Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-04-01
Geo4raph ttoI.
For the Green Mountain freeman.
Geography of Washington CO%unly"""in
RhVme,

faTty east, Caledonla-nOrth is LamOllle.
Orange county southeasterlv gives it a bound;
Adjoining, southwestward, is Addison found.
To tllage adapted, and grazing, it seems
A county of mountains and vallies and streams.
Five hundred and seventy square miles are its share,
With forty-one persons for every mile square.
Ten times eleven thousand their number of sheep,
And twenty five thousand the cattle they keeps
Well washed is this county with rivers and rills.
Which run in the valleys and spring in the hills.
1t borrows much water from counties about
Then to Chlttenden county it pays it all out.
Winooski through Washington westward demands
The tribute of streams on the right and left hands.
The brooks and the rivers his mandate obey;
Some n%ortherly ffow-some the opposite way.
See Kingsbury Branch, with a %southerly fall,
Run to strengthen Winooski, while yet it is small.
Its branches through Calais, from Woodbury. run,
And pass to Montpelier united in one.
Stevens Branch runs to Berlin through Barre, to show
Some tribute that townships southeasterly owe.
Some towns in the county of Orange esteem
Their waters in pant to be due to this stream.
1t reminds us of SteUens, whose lot was to die
Near the mouth OF this stream, when no helper was nigh.
North Branch from the county Lamoille hastcns down,
Due tribute to pay at the capital town;
And working al various trades it is seen,
At mills, or a foundry, or carding machine.
Dog River, from Roxbury, runs at the call
Through NOrthfield and Berlin, with n~ortherly fall.
Much service to man it is willing to pay,
At mills and machines that are thrown in its way.
In the southwestern parts ofthe county, between
Two ranges of mountains, Mad RiUer is seen.
Its course is in Addison county begun
AT Moretown is ended its ~northerly run.
Its rises are sudden, ~resistless its force,
And fences and bridges are swept in its course.
Lastly, Waterbury RiUer, which passes through Stowe,
Comes into the county with s%outherly flow.
Its collection of tribute, which mostly is made
In the county Lamollle, to Winooskl is paid.
Let US now, my young readers, the rivers pursue,
AMI visit the towns and their villages view.
] rom Cabot Wlnooski to Marshield comes down,
Which is Washington county's most easterly town.
This township was granted to Indians of old;
To them it was chartered, by them it was sold.
Two PitKins. called Calvin and Martin, began
To improve it and fit it for civilized man.
Spencer Joined them, and others soon came TO endure
The ~hardships and toll to new settlements sure.
Some families came bitter hardships to know,
While over four feet was the depth of the snow.
Rough Marshteld is fertile, or partly, at least;
The portion excepted extends On The east.
On a Branch of Winooski, in Marshdeld, we meet
A precipitous fall of some hundreds Of feet.
w JUS " L Idlllllclu llNIlGS US W 20,
And guides to its village with southerly flow.
Well peopled is Pl%ainield, but narrow its bound;
Only ten thousand acres within 1t are found.
1t is washed by Winooski, here Joined by Great Brook;
At this junction of streams for the village we look.
The first that to Plaintield as settlers removed
Held their lands by a title that spurious proved.
To the h~ardships of settlers was added the pain
OF paying for land they had paid for again.
On the east side of Plainfeld extends Goshen Gore,
Two or three thousand acres ofland very poor.
Crossing part of Montpelier, Vino pski, between
Montpelier and Berlin, is II bounding them seen.
Northwestern then, between townships it glldcs
Till Bolton it crosses and Richmond divides.
To visit the towns on the north is our plan,
Then those on the %southerly side if we can.
Mostly north is Montpelier, increasing and great,
The shi-e-town and capital town Of the State.
Nearly four thousand people it numbers in all,
And three or four villages, some OF them small.
On a bank of Winooski, encircled with hills,
Montpelier's large village an ~interva!e fills;
Dwelling houses not far from two hundred we tell;
Public buildings, and others, the number will swell.
North Branch through the village goes southerly down
With Winooskl to join as it passes the town.
Main street, on the east of the Branch, may be seen;
Elm street. on the west, and good bridges between.
Main street, you may see, to Winooski extend,
AhCh puoo III ulOu blIuRC u L III pOullCllY ClN
At the opposite end an Academy stands,
Stores, shops, and a church grace the right and lef
hands.
State street, running west from Main street, is SURVEYED
Where the Capitol towering north is displayed.
This building, of granite, substantial and grand,
For convenience and beauty is s%kilfully planned.
Some houses of worship embellish the place;
A beautiful court house enhances its grace;
Near by it a bank is with pleasure surveyed,
And an oAScn ic soon whore insurance ia mndn
Where branches meander with %southerly flow
On the north of Montpelier, may Calais be seen;
Its seventeen hundred inhabitants show
1t is not to be placed in a rank that is mean.
While we visit this town up and down we shall ride,
But not over mountains or streams very large.
Here are beautiful ponds, and good mill-seats beSldei
The streams in Winooski united discharge.
North of Calais to Woodburg next we proceed,
Distinguished by ponds and much broken IN soil;
Its streams to Winooski would %southerly lead,
Or, n%orthward, invite you to River Lamoille.
This town is the county's northeastern extreme;
CABOT east, hardwick ~orthward, and Elmore Is wesl
Though the people are over a thousand, we deem
The farms not entitled to rank with the best.
Now, down the Winooski our course we renew,
Since in Washington county we purpose to stay.
Ard first, a short visit to Worcester is due.
Though it lies west of Calais and out of our way.
Mountains heaving, its westerly boundary, rise;
North Branch runs from Gilmore to Middiesex thronp
If much ofthe town uninhabited lies,
Some very good farms and mill seats we view.
The road I'D the Branch into Gilmore would lead,
But back to Montpelier, the Branch being guide,
Through the east part of Middlesex now we proceed
And then through its southernly portions we ride.
We see the railroad, partly wrought, as we pass
Through meadows productive of grain and of grass
The land is much broken, as seen on the right,
And a small, thriving village soon pleases our sight
We stop at the village a moment to peep
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sCensus OF 1910.