Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1922-10-05
ISLAND POND
By HENRY w. WINSLOW

| Dy 114JANIe w W I4NOl1C w
1t all happened many years
ago, directly after the Ameri-
can Revolution, that the first
fur 1rappeds pitched for a
night on the shores of a little
inland lake whose surfa' e
shone with the bright rays nf|
moonlight and upon whose
bosom, like great emerald,
glittered the, Island. To be
sure others had passed by this
delightful section of North ern
Essex in earlier days and-other
fires had frightened the silent
tree clad slopes. The st.
Francis Indians had shaped
their canoes upon its silver
strand and padled across it's
waters but not until the pio-
neer's axe was heard ringing
thru the forest did man come
to stay.
There where the sun shone
brightest few trees had been
cut and the Red Men had plant
ed corn. It was here, 1400
feet above the level of the
| ocean, on the slope of the rug
ged hills, that Joseph Night
ingale and 65 settlers from the
Lower Colonies, from Rhode Is
land, Massachusetts and Con-
necticut came and chartered a
town which they called Ran
dom, it being a random pur-
chase" from a Providence a.
gent. For half century the
town was called Random and
then it was changed to
Brighton. One Of the first
settlers was Enos Bishop. With
the changing of the name
seems to have come a change
in it's growth as well, for from
1882 on, Brighton became a
fourishing center. 1t was a
land of promise and attracted
settlers from "down country"
It was beautiful spot but the
fact that crops thrived, with
plenty of rain and sunshine
and late frosts coupled 18th
the limitless supply of lumber
was what really induced the
pioneers to build in the little
valley by Knowlton's Lake, so
called from one Of the survey
ors. It afterwards became
known as Island Pond. In the
center of the pond" an island
of 22 acres rises abruptly from
the water.
The water is very clear,and
SO per cent pure. The depth
| in places is $50 feet. Treacher-
Gus rocks rise here and there
from the depths, affording
wonderful beauty.
Here is the height of land
between Lake Memphremagog
and the Connecticut. A few
rods to the east of the pond
the Nulhegan takes its rise. If
one were to make excavation
the waters of the pond would
flow thru to Long Island Sound.
AS it is, the passive Clyde
which, governed by rains may
| flow either to or away from the
pond-empties into Lake Mem
phremagog and eventually
finds the Atlantic thru the ST..
Lawrence.
Directly back of the town
Bluff Mountain rises from the
slopes and valley. High on
its rocky summit one can see
on clear days the great White
Mountains of New Hampshire
more than 80 miles away, and
the rolling hills of Vermont,
sprinkled plentifully with little
lakes and ponds connected
with silver ribbons of water. 1t
seems that nowhere else are
there such sunrises or sunsets.
The air is thin and pure, the
view Acadian. The rocky sides
of old Pisgah loom above Lake
| Willoughby, Owls Head
frowns down upon Long and
Newark Ponds, the Derby hills
surround big and little Salem,
while our own Island, Hobson's
Mcconnell and Mile Ponds
smile up at US in the sunlight
Seymour is not far away
Young Isaac Waltons are busy
here during season and game
is plentiful at all times of the
: year.
The Honorable Timothy
| TIivpnor u,hCoa ncnoo 10 c+;I1