Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-04-02
HISTORICAL SKETCHES
TAKEN FROM TEE VERMONT
GAZETTEER PuE'aShEp iN la6
CONTINUED Irom La5I " 80


The custom house kept in the.
depot, was est tliahed in 1853
Joseph Smith of Berkshire, was ap-
pointed the first deputy collector, but
the business having increased tosuch
an extent the government increased
the force until there are now four
officers required to do the business.
The names of those who haye held
commissions in the office to the
present time are Joseph Smith, H. o.
Pike. Daniel Miller, A j. Downing,
A. S. Gore, r. G.. Hopkinson, P. s
Benjamin, A. j Davis, and the pres
ent incumbents, George N. Dale.
N. W. Bingham, D. s. Storrs, and
N. P. Barnum.
! The amount of business done at
this office is very large The imports
for the year ending April 80, 1862,
amounting to $2,769, PIP. exports,
same time, $685.
/ Island Pond village is about 16
\ miles from the boundary line of
4 Canada, and about the same distance
from the Connecticut river, and
nearly all the distance, either way,
\ being a dense wilderness. An effort
is being made to obtain a charter
| for railroad from St Johnsbury to
4 Island Pond, through Concord, Vic
1 tory and CRANKY, up the valley Of
| Moose river When completed, it
\ will develop the resources and open
| up tract of country consisting of
an area of 100000 acres of heavily
4 timbered land, most Of it good for
| agricultural purposes; a feasible
| route, and altogether as fine a section
as can be found in Vermont but now
F.! nninhabited, except by the wild
3denizen of the forest. The natural
market for this immense tract is
| down the Connecticut valley, and a
project of this kind well deserves
J the candid consideration Of the legis-
lature. In anticipation of such con-
nection by railroad, with the facili-
ties of railroad communication
! already existing; the steady increase
| of wealth and population; the low
price of land in the vicinity, with
good society, good schools, with
abundant facilities for most all
| kinds of business enterprise; the
! beautiful lake and mountain scenery;
the rivers and lakes Astounding in
fish; the forests with game; the
healthiness of the place, together
with one of the best physicians and
surgeons in the state CDR G. c.
Adams); in view of all this, Island
Pond and vicinity holds out strong
inducements for the capitalist, the
merchant, mechanic, pleasure seeker,
sportsman and the invalid
The River Clyde from Lake Mem
phremagog, Island Pond, and the
Nulhegan river to the Connecticut
was once the favorite route Of the
st. Francis and Algonquin Indians
| in their travels from Canada to the
southern part of New England. A
few years since an aged Algonquin
stated to one of the toWnsmen that
in his youth there was water com
munication most of the year between
Ialand Pond and Nulhagan POnC
thence to the Connecticut, that he
had often travelled the route in his
bark canoe for the purposes of hunt
ing and fishing, and within a few
years the marks upon the tree,
where they stretched and dried then
moose skins could be plainly seen
, Some arroW-heads are often found
, near the pond and in 1856 a company
of Indians came and disinterred the
the bones of their ancestors and car.
ried them away, not willing theil
graves should be desecrated by the
ploughshare of the pale faces.
De Witt Clinton once SURVEYED
this route for canal to connect the
waters of Lake Champlain with
Casco Bay. His route lay through
, this town, and the minutes, report
etc, of the survey are now on file al
the department in Washington. 4
was made under authority of The
Government; and although feasible
route was found to exist, the projec
not being matured before the intro
! Iduction of railroads it found its rest
and the iron horse of the Crane