The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-10-04
FOUNDING OF
MONTPELIER
Timothy Bigelow is Called the
Real Founder.
FRIZZEL FIRST SETTLER.
And Col Jacob Davis the First Perma-
nent Settler, as He Hewed Out the
First Home in the
Wilderness.
FRIzzEL FIRST SETTLER.

Montpelier was founded, according to
the Lawrence genealogy, by Timothy
Bigelow, he being the first the organize
the land company and petition the leg
islature for a charter. Joel Frizzel was
probably the first settler, but he has
to divide honors with Jacob Davis, who
is called the first permanent settler
Col Davis was born in Oxford, after
wards Charlton, Mass, in 1879. 1t was
in 1850 that he first turned his face
toward Vermont. Armed with an axe
he came to the wooded valley where
Montpelier now stands. On May 5,
1887, he laid his axe into the first tree
on the Worcester Branch and the Wi
noosli.
The night before, Col Davis, his cous-
| in, and hired man spent at MiddleseX
with Seth Putnam. They We're tired
out by the difficult journey from Brook
| field. through Williamstown, past Berlin
| Pond and thus down to the Dog river.
| Ten days after, the log house, 32 by
| 16 feet, was erected. That house,
which was really little more than a
hut, was the beginning OF Montpelier.
| Col Davis, with his two sons, Jacob
and Thomas, planted and raised their
| first crop, having transformed so acres
| of maple forests into meadow land.
Late in December Of the same year, the
women OF the family came to the will
derness home, and it was then a home,
indeed. So much for the founding of
the city.
Montpeiers original area was cut
down by the separation of 1880 acres
| when East Montpelier was set apart in
1s4S. But the annexation of Berlin
to make up for the loss then suffered
| In 1901 the population was 113. In
1900 it was 800. Today it is 1919
The gain in recent years in population
is shown by the subioined extracts from
the census taken the present year,
Population, 1913.
A gain in five years Of l,o47, or u
per cent
a gain in ten years Of a,4oi, OF 4!
!, per cent
A gain in IS years Of a,oss, Or z
per cent.
A gain in 25 years Of 1910, Or II
per cent.
The city has grown cosmopolitan, 1!
& nationalities being represented, as fol
lows: Foreign, 3,l91: mixed, 503
e American, 1858. OF the foreign, TIL
, Irish predominant, with 1889, and tn
French are close second, with 1905.
G Not only has the city grown in It
!. number Of souls, but it has also grow
2 in its material wealth. Montpelier j
Z 1900 was strictly agricultural com
mmity. What the people produces
I, brought little; what they imported cos
}. more. Still, there was a steady progress
towards wealth.
The grand list was $2,142 in 1906
III twelve years it increased to $I5,391
4 true gain of S13,249 over the period
e An OK could be bought for $40, a goo
horse for $50 and the best COW for So
while loaf sugar cost AZ cents per pound
Z tea So per pound, nutmegs IL cent
Y each and ordinary shovels $3.50 each.
/ The subioined comparison Of propert
valuation for the last decade is a strik
! ing example Of the progress made /
] the wealth Of the city.
= Total valuation from which grand liz
I Of 1905 was made, S5,659,S17; gain @
4 $1,006,604. Valuation Of real estate
= IS, 100000; gain Of $1,1o1 ,450 Persona
property, $1,s06,415; gain OF S57s,15:
T. Polls, including exemptions, 1928; gal
= of III. Total number Of taxpayers, )