The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-01-05

e anxious 10 see Improvements hauV ~
{ On the principle that anything whlc
e tended to place Bennington in the va
n of progress enhanced the value of h
' real estate as we'll as that of every otht
owner. A company was formed
= Maine through his influence with h
friends there, and the Bennington EleC
{ trio Light and Power Company has bee
q the result. Our streets have been iigh
= ed with electricity and the larger poi
| ton of our business buildings also, TIL
Z introduction of this light into dwelling
, and general use is only question O
time. Bennington is favored in havin
the very latest system of lights poin
, not to be lightly overlooked. The cleo
trio lights have called into being larg
building at headquarters and the perfeC
ton of the system is rapidly going Of
under the direction of Supt. Sawyer, an,
his corps of assistants.
When the writer came here seventeen
years ago, he found the town govern
ment engaged in defending An expensIv
and prodigious law suit, The town haC
bonded to build a railroad and its subse
quent history was no exception to thu
general rule in all similar cases. In adj
dition to the interest on the bonds. cost
of litigation, etc, the town had quite
large floating debt incurred during thu
war, which had closed six years pre-
viously, and had not paid said war debt
As the years passed on this floating deb
increased until its total proportions
reached the sum of about 100000. Oh
course this afforded an effectual bar, tc
much increase of bus ness or transfer oil
real estate. The turning point in the ii
nancial retrograde movement was reach
! ed when the town voted to fund it's debt
and provide for the yearly payment OF
interest and a portion Of the principal
The wisdom of this course has already
been indicated and will become more
obvious as the years pass along. Comb
dence restored was all our town needed
to move it onward in the line of the ad-
vancement which had been checked
And in passing it may be well to remark
that Notwithstanding the loss of exten =
sive wooden mills by Their stoppage)
during the past twenty months, the vol
ume OF trade has been restored, which il
shown by the bank statements and post
office records,as well as indicated by the
increase of the store trade. When the
Wooden mills start up, with their month.
ly pay rolls into the thousands of dollars,
the "boom" will be decidedly felt.
Two extensive industries have been
added during the past year. In connec
ton with one, the Stark Knitting Com
pany, large, three story building has
been erected: Main part ,50x72 and wing
2SX35 feet, utilizing an excellent water
privilege. The mill is run by both
steam and water power, and is erected
on the site once before marked out, the
contemplated mill being then indetfi-
nitely postponed on account of the un
timely fate of the late Park Valentine
Tn mill has got into full working or
der and the company are composed OF
practical men. The other is the manu-
facture of the New England wood pulp
grinder by Scott & Roberts at the exten
sive works of the former, This calls for
the employment of a large number OF
men and will add greatly TO the material
prosperity of Bennington, as well as the
increase of population. Any business
which increases the ''head5 of families
in a village is doubly welcome. Just ouD
of the village A. ID Stewart is building
large mill near The Fayette Lyon rs
tate. The wheel house is finished and
this year the main building will go up
With our classification Of 1867 thu
Adams block may be mentioned. This
is the finest corner block in town ard
ought to stimulate the owners of the re
naming two corners, opposite, to dc
likewise. The postuffice is now situated
therein and is, by all odds, the finest in
Vermont We are glad to know that
the promise is soon to be realized max
ing our pOstotfiCe one of the second
class.
The village will soon have fou! new
residences completed Messrs. L. w.
Bradford, II. S. Bingham, A p. Childs
and Olin Scott. The foundation of thu
latter is just completed, while the three
former viii soon he ready 10 move into
These residences are to cost from $4,000
10 SO 900 each and are substantial con
trlbutlon 10 the architectural beauty OF
Bennington. Mr. Bradford's stands up
on the site of the long time home of the
ate John KelsO. The old dwelling wa
moved to lot on the Morgan property,
facing BradfOrd's avenue; ana the new
residence is situated so that spacious
lawn will beautify It's front To provide
a street front for the residences of
Messrs. Bingham and Chllds a street
was opened. running west on the Gibson
property from Silver street, forming a
terrace site. 1t is only question OF
time when this new street shall b.
opened through to South. Farther up
the hill there is an opportunity for Other
sites like these. Col. SCOTS house will
stand midway between his present resi-
dence and the Rec" dwelling lately
acquired by him. This when finished,
will be already beautiiied with shade
trees, they having been set out years ago
with the express plan of this handsome
home IN view.
Several of the smaller or less preten
tious houses would receive mention did
space permit, As rule they are of the
better sort of dwellings of men of mod
crate means, and cost from ST. 200 to
80 500 each, We give as complete list
of these as we have been able to obtain
1t is not impossible that one or two may
have been omitted, but the list is believed
to be substantially correct. North street |
dwelling, A. G. Sweet; Adams avenue. |
double dwelling, DR.. Day; Union streer
dwellings,, VIM. +. Hawks, E. A Booth. |
Obed Moon. Evans Bros, Frank Smith |
Division street, dwelling, Levi Fox
Grove street, dwellings Emerson Moore
Frank Norton. Fred Allen; County street
dwelling, Mrs. Z. G. Clark; Pleasant |
street dwellings, Daniel McEOwen, Chas. |
Cooper, D E. Moore; Gage street, dwell.
Ings, Exiare PelIerIn, II. w. Putnam
Main street, dwelling, John II. Kelso. |
store house, II E. Bradford & Co Park |
street dwellings, II. W. Putnam; Dewey
avenue, dwelling, Judge S,oley; E'm
street extension, dwelling, G. G. Mer- |
chant; barns have been erected on Will |
low street by c. Il. Galusha and on
South Street by Geo. McMaster. In con |
nectIon with the dwellings erected by |
II w. Putnam we have to add that plans
are now preparing for several cottages
to be erected In the spring on Park Gage |
and Maple streets. Judge SIbley, also,
will probably erect several more cottage |
dwellings, in the near future. The above
does not specify the number each have
erected; we make the count, including
double tenements as one: % houses;
mills, electric light station, aside from
repairs upon as many more.
In addition to these Bennington build |
ers have erected astation at Pownal for
The Boston, HoOsac Tunnel. now the
Fitchburg railroad depot; $500 in repairs
have been placed upon the dwelling OF
II. |. Spaffurd in North Bennington.
The Myres & Wylie mill ought to be in
,uded in the business increase of 1857 |
A fine park has been laid out and
grand enhance made to the Benning
10, yilIa an hu rho NtliaOa I'm
provement society composed of ladies
In this work these ladies' have far out
stripped the Bennington Arbor associa-
ton, with membership of both sexes,
which was organized a year earlier and