Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-08-06
TABLET DEDICATED
AT WINOOSKI BRIDGE
Vermont Society," Sons of American Revolution
Mark Site of Block House-Long Parade
Followed by Patriotic Addresses

| Frederic should have q permanent place
! in the history of our State and that
the location of that fort should be mark =
! ed, so that the stranger passing our
| gates may stop and scan this object
| lesson in our early history. To those
who will see 1t every day, It will be
reminder OF the sacrifices sufferinEs
! and dangers that attended the daily life
| of the brave men and noble women who
| blazed way through the wilderness and
| planted this settlement on the banks of
the Winooski. We are all proud that
these two men, Ira Allen and Remember
Baker sought for and found a home in
our beautiful valley Again, Mr.. Presi-
dent. we thank you"
After the acceptance Of the marker
came the historical address by Walter
| II. Crockett, a former Colchester boy.
| MIR. CROCKETT's ADDRESS.
| We are met to-day under the auspices
OF the Vermont Society. Sons Of the Amer
lean Revolution, to celebrate an event not
| directly connected with the War for In
| dependence. but rather an act of resist
ance to the tyranny of royal government
in one of the provinces, which tended to
make more odious, at least in the region
known as the New Hampshire Grants.
the form of government against which
the American colonies were soon to re-
| volt
| In the autumn of l772 two men who were
to he numbered among Vermonts most
famous leaders came into this portion OF
what We now call the Winoosk river val
Icy on an exploring expedition. These
men We're Ira Allen and Remember Bak-
q l.,
in the southwestern part of the New
| hampshire Grants, and had come from
that region in northwestern Connecticut
which furnished such lar-c proportions
| both in quantity and quality, Of the
early population of Vermont Find
! ing a New York surveying party
here, which they drove awav they
{ found it necessary. having purchased
land in this vicinity from holders of New
Hampshire titles, to return the following
spring and erect bockhouse, in order
to protect their property from the aggres-
eions of New York claimants.
BLOCKHOUSE MOST NORTHERLY
OUTPOST
This blockhousc. erected in Colchester
early in the year 1773, was the most
Hampshire Grants west of the Green
Mountains. Tho southern third Of what is
now that state of Vermont was fairly
we'll settled at that time, with the excep-
tion of that portion along the mountain
ridge. This settled region included what
is now Wndham ana Remington, Wind
sor and Rutland counties, the eastern
towns of Orange county, perhaps a soil
tarY clearing in what Is now Caledonia
county three Connecticut river towns
/ in Essex county. a few preliminary at
tempts at settlement in Addison county,
and probably a clearing on Shelburnc
! point in what Is now Chittenden county
with no outlet save by way Of Lake
| Champlain All of Franklin, Grand Isle.
( Orleans, Lamoille and Washington coun-
/ ties. and practically all of Chittenden
Caledonia and Essex counties, were a
part Of the great primeval wilderness
that had existed for countless thousands
Of years
This rude fort was not erected to per
form the kind Of service required Of Fort
! Drummer, at the southern extremity of
the state. built to guard against the saw
age incursions of the French and Indian
warriors from Canada, for a new era had
dawned for New England when the Brit
ish assumed control of the Dominion In
1850 The chief purpose of building this
hlockhouse was to protect the holders Of
land titles granted by Gov. Benning
Wentworth Of New Hampshire from the
aggressions of those who held titles in the
same region granted by governors of New
York
Mr.. Crockett reviewed the first land
controversy that was waged between the
men of the New Hampshire Grants, and
certain New York officials and land
spectators, and then took up the early
history of the town of Colchester
THE TOWN OF COLCHESTER.
The town of Colchester was granted
June 7.17G3. to Edward Burling and Go 9TH
T ers. on the same day We're granted by
= Governor Wentworth the townships of
burlington, Essex. Williston. Jericho, Boil
ton, Huntington, Duxbury and Water
.. bury. This included the valley of the
Winooslu valley through the gap In the
Green Mountains, Richmond at that time
being included in Willston, Jericho and
Huntington On the following day sew
eral other towns in this vicinity were
iN''"i Noi''' II WIS not uncommon AT
that time for groups of individuals or
companies to engage an experienced man
to examine wilderness lands with a view
to purchasing them, and to secure some
influential person to go to Portsmouth
and secure the grant OF a town or a grour
or towns. Some OF the same names are
found in the charter OF several of the
towns granted on this seventh Of June
1853 More noteworthy still, In several
Of these towns, practically all the gran.
tees except a few of Governor Went.
worth's favorttes, attached to most of his
charters, were, apparently, New YORK
men.
Before any settlements We're made II
Colchester large purchases OF land wer,
made here by Ethan, Ira and Heman AL
tumn Of 1872, Ira Allen, being then q
years old, and n practical surveyor, de
sired to explore the northwestern portion
OF the Ne Hampshire Grants, Takinl
with him his cousin Remember Baker
then IS years old, and five men, nc part,
from the settlements in the vicinity o.
Bennington to Skenesborougn, now white
hall went from there by boat to tn
mouth of Onion or Winooski river. as
cending that stream to the lower falls
According TO Ira Aliens narrative. herr
: they found two men and boat containing
provisions, One of the men told AlleI
t and Baker that they were members Of {