The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-10-10
BENNINGTON A CENTURY AGO
Extracts from the journal Of limo.
thy Dwight in 1898

Travels in New England" has this
to say of Bennington and vicinity,
in a letter written during the year
1893:
"On Monday we resumed our Jour-
ney and, passing through Powna,
reached Bennington in the evening.
Pownal is the first township OF YER
mont in this quarter, the dividing
line between this state and Massa-
chusetts, crossing the road about
two miles north of Williams college.
1t lies partly on a spur from the
Green Mountains, partly in the val
ley of the Hoosac, and partly on the
range of the Taghkannuc. The road
from Wllliamstown passes along the
Hoosac about four miles; then, as
cending this spur, and crossing 1t
very obliquely, it descends again in
to the valley of Bennington. Through
the greatest part of the distance we
found it rough and disagreeable. The
western part of Pownal | shall have
occasion to describe hereafter.
''The eastern part of ii lies on a
rough, tedious hill, the surface unpleas
ant, the soil moist, but cold and unpro-
ductive; the houses were ordinary,
and the inhabitants apparently I'M
thrifty. | saw here beautiful OBJ
ject. On the Green Mountains, which
rose at some distance eastward, rest
ed long train of clouds, variously
figured, and spread throughout
great length, from the middle of the
activity to the summit. A number
Of Others were at the same time slow
ly sailing up the bosom of the noun
tain, and one, formed into an elegant
arch, crowned the loftiest point. All
these the setting sun tinged through
out with purple of the most exquis'
ite hue. II the Tyrian dye was
fourth part as beautiful. | cannot won
der that IL was coveted by emperors.
The pleasure resulting from the nov
city and splendour OF this scene was
not little enhanced by the fact that
we met with no other agreeable OBJ
iect in this part of the journey.
"Pownal contained, in 1890, 1,7i6
inhabitants; in 1900, 1892, and in
1910. 1854. This is one instance out
Of considerable number, in which
even these comparatively new, set
Elements have begun to send out
their inhabitants to populate the
western wilderness.
Bennington lies Immediately
north of Pownal, and is the Oldest
settlement in the state Of Vermont
on the western side OF the noun
talns. II is distant from New Haven
- oil
II Is situated principally between the
range OF Green Mountains and the
spur already mentioned. which ter
inmates in a bold bluff OF consider
able height, called Mount Anthony.
The valley. narrowing to point
within the limits of Pownal, II mis-
take not. forms here a considerable
expansion, and opens between the
head of Mount Anthony, and the
township of SALISBURY. TO that OF
Hoosac in the state of New York.
The expansion is beautiful, being
formed of little hills and interyen-
ing valleys, of slopes and swells, COW
cred with well-cutivated farms. 1t
is bounded on the east by the range
OF Green Mountains and terminated
on the northwest by the mountain
OF Salisbury.
The soil of Bennington Is of the
first quality and equally suited TO all
the productions OF the climate.
Wheat and grass. the extremes OF
agricultural vegetation, grown here
luxuriantly and alike. The pastures,
even at this season of the year, were
covered with rich and abundant her
bage. and appeared in many places
like meadows, rather than fields, in
which cattle had fed through the
whole preceding season. The soil is
that fine. gravelly loan which, when
neither too moist. nor too dry, yields
everything gratifying to the wishes
of the farmer.
There is a scattered village is
the centre of the township. Both
the houses and their appendages eX-
hibit abundant proofs OF prosperity.
Bennington was granted in the year
1749 by Benning Wentworth. COVER
no, of New Hampshire and from him
received its name. In 1864. Captain
Robinson. a respectable inhabitant
of Hardwich in the province OF Mas
sachusetts Bay, having purchased
tract of land, began the settlement
of Vermont on the western side OF
the Green Mountains, in this place.
He was soon followed by a number
OF planters and the township was
filed up with rapidity.
Bennington is the shire town of
the county of Bennington. Its pub
lie buildings are a decayed Congre-
gational church. courthouse and a
gaol. Very little snow falls in Ben
nington; so little that the inhabi-
tants are rarely furnished with good
sleighing. and less, believe. than
the quantity which usually falls on
the borders OF Long Island Sound.
On this subject shall make some
observations hereafter. Bennington
and its neighborhood have for some
time past been infested by grasshop-
pers. of a kind with which had De.
fore been wholly unacquainted. At
least. their history, as given by re-
spectacle persons. is in a great meas
ure novel. They appear at different
periods. in different years, but the
time OF their continuance seems 10
be the same. This year. O7ss) they
came four weeks earlier than in 1897
and disappeared four weeks sooner.
AS | had no opportunity Of examin-
ing them, cannot describe their
form or their size. Their favorite
food Is clover and maize. or the lat.
ter. they devour the part which is
called the silk. the immediate means
Of formulating the ear. and thus pre-