GRAND ISLE COUNTY. GRANVILLE. tistics of 1840.-Horses, 1,161; cattle, 5,463; sheep, 27,451; swine, 3,179; wheat, bus. 21,430; barley, 1,655; oats, 43,430; rye, 9,504; buckwheat, 9,216; Ind. corn, 13,816; potatoes, 76,408; hay, tons, 8,593; sugar, Ibs. 34,478; wool, 57,546. Population, 3,883. tended to prevent its progress. Sickness, the close of the revolutionary war. The with its concomitant miseries, presented streams here are all small, and there can the most formidable obstacle. Fever and hardly be said to be a good mill privilege ague and bilious fevers, engendered by in the county. There has, however been the noxious vapours from the surroun- one water grist mill, which did considerding waters and the low and marshy able business, and one or two windmills. grounds, were very prevalent, and were The surface of the county is generally fatal in their ravages. No age, or sex, level, and the soil very rich and producwas exempt from their attack. In addi- tive. The first settlers of this county tion to this, the settlers often suffered were subject to fevers and other diseases, from extreme scarcity of provisions. Hunt- induced by the noxious exhalations from ing and fishing were, for some time, their the stagnant waters, but, since the lands onlymeans of gaining a subsistence. These have become generally cleared and culti obstacles cooled their ardor and damped vated, the inhabitants have become more their ambition. Previous to the year healthy. North Hero is the shire town. 1809, this township constituted a part of The supreme court sits here on the 3d South Hero. This year, it was erected Tuesday in January, and the county court into a separate township by the name of on the 1st after the 4th Tuesday in April, Middle Hero, and was organized. The and the 4th Tuesday in September. Stafirst town clerk was James Brown, and the first representative Asa Lyon. November 5, 1810, the name was altered to Grand Isle. The principal religious denominations are Congregationalists and Methodists. The Rev. Asa Lyon, a Congregationalist, preached here many years previous to his death, which occurred in GRANVILLE, a post town in the eastern 1840. The Methodist society is supplied part of Addison county, and is bounded by itinerant preachers. The public buil- northerly by Warren and a part of Roxdings are a meeting house and a town bury, easterly by Braintree, southerly by house. There are several small streams Hancock and a part of Rochester and west in this township. There are some con- by Ripton. It lies 22 miles south west siderable hills, but nothing which de- from Montpelier, and 42 north west from serves the name of a mountain. The soil Windsor, in lat. 43° 59' and long. 4o 10'. is rich, and is not surpassed in fertility It was granted November 7, 1780, and by any part of the state. It produces chartered, to Reuben King, August 2, corn and grain in abundance. Fifty 1781, by the name of Kingston. The bushels of corn per acre, and 25 of rye name was altered to Granville, Nov. 6, and wheat are ordinary crops. Among 1834. The settlement of this township the minerals are marble, limestone, rock was commenced soon after the close of the crystals, and sulphuret of iron. The revolution, by Reuben King and others. township produces a great variety of In 20 years from the commencement of fruits, particularly apples, in abundance. The timber is various, consisting of beech, birch, maple, oak, ash, elm, pine, &c. Statistics of 1840.-Horses, 216; cattle, 1,160; sheep, 6,451; swine, 726; wheat, bush. 2,953; barley, 106; oats, 10,148; rye, 4,022; buck wheat, 1,146; Indian corn, 2,187; potatoes, 19,968; hay, tons, 2,061; sugar, lbs. 9,893; wool, 12,504. Population, 724. the settlement there were but 17 deaths, four of them men, two of whom were upwards of 80 years of age, and no estate has been settled by law. Jos. Patrick was the first town clerk, the first justice of the peace, and the first representative. The dysentery prevailed here in 1806, and was very mortal. The religious denominations are Congregationalists and Baptists. White river is formed here by the union GRAND ISLE COUNTY, is bounded of several considerable branches. On one north by Canada, on the north line of of these is a fall of 100 feet. Fifty feet of Alburgh; the rest of the county consists the lower part of it is perpendicular, and of islands, which are embosomed in the at the bottom is a hole worn into the rock waters of lake Champlain. It lies be- ten feet deep. A considerable part of the tween 44° 35' and 459 north lat. and be- surface of the township is mountainous. tween 3° 39' and 3° 47' east long., being Statistics of 1840.-Horses, 123; cattle, 28 miles long from north to south, and 560; sheep, 2,100; swine, 440; wheat, about 5 miles wide, and containing 82 bush. 1,006; oats, 5,300; rye, 60; buck square miles. It was incorporated No-wheat, 205; Indian corn, 560; potatoes, vember 9, 1802. No permanent settle- 19,200; hay, tons, 1,390; sugar, lbs. ment was made in this county until after 15,900; wool 5,900. Population, 545. GREEN MOUNTAINS. GREEN RIVER.-GREENSBOROUGH. GROTON. GRASSY BROOK. See Brookline. of March, Mrs. Shephard was delivered GREEN MOUNTAINS. (See part first, p. of a son, William Scott, the first child 3.) The principal summits of the Green born in this town. The proprietors voted Mountains are Shrewsbury peak in him a present of 100 acres of land. In1790, Shrewsbury, Killington peak in Sher- Mr. Joseph Stanley removed his family burne, Camel's Hump in Huntington, here, and the same year the Hon. TimoMansfield mountains in Mansfield, Ster- thy Stanley erected the first saw mill on ling peak in Sterling, and Jay peak in Jay. the outlet of Caspian Lake. In 1791, Mr. GREEN RIVER. There are two small Law and three Messrs. Hills, removed streams of this name. One rises in Eden, their families here. This year Mr. T. passes through the corner of Hydepark, Stanley erected a house and grist mill, and and falls into the Lamoille in Wolcott. removed his family here in 1792. In 1795, The other originates in Marlborough, and there were 23 families and 108 persons in after running through a part of Halifax and town. The town organized, March 29, Guilford, passes off into Massachusetts. 1792. The denominations of Christians GREENSBOROUGH, a post town, six miles are, Baptists, Congregationalists and square, lying in the south part of Orleans Methodists. The Rev. Salmon King was county, in lat. 44° 36' and long. 4° 41. settled over the Congregational church It is bounded northerly by Glover, east- here about the year 1808, and continued erly by Wheelock and Goshen gore, a few years. The surface of this town is southerly by Hardwick, and westerly by uneven, but the elevations are not generCraftsbury and a small part of Wolcott. ally abrupt. The land is well timbered, It lies 27 miles northeasterly from Mont- mostly with hard wood, except on the pelier, and 79 miles north from Windsor. river and about its head waters, where it This township was granted November 6, is almost entirely hemlock, spruce, cedar 1780, and chartered August 20, 1781, to and fir. The soil is of a middling qualiHarris Colt and his associates. Messrs. ty, but on account of its being situated Tolman and Wood visited this town, and about the head waters of several considerspent three days here, in the spring of able rivers, much of the land is wet and 1787. In December, 1788, the Hon. Tim- cold, and the crops are liable to suffer by othy Stanley lost his foot by frost, atten- frost. The river Lamoille is formed by ding a meeting of the proprietors of this the union of several streams in this town. township at Cabot. The first settlement Caspian Lake or Lake Beautiful, lies in was begun in Greensborough, in the the south part of this town, and dischargspring of 1789, when Messrs. Ashbel and es its waters to the east into the Lamoille, Aaron Shepard removed, with their fami- affording a number of valuable mill privlies, from Newbury to this place. The ileges, around which has grown up a beauhardships which the first settlers of this tiful little village, containing a meeting town had to endure, were very consider- house, store, &c. This pond is about 3 able. In coming into the town, the wo- miles long, and 1 broad. Elligo pond, men had to proceed on foot, and all the lying mostly in the western part of this furniture, belonging to the two families, town, is about a mile long, and forms the was drawn upon three hand sleds, on the head waters of Black river. These ponds crust. Both families consisted of five per-produce abundance of fine trout. Runasons, Mr. Ashbel Shepard and his wife, and Mr. Aaron Shepard, his wife and one child. Mr. Aaron Shepard removed his family to Coos in August, and did not return till March, when his brother, Horace Shepard and family, returned with him. Thus were Mr. Ashbel Shepard and his wife, left from August till March, with no other human being in the town. Their nearest neighbors were Mr. Cutler's family, in Craftsbury, which had removed there the preceding autumn, and Mr. Webster's family, in Cabot. Mr. Shepard brought all his grain from Newbury, a distance of more than 40 miles, of which he drew it 16 miles upon a hand sled, with the snow between four and five feet deep. In the same manner, he drew hay for the support of a cow, from a meadow of wild grass, three miles distant On the 25th way Pond (see Glover) was partly in this town, and was formerly the source of the Lamoille. There are several other small ponds in the north part of the town, which, at present, form the head waters of the Lamoille. One grist mill, three saw mills, one fulling mill, and one carding machine. Statistics of 1840.-Horses, 198; cattle, 1,202; sheep, 4,524; swine, 561; wheat, bu. 2,074; barley, 1,656; oats, 9,907; rye, 64; b'k wheat, 478; Indian corn, 557; potatoes, 42,423; hay, tons, 3,215; sugar, lbs. 43,920; wool, 11,820. Population, 883. GROTON, a township in the south part of Caledonia county, is in lat. 44° 14' and long 4° 45', and is bounded north by Peacham, east by Ryegate, south by Topsham, and west by Harris' gore. It lies 16 miles east from Montpelier, and GUILDHALL. GUILFORD. 15 northwest from Newbury. It was ted to Elisha Hall and his associates. granted November 7, 1780, and chartered The settlement was commenced in the to Thomas Butterfield and his associates, lower part of this town, which was then October 20, 1789, containing 28,300 acres. thought to be a part of Lunenburgh, in The settlement of the township was com- 1764, by David Page, Timothy Nash and menced in 1787, by Messrs. James, Ab- George Wheeler. In 1775, Enoch Hall, bott, Morse and Osmore. John James Micah Amy and James Rosbrook joined was the first male child born in town. the settlement; Eleazer Rosbrook and The town was organized March 28, 1797, Samuel Page, in 1778, and David Hopkinand Nathaniel Knight was the first town son, and Reuben and Simeon Howe, in clerk. The wife of a Mr. Page, in this 1779. The first settlers suffered severe town, was, in 1819, delivered of four male privations and hardships for a number of children at a birth. The religious denom- years. They brought their grain and proinations are Baptists and Methodists. visions, in canoes, from Northfield in The ministers are Elder Lyman Culver, Massachusetts, a distance of more than Baptist, and Elder James Smith, Metho- 150 miles. During the revolutionary war, dists. The surface of this township is they were in continual alarm, and fregenerally uneven, rough and stoney. quently annoyed by the Indians and toThere is, however, some very good land, ries, who killed their cattle, plundered both in the northeast and south western their houses, and carried a number of the parts. The timber is mostly spruce and inhabitants into captivity. The first town hemlock, interspersed with maple, beech meeting recorded was in March, 1785. and birch. This township is watered by But it appears from the records, that the Wells river and some of its branches, town had been previously organized. The which afford several good mill privileges. denominations of Christians are CongreThere are also several natural ponds. gationalists, Methodists and Baptists. Wells river pond, through which Wells The Congregational church was formed river passes, is in the north part, and is in 1799; settled the Rev. Caleb Burge, three miles long and three quarters of a August 3, 1808, who was dismissed in mile wide. Little pond, in the south- March, 1814. The Rev. James Tisdale eastern part, covers about 100 acres, and was settled September 20, 1830, and dislies in the course of Wells river. Kettle missed in May, 1836. The Rev. Francis pond, so called on account of Mr. Hos- P. Smith, the present pastor, was settled mer, a hunter, having lost a small kettle in September, 1838. There have been in its vicinity, lies in the northwest corner, and covers about 40 acres. The south branch rises in Harris' gore, and running nearly east through the south part of the town, joins Wells river just balow Little pond. In the south part of the township is an extensive bank of white clay or marl, which is a very good substitute for chalk, and which has been used instead of lime in plastering, and is said to answer a very good purpose. There are here one grist, seven saw and one fulling mill, two stores and two tanneries. Statistics of 1840.-Horses, 169; cattle, 1,138; sheep, 2,061; swine, 605; wheat, bus. 2,185; barley, 306 oats, 13,618; Indian corn, 2,967; potatoes, 31, 095; hay, tons, 2,009; sugar, lbs. 20,530; wool, 4,001. Population, 928. two county grammar school houses erected in this town, both of which were consumed by fire. The surface of this town, except on the river, is uneven, hard and rocky. The intervales and flats are easy and fertile. Burnside and Cow mountain are considerable elevations. Connecticut river washes the east side of this town. Its other waters are, Cutler's Mill brook, on which mills have been erected, and Burnside brook, on which also, are mill privileges. There is a small village in the northeast corner of the town, containing the county buildings, several offices, stores, &c. At this village is a good bridge across Connecticut river. There is another bridge, connecting this town with Lancaster, near the south east corner. There are here two stores, one tavGUILDHALL, a post and shire township ern, one grain mill, two saw mills, and in Essex county, situated in lat. 44° 32' one fulling mill. Statistics of 1840.and long. 5° 18', containing 19,477 acres, Horses, 126; cattle, 794; sheep, 1,285; or thirty square miles. It is 50 miles swine, 446; wheat, bu. 957; barley, 78; northeast from Montpelier, 25 from Dan. oats, 6,285; buck wheat, 1,774; In. corn, ville, and 83 from Windsor. It is bound-905; potatoes, 25,025; hay, tons, 1,415; ed north by Maidstone, east by Connec- sugar, bs. 11,800; wool, 2,081. Populaticut river, south by Lunenburgh, and tion, 470. west by Granby, and lies opposite to Lan- GUILFORD, a post town in the south caster in New Hampshire. Guildhall part of Windham county, is in lat. 42o was chartered October 10, 1761, and gran-47' and long. 4° 26', and is bounded north GUILFORD. GUILFORD. were by Brattleborough, east by Vernon, south er the whole township was a village--all by Leyden, Massachusetts, and west by the hills and vallies were smoking with Halifax. It lies 50 miles south from huts. By the charter 350 acres Windsor, 31 east from Bennington. It called a share, and all the proprietors was chartered April 2, 1754, to fifty-four shared alike. The reservations in the proprietors, principally of Massachusetts, charter consisted of "one whole share to and contained 23,040 acres. When gran- the society in England for propagating ted the town was a perfect wilderness, the gospel in foreign parts-one to the yet by the charter, the grantees were to first settled minister of the gospel-and hold their first meeting for the choice of one whole share for a glebe, for the minofficers, &c. on the first of May, 1754, istry of the church of England, as by law and on the first Tuesday of March ever established." The governor was not unafterwards. It seems the town was first mindful of his own interest. He reserved organized by and under the very grant 500 acres to be located by itself, for his itself. Power was given to the grant- own. The town was laid out into 50 and ees to transact the business of the town 100 acre lots. The public rights were as a majority should see fit, subject only fairly located, but that of the royal goverto the control of the parliament of Eng- nor fell upon the only mountain in town, land. This little enterprising band, com- which still bears the name of authority posed of Samuel Hunt, John Chandler, upon the map-"Gov. Mountain.” AÍDavid Field, Elijah Williams, Micah though no reservation was made in the Rice, Ira Carpenter and others, having grant for the use of schools, yet one little to fear from the nominal power of whole share was located for that purpose. parliament, in the wilderness of Vermont, That was a just and generous act of the assumed the title, which was virtually proprietors, but it was not the same libercreated by their charter, of a little indepen-ality that governed them, when they lodent republic. By the records of their cated, sold and settled one whole tier of first meetings, they appear to have been hundred acre lots north beyond the exgoverned by certain committees, chosen tent of their charter. That was the case for the purpose of surveying the lands, laying roads, drawing the shares or lots, taxing the rights, &c.; but their greatest object was to procure and encourage settlers. Their meetings were held at Greenfield, Northfield, Hinsdale or Brattleboro', until 1765, when their first meeting was held at Guilford. There was a condition which, if not performed, went to defeat the grant. The grantees were to settle, clear and cultivate, in five years, five The first land was cleared in 1758 by acres for every 50 in said township. Al- the Hon. Jona. Hunt and Elisha Hunt, though much time and money were spent on the farm now occupied by the Rev. in making roads and clearing lands, yet Asa Haynes. The first settlement was on the 20th of March, 1764, the grantees made by Micah Rice and family, in Sepby a special committee chosen, petitioned tember, 1761, on the place now occupied the governor of N. H. for a confirmation by Jeremiah Greenleaf, Esq. Mr. R.'s of their grant, and an extention of the widow died in 1832, aged 95 years, and time, stating that the intervention of an his oldest son is now living here, aged 80. Indian war had made it impracticable for Soon after followed Jonathan Bigelow, them to fulfil the conditions of the char- John Barney, Daniel Lynds, Wm. Bigeter. Their prayer was granted and the low, Ebenezer Goodenough, Paul Chase, time for settling the town, extended to Thomas Cutler, John Shepardson, and the first of January, 1766. From the time the charter was confirmed in 1764, the town began to be rapidly settled by emigrants from Massachusetts and other New-England states. Through the policy of the original proprietors, the first settlers began upon lots of 50 acres, in order to fulfil the condition of the grant. So rapid was the increase of population, that the town soon became the largest in the state as to numbers. Yet there was not a single village in the township, or rath and the same is held by the town to this day. "All the pine trees suitable for masting the royal Navy" were reserved to his Majesty. This shews the attention the English nation paid to the Navy. One hundred miles from the ocean, where no such timber grew, was that reservation made. What has been related, with a little "proclamation money," was the price of the charter. others. They came into town by the way of Broad brook. Beginning at the mouth of that stream on Connecticut river in Vernon, and passing up on its banks, they found their way into Guilford.— That was then the only road, and even that was impassable with teams. The first settlers had either to boil or pound their corn, or go 15 miles to mill with a grist upon their backs. It appears, by what records can be found, that the town was wholly governed by a set of officers GUILFORD. GUILFORD. person who shall, for the future, pretend "ELIJAH WELCH, T. Clerk. chosen annually by the people under their charter, until the 19th May, 1772, when the inhabitants, at a “district meeting as sembled" in the district of Guilford, voted, that Guilford was in the county of Cumberland and province of New York, and chose officers of the town, agreeably They further chose a committee to esto the laws of that province. At that tablish the price of labor, all kinds of promeeting a record was first made in a reg- duce, goods, wares and merchandise. The ular town book, which was purchased by report of the committee was adopted as the original proprietors some years before. the law of the town. All the articles By that record it appears, John Shepard- mentioned were a legal tender for debts, son was chosen "district clerk, John Bar- with a penalty of the article sold, or the hey supervisor," &c., and the meeting value thereof, with costs. The punishwas then adjourned to a day after the anment of offenders was various, such as nual meeting by the charter. Having re-beech seal," fines, &c., but the most disnounced their charter, and there being no graceful of all was to be compelled to emgovernment which really exercised au- brace the Liberty Pole, with both arms, thority over them, they continued to leg- the time specified by the committee of inislate for themselves, and tradition says spection, or judges. There was again an that good justice was done, yet one prin- entire change of politics in 1778. It ap ciple of the charter was still adhered to, pears by the records, that a warrant and none but proprietors, or those who held notification for a town meeting was sent under them, had a right to rule, or vote from the "Council of Bennington," and in their meetings. Thus was this little a meeting held upon the same, when it republic regulated by a town meeting, was "Voted, not to act agreeable to said which was adjourned from time to time, warrant," and the meeting was dissolved. without interruption from abroad, or con- In 1779, after doing the customary town tentions at home, until the year 1776. business, " Voted, Lovell Bullock, TimoThen the town was beset with violent to- thy Root, and Henry Sherburn, a comries and Yorkers on the one side, and mittee to defend the town against the prebrave whigs and New-states-men on the tended state of Vermont, and to represent other. The whigs, united with those op- the town in County Committee." "Henposed to the claims of the state of New-ry Sherburn, Elliot and Hezekiah StowYork, that and the succeeding year, out ell," all violent "Yorkers, were chovoted the tories and the Yorkers. In 1776 sen to take special care of the powder and the town voted to pay the expenses of lead,and other town stores"-and the meetBenjamin Carpenter, their delegate to the ing adjourned to the next year. In 1780, a Westminster Convention in 1775. They like meeting was held. There is the voted to raise nine soldiers for the conti- following record for 1781. "Then all the nental army, equip them with arms and people met together that means to stand powder, give them a bounty of £4 "bay in opposition against the pretended state money," by a tax upon the inhabitants of of Vermont, and acted on the following the town, and it was done. They also articles, viz." Among others see the fol resolved, that "no man should vote for lowing" Voted, to defend themselves town officers, who was not qualified ac- against the insults of the pretended state cording to the direction of the Continen- of Vermont. Voted, Peter Briggs and tal Congress." Under that resolution, William Bullock for a Committee to send their committee, chosen for the purpose, to Charlestown Convention. Voted, that excluded tories from the polls, vi et armis, Hezekiah Stowell keep the names of those and the poor, if qualified, participated in that are against said pretended state," the government. The title of the town &c. Also, May, 1782. "Then the peoas belonging to the state of New York, ple met in general, and voted to stand was left out of the records. To give some against the pretended state of Vermont, idea of the laws passed by the old repub- until the decision of Congress be known, lic of Guilford, we will quote the follow-with lives and fortunes. Voted, to receive ing, passed the next year, 1777. "Voted, the instructions which came from New not to let any person vote in this meeting, York, &c. Voted, and chose Henry Evbut such as have 40 pounds real or personal estate. Voted, John Barney and Benjamin Carpenter be a committee to go to Windsor, in June next, to hear the report of the agent sent to Congress concerning a new state. Voted, that any 11 PT. 111. ens, Daniel Ashcraft and Nathan Fitch, to forbid the constable acting." These appear not to be regular meetings of the * See Slade's Vermont State Papers, p. 106. † State Papers, p. 128; also Part 2ú, p. 60, |