180 



GAZETTEER OF VERMONT. 



Part III 



WALLOOMSCOIK RIVER. WALTHAM. — WANTASTICOOK RIVER. 



WTARDSBOROCGH 



pond, lies on the mountain in tlie south- 

 east part of the township, and covers about 

 350 acres. A mile and a half southwest 

 of lake Hiram is a pond, covering about 

 50 acres, and west of Otter creek, opposite 

 the village, is one covering about lUO 

 acres. The eastern part of the township 

 lies on the Green Mountains, and the 

 highest ridge here is called tlie While 

 Rocks. The soil near Otter creek is of a 

 superior quality. In other parts it is good, 

 and produces excellent grass. A range of 

 primitive limestone passes through the 

 west part of the township, in which have 

 been opened several quarries of excellent 

 marble. Green Hill, situated near the^ 

 centre, is composed almost entirely of 

 quartz. A part of the range called White 

 Rocks appears to be granite, and the rest 

 quartz. Further cast the rocks are prin- 

 cipally granite. At the foot of the White 

 Rocks are large cavities formed by the 

 fallen rocks, called the ice beds, in which 

 ice is found in abundance througii the 

 Bummer season. The principal village in 

 tliis town is situated near Otter creek, in 

 the nortli part, about a mile from Claren- 

 don line. It is a very flourishing village, 

 containing a number of stores, mechanics' 

 shops, &.C., and is built principally upon 

 one street, running north and south. Tlie 

 town contains, besides houses for public 

 worship, twelve sciiool districts and school 

 houses, two grist mills, eight saw mills, 

 Bix stores, one tavern, and two tanneries. 

 Statistics uf 1840.— Horses, 301 ; cattle, 

 2,297; sheep, G,;V22; swine, (j70; wheat, 

 bu. 2,614; oats, G,82!,); rye, 320; buck- 

 wheat, 193; Ind. corn, 7,3d4 ; potatoes, 

 38,775; hay, tons, 5/216; sugar, lbs. 17,- 

 715; wool, 14,560. Population, 1,608. 



Walloomscoik River is a small stream 

 which is formed in Bennington by the 

 union of several branches whicli rise in 

 Glastonbury, Woodford, and Pownal. It 

 takes a northwestern direction, leaves the 

 state near the northwest corner of Ben- 

 nington, and unites with Hoosic river, 

 nearly on the line between Washington 

 and Rensalaer counties, N. Y. Between 

 this stream and Hoosic river was fought 

 the Bennington battle. On the Walloom- 

 scoik and its branches are many good mill 

 privileges and some fine meadows. (Part 

 second, page 20.) 



Waltuam, a township in the central 

 part of Addison county, is in lat. 44? 8' 

 and long. 3" 41'. and is bounded north by 

 Ferrisburgh, east and south by New Ha- 

 ven, and west by a part of Vergennes and 

 Otter creek, which separates it from Pan- 

 ton. It lies 24 miles south from Burling- 

 ton, and 9 northwest from Middlebury. 

 This township is about three miles square. 



It was set off from New Haven, and in- 

 corporated in 1796, and was named Wal- 

 tham by Mr. Phinehas Brown of this 

 town, wtio emigrated from V\ altham, Ms. 

 It was organized immediately after, and 

 Andrew Barton was the first town clerk. 

 The settlement of this township was com- 

 menced just before the beginning of the 

 revolutionary war, by a family of Gria- 

 wolds and othars from Connecticut. Dur- 

 ing the war a Mr. Griswold of this town 

 was taken by the Indians, and carried a 

 prisoner to Canada, where lie was detain- 

 ed about three years, and the settlement 

 here was broken up. At the close of the 

 war the settlement was recommenced by 

 Messrs. Griswold, Brown, Cook and oth- 

 ers, and advanced with considerable ra- 

 pidity. The religious denominations are 

 Congregatlonalists and Baptists; but no 

 meeting-house or settled minister. Otter 

 creek washes the western border, but 

 there are no mill privileges in town. 

 Buck mountain lies near the centre of the 

 township, and is the highest land in the 

 county west of the Green Mountains. It 

 commands a very extensive and beautiful 

 prospect. The soil is generally good, and 

 along the creek are some fine tracts of 

 intervale. The timber is pine, oak, ma- 

 ple, beech, birch, walnut, butternut, ash, 

 and hemlock. The town is divided into 

 four school districts. 'Statistics of 1840. 

 Horses, 78; cattle, G62; sheep, 4,934; 

 swine, 266 ; wheat, bus. 346 ; oats, 1,187 ; 

 rye, 100; buckwheat, 41; Indian corn, 

 1,910; potatoes, 7,600 ; hay, tons, 1,730 ; 

 wool, 12,652. Population, 283. 



Wa.ntasticook River, written also 

 Wantastiqueg and Wantastiquet,but now 

 more commonly called West river, rises 

 in Weston, and runs south into London- 

 derry. Near the south line of this town- 

 ship it receives Winhall river from Win- 

 hall. It then takes a southeasterly course 

 through Jamaica, Townshend, Newfane 

 and Dummerston, and unites with Con- 

 necticut river in the northeast part of 

 Brattleborougli. In Jamaica, it receives 

 from the west Bald Mountain branch, 

 which rises in Stratton, and another large 

 branch from Wardsborough, and from the 

 east. Meadow branch, which rises in 

 Windham. In Newfane it receives South 

 branch and Smith's branch. Tliis stream 

 affords but few mill privileges, but there 

 are a great number on its branches. 

 Along its banks are some fine tracts of 

 intervale. Tliis river receives the waters 

 from about 440 square miles. 



Wardsborough, a post town in the 

 western part of Windham county, is in 

 lat. 42° 59' and long. 4" 11', and is bound- 

 ed north by Jamaica, east by Newfane 



