The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-03-31

Then on South Main street nearly
opposite Barre street was the old
Hutohins Or Shepherd Tavern, after
wards called the Farmers Hotel Then
there was the Eagle Hotel, now the
Montpelier House, and the Temper
ance Hotel, now occupied by c. d.
Wheelock as a store.
The first county court house which
was built in 1918 and became the
Catholic parsonage, now the residence
of Rev. w. j. OSullvan. The new
or present court house was built in
1859.
The banking facilities were handled
by the Bank of Montpelier and the
Vermont Bank, the latter was at the
corner of State and Elm streets. The
building was a low brick one, painted
white. From these two banks we now
have the Montpelier National and the
First National Bank
The Farmers Mutual Fire ms. Co.
had been organized in 1S49 and the
National Life Insurance Co. in 1850,
both for the times were doing good
work. The Vermont Mutual Fire ms
Co., which was organized March, 1928,
was already called the "Old Mutual. "
In my boy days it had about twenty
millions of dollars at risk. Now it
has over eighty millions.
When the State House burned Jan
uary 6, 1857, | was not allowed to go
to the fire, but the next morning after
| wandered among it's ruins, listening
to the discussions as to the cause of
the fire and hearing the expressions
of joy that the large portrait of
George Washington had been saved &.
During the building OF the present
State House | was daily visitor to
it as the school / attended was only
a few rods away.
The fire department, in my younger
days, consisted of three hand engines
They were Winooski No. /, Torrent
No. 2 and Young America No. 3. but
on account of the Union House fire the
village decided they must have better
fire protection and early in 1860 Nos
and were organized with 60 men
each. Many of these men entered the
army during the Civil War.
Speaking of war reminds me that
there were few Revolutionary War
veterans living in or near Montpelier
in my younger days, while of the 1912
War quite a number were here, but
the War of the Rebellion soldiers We
saw much of. Some of us were allow
ed to go to the hospital on what is
now Seminary Hill, to read to those
veterans that were unable to sit up
We watched evenings to see patrol
gather in those that over stayed Their
leave. We recalled Col Francis V.
Randally at the head of the troops as
they marched through the streets
bound for the front With him were
his two sons, the envy of every stay
at home boy. And when the soldier
boys returned, what a welcome was
extended to them in Washington HAL
over the old Vermont Central railroad
depot.
The railroad trains had commenced
running into the village in 1S49 anC
the people from the back districts still
cooked with awe at the iron monster
IN Washington Hall | have heart
many noted orators like wendell Phil
lips, Neal Dow and Henry Ware
Eeecher.
The signs of the old Indian buryine
ground on the Meadow was still visi-
BILE, and the Elm street cemetery was
fast being filled, when our beautifu
Green Mount cemetery was dedicated
Sept. 10, 1855, made possible throug.
Jhe generosity of Calvin j. Keith, a
former treasurer of the Vermont Nh
lual Fire ms. Co. The first burial 4
take place in the new cemetery was
Simeon Lyman Oct. 8. 1855.
On the Berlin side of the river were
the extensive -four mills and coopoI
shops for making its barrels. The
property is now owned by the Coltcr
Manufacturing Co.
/ The play grounds We're numerous il
those days. Jewett's fiat and Hubbar,
Meadow being two or the most popu
: lar places, while the Common and il
font of the State House were muci
used. The favorite sports were c.icl,
ct, base ball and foot ball, as we'll as
? archery Most of the bows and ar
lyws were made by wandering Indt
ans who came here.
he swimming places were at III,
mouth of Dog river, Sand Potion
bridge, the Mill Pond near Cotton,
shops and below the C. V. r. r. bridge
, between Botany Bay and Lambs Isl
and Boating was INDUCED in L
quite an extent, even as late as in tn,
seventies, when several good races
| We're held On the '.pper dam. In on
of the races an indian from CanACa II
, a birch bac'1 canoe tried out ag1i 6
one of our townsmep who rowed ~
Ogdensburg built boat.
Among the young men to lose thei
lives in my younger days, both o
whom | knew well, were Charles Ly