Part III. 



GAZETTEER OF VERMONT. 



51 



CHARLOTTE. 



CHARLOTTE. 



echos, whicli are usually heard when any 

 sound is produced in its vicinity. It is ]^ 

 miles long and A a mile wide. The stream 

 which discharges the waters of Seymour's 

 lake, in Morgan, into Clyde river, passes 

 through this pond. On the outlet mills are 

 erected. The other pond, of most con- 

 sequence, is called Pension pond, and lies 

 in the course of Clyde river. These ponds 

 abound in fish, and large quantities are 

 annually caught. There are two small 

 villages situated upon Clyde river about 

 six miles apart, with a pi)st office in eacli, 

 designated as East Charleston and West 

 Charleston. The soil of the township is 

 a rich loam and produces good crops, and 

 the roads and business of the town are 

 rapidly improving. There are 8 school 

 districts, 5 school houses, 2 stores, 2 tav- 

 erns, 4 saw, "2 grist and 2 fulling mills, &c. 

 Statistics of ld4(l. — Horses, 172 ; cattle, 

 587; sheep, 1,408; swine, 366; wheat, 

 bu. 1,431; barley, 701; oats, 4,548 ; rye, 

 62; buck wheat, l,->()0; Ind. corn 467 ; 

 potatoes 26,27i> ; liav, tons, 1,499 ; sugar, 

 lbs. 23,965 ; wool, 2;^d61. Pop. 731. 



Charlotte, a post town in the south- 

 west corner of Chittenden county, in lat. 

 44° 18' and long. 3° 49', and is bounded 

 north by Shelburne, east by Hinesburgh, 

 south by Ferrisburgh and a part of Monk- 

 ton, and west by lake Chamjilain. It is 

 10 miles south from Burlington, and 10 

 north from Vergennes, and was charter- 

 ed June 24, 1762. The first attempt to 

 settle this town was made by Derick 

 Webb. He first began in town in March, 

 1776, but soon left. He came in again, 

 in March, 1777, and left in May, follow- 

 ing ; but no permanent settlement was 

 made till 1784, when Derick Webb, and 

 Elijah Woolcut moved into the town, and 

 were followed by others, so that the town 

 was soon after organized. John McNeil 

 was one of tlie early settlers, and was the 

 first town clerk and representative to the 

 Legislature. In the year 1790, he located 

 on the lake shore, and with the advantage 

 of a good natural harbor,established a ferry 

 from Charlotte to Essex, in the state of 

 New York, which by the name of " Mc- 

 Neil's ferry" is generally known through- 

 out the state as one of the most important, 

 safe and well conducted ferries on the 

 lake.. The boat is propelled by six horses. 

 Time in crossing about 30 minutes, mak- 

 ing four trips each day. There is crossing 

 at this ferry some weeks earlier and later 

 in the season, than at any other ferry on 

 the lake, with the exception of that from 

 Burlington to Port Kent. There is a good 

 store house and dock, with a sufficient 

 "depth of water for any boat on the lake, 

 and a good Inn for the accommodation of 



travelers. There is a small village a little 

 west of the centre, called the 4 corners, 

 with a meeting house and parsonage, be- 

 longing to the Methodist society, built 

 with brick in the year 1841, and well 

 finished in modern style. Also, a female 

 seminary, built in 1836, which is now 

 under the superintendance of the Metho- 

 dist society. There are also two stores 

 and one tavern. At about the same 

 distance north of the centre, there is a 

 village of still smaller size, and also two 

 miles east of the centre, where tliere is a 

 Baptist meeting house, built with brick 

 and well finished, in the year 1841. The 

 Congregational meeting liouse stands near 

 the centre of the town, and was erected 

 in the year 1808. The church was or- 

 ganized, January 3, 1792, and on the next 

 day tiie Rev. Daniel C. Gillet, was ordain- 

 ed over it. He was dismissed in 1799, 

 and the church was vacant till Nov 4, 

 1807, when the Rev. Truman Baldwin, 

 was ordained over it, who was dismissed 

 March 21, 1815. The church was then 

 destitute till Oct. 15, 1817, when the Rev. 

 Calvin Yale was ordained over it, who was 

 dismissed March 5, 1833. The Rev. 

 William Eaton was installed as pastor of 

 the church, on the 23d of Sept. 1834, and 

 was dismissed January 12, 1837. The 

 Rev. Eldad W. Goodman, the present 

 pastor, was installed July 12, 1837. The 

 most remarkable season of mortality was 

 in the winter of J 812 and '13, when about 

 70, mostly over 16 years of age, were vic- 

 tims to the epidemic of that jieriod. This 

 township is ]ileasantly situated on the 

 lake shore, and is watered by the river 

 Laplott, which runs through the north- 

 east corner, and Lewis creek, which runs 

 through the southern corner. The west- 

 ern part of the town was originally tim- 

 bered with hard wood, and the soil is 

 excellent, producing in abundance. The 

 eastern part was principally timbered 

 with pine, hemlock, &c. There are no 

 elevations which deserve the names of 

 mountains, but a range of considerable 

 hills running through the centre of the 

 town from north to south. From many 

 parts of this ridge the scenery to the west 

 is peculiarly picturesque. The lake with 

 its islands, may he seen at a great dis- 

 tance. Add to this the extensive range 

 of lofty mountains with their broken sum- 

 mits which lie beyond it, and it is believ- 

 ed tliat, particularly at some seasons of 

 the year, the beauty and sublimity of the 

 prospect is not excelled by any part of 

 our country. The town is divided into 

 13 school districts. It has 4 taverns 

 which are all temperance houses, 5 saw 

 mills, 1 grist mill, and 3 stores. SttUistics 



