Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-04-09
AN IMPORTANT INDUSTRY
LIKELY TO BE LOCATED AT THE
GREAT FALLS AT MILTON.
Favorsbis Action at Tuesdays Towr
Meeting tho Only Thing Now Lacking
with That Obtained Pulp and
Paper Mills viii DO Erected.

the Central Vermont tracks to the Great
Falls, distance of not more than mile,
then the last step necessary for the usher
ing in of that era of activity and prosper
ity, for which the citizens have so long
been hoping, would seem to have been ta-
ken.
Nature has been lavish in her gifts to
this locality. The Lamolle river which
flows through the town, dividing 1T into
nearly equal parts, has within Assistance of
four miles no fewer than six water falls
To the lover of the beautiful this affords
scenery which in grandeur and pictures
quencss is rarely surpassed, and which Is
fully equal to many more famous places
which tourists travel long distances to
see The visitor of a more practical turn
of mind sees tremendous energy, which
is not utilized, and which is fully capable
of turning an almost unlimited number
OF 1.-The wheels of industry" Within a
distance of four miles are the Upper Falls
the Great Falls, the Miner Falls, the Hol-
gate Falls, the Maney Falls, and the
Lower or Woods Falls. In this distance
Is probably a fall of from $50 to 800
feet. The most noted of these is the Great
Falls which gives a direct fall of 30 feet
Child's Chittenden County Directory is
authority for the statement that here In a
distance of 30 rods, the river falls $50 feet
1t is doubtful II there Is a finer water
power in the State, and 1T is no exaggera-
the finest in all New England. Fairfax
Falls, farther up on this same stream, is
one of the most valuable water powers in
Vermont, but between that point and
Milton the Lamoille receives as n tribu-
tary the Brown river, thus adding CON
siderable volume OF water, The Lamoille
has this marked advantage over many
rivers the Connecticut included. that it Is
fed to considerable extent by springs
and therefore is not so seriously affected
by the summer droughts. This river Is
said to suffer less from this cause than
any other stream in Vermont
Although these splendid water prlvi-
leges have never been utilized to any great
extent yet there have been times when
there have been more industries In Milton
than there are to-day. Joseph Clark, who
was later associated with cx-Gov. John
Gregory Smith in the management of the
Central Vermont railroad, at one time
owned all this water power with the ex-
ception Of one side of the river above the
Great Falls. A representative of the Free
Press in conversation with Mr.. Nelson NJ.
Nay, long time resident, obtained many
interesting historical facts. Many years
ago the Lower Falls were owned by Will
liam Woods and, later, came to be known
as Woods Falls. Here were located three
saw mills, operated respectively by Joseph
Clark, Hiram Clark and John Jackson,
also a grist mill. After time the grist
mill was transformed into a small mill for
the carding of wool and the dressing of
cloth, and was operated by John Wyatt.
Later. the mill again changed hands and
here b. c. Webster and Josiah futile.
with what was known as one set of ma
chinery manufactured woollen cloth on
small scale Mr.. Webster left in the win
ter of 1S39-1S40 and the property passed into
the possession of the estate Of Hiram
Clark and was operated by Mr.. Whit
ney, a nephew of Clark's. After a time
Mr.. Whitney removed his industry further
up the stream to the Miner Falls. as Jo-
seph Clark had moved his saw mill to this
place some time before. saw mill was
also located at the Hogate Falls at one
time. There were, many years ago, on
the west side of the river, at the Miner
Falls, an iron forge and n small woollen
mill; and on the east side, saw mill, a
grist mill and a plaster mill. After Jo-
seph Clark had removed still farther up
the stream. and had, In 1S45, erected ut the
Upper Falls, now Milton village his saw
mill and grist mill. Mr.. Whitney, as has
been stated established his woolen busi-
ness at the Miner Falls. The mill was
small one, with one set of machinery, and
employed about IL hands. This was oper-
ated two or three years.
1t is related that in 1880 a grist mil and
a trip hammer shop, at the Upper Falls,
were swept away by the great freshet of
that year
The paper industry is not a new one
at Milton, although it was never manu-
featured on a large scale A paper MILL
owned by the firm of Hunting yelling
ton, little distance below the point
where the iron bridge now crosses the
river. manufactured writing paper, wrap
ping paper and the grade used for news
paper purposes This mill was burned
about $780, but was Immediately rebuilt
and was operated by Wellington until he
failed In business, when 1t was purchased
and operated by Chauncey Goodrich, a
Burlington printer Later Lyman Bur-
gers and Daniel J.. Squires purchased the
property and operated 1t until the night
after certain repairs had been completed,
It was again burned. The daily product
Of this mill had been from a half OF a
ton to ton of wrapping paper, blue
tobacco paper, and wall paper On the
west side of the river, just to the left of
the bridge, and little above the site
OF the paper mills. small woollen mill
was erected by Ward G. Woodruff in 1s4l.
At the right of the bridge n cabinet and
wheelwright shop was erected many years
ago by Deacon Jairus Mears and Nathan
Burnell This was sold to Isaac Blake
who rented 1t to Alphonso Kilburn for
q small woollen mill. After Kilburn left
1t was operated by z. A. Pearl until his
death, about 1851 Then. for time, II
was operated by Mr.. Whitney, who also
operated the Ward n Woodruff mill This
building was later used for a sash, door
and blind factory and was finally TORI
down. as II had become unsafe and II was
feared that In high water 1t might be
carried Off end endanger the bridge. OF
the various mills mentioned the only one:
now operated, or, In fact, standing, ar,
the saw mill and grist mill, erected b,
Joseph Clark In lS45 The grist mill is nov
leased by II. Il. Powell and the saw mil
by W. +. Parmelee. a part of which build
Ing Is used by him rs an excelsior mill.
The water power at the Great Falls wa!
purchased by a. II. Richie a New Yorl
engraver. Oct. 6, 1885. The following sprin,
active operations were commenced, con
tlnuing through the seasons of 1886 an,
1857, some work being done in 1883. A new
channel, several rods In length, about 3
feet wide and. perhaps, % feet deep, wa
plasted. One of the strongest dams tina
could be built was constructed, the widtl
being 100 feet, or at high water, 1875 feet
large number OF men were employed
and It Is said some $4,000 was expended
Here Mr.. Richie proposed to cree
pulp mills but for some unexplained reason
he never built Various firms talked O
purchasing the property. but nothing cam
OF It, Mr.. Shepley of Newport proposed
about three years ago. to erect mills an
the town In January, 1898, voted to grad
roadbed to the Falls, but Mr.. Sheple
finally abandoned the project.
The pndtter has now been taken up 4
earnest BY Mr. Il. w. Richardson O
Plattsburgh, n. Y, managing partner O
the New York and Pennsylvania Pulp an
Taper company, civil engineer of wild
experience, and the Richie property pun