Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-12-07
Fuller battery Cannsn Proclaim the
Good News.


CHATTER on BRIDGE HISTORY
In accordance with the announcement
made last week the Hinsdale bridge was
thrown open 10 the free use Of the public
last Saturday morning Dec. lst and dur
ing the day the papers completing the sale
Of the bridge property TO the towns OF
Brattleboro and Hinsdae were executed
and delivered and the purchase money was
paid over 20 the bridge company. The en-
tire sum was Loaf ed TO the towns-$lO,OO
20 Brattleboro and 1900 to Hinsdale-by
the Franklin county savings bank Of Green
field at per cent interest. There was
manifest feeling Of cheerfulness in town
over this contamination which had been so
long waited for, and when at high noon a
section Of Fuller Battery. stationed on the
island with one Of the brass field pieces,
fired a salute Of twenty five guns in hon
or Of the event Of the day, there was
outspoken rejoicing that a relic Of print
tive times had been done away with, and
that entrance 10 Brattleboro from every
direction had been made absolutely free.
The amount Of the travel over the bridge
was large, many people crossing both on
foot and in teams, Just ia see how il seem
ed TO cross on free bridge
In his letter TO the Sunday Republican
Capt Childs wrote as follows Of the history
# the bridge
The first bridge was bull on the site u
the present structure In 1904 and was ded-
icated 90 December Of that year The story goes
! that large nuube- ~ people from this aud the
surrounding towns had cungregated DO and about
the bridge U listen t. dedicatOry address by the
/ late Judge Tyler. father uf the present Judge
Royal Tyler. clerk Of the county court Just al
| the point where the gifted speaker had begun TO
/ grow interestingly eloquent. the bridge tmhers
began % crack. when the excited orator. perceiy
lhE NE threatening danger, called out IN stenio-
] riHu tones. Run. damn you. the bridge is gong
] down. Fortunately however, the bridge did not
] 20 down. Before the hr1dg, was built the only
! way - cross the river hereabuut was by ferry,
! which was then 10 operation near the Simon
] Brooks farm. two miles below the village
Siuce the first bridge. there have been five or
! SIX ne" ones built one-hhlf or more ut tue num-
| Ter having ir'rn carried un either boy high water
! ~ Ice The first toll keeper an odd resident
] hV the name " Pette-. who. it h said u the
habit of standing at one end ~ Mechanics bridge.
so called a. the lower end Of Main street for the
] plrppS" NJ collecting toll from those passing %
] The New Hampshire side He succeeded in
turn by Reuben Metcaf. who served Tor - years,
and lived boz little one story red house which hnd
I uut two rooms Then came Richard Gul. who
tended the bri1ge for % years, and until be com
! united suicide by drowning just above the bridge
[ He was followed by Asa Sherwin. who served
! seven years, and who nov lives here Finally
! Uncle John l. Putnam took charge, and has
/ been iuiuiliar and much esteemed character at
! the toll house for the past B. Year, and three
months During this period boz has moved out -
the house with bis family twice. on account Of
high water. April. l-G2. and again in October.
1852 In the frshet Of 1862 the toll house tugeth.
~ with the biz aud little river bridges carried
On while 10 slA Mr. Putnam moved ont 10 tn
night, and for four months be collected toll from
"a small impruNis.-l Office which BE- occupied b. r..
bridge while the toll house was rebuilding
This statement l. IN the main correct,
except that in lSG2 only the little river"
bridge was carried away. The records are
80 incomplete that II is impossible 10 tell the
exact number Of time, that the main bridge
ma II 1p .I..t
than the five or six mentioned The
highest water ever known was in S62
when the current Of the river, detected
by the wreck IF bridge from above which
lodged ON the upper end Of the island,
swept down across the smooth fertile land
with disastrous effect Mr. Putnam recalls
the fact that ia October. $50 he was kept
from his family on the island four days by
the high water. He came over % his work
Monday morning and was unable 10 get
back across the river until Thursday night
or FRIDAY. At this time the bridge was
wrecked and swept of by the ugly swollen
current Of MILESTONE brook, which flow ed
clean across the Connecticut and under
mined the farther abutinent. causing the
bridge 10 break in the middle The bridge
vas rebuilt during the following winter 50
as to allow passage across. but was not
ing summer when the farther span was
heightened some 40 feet and the channel Of
the river widened b. that extent
At the time Of : NJ Yates downfall in
1850 the bridge property Wa in his hands
UutIl short time before this it had been
owned jointly bv Waite and ID. /. Harris
president of the Connecticut River rail
road company. This ownership came about
a. an adjunct OF the West New Hamp
shire railroad scheme, which contemplated
parallel line from South Vernon, cross
ing 70 the New Hampshire side Just below
Brattleboro, and having IA station on the
island After Waite fed the property was
levied on toy Mr.. Amidon in behalf If the
wrecked bank and was sold at sherihs sale
the late l. ! Winslow being the purchaser
At Mr. Winslows death it came into the
hands Of the late company, which has now
finally disposed Of 1t by sale 10 the towns
Of Brattleboro and Hinsdale
The original charter Of the bridge cor.
porstion was granted in an act Of the New
Hampshire Legislature Of 1902, entitled
An act u Incorporate certain persons b,
the name OF HlnsdEle Bridge and the Sixth
New Hampshire Turnpike Corporation
Tue cOrporHtors named are Oliver Chaplin
Foster Alexander, Cyrus ShAttuck. Seth
Hooker. Edward Gustin. Thomas Taylor
John W. Blake Samuel Dickinson Gard
ner Chandler, Geo. II Hall. John Holbrook
Silas Barrett, James Elliot Stephen Haw
kins, Reuben Alexander, Daniel Twitchel
and Daniel HaWkins jr The act is signed
. 10y j. I. Gilman, governor. and the secre
tary Of state Is certified copy bears the nam,
Of Nathan W Cove
Formal notice N1l toe filed with the New
Hampshire supreme court Of the sale Of tn,
! property aud the final dissolution Of til,
Il.