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&iif! runs north throuerh this township in- 

 to L.ewis creek in Hinesburffh. Lewis 

 creek also runs a sliort distance in the 

 northeastern part. Th.ese streams afford 

 but few mill privileges. Monkton pond 

 lies in the nortJi part of the township, and 

 is about a mile in length and half a mile 

 wide. A mountain called the Hogback, 

 extends along the eastern boundary of the 

 township, and there are several other con- 

 siderable elevations. "Iron ore is found 

 in the south part of this township in large 

 quantities. Ochrey varieties occur, but 

 it is mostly the liematitic brown oxyde. 

 The color of the surface of this ore is a 

 velvet black, and that of the interior a 

 brownish black, its structure is fibrous 

 and commonly radiated. This ore makes 

 excellent iron, and is extensively manu- 

 factured at Bristol and otlier places. Con- 

 nected with the iron ore, is found the 

 black oxyde of manganese. About a 

 mile north of the iron oar bed, on the east 

 side of a rid^e of land running north and 

 Bouth, is an extensive bed of kaolin, or 

 porcelain earth. It is white, sometimes 

 grayish white ; dry to the touch, and ab- 

 sorbs water with rapidity. It is evident- 

 ly decomposed feldspar, or rather, graph- 

 ic granite, as these substances are found 

 in the bed, in all stages of decomposition, 

 from the almost entire stone, down to the 

 finest and purest porcelain earth. It 

 might be manufactured into the best Chi- 

 na ware. The quantity is immense, suf- 

 ficient to supply the world with this ware 

 for centuries. By mixing this earth 

 with common clay in different proportions, 

 various kinds of pottery are produced." 

 " In the soutii part of this township is a 

 pond, curiously located on the summit of 

 a considerable hill. In the northwestern 

 part is a remarkable cavern. The orifice, 

 by which it is entered, is at the bottom of 

 a large chasm in the rocks on the side of 

 a small hill. After descending about IG 

 feet, you arrive at a room 30 feet long 

 and 16 wide. From this is a passagfc 

 leading to a second apartment, which is 

 not quite so large but more pleasant." 

 This town contains three meeting houses, 

 1 grist and 3 saw mills, 3 stores and 1 

 tannery. Statislics of IS4(). — Horses,285; 

 cattle, 1 ,660 ; sheep," 6,260 ; swine, 98!) ; 

 wheat, bush. 1,840 ; oats, 11,038; rye, 

 1,060 ; buckwheat, 560; Ind. corn, 7,430 

 potatoes, 39,340 ; hay, tons, 5,708 ; sugar 

 lbs. 9,340; wool, 18,940. Population, 1,- 

 310. 



Montgomery, a post town in the eas- 

 tern part of Franklin county, is in lat. 

 44" 52' and long. 4° 23', containing 

 23040 acres, or 36 square miles. It lies 

 42 miles north from Montpelier, and 41 



northeast from Burlinffton. It is boun- 

 ded north by Richford, east by Westfield., 

 south by Lowell and Avery's Gore, and 

 west by Enosburgh. It was granted 

 March 13, 1780, and chartered October 

 8, 1789, to Stephen R. Bradley and oth- 

 ers. Capt. Joshua Clap, * a respectable 

 revolutionary officer, removed his family 

 from Worcester county, Mass., into this 

 town, in March, 1793, and this was for 

 two years the only family in town. Hon. 

 Samuel Barnard, Reuben Clap and Jame9 

 Upham, Esq. all from Mass , were among 

 the earliest settlers. The Rev. Joel Clap, 

 of Woodstock, was the first person born 

 in this town — Sept. 4, 1793. He was edu- 

 cated, studied his profession and preach- 

 ed the first fast da}', the first thanks- 

 giving, and the first mother's funeral 

 sermons which were preached in this 

 town. The first town meeting was held 

 and the town was organized, Aug. 12, 

 1802. Samuel Barnard, Esq. was first 

 town clerk. The prevailing denomina- 

 tions of Christians are Congregationalists, 

 Episcopalians, Baptists, and Methodists. 

 Tlie Congregational churcli was organ- 

 ized Aug. 12, 1802, over which the Rev. 

 Avery Ware was settled from Jan. 20, 

 1825, to July 1830. This church consists 

 of about 30 members. The Episcopal 

 church was organized about 1819 by the 

 name of Union Church. The ministers 

 have been the Rev. Joel Clap, the Rev. 

 Jordan Gray, the Rev. Richard Peck, the 

 Rev. Lewis McDonald, the Rev. Josiah 

 Obear, and the Rev, Alexander H. Cull, 

 who is the present minister. Communi- 

 cants 71. The public buildings are an 

 Episcopal church built in 1829, and a 

 Congregational meeting house, built in 

 1839, both of wood. Tiiistown is water- 

 ed by Trout river, which is formed by the 

 union of south and east branch, about 

 half a mile west of the centre of the town. 

 In its course it receives a number of trib- 

 utary streams, and leaves the town near 

 the northwest corner. On this river is a 

 beautiful, fertile tract ot intervale. Back 

 from the river the land becomes moun- 

 tainous, and less suitable for cultivation. 

 The mill privileges, both on the river and 

 its tributaries, are numerous and excel- 

 lent. But few of them, however, are yet 

 occupied. The timber is mostly hard 

 wood, with some spruce, hemlock and fir. 

 This town is divided into 6 school dis- 

 tricts, 3 of which are furnished with good 



*Capl. J. Clap WHS twin brother of Capt Caleb 

 Clap who settled in Greenfield Massachusetts. Both 

 were officers of the same grade and served through 

 the war of ihe Revolution. The former died in 

 ISU and the latter in 1819. The resemblance be- 

 tween them is said to have been so perfect that 

 they could bo distinguished only by their dress. 



