Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1893-05-19
EARLY LOCAL HISTORY.
Something About the Windham
County Towns.

How They Were originally Granted and
Bounded---Their Early Names---EN-
tracts From Old Documents.
The Windham county volume of the late
Miss Hemenway's Gazetteer, completed by
by her sister, Mrs. Page, is large and val
liable book. The chapter on Cumberland
county by Mr.. Davis is very interest
ing; the history of Dover by Col. Haskins
is very orderly and complete; and that of
Dummerston by Mr.. Mansfield very thor
ough. This mention of these is not made
to disparage others. The history of this
county is different from that of any other
part of the state in some respects. While
the north line of the province of Massa-
chusetts Bay extended "from the create
River comonly called Monomack alias Mer-
rimack on the Northpart, and from three
Miles Northward of the said River to the
Atlantick or Western Sea-" this territory
was within that province. The great and
general court granted the principal part of
Guilford as "Gallup's Canada" the prin-
cipal part of Vernon, up to the Howe
place, as the northern part of Mortified;
the Howe place to Josiah Sartwell, father
of Jemima Howe; the lands next north as
an addition to Lunenburg; Bratteboro,
Dummerston, and Putney as equivalent
lands to Connecticut, and Westminster as
township No. l on the west side of Con-
necticut river.
When the north line of that province
was changed by royal decree, in 1740, to due
west from three miles north of Pswtucket
Falls, this territory became part of the
province of New Hampshire. The line
was run in 1741 by Richard Hazzen. Here
is his journal of the survey of this part:
Sunday April 5. We tarryed at Capt Fields
in Northfield & went to hear the Rev. Mr. Doc
little preach both parts of the day; the weather
was fair, cold & windy, the wind northwest.
Monday. April 6. We left Capt. Fields at
Mortified little after Sunrise, and with great
difficulty passed Connecticut River in Canoe
the wind being high and hawey and the ice above
coming down very often. We travelled up to the
place against where we left Our Line on the East
side of the River which was about six poles above
the little meadow brook the Same day we
measured 4: l. 20
Remarks At two miles & half from Connetti.
cult River we assembled the Top of very high
hill, Small narrow pond lying on the North Side
of it, with Two Small islands at the East End Of
the pond from this place we had a fair view of
Fort Dummer bearing from us near North & 8
West, and distant about four miles. The first two
miles from Connecticut River the Land was Open
travail the Snow about Two feet Deep on
which we lodged this Night The Aeather was
fair & wind Northwest.
Tuesday, April nth This morning we began to
measure Early where we left OF last night, &
measured B: 81 2S
Remarks At the End of Two hundred & forty
poles came to falls River, An exceeding high
hill lying the East side of it the Stones upon
the Hill all Slate Stones we therefore named it
Slate Hill At an hundred poles further we cross
ed another branch of said River, and at the End
of Our measure this day came to Green
River and lodged 10y it: this day was fair & cold,
the wind Northwest & Travelling good the Snow
about Two feet Deep IN General. The land
mountainous and broken but good for pasture. &
the Timber it produced beach, Maple, Hemlock &
Some Chestnut.
Wednesday, April sth This day we measured
6m: 30: 40 poles.
Reniarks At the End of 100 poles from where
we began to measure this morning, crossed a
large brook Supposed by us to be branch of
North River & at the End of One mile & three
quarters & forty poles further we came to the
said River on the West Side of which was an Elk
ceeding high mountain. To the End Of this day S
measure from this River, the land was Exceeding
good a Covered with Beach, Maple Chestnut &c.
the Snow mostly three feet deep & in many places
more, the forenoon the Crust so hard that we
walked upon the Snow without our Snoe shOes; in
the afternoon it was soft. The weather was fair
q ye wind Northwest, & this night we lodged on
the Snow.
Thursday April 9th This day we measured
Observations. At the End of three miles we
came to large brook running Southeasterly, and
AT Jne Emo OF TINS days measure TO another large
brook running Southerly, by which took Our
lodging. here we tract a Bear & therefore named
it Bear brook both these brooks being branches
OF Deertield River. The land this day was some
of the best of Land & for three miles together
The last year Pigeons nests so thick that 500
might have been told on the beech trees at One
time, and they could have been Counted on the
Hemlocks as we'll, believe three thousand at One
turn Round. The Snow was for we most part
three feet deep the weather was fair * wind
Northwest
The measurements are miles, and poles
or rods. The line was run west 10o north
on an assumed variation of 10o west
by the needle; this was too great, and
for that reason the line was 2 and 81"
of latitude, or some over three miles
too far north at Connecticut river. The
governor of the province of New Hamp-
shire granted all the towns in the county
but Athens, Brookline, Dover, Jamaica,
Londonderry, Wardsboro and Windham.
OF Nottingham Capt. Nathan Whiting,
reduced officer of the then late war, June
IL, 1865, in petition asked for "His Maj
estys Grant to him and his heirs of the
Quantity of Three Thousand Acres of a
certain Tract of vacant land vested in the
Crown formerly laid out into a Town
ship by the Province of New Hampshire
by the name of Cumberland Township;
but which has been since vacated and the
land reassumed." In regranting the lands
before granted by the province of Massa-
chusetts Bay the rights of the first grantees
were cared for. The proprietors of the
townships granted by New Hampshire got
together in meetings, as land owners, and
took measures for dividing and improving
their lands; but no towns as bodies polite
were organized here under New Hampshire
laws. Samuel Robinson of Bennington
was appointed a justice of the peace of
the province of New Hampshire and was
the only officer of New Hampshire APP
pointed in what became Vermont.
On July 20, 1854, by royal decree, the
west bank of Connecticut river became
the boundary between the province of New
Hampshire and the colony of New York,
and this territory became part of Albany
county in that colony. OF the towns
granted by the governor of New Hamp-
shire, Brattleboro Putney, Stratton, West
minister, and Newfane were regranted by
the governor of New York, and about
what is Windham and Windsor counties
became Cumberland county, New York,
with court of common pleas, a wooden
court house and jail at Chester. OF the
vacant lands not granted by New Hamp-
shire the principal part of Athens was