USA > Vermont > The Lake Champlain and Lake George valleys, Vol II > Part 11
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Ticonderoga is the home of many interesting stories and legends. Some have already been presented elsewhere, the most famous of all
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these tales being that of Duncan Campbell, of the Black Watch. Dif- ferent than any other story we have repeated thus far is one of a beautiful Indian maiden held captive by the French in the fortress. According to Cook, "Her attractions cost her the coarse and dogged attentions of a French officer, whom all her scorn and vehemence could not cast off. Completely in his power, her life became a continual torture. Walking by compulsion with him one night upon the walls, she saved her virtue by leaping from this giddy parapet upon the rocks below. The very limestone of this wall is ennobled, the very ruins among which she fell are glorified, by the touch of feet upbear- ing such a spirit and soul as hers. You will never forget the spot where, distracted, mangled, and dying, that Indian girl fell, nor regret the savage vehemence which pursued her murderer and his garrison."
Rev. Cook also wrote down an interesting story, from an early pioneer lady, of life in Ticonderoga in the early days. "We had heard that Ti was a paradise, that we should find pigs and fowls ready cooked running about with knives and forks stuck in their backs, crying 'eat us.' But when we got there it was all bushes. . . . Father took 14-feet boards and withed them up to four staddles that stood just right and covered them over, hovel fashion. We moved in. On the 15th of April came snow breast deep and there we were. It was a terrible storm-you could walk over the fences, and we gathered sap on snow shoes. We all went to cutting logs and when we got four walls locked together, half the roof and the chamber floor, we moved in. When we wanted groceries we had to cross the lake to J. Catlin's for them, but oftener went without them. I remember once going to a mill and dusting up flour from around the bolt that had worms in it, picking them out and so making bread. . . . When I wanted a broom I went out and cut a hickory club, dried and peeled it. Berries were thick. I remember going out to pick berries when my oldest son weighed twenty-three pounds. I laid him down among the bushes after nursing and picked two pails full. Then I picked another pailful in my great apron, and took the three pailfuls and my babe and carried them to the house. Next day I carried these over the lake to Vermont on horseback and brought back cheese, pork and flour. That was the way we got our groceries. . . . It don't seem scarcely possible now that the woods are cleared off, that such wolf- howling and kind of work ever were in these valleys. When I had
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nothing to do I helped my husband. I did not care what I wore, had or did-anything to help him. I worked there and was black as a nigger. We lived, as you might say, on work and love."
Westport Township is bounded on the north by Essex and Lewis, on the west by Elizabethtown, on the south by Moriah and on the east by Lake Champlain. It was formed in 1815. Its early history was intimately interwoven with the career of William Gilliland, for part of his 1765 grant was located here, while he established a settlement on the present site of Westport village which he named Bessboro in
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honor of his daughter. According to Caroline Halstead Royce the first home erected here was built in 1770. A settlement grew up here but it was obliterated during the Revolution and we know extremely little about it. When Charles Hatch (later Judge) came here from Essex in 1804, he found a tiny settlement, called Northwest Bay, struggling for existence. He was responsible for naming it Westport in 1815. As in many of the surrounding townships, the iron industry became of importance. Considerable lumber was also shipped. In 1855 Westport had a population of 2,041, divided among 408 families.
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By that time agriculture had become of increasing importance as evi- denced by the annual production of 31,500 bushels of grain, 3,000 tons of hay, 12,999 barrels of potatoes, 6,815 barrels of apples, 45,713 pounds of butter and 8,377 pounds of cheese. The largest settlement in the township today is Westport village, incorporated in 1907, which grew from 669 in 1920, to 790 in 1930. The only other village is that of Wadhams Mills in the northern part on the Boquet River. This was settled in the 1820s and was named after General Wadhams who first began to use the water power here. Its develop- ment was primarily based on mills. The parent township of Westport declined from 1,867 in 1910 to 1,492 in 1920, but increased to 1,534 in 1930. Like so many other communities in this area its future will depend largely upon the resort business. It has beautiful scenery and is one of the prominent gateways to the Adirondacks, being the eastern terminus of a popular route to Elizabethtown, Saranac and Lake Placid.
Willsboro is another lake town and is bounded on the north by Chesterfield, on the west by Lewis, and on the south by Essex. In some respects it is the most interesting town in the county. To begin with it was one of the earliest settled towns on the lake, the celebrated William Gilliland establishing a settlement called Milltown on the banks of the Boquet in 1765. It is claimed his home was the first house to be erected by civilized man on the western shore between Crown Point and Canada. Soon, we are told, there were as many as ninety-eight residents here, two gristmills, two sawmills, and many other buildings. During the Revolution, however, Milltown was wiped out. As has been related before, Gilliland met with all types of reverses, and never was able to reestablish himself. In fact his steps had been dogged by a cruel fate ever since he was a young man, when he fell in love with Lady Betsy Eckles. Her family frowned upon him with the result that he went to America to forget. In spite of the fact, however, that he was unable to take a leading part in the development of Essex County after the Revolution, he deserves an important place in the annals of this area and we are glad that today Willsboro is still named for him.
Willsboro was one of the four original townships of ancient Clinton County. Jay was detached in 1798. When Essex County was created in 1799, Willsboro was one of the four original towns of this political
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unit, as well. In addition to Jay it at first included Essex, Chester- field, Lewis, Wilmington, St. Armand, North Elba, and parts of Peru and Keene. It was reduced to its present limits by 1805. In spite of the destruction of Milltown, the fertile soil in the eastern section of the town and the mill sites on the Boquet River were bound to lure other settlers here. As early as 1784 there was a considerable immi-
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FIGURE SKATING,
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SEASON JY. 3AUG IS
(Courtesy Lake Placid Chamber of Commerce)
THE OLYMPIC ARENA AT LAKE PLACID
gration, and soon the village of Willsboro arose to replace the old settlement. In addition to farming, lumbering, of course, was a prominent occupation in early days. Considerable blue limestone was also quarried for ornamental and building purposes. In 1810 there was a population of 663, which increased to 1, 166 in 1825 and 1,932 in 1850. During the Revolution and the War of 1812 enemy boats entered the trough-like mouth of the Boquet. On the latter
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occasion the British intended to seize a quantity of flour deposited by our government at the falls, but were repulsed vigorously by a body of militia led by General Wadhams of Westport. In 1881 we find the beginning of the Champlain Fibre Company and the pulp and paper making industry in general, destined to be the dominant eco- nomic interest shortly. In recent years the population of Willsboro Township has been quite stationary, and the number of residents reported in 1930 was 1,612.
Wilmington is located in the northern end of Essex County, and is bounded on the west by St. Armand, on the southwest by North Elba, on the south by Keene, on the east by Jay and on the north by Clinton County. Its scenery is mountainous and beautiful. Here in the extreme western portion we find the most graceful and the first named of all Adirondack peaks, Mount Whiteface. Towering to a height of 4,872 feet, it is exceeded by only five others in the entire county. Like so many other peaks, its name was derived from its appearance. According to Carson it is the only high Adirondack peak that has been climbed on horseback. For at least twenty-five years before 1900 this was the customary method of ascent. It was also fre- quently climbed on skis and snowshoes. Today a fine highway makes it possible for tourists to drive automobiles up its slopes and enjoy the fine views from its summit. It is earnestly to be hoped that White- face does not go the way of other mountains exposed to the misuse of civilization, for beautiful scenery tends to vanish in front of white men as rapidly as did the Indian.
Where the western branch of the Ausable River enters Wilming- ton from North Elba we find another feature of grandeur and beauty known as Wilmington Notch. Here, on both sides of the stream, rise steep cliffs of solid rock, leaving barely enough room for the river in between them. The Ausable by itself is an important geographical feature of the town, entirely crossing it in a northeasterly fashion. It was down this stream that the settlers did their logging. When the town was taken off from Jay in 1821 it was called Dansville, but this name was changed to Wilmington the next year. Until 1844 it included the present township of St. Armand. Although iron ore existed here, this industry never was as profitable as in other towns, and although the numerous mountains were covered with fine timber, the difficulty of marketing lumber proved a serious handicap for this
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industry as well. Wilmington, however, had the distinction of lead- ing the entire county in distilling whisky from rye grown here. At present this township has a sparse population of only 567, but its picturesque scenery speaks favorably for the future.
It is with reluctance that we now conclude our story of Essex County-the land of majestic mountain peaks, lovely lakes and a glorious historical heritage.
CHAPTER X
Grand Isle County
Last among the Vermont counties included in this research is that of Grand Isle. By virtue of its location in the middle of Lake Cham- plain it is in some respects the most interesting. Except for the pen- insula on which we find the town of Alburg, it is composed entirely of islands. The whole surface is quite level and exceedingly fertile. In fact the county is so rich in agricultural resources and the scenery is so interesting and unique, with Lake Champlain in all directions, that it has been called the Eden of the valley. No man should pride him- self on his knowledge of Lake Champlain until he has motored across these picturesque islands. The county includes an area of only eighty- three square miles, divided into five townships. A more adequate realization of its small size is impressed upon us when we find that the next smallest Vermont county (that of Lamoille) is more than five times as large.
By virtue of its geographical location, the territory comprising Grand Isle County was a bone of contention between New York and Vermont, but in the final agreement between these two States it was awarded to the latter. When Franklin County (then called York) was created in 1792, the present townships of Alburg, Isle LaMotte and North Hero were included in that subdivision, while South Hero and Grand Isle townships were governed by Chittenden County. This circumstance was very displeasing to the residents on the islands. They cared little whether they belonged to one county or the other, but it was disagreeable to have their district divided in two. Year after year they petitioned to have the matter adjusted by the creation of a new county, but the Legislature did not take definite action until 1802. On that date the present county of Grand Isle was created, with the provision that its organization should take place in 1805.
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As in Franklin County, the abundance of relics indicating Indian occupation is great. In fact, if we compare the two counties and make proper allowances for the divergence in size of the two political subdivisions, we find that Grand Isle was the favorite camping ground of the red men. When the French began to penetrate into the Cham- plain Valley, it was here that they first made their settlement. It was on Isle LaMotte, in 1666, that the first French fort was built by Captain de La Motte, the island being named in his honor. A chapel was erected here at the same time to St. Anne, and the fort was known by the same title. It is said that the works were ninety-six feet wide and over one hundred and forty feet long. Around this fort a little settlement sprang up, and it was by far the first white settlement made in the State of Vermont, antedating the first English settlement at Brattleboro by more than half a century. All of Grand Isle County was marked off into seigniories by the French King, but these grants were of no real importance. No settlement was made on the islands except at Isle LaMotte, and even this was not based upon a grant, for this island was occupied half a century before seigniories were awarded. Alburg was a part of both the Foucault and the Lafontaine grants, while North Hero, South Hero and Grand Isle were all in the Contrecoeur Patent. When French military power crumbled in the Champlain Valley, French civilization and civil authority vanished also.
The first English townships in Grand Isle County were not granted until the closing years of the American Revolution, and no permanent settlement was made until the quarrel with England was ended. Dur- ing this conflict, because it was located in the middle of the great watery avenue of conquest, Grand Isle was intimately associated with both the English and the American expeditions that passed up or down the Champlain Valley. The interesting and important episodes of this period will be narrated under the history of the various towns. The same is true concerning the War of 1812. In 1790, the popula- tion of Grand Isle County was 1,292, while by 1800 it had increased to 3,787. Since that time the population has been relatively station- ary. Although it fluctuated slightly, reaching peaks of 4,276 in 1860, and 4,462 in 1900, there was in 1930 a total of but 3,944 inhab- itants. North Hero became the shire town in 1803, and has retained the honor ever since.
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The economic development of Grand Isle County has not been as varied as that of most other sections of the State. The land is so rich that agriculture necessarily is the main occupation, particularly because of the absence of mill sites. Although Isle LaMotte is right- fully famous for its peculiar variety of marble, farming has always been and still is predominant throughout the county. There need be no fear of its future. So long as people depend on the products of the soil for their sustenance, the fertile lands of Grand Isle will yield bountiful harvests. Yet in the Champlain Valley of the future this county is destined gradually to depend more and more upon its loca- tion in the middle of one of America's greatest resort areas. In the eleven great counties comprising this unique district, there are all varieties of scenery except seacoasts. Grand Isle has its own par- ticular marks of beauty and supplies that element which the other counties lack, for its broad horizons, wide heavens, and vast expanse of water seem strangely like the ocean. Air there always is, blowing in coolly and refreshingly from one side or the other. Against the shore sweep the majestic waves of Lake Champlain. The highway, pointing toward Canada, has all the freshness of a drive along the coast of New England. As we journey northward through these delightful islands, by prosperous farms on every hand, and over soil which nourished the first white settlement in Vermont, we feel that we are, geographically and otherwise, in the heart of the Champlain Valley.
First alphabetically among the townships of Grand Isle County is Alburg. It is not only the largest in area, but also is the most popu- lous, containing over forty per cent. of the county's inhabitants. It is the northernmost community, and is the only township not formed by islands. On the north it is bounded by the Dominion of Canada. Its history is long and eventful.
The first settlement was made as early as 1731, in the western part of Alburg on the peninsula known by the English as Windmill Point. The latter name arose from the stone windmill erected here in 1731 by Sieur François Foucault, the proprietor, at a cost of eight hundred dollars. The settlement proved abortive, however, as did an- other which was attempted in 1741. In time Foucault transferred his grant to General Frederick Haldimand, British Governor of Canada who attempted to detach Vermont from the patriot cause in the latter
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stages of the Revolution. His ownership was confirmed by the King of England. From him, the title passed to a Caldwell family that lived in a town near Quebec, and for several years the present town- ship of Alburg was called Caldwell's Upper Manor. As such it was settled and improved. In the meantime, Governor Chittenden had not been inactive. In 1781 he granted these lands to Ira Allen and associates. From this time on a controversy raged between the two contesting groups. In 1785, Henry Caldwell appealed to the Ver- mont Legislature to uphold his claims, but his action was doomed to failure because of the tremendous influence exerted by the Allens. There was not much open hostility, however, until 1792 when the Ver- monters attempted to organize town government. At that time it looked as if the British might use their garrisons stationed at Dutch- man's Point in North Hero and at Point au Fer in New York to force their rivals out. In 1794, Chittenden ordered Vermont militia to be held in readiness, and had all he could do to restrain Ira Allen, who commanded one of these regiments, from precipitating open warfare. What might have happened had it not been for the Jay Treaty we do not know, but in 1796 the British quietly withdrew. The first name attached to the township by Vermonters was Allensburgh in honor of Heman and Ira Allen, but it was later contracted to Alburg. In 1791 when Alburg was made a port of entry for the collection of duties on imports from Canada it had only about 400 inhabitants. From that time on the town's growth was gradual, its population increasing to about 1, 100 at the end of the War of 1812, while in 1860 it reported a total of 1,793, greater than the 1930 figure of 1,609. The communities now known as Alburg and East Alburg owed their existence to the building of the Vermont and Canada Railroad. Today Alburg, with a total of 633 residents, is the sole incorporated village of Grand Isle County. Between 1920 and 1930 it increased in population over fifty-seven per cent. In addition to the two villages mentioned, there is also Alburg Springs, in the extreme northeast corner, which was at one time a prosperous resort, although now very much deserted; and Alburg Center, in the central part, which was the original settlement in the township.
Prior to the battle at Valcour Island, Arnold's fleet was stationed off Windmill Point. On one occasion a deputy sheriff from Franklin County set out for Alburg to arrest a man named Griggs. Before he
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arrived at his destination, his prey sought refuge across the border. Not to be thwarted, the officer then pursued him into British territory and caught him. On the return trip to Franklin County, the ice gave way and the prisoner was drowned. As a result of this episode, Vermont officers were indicted in Montreal for murder. No trial was ever held, however. Although their action on the Canadian side of the border was clearly illegal, nevertheless the drowning was purely accidental and there was little danger that Vermont's Governor would surrender his fellow-citizens to the British authorities, particularly during this period of unfriendly relations. Prior to the War of 1812, Alburg Township was closely associated with smuggling activities, also.
In the southern part of Grand Isle County is the large island of the same name, known by the French as either Grande Isle or Isle Longue (Long Island), and originally named by the English, South Hero. This is divided into two townships, and the one comprising the northern section is known as Grand Isle. In other words, the county, the island and the township all have the same name. This, however, was not always so. The town of Grand Isle was originally a part of the subdivision called Two Heroes, which was granted by Chittenden in 1779 and which included all of the territory now found on the islands of North Hero and Grand Isle. This huge grant was made to a total of three hundred applicants for the sum of £10,000. When, in 1788, the original township of Two Heroes was divided into North Hero and South Hero, the present town of Grand Isle was included within the latter. Finally, however, in 1798, South Hero was divided, the northern part being set off and named Middle Hero, but it continued until 1810 to be represented in the State Legislature only in conjunction with the town of South Hero. The change in names from Middle Hero to Grand Isle was a later development.
Although the French surveyed the island in 1732 and although the town was included in the Contrecoeur grant of 1737, the seigniory was never filled with French settlers. The first white occupants were friends of the Allens, who arrived about 1783. The first town meet- ing of Middle Hero was held in 1799. Although situated in the middle of the Champlain Valley, the residents' farms never consti- tuted a battlefield. Pringle and Carleton anchored between here and North Hero in 1776 the night before their terrific battle with Arnold off Valcour Island, but that event antedated settlement by seven years.
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In the War of 1812, the Battle of Plattsburgh presented plenty of drama and many residents of Grand Isle took part in the engagement, but their homes were never seriously threatened. Although some smuggling took place before the war broke out, the town was little concerned with such events as the Canadian rebellion of 1837 and the Fenian activities. Today the town is sparsely settled and, according to the 1930 census, its population is but 857. In recent times it has not changed materially. There is but one hamlet, and in case the reader cannot guess this fact, its name also is Grand Isle. To write about a village of Grand Isle, in a town of Grand Isle, located on the island of Grand Isle and situated in Grand Isle County is a compli- cated task for anyone, like myself, who dislikes constant repetition of words or names within sentences, so I will simply close this paragraph by stating that this community has more of a summer resort polish than many of its neighbors and presents scenery that is extremely unusual in this section of our nation.
Next we come to Isle LaMotte, which is both an island and a township. To discuss this unusual geographical and historical gem, one scarcely knows where to begin. We approach it with reverence, for here we find the first white settlement in the entire State of Ver- mont, made by Captain de La Motte in those dim, distant days of 1666. Here he erected famed Fort St. Anne, adequately discussed elsewhere, and in its shadows French culture flourished for a brief time. Here was held the first Christian worship in Vermont, and today the shrine of St. Anne further hallows the ground. Here dur- ing the French wars and the Revolution, the island by virtue of its position in the very middle of the main channel of Lake Champlain was visited by most of the prominent commanders and was a stopping point for their men. Here paused the remnants of Montgomery's and Arnold's disease-ridden forces on their retreat from Canada in 1776, the starving, exhausted, discouraged men dying like helpless flies, from smallpox and finding common graves in the rich soil of Isle LaMotte. Off its western shore, Arnold anchored his fleet tem- porarily in the fall of the same year as he resolutely awaited the superior British fleet prior to the battle of Valcour. Here also, Pringle anchored his fleet in 1814 while on his way to his rendezvous with Macdonough in Plattsburgh Bay.
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Not only is Isle LaMotte ancient in settlement and preeminent by virtue of its military traditions, but it is also clothed in a mantle of great scenic beauty. It can safely be said that it is the most beautiful of Lake Champlain's islands without detracting from its neighbors. Through some of its surface there bulges a coral reef, said to be the oldest in the world, which reminds us that this area was at one time submerged in the sea. As if all these fine characteristics were not enough, this island has the reputation of containing the richest farm land in the entire State of Vermont. In addition it was blessed by deposits of beautiful marble.
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