Early Manufacturing in
Lamoille County, Vermont
The first manufacturing in the county was purely domestic.
It was in the early days when the beautiful spring weather always found the
men busy at the " break and swingle-board," and within doors the busy hum of
hetcheling, carding, and spinning, was constantly heard. The early settlers
were obliged to raise their flax and manufacture their own wearing apparel,
for it must be remembered it then required sixty-four bushels of barley to
buy one yard of broadcloth, and one bushel of wheat to purchase a yard of
calico. The first general business and article of commerce was potash or
salts of lye, which was manufactured in every town. Following this, as grain
became more abundant, was the manufacture of distilled liquors. This
business was carried on quite extensively, there being at one time ten
distilleries in the town of Cambridge alone. The great mart for this article
was at Montreal. Next came the hemp trade. A large manufactory for dressing
the hemp for market was erected in Waterville; but this soon died out and
the factory was converted into a woolen-mill. The manufacture of starch has
also been conducted quite extensively, and is carried on to a considerable
degree at the present time. All through this period, however, as is common
in all timbered districts, the manufacture of lumber has received great
attention. The principal manufacturing interests of to-day are lumber, in
its various branches, starch, woolen goods, butter, cheese, etc., all of
which will be found noted in connection with the sketches of the several
towns wherein they are conducted. According to the United States census
report of 1870, the county had 106 manufacturing establishments, operated by
four steam engines and eighty-one' water-wheels, giving employment to 255
persons. There were $229,975.00 invested in manufacturing interests, while
the manufactured products were valued at $403,825,00.
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Lamoille Co., VT
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Lamoille Co., VT
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