Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-11-29
KiIiingtOn Peak.
BY H. DoTOE.


This mountain is the central and high |
est peak of knot or group Of noun |
tains situated in the eastern part of Rut- |
land County, Vermont, and, excepting |
Mansfield, Is the highest in the State and |
in the Green Mountain range. Though |
the name KilliDgton as it was written
by DR.. Samuel Williams, and other early
writer's on the history and geography of
the State, was applied to noted noun
tain situated nearly east of Rutland in
the town of Killington, it is somewhat
remarkable that the particular mountain
to which the name was originally given
is in some degree unsettled. lam not
aware that any other name was given to
the highest and noted mountain in that
part of the State by any of the early wri-
tiers, or those who wrote previous to the
year 1920. DR.. Samuel Williams, who
wrote his History of Vermont about the
year 1894, in speaking of the mountains
in the State, says "In December, 1892,
] attempted to ascertain the altitude of
Killington Peak, one of the highest Of
the Green Mountains, &C." About the
year 1897, Rev. Jedediah Morse publish
ed his Universal Gazetteer and under
the article, "Green Mountains" he says,
"Kellington Peak, the highest OF these
mountains, is about ASA feet above the
level of the ocean" and also, under the
article vermont" speaking Of the Green
Mountains, he says, "They are generally
from ten to fifteen miles in breadth, and
much intersected with valleys; abound
with springs and streams of water, and
are covered with wood. KillngtOn Peak,
one Of the highest Of the Green Noun
tains, is 3,454 feet above the level of the
ocean," Iu the American Universal
Geography, by the same author, first
published in 1889, and afterwards in
1906, in two large octave volumes Kill
lington Peaks are named as being among
the highest OF the Green Mountains.
Also, in small geographical work writ
ten about the year 1903, by John Hub
bard, Esq, OF Deerfeld, Mass, the author
speaking of the Green Mountains says,
"Killington Peak, nearly east Of Rutland,
is the highest point" But, though this
mountain was for long time regarded
as the highest land in Vermont or in the
| Green Mountain range, it must be re-
membered that but few if any measure
| ments had at that time been made to de-
! termine the heights of other points in
| the lange, especially in the northern
parts of the State.
We have not been able to find q copy
of any Of the earliest maps Of Vermont,
| the most accurate and reliable of which
was that by James Whitelaw, ESQ, who
! was for long time the surveyor gener-
al of the State The plate from which
| his maps were printed was engraved as
early as 1896. About the year 1920 it
was procured by EbeneZer Hutchinson,
Esq, Of Hartford, Vt. and such addi-
tions and amendments were made as the
changes in the State required. On the
! map before me, struck from the amend
ed plate, the high mountain east Of Rut
land is correctly named and accurately
located
From all the works that have been
| able to find on the early History and &C.
ography Of Vermont do not find that
the name Of Killington, or KelliDgton
was given to any mountains except to
those situated in the town of Killington,
now Sherburne, and it seems most proba-
BILE that the high mountain east of Rut-
land took its name from the town in
which it was supposed to be situated.
Soon after the year 1920, Capt A.
Partridge began his bsrometrical meas
urements Of the principal mountains in
this part of the United States ana it
was about this time that the question
was agitated as to the situation of the
different mountains with regard to the
location of the several towns, especially
those Of Sherburne and Shrewsbury, and
to which of the two more prominent
mountains the name Killington belonged.
In the first edition of Thompson's Ga.
Zetteer Of Vermont, published in 1924,
under the history and description of the
town of Shrewsbury, the writer says
"In the north part is Shrewsbury Peak,
which is one Of the highest SUBMITS Of
the Green Mountains, and is more than
4 100 feet above tide water. This is often
mistaken for Killngton Peak" And also
under the article "Killipgton Peak" the
writer says, sit is summit of the Green
Mountains on the south part of Sher.
burne. Its height according to the ad.
measurement of Capt. A. Partridge is
1924 feet above the tide water. IL is the
: most northerly OF the two similar peaks
{ situated near each other. The south
, peak Is the highest-is In Shrewsbury
and is called Shrewsbury Peak" These
) were also copied into the enlarged edi
E | tion of the same work. published in 1913