Part III. 



GAZETTEER OF VERMONT. 



165 



STERLING. 



STEVEN S RIVER. 



STOCKBRIDGE. 



the only one in town. There were some 

 cases of the epidemic in 1813, hut it was 

 fess distressing here than in the adjacent 

 towns Mrs. Hannali Lane died here in 

 November, 1823, aged 100 years and three 

 months. The principal stream in this 

 township is Lewis creek, whicii rises in 

 tlie southeastern part, and runs first west- 

 erly and then northerly along the western 

 part. Huntington river waters the east- 

 ern part. The streams here abound with 

 excellent mill seats. The surface of the 

 township is very uneven. A mountain 

 lies along the west line and extends into 

 Bristol, called Hogback. Another range 

 extends through the central parts from 

 south to north, called East mountain, 

 dividing the waters of Lewis creek from 

 those of Huntington river. Here is a 

 stream which is formed by the confluent 

 waters of three springs that are not more 

 than 20 rods asunder. They unite, after 

 running a short distance, and form a 

 stream sufficient for a saw mill, a full- 

 ing mill, a forge and two trip-hammer 

 shops, all within half a mile of its head. 

 The soil is mostly loam. The timber is 

 principally hard wood, with some spruce, 

 hemlock and cedar. There are two small 

 villages, both near Lewis' creek, in the 

 westerly part of the township. The prin- 

 cipal village contains a store, tavern, post 

 office, forge, fulling mill, trip hammer 

 shop, &c. There are in town 14 school 

 districts, with 488 scholars, 1 grist mill, 

 1 forge, producing 60 tons annually of 

 bar iron, 2 trip hammer shops, 3 saw mills, 

 1 fulling mill, 1 carding machine, 1 tan- 

 nery, 1 tavern and 3 stores. The mills, 

 are mostly situated on Lewis' creek and its 

 branches. Statistics o/1840. — Horses, 242; 

 cattle, 1,087; sheep, 4,21G ; swine, 698; 

 wheat, 1,478; oats,7,360; rye, 1,064 ; buck- 

 wheat, 396 ; Ind. corn, .5,800 ; potatoes, 

 30,200; hay, tons, 3,120; sugar, lbs. 10,- 

 690; wool, 10,260. Population, 1,263. 



Sterling, a township in the central 

 part of Lamoille county, is in lat, 44*^ 

 35', and long. 4" 16', and is bounded 

 northerly by Johnson, easterly by Morris- 

 town, southerly by Mansfield, and west- 

 erly by Cambridge. It lies 24 tniles north- 

 east from Burlington, and the same dis- 

 tance northwest from Montpelier. This 

 townsiiip was chartered February 25, 

 1782, containing 23,040 acres. Sterling 

 contains no large streams, and is but thin- 

 ly inhabited. The settlement was com- 

 menced about the year 1799. Its surface 

 is mountainous and part of it very eleva- 

 ted. Sterlino- peak, in the southern part, 

 ranks among the highest submits of the 

 Green Mountains. It contains two saw 

 mills and three schoolhouses. Statistics of 



1840. — Horses, 44; cattle, 456; sheep, 

 1,087; swine, 207; wheat, bu. 536 ; oats, 

 738; Ind. corn, 262; potatoes, 10,870; 

 hay, tons, 833 ; sugar, lbs. 5,400 ; wool, 

 1,806. Population, 193. 



Sterling Peak. See Sterling. 



Steven's Branch. See Barre. 

 Steven's River, is a lively little stream, 

 two branches of which have their sources 

 in Peacham and one in Ryegate, and all 

 meet about a mile east of the line betweeri 

 Barnet and Peacham. It runs easterly 

 through the middle of Barnet, and falls 

 into the Connecticut. On each of the 

 branches which rise in Peacham, are sev- 

 eral mills in that town. The branch that 

 has its source in Ryegate carries one saw 

 mill in that town, and passes through Har- 

 vey's Lake, which is a beautiful sheet of 

 water, in Barnet, 1^ mile long, and 200 

 rods wide at the widest part, and cover- 

 ing 300 acres. There are on this stream 

 witliin the limits of Barnet a number of 

 mills and factories. At Stevens' villagCj 

 about half a mile from the mouth of the 

 river, is a high fall, perhaps 60 or 70 feet, 



Stockbridge, a post town in the north- 

 western part of Windsor county, situated 

 in lat. 43" 45', and long. 4" 18', and con- 

 taining about 48 square miles. It is boun- 

 ded northerly by Bethel, easterly by Bar- 

 nard, southerly by Sherburne, and wester- 

 ly by Pittsfield, and lies 36 miles south 

 westerly from Montpelier, and 26 miles 

 northwest from Windsor. The charter is 

 dated July 21, 1761. The settlement of 

 this township was commenced in 1784, 

 and 1785 by Asa Whitcomb, EliasKeyes, 

 John Durkee and Joshua Bartlet, with 

 their families. The settlement of the 

 town proceeded slowly for some years. 

 The first grist mill and first sawmill were 

 erected by the Hon. Elias Keyes, in 1786. 

 The town was unorganized until about the 

 year 1792. The prevailine" religious de- 

 nominations are Congregationalists, Meth- 

 odists, Baptists, and Universalists. The 

 Rev. Justin Parsons was settled over the 

 Congregational church in this town and 

 Pittsfield September 15, 1812. He con- 

 tinued till 1827, when a separate church 

 was organized here, over which the Rev. 

 Gilman Vo.se was settled from 1829 to 

 1831. The Rev.T. S. Hubbard, the pres- 

 ent minister, was settled in 1840. In 1803 

 the dysentery swept oiTagreat part of the 

 children in this town, and in 1813 the 

 spotted fever prevailed and proved very 

 fatal. The town has generally been very 

 healthy. White river runs through the 

 northerly part of this town, and in its pas- 

 sage receives the fourth branch, or Tweed 

 river, from the west. The mill privile- 

 ges are sufficiently numerous, but those 



