The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-08-14
A PoUGHKEEPsIAN's VISIT TO BEN

the Hudson which have their rise in the
western slope of the Green Mountains is
the Walloomsac River, which enters the
easterly side of the town of Bennington
and runs thence northerly and westerly
until its confluence with the Hoosick
River. This stream is historic, as upon
the ''Walloomsac Heights" the Battle of
Bennington was fought, which, it is
claimed, and with much reason, decided
the struggle for American independence.
The Walloomsac House, where sensible
people are satisfied, takes its name from
this river, is situated on an undulating
plateau two hundred feet above that river
and one mile westerly from it, in the
very heart of Bennington Center, within
one hundred feet of the site Of the first
church in the township, and few hun
dred feet from the cemetery where re-
pose the remains of four Governors of
the State of Vermont, electedwhile resi-
dents of this township. On this same.
table land, and little above and few
rods from the Walloomsac stands the
noble monument over three hundred feet
in height, which has been nearly fifteen
years in being erected by the States of
Vermont, New Hampshire and Massa-
chusetts, and which, with great cere-
mony, is to be dedicated in commemora-
ton of the successful battle of TIT, on
the 10th of this month. Mr.. Phelps, the
late Minister to England, is to be the or
ator, and there are expected to be pres
ent the President of the United States,
the Governors of the three States
named, civic and military companies in
untold numbers, including the grand
turnout of West Point. Among the ex-
tensive preparations being made by the
citizens, is the triumphal arch, upon
which are to be paraded in tasteful APP
parel one hundred and fifty ladies', who
will sing patriotic songs as the vast pro-
cession moves along.
From this plateau are seen, at the
south, the Observation Tower on "Grey-
lock' at Williamstown, the highest ele-
walton in Massachusetts, and at the
north Mount Equinox at Manchester, the
highest elevation IN Vermont Each is
peak of the Green Mountains and about
40 miles from each other, and the monu-
ment is about midway between. The
patrons of this summer home are from
and between Boston and Chicago, Port
land and Richmond. OF course Pough-
keepsians are included, not excepting
the writer and some of his friends, in
Guiding the Rev. and Mrs. Babcock of
Baltimore.
The Bennington of to-day and the his
toric Bennington, if justly described,
would overburden the average newspil-
per reader, because of the abundant ma
terial at hand. A birds eye view must
suffice. King George III. in 1749, by his
Governor of the Province of New Hamp.
shire, BeDning Wentworth, gave char
ter for a township. six miles square,
whose westerly line is the eastern bound
airy of the State of New York, whose
southerly line is six miles from the north
line of Massachusetts,, and its easterly
line on the westerly side of the Green
Mountains, and to it gave the name of
Bennington, in honor of the Governor,
whose Christian name was Benning. This
township was divided into Ga squares, the
central one of which was to be the site
of the Westinghouse and other town
buildings. In the exact center of this
town stands an old butternut tree, about
10 rods from the Walloomsac, on part
of the property of the ''Catamount Tav-
ern," where the Council of Safety held
its sessions during the Revolution, and
during the contest waged by the authori-
ties of New York for the possession of
this and many other townships which
had been settled under the New Hamp-
shire grants. The industries, merchants
and mills of Bennington are down on
the river, one mile below tho "Center,"
a thrifty, tasteful hamlet, where two
railroads terminate One from POugh-
keepsie, by the Central New England by
way of Chatham, the other by New York
Central to Troy. and then by the Fitch
burg. Bennington Center is three miles
from New York State line, is 80 miles
northeasterly from Troy and so miles
southeasterly from Saratoga. This geo.
location is in part repeated for
such of your readers as shall care to no
tice some reference which may be made
to the feint of Generals Howe and Bur-
goyne to capture the stores and supplies
of the American Army at Bennington,
portions of which were kept, in all pos
sible security, on the very spot where the
now stands.
On the east, varying from two to five
miles in width and extending north and
south as far as the eye can trace, are the
Green Mountains, resembling the Allie
games on account of their summer-clad
and one mile on the southwest |
is Mount Anthony, straight peak, 1900 |
feet high; so that Bennington Center, it |
self 1000 feet above the Hudson at Troy |
may justly be styled mountain town,
with pure mountain air and water. Near |
the settlement and at the northeast por- |
ton of Mount Anthony is the entrance |
to a cave in which have been discovered |
some 80 rooms of varying size, few |
of cathedral dimensions, beyond which |
is a lake of pure water, and it S said that |
certain limitations of gold have in
duced one of the inhabitants TO expend |
nearly $300,000 in search of the precious |
metal. The atmosphere in til Is cave is
said to average 80 degrees lower than on
the outside. The mouptain and other
streams afford unlimited indulgence to |
the lovers of trouting. The drives about |
Bennington are popular and Of unweary- |
ing attractions, because of the scenery |
so gorgeous and flowers so plentiful. One |
drive has a patronage to which the |
strangers attention is directed, who on |
inquiry is informed that the passe-by is
a Vermonter on his way to the Farmers
Inn" just over the line in York State, |
where there is license for liquor selling. |
Had the claim made in 1853 by David
Golden as Colonial Governor of New
York been met there doubtless would
have been no Bennington, Vermont, and
no Withholding of license for the liquor
traffic as now. By virtue of charter
granted to the Duke of York in1664 Gov
ernor Golden set forth the claim of New
York to territory as far east az the Con-
necticut River. A life size portrait IN
oil of Governor Golden is to be found in
the possession of the Ferris family in
Poughkeepsie, the Ferrises being among
his descendants.
BENNINGTON seems to have been piy-