The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-11-27
history in tho Names of Towns
Prom tho New York Observer.

] The whole nuts Of a campaign, the entire
results Of "a Theological controversy, oil the
effects Of an important political movement
may record Themselves Ia some word TO which
they have given origin, Ills Illustrations Of
this fact are numerous and interesting There
| il a department Of the subject which has had
little, II any, attention from writers the his
/ tory embodied iu The names Gf towns. The
evidence TINT Washington was first In the
hearts Of his oounIrymon" In not more indeli-
bly, recorded on tho ppgcs ~ printed history,
than in the cyrr-apparcnl fact that scores OF
towns throughout the country bear his name,
and keen IL continually in the mouths and
minds of the people. The comparative popu-
larity'ol the various statesmen and cundida-
tcs for office who are, from time 10 time,
prominently before the cuudtry, reBiHters it.
. self in the same way, But the idea ~ this
article will pc most clearly developed, II Illus
tratious are taken from tpWns With whose
history the writer is somewhat miuutely ac-
quaiuled-towns in Vermont
Some Of them tell TO coming generations
from what towns in other States the original
grantees or the early settlers came, Thus,
Londonderry in New Hampshire, Salisbury,
pomfrcl, Coventry aud WeAthcrsfeld In Com
nccticut, and Barre, lirniutree, Ncwbury-and
Wnlthnm IN Massachusetts, have given their
names 10 towns Ia Vermont Ryogutc, origi-
unlly settled from Scotland, bears witness TO
that fact from is name, An incident connect
ed With the naming of the town fh1rre may
umusc the reader II il does not instruct him.
That town was az frat called Wildersburgh.
In 1908, the name having become unpopular,
q town meeting was held 20 determine upon
some other name 10 hc proposed 10 the Leg
isloturc for adoption. Various names were
Suggcsicd, but opinions Rt length cOnccntra-
ted principally upon Barre and Holden. and
as Joseph Thompson from the latter place,
Nand Jonathan Sherman nom the former, were
most conspicuous IN urging the merit of the
respective names, II was finally agreed that
they should settle the question .hy n boxing
match across a pole TIL one was knocked
down, whom they might continue the struggle
IN their own way. Tho meeting then Adjourn-
ed to a ncwly-built shed close at hand, the
ioor Of which was Of rough hcmlock plank.
Thompson soon knOckrd his opponent down
aud then springing upon him, began To di-
rect heavy blows at his head and face. But
I Shurmau tudgUd them win rurh dgXtpriTy
that most of them fell upon the floor, while,
in the meantime, be- ~. pounded Thomson's
ribs aA speedily TO put him A0IS'du cOI4bdk
Then rolling him oil, he sprung To his feet
aud cSutiugly exclaimed, "'lhcru, the name
il Barre" adding AN oath, The name was
sanctioned hy the town, aud the next year
adopted 10y the Legislature On the day af-
ter the conflict, the physician Of the town had
a tedious job in extracting from Sherman's
bnck the homlock spliniers which had ac-
eumulutrd there during his squirning on the
rough plank floor.
Some towns wrro named on account of
their position in respect TO other towns.
siEitsl,ir, -Ae--- 4+ansI,- aud MiddlrhnrY, were
granted in one tract to residents OF the two
former towns in Connecticut, ~ho, having
divided their territory into three towns nam
cd the most northern, New Haven, the most
southern, Salisbury, and the middle one, Mid
dlcbury. Middlctown was so called because
il VAS formed from the corners Of -four adja'
cent towns, and so might, in \ special man
nor, be said to be in the middle of them.
A number of towns were named for some
prominent man among their grantees or early
settlers bakersfield, ior Joseph Bakers Bar
nard, for Francis Barnard; Craftsbury for
Col. Ebenezcr Crafts Elmorc for Col Sam
ucl Elmorc Fcrrisburgh, for several persons
hv ;he name Of Ferris Glover, for Gen. John
Glovcrj Hydepark, for Capt Jedehuh Hyde
; and Johnson. Woodbury., Whiting, Sheldon,
and numerous others, for persona bearing the
suur uurc, hriuuE 10 this class. In few
instances a Christian name has been the foun-
dation for the name of a town. Thus, Lyn-
don was named for Josiah Arnold, u son of
DIR. Jonathan Arnold, the principal grantee
and lrnsburgh for Gen. Ira Allen
l. Another class of towns was named in hon
or of distinguished individuals. Wheeluck
perpctuates the name of Rev. John Whee-
lock, President Of Dartmouth College. Ben
nington was named for himself by Gov. Ben
ming Wentworth, Of New Hampshire by
?. whom It's charter wns granted. Arlington,
burlington, Cavondish, Clarendon DANDY,
Dorset, Essex, Fairfax, Manchester, Rocking
ham, Rutland, SALISBURY, StrniTprd and
Woodstock, were named by Gov. Wentworth
for English noblcmen who were his personal
frier ds or whom he deemed, Al polite To COM
phment in that way.
The names of THREE towns, St. Johnsbury,
Danvillc, and Nergens,esi had n common orr
gin and that n somewhat peculiar one. Dur
ing the troubles which preceded the admis
sion Of Vermont into the Union, General
Ethan Allen was in frequent correspondence
with Hector st. John do Creyecnur, the
French Consul at New York, who warmly be-
friended the infant State,and interceded with
his sovereign for sundry benefits to be con-
(erred upon IL. At an interview with the
Consul Allen expressed much gratitude for
these hyors, and regretted that the poverty
of Vermont disabled it from testibiug in
more substantial manner, it's npprecintioSfHof
those favors as well as of the services render
cd TO American liberty by other emnen
Frenchmen. CreNccrur remarked that an
unexpcnsive but quite satisfactory token of
regard might be given, by bestowing the
the names of such Prenchmen on towns or
counties thereafter to be organized. Allen
caught at the idea, and declared that a town
should Immediately be named "St. John" for
his friend. In letter written soon after to
Allen, De Crevccnr mentioned the names
of a number OF Frenchnen whom itwould be
expedient to compliment in the manner pro-
posed and in regard 10 the town to be NAM
cd for himself he suYgested that rs there
wele already several American towns bearing
the name of 81. John, his should be distin-
guished from all tho rest by the addition of
"bury"-St. Johnsbury. Ills suggestion was
adopted and the town named accordingly ;
and from the other names were selected those
of Nergennes, the Minister Of War, and d.
AWHILE, the Admiral. and bestowed upon the
towns still called by those names.