PEACHAM. PEACHAM. 1776, that an army might be sent through The greater part of the people of this for the reduction of Canada. But this town are Congregationalists. A Congrewas only a feint for dividing the enemy gational church was organized here April and preventing their sending their whole 14, 1794, consisting of 12 members. Ocforce up the lakes. Hazen cut, cleared tober 30, 1799, they settled the Rev. and made a passable road for 50 miles Leonard Worcester for their pastor, and above Peacham, through the towns of he has continued his connection with the Cabot, Walden, Hardwick, Greensbor- church ever since, though, on account of ough, Craftsbury, Albany and Lowell, age and infirmity, he has ceased to preach. and erected several block-houses. This At the time of Mr. Worcester's ordination road was a great benefit to the settlers of the church consisted of 40 members. The this country after the war, and, in many most remarkable revival, which has taken places, it is still called the "Hazen Road." place, was in 1817 and '18, in conseThe present road from Peacham to Low- quence of which there was an addition to ell, occupies the same ground over which the church of 225 members. The whole the Hazen road passed. Hazen marched number admitted since its organization is to the south in the fall, abandoning all 611, and the present number 266. From the block-houses, except the one 12 miles a bill of mortality kept by Mr. Worcester, above Peacham, and committing this to it appears that the whole number of deaths the care of a sergeant's guard. In the in this town, from the 30th of October, spring of 1780, Capt. Aldrich came to 1799, to September, 1824, was 406. The Peacham and built a small picket around greatest number in any year was 59, and the house of James Bailey, and the block- the least 6. Mrs. Hunt, the oldest person house above was abandoned. In the fall who has died in this town, was aged 96. Aldrich marched his men to the south, Caledonia county grammar school was leaving the inhabitants to look out for established here by act of the legislature, themselves. Col. Thomas Johnson, of October 27, 1795. The building was Newbury, who had engaged to erect mills erected, and the school commenced in in Peacham, arrived at Jonathan Elkins' August, 1800. The institution is under with the mill stones, on the evening of the direction of nine trustees. The school the 7th of March, 1781. About one o' has been prosperous. The average numclock next morning a party of the enemy ber of scholars from 30 to 40. Onion from Canada came upon them, and made river pond, so called from its giving rise prisoners of Col. Johnson, Jacob Page, to one of the principal branches of Onion and Col. Jonathan Elkins, of Peacham, or Winooski river, lies in the western part who was then a youth. They were all of the town, and covers about 300 acres. carried to St. Johns. Col. Johnson re- There are several other small ponds, turned on parole, Mr. Page was sent to which are not worthy of particular notice. Montreal, and Col. Elkins to Quebec, and There are two considerable streams passthe two latter imprisoned. In the fall, ing off to the east into Steven's branch, when the British fleet sailed from Quebec, which afford numerous mill privileges. Col. Elkins was sent a prisoner to Eng. A ridge of land passes through the westland with about 150 more who were dis-ern part, but there is no very consideratributed throughout the fleet and obliged ble elevation in this town. The western to do duty. When the fleet arrived at part is a hard soil, but the eastern is rich Plymouth, England, the prisoners were and pleasantly diversified with hills and confined in Mill prison, where they re- vallies, being inhabited by a great nummained until they were exchanged for ber of respectable and wealthy farmers. Cornwallis' troops, in 1782, when Col. There is, in the eastern part of the town, Elkins returned again to Peacham. Capt. a natural bog meadow, containing an inNehemiah Lovewell was stationed with exhaustible quantity of shell marl, from his company in Peacham during the sum- which lime has been manufactured to mer of 1781. In September, he sent a considerable extent. The color of the scout of four men up the Hazen road, marl is a bluish white. There is also a who were ambushed and fired upon by the plenty of limestone, from which lime is Indians. Two were killed and scalped, made. One of the most remarkable ocand the other two taken, and on the tenth currences in this town, was the loss of a day, after they left Peacham, they were man's great toe, by frost, in the month of prisoners in Quebec with Col. Elkins. June. Mr. Walker, the gentleman who There were no soldiers kept at Peacham sustained the loss, was 84 years old, and in 1782, and two Messrs. Baileys of this was frozen, in consequence of being lost town were carried prisoners to Canada, in the woods, and lying out through the Peacham was organized March 18, 1783, night of the 8th of June, 1816. There is and James Bailey was first town clerk, a small village, situated on an elevated 18 Pr. III. PERU. PITTSFIELD. PHILADELPHIA. A township was chartered by this name March 14, 1761; November 9, 1814, the north half of it was annexed to Goshen, and the remainder of it annexed to Chittenden, Nov. 2, 1816. PHILADELPHIA RIVER is a small stream which rises in the south part of Goshen, runs southwest through Chittenden, and unites with East creek, in Pittsford. PIKE RIVER. See Berkshire. spot near the centre of the town, which is a place of some business. The public buildings, in town, are a meeting house and an academy, both standing a little out of the village to the southwest. The market road leading from Boston to Montreal through Newbury, passes through the village, and also the county road from Chelsea to Danville. There are in town 3 stores, 1 grist, 1 fulling and 6 saw mills, 1 carding machine, and 2 woollen facto- PITTSFIELD, a post town in the northries. Statistics of 1840.-Horses, 373; east corner of Rutland county, is in lat. cattle, 1,910; sheep, 9,228; swine, 1,055; 43° 48' and long. 4° 14', and is bounded wheat, bus. 5,491; barley, 730; oats, 23,- easterly by Rochester, southeasterly by 603; rye, 90; Indian corn, 2,377; pota- Stockbridge, and westerly by Chittenden toes, 67,816; hay, tons, 4,001; sugar, lbs. and Goshen. It lies 35 miles southwest21,180; wool, 17,786. Population, 1,443. erly from Montpelier, and 17 northeast PERU, a post town in the northeast cor- from Rutland. It was granted November ner of Bennington county, is in lat. 43 8, 1780, and chartered to Samuel Wilcox 15' and long. 4° 8', and is bounded north and others, July 29, 1781, containing by Mount Tabor, east by Landgrove, about 12,000 acres. The settlement was south by Winhall and west by Dorset. It commenced in 1786, by Thomas Hodg lies 30 miles northeast from Bennington. kins, Stephen Holt, George Martin, Danand the same distance southwest from iel and Jacob Bowe, and a Mr. Woodard. Windsor. It was chartered October 13, The town was organized March 26, 1793. 1761, by the name of Bromley, and con- Thomas Hodgkins was the first town tains, by charter, 23,040 acres. The set- clerk, and also the first representative. tlement of this township was commenced The religious denominations are Congreabout the year 1773, by William Barlow, gationalists and Methodists. The Confrom Woodstock, Con. The town was gregational church was organized in 1793. organized March 1, 1802. John Brock Rev. Justin Parsons was settled over it was first town clerk, and Reuben Bige- from September, 1814, to 1831. Rev. low, Esq., first representative. The reli- Samuel Sparhawk, the present minister, gious denominations are Congregational was settled March 29, 1839. Their meetists, Episcopalians, Methodists and Bap-ing house was erected in 1820. The tists. The Rev. Oliver Plympton was Methodist church was organized in 1804, ordained over the Congregational church and has generally been supplied by cirDecember 29, 1813, and died the next cuit preachers. Their present minister year. The Rev. Thomas Baldwin is the is the Rev. J. L. Slason. The dysentery present minister. This society have a prevailed here in 1803, and was very mormeeting house, which was erected in tal, particularly to children, and the epi1814. The other societies are small. In demic of 1813 was also very fatal. The the years 1809 and '10, and 1813 and '14, victims of the latter were mostly adults. the inhabitants of this township suffered Two streams, one from the west, and the much from sickness. The prevailing dis- other from the south, unite near the cenorders were the measles, canker and fe- tre of the township, forming Tweed river, vers, and they were, in many cases, mor- which falls into White river in Stocktal. This township lies upon the Green bridge. These streams afford several Mountains, and much of it is high and good mill privileges. White river runs broken. There are two natural ponds, across the eastern corner. The township one covering about 40 and the other about is mountainous, and the most important 60 acres. The eastern part is watered by elevation is called Wilcox's peak. The some of the head branches of West river. timber is such as is common to the mounThe best road across the Green Moun- tain towns. The turnpike from Bethel tains in the state, south of Montpelier, to Rutland passes through the township passes through this township. There are along Tweed river. There are here 3 2 grist and 3 saw mills, 2 taverns and 1 saw, 1 grist and 1 fulling mill, 2 stores, 2 tannery. Statistics of 1840.-Horses, 87; taverns and 1 tannery. Statistics of 1840. cattle, 717; sheep, 1,053; swine, 244; Horses, 117; cattle, 729; sheep, 2,358; wheat, bus. 534; barley, 170; oats, 4,430; | swine, 390; wheat, bus. 584; barley, 14; rye, 218; buckwheat, 850; Indian corn, oats, 1,956; rye, 294; buckwheat, 818; 320; potatoes, 23,100; hay, tons, 1,290; Indian corn, 1,531; potatoes, 16,373; hay, sugar, lbs. 7,640; wool, 1,610. Popula- tons, 1,632; sugar, lbs. 19,920; wool, tion, 578. 5,220. Population, 615. PITTSFORD. PITTSFORD. PITTSFORD, a post town in Rutland | and in the latter part of summer carried county, is in lat. 43° 43' and long. 4° 2', off 40 persons in the course of 4 weeks. and is bounded north by Brandon, east by The epidemic of 1812 and 13, was also Chittenden, south by Rutland, and west very fatal, particularly to heads of famiby Hubbardton and a small part of Ira. lies. Mrs. Elizabeth Smith one of the It lies 60 miles north of Bennington, and first settlers, lived to the age of 96 years, 44 southwest from Montpelier, and was Mr. Elisha Adams to his 92d or 93d year, chartered October 12, 1761, containing and several others to nearly the same 25600 acres. The settlement of this town- age. Mary, daughter of Ebenezer Lyship was commenced in the year 1769, by man, was born in this town June 20, Messrs. Gideon and Benjamin Cooley 1784, and died January 23d, 1794. In from Greenwich, Mass., but they were September previous to her death, being soon joined by Roger Stevens, Felix Pow- but little more than 9 years of age, she ell, Ebenezer Hopkins, Stephen Mead, weighed 174 pounds, and at the time of Moses Olmsted, Edward Owen, Joshua her death, probably weighed 200 lbs. She Woodward and others, from Massachu- was a healthy child, with good common setts and Connecticut. The first records sense, and her strength was equal to her of this town were accidentally burnt, and size. She caught a slight cold, and was therefore the time of its organization has somewhat unwell for about two weeks not been ascertained. It was probably in before she died, but ate a hearty breakfast the year 1770. Col. Benjamin Cooley on the morning preceding her death. Otwas first town clerk, and Jonathan Fas- ter creek, which flows through the midset first representative. During the rev- dle of this township, from south to north, olutionary war two picket forts were erec- with a gentle meandering current, is the ted in this township, one called Fort Mott principal stream, and its width here is and the other Fort Vengeance. The lat- from 40 to 50 yards. Furnace brook, a ter was built early in the year 1779, upon considerable tributary of Otter creek, is an eminence on the east side of Otter formed by the union of East creek, and creek,and near the present stage road from Philadelphia river. Along these streams Pittsford village to Middlebury. Pittsford are extensive meadows of the rich alluvi was a frontier township, and Fort Ven- al soil. On Furnace brook and its branchgeance the most northerly post in Ver-es are numerous mill privileges which are mont, on the west side of the Green well improved. There are two ponds, one Mountains, which was held by the Amer- in the southeastern part covering about icans during the revolution. The reli- 20 acres, and the other in the northeastgious denominations are Congregational-ern covering about 30 acres. There are ists, Baptists and Methodists. Elder Eli- no mountains. A range of hills extends sha Rich was the first settled minister, along the west line between this townand was ordained over the Baptist church ship and Hubbardton. The soil is generabout the year 1784. Elder Rich, after ally loam, with some tracts which are preaching here a number of years, left the sandy, and some of clay. The timber is town, and was succeeded by Elder Wm. oak of several kinds, pine, maple, beech, Harrington, who was dismissed about the birch, elm, basswood, ash, cherry, butteryear 1819. The Rev. Eleazer Harwood nut, walnut, poplar, &c. This township was settled over the Congregational abounds in iron ore, which makes the church about the year 1785, and continu- best of ware, and bar iron, and has inexed its pastor till his death, which happen- haustable quarries of excellent marble. ed in 1807. December 30th, of this year, The iron ore yields about 25 per cent. of the Rev. Holland Weeks was ordained metalic iron. The marble is coarse grainover this church, and dismissed in 1814; ed and somewhat flexible. Much of it is the Rev. Asa Messer was ordained Jan. conveyed down Otter creek to Middlebu29, 1818, and dismissed February, 1822; ry, to be sawn and manufactured into and the Rev. John Ingersoll, Dec. 18, jambs, &c. The oxyde of manganese is 1823, and dismissed in September, 1826. also found in this township. In the eastThe Rev. Willard Child, the present min-ern part of the township is a deep cavern ister, was settled April 25, 1827. The in which ice may commonly be found in Congregational, Baptist, and Methodist the months of July and August. There societies have each a convenient meet- is a small village near the centre of the inghouse, two of which are situated in township, containing two meeting housthe village near the centre of the town-es, three stores, one druggist shop, two ship. There have been two general revivals of religion, the former in 1784, and '5, and the latter in 1802, and 3. The dysentery was very mortal here in 1803, taverns, several mechanics' shops, and about 30 dwelling houses. It is situated eight miles north from Rutland court house. Another called Mill village is sit PLAINFIELD. PLYMOUTH. uated on Furnace brook, containing two | which passes through the northwest corstores, a saw and grist mill, woollen fac-ner, and by Great brook, which passes tory, &c. Pittsford contains one of the through the township in a northwesterly best town libraries in the state. It con- direction into Winooski river. At the sists of 1500 volumes, towards the pur-junction of these streams is a small vilchase of which a Mr. McClure, of Mexi- lage, containing a Congregational and co, gave $400. The town is divided into Methodist meeting house, two stores, one 13 or 14 school districts. There are 1 tavern, one tannery, &c. There is a grist and eight saw mills, two woollen small pond in the eastern part which is factories, 4 stores, 3 taverns, 2tanneries, 2 well furnished with excellent trout. furnaces, and an extensive bed of iron There is also a mineral spring similar to ore. Statistics of 1840.-Horses, 333; those in Newbury, which is a place of cattle, 1,796, sheep, 22,052; swine, 536; some resort for invalids. It is situated wheat, bus. 1,837; barley, 5; oats, 10,121; so near the margin of Great brook as to be rye, 2,177; buck wheat, 864; Ind. corn, overflown at high water. The surface of 13,425; potatoes, 30,661, hay, tons, 7,- this township is uneven, but is well tim162; sugar, lbs. 20,539; wool, 54,128. bered. There is but little waste land and Population, 1,927. the soil is generally of a good quality. The town is divided into seven school districts. There are here three saw and two grist mills, one fulling and one clover mill. Statistics of 1840.-Horses, 190; cattle, 1,145; sheep, 8,853; swine, 414; wheat, bus. 4,298; barley, 28; oats, 4,225; rye, 199; buck wheat, 314; I. corn, 1,036; potatoes, 26,316; hay, tons, 2,832; sugar, lbs. 13,980; wool, 11,201. Popu lation, 880. PLAINFIELD, a small post town in the eastern part of Washington county, in lat. 44° 14' and long. 4° 35', and is bounded north by Marshfield, east by Goshen gore, south by Barre and Orange, and west by Montpelier. It lies 55 miles north from Windsor, and 21 northwest from Newbury, and was chartered to Gen. James Whitelaw, and others, Oct. 27, 1788, containing 10,000 acres. The settlement was commenced about the year 1794, by Theodore Perkins, Joseph Batchelder, and Seth Freeman. They were joined the next year by Jonathan and Bradford Kinney, Moulton Batchelder, John Moore and others, from different parts of New England. The titles to the lands, under which the first settlers purchased, proved to be bad, and they were mostly obliged to purchase a second time. But by the indulgence of the Hon. Heman Allen, into whose hands the lands fell, the inhabitants were mostly enabled to retain the farms on which they had commenced improvements. The town was organized under the name of St. Andrew's gore, April 4, 1796, and Harvey Bancroft was first town clerk, who was the same year killed by the fall of a tree. November 6, 1797, the name of the township was altered to Plainfield. The first town meeting under this name was March 20, 1798, and Thomas Vincent, Esq. was then chosen town clerk. A small Congregational church was organized here about the year 1796, or 1797, a Methodist church about the year 1800, and a Universalist society about the year1820. The Congregational church has, for a part of the time, enjoyed the labors of the Rev. Jonathan Kinney, and this and the other societies have been supplied to a considerable extent, by itinerant preachers. The Rev. James Perry, a Methodist preacher, died here May 13, 1840, aged 83. The township is watered by Winooski river PLATT OR PLOTT RIVER. Sce Laplot. PLYMOUTH, a post town in the western part of Windsor county, is in lat. 43° 31' and long. 4o 19', and is bounded north by Bridgewater, east by Reading, south by Ludlow and a part of Mount Holly, and west by Shrewsbury. It lies 15 miles nearly west from Windsor, 52 south from Montpelier, and 16 sontheast from Rutland; and was chartered July 6, 1761, by the name of Saltash. The settlement of this township was commenced in 1777, by John Mudge, who was soon followed by Aaron Hewett and others. Wm. Mudge was the first child born, and received in consequence a lot of land. The town was organized about 1787. Adam Brown was first town clerk, and Moses Priest first representative. The religious societies are Congregationalists, Baptists, Methodists, Christians, and Freewill Baptists. The Congregational church was formed in 1806, and the Rev. Prince Jennie settled over it for 5 or 6 years. In 1822, Rev. Abel Manning was settled over it and continued about three years. The Baptist church is the most numerous and their present minister, the Rev. Ambler Edson. Elder Isaac Banister was the first minister of the Christian church, in 1819,and he was succeeded by Elder Noah Johnson, but the society is now destitute of a minister. The Freewill Baptist church consists of 52 members. A union meeting house was built in the south part of the town, in 1816. The principal PLYMOUTH. PLYMOUTH. ing particular had been done to ascertain the fact, until 1835, when Mr. Tyson, crossing the mountain near the head of Black River-which takes its rise between a high elevation on the east,called 'Mount Tom,' and the range of mountains of the west-discovered here several pieces of ore, which proved to be the micaceous and magnetic oxydes of iron. The ap further examination, and accordingly the ensuing spring he despatched Mr. Joseph Martin, his former agent at Strafford, and on whom he relied as an experienced miner, to make a thorough search in the vicinity. This resulted, in a short time, in the discovery of the bed of brown hematite which has since been opened, lying about 6 miles south of the place where the ore was first discovered. Large mass stream in this township is Black river, which is formed here, and runs southeasterly into Ludlow. On this stream are several good mill seats and a number of natural ponds, which abound in fish. Two considerable branches of Quechee river also rise in this township. A large share of the rocks are primitive limestone, which makes the best of lime. Not less than 2,000 hogsheads are annually manufac-pearance of these led him to institute a tured and transported to different parts of the country. Some of the limestone makes excellent marble, and in 1834 a factory, where 150 saws can be put in operation, was erected on Black river, for its manufacture. Some of the marble is white and some beautifully variegated. The surface of the township is considerably broken. Two mountains extend through it parallel to the river, and at no great distance from it. That on the north-es of this ore had been previously found eastern side is very abrupt, and is known by the name of Mount Tom. Near the meeting house is an extensive bed of steatite, or soapstone. At the foot of the mountain on the southwestern side of the river, and about 80 rods from it, are situted the Plymouth caverns. (See Part 1st, page 8.) This cavern was discovered about the 1st of July, 1818. The author of this work visited it about the 10th of the same month, and explored the several apartments, an account of which was published soon after in the Vermont Journal. At this time numerous stalactites were suspended from the roof and sides of the cavern, the greater part of which were rudely beaten off and carried away by the numerous visitants (amounting to several thousands) with which the cavern was thronged during that summer. The rocks are limestone, and the cavern was probably formed by the removal of the earth from among the rocks by water. For the following very full and interesting account of Tyson Furnace, in this town, and of the minerals in the vicinity, I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. R. H. Washburn, of Ludlow. Tyson Furnace, so named from the proprietor, is situated in the southern part of Plymouth, within a few rods of the boundary line between that town and Ludlow. It owes its existence to Mr. Isaac Tyson, Jr., of Baltimore, who has probably done more than any other individual to develop the internal resources of the state, having previously been connected with the extensive copperas works at Strafford. Although the existence of a large quantity of iron ore in the vicinity had been in. ferred for many years previous, from the frequent discovery of specimens lying loose upon the surface of the earth, noth about the place, and quantities of it had been removed to the nearest iron works in order to be wrought. Some years previous the company at Pittsford had sent a Mr. Buel to make experiments upon the same, all of which had proved successful. In 1837 Mr. Tyson commenced the erection of his works, which were put in operation the same year; they consist of a very large blast furnace, besides a small one for convenience. The specimens first discovered by Mr. Tyson near the head of Black River, were part of a rich vein of rock ore. An excavation was immedi. ately commenced here, and the ore, when smelted, is said to produce the best of wrought iron. A combination of the two kinds, however, is generally used in the castings. Two other excavations were also made, one about 5 miles north of the furnace, and the other 2 miles south, in the town of Ludlow. Another location of ore, apparently of a superior quality to the others, has been discovered about a mile and a half east of the furnace, called sparry or spathic, and sometimes steel ore, from the fact that steel may be procured from it without the subsequent process; from the beautiful rhomboidal surfaces, which it presents, it appears to be a crystalized carbonate. The bed of brown hematite above mentioned, is situated about one fourth of a mile west of the furnace, and is nearly parallel with the side of the mountain, forming an angle with a perpendicular of 65°. A shaft was sunk to the depth of 70 feet, but it becoming necessary to drain the mine, a drift was dug, extending horizontally about 80 rods. The excavation in the ore bed has already proceeded over 400 feet. Another shaft has recently been sunk a few rods west of the first; the ore was reached at a depth |