Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1903-11-27
BELLOWS FALLS NEWS
ORDERED OUT THEIR TROOPS.
The Time Recalled When Vermont and
New Hampshire Were on the Verge Of
Civil War.

New Hampshire Were on the Verge Of
Civil War.
A study of early events in the history
of this vicinity, and the men connected
with them, brings to light many facts
and connections not heretofore told.
Among them is the peculiar situation
upon two sides of an important political
controversy, of two men, i'm later years
prominently connected with events in
the vicinity of Bellows Falls.
COL Enoch Hale who built the first
toll bridge across the Connecticut here
in 1885, and was n leading resident of
this section, was a land-holder in the
town OF Rockingham and lived in town
q number of years. He was moderator
Of the town meeting held Sept /. 1895,
and at different times held a number of
other local offices. He died in Grafton in
1913.
DR.. William Page of Charlestown, n.
H.. who with Gen. Lewis r. Morris OF
Springfield, VT, was named as an in
corplrator of the Bellows Falls canal
in 1874, moved to Bellows Falls in 1898
and was the protector and overseer of
manufacturing establishment here He
was the first postmaster of Bellows Falls
his Office being in the Office of the Canal
company, which at that time was located
In small building standing on the brow
of the hill overlooking the canal, in the
rear of the store now occupied by j. j.
Fenton & Co. He was grandfather of
the late Gov. John b. Page of Rutland
and died in Rutland in 1910.
These two men in 1881 were prominent
actors in a controversy which for some
months threatened to plunge the states
of Vermont and New Hampshire into
civil war, and, in fact, each state ac-
tually ordered out its military fully
equipped and ready to march against the
other at a moments notice. Only for a
calm conservative consideration OF the
others side of disputed questions and a
strong reluctance upon the part of both
states the collision would have occurred
and the subsequent history OF peaceful
and mutually happy relations would have
been reversed.
Vermont was then an independent
commonwealth without ties to other
states or nations. New Hampshire was
one of the original 10 states of the union.
Forty-fve towns east of the Connecti-
cut river had voted by large majorites
to join themselves to the republic of
Vermont and Vermont had accepted
them. For some months the majority
and minority of these As towns had each
had their separate boards of officers, and
each had by this means representative
in the Vermont and also the New Hamp-
shire legislature. county known as
Washington county, VT, had been formed
of towns in New Hampshire territory
with Charlestown as it's shire town. Dr.
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