MANCHESTER. 305; wheat, bush. 853; barley, 283; oats, 3,955; rye, 150; buck-wheat, 1,069; Indian corn, 962; potatoes, 15,310; hay, tons, 863; sugar, lbs. 11,200; wool, 3,356. Population, 271. MANSFIELD. al rods in different directions, but its extent has never yet been ascertained. There are two pleasant villages called the north or Factory Point, and south village. The south village is pleasantly situated on elevated ground. It contains a bank, a jail erected in 1787 in connexion with a court house, an academy, built in 1818, an elegant brick court-house built in 1822, a meeting house, the Burr seminary,* several stores, taverns, mechanics' shops, &c. The town is divided into ten school districts, with school houses. There are 4 stores, 1 grist and 12 saw mills, 1 woollen factory, and 1 tannery. Statistics of 1840.-Horses, 320; cattle, 1,351; sheep, 7,989; swine, 691; wheat, bush. 1,481; oats,9,145; rye,1,083; buck-wheat, 2,073; Indiancorn, 5,764; potatoes, 30,567; hay, tons, 3,553; sugar, lbs. 34,950; wool, 23,010. Population, 1,590. a range of transition granular lime rock, and here are inexhaustible quantities of beautiful white marble, $50,000 worth of which, is anually exported. The most interesting minerals are calcarious spar, staMANCHESTER, a post and half shire lactites, mica, feldspar, and specular oxyde town in Bennington county, is in lat. 43 of iron. On the farm of J. S. Petibone, 10' and long. 4° 1', and is bounded north is an extensive bed of agaric mineral and by Dorset, east by Winhall, south by Sun- calcarious tufa. The soil is various, bederland and west by Sandgate. It is 22 ing primitive, diluvial and alluvial. The miles north from Bennington, 48 from diluvial beds of sand are of great valTroy and 32 south from Rutland. It was ue in the sawing and manufacture of chartered Aug. 11, 1761,containing about marble. On the east side of the Equinox 40 square miles. The settlement of this mountain, upon a farm formerly belongtownship was commenced in 1764 by Sam-ing to the late Hon. Richard Skinner, is uel Rose and others from Dutchess coun- a cavern, which has been explored severty, N.Y. The town was organized in 1766, and Stephen Mead was first town clerk. It was first represented in the General Assembly in 1778, by Gideon Ormsby and Stephen Washburn. The religious societies are Congregationalists, Baptists and Epicopalians. The two former have been under the care of successive pastors from an early period, but we have not been able to obtain particulars. The present minister of the Congregational church is the Rev. James Anderson. The Episcopal church, called Zion's Church, is one of the oldest in the state. In Oct. 1782, 24 persons here united in inviting the Rev. Gideon Bostwick to the care of the parish. The Rev. James Nichols and the Rev. Daniel Barber were also early ministers. From 1802 to 1825 the Rev. Abraham Bronson officiated half the time, and from 1825 to '33, the whole time, when he resigned and left the diocese. The Episcopal church was built in 1821, at the village called Factory Point. The ministers since 1833, have been the Rev. Freeman Lane, Rev. A. H. Cull, and Rev. John T. Sabine, who is the present rector.Communicants, 35. There are here four practising physicians and four attorneys. The principal stream is the Battenkill, which rises in Dorset and runs through the township in a southwesterly direction. It receives here as tributaries, Lye brook, Bourne brook, Glebe brook, and Mill brook. These streams afford a great number of excellent mill privileges. The habitable parts of this township lie between the Green Mountains on the east and the Equinox mountain on the west. The latter is the highest summit in this section of the state, and is, according to the the admeasurement of Capt. A. Partridge, 2915 feet above the site of the courthouse in Manchester south village, and 3706 feet above tide water. Through the east part of the township runs a range of granular quartz from north to south. Contiguous and parallel to this on the west is MANSFIELD, a township in the south part of Lamoille county, is in lat. 44 29' and long. 4° 13', and is bounded northerly by Sterling, easterly by Stow, southerly by Bolton, and westerly by Underhill. It is situated 20 miles northwest from Montpelier, and the same distance east from Burlington; was chartered June 8, 1763, containing 23,040 acres. Nov. 15, 1839, the western part of this township was annexed to Underhill. In the year 1800 this township contained 12 inhabitants. The settlement was commenced a short time previous The eastern part of the township adjoining Stow, is an excellent tract of land, and to this the settlement is confined. The remaining part of the township is very mountainous and incapable of ever being settled. The eastern part is watered by two considerable branches of Waterbury river. The town is organized and has been several years represented in the General Assembly. The highest land in the state is in this town, the highest summit, called the Chin, be *See part second, page 168. MANSFIELD MOUNTAINS. ing near the northwest corner. MANSFIELD MOUNTAINS, extend through the township of Mansfield from north to south. They belong to the western range of the Green Mountains, and exhibit some of the loftiest summits in the state. From a distance, these mountains are thought to bear some resemblance to the face of a man lying on his back; and hence, the two most prominent summits are denominated the Nose and the Chin. The Chin is the highest land in Vermont, according to Capt. A. Partridge's admeasurement, and is 4,279 feet above tide water. The height of the Nose above tide water is 3,983 feet. According to the trigonometrical measurements of E. F. Johnson, Esq., the height of the Chin, is 4,359 feet, and of Camel's Hump, 4,220. See Diagram, part I, page 3. MARLBOROUGH. Statistics settlers, both as a nurse and a midwife. She possessed a vigorous constitution, and frequently travelled through the woods on snow shoes, from one part of the town to another, both by night and day, to relieve the distressed. She lived to the advanced age of 87 years, officiated as midwife at more than 2,000 births, and never lost a patient. The first town meeting on rec ord was held May 8, 1775, and William Mather was the first town clerk. Another meeting was held on the 22d of the same month, to know the minds of the people with respect to the impending war with Great Britain. At this meeting they passed the following resolutions: "Resolved, We will, each of us, at the expense of our lives and fortunes, to the last extremity, unite and oppose the last cruel, unjust and arbitrary acts of the British Parliament passed for the sole purpose of raising a revenue, &c. Resolved, We will be contented and subject to the Hon. Continental Congress in all things which they shall resolve for the peace, safety, and welfare of the American colonies." When the news of the Lexington battle reached here, several young men shouldered their guns and hastened to the field of action. In 1777, Capt. Francis Whitmore was sent as a delegate to the convention at Windsor, and in 1778 Dr. Samuel King was sent as the first representative to the legislature, which met that year at Windsor. The Congregational church in this town was organized by Rev. Joseph Lyman, D. D., of Hatfield, Mass., Oct. 20, 1776. It consisted, at first, of nine male and eight female members. On the 9th of December, 1778, the Rev. Gershom C. Lyman, D. D. was ordained and settled over this church and society, he having preached here about one year before this time. Mr. Lyman continued ably and faithfully to discharge the duties of his sacred office till the time of his death, which took place on the 13th of April, 1813, in the 61st year of his age, and the 35th of his ministry. In his last sickness he was an example of patience and resig nation, and died in the full faith of that gospel which he had preached, and in the full assurance of a happy immortality. Rev. Ephraim H. Newton was then settled over the church and society, and continued until about the year 1833. Since that time Rev. Benjamin H. Pitman, Rev. Josiah Peabody, and Rev. Elisha Smith, have been their ministers at different times; the latter being their present minister. The first meeting house was built in 1779. The Congregationalists erected a new meeting house in 1820. In 1822 the old meeting house was taken MARLBOROUGH, a post town in the central part of Windham county, is in lat. 42 53' and long. 4° 26', and is bounded north by Newfane and a part of Dover, east by Brattleboro' and a part of Dummerston, south by Halifax, and west by Wilmington. It lies 24 miles east from Bennington and 44 miles southwest from Windsor. The township is 6 miles square. It was chartered April 29, 1751, but the charter was forfeited in consequence of not complying with its requisitions. The proprietors urged as a reason for their neglect the intervention of the Indian and French war, and succeeded in getting their charter renewed by the same authority, New Hampshire, Sept. 21, 1761. The charter was given to one Timothy Dwight, and his associates, of Northampton, Mass., and its vicinity. The settlement was commenced as early as the spring of 1763, by Abel Stockwell, from West Springfield, Mass., and Thomas Whitmore, from Middletown, Ct. Whitmore came in by the way of Halifax, and settled in the south part of the town, and Stockwell by the way of Brattleboro', and settled in the eastern border. These families spent nearly a year in town, and endured many hardships, without any knowledge of each other, each considering his own the only family in town. Whitmore brought his provisions from Deerfield, Mass., on his back, distance from 20 to 30 miles. Mrs. Whitmore spent most of the winter of 1765 alone, lier husband being absent in the pursuit of his calling, as a tinker. Mrs. Whitmore was very useful to the MARLBOROUGH. MARLBOROUGH. ed Newfane.* Chs. Phelps,a lawyer from down, and a commodious town house erec- of this town, received a letter from Col. ted. There is also a respectable Baptist Sargeant, of Brattleboro', calling upon church and society, partly in this town the inhabitants to defend themselves aand partly in Newfane. A Baptist meet-gainst the Indians and tories, who had reaching house was built here in 1815. Rev. Phinehas Howe is their pastor. The Universalists convene at the town house, and have preaching some part of the time, from ministers abroad. Centre mountain is a considerable elevation, and is so called on account of its being situated near the centre of the township. Allen's pond in the northeast part of the town, is about 1 mile long and three quarters of a mile wide. South pond, in the south part, is about the same size. It is watered by the west branch of West river, Whetstone brook, and Green river, which rise here and afford several valuable mill seats. The only mill privilege which is permanent through the year, is on the outlet of South pond. On this stream is situated the fulling mill and carding machine owned by Dan Mather, Esq., also the mill for manufacturing starch,owned by Messrs Cotton and Dan Mather, Esqrs. The soil is, in general, rich and deep, and produces good crops of grass, rye, corn, wheat, oats, barley, flax, potatoes, apples, pears, plums, and various wild fruits. In 1838 the females formed themselves into an association for the purpose of making clothing to send to foreign nations, and in 1840 they also formed themselves together and purchased a library, for the purpose In 1771 the Rev. Abner of improving their minds by reading mor- Reeve, of Brattleboro', married the first al and religious books. Each of said soci- couple (Perez Stockwell and Dinah Fay) eties succeeded very well, and probably in this town. James Ball died here in much good will arise therefrom. The tim- December, 1762, aged 26. This was the ber is beech, birch, maple, bass, spruce, first death known to occur in town. The oak, hemlock, pine, fir, ash, and cherry. same year, Col. Williams erected a saw The minerals are sulphur, serpentine, gar- mill, which was the first mill built in nets, steatite of different varieties, clay, town. Capt. Nathaniel Whitney was a sulphuret of iron, and sulphuret of cop- celebrated hunter. In 1773 he killed a per. There are some springs impregna- bear, a little west of this township, which ted with sulphur and iron. Sometime weighed, after being well dressed, 466 since there was a stone dug out of the pounds. Of bears and deer, Capt. Whitearth in the south part of the town, in the ney killed more than 100 of each. He shape and form of a tapping iron, which also killed one moose and 14 wolves. is supposed was dropped by the Indians Rev. Abner Reeve preached the first serwhen the town was nothing but a wilder-mon ever preached in town in 1774, from ness, and before it was inhabited by white people. During the year 1780 the inhabitants, in this vicinity, were in continual apprehension of a hostile visit from the Indians and tories, and meetings were held to concert measures for the common safety, whereupon it was agreed that every able bodied man should hold himself in constant readiness to defend the settlements. On the eve of the last day of October, in the same year, after a clear and pleasant day, a violent snow storm commenced, and this evening Mr. Stockwell, Mark xvi. 15. The first physician in town was Samuel King. The following are those who have since practised here, viz: Docts. Morgan, Wood, Torrey, Baldwin, Percival, Taylor, Greenleaf, Ransom, Smith, Pulsipher, and Ebenezer Tucker. The latter has practised in town for more than 20 years, and has had great success. A stage runs through this town daily For the particulars respecting this alarm, see Part 2d, p. 70, and also article, Athens, Part third. There is a discrepancy in the dates,but both undoub?edly have reference to the same event. MARSHFIELD. MEMPHREMAGOG LAKE. from Brattleboro' to Wilmington. There only stream of consequence. The surare, in town, 13 school districts and 13 face of this township is very uneven. school houses, 9 saw, 2 grist and 1 fulling That part of it west of the river is tim mill, 1 carding machine, 1 store, 1 tan- bered with hard wood, and the soil is nery, 2 wheelwrights, 3 blacksmiths and good. East of the river the timber con2 shoemakers. Statistics of 1840.-Hors- sists principally of evergreens, and the es, 201; cattle, 2,067; sheep, 3,925; surface is broken, wet and stoney. The swine, 936; wheat, bus. 857; barley, eastern part is considerably unsettled. 438; oats, 5,040; rye, 911; buckwheat, This town is watered principally by Wi171; Indian corn, 2,982; potatoes, 51,- nooski river. In this stream is here a 648; hay, tons, 3,695; sugar, lbs. 23,545; fall, said to be 500 feet in the distance of wool, 8,439. Pop. 1,027. J.W.& W.S.N. 30 rods. A good view of it may be had MARSHFIELD, a post township in the from the road leading from Marshfield to east part of Washington county, is in lat. Cabot, and it is worthy the attention of 44° 19' and long 4° 38', and is bounded the traveller. In the northeast part of northerly by Cabot, easterly by Peacham the town is a considerable natural pond. and Harris' gore, southerly by Plainfield, The rocks are principally slate and granand westerly by Calais and a part of ite. In the north part of the town is a Montpelier. It lies 12 miles northeast small village, containing a meeting house, from Montpelier, and 16 miles southwest tavern, 1 store, 1 saw and 1 grist mill, from Danville. This township was gran-1 clover mill, and I clapboard and shingle ted to the Stockbridge tribe of Indians, machine. There are in town 13 school disOctober 16, 1782, and chartered to them tricts, 11 school houses, 1 grist, 1 clover June 22, 1790, containing 23,040 acres. and 6 saw mills, and 1 carding machine. The township was purchased of the In- Statistics of 1840.-Horses, 227; cattle, dians by Isaac Marsh, Esq, of Stockbridge 2,187; sheep, 4,863; swine, 525; wheat, Mass., from whom the town derives its bus. 2,351; barley, 93; oats, 14,466; rye, name, for 140l. lawful money, and was 451; buckwheat, 1,477; Ind. corn, 3,22; deeded to him, July 29, 1789. The deed potatoes, 50,256; hay, tons, 3,966; sugar, was signed by 18 Indians, who were then lbs. 14,790; wool, 6,731. Pop. 1,156. residents of New Stockbridge, in Mont- MARVIN'S GORE, annexed to the east gomery county, N. Y. The improvements part of Highgate, October 23, 1806. were commenced here in the spring of 1790, by Martin and Calvin Pitkin from East Hartford, Conn. They left the town in the fall, and returned again the succeeding spring, accompanied by Gideon Spencer. Thus, they continued to spend the summer here, and abandon the township in the winter till 1794. This year, Caleb Pitkin, Gideon Spencer and Aaron Elmore moved their families here in the winter, while the snow was more than four feet deep. In the summer they were joined by Ebenezer Dodge and family. John Preston Davis, son of Ebenezer Dodge, was born September 17, of this year, and was the first child born in town. MEMPHREMAGOG LAKE, is 30 miles in March 1, 1795, Joshua, Stephen and Na-length, and two or three miles wide. It thaniel Pitkin and Solomon Gilman mo- lies mostly in Canada, only seven or eight ved into town. At this time, there were miles of the south end extending into Verfive families, consisting of 20 persons here. mont. This lake is situated about half The town was organized, March 10, 1800. way between Connecticut river and lake Stephen Pitkin built the first saw mill, Champlain, and that part within this state in 1802, and the first grist mill in 1818. lies between the towns of Derby and The religious denominations are Congre- Newport. A bay extends south into Orgationalists, Baptists, Methodists and leans. This lake covers about 15 square Christians. Elder John Capron of the miles in Vermont, and receives from this Christian order is the only resident min-state Clyde, Barton and Black river. The ister. A union meeting house was built here in 1826. There are in town 7 persons over 85 and one over 97 years old. Winooski river runs through the township in a southerly direction, and is the MCINDOES FALLS, a considerable fall in Connecticut river at the head of boat navigation on that stream, and opposite the southeast corner of Barnet. MCQUAM BAY, a large open bay in the western part of Swanton. MCQUAM CREEK, a small, sluggish creek connecting Missisco river with Me Quâm bay, and separating Hog Island from the main land. MEDWAY. Parker's gore was annexed to this township, November 7, 1804, and the whole incorporated into a township by the name of Parkerstown. See Parkerstown. waters of this lake are discharged to the north by what is called Magog Outlet, into the river St. Francis, and through that into St. Peter's lake, about 15 miles below the month of the river Richelieu. Up MENDON. MIDDLEBURY. on the west side of a small uninhabited | nington. It was chartered Nov. 2, 1761, island situated at the mouth of Fitch's and now contains about 24,000 acres. The Bay, and about two miles north of Canada line, is a considerable quarry of novaculite known by the name of the "Magog Oil Stone." The vein of novaculite is from two to eight feet wide where it has been quarried, and the length of the quarry is several hundred feet. It is situated beneath a cliff, and, at the top, is interspersed with quartz. The vein of novaculite runs parallel with the cliff and lake shore, and is so low that it is usually overflowed by the rising of the lake in spring and autumn. Large quantities of the "Magog Oil Stone" have been prepared for use and vended in various parts of the United States. The Indian words from which the name of this lake was derived, were Mem-plow-bouque, signifying a large expanse of water. On the east side of this lake the country is beautiful, with an easy, rich soil; on the west it is broken, and less productive. first clearing was commenced by Col. John Chipman, in 1766, on the north bank of Middlebury river, where the west and centre road from Salisbury now unite. At this time there was no dwelling-house in the state, on the west side of the mountains, north of Manchester, distant 60 miles from Middlebury. The prospects were so discouraging that Mr. C. soon returned to Connecticut and did not visit the township during the seven succeeding years. In 1773, Col.Chipman and the Hon. Gamaliel Painter, from Salisbury, Ct. determined to risk their all in effecting a settlement of this township. They came into the town in May of this year with their families,and threw up a small log hut for a shelter from the weather. Benjamin Smalley had previously commenced and built a log house, which was the first house built in town. Chipman located himself on the lot which he had commenced clearing seven years before, and Painter erected his habitation near the road leading to Salisbury, on the west bank of Middle MENDON, a township in Rutland county, is in lat. 43° 37' and long. 4° 10', and is bounded northerly by Chittenden, easterly by Sherburne, southerly by Shrewsbury river, near a spot of alluvial land, bury, and west by Rutland. It lies 47 miles south from Montpelier, and 25 northwest from Windsor. It was chartered to Joseph Banker and others, Feb. 23, 1781, by the name of Medway. Parker's gore was annexed to it, and the whole incorporated into a township by the name of Parkerstown, Nov. 7, 1804; and Nov. 6, 1827, the name was altered to Mendon. The town was organized March 11, 1806, and John Page was first town clerk. This township lies mostly on the Green Mountains, and much of it is high and cold land, and incapable of settlement. There are some good farms along the western border, and good grazing land in other parts. The turnpike from Bethel to Rutland passes through this township; also the direct road from Woodstock through Bridgewater, to Rutland. The town contains 3 saw mills and 1 tannery. Statistics of 1840.-Horses, 107; cattle, 526; sheep, 1,731; swine, 221; wheat, bus. 385; oats, 1,949; rye, 266; buckwheat, 188; Indian corn, 1,658; potatoes, 7,897; hay, tons, 1,013; sugar, lbs. 11,961; wool, 4,533. Population, 545. which had been an Indian encampment. On this spot are found numerous articles of Indian manufacture, such as arrows, hammers, &c. some being made of flint, others of jasper. A pot composed of sand and clay, of curious workmanship and holding about 20 quarts, was dug up here nearly entire in 1820. During the year 1773, the number of families was increased to six or seven, and four more joined the settlement the succeeding year, one of which was on the west side of the creek, which was then Cornwall. Before the revolutionary war there were 13 families within the charter limits of Middlebury, and 8 others in that part of Cornwall which was afterwards annexed to Middlebury. In June 1776, all these, with the exception of Daniel Foot and Benj. Smalley, left the town, and these, after being pillaged by the Indians, left in September, but returned in the following winter and remained till the spring of 1778. The Indians frequently visited the place in the absence of the settlers, and destroyed or carried off all the moveable property which fell in their way. In 1783, MERRIT'S RIVER. See Joe's brook. Smalley, Thayer, and Jonathan Chipman MIDDLEBURY, a post and shire town in returned with their families. They were Addison county, is in lat. 44° and long 3° followed by eight or nine families the next 57', and is bounded north by New Haven year, and by several more the succeeding and Bristol, east by Ripton, south by year. The first child born here was a son Salisbury, and west by Cornwall and of Eleazer Slawson in December 1773, and Weybridge. It lies 33 miles south from the first person who died was Zerah SmalBurlington, 31 in a right line southwest ley, who died in December 1776, aged from Montpelier, and 80 north from Ben-18. In 1784 Daniel Foot erected a build |