USA > Vermont > Grand Isle County > History of Franklin and Grand Isle counties, Vermont : With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers. > Part 2
USA > Vermont > Franklin County > History of Franklin and Grand Isle counties, Vermont : With illustrations and biographical sketches of some of the prominent men and pioneers. > Part 2
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tance north of the general course of the river there is a "divide," or ele- vated ridge that turns the smaller streams toward the north, into the province of Quebec. The principal tributaries of the Missisquoi from the south are the Black Creek, Tyler's branch, and Trout River. The first named stream has its source in the mountainous districts of Bakers- field and Fletcher; thence it crosses Fairfield, receiving in that town the waters of Fairfield River and Fairfield pond, and into Sheldon, where it empties into the main stream.
Tyler's Branch is the principal stream of Bakersfield, draining its en- tire central and northern portions ; and in Enosburgh as well, it re- ceives the discharge waters of the southern and eastern parts. Its course lies mainly in these towns, but it empties into the Missisquoi in Sheldon. Trout River is the chief stream of Montgomery, in which town it has numerous tributaries, some of them of note. It also drains from Richford, slightly from Enosburgh, and discharges into the Missis- quoi near East Berkshire. Each of the towns bordering on the Missis- quoi have other streams that are tributary to the river, but they are of small size, and will be mentioned in connection with the descriptive his- tory of the several towns through which they run.
The La Moille River, the second in importance of the streams of the county, touches only three of the towns, Georgia, Fairfax and Fletcher, in the latter forming the boundary between this county and La Moille on the south. The river crosses the entire south part of Fairfax, and in its course passes over a huge mass of rocks, giving the stream a fall of nearly one hundred feet in flowing but a few rods. This point is called Fairfax Falls, than which there is no grander display of waterfall in the whole county. And here, too, is unquestionably the best water-power in all northern Vermont, but it is not utilized except for a single factory, while its capacity would furnish motive power for a full score of manu- facturing industries.
In Fletcher the principal tributaries to the La Moille are Dead brook and Stone's brook, both of which discharge into it from the north. The brook first named is the outlet of Metcalf pond, so called, a considera- ble body of water lying in the northeast part of the town. In Fairfax the La Moille receives the waters of the streams Mill brook and Beaver Meadow brook, and others smaller, all of which discharge from the
23
TOPOGRAPHICAL FEATURES.
north, while Brown River, a stream of some magnitude, is the main trib- utary on the south side. Georgia, also, has its Beaver Meadow brook, which is the only tributary to the La Moille, of any note, in the town, except, perhaps, Stone brook.
In the towns bordering on Lake Champlain there are no streams of importance, except the Missisquoi and La Moille rivers, that discharge therein. In fact, nearly all the larger brooks of the county are tribu- tary to the rivers already named. In Georgia the stream called Mill River is perhaps the greatest that pays direct tribute to the lake, while in St. Albans, Tullar's brook does the same, the latter emptying into St. Albans Bay, near its head. Swanton and Highgate both have streams and rivulets that flow into the lake, but the great part of the small streams of these towns discharge into the Missisquoi.
In Grand Isle county there are none of the peculiar physical charac- teristics that mark its companion, Franklin, for the whole surface is ex- ceedingly level and fertile; and although the land may be gently rolling throughout the several towns, there is neither hill nor vale nor streams of any considerable size. Yet these five small towns comprise one county of the state; a county more rich in agricultural resources than any in this whole commonwealth; a veritable Eden set in the middle of Lake Champlain. The greatest of Grand Isle's subdivisions is the town of Alburgh, and its location is farthest north, abutting the Canada line. South of it, and lapping its east side, is the island called North Hero, while in the same relative position on the opposite side appears that little gem, Isle La Motte, one of the most historic localities of Ver- mont. South of North Hero lies the other towns of the county, Grand Isle first, and then South Hero on the extreme south.
In the vicinity of each of these subdivisions that comprise Grand Isle county, are smaller islands, each of which is attached for jurisdictional purposes to the main body nearest to which it is situate. All of these will be made subjects of further and more detailed mention in the sev- eral chapters relating to town history, on the later pages of this volume.
The counties of Franklin and Grand Isle comprise nineteen subdivis- ions or organized towns, and these, jointly and severally, are the subject of this work. Here the question naturally arises, where does their his- tory commence ? If with their organization into counties, the events
24
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
occurring in the region of what is now Grand Isle county, prior to the year 1802, must be passed unnoticed; for it was then that Grand Isle county was erected, by taking from the older counties of Franklin and Chittenden; and if whatever is recorded as the history of Franklin county should commence with its particular erection, then all events of earlier occurrence than 1792, must be left unmentioned. But such a compilation would be manifestly unfair and unjust, for the fact appears that this region was the first within what is now the state of Vermont in which civilized settlement was made; and that by the French, about the middle of the seventeenth century.
Even prior to the French occupancy and dominion, this whole region and country was the place of abode of the North American Indians, but when that occupation began even unreliable tradition gives us no satis- factory understanding. And there are scattered evidences that tend to show that this particular region was at some ancient day the dwelling place of a prehistoric race of people. Of this fact there are, as has been said, scattered and meagre evidences, but the work of investigators is not yet sufficiently advanced to warrant more than incidental reference to so uncertain a subject.
Of the Indian occupation of the general region of Franklin and Grand Isle counties, no local work prior to this has made that a special subject of discussion. To be sure there have been works published that related to the Indian history of particular localities, Swanton for instance, but none that assumed to furnish reliable information concerning the entire region of the counties of which we write; and inasmuch as this subject concerns an occupancy that began prior to civilized white settlement, it is proper that that branch of the county's history be first narrated.
25
INDIAN OCCUPATION AND RELICS.
CHAPTER II.
INDIAN OCCUPATION AND RELICS.1
W HILE there is no possible means of knowing how long man has existed within the territory now known as Franklin and Grand Isle counties, yet, to any thinking investigator or relic hunter, the fact soon becomes plain, that man has existed here for a long period. The depth at which many of the specimens are found, is alone strong proof of this fact; also the condition of the specimens themselves.
Relics are found in many places from one to three feet below the present surface of the soil, not stray pieces, that might by some means have been covered, but many pieces in a strata of flint chips, bits of pottery, with traces of a darker earth, the remains of a one-time surface soil. Of course in some localities the depth at which a specimen lay would be no means of judging its age, light sandy soil, like that upon what is locally known in Swanton as the Hempyard, where the earth moves and piles up like the drifting snow, one season might cover ob- jects to a depth that would require centuries in another place. But we must remember that even there the work of the winds and storms was comparatively as nothing before the land was cleared. In a narrow val- ley, subject to the wash from the hills, a strata of specimens would also soon become deeply covered. But from the sum of evidence of many localities, some favorable to rapid deposit and others not, we can but decide that man to have left his relics at the depth in the soil that they are found, must have lived here at a time so remote that all historic past is but a matter of to-day.
At West Swanton, upon the farm of A. Niles, in digging for the foun- dation of a barn an ancient fire-bed was discovered about four feet below the surface, under the gravel and upon the clay ; fragments of pottery and several implements were also found. At East Alburgh, upon what is known as Fox Hill, is a deposit of chippings, pottery fragments, fire-
1 A chapter of great value written expressly for this work by Mr. L. B. Truax, of Swanton, Vt.
4
26
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
stones, etc., at a depth varying from one and one-half to three feet. On an interval, about two miles below the village of Swanton, is a well de- fined strata of relics. at least two feet below the surface. Several years ago a spring freshet washed away the soil at this place for a number of rods along the river, exposing a great quantity of chippings, pottery and implements. Of course this place is subject to an annual overflow and a deposit of alluvial, but how long a time must it have taken to make soil two feet in depth ? Mention might be made of any number of such places.
That there were periods when this territory was not inhabited by any settled people is proved by history, as well as evidence from the field. In 1609, when Champlain made his voyage of discovery up the lake that bears his name, he had with him a number of Indians from the vicinity of Montreal. They were Algonquins, one of the great races that inhab- ited this country, made up of many tribes and occupying nearly all of New England, all of the Province of Quebec and scattered over much territory west and south. As Champlain entered the region of the lake, his Indians were fearful of an attack from the Iroquois. This was another nation of Indians that inhabited North America, and con- sisted at that time of five tribes, the Mohawks, the Oneidas, the Sene- cas, the Cayugas and the Onondagas. In 1712 the Tuscaroras were added, and the confederacy was afterwards known as the Six Nations. They inhabited what is now the State of New York, considerable terri- tory west of it, and part of western Vermont. They were a powerful people, with a good system of confederation and wise laws; and were deadly enemies of the Algonquins. That they inhabited part of this section of country is plain from Champlain's account, viz .: "I saw four beautiful islands ten, twelve and fifteen leagues in length, formerly in- habited, but abandoned since they have been at war, the one with the other. Continuing our route along the west side of the lake, viewing the country, I saw on the east side very high mountains capped with snow. I asked the Indians if these parts were inhabited ? They an- swered me, yes; and that they belonged to the Iroquois, and that there were in those parts beautiful valleys, and fertile fields bearing as good corn as any I had eaten in the country, with an infinitude of other fruits." Thus the Iroquois, while inhabiting the southern portion of
27
INDIAN OCCUPATION AND RELICS.
the State, westward of the mountains, probably had not any extensive or long continued settlement east of them, but quite likely occupied for a time the territory along the base of the Green Mountains, well to the north.
The country now comprising Franklin and Grand Isle counties, and probably part of the region along the Sorel River, was disputed terri-
tory. We find in many places in this region beds of relics, separated by from one to three feet of clear earth, without a specimen in it, show-
ing different and long separated periods of occupancy, and with an in- tervening period when at least these special places were abandoned; yet, while this region at Champlain's time was unoccupied, it belonged to the Iroquois, probably by right of conquest, their claim seemingly acceded to by the Algonquins. In 1798 the surviving representatives of the Iroquois presented a claim to the Legislature of Vermont for the payment for about two million acres of land. This claim has been pre- sented many times since, last in 1888.
But, though the Iroquois undoubtedly owned this section, they after- wards withdrew to the west of Lake Champlain, then a tribe of the Al- gonquin race, the "Abenaqui," came in, possibly back, to their own land from which they had been driven by the Iroquois. They were the peo- ple found here by the early white settlers, and were afterwards known as the St. Francis Indians, from the fact that a large number of them were at one time settled at the village of St. Francis. Their principle village seems to have been located upon the banks of the Missisquoi River, and while evidence of occupation in the way of relics of every kind is abundant for many miles along its banks, the greater number are to be found about two miles below the village of Swanton, where many hundreds of specimens have been picked up. The writer alone has collected upwards of one thousand from this locality. These relics are probably in part the remains of this last race, while others were doubtless left by the Iroquois; and there is no question but that some of these relics are of a people that dwelt in this region at a period much earlier than that of the Algonquins or Iroquois.
The tribe of Abenakis, or St. Francis Indians, probably settled here about 1650, and became strong allies to the French in the early wars, seemingly bound to them by religious ties, through the efforts of the Franciscan and Jesuit priests. About 1725 those in the immediate vicin-
28
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
ity of the village on the river left because of a fatal plague that raged among them, and settled at St. Francis, but fifteen years later they had mostly returned, and it was what the old records call " a large Indian town," which continued about the same until 1763, when a treaty of peace was signed between England and France, by which this region and the entire northeasterly possessions of the French in America were ceded to the English. The Indians who had sided with the French in the wars of the past, were now left in the land of their enemy, and their gradual withdrawal from this territory followed. They con- tinued to occupy, however, up to at least as late as 1800, and it is said by old inhabitants, that they were in the habit of drifting back in bands of eight or ten families to favorite camping grounds to spend part of the year, up to as late as 1835 or 1840. That the Abenakis were en- gaged in the expedition against the infant settlements to the south is certain, as the following extracts from an old French diary preserved in the colonial history of New York gives a clear idea of the methods pur- sued ; the French supplying an outfit to the Indians doing the work. " March 16th 1746 .- The Abenakis went toward Boston and returned with some scalps and prisoners." "A party of twenty Abenakis of Miss- kiou set out towards Boston and returned with some scalps and prison- ers." "May 24 .- Party of eight Abenakis of Missiskow fitted out, went in direction of Boston, returned with prisoners and scalps." "June 12. - Equipped party of ten Abenakis who made an attack in the direction of Boston."
It seems probable that some of the Abenakis were with the party in the expedition against Deerfield, Mass., February 29, 1704, as the Rev. John Williams, who was captured at that time, and taken by the Indians to Canada, says is his memoirs entitled " The Redeemed Captive Return- ing to Zion," that after going some distance on the ice up the lake from the mouth of the French (Onion) River, "We went a day's journey from the lake to a company of Indians who were kind to me, giving me the best they had, which was moose flesh, ground nuts and cranberries." " We stayed at a branch of the lake and feasted two or three days on geese we killed there." It is likely that the " branch of the lake " was Missisquoi Bay, and that the geese were killed, and the cranberries picked in the marshes about the mouth of the river. Mrs. Jemima
29
INDIAN OCCUPATION AND RELICS.
Howe's captors were also Abenakis. She was taken from Vernon, Vt .. in 1755, and, after being held captive in this vicinity for some time, was taken to St. Johns and sold to a French gentleman. She described this locality in after years very closely, particularly "the cove " about two miles above the village of Swanton.
Ancient Village Sites .- There are many places in this region that bear evidence of habitation. Some of course were a mere cluster of homes, while in other places the great quantity of implements, chippings, etc., that are found, indicate large and populous towns, and long continued occupancy. The result of an active investigation and study of this re- gion, extending over a period of ten years, leads the writer to the belief that the number of people inhabiting this region in the past, has been very much underestimated by writers and students of the subject. John B. Perry, the only scientist who ever gave this region a thorough inves- tigation, must have been in error when he said in his "History of Swan- ton :" "In many localities indeed, Indian relics have been found. Chips of chist, as I well remember, are met with in one place in considerable abundance." There is probably not a farm in Grand Isle county but that will show some evidence of ancient occupation, and throughout Franklin county they are nearly as abundant. For fifteen miles along the banks of the Missisquoi River, and for one and one-half miles back, there is hardly a field but upon which can be found some traces of ancient occupancy. The same may also be said of the shores of Frank- lin pond, and in fact the entire country. A few scattered chips and fragments of pottery of course would not mean a village site, but rather an isolated home ; places where the ground is literally filled with such indications, like for instance, many acres on the Burton farm in Swanton, seem to indicate thickly populated villages. Many other places beside this one are to be found in this region.
Implements, and their Probable Uses-In describing the use to which an Indian implement might be put we are apt to judge from the stand- point of our own necessities, forgetting that the race that used the stone axe and spear were different from ourselves, and under different condi- tions of life, and that their needs were not our needs.
Taking relics in classes, the arrow point, is the first to attract attention, both by reason of number and importance. These are found in abun-
30
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
dance throughout this entire region, and are too familiar an object to re- quire either illustration or description. The material used in making the arrow-head is generally some of the varieties of quartz, yet arrow points of slate are occasionally found, either chipped or worn into form, and sometimes one is found made of copper. All the usual forms are found in this region, the serrated, or barbed point, being the rarest. The writer knows of but one typical specimen of that variety being found here. The arrow point was probably one of the most useful implements primitive man had, it being his dependence in both the chase and war.
Plate I. shows a collection of the chipped implements, No's 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, are, without doubt, spear-heads. No's 2 and 4, the usual form found in this section. No's I and 5 are rare forms, 5, particularly so. This is a beautiful specimen, finely chipped from jasper, and re- sembles the western specimens in both form and material. It was found in Highgate. No's 7 and 8, and 10 to 13, inclusive, are of a class of spec- imens that are found quite commonly. They are usually called spear- heads, yet their size and weight is such that they would hardly be suit- able for that purpose ; neither is there any provision made in the way of notches to aid in tieing them securely to a shaft. It is the writer's belief that these were agricultural implements, and were used as a spade or hoe. The fact that many of them are found worn smooth, as though by long use, seems to bear out this theory. No's 6 and 9 are typical turtle-backs, and are usually called knives.
Plate 2 shows objects of worn stone. Nos. 1, 2, and 3, are the ordinary ungrooved axe or celts. They are common in this locality, and show great variety of form, size and workmanship. These imple- ments were undoubtedly intended for some particular use, but were probably made to serve many purposes, according to necessity. As skinning tools they would seem to answer the purpose very well. No. 3, however, seems to be more particularly intended for that work; the blade or sharp edge of this specimen extends up the curved side nearly half its length. The blade is always carefully worked, and rarely shows any marks of severe use. Most of the specimens are "bush ham- mered" above the blade, probably with a piece of angular quartz. Some are found polished over the entire surface, and yet others are merely rough pieces of stone, which show no work upon them, excepting a
31
INDIAN OCCUPATION AND RELICS.
3
4
4m.
-
jim
/3
PLATE 1.
32
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
sharpened edge. No. I is a fine specimen of the polished celt. No. 4 is a fine example of the grooved axe. These are rare in northern Ver- mont ; so very rare, indeed, that the writer, in making a collection of about 3,000 specimens of stone implements, has succeeded in obtain- ing but three grooved axes. The grooved axe was probably used as a weapon, and with an elastic handle fastened to it with raw hide, it would answer that purpose admirably. Nos. 6, 7 and 8 are types of the gouge. No. 6 is an elegant specimen, finely wrought from very compact sand- stone, and nicely polished. No. 7 is a rare piece, a combined gouge and celt. The probable use of the stone gouge has been the cause of much discussion and study among collectors. The suggestion that they were used for tapping the sugar maple, is of course too unreasonble to deserve a moment's thought. The most plausible theory is that they were used in making wooden dishes and canoes, for digging away the wood after it had been charred Champlain tells of the manner in which the Indians, whom he met on the coast of Maine, made canoes by charring and dig- ging away the charred portion, and keeping up the process until the de- sired shape was obtained. Early travelers among the Southern Indians also speak of gouges, made from bones and shells, being used in making wooden dishes and canoes, by charring and scraping. The stone gouge seems to be characteristic of New England, and especially so of Ver- mont. As near as the writer can ascertain, they are seldom if ever found in the West, and but very few have been found in the South. They are certainly not common in this locality, yet they form an im- portant and interesting part of local collections. They are seldom found showing marks of severe use.
Plate 3 illustrates the more ornamental forms of ancient work. No. I is a rare and beautiful object of slate. It is symmetrical in form, and highly polished over its entire surface. A cross section of it is triangu- lar, precisely like a modern bayonet. This object was unquestionably used as a knife or dagger. There is a series of notches upon one end ; which is also beveled to admit of its being properly hafted. Nos. 2 and 3 are the rare and wonderful stone tubes. These were found in an ancient burial ground, upon the farm of William Frink, in the town of Highgate, about two miles north of the village of Swanton. As far as the writer can ascertain, this is the only place, with the exception of
INDIAN OCCUPATION AND RELICS.
33
52m
3
2
9
8m
8
7
PLATE 2.
5
34
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES.
Palatine Bridge, N. Y., in which this exact form of tube is found. The burial ground is of great antiquity, and of its origin, and of the people whose remains were placed here, the later Indians had not even a tra- dition. When this region was first settled by the whites, upon these graves immense pines were growing, and there is no knowledge of the number of trees that had previously matured and gone to decay. Within these graves tubes have been found to the number of about twenty-three It is to be regretted that more than half of these have been taken out of the state. They are from five to fifteen inches long, and the bore is usually three-eighths of an inch in diameter at one end, and three- fourths at the other, running remarkably uniform, in the larger and smaller specimens. At the end where the bore is largest, they are bev- eled both inside and out, so as to make a chisel edge, while at the other end they are square across. The material in the larger specimens is usually stone, in the smaller, sometimes stone, and often sun-dried clay. One specimen that I have seen was burned like pottery. Some of then when found were " plugged" at the small end with a bit of stone, nicely ground, and which fits perfectly when dropped in from the other end. There is, of course, no possible way of accurately determining the use of these tubes. Professor G. H. Perkins, who has made a special study of the implements from this place, believes them to be tobacco pipes, from their similarity to wooden tubes used as pipes by certain of the Northwest tribes; and also from the fact that nothing else in any way resembling a tobacco pipe has ever been found in these graves. With all honor to so good authority, I cannot believe this theory is correct, for these reasons: In the first place, the size of some of these tubes is an argument against such a use ; and again, the diameter of the bore is so nearly uniform throughout the entire length, that it would be impos- sible to get proper suction, while in the wooden tubes, known to be pipes, the diameter of the bore at the end intended to be placed in the mouth is much smaller than at the other. The writer believes that the name given them by the old settlers, when they were first found, viz., "Moose Calls," is nearest correct, and that they are, and were used as musical instruments.
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