Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1911-08-04
THE BENNINGTON PAGEANT.
Half to Be Reproduced August ~, ID,
is and 16.

is and 16.
Bennington in its early days had the
most stirring history of any Vermont
town and many of these scenes are to
be reproduced in a historical pageant to
be given by the people of Bennington
August IL, IA, Is and 16, in celebration of
the 150th anniversary of the settlement
of the town. In addition to the scenes
depicting the early history there will be
several indicative of the progress and
changes brought by succeeding years
down to the present day.
The historical pageant has long been
extremely popular in Great Britain and
continental Europe. Introduced from
there to this country it has been de-
veloped and extended in its scope until
it provides one of the most delightful
entertainment features ever produced.
Along with the amusement and scenic
spectacle and splendor it gives an oppor-
tunity to sec almost perfect reproduce
tons of dramatic events of history and
in that way gives n knowledge of his
tory and teaches patriotism as they can
never be learned from the dry pages of
printed books.
Bennington history is such that 1t Of
fers n wonderful field for a historical |
pageant In fact the great problem that |
confronts the pageant committee is the |
wealth of material available and all of |
it so striking and interesting that it is
in order to cover the chief events of the
history of the towns, which, in many
respects, is the history of the state of
Vermont for Bennington was the parent
town of the state and Bennington men
led in the activity and force that pro-
duced here from the New HAMPSHIRE
Grants an Independent commonwealth
afterwards admitted to the sisterhood of
states.
Bennington was the first organized
town in what is now Vermont and the
first to achieve an individual force
strong enough to take the stand it did
in the days when Vermont was in the
making, The first settlers of the town
were young men from Massa chusetts and
Connecticut They We're an active, ear
nest, liberty loving, dare devil and tur-
bulent crowd who knew their rights and
could not be buffed-not even by the
orders of the king and much less by the
minions of royal authority on this side
of the ocean That their leaders were
men of ability Is proved by the outcome
of their efforts.
1t was the men of Bennington who
organized the opposition to the rich and
powerful colony of New York and who
took the leading part in carrying this
opposition through to success, from the
day when the sturdy pioneers raised a
stuffed catamount on a pole to grin de-
fance at New York authority to that
other day. p years later, when Vermont
became the first state added to the orig
inal thirteen. 1t was at Bennington at
Landlord Fay's tavern that the beech
seal was devised and first applied to
the bare back of York justice In this
connection it is well to remember even
at this late day that during the contro-
versy with New York the New York
people sympathized with the people of
Vermont. The fight of the settlers for
their lands was not with their neighbor
settlers along the Hudson but with the
land spectators and politicians who
fawned around Albany.
1t was the men of Bennington who or
gained the council of safety which af-
terward made Vermont an independent
republic and maintained that mdepend-
ence for II years 1t was under Ben
nington leadership that the towns which
rebeed against the new free state were
bulldozed into submission. 1t was the
Bennington mob that later stepped il
and stopped an attempt to divide Yer
mont between New York and New
Hampshire. 1t was Bennington that fur
nished four-ffths of the company O
resolute men who rescued Remembe
Baker almost from under the guns o
Albany
1t was in Bennington in 1913 that tn,
first declaration of independence pennet
in America was drawn and signed anC
signed chiefly by Bennington men. 1
was at Bennington, the home of Sell
lTreel
Mountain Boys had it's beginning anC
Bennington, which furnished more re
cruits than any other town. 1t wal
from Bennington that Ethan Allen start
ed on that glorious trip resulting in thu
capture of Ticonderoga and Crow,
Point
1t was near Bennington that the bat
tie was fought bearing the name of tn,
town, that proved the turning point o
the War of the Revolution and Benning
ton at a moments notice furnished owe
200 soldiers for Stark's army. 1t wa
Bennington which furnished the subsis
tence and supplies also which mad
Stark's victory possible and Bennington
women cooked and supplied the food
1t was Bennington county that fur
nlshed the governors of Vermont for 8
of the first AZ years that Vermont was ;
state, and not only the governors but :
large proportion of the other state of
f1cials. 1t was at Bennington that tn,
first church in the state was formed, :
church that still exists. 1t was at Ben
nngton that the first militia compan,
of the state was enlisted and the frs
manufacturing enterprise in the stat,
was established.
1t was at Bennington that the frs
pottery in America was built and a
Bennington that the first iron furnac,
in northern New England was erected
and the first pig iron in America wa,
smelted 1t was in Bennington that tn,
first knit underwear factory of any i'm
portance in the United States was erect
ed and there that the business is tn,
most important industry to this day. 1
was at Bennington that the first stereo
scope was made and there the prin
cipal stereoscope factory in the world Il
now located.
This list does not include all, or nearl,
all OF the things of note with which tn
name of Bennington is connected blu
merely
list could be greatly heightened No
only the more important incidents will
be reproduced at the coming pageant
but also several lesser scenes of human
interest 1t will be the first time in thl
country that a battle scene has beeI
depicted in pageant. over GOO peopl
will take part in the scenes and the pa