"This
town was chartered in 1761, and its settlement commenced during the revolutionary
war. The surface is rough, and the soil not very productive. Winhall River
rises in this town, and affords it a good water power."
Gazetteer
of Vermont, Hayward, 1849.
HISTORY
OF THE TOWN OF WINHALL
THIS town was chartered September 16, 1761, under Benning Wentworth,
governor of the province of New Hampshire, to Osee WEBSTER and sixty-one
others, in sixty-eight shares, and derived its name from two proprietors,
a Mr. WINN and a Mr. HALL.
The town was laid out six miles square. It was the intention to
commence the survey at the southeast corner of Manchester, and measure
east six miles; but, by mistake, it was commenced at the northeast corner
of Stratton, where that town joins Jamaica, and measured six miles west,
leaving a gore of land between Winhall and Manchester, which was also joined
to Winhall. The town is bounded north by Peru, east by Jamaica and Londonderry,
south by Stratton, and west by Manchester, and lies twenty- five miles
northeast from Bennington, and southwest from Montpelier eighty-nine miles.
Bondville, the principal village, is located in the eastern part of the
town, near the Jamaica line, on Winhall River.
The township is east from the Manchester station of the Bennington
and Rutland Railroad station eleven miles, and four and one-half miles
west from the nearest station on the Brattleboro and Whitehall Railroad,
with which it is connected by daily stage. There is also a daily mail route
from South Londonderry west through North Winhall to Peru with post-office
at North Winhall. The westerly part of the town is rather high, and
not extensively inhabited. There are no very high peaks, however, and the
general character of the surface is fair for a mountain town. Stratton
mountain on the south, Peru, on the north, and Windham or Glebe mountain
on the east, provide an abundance of picturesque scenery.
Winhall River, which takes its rise in a pond in the southwest corner
of the town, passing through the southerly part, and emptying into West
River, in Jamaica, gives fertility to the pleasant plains and excellent
mill privileges for manufacturing industries.
The principal road leads from Brattleboro, through Jamaica to Manchester.
The roads are generally good.
The soil, best adapted to grazing. is on an average with other mountain
towns.
The two postoffices in town are Bondville and North Winhall.
There are six school districts. There are several saw- mills, one
grist mill, and one chair factory. Large quantities of lumber are exported
annually.
There is a Methodist Church at Bondville where regular meetings
are held, and other religious services are frequently held in the school-houses.
There is one hotel, kept by Mrs. Julietta MORGAN.
Nathaniel BROWN, from Massachusetts, commenced the settlement in
1780 in the northern part of Winhall. In June, 1786 he deeded his farm
to Joshua BARNARD. The latter served in the French and Indian War, also
in the Revolutionary War. Mr. BARNARD also migrated from Massachusetts.
The premises mentioned are now occupied by his grandson, Joshua BARNARD,
esq., who has served as captain of a company of State militia, and who
has held the usual town offices, including that of representative. He married
Lydia WALKER, of Peru. They had five children, all of whom are deceased.
His son, Lucius (the late Dr. BARNARD, of Jacksonville, Vt.), served in
the Third Vermont Battery in War of the Rebellion. His only surviving descendants
are the children of his daughter Mary, who married Counselor Joseph G.
MARTIN, of Manchester.
General L. A. GRANT, the last commander of the First Vermont Brigade
in the late civil war, son of James GRANT, was born on the premises now
occupied by John and George BARNARD.
Prominent among the descendants of the early settlers now in town
are the WILLIAMS', BENSONS, BOLSTERS, KENDALLS, GALES, BURBANKS, HEWES',
and TAYLORS.
The first military company was organized in 1796, Francis SKINNER,
captain, for the War of 1812. Charles BAILEY, Francis BURBANK, Cephas WILLIAMS,
and Samuel HUNT were drafted.
The following is the list of soldiers furnished in the late war:
Lucius M. BARNARD, Joshua A. SHATTUCK, Horace G. TAFIT, Gersham TAYLOR,
Joseph B. WILLIAMS, Ormando M. WILLIAMS, Elijah G. WINSHIP, William T.
ALLEN, Daniel O. KINSBURY, Ezra B. KINGSBURY, Martin H. KINGSBURY, Judson
L. RAWSON, George F. SLADE, Ora SLADE, jr., Charles DEAN, Otis G. EDDY,
George H. PHILLIPS, Charles H. PHILLIPS, Warren J. SHELDON, Gilman J. THOMPSON,
William H. H. BURBEE, George P. BURBEE, Peter BURBEE, James H. CRAWFORD,
Jonathan V. ALLEN, Lorenzo D. AXTEL, George E. LESON, Elbridge BROOKS,
Joseph E. BUTTERFIELD, Franklin J. GALE, Edward W. HILL, George H. HILL,
Elijah HINCKLEY, George W. JOHNSON, Franklin G. LACKEY, James H. LACKEY,
John E. MASON, Samuel L. NORCROSS, William J. PERCY, Chauncey B. ROBBINS,
William A. SHATTUCK, Montraville WITHERELL, John O. BENSON, Charles T.
BROWN, Horace A. BURBEE, Dana F. KIDDER, William LEONARD, John LEONARD,
William R. LIVERMORE, and George H. LYON.
The following are the names of those who were drafted and paid commutation:
Crawford AMIDON, Myron BENSON, Oscar BLODGETT. John B. CUDWORTH, Jonas
W. HUNTING, Luther G. PERRY, William A. SLADE, Cephas WILLIAMS, and Almon
S. WITHERELL.
History
of Bennington County, Vt.
With Illustrations
and Biographical Sketches
of Some
of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers.
Edited
by Lewis Cass Aldrich.
Syracuse,
N. Y., D. Mason & Co., Publishers, 1889.
Chapter
XXXIII.. Page 494-496
Transcribed
by Karima, 2004
Material
provided by Ray Brown
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