Geographic Features of
Lamoille County, VT
Lamoille county, as now constituted, once formed a part of
the original counties of Albany, Charlotte, Bennington, Rutland, Addison,
Chittenden, Franklin, Orleans, and Washington. The old Dutch county of
Albany, with Albany, N. Y., as its capitol, extended north to the Province
line. During the controversy between New York and the New Hampshire
grantees, numerous writs of ejectment, executions, and other legal processes
were issued out of, and made returnable to the courts at Albany, and were
served, or at least were attempted to be served, by the sheriffs of that
place. On March 12, 1772, New York, in order "that offenders may be brought
to justice, and creditors may recover their just dues," proceeded to set off
from Albany, and erect a new county, called Charlotte, on the western side
of the mountains. Skeensboro, now Whitehall, N. Y., was made the shire town,
and Philip Skeene appointed chief judge of the court of common pleas. After
the organization of the State, however, on February 11, 1779, Vermont was
divided into two counties, the Green Mountains forming the dividing line,
the portion on the east being called Cumberland, and that on the west
Bennington county. Each county was divided into two shires, that on the east
into Westminster and Newbury, and Bennington and Rutland, on the west. This
division remained till the extra session of the legislature, in February,
1781, when the county of Rutland was incorporated from Bennington, and
Windsor and Orange counties were incorporated from Cumberland, and the name
of Cumberland altered to Windham. Rutland county in turn extended through to
the northern line of the State, for a period of four years, eight months,
and five days, during which 'time courts were held at Tinmouth. The State
then, on October 18, 1785, dismembered the old county, incorporating from it
a new one, called Addison, and made the towns of Addison and Colchester half
shires. Chittenden county was then in turn set off from Addison, October 22,
1787, and November 5, 1792, Franklin and Orleans counties were incorporated.
In 1834, Nathan Smilie, Isaac Griswold, Nathaniel Read, John Fassett, R. '
Read, Joseph Waterman, Thomas Waterman, Joshua Sawyer, W. P. Sawyer, Almon
Tinker, Joseph Sears, Thomas Taylor, P. G. Camp, and others, petitioned the
legislature for a new county, and the bill passed the house, but was laid
over in the council. The next year, however, it passed both branches of the
legislature, and Lamoille county was incorporated October 26, 1835. It then
embraced twelve towns Eden, Hyde Park, Morristown, and Wolcott, from Orleans
county; Belvidere, Cambridge, Johnson, Sterling, and Waterville, from
Franklin county; Elmore and Stowe, from Washington county; and Mansfield,
from Chittenden county. In 1848, Mansfield was annexed to Stowe, and in
1855, Sterling was divided between Johnson, Morristown, and Stowe, leaving
the county with but ten towns.
Lamoille county, next to Grand Isle the smallest in the State, lies north of
the central part of the same, between latitude 44° 24', and 44 46', and
longitude 4° 7', and 4° 34', bounded north by Franklin and Orleans counties,
east by portions of Orange, Caledonia, and Washington counties, south by
Washington county, and west by Franklin and Chittenden counties. Its extent
from north to south is about 27 miles, and nearly the same from east to
west, thus giving it an area of about 420 square miles, or 268,800 acres,
which contains a population of 12,684.
In surface it is varied by all the charms of nature, from towering
cloud-capped mountains to the sylvan dales and silvery lakelets that adorn
its nestling valleys. Turn which way you will, the lover of the beautiful in
nature cannot fail to meet with that which will both charm and captive the
senses. Upon the north and west rise Mansfield, Sterling, and White-face
mountains in their splendor. Upon the south and east are Hog-back and Elmore
mountains, while between them extend broad intervals of excellent farming
land.
Mount Mansfield, consisting of three distinct peaks, lies in the southern
part of Cambridge, extending also into the towns of Underhill and Stowe. Its
summit, 4,389 feet above tide water, is the highest point of land in the
State. The name Mansfield is derived from the contour resemblance of the
mountain to the face of a human being, the three peaks being designated as
the Chin, the Nose, and the Lips. The Chin furnishes one of the grandest and
most extensive views in New England. Standing upon its summit in a clear
day, the observer looks down upon the country extending from the base of the
mountain to Lake Champlain as he would upon a map, aid beholds in the
outspread panorama an agreeable diversity of hills and villages, forests and
cultivated fields, villages and streams of water. Further along in the
picture may be seen Lake Champlain, which at intervals is observed, far to
the north and south, peering out in the blue distance like inlaid masses of
highly polished silver, to give light and beauty to the scene. The valley of
the lake may be traced its entire length, beyond which arise the majestic
and picturesque Adirondacks, which give a romantic beauty to the background
of the picture, and terminate the vision in that direction by their numerous
pointed summits. Turning to the east, the wavy line of the horizon is broken
by the sharp outlines of the White Mountains, which rise up in the dim
distance sixty miles off, and form a marked feature in the landscape, while
the intervening space is filled with innumerable summits of hills and
mountains, with deep extended valleys, showing the location and courses of
the Connecticut, Winooski and Lamoille, and their numerous tributaries. To
the north can be seen the wide-spread valley of the St. Lawrence, and by the
aid of a glass in a clear day steamers may be seen gliding upon its waters.
The well-known figure of Montreal mountain, from which Cartier first looked
upon the mountains of Vermont, rises in the hazy distance.
Sterling Mountain is about four miles northeast from the chin, in the
township of Morristown. Its altitude is a little less than 4,000 feet, and
were it not for the proximity of Mansfield, would doubtless be regarded as
one of the favorite resorts for "sight-seeing;" for the same enchanting
glories are visible from this peak that meet the eye on Mansfield. Between
these two mountains a deep gorge intervenes, known as Smuggler's Notch,
through which, in the early settlement, a bridle road was kept open, and
tradition says contraband goods were secreted in and found their way through
it; but latterly no one disturbs its solitude, except those seeking an
exhibition of nature in her wildest and most romantic haunts.
The country is well watered by numerous ponds and rivers. The Lamoille river
forms the principal water-course. It enters in the southeastern part of
Wolcott, and receives two streams from Eden-Wild branch and Green river;
thence it flows through Morristown, and receives three other streams from
the south; and the Gihon, from Eden, empties into the Lamoille, in Johnson,
and at Cambridge, Waterville branch on the north, and Brewster river and
Seymour branch on the south. It leaves the county in Cambridge, entering
Franklin county. In Johnson and Hyde Park are some large intervals, and the
stream moves slowly; in Morristown and Wolcott the meadows are small and the
stream is swifter. In Johnson there are two falls in the river. Cady's and
Safford falls in Morristown are fine water-powers, and there are many small
branches that afford good mill-privileges. Waterbury river and its branches
water Stowe, and there leaves the county. Ponds are very numerous. Among the
most interesting are Bear Head and Lake of the Clouds, on Mt. Mansfield;
Sterling, one mile in length by half a mile in width; Elmore, which lies in
Elmore, one mile or more in -length-on one side a neat village, and on the
other a craggy mountain; in Belvidere, at the base of Belvidere mountain, a
pond a mile and a half in length, and one small pond in the western part of
Waterville. In Hyde Park there are twelve ponds, and in Eden there are
twenty, large and small.
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Lamoille Co., VT
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Lamoille Co., VT
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