Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1894-09-03
THE DISSECTION OF WESTMORE.

tice is published, showing that an ap-
plication will be made to the General
Assem molly for dividing up the town,
and setting a part of it to each of the
three adjoining towns, Barton and
Charleston in Orleans county, and
Newark in Caledonia county, surren-
dering the town charter. At the last
March meeting vote was taken
looking to this end, and a committee
was chosen to take the preliminary
steps therefor.
While quite a large number of vot-
ers in the different sections of the
town favor the project, others in the
central section prefer to maintain the
present status. The condition of
things is about as follows: The town
lies in about square form, is six miles
square and contains q 900 acres. A
high range of hills and mountains
crosses the town from west to east.
Quite large area among the noun
tains is uninhabited, and always must
be. The best of the timber in the
wild lands has been cut off and sold.
The saw-mills that once hourished
are idle for the want of merchantable
timber. The land on which the tim
Der was cut has not been cleared up
to great extent and is growing
second crop of timber. The town is
nearly cut in two again by Willough-
by Lake, a body of water about SIX
miles long and from one half to one
and half miles in width. The area
of arabic land, as compared with 9TH
er towns, is small and the population
correspondingly small. The grand
list averages a little over 81 200; the
population is not far from 400. The
voters number little over go. There
has been little change in the matter
of farms and farming interests for the
last fifteen years, and there is likely
to be no change for the better in the
few years to come.
From year to year there is an in
crease in the number of summer Wis
itors about the two hotels, and quite
number of summer cottages have been
erected in the last two years. Will
oughby Lake will always be a pleas
ant summer resort for the surround
ing vicinities, and will call many from
distance. There ought to be a
still further development in the line
of hotels and cottage resorts. The
placing of steamboat on the lake has
added to the attractions of the resort
and Hftoii is really worthy Of much more
n1loedtorietyy than It has obtained. The
prosperity of the town, whatever it
shall be, will be in an increase of sum-
mer business about the lake, and there
ought to be considerable.
The town has been burdened quite
heavily in the matter of road build
ing, not to mention ordinary expens-
es. The situation is such on account
of the division of the town by the
lake and the mountain range that
there is no natural business, center and
caan not be; the Western, and central
section does most of its business at
Barton; a narrow line on the south
at West Burke; the north side of the
town at the Charleston villages and
northwestern section at Barton or
Barton Landing. Really the mercan-
tile business, marketing, blacksmith
ing, milling and general business is
done out of town. One good and en-
couraging thing is the erection of
church edifice near the center of the
town. The people contributed gen.
erously, considering their means, to-
ward it's erection and have been help
ed by the denomination and friends
outside. The town is considerably in
debt-perhaps two to three thousand
dollars. or ten to fifteen hundred dol
lars after it's town farm and town
property is converted into cash to
liquidate it's debts, should the town be
divided.
Those who ask for the division, do
it in the belief that it would be better
for all parties concerned, in the mat
ter of convenience, expense and
trouble, if the three adjoining towns
would accept part of the town as
proposed, paying pro rata part of
the town debt, to them only srnall
sum.
Those who oppose the division, re-
side mostly along the lake road and
in the Mill Brook section-the center
portion of the town. They hope to
see a growth arising from the pros
perity of the place as summer re-
sort; they have natural pride in
the name of the town, and do not like
to see it destroyed. They are willing
to pay little more and lift little
hardar To keen down their debts and