Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-02-19
MOUNT MANSFIELD
AS SUMMER RESORT
Development of Vermont's High
est Peak Began Seventy Years
Ago, the Late Governor"
Bingham Contributing Largely
of His Time and Energy

Mansfield Hotel association, which pro-
poses to remodel the hotel on Mount
Mansfield this coming summer and i'm
prove the approaches to the mountain In
order to open up that section as vaca-
ton ground, has received from Mrs
Carrie T.. Straw of Stowe n short history
of Mount Mansfield. This history was
prepared by Mrs. Straw as paper to
be read before the summer meeting OF
the Vermont Press association, which was
to have been held on Mount Mansfield sew
eral years ago. This meeting was not
held and tho paper has never been used
publicly. Mrs. Straw, the author of the
history. is the stowe correspondent Of
the Free Press. The history follows in
full:
ION his voyage In July, 1909. up the Lake
TO which he gave his name, Samuel Cham
plain saw on tho eastern side Of the lake
very high mountains capped with snow
This Is the first mention of the Green
Mountains In history and Samuel Cham
plain was the first white man to gaze up
on the profile Of Mount Mansfield the
dominating feature of those eastern noun
tans.
Nearly 200 years had passed when the
territory which forms the town of Stowe
and commands the eastern access to the
mountains was settled. From the first
the mountains attracted attention and
soon occasional parties of men and boys
found their way up the mountain side to
the rock crowned submits that have been
called the ridge pole of Vermont.
by these occa sonal visits, the way be-
came slightly marked and women and
girls sometimes Joined in these trips. A
girl of IA. who was one of the party Wis
mn a II, in in
the trip many years later, said There
was no road of any kind. We travelled
through unbroken woods. over rocks and
fallen trees. pulling ourselves up the
lodges by bushes and roots. and swing
ing off over precpices by the tops Of
small trees.
when the region was divided into
townships, by grants to proprietor given
, by King George Of England. THO ract
containing these mountains was l.alned
Mansfield probably from some locality in
England. and this range, crowned with
the highest peak in the State, became
known as Mansfield Mountain, and a. e.
as Mount Mansfield. The fancici on real
resemblance of these mountains to the
face of man looking upwa:", has given
the name of the Forehead. Nose, Lios
and Chin to the various elevations OF the
| summit.
1T was in 1850 that the first attemp.
was made to bring the mountain into pub
! lie notice. The pioneer in that direction
was Stillman Churchill, who converted
! his dwelling house in the village of Stowe
! into hotel for this purpose. He was I'M
able to carry out his idea on account OF
| financial difficulties, but he always main
| tanned that stowe would become n great
place of summer resort and that he was
! the man who set the ball in motion.
j THE hotel which Mr.. Churchill recon-
structed is now part of the Green Noun
tain Inn at Stowe villages. William Henry
I Harrison Bingham. well-known lawyer
/ and business man who held mortgage
on the property. became the owner of the
house, which he enlarged and adver-
! tised, and thus made a beginning In at
tracing visitors
! Up to 1854, there was only TRAN up
the mountain. In 1865, Mr.. Bingham built
the Half Way House. near large spring.
and induced the town TO lay out a road
/ to 1t. A barn was built and horses were
kept there for travellers to ride to the
summit.
In 1857. n house was built at the height
of land, the building materials being car
ried UP from the Halr Way House on
mems shoulders. In 1858. this building
was removed to the present site of the
Summit House. and was fitted up for Wis
itors.
"A circular printed in 1859 described the
house as 24x40 feet in size. comfortable
and convenient. and a valuable adjunct
to the ftourishing hotel business in Stowe
1t was called the Tip-Top House.
"Mr. Bingham had purchased tho Old
Raymond hotel in the village and had
| III isi
ness. A stage coach brought the visitors
| to Stowe from the railroad station in Wa
terbury Livery teams carried them to
the Half Way House. The remainder OF
the trip to the summit was made b. trail
on foot or on horseback. In August, 1859,
1t Is recorded that Universalist conven-
ton was held In Stowe, and the Rev. w.
5. Balch. an eminent clergyman of that
denomination, preached a sermon on
Mount Mansfield to an audience of a
thousand or more people. The peop'e sat
on the south slope of the forehead and
Joined very heartily in the singing of old
Hundred and other hymns. The service
was known as The Service on the Mount
In 1889, Mr. Bingham obtained a char
ter from the State Legislature and organ
ICED the Mount Mansfield Hotel company
disposng very successfully OF the stool,
Mount Mansfield hotel was begun or the
site of the old Gaymond house. The house
was opened In 1864 and 1t was afterwards
enlarged to IA capacity Of GOO guests The
hotel was well fitted with eccommota.
tons and attractions. and entertained
many visitors, some OF them distinguished
people.
In the autumn of 1865. the Mount Mans.
field Hotel company began the construc.
ton OF road from the Half Way Houe.
TO the summit. The Vermont Central
railroad contributed. it is said, 5000 to-
ward 1t. The road was completed in 1870
and was considered triumph of engi.
neerng skill. The first carriage over the
road was driven by Henry c. Phillips. a
well-known driver of that time Mr.
Philips and his carriage, with two pass.
engers. lady and gentleman, arrived a,
the summit, while q few rods of the road
were yet incomplete. Some of the work.
men put their shoulders to the wheel,
and steaded the carriage over the bould
ers in the roadbed. and the euuippag,
drew up to the door with a flourish.
I'm connection with the summer resort
business in Stowe. a house was built ir
Smugglers' Notch about so years ago. ant
was carried on as resort for severa
years Mr.. Bingham. it is said by hi.
adroitness as moderator at the annua
town meetings was able to secure appro
priations Of 500 to $50 every year 70,
the maintenance of the road to the notch
The road has now for many years beer
a town highway. The house and barn
connected with 1t were allowed to fall II