History of Vermont, natural, civil and statistical, in three parts, with an appendix. 1853

Appendix

,. 1853.

BY ZADOCK THOMPSON.

l^tirHiigtnu:

PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR.

STACY & JAMESON, PRINTERS. 1803.

THE NEW YORK \

muc library!

8.21745

^%T<a?;j!, Lewiaac awd 1^ M^nl

Entered according to act of Congress, in the year 18.53, by

ZADOCK THO:\IPSON,

in the Clerk's cftice of the district Court, for the District of Vermont.

PRELIMINARY REMARKS.

A little more than ten years have now elapsed since the pul:)licatioii of mj Natural, Civil and Statistical History of Vermont. In that work I endeavored to collect and present as concisely and clearly as I was able, and, at the same time, as fully as the state of knowledge and my prescribed limits would permit —

I. An account of the Natural History of the State, embracing its physical geography, zoology, botany and mineralogy.

n. The Civil History of the State, comprehending the settlement of the territory, the organization of the government, and the progress of legislation and improvement, together with a full account of the controversy with New York, the negotiations with the British in Canada, and of our various political, literary and religious institutions.

in. A Historical and Statistical Gazetteer, embracing a full account of ail tlie counties, towns, streams, &c., in the State, arranged in alphabetical order.

Since the publication of that work, rail roads and the magnetic telegraph have been introduced into th(_^ State, and very considerable changes have taken place. A Geological Survey of the State has been commenced, but was discontinued,without any full publication of the results ; in consequence of whicli, the greater part of the discoveries made and the facts elicited, have been lost to the State and tlu" world ; while a very small additional appropriation in 1847, would have secured to the State a Final Report on the Geology of Vermont, which would have been not only creditable to the State Geologist, but an honor and treasure to the State. But notwithstanding the loss, which has been occasioned, by this penny wise and pound foolish policy of the legislature, oar general knowledge of the geology, and of the mineralogical productions of the State, has been greatly enlarged by the information elicited and made public during the continuance of the survey.

During the last ten years, I have spent a large portion of my time in collecting and preserving facts in relation to the natural and civil history of the State, thinking that the time might possibly come, when I should be warranted in the publication of a new and improved edition of the whole work. But the new materials having largely accumulated, and the number of copies of tlie original work, on hand, being sucli as to afford no encouragement for a speedy republication of the entire work, I concluded to select some of the principal items into the form of an Appendix, which might be bound with the remaining copies of the original work, and also be bound separately for those who already have the original work and desire the Appendix.

The matter of the Appendix will Ijc Ibuud, to belong almost entirely, to the department of Natural History. This is not owing to any lack of materials for making additions to the other parts, but because those materials could not be so conveniently used in their separate condition. Additions to a work of this nature

PRELimNARY REiVIAEKS.

ai'e, necessarily, fragmentary ; and to be used advantageously, they must be in" corporated by i-e-^vi-iting the whole. But as this could not be done without reprinting the whole, I have selected, for the Appendix, such materials as I thought would be most interesting and useful in their separate state ; and these, for the most part, relate to Natural History.

Since the publication of my work in 1842, much light has been thrown upon the early history of our State by the antiquarian researches of Henry Stevens, Esq., and facts have been developed, which remove the mystery from certain transactions in our revolutionary struggles. But the introduction of these matters into the Appendix would require a repetition of much of the history of that period, to make it intelligible, and, consequently, more room than can be spared for it.

The history of our legislation during the last ten years, if fully written, would furnish an interesting and instructive chapter ; but that, too, is excluded for the want of room. Perhaps the most important acts of legislation within tlie time, are those which relate to schools and the sale of alcoholic liquors. But, these several acts have not yet been fully tested by experience. The general school law of 1845, appeared to have been drawn with much care, and to promise an efficient provision for the advancement of primary education in the State, and it is to be regretted that it had not been more fully tested, before it was mutilated by repeals and additional enactments ; and was violated liy the body which enacted it, by their neglect to appoint a State Superintendent of Schools. But in spite of all obstacles, I am happy in believing that the cause of education is advancing, and that one of the most efficient causes of this advancement in our large ^iLlages, is the establishment of Union Schools. These schools furnish to the children of the poor the same advantages which are enjoyed l;iy those of the rich, for pursuing the higher branches of study, and thus affi^rd a universal stimulus in all the classes in the several schools, which form the union.

To almost every article in the Gazetteer, alterations and additions might be made, but, for the reasons already stated, it was deemed inexpedient. If life and health should be spared for a few years longer, it would affi^rd me much satisfaction to re-write the whole work, and, by incorporating in it the additional material, make it more worthy of the approval and patronage of my fellow citizens, but, as the great expense would preclude me from the possibility of being able to publish a new edition, that satisfaction is not likely to be realized.

Z. THOJIPSON.

Burlington, April 9, 1853.

Preface

Ever since tlie publication of lils Gazetteer of Vermont in 1S21, the avitlior lias contemplated a larger work, which should embrace, not only the Gazetteer, but a general History of the state, both Natural and Civil. He accordingly commenced collecting and laying aside materials for that purpose, and during the four years last past, he has devoted the greater part of his time to the preparation and publication of the work. His means and facilities for the researches and investigations in which he has been engaged, have not been such as he could have wished ; but he has endeavored to improve these, such as they were, to the best advantao-e ; and now, through the blessing of a kind Providence, he is enabled to lay before his fellow citizens the result of his labors. That his work, embracing, as it does, subjects so multifarious and dissimilar, has many imperfections, he is fullv sensible j but he ventures to indulge the hope that it may be found to answer the reasonable expectations of all, and especially of those who can duly appreciate the labor and difficulties of a work of this kind.

For convenience in printing, the three several parts into which the work is divided, have been separately paged, and, to the two first parts, separate indices have been prepared. On account of the alphabetical arrangement of the third part, an index to that was thought to be unnecessary.

Part First is devoted to the Natural History of the state, and is almost wliolly the result of original investigations. The only general account of our Natural History, which has hitherto been published, is that contained in Dr. Williams' History. Though highly interesting and useful, that account was prepared at a period and under circumstances which necessarily rendered it imperfect, and in many respects erroneous. Misled by the vulgar names, and depending upon the representations of the liunters, he has in, perhaps, a majority of cases, applied the scientific names of European animals to ours, which, thougii bearing considerable resemblance to tliem, are specifically distinct. The first chapter of this part contains the result of Beveral years' meteorological observations made by the author at Burlington, and also of observations made at several other places within the state. The author's views will be found here, respecting the formation of ice, earthquakes, the cause of the coldness of our climate compared with that of Europe, &c. The descriptions in the four following chapters have been nearly all made by the author, directly from Vermont animals. In some cases, where Vermont specimens could not be procured, and the animal was known to exist in the state, a borrowed description has been introduced, but in all such cases the source from which it was derived has been indicated, by placing the name of the author at the close of the description. In making out his account of the Birds, he was much assisted by a list of Vermont Birds, kindly furnished by Dr. Thomas M. Brewer, of Boston ; and in determining several species of Reptiles and Fishes, he has been kindly aided by Dr. D. H. Storer, also of Boston. For the full descriptions of our Molluscous Animals, in the sixth chapter, he is indebted to the kindness of Prof. C. B. Adams, of Middlebury College, and the full and excellent Catalogue of Vermont Plants has been

PREFACE.

generously prepared for this work by William Oakes, Esq., of Ipswich, Mass., who ranks among the first botanists in the country. The eighth chapter remains to be written after a Geological Survey of the state shall have been effected.

Part Second contains a connected Civil History of the state from the first discovery of its territory down to the year 1842. That portion of the history, which precedes the admission of Vermont into the Union, being of a very peculiar and interesting character, has been treated more fully than in any previous history of the state. The materials for this portion have been principally derived from Dr. Williams' History, the Hon. William Slack's Vermont State Papers, and a valuable series of papers recently published at Bennington, in the State Banner, under the title of Historical Readings, and understood to be from the pen of the Hon. Hiland Hall, one of our Representatives in Congress. Of these works he has made free use, which he would here publicly acknowledge, as he has often copied their language as well as their facts, and has not been particular to disfigure his pages with quotation marks.

From the admission of Vermont into the Union, only a rapid sketch of the political history of the state has been given ; but to compensate for deficiencies here, he has added, in separate chapters, the history of the political, the literary, and the religious institutions, with a closing chapter upon the state of society. The assistance, which he has received, in the preparation of these, will be found duly acknowledged in the progress of the work.

Part Third is, to a considerable extent, a reprint of the author's Gazetteer, published in 1824. Many additions and corrections have, however, been introduced, toffether with the most important statistics collected at the last census, and the history of the towns has, in most cases, been brought down to the year 1841.

The Map has been prepared with much care, and will, it is believed, be found more correct than any map of the state hitherto published. It is engraved upon steel, and that, and all the otiier engravings have been executed expressly for this work, by Mr. J. H. Hills, of Burlington, and in a manner, which we think highly creditable to him as an artist.

From the beginning of his undertaking, the author has endeavored to keep two objects constantly in view ;— first, to embrace in his work every thing of special importance relative to the Natural and Civil History of the state ; and, secondly, to publish it in so condensed and cheap a form as to place it within the reach of all the families in the state. In his endeavor to eflTect these objects he has spared neither labor, nor expense ; nor has he had any special regard to a pecuniary recompense from the sale of his book, as will appear from the fact that he has added more than 150 pages to the amount required in order to fulfil the conditions of his prospectus, the whole number of pages being 656, and the number promised only 500.

His work, such as it is, he now submits to his fellow citizens. If it shall answer the purposes for which he has designed it, the author will expect his highest reward in the reflection that he has not added to the number of useless books.

Burlington, Oct. 3, 1842.

THOMPSON'S VERMONT

Jjart jfivnt

NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT.

Section I. Situation, Boimdarics, Extent and Divisions

Situation. — Vermont is situated in the northwestern corner of New England, and lies between the parallels of A2^ 44' and 45° of north latitude, and between 3'; 35' and 5° 29' of east longitude from the Capitol of the United States at Washington, or between 71'' 33' and 73° 25' of west longitude from Greenwich Observatory.* The most eastern extremity of

* Wliere it is not otherwise specified, tlio longitudes given in this work arc in all cases reckoned from the Capitol of the United States. The longitude of the Capitol from Greenwich, according to the most recent observations, is 77'^ 1' 48". It is very much to bo lamented that the longitude of places in Vermont is so imperfectly known. We are not aware that a single point within the state has been determined with any pretensions to accuracy. True, a few solar eclipses have been obeerved and some calculations have l)een made, for the purpose of deducing from them the longitude of the places ; but the only observations within our knowledge, which have hitherto been regarcled as entitled to any degree of confidence, were those of the solar eclipse of 1311, made at Burlington by Prof James Dean and John Jolmson, Esq., and at Rutland by Dr. Williams. The longitude of the University of Vermont, deduced from these observations by Dr. Bowditcli, was 73' 14' 34", and of Rutland court house 72'^ 57' 27' ' west from (jreenwich observatory, and in accordance with these has the longitude of the different parts of the state been, laid down upon our maps. In 1838, the author prepared, with much care, for observing the large solar eclipse of that year, for the purpose of determining

Pt. I. 1

Vermont is in the township of Canaan, and the most western in the township of Addison. This state lies nearly in tha middle of the north temperate zone. The longest day at the south line of the state, is ihh.. 9m. 9s., and at the north line, 15h. 25m. 50s. ,

Boundaries. — Vermont is bounded on the north by the province of Canada, on the east by New Hampshire, on the south by Massachusetts, and on the west by New York. The north line of the state runs upon the parallel of latitude 45" north. This line was first surveyed by commissioners appointed by the provinces of New York and Canada, in the year 1767. It was afterwards run, but very erroneously, by I. Collins and I. Garden, in 1772. In 1806, Dr. Samuel Williams made some observations with the view of ascertaining the true north lineof the state, and still further observations were made in 181S, by Messrs. Hassler and Tiarks, surveyors under the treaty of Ghent. Actlie longitude of the University. But the opportunity proved unfavorable, the sun being hid by cloudi during the greater part of the eclipse. Of the beginning he had a tolerable observation, and from thig alone he carefully calculated the longitude by Dr. Bowditch's precepts, and the result was 73* 10' 36" for the longitude of the University , or about 4m. less than was obtained from the preceding observations ; and, as he is inclined, from other circumstances, to think it as near an approximation to the true longitude as any yet obtained, he has adopted it in this work.

NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT.

PartI.

BOUNDARIES.

EXTENT. AREA.

DIVISIONS.

cording to the latter, the 45th parallel lies a little to the southward of the line previously established, but it is not yet finally settled. The eastern boundary was established by a decree of George III, July 20th, 17G4, whicli declared the western bank of the Connecticut river to be the western boundary of New Hampshire. The southern boundary is derived from a royal decree of Marcli 4th, 1740, and was surveyed by Richard Hazen, in February and March, 1741. This line, which was the divisional line between Massachu- Betts and New Hampshire, was to run due west from a point three miles to the northward of Patucket falls, till it reached the province of New York. It was run by the compass, and ten degrees allowed for westerty variation of the magnetic needle. This being too great an allowance, the line crossed tlie Connecticut river 2' 57" to the nortJiward of a due west line. In consequence of this error, New Hampshire lost 51t,ci73 acres, and Vermont 13:3,- 897 acres, and the south line of the state is not parallel with the north line. The western boundary was settled by the governments of Vermont and New York at the close of their controversy, in 1790. This line passes along the western boundaries of the townships of Pownal, Bennington, Shaftsbury, Arlington, Sandgate, Rupert, Pawlet, Wells and Poultney, to Poultney river ; thence along the middle of the deepest channel of said river. East bay and lake Champlain to the 4.5th degree of north latitude, passing to the eastward of the islands called the FourBrotliers, and to the westward of Grand Isle and IslelaMotte. The portion of this line between the southwest corner of the state and Pdultney river, was surveyed in 1813 and 1614, and the report and plan of the survey are in the oifice of the Secretary of State at Montpelicr.

Extent and Area. — The length of Vermont from north to south is 157^ miles, and the average width from east to west 57^ miles, which gives an area of 9,0-56:^ square miles, or 5,79.5,060 acres. The length of the north line of the state is 90 miles, and of the south line 41 miles, but, on account of the great bend of the Connecticut to the westward, the mean width of the state is considerable less than the mean between these two lines, as above stated. The width of the state from Barnet to Charlotte through Montpelier, which is 50 miles nearer to the northern than to the southern boundary, is only about 60 miles. On account of the irregularities in the western and eastern boundaries, both these lines are longer than the mean length of the state, the former being about 175 miles, and the latter, following the course of the Connecticut, 215 miles.* The state is divided into two equal parts by the parallel of 44d. 9m. north latitude, and also by the meridian in 4d. 19m. of east longitude. These two lines intersect each other near the western line of Northfield, and about 10 miles south westerly from Montpclier, and the point of intersection is the geographical centre of the state.

Divisions. — The Green Mountains extend quite through the state from south to north, and, following the western range, divide it into two very nearly equal parts. These form the only natural division, with the exception of the waters of lake Champlain, which divide the county of Grand Isle from the counties of Franklin and Chittenden, and the several islands which compose that county, from each other, and from the main land. For civil purposes the state is divided into 14 counties, which are sub-divided into 245 townships, and several srnall gores of land, whicli are not yet annexed to, or formed into, town!?hips. The names of the counties, the date of their incorporation, the shire towns, and the number of towns in each county at the present time (1842,) arc exhibited in the followinor table :

Counties.

Addison,

Incorporated.

1792 1782

Nov. 5, Oct.22, Nov. 5, Nov. 5, Nov. 9, Oct.26, Feb.

Nov. 5, Feb.

Nov.l, Feb.ll, Feb.

Guildhall,

North Hero,

Clielsea,

Irasburgh,

* Dr. Williams (vol. I, p. 24) seems to have, inadvertently, taken the mean of the two ends of the state for its mean width and thus computed th« are;i at 10,2:^7 1-4 square miles, or 1181m, loo much ; hut this is the area which has usually been given in our geographies and other works respecting Vermont. As the area of countries forms the basis of statistical tables, it is a matter of some consequence that it should he correctly stated. Suppose for example, we wish to know how Vermont compares with the other stales in detisity of population; we divicTe the population of each state by its area and the quotient is the average number of persons to each square mile in the states respectively. Now if we take the Vast censHS and the area at 10,237, the population is only about 28 to a square mile, but if we take the true area, 9,056, it is 32 to the square mile, which would effect very materially its relation to the other stntes. According to the census of 1820, Vermont was set down as the 10th state in density

DESCRIPTIVE GEOGRAPHY.

FACE OF THE COUNTRY.

■lUNCIPAL SUMMITS.

5- DIAGRAM

|t| Of the relative altitudes of some of the principal Heights in Vermont ahove the sea.

4279.The Chiii> or Noitli Peak of Mansfield Mouiitaina,

41g:^Cainel'.-? Hump,

408G!siitowsbury Mountain

3983 3924

The Nose, or South Peak of Mansfield Mountains, j-

Killington Peak, ~

Equinox Mounlaiii; Manehesier,

Ascutney Mountain,

2063jMi<UlIebury turnpike

1942 Peru turnpike, 1882 Keyes turnpike,

Summit level at Roxbnry,. . .. Summit level at VVilliaiustowii,

Manchester villiage,

48.5'Montpelier viHia<;e, . . . . 430!Norwich University, . . , . 3701 University of Vermont. . . gOJSurface of Lake Champlain,

Section II. Face of the country

Mountains. — The surface of Vermont is generally uneven. A few townships along the margin of lake Champlain may be called level ; but with these exceptions, the whole state consists of hills and valleys, alluvial flats and gentle acclivities, elevated plains and lofty mountains. The celebrated range of Green Mountains, which give name to the state, extends quite through it from south to north, keepino- nearly a middle course between Connecticut river on the east and lake Champlain on the west. From the line of Massachusetts to the southern part of Washington county, this range continues lofty, and unbroken through by any considerable streams ; dividing the counties of Windham, V/indsor and Orange from the counties of Bennington, Rutland and Addison. In this part of the state, the communication between the eastern and western sides of the mountain was formerly difficult, and the phrase, going over the mountain, denoted an arduous business. But on account of the great improvement of population, whereas, if the true area had been used in the computation, she would havo ranked as the eighth.

of the roads, more particularly in their more judicious location near the streams, the difficult}' of crossing the mountain has nearly vanished. In the southern part of Washington county, theGreen Mountains separate into two ranges. The highest of the.se ranges, bearing a little east of north, continues along the eastern boundaries of the counties of Chittenden and Franklin, and through the county of Lamoille to Canada line ; while the other range strikes off much more to the east through the southern and eastern parts of Washington county, the western part of Caledonia county and the north western part of Essex county to Canada. This last is called the height of lu7uls, and it divides the waters, which fall into Connecticut river, in the north part of the state, from those which flill into lake Champlain and lake Memphremagog. This branch oftheGreea Mountains, though it no where rises so high as many points of the western iiranch, is nmch more uniformly elevated ; yet tlie acclivity is so gentle as to admit of easy roads over it in various j)laces. The western range, having been broken through by the rivers Winooski, Lamoille and Missisco, is divided into several sections, these rivers having opened passages for good roads along their banks, while

NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT.

Chaf. Z

MOCTBTAINS.

RIVERS AND STREAMS.

the intervening portions are so high and steep as not to admit of roads being made over them, with the exception of that portion lying between tlie Lamoille and Slisfiisco. This part of the Green Mountains presents some of the most lofty summits in the state ; particularly the Nose and Chin in Mansfield, and Camel's Hump in Huntington. These, together with other important mountains and summits in the etate, are exhibited in the foregoing table and cut, and will also be described in the Gazetteer, under their respective names. The sides, and, in most cases, the summits of the mountains in Vermont, are covered with evergreens, such as spruce, hemlock and fir. On this account the French, being the first civilized people who visited this part of the world, early gave to them the name of Verd Mont, or Green Mountain ; and when the inhabitants of the New Hampshire Grants assumed the powers of government, in 1777, they adopted this name, contracted by the omission of the letter d, for the name of the new state. ^

* Tliis nnme is said to have lieen ailopted upon tho rocominendation of Dr. Thomas Young — (see part 2d, jiajjo lIlG.) The following account of Uio christtniiig uf tho Green Mountains, is given hy tho Rev. Samuel I'cters in his life of the Eev. Hugh Teters, puhlished at Kew York in 1807.

" Verd-JVIoiit was a name given to the Green Mountains in October, 1763, by the Rev. Dr. Peters, the first clergyman who paid a visit to the 30,000 settlers in that courilry, in the presence of Col. Taplin, Col. Willes, Col. Peters, Judge Peters and many others, who were proprietors of a large number of townships in that colony. The CBremony was performed on tho lop of a rock Btanding on a Jiigh mountain, tiien named Mount Pisgah because it provided to the company a clear eight of lake Cliamplain at tha west, and of Connecticut river at the east, and overlooked all the trees and hills in the vast wilderness at the north and south. The baptism was performed in the following manner: Priest Peters stood on the pinnacle of the rock, when he received a bottle of spirits from Col. Taplin ; then haranguing the company with a short history of the infant settlement, and the prospect of its becoming an impregnable barrier between the British colonies on the south and the late colonies of the French on the north, which might be returned to their late owners for the sake of j^overning America by the different powers of Europe, he continued, ' We have here met upon the rock Etain, standing on ]\lount Pisgah.which makes a part oUhe ete.rlastins hiU,the epineof Asia.Africaand America, holding together the terrestrial ball, and dividing the Atlantic from the Pacific ocean — to dedicate and consecrate this extensive wilderness to God manifested in the flesh, and to give it a new name worthy of the Athenians and ancient Spartans, — which new name is Verd Mont, in token that her mountains and hills shall be ever green and shall never die.'

Rivers and Streams. — The rivers and streams lying within the state of Vermont are very numerous, but small. They, in most cases, originate among the Green Mountains, and their courses are short and generally rapid. Connecticut river washes the whole eastern border of the state, but belongs to New Hampshire, the western margin of that stream forming the boundary line between New Hampshire and Vermont. The Connecticut receives the waters from 3,700 square miles of our territory. It receives from Vermont, besijfles numerous smaller streams, the waters of the eleven following rivers, viz : Wantasticook, or West, Saxton's, Williams', Black, Ottaquechy, White, Ompoinpanoosnc, Wait's, Wells', Passumpsic, and Nulhegan. Clyde, Barton and Black river run northerly into Memphremagog lake. Missisco, Lamoille, Winooski and Poultney river and Otter creek flow westerly into lake Champlain, and the Battenkili and Hoosic westerly into Hudson river. Deerfield river runs southerly from Vermont and falls into the Connecticut in Massachusetts ; and the Coatacook and Pike river head in the north part of the state and run northerly into Canada, the former uniting with Massuippi river at Lenoxville and the latter falling into the head of Missisco bay. All these streams and many smaller ones will be described in the Gazetteer under their respective names.

No country in the world is better supplied with pure and wholesome water than Vermont. There are scarcely any farms in the state which are not well watered by springs, or brooks; and none, with the exception of those upon tiie islands in lake Champlain, which are not in the vicinity of one, or more, considerable mill strer.m. But while Vermont is so abundantly supplied with water, there is, probably, no part of our country in which so little stagnaiat water is found. I'he waters of the lakes and ponds are usually clear and transparent, and nearly all the springs and streams are brisk and lively. It is a common remark that the streams in this state have diminished very much in size, since the country began to be cleared and settled, and it is doubtless true to some extent. Many mills, which

He then poured out tlie spirits and cast the bottle upon the rock Etani."