146 



GAZETTEER OF VERMONT. 



Part III. 



RANDOLPH. 



RANDOLPH. 



yellow pine. The higher flats abounded 

 with thi; white pine, of a majestic kind. 

 This glory of the American forest has, 

 however, nearly disappeared, there being 

 only here and there a solitary tree raising 

 its head to the heavens, and standing as 

 an emblem of the few early settlers that 

 remain amongst us. The other forest 

 trees are oak, majde. beech, birc]i,walnut, 

 ash, &c. The rock formations on the east 

 side of Sackett's brook are mostly mica 

 slate, aliounding with garnets and stauro- 

 tide. Through the centre of the town run 

 the extensive strata of argilite or roof 

 slate, that extend from IMassachusetts line 

 far into Vermont. West of tliis range 

 comes the mica slate again, interspersed 

 with a hard black limestone. In the east 

 part of the town is found a very rare min- 

 eral, known by the name of fluate of lime 

 or fluor spar, of a beautiful emerald green 

 color. This is the only locality in the 

 United States where this mineral, of an 

 emerald green, is found. Specimens of 

 it have been sent to the most distinguish- 

 ed mineralogists in this country and Eu- 

 rope. Serpentine of a beautiful shade, 

 and susceptible of a high polish, is found 

 here also. The village of Putney is about 

 one mile from Connecticut river, and is 

 built on both sides of Sackett's brook. 

 The location is pleasant, in the bosom of 

 a beautiful valley, and sheltered on each 

 side, except towards the east, from the 

 bleak winds of our climate, by forest- 

 crowned hills. Sackett's brook, a never 

 failing stream, affords many valuable mill 

 privileges, and its waters are employed in 

 the short space of 100 rods to keep in op- 

 eration one large factory, 2 paper mills, 2 

 fulling mills, a bark mill, a trip hammer, 

 a machine shop, a saw mill, and a grist 

 mill, affording occupation to a large num- 

 ber of hands. The factory above spoken 

 of is 80 feet long by 32 wide, 4 stories in 

 bei^t, with two setts of machinery, which 

 turn off annually 33,000 yds. of cassi- 

 meres, valued at ^40,000. Beside the 

 buildings enumerated above, there are in 

 the village 1 smaller woollen factory, 1 

 grist mill, 1 saw mill, 3 stores, 2 taverns, 

 and about 20 mechanics' shops, besides 

 dwelling houses. Number of school dis- 

 tricts in town, 13. Statistics of 1840. — 

 Horses, 2G2 ; cattle, 1,778 ; sheep, 6,956 ; 

 swine, 985 ; wheat, bus. D93; barley, 130 ; 

 oats, 18,400 ; rye, 2,274 ; buckwheat, 325 ; 

 Ind. corn, 12,225; potatoes, 26,390 ; hay, 

 tons, 2,849 ; sugar, lbs. 8,830 ; wool, 13,- 

 730. Population, 1,382. 



QuECHEE River. SeeOttd-QuccIicc river. 



QuECHEE VrLLAGE. Scc Hartford. 



Randolph, a post town in the western 

 part of Orange county, is in lat, 43"^ 56' 



and long. 4° 25', and is bounded north by 

 Brookfield, east by Tunbridge, south by 

 Bethel, and west by Braintree. It lies 23 

 miles south from Montpclier, and 34 north- 

 west from Windsor. It was granted Nov. 2, 

 1780, and chartered to Aaron Storrs 

 and others, June 29, 1781, containing 

 28,596 acres. A companj-, consisting of 

 20 persons, was formed at Hanover, N. H., 

 then called Dresden, in May, 1778, for 

 the purpose of purchasing this township, 

 known to them by the name of Middle- 

 sex. At the first meeting of this com- 

 pany the Hon. Joseph Marsh was cho- 

 sen moderator and agent to prefer a peti- 

 tion to the legislature for a charter ; Capt. 

 Aaron Storrs was chosen clerk, and Capt. 

 Abel Marsh to ascertain whether there 

 were any claimants of the land in New- 

 York, or elsewhere. The settlement was 

 commenced here three or four years be- 

 fore the township was chartered. As near 

 as can be ascertained William Evans and 

 family, Edward Evans, John Parks and 

 Experience Davis, were the first persons 

 who wintered in the township. Mr. Za- 

 dock Steele was taken from this town- 

 ship by the Indians and carried into cap- 

 tivity, on the J7th of October, 1780, the 

 day after the burning of Royalton. Ran- 

 dolph Parmelee was the first child born 

 in this township. The town was organ- 

 ized March 31, 1783, and Jehiel Wood- 

 ward was first town clerk. The religious 

 denominations are, Congregationalists, 

 Methodists, Freewill Baptits, Universal- 

 ists. Christians, Episcopalians, and some 

 Baptists. The Rev. Elijah Brainard was 

 ordained over the Congregational church 

 and society, September 6, 1786, and dis- 

 missed January 4, 1793. The Rev. Til- 

 ton Eastman was settled June 3, 1801, 

 and dismissed in May, 1830 ; the Rev. 

 Moses Kimball was settled from January 



7, 1832, to November, 1833 ; and Rev. E. 

 J. Boardman, from July, 1834, to March 



8, 1842. This society erected a new and 

 elegant meeting house in 1838, on the 

 site of the old one, built at the centre in 

 1792. An Episcopal church by the name 

 of Grace Church was organized here in 

 1834, but it is small and destitute of regu- 

 lar services. The town has generally 

 been very healthy. Tliere were a few 

 cases of the spotted fever in 1811, and the 

 dysentery was very distressing here in 

 the autumn of 1823. This township is 

 watered by the second and third branch 

 of White river, the former running through 

 the eastern and the latter through the wes- 

 tern part of the township. These streams 

 and their tirbutaries afford a number of 

 advantageous situations for mills. The 

 timber is, principally, maple, beech, and 



