Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1919-03-19
from last week.
CHAPTER III
Historical Influences.

Historically the county offers little
that Is spectacular, though its record
Is al honorable one. The northern
section Of the state was not settled
until the troubles with New York and
the Revolution were over, but many
Of the first settlers were prominent
II these struggles elsewhere. The
towns were granted by the Vermont
legislature 10 men who were ackuOwl-
edged land spectators and never in
tended 10 settle on their new hold
Iugs, though Ira H. Allen, son of Col.
Ira Allen, settled in 1rasburg and his
descendants live there today. The
names OF many of these grantees are
famous today and the towns OF Bar
ton, Glover. jay. IraSburg, Crafts
bury and Greensboro still preserve
the names OF leaders famous in the
Revolution or IN early state history.
The name Of John Paul Jones appears
n the list of the grantees OF Barton.
The accounts OF the early days of
settlement show great privations en-
iured by the people. The year OF
1916, over one hundred years
ago, was an unusually hard one. as
IL zEO2S were frozen before they
.Ould Tipen and snow fell every month
II the year. No historical events OF
importance have occurred within the
county limits, though there was great
excitement during the War OF 1872,
when smuggling OF cattle and other
provisions across the line TO Stan
stead, P. O., was very profitable.
Several encounters between the
smugglers and voluntary posses oc-
CURED and IN retaliation the Canadi-
storehouses. The accounts Of these
a<-1a1Tor-
Probably the best known event OF
the early days was the escape Of Run
away Pond IN 1910. This pond was
located in Glover and was the head
waters Of the Lamoille. It was about
two miles long and $50 feet deep.
Residents of Glover and Sheffield dug
a ditch 10 divert some OF the water
into the Barton river TO help the
grist mill over a period OF low water.
The pond responded by bursting
through its bank and sweeping the
entire valley. One Of the main state
highways now passes through the bed
OF the pond.
The first towns settled were
Greensboro and Craftsburv along the
Hazen Road. Map -. The second
road constructed was the old county
Stage road which led from Greens
borO over the highest hills through
Glover. Barton and Bloomington 10
Derby. IraSburg was shire town IN
Ill after the railroad came and the
seat of county government was NOV
ed 10 Newport in 1886. Craftsbury
academy. Glover institute, Twilight's
school al Bloomington and Derby
academy we're favorabIy known even
beyond the county limits. Every town
was blessed with opportunities equal
IL 49,
With the coming OF the railroad IN
1856 all this was changed. Barton,
Newport and Derby began TO grow
while the others lost IN population
and wealth or at best, merely held
their own, the county seat was moved
TO Newport as we have seen and the
old schools entered a losing fight
against isolation and poverty. Derby
and Craftsbury academies have sue
cessfully weathered the storm and
have entered upon a new period of
usefulness, while other successful
schools are now found in Barton, Or
leans, Newport and North Troy.
4 list of events OF Importance fol-
lows:
1859 Part of Rogers regiment pass
es through the county.
17T9 Hazen Road built through to
Lowell by Col Hazen.
/ 1871 Indian Massacre at the Green's
boro Blockhouse.
IT'S First attempt at settlement, in
Craftsbury.
17S9 First settlement in Greensboro.
1892 Orleans county created by the
legislature.
1900 First courts held at Craftsbury
and Bloomington.
C11--o-
away"
1918 Derby Barracks destroyed by
Canadians.
I 1908 First Sunday school IN Yer
mont held at Greensboro.
1917 First Sunday school convention
/ in America held at Green's
boro.
1916 Irasburg made shire town.
1929 Craftsbury academy in session.
( 1S29-55 Rev. A. L Twilight taught
at Bloomington.
I 1881 First newspaper published al
Derby
/ 1910 Derby academy opened
= 1856 Orleans Independent Standard,
Express and Standard.l
/ 1883 Connecticut & Passumpsic Riv-
ers r r at Barton
1868 The railroad reached Newport
/ 1868 First fair held at Barton
1872 Orleans County Monitor estab-
lished
1886 Newport became shire town
1852 Road built along shore OF Lake
Willoughby-
1908 Barton Landing changed 10
Orleans.
In 1914 the Vermont Historical So
ciety published q list Of 1000 distin-
+ guished natives of Vermont. in proof
OF the oft-repeated statement that
/ the state has produced more prOmi-
nent men in proportion 70 her size
than anv other state Of the Union In
/ this list are p names from Orleans