The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-08-20
Washington County.


w the State. 1t occupies substantially all the
upper half of the Wnoosk Valley from its head in Cabot
to the west line of Chittenden County The main
branches of the Wnooski in this County are Kingsbury
Branch, Stevens Branch, Dog River, Mad River North
Branch and Waterbury River With these and the nearly
one hundred ponds the innumerable brooks and noun
tain rs, the gushing springs from every hill sde it is
we'll watered. 1t is emphatcaly the "Land of forest
lake and mountain river
1t is almost wholly an agricultural County, and one of
the best food producing regions in the country Orig
naly wooded with heavy growth of maple BIRCH beech
ASH elm, spruce, hemock and pine, it became when
cleared good strong soil fitted for the immense crops of
grass, oats, wheat corn potatoes barley rye etc. etc.
that have been raised for hundred years in the
Winooski Valley, without any general failure Fifty to
seventy-fve bushels of raised on the river
meadows and the upands seventyve to one hundred
bushels of OATS three hundred to 500 of potatoes are
often harvested from The hay crop averages
over ton to the acre. while the pastures feed about
horses, 400 oxen, 81 900 COWS, 900 young cattle
and % 900 sheep. Our annual clip of wool is 100000
pounds, yearly make of butter 100000 pounds
maple sugar 100000 pounds (the largest amount of
sugar and syrup of any County in the State.)
On the WHOLE although mountainous and hily. this
County equals in quantity and quality of productions any
in the State and probably it equals that of the same
amount of hill land in the whole country.
Besides these fine farming facilities this County has the
honor of having the capital of the State The State
House, State Library State and q. S. Supreme Court
buildings, State Cabinet and also the County buildings
at Montpelier, thrifty and prosperous village in the
center of the County. Montpelier is not only rich in
public buildings but also in churches schools mercantile
banking insurance and other corporate individual en-
terprses 1t in fact for its size Ole of the busiest v
lest and richest towns of the State
Barre is the most populous town in the County having
gained about 1000 in the last decade Here is the head
center of the granite works. employing several Thousand
men and millions of capital, and the business is
increasing rapidly. This granite is of the finest quality
and is seemingly nexhaustible in quantity Three rail-
roads have been built within the last few wears to this
town mainly to accommodate this work The same form
alton of granite extends through Berlin Planfeld.
Marshfeld, Cabot and Woodbury.. Many fine ouarries
are now being opened in the towns of Woodbury. and
Hardwck and branch railway is being constructed to
them. Through Roxbury, Northfed Berlin MONTPELIER
East Montpelier, Calais and Woodbury. extends broad
belt of clay slate in which several quarres have been on
ened at Mortified and one at Montpelier.
Mortified is good farming town. and is the seat of
Norwich University fine military and classical institu
ton 1t is also town of considerable manufactures of
various kinds.
Waterbury is hourshng and wealthy farming town,
and has the State Insane Asylum.
Waitsfeld, Berlin, East Montpelier, Planfeld Calais
Barre and Cabot among the best farming towns in
Lne OldIe. warren, rdySIon, MOreLOWn, M1ddleSeX
Worcester Roxbury, Woodbury., Marshfed and Duxbury
all contain much fine land, together with much forest and
broken stony land
Land is wonderfully cheap in of these hill towns
Good old homesteads with substantial and convenient
buildings, with the purest of spring at house and
barns and the finest sceney earth all around are Of
fered for from $40 to 500 per acre. often less than the
buildings would cost while farms with poorer buildings
and conveniences be had from So to $40 per acre
and most of these lands are, might easily be made to
be. wonderfully productive.
The mills the rivers and brooks fur
nish good market for lumber The railroads are con-
venent for shipping all the products of the farm or forest
to market Our roads, schools and churches are first
Glass; fishing and hunting should please the sports
man, climate is healthful, scenery beautiful
just why person should want better place to live in
than Washington County, Vermont better place to
move into, is one of the things past finding out