Part III. 



GAZETTEER OF VERMONT. 



199 



WOODSTOCK. 



WORCESTER- 



liturgy of the Episcopal church was first 

 used here by the Rev Joel Clap, Nov. 

 20, 1825. Jan. 27, 1826, a parish was or- 

 ganized by the name of St. James' Church, 

 and a neat church edifice was erected in 



1827, which was consecrated June 28, 



1828. The Rev. Joel Clap ofliciated 

 here from Nov. 20, 1825 to July 15, 1832 ; 

 the Rev. B. C. C. Parker from October, 

 1832 to May, 1839 ; the Rev. John Grigg- 

 from Ma}^ 183i) to Easter, 1840, and Juno 

 1st, 1840, the Rev. Joel Clap again took 

 charge of the parish, and is the present 

 rector. Communicants 65. The Univer- 

 salist and Methodist societies are large, 

 but we are unable to give particulars. 

 The epidemic of 181 1 and '12 was very 

 distressing here, and fatal to many of the 

 inhabitants. Woodstock is one of the 

 best farming townships in the state. The 

 surface is pleasantly diversified with hills 

 and vallies, and the soil is generally of a 

 good quality, and easil}' cultivated. This 

 township is v;atered by Otta Qucchee 

 river, which runs through it in a north- 

 easterly direction, ^nd by two of its 

 branches, one on the north side and the 

 other on tire south. That on the north is 

 called Beaver brook, and originates in 

 the north part of Bridgewater, and in the 

 south part of Barnard and Pomfret, and 

 atiords two or three good mill seats in 

 this township. The south branch affords 

 good mill privileges at both the villages, 

 and there are mills erected upon it in two 

 or three other places. But the best situa- 

 tions for water power are on Oil a Que- 

 chee river. There are two dams con- 

 structed across this stream, but a short 

 distance above the village, on which mills 

 aird other machinery are erected, and an- 

 other near the spot where the river leaves 

 the township, at which is one of the 

 most extensive and successful manufac- 

 tories of scythes, clothiers' shears, axes, 

 and other edged tools, in the state, carried 

 on by Mr. Daniel Taft and sons. There 

 are two pleasant villages, known by their 

 post office designations, Woodstock, and 

 South Woodstock. The vlllafrc of Vi'uod- 

 stoclc is the largest in the county. It is 

 built on both sides of Otta Quechee river, 

 and contains about 350 buildings, mostly 

 situated around a beautiful park, and 

 about 1,400 inhabitants. The public build- 

 ings are a handsome court house, {see 

 liar t second,]). 122,) and a strong jail, 5 

 houses for public worship. Congregation- 

 al, Christian, Episcopalian, Universalist 

 and Methodist, and the Vermont Medical 

 College, {sec part second, p. 165.) The 

 Imsiness of a large tract of country cen- 

 tres at this village ; and for the variety 

 and extent of its manufactures and its 



mercantile transactions, this village ranks 

 as one of the first in the state. Among 

 the manufactories, that of Messrs. R. 

 Daniels & Co., for the manufacture of 

 carding machines, jacks, shears, and all 

 other articles used in woollen fiictories, 

 is deserving of particular notice, both on 

 account of the amount of business and 

 the excellency of the work. There are 

 in this village 5 resident clergymen, 12 

 attorneys, 6 physicians, 2 printing offices, 

 at which newspapers are printed, and 20 

 dry goods, grocery, and other stores. 

 South IVoodstock is situated 5 miles south 

 of the courthouse, on the road to Spring- 

 field, and contains a handsome meeting 

 house, 2 stores, 2 physicians, and a num- 

 ber of mechanics. There are in town 18 

 school districts, <? grist, .5 saw and 3 full- 

 ing mills, 2 woollen factories, 3 tanneries 

 and 2 printing oflices. Statistics of 1840. 

 Horses, 621 ; cattle, 5,719 ; sheep, 15,974 ; 

 swine, 1,655; wheat, bush. 4,671; oats, 

 28,879; rye, 1,426; buckwheat, 3,900; 

 Indian corn, 15,141 ; potatoes, 82,584 ; 

 hay, tons, 8,374 ; sugar, lbs. 32,072; wool, 

 39,072. Population, 3,31.5. 



Worcester, a township in the north- 

 western part of Washington county, is in 

 lat. 44" 24' and long. 4" 25', and is bound- 

 ed north by Elmore, east by Calais, south 

 by Middlesex, and west by Stow. It lies 

 10 miles north from Montpelier, and 31 

 east from Burlington. It was chartered 

 to Joshua Mason and associates June 8, 

 1763, and contains 23,040 acres. The 

 settlement was commenced in 1797, by 

 George Martin and John Ridlan, emi- 

 grants from Kennebec, Maine. The town 

 was organized March 3, 1803, and John 

 Young was the first town clerk. It was 

 first represented in the general assembly 

 in 1808. When the cold .seasons com- 

 menced, the inhabitants abandoned the 

 township, and in 1816 there were but 

 three families here. In 1820, there were 

 44 inhabitants, and in March, 1821, the 

 town was reorganized, it having, some 

 time before, lost its organization, and Mr. 

 Amasa Brown was chosen town clerk. 

 A Congregational church was gathered 

 here in February, 1324. and then consist- 

 ed of 12 members. There are also Free- 

 will Baptist and Methodist societies here. 

 The township is watered by the north 

 branch of Winooski river, which rises in 

 Elmore about four miles from the La- 

 moille, and unites with Winooski river at 

 the village of Montpelier. On this stream 

 are here several good mill privileges, on 

 several of which are saw mills. This 

 stream opens a convenient passage for a 

 road through the height of lands between 

 Winooski river and the Lamoille. The 



