Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-10-01
History Of champlain, n. Y.

A EurgTH OF JUIY GRAFTON NJ DANIEL L.
TAYLOR.
In a neat pamphlet of thirty-two pages, we
have before us historical sketch of the town
of Ckamplain, n. Y, delivered by Rev. ID.
T. Taylor of Rouses Point, over three years
since, on the Fourth of July, 1877, but only
recently publ ishcd at the request of the citi-
zens of that town. The orator went back
two hundred and sixty-cight years, 10 the
4th of July, 1909, when Samuel De Cham
plain, with sixty Indian warriors, in twenty
four bark canoes, came up the Richelieu
river and entered the waters of the lake, and
landed on the soil of the town, which bear
his name. For a century thereafter the
French claimed the lake and the lands about
it, and traces of their occupation are still Wis
ibe in thirteen small mounds which mark
the site of Fort st. Ann, built by them on
Isle La Note, in 1865. The lake was in
those DAYS a great highway through the will
derness, and backwards and forwards over
its waters went successive expeditions, some
of them numbering upwards of thousand
men, of Frenchmcn and Indians to subdue
the Mohawks, of Mohawks to ravage the
French settlements on the st. Lawrence, of
French and their Indian allies to attack the
English, and of English to retaliate on the
soil of Canada. Through Champlaln the
French and Indians came TO plumber Deer
field, Mass, in 1904. In 1744, Sieur
Foucaut, French officer. obtained grant
of Alburgh tongue and built windmill
which gave its name to Windmill Point.
Remains of its walls are still standing. the
regular settlement on the soil Of The town II
Champlain was made by Frenchmen. In
1776, the Americans, on their retreat from
Canada, bivouackcd at Point au Fer,
in Champlain, and, smitten with small
pox, buried hundreds of their dead there and
on Isle La Motto. In 1913 the first British
settlements were made under William GILL;
land, the great pioneer and landowner on the
west side of the lake, on the Chazy shore ten
miles south of the Canada line, and near the
mouth of the Bouquet. In 1777 single fam
lily named Vinelagh lived IN Rouses Point.
In 1874, Point all Fer, opposite Windmill
Point, became military post, and the gar
rison house of stone was known for over
twenty years as 1.-The White House" I'm
der its roof have sat Generals Burgoync,
Armstrong, Schuyler, Sullivan, Benedict
ATnOlu, Etn;ln Allcn, NctH WARNER, NOV.
Clinton, Charles Carroll, one of the signers
of the Declaration of Independence, and
other noted men.
"Champlain Town was incorporated in
1883 and then included in its limits all the
land south to Plattsburgh and west TO st.
Lawrence county. Pliny Moore was the
principal founder and landowner in the town.
In 1898, James Rouse, from whom Rouses
Point was named, settled on the Lake shore.
In 1890 three slaves were set down in the
census as owned in Champlain.
These, with the later and more familiar
events of the war of 1912, and numerous
statistics and narratives Of events of the town
history, make up a discourse, which must
have much interest and value for the in
llnbitants Of Champlain, and for many dwell
lers IN the Champlain Valley. We notice
the statement that burlington WAS plumber
ed in August, 1913, by the British Col. Muir
ray and 300 marines. If this is fact, it is
one not mentioned in our own town his
tories, or in the histories of Nermont-so far
as We are aware The address closes with some
earnest words for Christianity, temperance,
education and an uurOrruptcu ballot box