SOIL AND STAPLE PRODUCTIONS 

CALEDONIA COUNTY

        This county, as we have already intimated, possesses a good soil and is a rich farming district, as may be seen by the following statistics from the census reports for 1880: There were 240,535 acres of improved land in the county, while the farms were valued at $7,136,435.00, and produced 38,880 bushels of wheat, 1,345 bushels of rye, 284,369 bushels of oats, 70,125 bushels of Indian corn, 39,714 bushels of buckwheat, 32,501 bushels of barley, 324,273 bushels of potatoes, 74,689 tons of hay, and $25,867.00 worth of orchard products. There were also in the county 5,913 horses, 13,923 milk cows, 1,525 working oxen, 28,945 sheep, and 5,089 swine. From the milk of the cows was manufactured 1,972,781 pounds of butter, and 32,913 pounds of cheese, while the sheep yielded 167,812 pounds of wool, or nearly six pounds to the fleece, providing each sheep was sheared. 

        The soil here is a rich alluvial drift, and though considerably stony in some sections, is a remarkable good soil, especially for grass and potatoes, and the average crop of grain is better than in most sections of the state. 

        It is not unusual for Vermont people to express themselves upon the changes of the weather in no measured terms. Its climate is sometimes styled the "worst climate in the world," when in reality it is the best. "Live in New England and die of consumption at an early age; while Florida, and many other sections, are ten times more healthful," was heard from the lips of a man lecturing in the Representative's hall at Montpelier. Yet this statement is very far from the truth. Of all the globe, there is no more healthful country than Vermont. Of all the globe, there is no place so sure of its usual harvest as Vermont. No p1ains are more fertile, and no valleys better watered; no crystal springs more enduring, and no breezes more health-giving, than those of this favored state. 

        Before we speak of our climatic changes, let us briefly review the changes in other countries. In Asia, large sections of country are every year without their usual rain fall. Rev. E. W. Parker writes from India, that as often as once in six years the section of India where he is located is without rain and from all the historic evidence we call get, it has ever been so. During those years of famine, thousands, tens of thousands, and sometimes hundreds of thousands, perish of hunger. Such things have never been in this section, The thermometer in India ranges from 122 degrees above zero in the southern parts, to a few degrees below among the mountains at the north. It is really a country of epidemics. The cholera, the malignant fevers, the plague, the black death, the small-pox, and the leprosy, all originated, as it is believed, in that unhealthful climate. 

        Europe is better, yet in no part is so sure of agricultural products as Vermont. England, tempered by the sea, has a more equitable temperature, but her slow growing crops are more often injured by blight, mildew, or insects than Vermont's. While the thermometer marks no higher temperature than Vermont, it is never lower than 15° below zero, while northern Vermont has often marked 45° below. The year 1807 was remarkable for the great amount of cold weather. There was a great snow storm on the last day of March, accompanied by a terrible wind, which blocked the roads so they were not passable for several days. On the first day of May the snow in the woodland would average over four feet deep, and the weather was cold and forbidding. Many supposed we should have a famine, but the crops harvested that year were better than the average. The year 1815 was also forbidding but for several weeks the maple sap ran with great freedom and never before or since was so large a product gathered per tree. As is well known the year 1816 was the coldest year for New England. As there were no thermometers in the country the degree of cold is not known. In this section, on the 8th of June, five inches of snow fell, and it was so cold that all the leaves were killed and vegetation appeared to be ruined. As this was followed by great drouth, crops were much injured. There was a scant harvest which provided against starvation, but seed was very high priced the next spring. 

        In 1817, on June 1st, there was a hard freeze, killing all crops, and about one inch of snow fell. Vegetation recovered, however, and there was a fair harvest. The year 1820 probably gave the largest harvest ever known. Potatoes yielded from five to six hundred bushels per acre; wheat, sixty bushels and upward; corn, about one hundred, and oats seventy-five In 1821 crops were greatly damaged by hail, and in 1824 there were severe frosts; but the harvest was fair. In some sections there was a frost every month of the year. 

        The year 1842 was rendered remarkable by a series of great storms, mostly thunder storms, with wind and hail. Much damage was done by the hail, and some by the tornadoes. One tornado was in Victory. Its track was a forest, but hundreds of acres were leveled with the ground, and its track is plainly seen at this time by the change of kind in the timber. In 1843 the hay crop was very light, but other crops good. In the spring of 1844 hay was sold as high as forty dollars per ton, but only in small quantities, as few had a ton to spare. The spring was backward, with a big snow storm April 1st; and on the 5th of April snow would average four feet deep. The spring, however, soon opened, and crops were good. 

        In 1861 there were many hail storms in this vicinity. While some were of great extent, almost every town suffered more or less from local storms. Now and then one of these limited storms not only ruined the crops, but killed the fruit trees and damaged buildings, and in one or two instances injured cattle, as on Mr. Grant's farm, in Concord. January 1, 1862, snow fell fourteen inches. Then there came a high wind that drifted the snow so badly that not only were carriage roads blocked, but railroads had their trains delayed from one to two days. A St. Johnsbury farmer had to tunnel a drift as large as his barn to get his cattle out to water. 

        In 1865 there was no thunder or electrical phenomena of any kind during the year. That of 1868 was the warmest summer in this section, July 13, 14 and 15 the thermometer for several hours marked 100°, with many other days at 95°. There were also many heavy thunder showers. October 3, 4 and 5, of 1869, will long be remembered for the great rain storm; from four to six inches of rain fell throughout New England, and much damage was done everywhere. Roads were washed away, buildings undermined, as at Fairbanks village in St. Johnsbury, and many mills destroyed. 

        In 1870, January 15th, there was a sharp shower of rain with the thermometer at zero, closing with it two degrees above. On the 12th of February, there was about three inches of dirty snow fell. By melting it was ascertained that the amount of dirt was about three grains to the square foot, which would give 360 pounds to the square mile. As the storm extended over at least 400 square miles, 7,200 tons of meteoric dust fell in this storm. In the summer of 1870 there was hardly a day without a thunder shower in Vermont, and the showers passed over this section very frequently. Hay was in consequence secured in bad condition, and all crops were damaged. Lightning struck many times in Lunenburgh. June 20th it struck a green white-ash tree, shivering it to splinters and plowing nine furrows in different directions from the base of the tree, many of them several rods in length, and larger than could be cut with a plow. August 2d it struck a horse in pasture, burning off his hair, or pulling it out, also cutting a hole in his head two inches long, and throwing off his shoes. The horse recovered from the shock. October 20th was the great earthquake for New England. Brick walls and plastering in houses were cracked, many chimneys toppled over, and people generally frightened. The shock lasted from two to three minutes. 

        The summer of 1871 was very dry, and closed into winter without the usual rains. Streams had not been as low for over fifty years. On the 5th of February the thermometer stood 40° below zero, and yet on the 23d of the same month we had thunder showers, also butterflies and grasshoppers (both in Vermont and New Hampshire). They both found it cold enough afterwards. March 9th several butterflies were seen about the streets of Burlington and also in Concord, N. H. There were also May flowers in March. April 8th was one of the warmest days of the season. 

        In 1872 the rain, as measured in Lunenburgh, was sixty-one inches, being a larger amount than was ever recorded. The number of rainy days was 180, which is about sixty in excess of common years. The greatest rain-fall for any month was August, being thirteen inches, though the average rain fall for that month is less than three and three-fourths inches. The last week in June was the warmest week for ten years, and doubtless the warmest week in June ever experienced in this vicinity. In July the thermometer rose to 100° for one day, and was 95° for several days, but on December 25th it fell to 45° below zero at Lunenburgh, and to 5° below on the river marking the coldest day known in this county since thermometers were introduced. A range of 150° in one year has never been known here only on that occasion. 

        On the 9th of May, 1874, it was cloudy during the morning and looked like rain, but while little or no rain fell it was very dark, and at noon lamps had to be lighted to conduct the usual business about the house or barn. About one o'clock P. M. it grew lighter and ended in a thunder shower. Doubtless the darkness was occasioned by very dense clouds. The weather had been very cold for the season during the spring, but from this time it was as warm as usual. January, 1875, was very cold and dry, many springs failed, and farmers had to melt snow, not only for household purposes, but for their cattle. It was also very windy and snow badly drifted. 

        The spring of 1878 was remarkably forward. Red plums and strawberries were in full blossom on the 1st day of May, and apple trees blossomed on the 8th. Red clover headed this month. There was a slight frost on the 14th, but nothing was killed. Strawberries were ripe on June 7th, and a frost at the same time, but the fruit was not injured. The l0th of December, 1878, will be ever remarkable for a great rain storm that caused an almost unprecedented freshet. Ice was cleared out of the streams; and an immense amount of damage done to railroads and highways. September 6, 1881, is likely to be remembered in this section as long as the dark day of 1780 has been in Connecticut. From daylight the sky presented a strange and unnatural appearance. It was not cloudy, but overhead a light olive, shading off to olive green at the horizon. 

        The light that found its way through this strange atmosphere was a pronounced yellowish green in color, and caused a very strange and peculiar tint to clothe all nature. Houses painted white had a decided yellow hue, while the green of the grass was highly intensified, looking much more bright than usual. By nine o'clock, A. M., this darkness had much increased and lights were seen in nearly all houses, and dinners were eaten by lamp light. It was doubtless a repetition of the dark day of a century ago. It was certainly a peculiar phenomena and pervaded all New England. Some attributed it to smoke from the burning of the Canadian forests, others to pollen in the atmosphere. Let it be what it would it reminded many of the brassy hue described in the bible, as ushering in the last day, and many a one was scarcely at ease for fear, and the resolves to do better and live more acceptable live doubtless lasted as long as the smoke that caused the darkness. 

        On February 3, 1882, there was a very heavy snow storm, twenty-two inches having fallen in many places during the previous night. The entire snowfall for the month was thirty-seven inches. On October 4, 1884, over two and a half inches of rain fell in twelve hours, causing great rise of streams and the washing away of many bridges. It not only deluged this section, but was general throughout New England. Much property and some lives were lost. 

        July, 1885, was memorable for the many heavy showers and damage from lighting. It struck some thirty times that was known in Essex county, from the 1st to the 15th of the month, and showers injured highways to a great extent. A shower upon Cherry mountain, in the morning of July l0th, on the New Hampshire side of the Connecticut, against Lunenburgh, caused a land slide of over two miles in length, that destroyed the buildings and farm of Oscar Stanley, killed several cattle, and so injured Don Walker that he died a few days after.
 
 

        The manufacture of lumber in its various branches constitutes the principal industry in this line, if we except the large scale works of the Fairbanks Co. Machinery, etc.is also manufactured to a limited extent at St. Johnsbury and other localities. Granite is also manufactured to a large extent. Sketches of the manufactories of the county will be given in connection with the history of the towns wherein they are located, however, incorporating their history and resources, so we will dismiss the subject at this point with the following statistics from the census reports of 1880: There were 174 manufacturing establishments, giving employment to 1,356 persons. There were $3,691,234.00 invested in manufacturing interests, while the manufactured products were valued at $3,224,139.00. 

        The manufacture of lumber is the principal industry in this line, and is so variable and uncertain in amount that no definite figures can be given; but it is very large compared with the past, and seems rapidly increasing. The various mills will be noticed under town heads. According to the United States census report for 1880, the county had forty-four manufacturing establishments, giving employment to 215 persons. There were $367,400.00 invested in manufacturing interests, while the manufactured products were valued at $456,467.00. 
 
 
 

Transcribed and provided by Tom Dunn, 2003

Source: 
Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex, Counties, VT., 1764-1887,
Compiled and Published by Hamilton Child; May 1887, Pages 5-124.