Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-03-11
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
Could Not HIVE HAD Q wharf
in 1870.


In 1000.
TO the Editor OF the Free Press:
Tho writer has lately seen letter
which states that wharf, bult at Chin
ncy Point In 1870, st'll exists. and that the
hrst settlement In Vermont was at that
place
History, like the modern picture puz-
slo. when put together the pieces must
At,
II there Ia any place In the historic
picture Of 1920 for wharf Mt Chimney
Point, concurrent events do not afford
the piece to AZ t. A claim of electric
lights and rural delivery there at that
limo would be as convincing. A wharf
presupposcs business Of some sort.
Tho French had no business relations up
Lake Champlain md made no effort to
control It prior to 1881
Neither Dutch nor English took ad-
venturous part in the Indian warfare
down the lake until the fail Of 1850. and
then only by an insignificant dash with
out commercial import.
The French and Indians used the lake
solely as a trackless way TO and from
their murderous raids, connecting the
Richelieu and Mohawk Valley from Wood
Creek, over Lake George portage. Lake
George and Hudson river. II is 10 be re-
membered In this connection, that Wood
Creek. as referred to by early writer's
George or Ticonderoga.
The French fur trade was north and
west. They had no other trade and their
aim was to monopolize that from the
Great Lakes and Hudson BAY and their
tributaries
The Dutch and English trade with the
1ndiaue wac that west OF Albany. begin
ming with the Moha wks and extending TO
the Senecas and Ifurons. Albany was
then only a rural settlement tied 10 the
bank Of the river
As far as is known not an Indian was
domiclcd IN Addison county or vicinity
at that period. The tusse between New
York and Canada for Indian FUR trade
centered at the Great lakes, beyond the
Adirondacks. There was no community
Of interest between the two peoples. and
no commercial prospects TO call either
70 Chimney Point.
In fact for years prior to and following
1Fn, the 1roquois kept Canada in tenta-
tive seize INJECTING fearful punishment
and precluding French enterprise south
of their forst-
As late as 1730 tho border Of Lake
Champlain, on both sides was was I'M
broken forest. Not house or settlement
OF any kind stood upon It's shores. II
was unsettled wilderness from the foot
Of the lake to the Mohawk. The only
civilized settlement then in the present
State Of eVrmont was Fort Dunmore,
tBrattleboro) which was established IN
1924, a trading station and the first per-
manent settlement in Vermont II the
settlement at Brattleboro In 174 was then
in Massachusetts,. so was all the rest Of
Vermont then In New York.
In February 1890 when the French and
Indians fell on Schenectady. they lived
on parched corn and game. without
hating spot on their route for provisions
and were In starving condition on the
way back Such was tie utter desolatiou
on the shores Of Lake Champlain in 1890
In 1859 the English colonies hrst mad,
offensive preparation against the north.
ern enemy. In May 1920 a Colonial Cor
gress was held at New York TO devise
measures Of defense and ofrense. In Aug
nst following. General Winthrop left Al
bany with eight hundred men on an ex-
pedition t. !nvate Canada. lie reached
Ticonderoea and there dsbanded the
troops and returned home The few
boats prepared for his use we're built on
Lake George Preceding Winslow De-
Warm was sent with few men to
Crown Point to watch out and Schuyler
was sent with fewer men to Otter Greek
for the same purpose. The stay was short
and Chimney Point Is not mentioned N
connection Herewith At this time the
Mohawks were grumbling because they
were always sent and never accompanied
TO attack Canada, and In September, 1921,
TO appease them. John Schuyler volun-
teered to join them with a few white
men. descended upon LaPra!rie. effected
some annoying damage and promptly re-
turned. His journal shows that he halt
ed at Crown Point on his retreat. but
only to rest. This was the first recorded
asly enture OF the Colonsts down the lake.
And SO tho year 1870 came and went
without a sign Of commercial, industrial
or oc.al condition between the Green
md Adirondack mountains. For n num-
Der Of yea, following the French were
torn with Internal discussions and oc-
cupled also with a nendish plot to destroy
the New England settlements and the
trails and waterways used for the lat
ter purpose were east Of the Green
Mountains.
The Coionists did not begin to e.tab-
lish themselves on Lake Champlain prior
to 17oe and neither nation made any at
tempt to control the lake until 1881, when
Fort Frederic was built and Chimney
Point had It's frs. settlement.
What a suggestive picture OF barely
two centuries ago! The hope OF America
struggling for existence on the border
from Fort Royal to Berkshire It's
prophecy OF empire slowly dawning owe,
the Great Lakes and Mississippi valley
the Anglo Saxon and Franco-Rorhar
clinched IN deadly duel for Its mastery
and directly between them the "Grea'
Gate 10 the Country slumbering IN IN.
shadow Of It's guardian hills, stirred only
by the wind and fragile canoe.
SHORHiAM