BURLINGTON.

ble for building ground. This township has lake Champlain on the west, Muddy brook on the east, and Winooski river on the north. The latter is crossed by two good bridges leading to Colchester, and at the lower falls affords abundant water power for all kinds of machinery. From these falls to the mouth of the river it is 5 miles, while it is only 2 miles from them to the wharves in Burlington bay. The lower bridge crosses the river at the head of the lower falls. It is substantially built and well covered, and consists of three arches of about 80 feet span. The other bridge is a mile above and is called

BURLINGTON.

the "High Bridge." This bridge is over a chasm, worn in the rocks by the river, which is much visited as a curiosity. This bridge is only 75 feet in length but, at low water, it is 80 feet above the surface of the river. The rocks in the eastern half of the township are lime stone, and from them large quantities of lime are manufactured. In the western half they are sand stone and are extensively quarried for buildings and underpinnings. Among the sand rocks in the southwestern part of the township, is an excavation called the "Devil's Den," which is sometimes visited as a curiosity. Plan of the Village of Burlington.

Burlington Village, a ground plan of and west, are one mile in length, and which is given above, is not surpassed in beauty of location by any town or village in New England. It lies on the east shore of Burlington bay, and occupies a gentle declivity descending towards the west, and terminated by the waters of the lake. The principal streets running east

these are intersected at right angles with numerous streets running north and south and cutting the whole village into regular squares. A large share of the business on lake Champlain centres at this place, and the town is rapidly increasing in wealth and consequence. There are regular daily

40

BURLINGTON.

GAZETTEER OF VERMONT.

BURLINGTON BAY.

CABOT.

Winooski village is situated at Winooski lower falls, one and a half miles from Burlington village. A portion of this village, containing some mills and machinery lies on the Burlington side of the river, but it is principally in ColchesStatistics of ter, under the name of which town it will be more fully described. 1840.-Horses, 351; cattle, 1,455; sheep, 6,642; swine, 3,917; wheat, bu. 2,462; barley, 28; oats, 10,183; rye, 4,246; buckwheat, 1,427; Indian corn, 11,450; potatoes, 45,098; hay, tons, 4,241; sugar, lbs. 340; wool, 10,660. Population, 4,271.

BURLINGTON BAY, a large open bay, lying west of Burlington village, between Appletree point on the north and Pottier's point on the south and embracing the entrance into Shelburne bay.

lines of steamboats between this place and | and sloops-Winooski village, and WiWhitehall, between this and St. Johns nooski river dashing through frightful and between this and St. Albans, by way chasms, and then winding its way through of Port Kent and Plattsburgh, besides nu- the verdant and beautiful meadows at the merous arrivals of irregular boats, sloops, north-and, more remote, hills and dales &c. The boats from Whitehall and St. and farms and woodlands,-and last of all Johns arrive each day, Sunday excepted, the circuit of lofty mountains, whose peaks about 7 o'clock, P. M. and remain about and summits form the grand outline, and an hour to unload and take on board pas- render the prospect one of the most insengers and merchandize. The boat which teresting and delightful which our country runs to Port Kent, Plattsburgh, and St. affords. Albans, leaves Burlington each morning at half past seven, and returns about 6 o'clock, P. M. There are here three extensive wharves with store houses, at which the greater part of the merchandize designed for the northwestern section of Vermont is landed. For the safety of the navigation, a light house has been erected on Juniper island, at the entrance of Burlington bay; and for the security of the anchorage before the town, a break-water has been commenced here at the expense There are of the general government * three lines of mail stages, which arrive and depart daily, one to the north, one to the east, and one to the south. Besides these, there are several stages which arrive and depart twice or thrice a week. The stages generally leave in the morning and arrive in the afternoon before the departure of the line boats for Whitehall and St. John's. The trade of this place is principally with New York, although Boston, Troy and Montreal have a share, and the amount of mercantile business transacted here, does not fall much short of a million of dollars annually. The first regular mercantile store was opened in Burlington, in the fall of 1789. It was built by Stephen Keyes, Esq. and placed under the charge of Mr. Orange Smith. Plain, in April, 1785, by James Bruce, The second store was opened by Mr. Edmund Chapman, Jonathan Heath and Zacheus Peaslee. In the year 1800, the Benjamin Webster, with their families. number of stores had increased to six. The females came into the town on snowThey now exceed 30, and several of them shoes, and were obliged to suffer many do business amounting to from $50,000, to privations and hardships. This plain is near $300,000 each, annually. The village situated on the height of lands between contains about 400 dwelling houses, and Connecticut and Winooski river, and about 3000 inhabitants. The public build- commands an extensive and beautiful ings are the University buildings, six prospect, the outlines of which are formchurches, court house and jail, high school ed by the western range of the Green for boys, female seminary, and two banks. mountains and by the White mountains, The religious denominations The Universityf buildings consist of four in N. H. spacious edifices, located upon the summit are Congregationalists, Methodists, and at the eastern extremity of the village, Baptists. This town is the native place one mile from the lake, and 281 feet above of the late Zera Colburn, who, at the age its surface, and command one of the finest of five or six years, astonished the world prospects in the United States. The view by his extraordinary powers of cumputa from the dome of the centre University tion. The surface of this town is generbuilding, embraces the village-the lake with its bays and islands-its steamboats

*For an account of the Light House and Breakwater, see part second, page 216. ↑ Part 2d, p. 144.

CABOT, a post township 6 miles square, in the western part of Caledonia county, in lat. 44° 23 and long. 4° 42', and is bounded north by Walden, east by Danville and Peacham, south by Marshfield, and west by Monroe. It is 18 miles north easterly from Montpelier, and 65 north from Windsor. It was granted November 6, 1780, and chartered August 17, 1781, to Jesse Leavenworth and his asso. what is called ciates. The settlement of the town was commenced on

Cabot

ally uneven and the soil hard. The timber is mostly hard wood, with some hemlock and spruce. It is watered by Winooski river, which is formed of several

CALAIS.

CALAIS

branches in this town, and affords here | regale themselves with the pure spirit several mill privileges. Joe's and Molly's pond lie in the northeast part of the township. The waters of the former pass by Joe's brook and Passumpsic river into the Connecticut, while those of the latter pass by Winooski river into lake Champlain. At the centre is a small village, in which are a meeting house, erected in 1823, a store, a tavern, and some mills and other machinery. Statistics of 1840.Horses, 334; cattle, 1,943; sheep, 7,045; swine, 1,178; wheat, bu. 3,388; barley, 1,056; oats, 12,078; Ind. corn, 1,768; potatoes, 70,487; hay, tons, 4,489; sugar, lbs. 54,715; wool, 13,316. Population, 1440.

which had been permitted to slumber three years; and which they imagined must be much improved in quality by its long rest; but judge of their surprise, astonishment and chagrin, when on raising the earth, they discovered the hoops had become rotten-the staves parted, and the long anticipated beverage had escaped.* The settlement of this town was commenced in the spring of 1787, by Francis West from Plymouth county, Mass., who commenced felling timber on a lot adjoining Montpelier. The first permanent settlers, however, were Abijah, Asa and P. Wheelock, who started from Charleston June 5th, 1787, with a yoke of oxen, provisions, tools, &c. and wagon, two arrived at Williamstown, within 21 miles of Calais, the 19th. They had hitherto found the roads almost impassible, and here they were obliged to leave their wagon, and, taking a few necessary articles upon a sled, they proceeded towards this town, cutting their way and building causeways as they passed along. After a journey of two days and encamping two nights in the woods, they arrived at Wi

CALAIS, a post town in the north part of Washington county, is in lat. 44° 22' and long. 4° 52', and is bounded north by Monroe, east by Marshfield, south by Montpelier and west by Worcester; it is 37 miles east from Burlington, and 62 north from Windsor, was granted Oct. 21, 1780, chartered August 15th, 1781, to Jacob Davis, Stephen Fay and their associates, and contains 36 square miles. The principal proprietors and first settlers of this township were from Charleston, Mas-nooski river, where Montpelier village is sachusetts, and its vicinity. In the summer of 1783, the proprietors sent a committee consisting of Colonel Jacob Davis, Capt. Samuel Robinson and others, to survey a division of this town of 160 acres to the right. A Mr. Brush, from Bennington, was the surveyor. The committee and surveyor found their way to Calais with their necessary stores, and after running four lines on the north side of the first division, they abandoned the survey. Of their stores, then left, was a much valued keg, containing about 10 gallons of good W. I. Rum, which in council, they determined should be buried, which ceremony was said to have been performed with much solemnity, and a sturdy maple, towering above the surrounding trees, on the westerly side of Long Pond, with its ancient and honorable scars, still marks the consecrated spot. In August, 1786, Capt. Samuel Robinson, E. Waters, J. Tucker, E. Stone, and Gen. Parley Davis came from Charleston to this town, to complete the survey of the first division and survey another. This party, after arriving at the settlement nearest this place, which was at Middlesex, laden with provision, cooking utensils, blankets, axes, surveying instruments, &c. passed a distance of 13 or 14 miles to the camp, erected by the party who commenced the survey three years previous; often on the way expressing their anxiety to arrive, that they might

Pr. 111.

6

now situated. Here Col. Jacob Davis had commenced clearing land and had erected a small log hut, where they left their oxen to graze upon the wild grass, leaks and shrubbery, with which the woods abounded-proceeded to Calais and commenced a resolute attack upon the forest. They returned to Charleston in October. Francis West also left town, and returned the following spring, as did also Abijah and Peter Wheelock, accompanied by Moses Stone. They this year erected log houses, the Wheelocks and Stone returning to Massachusetts to spend the following winter, and West to Middlesex. In this year, also, Gen. Parley Davis, then a new settler, and now a resident of Montpelier centre, cut and put up two or three stacks of hay upon a beaver meadow, in Montpelier, upon a lot adjoining Calais, a part of which hay was drawn to Col. Davis in Montpelier in the following winter, which served partially to break a road from Montpelier to Calais line. In February or March, 1789, Francis West moved his family on to his farm, where he lived several years. March of this year, Abijah Wheelock, Also, in with his family, Moses Stone, Samuel Twiss with his new married lady, accompanied by Gen. Davis, from Charleston, arrived at Col. Davis' house in Montpelier, with several teams. His house was

the burial of the keg, they were not to be compared

*Whatever tears were shed, or groans uttered at

with the bitter agonies of its disinterment.

42

CALAIS.

CALAIS.

In a mere rude hut, constructed of logs 20 and the succeeding year, considerable adfeet in length, with but one apartment, a ditions were made to the settlement. back built at one end for a fire place, and the winter of 1794, Mr. Jennings, of this covered with bark, with a hole left in the town, being upwards of 60 years of age, roof for the smoke to escape; and this on lost his life by fatigue and frost, while on their arrival they found to be pre-occu- his return through the woods from Montpied by several families, emigrants from pelier to this place. There was not at lt Petersboro', N. H.; and in that mansion this time a sufficient number of men in of felicity there dwelt for about a fort- town to constitute a jury of inquest. night three families with children in each, was in this town that the Hon. Timothy one man and his wife, recently married, Stanly lost his foot by frost, in 1788. The three gentlemen then enjoying a state of town was organized March 23, 1795. Pesingle blessedness, and a young lady; ter Wheelock was first town clerk, Jonas and among the happy group were some Comins, first constable, Joshua Bliss, first of the first settlers of Calais. On the 13th select man, by the unanimous suffrage, of April, racket paths having been pre- of 17 legal voters. The town was repreviously broken, Messrs. Wheelock, Twiss sented in October following by Peter and Stone prepared handsleds, loaded Wheelock. The first settlers of Calais thereon their beds and some light articles experienced all those privations and hardof furniture, accompanied by Mrs. Whee- ships which are incident to the settlers of lock and Mrs. Twiss, and Gen. Davis, new townships generally. They located proceeded to this town over snow three themselves at some distance from each feet in depth, Mrs. Wheelock travelling other, and it was not uncommon for a the whole distance on foot and carrying woman to travel several miles to visit in her arms an infant four months old, a neighbor and return home after dark while their son about two years of age, through the woods, brandishing a fireMrs. brand to enable her to discover the markwas drawn upon the handsled. For one or two years the setTwiss, the recently married lady, also ed trees. performed the same journey on foot, ma- tlers brought the grain for the support of king use of her broom for a walking cane. their families, and for seed from WilliamsDuring the day the snow became soft town, Brookfield and Royalton a distance After they began to and in crossing a marshy piece of ground, of 30 miles or more. Mrs. Twiss slumped with one foot, and raise grain in town, they had to carry it sank to considerable depth and was una- 15 miles to mill. This they did in winter, ble to rise; Gen. Davis, with all the gal- by placing several bags of grain upon the lantry of a young woodsman, pawed away neck of an ox, and driving his mate bethe snow with his hands, seized her be- fore him to beat a path. There are here low the knee and extricated her. This in- five religious societies, viz. Baptists, Concident was a source of no small merri- gregationalists, Universalists, Methodists ment to the party generally, of mortifica- and Freewill Baptists, and the greatest tion to the amiable sufferer, and of grati- harmony prevails among them. There is fication to Mrs. Wheelock, who felt her- also a society of Free Enquirers in this self secretly piqued that Mrs. Twiss did town, which was organized March 1, 1835. not at least offer to bear her precious bur. There is but one meeting house in town, then some part of the distance. They ar- and that is occupied alternately by the rived in safety the same day, and com- different religious sects. There is, howmenced the permanent settlement of the ever, a spacious town house and 15 comtown. A large rock, now in the orchard modious school houses, all of which are on the farm owned by Dea. Joshua occasionally used for the purpose of holdBliss, once formed the end and fire place ing meetings. For some time after the to the Log Cabin of the first settlers of settlement of the town, there was no phyCalais. In September of this same year, sician within 25 miles of this place. The 1789, Peter Wheelock moved his family, people here have been generally healthy. consisting of a wife and six children, to Abijah Wheelock and wife, heretofore this town. In 1790, James Jennings ar- mentioned as principals among the first rived with a family. Lucinda, daughter settlers, now, at the advanced age of 76, of Peter Wheelock, was born this year reside in town, surrounded by 11 chiland was the first child born in town. dren, death never having occurred in the On this occasion it is said one woman trav- family; they still are hale, comparatively elled 4 miles, on foot, through the woods vigorous, and withal very laborious. The in a very dark night. In 1793, the first old gentleman has repeatedly, after havsaw and grist mill were erected near the ing cleared and improved a farm, exchangcentre of the town, by J. Davis, of Mont-ed it for a new one, and within a few years commenced on a lot almost wild, pelier, and Samuel Twiss.

During this

CALDERSBURGH.

CALEDONIA COUNTY.

CAMBRIDGE.

incorporated November 5, 1792. Danville is the seat of justice. The Supreme Court sits here on the 7th after the 4th Tuesday in January, and the County Court on the first Tuesday in June and December, annually. The Passumpsic and some smaller tributaries of the Connecticut, water the east part of the coun

western part. The Lamoille river rises near the northwest corner. The height of lands, or eastern range of the Green Mountains, extends through the western part of the county. Between this range and the Connecticut, and along the Passumpsic, is a fine farming country, with several pleasant villages. Statistics of 1840.- Horses, 5,852; cattle, 32,668; sheep, 100,886; swine, 18,991; wheat, bu. 52,109; barley, 12,291; oats, 342,433; rye, 1,799; bu. wheat, 12,005; Ind. corn, 52,350; potatoes. 1,066,848; hay, tons, 67,077; sugar, lbs. 665,397; wool, 183,198. Population, 21891.

and is every year seen at his old occupa- | about 700 square miles. This county was tion of clearing land, though not upon so extensive a scale as in an earlier day. He is occasionally heard to remark when speaking of "olden times," that he supposes himself to have been once the most respectable man in town, inasmuch as he, at an early day, remained here one week when no other human being was within the limits of the township. This town-ty, and Winooski river is formed in the ship is watered by two branches of Winooski river, one entering it near the northeast, the other near the northwest corner. They unite near the south line of the town, affording, in their course, a great number of valuable privileges for mills and other machinery. It is also well watered with springs and brooks. The soil is a warm loam, easily cultivated, well adapted to the production of all kinds of grain and is not inferior to other towns in its vicinity for grazing. The surface of the township is somewhat uneven, but very little of it so broken as to be incapable of cultivation. The timber on the streams is mostly hemlock, spruce and pine; on the higher lands, maple, beech, &c. The lowest lands here are in general driest and the most feasible soil. The north line of the township intersects two considerable ponds. There are several other small, but beautiful ponds lying within the township, and which abound with trout and other fish. Long pond lies in the northwest part of the town. In one autumn, 2,000lbs. of trout were taken from this pond with a hook, which sold for $8 per cwt. In the spring of some years, at the inlet of this pond, more than two tons of fish have been thrown out of the channel with the hands and with baskets. There are several springs in town, whose waters are quite brackish; their medicinal qualities, however, have never been thoroughly tested. There are 11 saw mills, 5 grist mills, 1 store, and 2 post offices, in town. Statistics of 1840.Horses, 252; cattle, 2,919; sheep, 5,409; swine, 666; wheat, bu. 3,630; barley, 152; oats, 18,473; rye, 578; buck wheat, 1,394; Ind. corn, 5,089; potatoes, 24,246; hay, tons, 5,899; sugar, lbs. 24,420; wool, 14,160. Population, 1079.

CAMBRIDGE, a post town in the western part of Lamoille county, in lat. 44° 38' and long. 4° 11', is bounded northeasterly by Waterville and a part of Fletcher, easterly by Sterling and a part of Johnson, south by Underhill, and westerly by Fletcher, is 30 miles northwest from Montpelier, and 22 northeast from Burlington, was granted Nov. 7, 1780, chartered to Samuel Robinson, John Fasset, jr. Jonathan Fasset, and their associates, August 13, 1781, and contains 28,533 acres. The first settler of this town was John Spafford. He came into town May 8, 1783, planted two acres of corn, which was overflowed with water in the fall, and nearly all destroyed. He moved his family, consisting of a wife and two children, into town from Piermont, N. H. in November. The town was surveyed, this year, by Amos Fasset. In 1784, Amos Fasset, Stephen Kinsley, John Fasset, jr. and Samuel Montague moved their families here from Bennington, and Noah Chittenden his from Arlington, Vt. The first saw mill was built, this year, by Amos Fasset. Thirty-five persons spent S. W. the second winter here. In 1785, David CALDERSBURGH.-This name was al-Safford and others moved into town from tered to Morgan, October 19, 1801. See Bennington.* When Mr. Spafford came Morgan. into town, there were no inhabitants or CALEDONIA COUNTY is bounded north-road between this place and Hazen's road east by Essex county, east by Connectieut river, which separates it from Grafton county, N. H. south by Orange county, west by Washington county, and northwest by Orleans county. It lies between 44° 9' and 44° 45' north lat. and between 4° 25' and 5' 4' east long. and contains

in Craftsbury, and they who came from Bennington, had to cut their road for ten miles through the woods. The first set

*Mr Safford was one of the Spartan band who defended the house of James Breakenridge, against the New York Sheriff and his posse. See part second, page 21.