The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-01-23
DAVID HAZARD, !
A As~Ts u. Ss:S, A~'''''.
Adjourned without day.
JOS. Ii. BARRETT,
L Secretary.
lMiddlebury, Jan. I6. 1856.
For the Register.
Dixon's Ferry at Wallin's Hill,
1900


In a series of interesting notes on the
carly history of Winsted, Connecticut,
prepared by Hon john BOYD of that
very prosperous manufacturing village,
published in its newspaper the Herald,
wo find described the 'grcdt norM r0atl,'
laid out by the Colonial Assembly as a
military communication, between Hart.
ford and Albany, passing boldly across
the high lands which the later turhpikes
avoid, in the northern part of Litchlicld
county, and rossing IIaHjn'S HiH we
suppose in Barkhampstead, from por-
ton of which town. as from old WincAes
ter, the parish Of IViR-Sted was taken.
" This in Revoluti oaary times" he says,
"and long afterwards was the great
thotoughfare Of all the Eastern and
Western travel, in that quarter, between
the Connecticut aud Hudson rivers.
Burgoync's army was marched over it
after the surrender at Saratoga. aud con
tincnta troops were continually passing
over it during the war"
Subsequently the tide Of emigration
left its mark on Walin's Hill, az siuco
at Cayuga Bridge, and at Dixou's Ferry;
and such as is now reported at its food
at ST. Authony's, or Kansas City.
With the return of peace the tide Of
cmigration from this state, to " the On.
cida Country" and the Holland Pur-
chase " set in, and the whole route was
lined with covered wagons stored with
household goods and ilaxcn- haired chill
dren, and with loads intermixed of
whito-wood lumber, wooden dishes and
white ash oars, the produce Of the eoun-
try, seeking market at Hartford or
ea,hersfcld, and returning with family
stores Of salt, rum and molasscs, with
also bounteous supply Of stad in their
season. bought at twelve co?pers the
dozen. More than six hundred slciahs
AID sleds, passing the Wallm's lii
school house, during the school hours of
one day, were counted by the late Seth
Hayward about l790'
Mr. Boyd adds an anecdotc
Along this thoroughfore the first in
habitants Of ancient Winstc1 located
themselves The Still river and Mad
river valleys were then Wilderness with
only few cart paths through the forest,
covering he sites of our present village
Here lived in those primitive days Lieut..
John aud Capt Charles Wright, Mr..
Samuel Wright, Samuel Hayden, E-q
the the Cny" justice 81 the PsGsGcSs %eiTn 3 is
limits, Ensign Ebenezer Kellogg Ensign
Josiah Smith, afterwards promoted to
Captain, and finally merging his militia
ry honors in the worthier tide Of Dea-
con- and Johu Balloon, Grand Juror,
bushy headed, stout hearted man Of five
feet two, who magnifed his offcc by at
tempting to stop a hard-aced military
officer from profaning the great north
road" by travelling over it on the Sab
bath. The officer, probably unwarc that
SO much dignity could be tabernacIcd in
SO small a body, and in 50 primitive a
dwelling as that from Which he emerged
on hearing his message of Office, brand.
ished his sword over the Grand Jurors
head, cxclaiming--" Get into your bur
row. you id wood chuck, or I'll cut
your head off !" 1t is no great dispar-
agoment of the frmnoss of Mr.. Balloon
that he let 90 the horses rein, and allow
ed the sabbath. breaker to 60 on his way.
when be found he had got hold of Col.
Ethan ALLEN"