Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-11-24
THE UPPER MIssIsCo VALLEY.

VI DdIeou LdAulnS. L'euiHS. -OeImou
by Rev. E. P. Wild of Newport.
THE UPPER MISSISCO VALLEY.
Owing to various causes the settlement
of Jay did not take place for some years
after the settlement Of other towns in the
valley. The first settler Of Jay, accord
ing to Pliny H. White, was Mr.. Baxter
who began settlementin 1909. With
in a few years a few other families
settled in the town. but during the war
of 1872 they nearly all fled, as did the
most of the inhabitants of the valley.
This town increased in population very
slowly. In 1910 the number of inhabi-
tants was %; in 1920. So; in 1880.
1876. Mr.. Baxter is said to have re-
NAMED during the war. He undertook,
not only to make the wilderness blossom,
but to people the town. He raised 20
children, and lived to the age of 80
years. Quite an accession to the popu-
lation of Troy, Lowell and Westfeld was
made during the years previous to 1912.
In 1916 there were 281 inhabitants in
Troy, l49 in West6eld and 40 in Low
ell. Notwithstanding the newness of
the country and its remoteness from
more thickly settled regions. the valley
was in prosperous condition. Many
acres had been cleared, respectable build
ings had been put up, mills had been
erected in several places, roads had been
cut out and many of the worst inconven-
fences of new settlement had been
overcome.
The war of 1912 was very disastrous
to the whole valley. Lying as it did in
the northarn frontier of the state and
country, with vast unknown region be-
longing to the enemy on the north, and
so deficient in means for self-protection,
1t Is not to be wondered that the people
in the valley were alarmed and dispirit-
ed. The larger share of the inhabitants
in all of the towns abandoned their
homes and sought places of greater safe
ty. Here and there, one, drawer than
the many, remained on his place and
braved the supposed dangers. Those
who left their places disposed of them,
in many instances, at ruinously low
prices and never returned. Business
was at stand still, and speculation and
smuggling were rife. A small force Of
troops was stationed at North Troy dur.
ing the winter of l812-13. The little
force tended somewhat to quiet the fears
of the citizens, and made the running o.
cattle into the enemys country, which
was contrary to the law, little more
difficult. 1t does not appear that any o
the red-coat soldiery or any of thei
Canadian allies ever molested the littl,
settlement on the Missisco. There wa
little in the valley to attract atten
ton or invite the invader, and it i
probable that the British subjects Of
} the north side of line were as mucl
: alarmed lest the dreaded Yankees SHOULD
:. attack them. as were the Yankees of tn
British. A great deal of alarm wa
t occasioned by the frequent reports tina
J the Canadian Indians, either for plunde
! or as British hirellngs, were about to al
tack the valley, but they never appeared
For the better protection of the valley,
Committee of Safety was appointed /
some of the towns to look after thei
protection. At one time the committe
" of Westfeld consisting Of Thoma
. Stoughton, Amasa Winslow and Thoms
= Hitchcock, all Free Masons, attended
lodge meeting in Potion, and receive
4 some information from their brothe
Masons that caused them to hasten hon
), and make preparations for sudden d
parture. Though the committee new
dlvulged the secrets committed to then
their course greatly alarmed the citizen
and many Immediately left the countr
70 Some of those who remained set abo
. building block houses and other meal
Of defense. A military company W
70 organized in West6eld under the cor
T. mand of Capt. Thomas Stoughton; Jam
er Stebbins, ensign, and Thomas Hitchcoc
is orderly sergeant. Every able bodi
D. man in town joined the company.
fertilization was built around CaI
Hitchcock's barn, by digging tren
and setting up logs, through which loo
holes were cut for musket firing. 1t
81 reported, on we'll grounded tradition,
least, that the firing at Plattsburg
ng Sept. IL, 1914, was distinctly heard
al the valley. The most remarkable I'M
Id dent in the campaign, in which the CT
zen-soldiers participated, was when t
hit militia company of West6eld was order
ITS out to capture band of smugglers W
ly were secreted in Lowell, with lar