lU 



GAZETTEER OF VERM«fN i 



Part I|i 



MinDi.KunKif, 



ing on the v/eat si3e of the creek for a 

 saw and jurist mill, both cf which went m- 

 to operation the next year, and in 1787 

 he united the two sides of the riysr bj a 

 bridge. The first saw mill was erected in 

 1774 on the east side ot the creek, by Ab- 

 isha Wasliburn. Trie first house was 

 built within the present limits of the vil- 

 lage in 1783 by John H. Johnson on the 

 west side of the river, and the second in 

 1787 by Simeon Dudley on the east side. 

 The latter was soon after burnt. The 

 early settlers were mostly from Connec- 

 ticut. Middlebury was constituted a 

 shire town in 1791, and the court-house 

 was erected in ] 796. The town was or- 

 ganized March 29, 1786, and Joshua Hyde 

 was first town clerk. The congregation- 

 al church in this town was organized Sep- 

 tember 5, 1790, and at first consisted of 

 seven male and five female members. On 

 the nth of November of the same year 

 the church was placed under the pastoral 

 care of the Rev. John Barnet, who was 

 dismissed March 31, 1795. The Rev. T. 

 A. Merrill was settled over the church, 

 December 19, 1805, and is their present 

 pastor. A meeting house was soon after 

 erected, 78 by 58 feet on the ground, and 

 a bell procured for it in 1821. The fol- 

 lowing is a list of the most remarkable re- 

 vivals of religion and the numbers added 

 to this church at the several periods. The 

 first was in 1801, when the church was 

 increased from 30 to 80 members. In 

 1806 and 7, 122 were added, in 1809 and 

 10, 112, in 1812, 35, in 1816 and 17, 140, 

 and in 1821, 100. Since 1821 there have 

 been several other revivals, particularly 

 in 1825, 1830, 1834 and 1839. The total 

 number of members admitted to this 

 church from the time of its organization 

 up to June 1840, 1,318. The number of 

 resident members at that time was 515. 

 A methodist class was formed in this tcTwn 

 in 1809. They erected their first house 

 of worsliip in 1812. Their present house, 

 69 by 45 feet, was finished in 1838. This 

 church consists of 240 communicants, and 

 is constantly supplied by a stationed 

 preacher. The Baptist church was or- 

 ganized Dec. 10, 1809. Their first pastor 

 was the Rev. Nathaniel Hcndrick, from 

 1810 to 1817, second. Rev, Isaac Buck- 

 land, from 1818 to 1820. Since 1820 they 

 have been supplied bj' temporary engage- 

 ments. Their house of worship is 65 feet 

 by 32, and the number of communicants 

 66. The Episcopal church, by the name 

 of St. Stephen s Church, was organized 

 December 5, 1810, the ministers of which 

 have been Rev. P. Adams, from 1811 to 

 1814; Rev. S. S. Safford, 1814 to 1816; 

 Rev. Geo. Leonard, 1817; Rev. B. B. 



Sinitb,l«24 to 1828 ; P.ev.S.A.CrBBe, I83J 

 to 18a5 ; Rev. S. R. Crane, 1835 to 1637; 

 Jlev. Wm. H. Hcit, 1S37 to 1838 ; Rev. J. 

 W. Diller, 1838, and is the present rector. 

 Their church, which is of stone, 72 feet 

 by 52, wag finished in 1827. Comnmni- 

 75. A Roman Catholic church, 64 Ln 44 

 feet, was built here in 1640. The only 

 streauis of consequence in this township, 

 are Otter creek, which runs through the 

 western part, and Middlebury river, which 

 runs throucrh the south part into Otter 

 creek. At Middlebury village are some 

 of the best mill privileges, and some of 

 the finest and most extensive manufactur- 

 inor establishments in the state. This 

 township is very level, excepting a strip 

 of one mile wide along the east side, which 

 extends on to the Green Mountains. Sep- 

 arate from the Green Mountains, Mount 

 Nebo or Chipnian's hill is the most con- 

 siderable elevation and is 439 feet above 

 the level of Otter creek below the falla. 

 A larcre proportion of the township is ar- 

 able and fertile land, producing good 

 crops of grain and grass. There are, how- 

 ever, some small patches which consist 

 of a stiff clay, and are not so productive. 

 The clay here contains a considerable pro- 

 portion of the carbonate of lime, and ig 

 therefore unsuitable for making brick. 

 The bricks, when burnt, are handsome, 

 but when they are moistened the limo 

 slacks and they crumble to pieces. — Spe- 

 cimens of schorl, garnet, hornblende and 

 jasper are occasionally found. Nearly on 

 the line between this township and Salis- 

 bury, is a bed of the sulphuret of iron, 

 connected with the carbonate of lime. It 

 is thought to e.xist in large quantities and 

 has a powerful effect iipon the magnetic 

 needle. The magnetic oxide of iron la 

 also found in several places, but not plen- 

 tifully. Calcareous tufa is found two miles 

 east of the village, and epidote on Mount 

 Nebo. Limestone suitable for making 

 lime is found in all parts. A bed of mar- 

 ble, extends over a considerable part of 

 the township, and shows itself above the 

 surface in more than a hundred different 

 places. The marble was discovered in 

 1804 by the Hon. E.W. Judd, and the man- 

 ufacture of it was commenced in 1806, on 

 an extensive scale. The machinery ig 

 propelled by water and puts in motion 65 

 saws. In 1809 the "Middlebury Marble 

 Manufacturing Company was incorpor- 

 ated. In the years 1809 and '10, 20,000 

 feet of marble slabs were sawn at this 

 manufactory, amounting to $11,000. The 

 marble is quarried within a stone's throw 

 of the manufactory and is of various col- 

 ors. Since the company was incorpor- 

 ated the annual amount of the mcnufac- 



