Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-08-24
IyERMONT CENTENNIAL.

The town OF Benson has lately been
brought somewhat prominently before the
general public as the birthplace and early
home of Stephen W. Dorsey and bis brother
john, of Star-routo fame; aud now the
sleepy little town has celebrated Its centen-
nal anniversary-whch celebration extend
cd over two days, beginning Tuesday and
closing Wednesday.
The town, as most of our readers know,
constitutes the northwest corner of Rutland
county. There is no railroad within its lin
its and the nearest station is. len miles from
the village. The last census gives the town
but 1l04 Inhabitants, against 1403 in 1910,
SO that it can hardly be cassed as a growing
town-or at least its growth is not the right
way. The grant of the township was made
October 81, 1770, but the charter was not is
sued until May s, 1880, the original proprie-
tors being residents Of Willamstown, Mass.
The town was named for Egbert Benson, an
eminent New Yorker of the Revolutionary
era-member of Congress, judge of the New
York Superior Court, judge Of the United
States Court for the circuit which included
Vermont, aud one of the commissioners who
established the boundary line between New
York and Vermont. Walter Durfee, of Free
town, Mass, was the adventurous person who
made the first settlement in Benson, and it
was in the spring of 1889 that he took up hi s
abode within its limits and made u clearing
In the primeval forest. At that time the only
road in town was the military road from
Castleton to Ticondcroga, over which Gen.
St. Clair's army passed on its retreat after
the evacuation of Ticonderoga, July 9, 1777.
Durfec found his way through the woods by
bridle-path made by the surveyors and by
their marks on tho trnnr To- s---- L.. --..,
monarch of all he surveyed, his right there
was none to dispute; but in tue spring of
1888 three persons - Jonathan Mcacham,
James Noble and James Noble, Jr., went into
the town and made preparations for settle
ment and in the fall Of the same year re-
moved ,hither with their families-an event
whose centennial the town now celebrates.
From that time on, the town prospered
y,
towns of the State though even then it had
begun to decay. At.that time Burlington had a
population of only 427l; Rutland 27OS; st.
Adams, 27O2; Bratteboro, 1923, and so on.
The town seems to have got through its hun
dred years very comfortably, .untroublcd by
foreign levy or domestic treason, Or by ex-
citing incidents of any kind. The only in
| cidents the historian Thompson found
worthy of mention were distressing epidem-
| les in 1906 and 1912; and the towns latest
historian, the late Judge Kellogg also refers
to them as the only thing worth mentioning
aside from the religious and political history
of the town. Its annals, therefore, are short
and consequently happy. An interesting
point, however, is the matter of the COM
paratlvcly enormous emigration from the
town. In 1901 its population was 65s, and
it grew largely every year until 1880, when it
| it reached the highwater mark of
1403. Since that time it has con
stantly decreased. every succeeding census
showing less and less number. This is &C.
counted for by emigration to the West. In
1882 an entire colony left the town and
formed settlement twenty five miles west Of
Chicago-thus missing colossal fortune fol-
every mothers son Of them by going twenty
five miles too far west From that time
fifty years ago, emigration to the west hat
been constantly going on, as from many 9th
er Vermont towns the natural increment Of