Date: 2006-07-11
From: Seth Warner Shelter 

To: Town Common Bennington, VT 
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

It was a good weather hiking day and I spent the night on the Bennington Common. It was very difficult sleeping - the route 7 & 9 intersection was close by and it was noisy all night. The common was opened to hikers passing thru and a barbecue was offered. I had taken the time to shower and tidy my appearance. A BIG thank you to "Pedal" (trail angel who works at the outfitters) for driving me and Mr. Breeze to the rec center where we transformed our appearance (as much as possible)...The women of "Invidia Salon", Sudbury, MA are going to have to work some "other world magic" when I get home!Geography to Bennington from Seth Warner Shelter included: County Road, Roaring Branch, Congdon Shelter, Harmon Hill (2,325') History and Lore of Bennington:Surrounded by the Green Mtn. and Taconic Mtn. ranges, Bennington is a "special place where Vermont begins." Bordering the 350,000-acre Green Mountain National Forest it is only a short drive (loooong walk in the woods) from both New York's Capital District and the cultural Berkshires of Massachusetts. Bennington History and Lore:Bennington has a rich cultural heritage, beginning with the Native Americans drawn by an abundance of fish and game in and along the area's numerous waterways. In 1749, New Hampshire Governor Benning Wentworth chartered the first town in the territory now known as Vermont, and named it Bennington, in honor of himself. The town's original settlement was formed in the area known today as Old Bennington in 1761 by Congregational Separatists from Connecticut and Massachusetts. The independent spirit of these early settlers was reflected in their overt resistance to land claims from New York colony and eventually led to the formation of a local citizen militia headed by Ethan Allen, which came to be known as the Green Mountain Boys. This militia later played a crucial role at the Battle of Bennington on August 16, 1777. It was at this location the American colonists maintained a store of weapons and food, which British General Burgoyne knew was critical to capture in order to restock his own troops. That battle was a prelude to the surrender of British General John Burgoyne at Saratoga, which led directly to the success of the Revolution. The Bennington Battle Monument, which commemorates this famous Revolutionary War event, is a 306' stone obelisk opened to the public in 1891. It is located north of VT Rte 9, about 4 miles east of the New York border.The population of Bennington shifted downhill and downtown Bennington began developing in the early 1800s. There are three National Register Historic Districts within the town, one in each of its historic village centers: Old Bennington, Downtown Bennington and North Bennington. Bennington's long tradition of manufacturing was stimulated by a ready availability of both water power and natural resources. Among the earliest industries in town were a sawmill, a grist mill, and a paper mill. The quality of pottery, iron, and textiles produced in Bennington came to be nationally-recognized. Some of the mills which housed these industries have now been adapted for modern uses. Bennington County is home to 5 covered cridges: Silk Bridge, Paper Mill Village Bridge, Henry Bridge, Chiselville Bridge, West Arlington BridgeYou may pass through all of them in a standard size automobile - one lane only. Bridges were covered to keep the wood dry and thereby avoid rot. This became the trend in 1805 when a bridge designed by Timothy Palmer, an architect proved most durable. Most covered bridges are painted red because iron ochre was an inexpensive pigment. An early recipe for bridge paint: 2 qts skim milk, buttermilk or whey; 8 oz newly slaked lime, 6oz oil from ground flaxseed, 2oz turpentine; 1.5 lbs pulverized ochre. Shown on this page is the most common type of covered bridge "Town Lattice". All Bennington County Bridges are of this type. Thank you for touring Bennington with me. I hope you enjoyed your visit!...The simple things, the true things; the silent men who do things -Then listen to the Wild - it's calling you.      "The Call of the Wild"         - Robert Service -