Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1860-09-14

cr-Old Houses all goue-bH3 oar h""'
Bellows Falls Water Company
length of PiPc-HOw 10 get iec-"n'''
Story about Robert Luci. aud Ihc Loon
VuRs!
MNAED's PoND received It's present
name from the Minard family, who were
among the early settlers inthis town. VII
liam originally lived upon the place now
known as the Barbour farm, and he lullt
houses for two of his sons on the old pond
road leading from the Webb farm over the
hills TO the Barbour place and to SaNtonS
River Village The road now has the ap-
pearancc If a wood path, and one avenue
to ii is that by the house of Mr.. Rice, and
another through the gateway near Col
Wehb's:-ihencc along the pasture, by the
east side of the pond, over the hill, to the
Saxtons River road and this was once
the only travelled road to the south village.
Mr.. Minard and his boys cleared the first
growth of trees from around tie pond,
moving some Of the best lumber 10 Con-
necticut river and thence TO Hartford the
largest pine trees being sold for masts and
the best oaks for ship timbers. There was
formerly, when this old road was used, a
house southeast of the pond on the hill, an
othsr nearly cast on the road, third on
the northwest side, and a fourth down near
ly to the present Rockingham main road.
These have all disappeared, and the LANDS
ale now pasture lands.
Old inhabitants tell us that when their
fathers first visited the pond, it was dark
with surrounding forests, and was much
frequented by wild ducks, geese and looms ;
and sometimes eagles were seen there seek
ing for food Pickerel, perch, pouts, shin
ers and cells were common to this pond
and all its fish were firm in flesh and much
cleaner and handsomer than these Of other
ponds, because the water was so pure. The
boats used in those days were immense
pine logs, dug ont, and cut off square at
the ends--yery clumsy, yet very durable,
The pond is beautiful body Of water, sit
uated about two miles west northwest oil
Bellows Falls, and is the aceH from which
a large portion of the people Of that village
receive their supply of water The 6 BEL
iowS Falls Uater Company" commenced
operations in the fall Of 1850, and in the
noble work Of giving good, pure water tc
the people, this company have already eX.
pended about ttcelre thousand dollars hay,
ing laid down two miles and one hundred
siXty-four rods of iron pipe, carrying the
water from the pond through the village
and to the railway grounds on the Island
The main pipe is Of iron and what IS called
four inch branch iron pipes are three inch
and from these, lead pipes carry the water
to the chambers Of the highest houses, and
in the village there are twenty-five by
drants for use in case of fire.
This bringing of Minard's Pond into the
village of Bellows Falls, 10 supply the hy
drants, the fountains-for drinking, fol
cooking, and to rash the dishes ctdl, wa;
an act of vast importance. The company
which performed this great and lasting ser
vice will merit and will receive the thank
of villagers yet unborn The time is no
distant when bonfres and illuminations
will be in requi5iiion to celebrate the even
and honor the men who planned and car
| ried into successful operation this entcrpris,
of giving an abundant supply of water
pure as that from the mountain spring, to
population which otherwise must have re
sorted TO artcsian wells.
Minard's Pond is clear, deep, cool an,
remarkable for the purity of its water
which rise from springs of such capacit,
that the ice seldom forms to any considera
bic thickness directly over where they ar
located; though the water as 1t boils u
from the cayerns below, is icy cold at al
seasons. The pond is about one fourth 0
a mile wide. half a mile long, and contains
about fifty acres more or less, as the law
yers say in their deeds There is one nat
ural outlet for the water, when high, pass
ing off to the east, through the Webb pas
lures to the Connecticut; otherwise Their
Is no visible inlet or outlet except by TIL
clouds and evaporation. If you chance /,
be on the pond during hot day and desir
tce-'edter, move your boat to the dec
places toward the northwest shore. and witt
a long line let down loaded bottle, corked
but so arranged that another string will re
move the cork when the bottle is in one o
the bottomless springs and you will then fl
It with water icy cold and clear as clrystaI
Great as is the amount of water carried. t
the village by the acqueduct for use, Their
IS not often any apparent decrease at til,
pond; it rises and falls, but whether repu
larIy or not, and within what period, we ar
unable 70 say. 1t is generally higher il
the winter and lower in the summer, bu
not always SO.
The town of Rockingham formerly pre-
scented many rare spo:s for angling bu
the salmon, shad and brook trout. as wei
as pond fish began TO disappear as the han,
Of art and cultivation became busy on tn