Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1892-01-07
WILLIAMSBURG.
Its Wonderful Growth During
the Past Two Years.
THE NEW ERA OF PROSPERITY BUT
JUST BEGUN.
FACTS AND FIGURES THAT SUBSTANTIAL THE
ABOVE STATEMENTS.


Williamstown in the northwestern
part of Orange county has in the pas
two years advanced so far along tn,
line of prosperity her people can hardly
realize all that has been gained ant
the visitor who as here for day il
1889 is surprised at the growth made
in the two years of his absence. The
large hotel, the blocks, the many
dwelling houses and the granite sheds,
filled with industrious, wealth produc-
ing people are material evidences oil
prosperity that can be seen by all, but
there has been greater gain and this
gain has not yet been fully recognized
by the greater number of the good citi-
zens of the town. 1t is gain within
themselves, the confidence in the town,
its resources and its future, that makes
certain an era OF prosperity
that was not dreamed of two
years ago anil the wide awake men
who by their courage and by their per-
severance in the face of adverse cir
cumstances and many discouragements,
have laid the foundation for the pros
perity that has come can afford TO take
pride in their work.
The history of Williamstown is that
of the state after passing through the
civil war period in which she lost many
of her sons she was deserted by many
of her young men who went into the
great West in pursuit of quick made
fortunes, real estate and farm products
dropped and continued dropping until
it seemed as though the bottom ofprices
would be knocked out and the people
became more or less discouraged.
There was but little surplus capital in
the town and there were no large
streams OF water to be offered to man
ufacturers. The outlook was not a
promising one when the attempt was
first made to get the town into the line
of progress and prosperity.
A neighboring town had been lifted
into prosperous times through the OPP
ening and working of some granite
lodges and, adjoining these, in Viii
Jamestown were lodges of granite that
once developed would be even more
valuable than those that had given this
other town its prosperity. Some of
these Williamstown lodges were open
ed and from them were taken the great
er number OF the fine dark granite
blocks that have given to Barre gran
tie The prestige it has gained of being
the most beautifulof all for monumental
and building stones. These lodges
were but ? ID miles from Williams
town village, land here was cheap and
if a railroad could be built that would |
connect with the great railroad Of YER
mont the granite could be worked more |
cheaply here than in Barre where big i
prices prevailed. Hon. G. u. Lathrop,
the Lynde brothers, George Beckett,
ESQ, and other progressive citizens
became convinced that the granite
lodges could be made mines of wealth !
and that Williamstown could be made
a prosperous town if the building OF
the railroad and the establishing here
of granite working shops could be ac-
complished. The history OF the build
ing of the railroad is well known and
need not be repeated here. As soon
as the railroad was built land near the 1
station was secured aud some granite
sheds we're built by the Williamstown
Granite Co., of which Judge Lathrop
was the general superintendent, and
the sheds were soon filed with granite
workers. Capital and encouragement
was needed but there was here as IN
other inland towns, large amount OF
that conservatism that is so exaspera-
ting to progressive people and this him
dered the work OF the men who were
to build a new and more
nrosperous town within the old one.
Barre was so near and appeared so
large to the men who, measuring the
world and its wants in a measure suit
ed to their imperfect knowledge OF
what Law outside the small section with
which they were acquainted, supposed
that one town could supply the demand
for granite and they refused to believe
that Williamstown could be a rival OF
Barre. This was two years ago. To-
day there is not a man that can refuse
to see the progress that has been made
and TO believe that the town is not des-
tined to be as prosperous as Barre. Its
gain in the past two years has been as
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