BARRE.

BARRE.

David Goodwillie was settled over it in | Williamstown and west by Berlin, and 1791, and was their minister many years. lies about 50 miles northwesterly from The Rev. Thomas Goodwillie is the pres- Windsor. This township was granted ent minister. The first meeting house Nov. 6, 1780, to William Williams and was built in 1789. A small Congregational his associates, and chartered by the name church was formed in this town, October of Wildersburgh. This name being un21, 1829, and the Rev. Andrew Govan popular with the inhabitants of the town, officiated here about three years. It con- in the year 1793, a town-meeting was sists of 46 members. In 1811, the spotted called, to be holden at the house of Calfever occasioned great mortality in this vin Smith for the purpose of agreeing on and the neighboring towns. The typhus some other name to be presented to the fever prevailed in 1815, '16 and '17, and legislature for their sanction and approvcarried off a considerable number. The al. The meeting being opened, freedom principal streams are the Passumpsic, was given for any one to present the which falls into the Connecticut just be- name he chose, and the choice among the low the foot of the 15 mile falls, and Ste- number presented was to be decided by vens' river, which unites with the Con- vote of the town. Several names were necticut about two miles below the mouth proposed, such as Paris, Newburn, &c. of the Passumpsic. On these streams are Two of the voters present, Capt. Joseph several valuable mill privileges, the most Thomson and Mr. Jonathan Sherman, the remarkable of which is at Stevens' mills first from Holden, the other from Barre, on Stevens' river. At this place the river, Mass., each in their turn strenuously which is three rods wide, falls about 100 contended for the name of the town from feet in the distance of ten rods. At the which he came; and as the matter seemfoot of the 15 mile falls in Connecticuted to lie chiefly between these two, it was river, is a cluster of 21 islands, the lar- proposed that it should be decided begest of which is said to contain 90 acres. tween them, by boxing, to which they There are several other fertile islands of readily agreed. The terms were, that they considerable size between Barnet and Ly- should fight across a pole; but if one Some parts of the town are broken should knock the other down, they might and hilly, but the soil is in general rich then choose their own mode of warfare. and excellent for pasture and tillage. The meeting then adjourned to a new There is some handsome intervale along barn-shed, erected by said Smith, over the Connecticut and Passumpsic in this which a floor of rough hemlock plank had town, the ascent from which to the up-just been laid, and on this the issue was land is precipitous and rocky. The rocks to be decided. Agreeably to this arrangewhich form the precipice are principally ment, the combatants advanced upon argillaceous slate, and, just below the each other, and soon Thompson, by a well mouth of the Passumpsic, they rise from directed blow, brought his antagonist to 100 to 300 feet nearly perpendicular. Iron the floor, and, springing upon him at full ore has been found near the mouth of the length, began to aim his heavy blows at Passumpsic. There are three natural his head and face; but Sherman, being ponds in this town, viz. Harvey's pond more supple, avoided them, and they gencovering about 300 acres, Ross' pond, about erally fell harmless on the floor, except 100, Morse's pond, about 15 acres. The peeling his own knuckles. During this present head of boat navigation on Con- process, Sherman was dexterously plying necticut river is at the lower village in his ribs from beneath, when Thompson this town at McIndoe's falls. The prin- was soon heard to groan, and his blows becipal places of business are at this village, came palsied and without effect. Sherat the village at Stevens' mills, and the man then rolled him off, and, springing village at Randal's mills on the Passump-upon his feet, exultingly exclaimed-sic river. Statistics of 1840.-Horses, 529; cattle, 2,898; sheep, 6,601; swine, 1,711; wheat, bush. 4,652; barley, 412; oats, 39,672; buckwheat, 559; Ind. corn, 6,780; rye, 203; potatoes, 66,410; hay, tons, 4,815; sugar, lbs. 19,670; wool, 12,229. Population, 2,030.

man.

BARRE, a post town in the southeast part of Washington county, lies in latitude 44° 11' and longitude 4° 31', and contains 31 square miles, or 19,900 acres. It is bounded north by Montpelier and Plainfield, east by Orange, south by Рт. ш.

2

"There, the name is Barre, by God!" Accordingly a petition for the name Barre was presented, and sanctioned by the legislature the same year. The day following this encounter, Sherman called on Dr. Robert Paddock, the physician of the town, who was an eye-witness of the transaction, and is still living, and who related these particulars to the writer, and requested him to extract from his back and posteriors the hemlock splinters he had received while writhing on the plank floor. In 1758, Samuel Rogers

BARRE.

BARRE.

of deaths and removals, are not known as a society in the town. The inhabitants of this town were remarkably healthy till the year 1795, when the scarlet fever or canker rash made its appearance as an epidemic, and prevailed for about a year, during which time almost every child, some young people and several 30 or 40 years old had the disease, but it proved fatal only to children. From this time it was generally healthy till February, 1811, when the spotted fever made its appear

and John Goldsbury, one from Bradford, | village and fitted it up for a store, methe other from Hartland, Vt., with their chanic shops, &c. The Methodist sociefamilies, moved into this town and began ty is large and respectable, numbering converting the wilderness into farms. about 150 communicants, belonging to The next year a number of other families the town. They are usually supplied by came in, and from this time the town set- stationed preachers, whose term of sertled rapidly by emigrants from Worcester vice is commonly two years. The Rev. county, Mass., and from New Hampshire John Currier is their present preacher. and Connecticut. The town was organ- A Universalist society was organized ized, March 11, 1793, and Joseph Dwight here soon after the commencement of the was first town-clerk. It was first repre- settlement. In 1808, the Rev. Paul Dean, sented in the General Assembly in 1796, now of Boston, was ordained over said by Asaph Sherman. The religious soci- society, but soon left the town. From eties are Congregationalists, Methodists, that time they had not regular preaching, and Universalists, each of which have a till the year 1821, when they settled the meeting house; the Congregational meet- Rev. John E. Palmer as their minister, ing house is 60 by 50 feet and was built and in 1822, they erected a brick meeting in 1808-it stands on an elevation one-house in the south or upper village. Of fourth of a mile east of the north or low- late they usually have preaching about er village, on the Road to Chelsea. The half the time on the Sabbath, and Mr. Rev. Aaron Palmer was ordained to the Palmer is employed in the neighboring pastoral care of the Congregational church towns. The number who nominally beFeb. 23, 1807. He was a pious and faith-long to the society is larger than either ful minister of Christ; but having a del- of the former. The Baptists, by reason icate constitution, he fell a victim to a quick consumption, which terminated his earthly career on the 7th of February, 1821. He lived beloved and died lamented. The next year the Rev. Justus W. French received a call by said church and society to settle as their minister, and was ordained May 23, 1822. He remained their pastor 10 years, and was dismissed on account of ill health. From this period till 1840, two other ministers were settled over said church and society, and dismissed by counsel, viz. Rev. Jo-ance, and soon became alarming. Those seph Thacher and Rev. James R. Whee- who did not recover seldom lived over 36 lock. Rev. Andrew Royce, their present hours, and some died within 3 or 4 hours minister, received a call and was ordain- from the time they were attacked with ed as pastor over said church and society, the disease. The approach of warm Feb. 18, 1841. In 1840, a majority of the weather put a stop to its ravages. In the church and society, believing the loca- winter of 1812 and '13, the inhabitants tion of the old meeting house to be in- were visited by much the most fatal epiconvenient and unfavorable to their pros-demic disease that has ever prevailed in perity, built a new meeting house in the the town-it was an inflamation of the village, one-fourth of a mile west of the lungs with a fever of the typhoid kind, other; it is of brick, 65 by 44 feet, built in commonly called pneumoniac Typhoides. the modern style, and is a good building; The subjects of this disease were generalthis created some little dissention and al-ly people of middle age, and many who ienation of feeling with a minority, but it were heads of families were swept off by is believed all are at present happily uni-it. It was much more fatal to males than ted. The members belonging to the Congregational church may be estimated at 180. In the year 1838, the Methodists built a new and elegant meeting house, in the lower village, 62 by 44 feet. It was built in the modern style and well finished, and has the appendage of a good bell. This and the other new meeting house stand about 15 rods apart. Previous to building the new, the society sold their old meeting house to a number of individuals who removed it to a central part of the

to females. Warm weather put a stop to its ravages, and the people have since, with few exceptions, been remarkably healthy.* Dr. Robert Paddock from Connecticut, moved into this town in Aug., 1794, and for many years was the principal physician. There are, at present, three others. The soil is, in general, a dry warm loam, free from stone, and as

inclusive, were as follows: 1808, 16; 1809, 16; 1810, 24; 1811, 33; 1812, 34; and 1813, 70.

*The number of deaths in Barre from 1808 to 1313

BARRE.

BARRE.

well adapted to agricultural pursuits as | camp, near the mouth of this stream, lyany township in the county. The sur- ing on a bed of beaver skins, with a tin face is uneven, but there are no elevations kettle, containing herbs, probably for of much consequence except Cobble and medicine, hanging over the place where Millstone hills, so called, the first in the he had built a fire. He was buried near easterly, the other in the southeast part the spot, and from him the branch receivof the town, each of which is made up of ed its name. Jail branch rises in Washan almost solid mass of granite. The ington, [see Washington,] runs northergranite is of a light gray color, and is not ly into Orange, thence westerly into Barsurpassed by any in New England. Jail re, and unites with Stevens' branch a litBranch washes the base of Cobble hill tle south of the lower village, and near on the southwesterly side, from which it the centre of the town. These streams, rises abruptly, and, in some places, almost in their passage through the town, afford perpendicularly to the height of about many excellent mill and other water priv500 feet. On the east, north and west, it ileges. There are two considerable villasubsides gradually to the adjoining farms, ges in town, commonly denominated the so as to be easy of ascent with teams, to upper and the lower, or Barre and south its summit. The region here, mostly Barre. The lower village is situate about covered with granite rock, would, proba- three-fourths of a mile northwesterly of bly, form an area of about 200 acres. the geographical centre of the town; and Millstone hill lies about a mile and a half from its central situation, as the stage south of Cobble hill-it is a much larger road from Royalton to Montpelier, and swell and probably rises higher than the the stage road from Haverhill and Hanoformer. It is of hemispherical form, and | ver, N. H., to Montpelier, form a junction generally of regular ascent on all sides. here, it bids fair to become a place of conThe region of rock is greatest on the north siderable business. Within a few years and westerly part. This and the other this village has made considerable imhill contain inexhaustible quarries of this provement. Twingsville, situate half a stone. The granite for the State House mile north of this, is a neat little village in Montpelier was taken wholly from and has been built up within a few years, these hills, and transported thither with under the auspices of Mr. Twing; and teams; the distance from Cobble hill be- from its proximity to this, may justly be ing 8, from the other 9 miles. The Pil- said as belonging to it. In this village, lars in front of said building were taken united, there are two taverns, three from Cobble hill. This granite is a source stores, two houses of public worship, two of profit to the individuals who own it, school houses, one of which is 36 by 26 and as the country around advances in feet, two stories, built of brick; one improvement and wealth, it is eagerly starch factory, one clothier's shop one sought by those who can afford the ex- carding machine, one tin, stove-pipe and pense, as a most durable and ornamental copper plate manufacturer, two shoe article in building. It is used for base-shops, four black smith shops, one tannements, or under-pinning, pilasters and ry, one tailor shop, two plough makers, caps for doors, caps and sills for windows, one wheel wright, also, a grist and saw door steps, fence posts, acqueducts, and mill, a foundry and factory for turning many other purposes. It is quarried from iron, which belong to Mr. Joshua Twing, the rock by means of drilling and settling and deserve a passing notice. This facwedges fitted for the purpose, by which tory or machine shop is a spacious buildit is split to any length, thickness and ing of brick, 80 by 28 feet, two stories and depth, required. This stone, when does a good business in the line for which wrought by skillful workmen is capable it was erected, which is, principally in finof receiving a smoothness nearly equal to ishing and polishing castings for mills, marble; and there are a number of artists &c. and is the only factory of the kind in in the town who are engaged in working the state. In connexion with this building it. Large quantities of it are transported is a foundry, in which the largest mill to Montpelier, Burlington and other parts irons are cast, after which, by operation of the country. The principal streams of the machinery, (which is principally are Stevens' and Jail branches. Stevens' the invention of the owner,) they receive branch rises in Williamstown and runs a trimming and polish not heretofore north into Barre, and then takes a north-known in this part of the country. These westerly course through a corner of Ber- castings, in the manner in which they are lin,andunites with Winooski river between finished, have obtained great celebrity,, Berlin and Montpelier. Previous to the not only in this state, but in the neighsettlement of this town, a hunter by the boring states. Many sets of these castname of Stevens was found dead in hisings have found their way into Pennsylva

BARTON.

BARTON RIVER-BASIN HARBOR.

BATTENKILL.

nia, North Carolina, Missouri and Wis- |ganization there were 19 legal voters in consin. In the foundry, about 100 tons town. The Congregational church and of iron are annually wrought into these society here have a good meeting house, castings, together with stoves and vari- which was erected in 1820, and princious other articles of general utility. Mr. pally at the expense and through the inTwing is noted as a mill-wright, and has, strumentality of Col. Ellis Cobb of this annually, in his employ, in building mills town. The soil of this township is genabroad, and in the various branches con-erally very good. Willoughby's river runs nected with the factory, about 30 work- a short distance in this town, and falls men. The number of inhabitants in the into Barton river. Barton river runs village above mentioned, in connexion through the town from south to north. with Twingsville, is about 500. The The pond in Glover, which broke its upper village or south Barre, is situate a northern bound and run entirely out on mile and a half south of the lower, on the 6th of June, 1810, passed down this the road leading to Williamstown, and is river, making very destructive ravages ; a considerable village. There are here, a the traces of which are still to be seen. meeting house, with a bell, one tavern, There are several ponds in Barton of one store, a good grist and two saw mills, which Belle pond is much the largest. the grist mill containing four run of The outlet of this pond, which is one of stone, one carding machine, one foundry the head branches of Barton river, affords for casting stoves, &c., one clotheir's some of the finest mill seats in the counshop, one starch factory, one tannery and try. At this place is a thriving little vilshoe shop, one cabinet shop and two lage, containing two taverns, two stores, blacksmith shops. This place is central- and a number of mills and mechanic's ly situated as a place of business for the shops. There are in town two saw mills, south part of the town. Number of in- one grist mill, one fulling mill, and one habitants in this village is about 200. woollen factory. Statistics of 1840.—HorBesides the above there is another foun- ses, 287; cattle, 1,058; sheep, 4,447, dry, centrally situated between the two swine, 492; wheat, bu. 1,177; barley, 1,villages, for casting stoves, plow irons, &c. 072; oats, 8,632; rye, 46; b. wheat, 880; owned by J. L. & G. Robinson. Besides Ind. corn, 1,952; potatoes, 34,633; hay, the forementioned, there are in the town tons, 2,821; sugar, lbs, 26,041; wool, one other grist mill and three saw mills. 10,695. Population, 892. The town is divided into fifteen school districts, in each of which a school is generally maintained six months in a year. Statistics of 1840.—Horses, 543; cattle, 2,826; sheep, 8,997; swine, 1,255; wheat, bu. 3,560; barley, 794; oats, 26,901: rye, 698; b. wheat, 1,307; Ind. corn, 9,170; potatoes, 120,337; hay, tons, 6,938; sugar, lbs. 62,158; wool, 26,621. Population, 2,126

J. R.

BARTON, a post town in Orleans county, situated in lat. 44° 45' and long. 4° 49', containing 36 square miles. It is bounded north by Brownington, east by Westmore and Sheffield, south by Glover, and west by Irasburgh and Albany, lying 40 miles northeasterly from Montpelier. October 28, 1781, it was granted to Gen. William Barton, of Rhode Island, and his associates, by the name of Providence; and from him the town derives its name. It was chartered Oct. 20, 1789, and then took the name of Barton, in honor of the principal proprietor. The settlement of this town was commenced about the year 1796, by Jonathan Allyne, Asa Kimball, James May and John Kimball. The first settlers were from Rhode Island and New Hampshire. The town was organized March 20, 1798, and Abner Allyne was first town clerk. At the time of its or

BARTON RIVER is formed in the township of Barton. One of the head branches of this river, originates in Glover from the fountains of Runaway pond, and runs northerly into Barton; the other rises from two small ponds on the line between Sutton and Sheffield, and after passing through Belle pond,unites with the stream from Glover. Their united waters take a northerly direction, and, just before they reach the north line of Barton, receive Willoughby's river, a considerable stream which arises from a large pond of the same name in Westmore, and runs westerly eight or nine miles through the south part of Brownington and north part of Barton. From Barton, Barton river continues a north course, passing through the northeast corner of Irasburgh and eastern part of Orleans, into Memphremagog lake. This river waters about 160 square miles.

BASIN HARBOR. See Ferrisburgh.

BATTENKILL. This stream is formed in Dorset near the head of Otter creek, and runs south into Manchester, where it receives several branches; thence southwes terly across the northwest corner of Sunderland into Arlington, where it receives Roaring brook, a considerable stream, which rises in Sunderland,and several oth

BELAMAQUEEN BAY. BELLE POND-BELLOWS FALLS-BELVIDERE.

BENNINGTON.

It

er tributaries. It thence takes a westerly | Bennington in allusion to his name. direction through Washington, N. Y. re- was described as a township six miles ceiving in its course White creek, which square, lying six miles north of the Masoriginates in Rupert and Pawlet in Ver-sachusetts line, and 20 miles east of Hudmont, and falls into Hudson river, three or four miles below Fort Miller. The whole length of this stream is about 43 miles, and about one half the length of it lies in this state. It waters, in Vermont, about 225 square miles, and affords a number of very good mill privileges. Along its banks are considerable tracts of valuable intervale.

son's river. The grantees were William Williams and 61 other individuals, residing principally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. This was the first township granted within the present limits of Vermont, and the conditions of this and subsequent New Hampshire grants, may be seen in the Form of a New Hampshire charter, in part second, page 224. Immediately after the grant the proprietors met at Portsmouth and made a plan of the township, by which, after laying out 64 lots of one acre each, for each proprietor, near the centre for a "town plot," in conformity with the provisions of the charter, they BELLOWS FALLS. These are the most divided the residue into 64 equal parts, considerable falls in Connecticut river, which they distributed among themselves and are situated against the southeastern by lots. In the survey of the township, part of Rockingham. See Rockingham. which was made in October, 1749, an alBELLOWS FALLS VILLAGE See Rock-lowance, in conformity with the custom ingham.

BELAMAQEEN BAY. See St. Albans. BELLE POND, called also Belle-water pond, is 3 miles long and 14 wide, situated in the southeastern part of Barton. It derives its name from the clearness of this water.

of the time, of one chain in every thirty BELVIDERE, a post town in the north- was made for "swag," by which the ern part of Lamoille county, lying on the township was enlarged and made to inwestern range of the Green Mountains, clude about 39 square miles, instead of about 32 miles north east from Burling-36, the actual charter quantity. In a ton, and about the same distance north statement of the claim of New York to from Montpelier. It is bounded north by Avery's Gore and Lowell, east by Eden, south by Johnson, and west by Waterville, and contains 30100 acres. It was granted to John Kelly, March 5, 1787, and was chartered by the name of Belvidere, November 4, 1791. A considerable part of this township is mountainous and unfit for cultivation. The settlement was commenced about the year 1800, and in 1810 the population was 217, being ten more than at the present time. The township is watered by two branches of the river Lamoille, on one of which is a saw mill. Statistics of 1840.-Horses, 42; cattle, 246; sheep, 683; swine, 116; wheat, bu. 332; oats, 820; rye, 39; Ind. corn, 294; potatoes, 9,310; hay, tons, 553; sugar, lbs. 3,440; wool, 1,187. Population. 207

BENNINGTON, a half shire town of Bennington county, lying near the southwest corner of the state in lat. 42° 51' and long. 3° 53'. It is bounded north by Shaftsbury, east by Woodford, south by Pownal and west by Hoosic, in Rensselaer county, New York, and is 100 miles south easterly from Montpelier, 110 miles west by north from Boston, 33 north east from Albany, 160 northeasterly from New York, and 375 east by north from Washington. The township was chartered by Benning Wentworth, governor of New Hampshire, Jan. 3, 1749, and was called

the territory now Vermont, published by order of the assembly of that province, in 1773, it is said that the grantees of Bennington attempted to avail themselves of their grant in 1753, but were prohibited from taking possession by a proclamation issued by the governor of New York. Such proclamation must have been unnecessary, the disturbed condition of the New England frontier being sufficient to prevent the occupation of the lands till after the conquest of Canada, in 1760. The settlement of the town commenced in the spring of 1761. The most advanced posts at this time in New England, west of the Green Mountains, were two small forts, called east and west Hoosic; the one situated about a mile west of the present village of North Adams, Mass., and the other near the site of the meeting house in Williamstown. Here, forts had, for a number of years, given partial protection to some families in their immediate neighborhood, but afforded insufficient security against the French and Indians, to induce extensive settlements. There were, also, to the west of Bennington, along the banks of the Hoosic, a few Dutch families, four of which had seated themselves as far up the river as Pownal. It is believed none of the grantees of the town ever removed to Bennington. The first settlers were purchasers under the original proprietors and came from Mas