarter of a mile. Beyond this a wall of stones was laid by the state for the highway was threatened.
AIRPORT
At a special Town Meeting held in Bristol, January 25, 1934, the legal voters appropriated a sum of money for the construction of an airport, and authorized the Selectmen to purchase a tract of land for same. The location was acquired from the following people: Spencer Lawrence, Ira Stewart, Bristol Reercation Club, John A. Kilbourn, Ruby D. Gilmore, Frank Duprey, Mrs. Celia Jimmo, Village of Bristol, Peter Cousino. This was a total of 45.68 acres which cost $2,673.41.
The town alone has expended the sum of $6,029.45 for labor and supplies in construction of the airport, while the W. P. A. project of the Federal Government up to the present time, December, 1939, has expended $26,000.00. On November 9, 1939, a new W. P. A. appropriation of $24,725.00 was allocated to be expended on the field.
The north and south runway extends 2100 fect at present, and when completed will be approximately 2200 feet in length. The east and west runway is 1900 fect long. The northeast by southwest runway will be 1570 fect in length when completed. The northwest by southeast runway will be 2150 fcet in length. The last two runways have approximately 19,- 000 cubic yards to be excavated before full completion. The airport has one hangar of wood and metal construction, 40 fcet by 50 feet in dimension, located on the easterly side of the north and south runway about 400 feet southeast from the circle.
The selectmen appoint the Airport Commission as a supervisory board. The present members are: Ridley J. Norton, Arthur F. Gove, Lyle C. Churchill, George N. Lathrop, Leland H. Landon, G. Foster Whitcomb, W. M. DeCourscy and George G. Smith.
Pilot Joseph Rock has operated a private flying course for students since July, 1936. He trained 86 students the first year using a Taylor Cub, 50 H. P. model. During the year 1939 the Private Flying Division of the U. S. Civil Aeronautics Authority, a branch of the Department of Com- merce, granted a quota of 20 students to Norwich University, 30 to the University of Vermont and 20 to Middlebury College to train for private flying. The class from Middlebury College is training with Mr. Rock at the Bristol Airport due to the fact that the town of Middlebury has no fly- ing field. By December 18, 1939, twelve of the twenty students, including two girls, Miss Lois Dalc and Miss Faith Wohnus, had soloed. Among this number were six Vermont boys. Miss Dale of Rochester, New York, was the first girl in New England to solo under this instruction sponsored
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by the Private Flying Division of the C. A. A. Pilot Roek uses three planes in his flying eourse: an Aeronea 50 H. P., an Aeronea 65 H. P. and a 50 H. P. Taylor Cub.
The airport is maintained by rent received from flying activities on the field. It is considered to be the second best in the state, rating the necessary requirements of the Federal Government. Due to the faet that it is free of obstaeles such as trees, telephone and power lines, it is one of the safest fields to take off from as every foot of space is available landing area. It is ideally located in the western part of the village, approx- imately eight-tenths of a mile from the business section. It is already prov- ing to be a valuable asset to the community.
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Aerial View of Lake
Bristol Professional Men, Business Concerns and Town Officers and
BRISTOL DOCTORS
The list of doctors is incomplete and in many cases no data is available. Where only one date is given that represents the date at which practice was begun in Bristol. The first eleven doctors fall into this list: Dr. Joseph Cable-1794; Dr. James Day-1799-1814; Dr. Robert Smith- 1803; Dr. Joseph Needham-1813-1833; Dr. William Warner-1843; Dr. Tousley ; Dr. Frederick Wheeler; Dr. Levi Hasseltine; Dr. S. A. Skinner; Dr. J. H. Steele; Dr. White. Four of the above physicians: Dr. Warner, Dr. Tousley, Dr. Frederick Wheeler, and Dr. Levi Hasseltine were active members of the Addison County Medical Society.
Dr. Elon B. Prime was born in Bristol in 1843, graduated from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1870 and from the Royal College of Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1882. He practiced one year in Glas- gow, then returned to his native country and after three years of practice elsewhere settled in Bristol where he practiced ten years until his death in 1896.
Dr. E. M. Kent, son of Dr. Marble Kent who had also practiced in Bristol, graduated from the University of Vermont Medical College in 1866, establishing himself in Bristol that same year, where he remained until his death. In his later years he changed from the practice of medicine to that of pharmacy and opened a drug store on south side of Main Street. Some years after his death his heirs sold this store to W. W. Wilson. This store, known as the "South Side Drug Store," is now owned by L. E. McShane.
Dr. Ashbel Dean, born in Monkton in 1857, graduated from the New York University Medical College in 1878. He immediately settled in Bristol where he soon built up an extensive practice and became closely associated with the business and political life of the town. Like Dr. Kent he changed to pharmacy in his later years and opened a drug store on the north side of Main Street. He died in Bristol in 1899.
Dr. D. A. Bisbee graduated from the University of Michigan in 1875 and came here in 1879 where he began the practice of medicine later changing to pharmacy. During the 1880's and 1890's we have three physicians in Bristol of whom we know little: Dr. Allen, Dr. Edgar Walker and Dr. E. I. Hall. Of Dr. Hall, however, we know that he was a homeopathic doctor and that he remained for some time.
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Dr. George Farnham graduated from the University of Vermont Medical College in 1884. Although here only two years, 1884-86, he started the prize speaking contests, also the first leeture eourse ever given in Bristol. Among the leeturers in this course were Henry Ward Beeeher and Russell Conwell who gave his famous leeture, "Aeres of Diamonds."
Dr. Homer Bogue graduated from University of Vermont Medieal College in 1886 and settled here the following year when he bought Dr. Prime's house on the corner of North and Garfield Streets. In 1894 he sold his house and praetiee to Dr. G. F. Edmunds, moving to California on ae- count of his health, where he has been an outstanding surgeon and physician in Ontario, California.
Dr. Anson Norton was born in Bristol in 1863 and graduated from University of Vermont Medieal College in 1889. He soon established himself in Bristol where he was prominent in school affairs and the politieal life of the town, serving as town representative in the state legislature. (He always considered the health of the community more important than his own and gave of his service without stint. This was strikingly illustrated in the influenza epidemie of 1919 when he made more than 100 calls a day, an effort which took a toll of his strength which he could never replaec. Seriously ill for two years he died in August, 1921.
Dr. George F. Edmunds was born in Irasburg and was a boyhood friend of Dr. Homer Bogue. He came with his family to Bristol as a bookkeeper for S. R. Cain & Co. about 1890. Soon after his arrival here he became interested in the study of medieine, studying by himself in his spare time with some help from Dr. Bogue. He attended University of Vermont Medieal College, later transferring to Baltimore Medieal College from which he graduated. In 1894 he bought Dr. Bogue's praetiee and served Bristol as a physician for the rest of his life. For many years he was town health officer and served in the capacity of county health offieer for several years. His aim was "to make Bristol the eleanest and healthiest town in the state" and due to his untiring efforts he saw many of his plans materialize. He also served the town as representative to the state legis- lature and as a member of the town school board. Due to failing health Dr. Edmunds spent his last winters in Florida but continued to see his patients during the summer as long as he was able. He died in Florida in the winter of 1939.
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