The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-10-01
EARLY VERMONT HISTORY
Incidents in the life of Ira Allen and
Remember Baker

incidents IN the Lire OF IRA Alien ana
Remember Baker
The Proceedings of the Vermont
Historical society for the years 1908
1909, just issued, is one of the most
valuable of the long list of important
publications made possible by the eff
forts of that organization. 1t con.
tains the two scholarly addresses de-
hvered in tne hall of the house of re.
representatives. in this city November
10, 1903 by Senator Henry w Hill OF
Buffalo, ~ Y, on Samuel Champlain
and the Lake Champlain Tercenten-
airy" and by Prof John e. Goodrich of
Burlington, on Immigration to Yer
mont
In addition to these ddresses Pro
fessor Goodrich has secured for pub
! LEGATION a sketch of the Life and Ser
vices of Ira Allen" which appeared in
The Vermont Record of Brandon in
1864 from the pen of d. p. Taomp-
SON. A brief address on the same
subject delivered by Mr. Thompson
before the Vermont Historical socie-
ty in 1850 is reprinted in this volume.
The extended sketch of Ira Aliens
life printed has been practically UNI
known to Vermonters, few people
knowing that such a sketch had ever
been published 1t contains material
concerning Vermont history not hitn-
erto accessible and the society has
performed a real public service in Civ
ing it place in its Proceedings"
One incident of local interest is re-
lated. While at his home in Airing
ton, Allen learned that a New York
surveyor was running lines in Kings
land. now known as the town of
Washington. With two or three com
panions, heavily armed. Allen pro
ceeded to Burlington and assembled
the Winooski river to Moretown,
where a route up Stevens branch was
taken. Meeting a traveller they were
informed that the surveyors were at
work in Kingsland Allen, suspicious
that the man had tried TO deceive him
changed his course TO Kilby tract
embracing the area now included In
East Montpelier Plainfield and a part
of Barre. Here the smoke of a camp
fire was seen but the Workers had es-
capped. having been warned by tne
scout, who had tried to deceive AL
len The country was explored and
rather extensive purchases were
made at later date by the Vermont
leader.
Thompson also relates that Ira AL
len first came to Vermont in order to
survey the town of Mansfield for it's
proprietors. having been commission
ed by his brother, Heman, merchant
of Salisbury, Conn, to purchase a
quantity of land on the Vermont
shore of Lake Champlain at the place
most likely to be the site of the chief
commercial town of that region. AT
ter examining the country he decided
that Burlington bay fulfilled the re-
quired conditions. Returning to Mas
sachusetts where the proprietoFs re-
sided, he purchased between 1000 and
1000 acres on Burlington bay for six
pounds Later Ethan Allen and Re
member Baker explored the purchase
and decided that with the exception
of the flats along the river all the rest
was "a miserable sandbank. not worth
shilling an acre Therefore they
had agreed to sell it to a Massachu.
sets Spectator for eleven pounds.
Ira was very angry and following the
Spectator to Massachusetts succeed
ed in repurchasing the Burlington pro
perty for sixteen pounds.
The assertion Is made that Ira AL
lent sent out at his own expense
scouts and spies. who watched Bur
goyne's army and reported the fitting
out of the Baum expedition and the re
enforcement sent out later under Brey
man. which information caused Stark
to attack a day earlier than he in
tended, thus striking the enemy be-
fore their reinforcements could ar
rive.
Aliens part in the formation of the
state and in the long struggle to Sc
cure it's admission to the Union is
treated admirably The publication
is distinct addition to Vermont his
torical knowledge. The society is do
ing excellent work and only the lack
of money prevents it from doing still
more Private munificence has re-
made possible tne erection of
a beautiful building for the New
Historical society. The
Vermont society deserves a home of
its own, and if some good friend |
should mi Ike a gift for the purpose it |
would be money well spent Mean |
while the people of the state should |
be informed of the splendid work that |
the society has done and is doing
Nontpplipr Journal