Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-04-15
IVES MINISTER.


Historical Facts About the Old Bridge.
Some facts of historical interest CON
corning the Walpolc and Westminster
bridge which was burned a few days ago
are given herewith: After the second
loss in the destruction of the eastern
section of the bridge the Walpole and
Westminster Bridge corporation, which
had owned and controlled the toll bridge
many years, became anxious to give it
up and offered to sell it for a small sum.
The town of Walpole' having held
town meeting and having voted to pay
two-thirds of the expense of building
new bridge and of buying the cor
porate interest in the old one, this town,
at its annual town meeting, March l.
1870, voted to appropriate the sum of
$500 and instructed Its selectmen to
unite with the selectmen Of Walpole in
buying the interests in the old bridge
corporation At a special town meeting
held April 23 1870, it was voted to APP
propriate an additional sum OF 500 to
carry out an agreement which had been
signed by the selectmen of both towns
and had been accepted and ratified at
this special meeting, which read as fol-
lows Whereas the Walpole and West
minister bridge corporation and the stock
holders of said corporation have signihed
their desire to give up said corporate
property for nominal sum in consdera-
ton Of having public highway laid and
built over said franchise, and certain in
dviduas in Walpole having pledged
themselves to pay two thousand dollars.
Cheshire railroad to furnish one thousand
dollars in material and labor and indi-
viduals in Westminster and Rockingham
one thousand dollars for the purpose OF
having and maintaining said public high
way therefore We the selectmen of the
respective towns aforesaid, agree to the
following arrangement, to wit: The Sc
I L..
survey and lay out upon the line of the
late bridge belonging to said corporation
a public highway 10 the west line Of New
Hampshire; and the selectmen of West
minister, Vermont, to survey and lay out
| a public highway to the line of said
bridge to the east line Of Vermont: and
further in behalf Of said towns do here
by agree to build and maintain a public
| highway or free bridge over said route
| in the proportion of two-thirds Of the eN-
| pense to be borne by the said town Of
| Walpole and one-third by the said town
| of Westminster, said agreement to be in
| force and virtue until either Of said
| towns shall vote to discontinue said high
! way and they further agree that the nee
| essary measures shall be taken by said
| towns to secure acts or laws by the leg
! islature Of their respective states legaliZ-
| ing this agreement df not go now and
| making such laws as shall be necessary
! said bridge hereafter as a public high
! way in the foregoing proportions
Given under our hands a Walpole and
! Westminster this sd day Of April A d
! 1870, Charles Fisher. Frederick Watkins,
| Nehemiah Royce, selectmen OF Walpole
! Henry c. Lane. d. c. Gorham Nathan
! Fisher selectmen of Westminster"
! At a special town meeting June %,
| following, called for the purpose OF ap-
| propriating n further sum for the above
| purpose, the town voted to interest it's
| selectmen to do nothing further about the
! matter and refused to appropriate any
| more money toward building the bridge.
! This action caused considerable feeling.
| eliminating in the calling Of the third
| town meeting held on July $. following,
| which resulted in resembling the action
! taken at the former meeting. and the Sc
| lectmen were authorized and instructed
! to carry out the provisions Of the above
! agreement and draw their orders on the
! treasury for a sufficient sum for the
! same. The bridge was built and opened
| for travel in the fall Of 1870 with a grand
! celebration, and at the time of its de-
| struction IT had nearly reached its 10th
| birthday anniversary.