Statewide County VT Archives History - Businesses .....State Of Vermont 1891
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STATE OF VERMONT.


THE GREEN MOUNTAIN STATE—A RESUME OF ITS HISTORY, MINERAL WEALTH AND
MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES—ITS PRODUCTS, ITS PEOPLE AND ITS PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.

IF beauty of situation, the benefits of an excellent business opportunity, all
that is wise in, conservatism, united with all that is noble in the grand,
progressive movement of the present age; if surroundings elevating in influence,
institutions helpful in an honorable struggle with the vicissitudes of practical
life; if health, wealth . and happiness are attractions in a place in which to
spend one's days, then Vermont upon her terraced slopes must win like a mother
and command like a queen. Even the stranger feels the subtle spell of the
gracious hospitality vouchsafed from her hills and valleys, and the rectitude of
her "habit of encounter," in the walks of business life. How much more is
realized, therefore, by her citizens, as partakers of her interests and
advantages, sharers of her struggles, and co-operators in her sterling service
to the country and the world!

   Vermont was early explored by the French, but settled by the English, and
derives its name from the French Verd Monts, or Green Mountains. It was long
claimed both by New Hampshire and New York, the territory being known in
colonial times as the "New Hampshire Grants," and was the first state added to
the original thirteen which formed the American Confederacy, being admitted into
the Union March 4, 1791. The state is situated between the parallels of 42º 44'
and 45º of north latitude, and between 3º 35' and 5º 29' of east longitude from
Washington; and is bounded on the north by the Province of Canada, on the east
by New Hampshire (the west bank of the Connecticut River forming the boundary
line), on the south by Massachusetts, and on the west by New York and Lake
Champlain. The length of the state from north to south is 157 1/2 miles, and the
average width from east to west 57 1/2 miles. The length of the north line is 90
and the south line 41 miles. The state has an area of 9,056^ square miles, or
5,795,960 acres. The Green Mountains extend quite through the state from south
to north and divide it into two equal parts. It has fourteen counties which are
sub-divided into two hundred and forty-three townships. The heights of the
principal mountain peaks of the state are as follows: The Chin, or north peak of
Mansfield Mountain, 4,389 feet; the Nose, or south peak, 4,056 feet; Camel's
Hump, 4,088 feet; Shrewsbury Mountain, 4,000 feet; Killington Peak, 4,221 feet;
Pico, 3,935 feet; Equinox Mountain, 3,706 feet; Ascutney Mountain, 3,165 feet.
The sides and, in most cases, the summits of these mountains are covered with
evergreens. The length and width of the principal lakes are as follows: Lake
Champlain, 120 miles long, 4 miles wide (lying partly in Vermont, New York and
Canada) Lake Memphremagog, 33 miles long, 2 miles wide, (lying in Vermont and
Canada); Lake Bomoseen, in Castleton, 8 miles long, 2 1/2 miles wide; Willoughby
Lake, in Salem, 6 miles long, 1 1/2 miles wide; Maidstone Lake, Maidstone, 6
miles long, 1 1/2 miles wide; Seymour Lake, Morgan, 6 miles long, half a mile
wide; Salem Pond, Salem, 6 miles long, three-quarters of a mile wide; Austin
Lake, Poultney, 5 miles long 1 1/2 miles wide; Lake Dunmore, Salisbury, 4 miles
long, three-quarter mile wide. Vermont is prolific of rivers and streams, nearly
all of which originate in the Green Mountains. The Connecticut, which washes the
entire eastern border of the state, receives the waters of Passumpsic River, 34
miles long; Wells River, 11 miles long, White River, 55 miles long; Ottaquechee
River, 35 miles long; while the largest streams of the state, the Otter Creek,
Winooski River, Lamoille River, and Mississquoi River empty into Lake Champlain.
Otter Creek is the longest stream, being 90 miles in length, and waters about
900 square miles of territory. It has many mill privileges, utilized by some of
the finest manufacturing establishments in the state, and is navigable for a
distance of eight miles for the largest vessels on Lake Champlain.

   The mountains of Vermont are not only beautiful but they are of great
practical benefit yielding from their generous breasts valuable and seemingly
inexhaustible treasures of marble and granite that give fame to the state and
fortune to many of her sons. The marble quarries at Proctor and West Rutland are
the largest and finest in the world. This marble is the strongest building stone
in use. Actual and disinterested tests show the average strength to be 17,700
pounds to the square inch. It is also widely preferred for monumental and
statuary work. The granite industry is conducted on a scale of the greatest
magnitude at Barre, which town is noted as having the greatest increase of
population /luring, the past ten years of any town in the history of the state.
Barre granite lays in sheets or layers, and varies in thickness, thus permitting
the quarrying of blocks of any desired size. Its component parts are distinctly
granular and evenly mixed throughout, while it contains less mica than other
granites. The growth of the industry here has been marvelous. Fairhaven,
Poultney and Castleton are noted for their extensive and valuable slate
quarries. The deposit here contains some of the finest and most lucrative slate
products in the world. It has various colors, such as greenish, reddish brown,
chocolate, mottled, bright red and bluish gray.
   Vermont is noted as the seat of many mammoth industries of national or
international reputation and importance. Among these may be named the Fairbanks
Scales, at St. Johnsbury.; the Howe Scales, at Rutland; the Estey Organs, at
Brattleboro; the lumber industry, at Burlington; the Knitting mills, at
Bennington; the circular saw mill manufactory, at Montpelier; Kendall's Spavin
Cure, at Enosburgh Falls; and the bridge building and iron industry at St.
Albans. These, together with the great wholesale drug house of the Wells &
Richardson Company, manufacturers of Diamond Dyes, Kidney Wort and Improved
Butter Color, at Burlington; and Dutcher's "Fly Killer," at St. Albans, make up
the more notable of distinct Vermont industries; while for a fuller description
of her manufactures and commerce we refer the reader to the articles which
follow on each city and town.

   Vermont is also pre-eminent as a stock-raising state, and its product in this
direction, both in horses, sheep and cattle, is a great source of wealth. The
dairying interests of Vermont are greater, according to population, than those
of any other state in the Union. Vermont butter is famous the country over. So
also is her maple sugar, which she produces in greater quantity than all the
states combined.

   The principal product of Vermont, however, has been men. They are to be found
in every state in the Union, and everywhere they are prominent factors in
business, social, political, civil and military life. Although Vermonters are
eminently men of peace, yet they won honorable distinction as soldiers, and the
history of the civil war cannot be written without frequent and honorable
mention of them. A Vermont regiment was the first to throw up the sacred soil of
Virginia into Union intrenchments. Vermont troops made the first assault upon a
Confederate fortification. Vermonters led the blue column which bore the stars
and stripes through the blazing streets of the Confederate Capital in the
closing scenes of the bloody drama, and Vermont, to her sorrow and her credit,
had more of her sons killed in battle than any other Northern State and gave to
the cause of the Union more lives lost from all causes than any other state. Her
troops were led by such intrepid and honored commanders as Stannard, Thomas,
Randall, Wells, Ripley, Proctor and Veazey; while her sons were prominent from
other states on many a bloody field. The sons of Vermont have been represented
in the halls of Congress by such notable statesmen as Stephen A. Douglas,
Thaddeus Stevens, Matthew Carpenter, John A. Kasson and others; in the White
House by Chester A. Arthur; in the Vice-President's chair by William A. Wheeler
and Levi P. Morton; while the state itself has been proud to send such
representatives as George F. Edmunds, Justin S. Morrill, Jacob Collamer and
Solomon Foot to the Senate of the United States; Luke P. Poland, Frederick E.
Woodbridge, Portus Baxter, Charles W. Willard, Charles H. Joyce, John W. Stewart
and William W. Grout to the National House of Representives; George P. Marsh,
the eminent linguist and author, as Minister to Italy; John G. Saxe, the famous
poet and wit; Mead and Powers as sculptors; and such famous railroad kings and
successful business men as Frederick Billings, Trenor W. Park, Redfield Proctor
and John Gregory Smith.

   Growing more slowly and clinging more to traditions, "without haste, without
rest," Vermont furnishes truer conditions for real life, more hopeful and
rounded standards of life for "all sorts and conditions of men." With its
unsurpassed educational institutions, its broad culture and the most charming
social circles in the United States, in a setting of healthful climate and
sanitary local influences, it makes, as it were, a medley of substantial
attractions as a place of residence suited to the varied requirements of the
multitudinous types of men and women in whose lives, schemes and aspirations
there is ever an undertone of "Home, sweet home."


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

INDUSTRIES AND WEALTH OF THE PRINCIPAL POINTS IN VERMONT,
BEING
BURLINGTON, WINOOSKI, RUTLAND, WEST RUTLAND, BRANDON, FAIR HAVEN, POULTNEY,
CASTLETON, ST. ALBANS, SWANTON, ENOSBURG FALLS, BRATTLEBORO, BELLOWS FALLS,
MONTPELIER, BARRE, WATERBURY, ST. JOHNSBURY, LYNDONVILLE, LYNDON, HARDWICK,
BENNINGTON, SPRINGFIELD, WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VERGENNES, MIDDLEBURY, NORTHFIELD
AND MORRISVILLE.

1891.

PUBLISHED BY
AMERICAN PUBLISHING AND ENGRAVING CO.,
(ELEVATORS.)
Nos. 149 AND 151 CHURCH STREET, NEW YORK.


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