History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 2

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 1170

USA > Vermont > Rutland County > History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 2

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HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

habitants. Rutland has over fifteen thousand inhabitants. The population of the county falls little short of forty-five thousand, more than seven thousand greater than that of any other county in the State. The latest fixed valuation was over twelve million dollars, nearly two millions larger than any other county in Vermont.

The territory of Rutland was, beyond question, subject to the nominal jurisdiction of the Indians, by priority right of discovery. At the time when the French and English began to effect lodgments in Canada and the north- ern part of the present United States, they found the country in possession of two distinct and wide-spread native peoples, speaking two different languages, which were heard in the different dialects of the tribal divisions. These two peoples, or nations, were the Abenakis, a name signifying " the people of the east," or, "those first seeing the light of the rising sun," and the great west- ern confederacy of the Five Nations (later the Six Nations), to whom the French gave the general name of the Iroquois. The Abenakis, under their various tribal names and organizations, were found in possession and un- doubted ownership of the present New England States bordering on the At- lantic. It is not the purpose to give a connected history of this occupation, further than this general conclusion deduced from an investigation : it is be- yond dispute at this period, that the Iroquois came into possession of the ter- ritory of which we are writing some short time previous to 1540, and held it and lived on it until the settlement of the State by our ancestors between 1740 and 1760.

During the colonial and Indian wars, the territory of Rutland county was a thoroughfare through which most of the hostile expeditions proceeded. The situation was such that it was exposed to the depredations of both English and French and was at times the lurking place of their Indian allies. From this cause settlements were regarded dangerous and impracticable, and it was not until after the complete conquest of Canada by the English in 1760 that any considerable settlements were made. Several points had however been previ- ously occupied as military posts. Previous to that time the whole territory comprising the present county was substantially an uncultivated wilderness. The men of New England who had participated largely in the wars had fre- quently passed over it in their expeditions against the French and Indians, and becoming well acquainted with its soil and general aspects, had imbibed a strong desire to settle upon it ; and no sooner was the territory opened for safe occupation, by the favorable results of war, than the tide of emigration sct strongly toward it from the New England provinces. The settlement of towns in a wilderness region like that within the then limits of Rutland county is influ- enced in some measure by laws similar to those which govern the spread of epidemics. The proximity of neighbors and distance to other settlements are weighty considerations with him who seeks a home where " the war whoop of

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SUMMARY OF EARLY HISTORY.

the savage might wake the sleep of the cradle," and where great care and vigi- lance would be necessary to guard his little flock from destruction by the wild beasts of the forest. Hence, the settlements on the west side of the Green Mountains, which began at the southern extremity of the State, progressed northward from town to town with considerable regularity, in the order of time. A similar order of time is noticeable in the issuing of patents, with the exception of the town of Bennington, which was chartered in 1749, when there occurred an interval of twelve years before any town north of it received a patent.

It was during this interval that the French war broke out (1755), which extended in its operations from Canada to the adjoining colonies of New Eng- land, New York and Pennsylvania and which finally terminated by the bloody battle on the Plains of Abraham, near Quebec, September 13, 1760, in which the British arms were victorious. The French, disheartened by their losses, were thrown into great confusion, and on the 13th of September the remainder of the troops and the city of Quebec were surrendered into the hands of the English. General Amherst, who had previously taken Ticonderoga and Crown Point, arrived before Montreal September 8, 1760, which place, with the whole province of Canada, was surrendered to the British.

The event at once attracted attention to the territory of Vermont, the ad- joining province, which had been transformed from a hostile to a friendly neighbor. Applications for charters of towns were now made in rapid succes- sion to Benning Wentworth, the colonial governor of New Hampshire, who was disposed to grant them on the most liberal terms; so that the principal towns in Rutland county were chartered in 1761. In most of these towns there was an interval, however, of several years between the time when the patents were granted and the commencement of settlements. By the terms of the charters an ear of Indian corn was required to be paid annually by the trustees of each town until December, 1772; after which, one shilling procla- mation money was to be paid annually for each hundred acres.

In ten towns of Rutland county, whose charters were granted between the 26th of August and the 20th of October, 1761, settlements were made at the following periods; Pawlet, 1761; Clarendon and Rutland, 1768; Castleton and Pittsford, 1769; Poultney and Wells, 1771, and Brandon in 1772. In similar progression of settlement, the settlements north of this county, with very few exceptions, were commenced at a later period. But the settlers who came before the Revolutionary War all left immediately after its commence- ment, and did not return until it was over. While women and children, how- ever, were thus compelled to abandon their new homes, and return for a sea- son to whence they came, the men generally joined the army, substituting for a time the weapons of war for the implements of husbandry.

" Pitching " before purchasing was the common practice of the settlers for

HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

several years. Indeed, the purchase money, or consideration, was at that early day of such small amount as to deter no one from a settlement who had made up his mind to seek a home in the wilderness. Beside, the purchase of a pro- prietor's right, or any number of acres on such a right, gave to the purchaser no advantage over any one else who had not purchased of selecting any par- ticular lot until surveys were authorized to be made. It will be observed from this statement of the customs obtaining in the early settlements of this part of Vermont that it was the policy of the proprietors to encourage settlements by the most liberal means. The general rule observed in all the towns was " that such man shall hold his lot by 'pitching' until he can have opportunity to sur- vey it." Although many "pitches " were made before title could be obtained to any particular tract, or lot, the settlers had no fears of being ousted or dis- turbed in their possessions, as the whole country was open to newcomers, with the exception of a few spots here and there, which were indicated by the smoke issuing from log houses or the burning of a fallow. But few, if any, of the original proprietors made settlements.

Such, then, was the mode in which the pioneer settlers and those who came at a later period selected their homesteads, and this was the condition of affairs at the time of the first actual settlement of the territory covered by Rutland county. A hundred and twenty-five years had elapsed since the Puritan first placed his foot on Plymouth Rock, and the English colonies had extended along the Atlantic from Maine to Georgia. More than a century had passed since the English had settled at Springfield on the Connecticut, the French at Montreal, the Dutch at Albany, and up to this time no white man had made his cabin in this local solitude. This was rather the hunting-ground of the fierce Pequods of the South, the warlike Iroquois of the West, and the blood- thirsty Algonquins and Coosucks of the Northwest. The bloody battles that may have been fought upon this soil between these warlike and hostile tribes can never be known, as no pen has ever described them. The thunder of the cannon from Forts William Henry, Crown Point and Ticonderoga announced that armies had met in deadly hostility in the solitude of the wilderness. The hunter-soldier, with his knapsack on his shoulder, had passed through the val- leys and over the hills on the old Crown Point road to the fields of conquest, looking upon the fertile lands that bordered the Otter Creek ; yet no settle- ment was made, for it remained disputed and dangerous ground until Wolfe scaled the rock at Quebec.

The early settlers brought their families and effects with them, mainly in midwinter, upon sleds drawn by their horses and oxen. They did not settle in neighborhoods, but frequently miles intervened between their cabins. The pioneers were energetic men, equal to the task before them ; of athletic frames and rugged constitutions, they faced the dangers and hardships of a settlement in the wilderness and gained for themselves a home.

SUMMARY OF EARLY HISTORY.

Soon after the War of the Revolution had ended, and the settlers had re- turned to their homes, flattering themselves that they might enjoy in peace and safety their possessions, at least what was left to them, and which they had secured only through the severest struggles and hardships, they were annoyed by a party of land claimants, who were nearly as destructive of the peace and happiness of the settlers as were the Indians and Tories in the time of war. Ejectments were served upon the settlers without discrimination ; for years they were kept in an unsettled, agitated state, in embarrassment and suspense, spending their time and money examining titles, gathering evidence, employ- ing attorneys, attending upon the courts, with the consequent costs, surround- ing their claims with boundaries, and even often purchasing new titles to land which they had supposed their own; while all their earnings were demanded in making improvements and the support of their families. The embarrass- ments, losses and distresses of the first settlers and the confusion and contest of claims resulted in many selling out and abandoning their landed possessions and removing to other sections, mainly to the northward and to the more quiet possessions along the shores of Lake Champlain. The troubles in New York were another source of hindrance to settlements. As there were double claim- ants to the title to the soil in many towns, buyers hesitated to invest, and the progress of settlement was consequently slow, until Burgoyne was defeated at Saratoga, and what was left of the British forces were driven south of the Hud- son. This, together with the resolute stand taken by Ethan Allen in with- standing the claims of New York, encouraged settlements, and the towns rap- idly filled up. Many Revolutionary soldiers who, in the course of their service, had visited this section of country, were pleased with it, and on their release from the army became permanent settlers.

The settlers generally on the New Hampshire Grants sympathized with each other in the controversy with New York. They banded together, con- stituted committees of safety and prepared to resist with force the execution of New York writs of ejectment. When New York officials crossed the border to execute legal processes they were seized, and those who would not respect the great seal of New Hampshire were stamped with beech seal, impressed from the twigs of the woods, on their naked backs. Some of the land owners were arrested and sent to the jail at Albany.

These preliminary observations from the general history of the early settle- ment of Rutland county indicate that the period of settlement was one in which the elements were surcharged with contention. It was just preceding the War of the Revolution. The liberties of the State and nation were at stake. The territory was claimed by two rival States, New York and New Hampshire, with neither of which were the people willing to unite. The set- tlers were, however, equal to the situation. The spirit they exhibited in a threefold contest is the spirit which the people have continued to manifest; it is the spirit which now burns in the bosoms of their descendants.

HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

People of this generation cannot have a very adequate idea of the situation of the country when Rutland county was organized. There was no means of travel but to walk or ride on horseback. There were a few sleighs and sleds, which served them well in winter, but there was not a wheel carriage in the limits of the county except ox carts or rough lumber wagons, and the condi- tion of the roads was such that they could not be driven faster than a man could walk. Most of the way the trees were cut down and moved out of the path, leaving all the roots, stones and knots to be run over. It was a greater task to move a family hither from Connecticut or Rhode Island than it is now to move one to the Pacific coast.

A Puritan element settled Rutland county. From Connecticut, Massachu- setts and Rhode Island they came here to seek their fortunes. Their virtues, their hardihood and their enterprise is to be recorded, as well as the growth and extent of these infant communities. The Christian home now stands where the wild beasts laid down a century and a quarter ago. Property is power and property is the daughter of industry. The people own the land in fee simple and till it with free labor. The county is made up of a cordon of similar towns. Each town is a little republic by itself, and the most perfect republic in the world. Public sentiment settles everything, and these sister towns act and react upon each other " as diamonds are polished by diamonds."

The purpose of this work is to seek out buried facts illustrating olden times ; call up some forgotten life that is worthy of remembrance ; identify places associated with important and stirring events ; tell the story of some venerable house that has sheltered many generations and been the witness of a hundred years of human happiness and human sorrows; gather up the traditions which the old people still hold in memory, but which will soon be swept into oblivion unless caught from their trembling lips and put into permanent records, and to thus make a history worthy of a county that has done so much for the progress and glory of the commonwealth.

CHAPTER II.

NATURAL CHARACTERISTICS.

General Character of the Surface of the Country -Geological Features - Description of "Sea Beaches," or Terraces, and their Location - Marine Fossils Discovered in the County - Unstratified Rocks - Other Interesting Deposits - List of Mineral Deposits in the County and their Location - The Marble Deposit - Clays and Pigments - Tron Ores - Copperas - Topography - Description of Prominent Mountains - Streams of the County - Mineral Springs - Lakes of the County.

I N advance of presenting the colonial history of the county, it is the purpose of this chapter to give in brief the topography of Rutland county, its geo- logical formation, its rivers, lakes, mountains, mineral resources and general natural characteristics, with sketches of interesting phenomena.

NATURAL CHARACTERISTICS.

The face of the county is generally uneven and the eastern portion moun- tainous. The range of the Green Mountains, which give name to Vermont, extends through the county from south to north and rises in several places to a height exceeding four thousand feet above the level of the sea; but they are not generally precipitous, and are most of them covered with timber to their summits. The loftiest of these summits are Killington, Shrewsbury and Pico. Among these mountains arise a number of streams which follow their declivi- ties into the Connecticut River on the east, or Lake Champlain on the west. The general surface of the county is not unlike that of the main portion of western Vermont, while its natural capacities and resources far excel those of many other sections. The first range of townships bordering upon Lake Champlain and the State of New York is pleasantly diversified with ridges and valleys, having few elevations of considerable height worthy of notice. These isolated hills rise usually in spherical form, are easily ascended and from their summits afford fine views of the surrounding country ; the cultivated fields, the flocks and herds, the farm-houses, orchards and groves; the dark forests rising upon the mountain side and the mountains themselves, the serrated peaks, all combine to form a picture not easily copied by human artist.

Beyond the first range of townships the country becomes more uneven and broken, yet it is valuable either for tillage or pasture, until the base of the Green Mountains is reached, which cover the extreme eastern part of the county and ascend to nearly the highest point of land in the State. Between the spurs of the mountains there are valuable tracts of land for timber and pasturage ; far more valuable indeed for the dairy and the raising of neat stock than they have generally been reputed. As the ascent to the mountains be- gins, the timber begins to gradually diminish in height, and finally an altitude is reached where vegetable life does not receive sufficient heat and moisture to support it, except here and there a few starved and stunted lichens that find a dreary abode in some niche or crevice in the rocks.

When this section was first visited by the Europeans, it was covered by one unbroken forest. The lakes and rivers were shaded by a growth of pine and elm, while the uplands were heavily timbered with maple, beech, birch and spruce ; these largely constitute the timber of to-day, except th pine, which is rare, even on the summits of the mountains, which were covered with a per- petual verdure of hardy evergreens. In those early days the forests and mar- gins of the lakes and streams were well stored with deer, bears, wolves, otter, beaver and a variety of other animals, which undoubtedly made this region the favorable hunting-ground of the natives; but the pursuit of the chase by successive generations has left the woodlands with but a limited quantity of game.1

1 Five years ago an effort was made through the enactment of protecting laws to re-stock the mountains with deer, which has proved somewhat successful, and they are frequently seen out upon the cleared fields on the outskirts of the forests.

HISTORY OF RUTLAND COUNTY.

The geological formations as they exist in the county are peculiar and in some regards distinct from those of other sections. To give a full account of their characteristics would require far more elaboration of detail than can be compressed into a single chapter. The county excels many others in the ag- ricultural capabilities of its soil, through the existence of lime in almost all her rocks in such a state that natural processes bring it out as needed for vegeta- tion This is a characteristic which Providence has hidden in the earth and provided for its elimination, creating a great source of wealth to our agricul- tural population. Most of the valuable rocks and minerals run lengthwise across the country, and are thus made accessible to most of the inhabitants. This is the case with the marbles, the slates and the iron, and others of less value. The main mineral resources seem inexhaustible in quantity and are of such kinds as will be in perpetual and increasing demand, as the population of the county increases. Coming generations will, therefore, excel the present in the development of local mineral resources, and constant explorations bring to light new facts of much scientific interest. The elucidation of science up to this period leaves us the right to presume upon a future general increase of knowledge in the geology of Rutland county. For our present purpose, only the main features of this topic can be noted.

Perhaps to the general reader the terraces, or "sea beaches " as they are often called by the scientific geologist, present a subject of the greatest inter- est. They are objects of common observation in Rutland county, and remark- able for their number, form and symmetry. Though valleys are so common in Vermont, the people do not enquire in reference to their formation, nor why their sides are lined with the terraces; but they make practical use of these eligible situations furnished by nature, as sites for pleasure grounds, dwellings, villages and cemeteries. Many of our towns are chiefly indebted to these ter- races for their beauty. In Rutland county Pawlet, Poultney, Brandon and Pittsford, are located along prominent rivers, and the beauty and attractiveness of their dwellings and public grounds arise substantially from their terraced sites. On Poultney River there are fine terraces for nearly five miles north of its junction with Lake Champlain at Whitehall. There are two terraces also on the Vermont side in West Haven ; these are composed of clay of blue and reddish material and extend some eighteen feet in height above the river in terrace form. In the northern part of Fair Haven there is a terrace one hun- dred feet high, on the east side of the river. It is at a point where the river changed its course in 1783. At the village of Poultney there is a wide plain which is bounded by a terrace. Upon Lewis Brook in the north part of the town is a terrace more prominent than any other on the river. Hubbardton River has three terraces upon its banks in the town of West Haven ; and there is a distinct basin of terraces on Castleton River, embracing the villages of Castleton and Castleton Corners. At these villages the terraces are broader

NATURAL CHARACTERISTICS.

than those of any other section, thus forming the village sites. Occasionally a third terrace is seen upon Castleton River before reaching West Rutland, where the river has cut through the Taconic range of mountains. In West Rutland, near the celebrated marble quarries, this stream runs through a low meadow; there are no other terraces upon it.

Otter Creek rises in Dorset, flows through Rutland and Addison counties, and discharges its waters into Lake Champlain at North Ferrisburgh. The lower part of its course is over Champlain clays, where the descent of its bed is slight, except an occasional fall over ledges of rocks. The upper part of its course is through an undulating country, near the western limit of the quartz for- mation and over calcareous rocks, except where it crosses a range of quartz rock in Rutland.

In the northeast part of Danby are well-developed terraces. Just above South Wallingford ledges of rocks form the banks of the creek, which may be considered the boundary between two basins of terraces. These terraces upon both sides of the creek extend from Wallingford to Clarendon village. Be- tween East Wallingford and Cuttingsville are large terraces of sand and gravel. At Cuttingsville Mill River cuts through a high ridge of rocks, forming a deep gorge in plain sight of the Rutland railroad. In the town of Rutland are ter- races of more than a mile in width, which are traversed by two railroads. The railroad in Rutland village is situated upon a terrace. Upon both sides of East Creek near the depot may be seen two terraces which extend to the northeast corner of the township. Very fine terraces are found in Mendon, but not equal to those in Chittenden and Pittsford. On Furnace Brook, in Pittsford, they are well developed ; here is also a curious tower of limestone. About two miles north of Pittsford there is a fine basin of terraces ; the scenery in the vicinity is quite picturesque. A very distinct beach continues to Brandon, upon which the village is situated; this extended terrace, like almost everything in Bran- don, is well formed and attractive to the eye. The course of the Otter Creek from this point to Lake Champlain is serpentine, a feature due to the loamy character of the meadow lands through which it flows.

The location of these various terraces have been thus given because they are constantly attracting more attention, not only from the tourist, but the in- habitant who has heretofore little understood their locations. It may be added that throughout the State along the principal rivers are numerous terraces, presenting a feature of deep interest.

Marine fossils have been found at Rutland on the Otter Creek five hundred feet above the ocean, and on Castleton River four hundred and seventy-five feet ; at West Haven, near Whitehall, N. Y., at one hundred feet. It is a re- markable fact that in the building of the Rutland railroad in 1848, one of the most interesting fossils ever found in New England was brought to light in the town of Mount Holly, comprising the remains of an elephant. The rail-

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History of Rutland County, Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 2

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co. Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Smith, H. P. (Henry Perry), 1839-1925. 1n; Rann, William S
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Syracuse, N.Y., D. Mason & co.
Number of Pages: 1170