_Mt

. B Az Il-l 1-fV/t=-1 fo LS-VV~ fH)

THAT JBIEA1LJTKJFUJL VALJE

AlBSOVIE THE JFAJLJL§ .·

A Vibrant History of the Little River Region

WOODWARD HILL RICKER MOUNTAIN

RIVER ROAD COTTON BROOK

I I I

! I. I .· I·

I I I I

-- I ' ' . '

! i I I . I I I I

I I

I ' " I I ~

' . I

I I

IN THE 1870'S

As shown in the

Atlas of Washington County

by F. W. Beers, 1873

I ! I I·

I I

THE LITTLE RIVER REGION

The Little River Region is divided into the Woodward Hill area, the River Road area near the Little River, now inundated by the Waterbury Reservoir, and the Ricker Mountain and Cotton Brook areas, which encompass the two westerly valleys drained by Bryant Brook and Cotton Brook. The settlement of these areas required constant struggle and great determination. The early settlers toiled at great length to clear the slopes and build rudimentary homes, only to realize that their work was far from over. After an immense amount of effort and much sweat, they discovered that the thinly soiled hills didn't have the agricultural potential of the valleys below, but they made them succumb anyway. Thousands of acres were cleared, tilled or pastured, and eventually abandoned, to be reclaimed by forests once again. The history of Vermont is replete with such patterns.

The Woodward Hill, Ricker Mountain, and Cotton Brook areas of the Little River Region are jllSt such examples. When the early settlers came, much of the low-lying area tended to be somewhat wet and subject to frequent flooding, so many of them felt more secure building their homes on higher ground. They cleared hundreds of acres of original tree growth west of Little River and built homes that were to support many generations. It proved to be a battle with the elements of nature and inadequate soil-----a struggle that was lost ever so slowly. In this respect, the Little River Region was similar to many other areas in the Green Mountain State. Only in the final death blow was this region different----e. watery grave for the rich farmland below, and complete isolation for the formerly inhabited hills above.

Where once people were born, schooled, farmed, murdered loved ones in fits of anger, operated creameries and sawmills, died and were buried, there now stand either dense forests, or many feet of water. The history of this region is indeed a study in the longstanding struggle to farm Vermont's hillsides, and a brief glimpse of life on small Vermont farms in the 19th century. It demonstrates the wonderful recuperative power of nature, and gives one an appreciation of forests, our major renewable resource.

The following account concerns the people of the Little River Region, the building of their homesteads, and the many heartaches and hardships they endured. Stories of local residents have been included to give the reader a picture of yesteryear's hillside farmers, their ways of life, and quirks of personality. Some stories artd many of the names of known past residents wiii be found under the heading: "A Listing of Sites in the Little River Region."

4

i I

i I I

I I ~

I I I

I ! !

EARLY SETTLEMENT

There are records of homesteads being established near the mouth of the Little River in the late 1700's, and these include Daniel Bliss, Waterbury's first physician, and Seth Chandler, the area's first blacksmith. The narrow valley, reaching north along this tributary of the Winooski River, contained an "alder swamp," and game was plentiful there. Hunters wore a trail up through the valley to Stowe, and eventually this became the Little River Road.

C. C. Parker in his "Early History of Waterbury," 1867, says that a man named Bashford was probably the first to settle along the Waterbury River, "in that beautiful vale above the mills." He was referring to the waterfall location that was later to become the Randall and Roberts Sawmill (Site #71). The exact location of Bashford's homestead has not been determined.

It's always interesting to know who some of the mountains and brooks in a region were named for. Ricker Mountain was named for Joseph Ricker, I who lived at Site #18. Cotton Brook was named for William Cotton who lived at Site #51. Bryant Brook was named for either James Bryant who lived at Site #27, or Samuel Bryant who lived at Site #74 and was the first Bryant to live in the region. As for Woodward Hill, many Woodwards lived on it, and it's not known if the hill was named for any one of them. It might have received its name simply because so many Woodwards lived there over the years. As to which farm was owned by one family for the longest time, the honors go to the John Millen Farm (Site #81) in the Woodward Hill area. This farm was about half way up the Woodward Hill road and was bought by John Millen in 1827. Sometime before he died, he deeded the farm to his daughter, Elizabeth, who married a Mr. Carpenter. Elizabeth sold the property in 1915, thereby ending 88 years of father and daughter ownership. There's no other farm or home in the region that even comes close to matching that, and as you look at the list of owners for all the sites in the region, you'll see just how unusual an occurrence it was.

Besides the Woodwards, ;there were three other families that predominated in the region. These were the Ayers', the Rickers, and the Demeritts, and these four names comprise sort of a "founding fathers" list. The information on who the first settler in each of the four areas was can be found in this book under the section entitled: "A Listing of Sites in the Little River Region."

It was in the middle 1800;s that the Irish began settling in the River Road and Ricker Mountain areas. Names like Hurlburt, Carney, Kelty, and McCoy began to appear. At that time, the Vermont Central Railroad Qater the Central Vermont) was pushing to finish construction of a new railroad from White River Junction north through Northfield, then on to Montpelier, and west to Essex Junction. In 1849, the new rail line was completed through Waterbury along the Winooski River, reaching the Burlington area in December of that year. Irish immigrants were brought in to do the hard work of building the new railroad, and many stayed behind to take over the little hill farms the Yankees were barely subsisting on.

5

1·

I

I I I i

I I

I I I I I l

I '. I .

~ ... · •

A woman making lye soap for her family. Behind her is a leaching barrel for making the potash needed for soapmaking. Many settlers sold surplus potash to help keep their struggling families alive .

. :

'· . '

I ·l \ "' .. .t ' ~ ' . ' ,.. ~ ' "

. . I . I .

)1 !

·I· I \ ' . '

) ' l J : , j , I i =

This is the way the early settlers gathered their sap. Note the wooden troughs on the ground and the long, wooden spouts. Boiling was done in a big, cast iron kettle in the open woods.

6

I

I !

I I I ~ I I I. I i 1

I I I

! i ~ • I i

PRIMITIVE FARMING

Clearing land for the new farms was a slow process, and living conditions were difficult and trying. Early plantings of grain or grass were first cut with hand tools, such as sickles or scythes, and other necessary chores were accomplished with the most rudimentary tools. Gardens were planted in small cleared areas, or among the many stumps that remained after the initial clearing was done. Unless the weather cooperated, pantry shelves tended to look like "Mother Hubbard's Cupboard."

Most of these farms were basically subsistence homesteads, and only a small percentage of the dairy or vegetable products produced on the farm could be sold outside for supplementary income. The average farmer owned about three or four milking cows, a yoke of oxen, a horse or two, a half dozen young cattle, a couple of pigs, and a few chickens. In later years, some farms were able to increase to a dozen or more cows. Oxen were a common sight on many farms in the 1800's, especially those with hillsides, where the ground succumbed more grudgingly to the crude farm implements. Many farms kept a dozen or more sheep in the early to mid 1800's, and some even had sheep in the early 1900's.

Potatoes, com, barley, rye, peas, and oats were usually planted, plus whatever vegetables the hard­working farm wife could put up in the cold cellar to last the year. Daniel Dalley (Site #4) planted an early variety of potatoes called Valley Whites, that he boasted would produce 20 bushels for each bushel of seed. During the summer, a variety of fruits and berries were preserved, and when winter came, these delectables would bring back memories of pleasant days and berry picking. Trees that bore plums (red, yellow and blue), cherries, butternuts, and apples, were said to flourish on Rufus Place's homestead (Site #1) near the Barber Covered Bridge. Hay crops were not very bountiful on these small, sidehill farms, and many times the yield fell far short of what was needed. The 12 acres of grassland on Rufus' homestead, however, was said to yield eight tons of hay at times. Many early settlers planted apple trees on their farms, since the apple and its derivatives were considered necessary staples. The McCaffrey Farm (Site #40) had one of the largest and finest orchards.

Most families took a great deal of satisfaction in being able to provide most of life's necessities ,from the farm. Beyond this, some were even able to earn a little outside income. It might be from part-time labor on lcr..a!logging operations, at one of the small sawmiiis down in the valley, or on one of the larger farms along the Little River. The farmer might cut a few logs to sell or hire himself out with his team whenever possible. The brooks offered a few good privileges for establishing small water powered saw and grist mills. The only grist mill in the area was at the Randall and Roberts Sawmill (Site #71), and when that wasn't operating, it meant taking a trip to Waterbury or Moscow to get home-grown com, wheat, or oats ground into meal to be used for making hardy cereals, muffins, and breads. Many farmers, however, were unable to earn any extra money, so they used bartering as a means of acquiring necessary items they couldn't afford to buy. For some, it was practically their sole means of survival. As an example, one farmer might give ready-to-use flax to another farmer's wife, and receive part of it back as woven cloth. Some swapped food items for needed equipment parts while others swapped labor for food staples they didn't grow on their farms.

7

A RELIANCE ON WOOD

The early settler had a great reverence for wood. He depended heavily upon the abundant wood resources around him to fashion almost any tool he might need. He made tools from wood that helped him deftly accomplish some task, quietly perform an extraordinary feat of strength, or do something that required a soft and gentle touch. His reliance on wood was astounding. The farmer knew just what Idnd of wood he needed to make a particular tool and the best way to use this valuable resource. He gained this knowledge from personal experience and whatever was handed down to him from preceding generations. He had a profound respect for what nature provided.

The early settlers also made potash pits. The men would gather together to pile and bum hardwood logs and then leach the ashes to get potash. One such pit was said to have been made above the Jerry Ayers Sawmill (Site #3A) by the fork in the road. From the potash, they made a type of soft soap that was sometimes called "Grandma's lye soap." It was very strong, and the children of those days had no great love for it. Charcoal was another occasional cash crop, once produced in large quantities at the so-called "Coal Pit Bottoms" on the east slope of Ricker Mountain, somewhere near or above Site #8.

When Hemlock trees were felled, their bark was peeled off, loaded on wagons, and taken down to C. C. Warren's tannery in Waterbury's "Mill Village." There the bark was processed to extract the tannic acid used in the tanning process. Spruce and hemlock shingles were rived and shaved, not only for the farmer's own use, but also as an occasional cash item. Shingles were also fashioned from cedar.

Even young children on the farm had to help out with part-time income, when it could be found. In the winter, they might be seen weaving baskets from brown ash splints which they would later sell to stores or farmers for as much as$ .30 per bushel basket. The Sweetser families, who settled in the region, were known far and wide for their sldll in maldng baskets, and they kept the community supplied with some of the finest baskets money could buy.

Most of the farms had a sugarbush, and some of them contained as many as 800 to 1,000 maple trees. Maple sugar and syrup were popular items back then, for home use as well as a cash crop. The building of an arch and brick chimney for a sugarhouse required the services of a skilied worker. Jasper Ayers (Site #17) was often called on to frame and raise sugar houses, and even do the arch work. In the spring of 1870, he built a new sugar house for Sanford Eddy that must have set some sort of record for speed of construction, or at least he thought so. He raised the new sugar house on April 2, started work on the arch on the fifth, completed it on the seventh and immediately started a fire in it. The first pan began to boil ten minutes after it was full. Jasper finished the building on the ninth by completely boarding it in. Even today, those who'd like a new sugarhouse would be delighted if someone could guarantee them similar results in the same amount of time!

Surprising as it may seem, wood also served at times as feed for cattle. When a farmer ran out of hay before winter ended, he would go into the woods and cut browse, especially birch, if it was available. He would draw it into the bam and let the cows "have a go at it." This saved many a cow from starvation in those days.

8

I

I

THE STORY OF JASPER AYERS

Either because they didn't want to talk about it, or for some other reason, parents in the 1800's didn't tell their children or grandchildren what life was like when they were children. As a result, knowledge of the day-to-day activities of the region's residents from th.e 1790's to around 1900 was almost non-existent until the three diaries of.Jasper Ayers came to light. Jasper was bomjn 1.811, and from 1834 to 1836, 1844 to 1861, and 1862 to 1890, he wrote three diaries. These dimes are of tremendous importance, for because of them, one ca:n peek into the everyday life of one of the region's best known and most industrious residents during those years.

Keeping three diaries for over 48 years was a prodigious feat in itself, and must have taken a great deal of persistence. Each daily, one-line entry indicated what work or other activity was accomplished, and what the weather was like. His entries on attending the funerals of those he knew in the region are invaluable, because some of these deaths are not recorded anywhere else. He notes activities pertaining to some of the schools in the region and also records what he considered important events at the Little River Baptist Church.

These entries show a man who possessed a great many skills so necessary for existence in'those . . - ~

harsh times. On the home front, he was, among other things, a shoemaker; a farmer who could make most of the equipment needed on a farm; a sugarmaker; a maker of home remedies; a maker 0f shingles; a borer and layer of pump logs, and a maker of buttertubs, which he would sell for extra income. He was constantly being hired by others to construct houses, barns, and sugarhouses, including all the arch and chimney work; do plastering; do pump log and crop work; draw logs, and repair virtually any farm equipment. He was also knowledgeable at working in and running a small sawmill. · Sorrie of the wood used to build many of the region's buildings came from the small

·sawmills he worked in. He owned one mill for a time, and was able to build and repair miny of its inner workings himself instead of having to pay' someone else to do it.

Jasper was known to be a strict father and a "hard man" at times. There were many intervals when he worked away from home for others, and his wife and children hac[ to run the farm in his absence. He seems to have been cold and unfeeling on some family matters. Nis diaries mention by name those he came in contact with, and those, including children, whose funerals he attended. But all that

- appears in the diaries on the days his children were born is the notation, "Meiissa confined," or "M Sick," and no child's name. Of the three wives he hacj, the first died giving birth to her twelfth child, the second divorced him, and the third also died. At times, life with Jasper must have been hard indeed. ln affairs of work, he wouldn't hesitate to sue if someone didn't pay him, and was himself taken to court by those who believed he had wronged them. Once, one of his sons took him to court for damages, and Jasper had to pay. As for Jasper's court cases, justice appears to have prevailed.

Everything considered, he was highly respected, and many of the region's residents needed his numerous skills at one time or another. For this, and the fact that he was the only one known to have kept a lengthy written record of how life was lived then, Jasper Ayers deserves a special place in the. annals of the Little Rjver Region.

9

! I ! . l

I

I ~ I

I I I !

: ! l I

' I

l·

I ' I ' I I j

I !' I I l I ~ I I I l l

~ ~

·~ .. ..,_,_ .f

THROUGH THE SEASONS WITH JASPER AYERS

The following daily entries are taken from the diaries of Jasper Ayers, and describe life on a small, mountain farm. Jasper lived at Site #17 for a time, and worked throughout the region for many years. What follows art: excerpts taken from his diaries of the 1830's on thro~fh the 1880's, and arranged by seasons of the year to show the variety of activities in the daily life of a farmer during that era.

SPRING

Gathered and boiled sap, 70 pails Cut brow_se for· .cattle, hay all gone in bay, snow being plump 12" Sugared off 50 pounds Picked stone and harrowed to old house Finished planting potatoes and washed sheep Mended fence and plowed in west field Sawed to Jerry's mill from noon till midnight Cut school wood, hewed timber for c. s. Wrisley

SUMMER

FALL

Hoed corn, sowed India wheat, took oxen to Brown's Framed and raised shed for T. Chesley Chopped wood in the swamp Worked on the town road, dug stumps Tapped boots and shoes (rainy) Finished haying in the upper field

Bound oats and peas and drawed them in Drove Moody's sheep home Drawed in and threshed and cleaned 20 bushels India wheat To Waterbury street to officers' drill Dug potatoes on the ri4ge - Total of 265 bushels Swapped cattle with Pike - Repaired wagon Lathed buttery - Killed the old cow Shingled shed - Shaved shingles Sunday - To prayer meeting to hear the woman preach To Daniel Demeritts with wife for a visit

WINTER

Drawed wood for Stephen Ayers, to Henry's mill Shod the horse sled, made broom Drawed logs for Jerry Ayers Unwell with a bile Made horse sled - Altered bull Butchered the hogs To Waterbury with ashes, 11-1/2 bushel Broke open roads S)lnday - To schoolhouse to meeting, Elihu Lord preached, 16 baptized Built traverse sleds, made yoke for Sanford Eddy.

12

! I

I I

I

I I I I

I I I I I I I I

< I I ' I ~

! !· I I .. ' I I I.

i ! ! ! ~ .

'it""' i

CURES AND RECIPES USED IN THE REGION

Jasper Ayers made many "home remedies" to cure both man and beast. Those shown below were taken from his diaries, and his recipe for com beer (a mild "home brew") and tips for cutting alders are included. As near as possible, the wording appears as it did in the diaries.

Cure for Summer Complaint (Dysentery)

I. Take I part of Podophyllin, 2 parts cream tarter, mix. Then take a powder as small as 1/2 of very small pea in teaspoonful of cold water before eating.

2. Take smart weed (or what is called azthsmart), make a strong tea and drink freely.

Destroying Bed Bugs

Take one ounce of quick silver to the white of 6 hens eggs, well beaten together, and applied to bedsteads by means of a feather, well ointing the holes where the bugs hide.

Waterproormg Leather

To tum water on leather- take sharp vinegar and rusty iron, well saturated with iron rust, put on when leather is dry. Or take castor oil (I/2 pine) and clean tallow, a lump as large as a hens egg. Melt tallow and then mix with oil -apply it cold and rub it in with the hand.

Cow's Loss of Cud

For loss of the cud, divide another creature's cud.

Dehorning Cattle

For hom ail, wind the horns with cloth near the head, well saturated with tar.

To Cure Scours in Cattle

Steep mullein, give it strong. Or, steep hen dung in cold water, give it strong and freely.

The Season to Cut Brush

The time to cut alders, bushes and brakes to have them die is the three last days of the old moon in August.

Recipe for Corn Beer

Recipe to make 1 barrel of CORN BEER. Take 6 or 8 quarts com, boil till soft Take. one pound hops, steeped and strained Take 2 gallons molasses or its equivalent in sugar Take 1 quart yeast and ginger to taste Fill the barrel with water, blood warm

13

!. !

j. ! I ' !

I j

I I

I I I ~ !,

I I ' I I I 1 ~ J

I I ! ! r,

I ! ~ ~

r !!

i. i

FARM BUILDINGS AND WELLS

The homes on these small subsistence farms were often quite crude and poorly insulated against the cold winters. Fortunately, there was an abundance of firewood to be had, and the settlers didn't worry about running out of fuel. What did concern them, though, was the ever-present danger of fire. Many homes and barns burned down over the years, and it's a wonder more weren't lost, considering the condition of many of these buildings and the lack of fire safety training back then.

When a house, shed, or barn was built, each wall would first be framed while lying flat on the ground, and then the sections would be raised and joined together. Frames were constructed from hemlock or spruce timbers hewed in the woods and mortised and shaped on the job to make a tight­fitting frame. These skilled jobs were called "framing" and "joining," and, as previously stated, Jasper Ayers was an expert in both, and instrumental in building many of the region's structures.

The willingness of neighbors to help each other was strong in those days, and when the time came for these framed sections to be lifted into place, a "raising bee" would be called for. Folks for miles around would come, eager to share a good time and the sumptuous feed that would be spread before them, though some were undoubtedly coaxed on by the promise of a little strong drink. These "raisings" were usually done on a voluntary basis, but there were farmers who hired the job done, and a good framer and joiner could demand top wages for his skills. Jasper Ayers charged from $1.50 to $2.00 per day when framing buildings during the 1860's. If he was plastering, the charge was $1.50. If hewing timber or doing farm work, the rate dropped to $1.25 per day.

Not all residents of the region had this neighborly spirit, however. In the spring of 1863, Jasper Ayers built a 56' by 36' barn and a 18' by 26' shed for William Moody of Waterbury Village, in addition to moving another barn and clapboarding the three buildings. After the work was completed, Moody refused to pay Ayers all that was due, claiming he was obligated to pay only what had been specified in a verbal contract. Ayers became quite upset over the matter, accusing Moody of lying and cheating while at the same time professing religion. Jasper seemed to have had his share of collection problems, and when he did, he "went to court" to get justice done.

What follows is an itemized bill of costs that Jasper Ayers submitted for the Moody barn, showing the money needed to purcha...~ materials and build a large barn in November of 1863:

1

27,000 3

500 7,000

1,500

9,000

48

150 132

Bill of Lumber and Time furnished for William Moody:

Barn frame, everything furnished and raised (56' X 36') Shingles, at cost at stowe Days to draw said shingles Pounds nails Feet Clapboards ($3.50/thousand) and drawing ($4.50) Feet Spruce, planed and split ($15.00/thousand) Feet common boards and plank at $6.00/thousand, delivered Lights of windows at $ .08 per light Feet pine boards for doors Days work, boarded self ($1.50/day)

15

$100.00

42.59 9.00

22.75 29.00

22.50

54.00

3.84

18.00 198.00

$499.68

i I I I I I

I I I

I I

I I I I I I I I I

I I I ! I I I I l I.

I I

I I I

! I I I [

I I I I I I I

I II I I ~ ~ i

i i r

FOOD PRICES

If families had any field or garden crops left over after they put away what was needed for the coming year, they would sell this surplus in order to provide much-needed income. The following prices give an idea of food sale values in the early 1860's:

Corn $ .75 Beans 1. 00 Wheat .67 Oats .25 Potatoes .25 Apples .17

Hay per ton Swarm of bees Hive

- 1. 00 - 1.50

- .33 - .33 - .20

per bushel

" II

II

" "

$6.00 7.00 1. 00

II

II

" II

"

Pork $ Dressed hog Beef Cheese Butter Lard sugar

Jersey calf Pig Shoat

.06 -

.05

.04 -

.05 -

.14 -

.12 -

.13

In the winter of 1864 prices took a rise:

corn $ 2.00 per bushel Pork $ .18 oats .75 - .80 " " Salt Pork .25 Rye 2.00 " " Butter .50 Potatoes .60 " " Live hogs, Cow 35.00 to 45.00 fattened .12>, -

Stove length Wood, Hay, per cord $2.00 - 2.25 per ton $10.00

.10 per "

.05 II

.07 II

.18 II

" "

$10.00 2.00 4.00

lb. " II

II

" " "

per lb.

" " " "

.13 " II

- 20.00

Speaking of food, farmers in those days did much more of their work by hand, so the amount of food they consumed for breakfast would be equivalent to the average dinner or supper of today. Meat, potatoes, bread or muffins, com bread (called "Johnnycake" or Journeycake"), doughnuts, and hot drinks were suitable fare. For sweetners, maple sugar or possibly honey served the purpose, and homemade butter a.nd cheese were available in most cases. Dinner at noon a11d supper in the ev~ning usually consisted of meat and potatoes along with one or more vegetables. Cookies, cake, or pie served as dessert when available. Surprisingly, even poor families ate reasonably well except in the most desperate of circumstances. During those times, a family might have to survive on two or three scant meals of oatmeal, cornmeal mush, or beans. One woman said that at times her grandfather was sent to school with nothing but two pieces of bread spread with lard for a sandwich. People managed to survive these hardships, however, and even became better individuals because ofthem.

Not all persons acquired their food through honest labor, however. There were times when occasional homeless itinerants wandered through the region. Most were harmless "bums" who in return for a little bite to eat would relate some interesting information, but some were not. In July 1882, a newspaper in Waterbury warned the residents of a tramp that was seen along Little River laundering his clothes and basking in the sunshine, accompanied by a small dog. He had apparently entered some dwellings and demanded food, threatening violence on the inhabitants if it wasn't provided. Most farm families would gladly help someone in need, but they certainly wouldn't tolerate that kind of treatment. The tramp could have had a most unpleasant experience if he had threatened the wrong person.

14

I I I I !

I j_

I

I

All Moody would pay on this barn was $325.00. Unfortunately, the outcome of this dispute was not recorded in his diary.

In 1862, Jasper Ayers built a sawmill building in Colbyville for Ephraim Deuel, and charged $1.50 per day for framing work. He had some collection problems here also, but the account was settled by lawsuit in Ayers' favor.

Homes were built as near to a spring as possible, but often it was necessary to build a pipeline from the spring to the house, using hollowed out logs specifically cut to fit together. The work of boring these "pump logs," as they were called, was a somewhat specialized skill, and required a 10-foot pod auger to bore out the center of the log. Logs of a little over nine feet in length were first bored out with the pod auger, then sharpened like a pencil on one end and reamed out on the other end to exactly fit the "pencil" end of the next log. When fitted together, two logs measured about 16 feet. The pump logs were then properly laid and buried. After the last log was hooked to the spring, water began running through the system, causing the wood to swell and form tight-fitting joints. A properly made pump log system lasted for many years, and water rarely froze in it since wood provided good insulation from the frost.

One of the old timers remembered as a pump log borer was William Pratt, who lived up near Lake Mansfield in an area called "Michigan." He learned the trade as a young man, and travelled throughout the Little River Region, boring pump logs for only fifty cents per day. Jasper Ayers, on the other hand, would bore, fit, and lay pump logs for a fee of twenty-five cents per rod---a linear measure of 161h feet, commonly used in those days.

If the farm didn't boast an already existing natural spring, the individual would be forced to dig a well. This meant finding a suitable spot as near to the house as possible and digging down as much as 10 to 20 feet or more. To do this, a large circular area was dug out, and as the hole got deeper, it would be tapered in. At every four or five-foot interval, a shelf was made to relay the dirt up to the top. If desired, a smaller sized hole could be dug, and the dirt hauled out by means of a bucket, which was lowered down into the well using a combination of ropes and pulleys or a windlass.

Once sufficient water was found, a circular stone well was carefully constructed, and dirt was packed in around it as it progressed toward the surface. Those who built no higher than ground level would cap it with a big wooden cover. The well at Site #27 is a good example of this. Those who wanted more protection from surface water and small animals would continue building the well to a height of three or four feet and then cap it. Natural springs were often finished off this way for the same reasons, and somewhere on the hill west of Site #54 is a spring constructed just this way.

Instead of just covering the well, some farmers built a little shelter over it, and installed a rope windlass with a bucket attached, to draw the water up. Others constructed a more primitive, levered, balance pole for the purpose, or simply threw a bucket with a rope attached to it into the well. Later, a farmer might install a cast iron well pump with a long, curved handle. This device must have been welcomed by many a child who had been drawing water from a well the "old­fashioned" way. Along with the "joy" of using a cast iron well pump came that ominous warning that generations of children heard from their parents during the wintertime: "Don't touch your tongue to the pump handle!" Unfortunately, some children just had to see whether this warning was some kind of parental joke. As you might imagine, they sure didn't try it a second time!!

19

Ward Knapp with a pump log he found at the Ann White Farm (Site #54). The spring was somewhere on a hill west of the farm, and this log was one of many connected to it. There is a strong possibily it was bored by William Pratt.

The family well on the Thomas Hurlburt Farm (Site #27). This is an example of a ground-level well of moderate depth. It still has water in it too.

18

l I_

~

I I I I I I I I l

I I I I ' I '

I I I I I I I

ROADS

The earliest roads through the area tended to follow the higher ground rather than the low-lying areas, because the early settlers considered it to be safe from floods, not as swampy, and probably less costly. Even into the early 1800's, the most travelled road from Waterbury to Stowe passed over Blush Hill, down across Alder Brook just east of Little River, and up over the "wilderness' of Gregg Hill. Joshua Hill built a tavern close to this Alder Brook crossing, and it became-a favorite resting spot for generations of travellers until it was tom down in 1866. Oliver Luce stopped here to rest on his way to Stowe, where he became that town's first settler.

Supposedly, a very early road went through the hills west of the Little River, passed over the lower slopes of Woodward Hill, went across the upper end of Bryant Brook and Cotton Brook, and continued northward into Stowe. If so, it was not an improved road and no trace of it exists now. The road that followed the Little River northward began as a path for hunters, and later became the major route for freight wagons travelling between Stowe and Waterbury.

The road building feats that were accomplished back then with nothing but crude equipment were truly amazing. Rocks would be drawn out of the way or moved to an abutment or embankment construction by means of a stone boat or sled. It might be only two tree crooks cut in the woods that would be used as sled runners to convey something as heavy as a boulder. The clever placement of a chain could enable a horse to easily roll a large rock around, even right onto the improvised sled runners. Later on, a "new and improved" rock mover was developed. A cart with large wheels and an arched axle was made that could be backed over a large rock to be moved. A chain was wrapped around the rock, or even a stump to be pulled out, and large gears on the cart easily cranked it off the ground. The cart was moved to wherever the rock or stump was to go, and promptly unloaded. Farmers were constantly building new roads and repairing existing ones. Jasper Ayers mentions in one of his diaries that he had to work on the road and pull stumps. In the winter, all able-bodied men were expected to shovel out or break a path through their section of road.

Besides building and maintaining roads, the farmers had to build many bridges across the various streams in the region. The type of bridge they built depended on the size of the stream to be crossed. Long covered bridges were built across the Little River, Bryant Brook, and Cotton Brook. Later, two iron bridges v.:ere built, one across the gorge above the fa11s near the RaJldal1 and Rober+..s sawmil! (Site #71), and the other across the lower end of Cotton Brook. Remains of the latter can still be seen when the water in the reservoir is low.

Roads like those going into the Woodward Hill, Ricker Mountain, and Cotton Brook areas crossed many small streams, and stone culverts were built across these to serve the purpose. A large capstone or two would be used for the top, and other sizeable stones served to hold it up on either side. Stone culverts were generally built to last for many years, and examples of them still exist in all but the River Road area. Unfortunately, these bridges, culverts, and roads were constantly being washed out during floods or after torrential downpours, and the local residents seemed to be forever repairing or rebuilding them. Time spent doing this would definitely not be considered the "good old days!'

In those times, conveyances of travel were at the complete mercy of the weather and resultant road conditions. When heavy snows plugged up the roads, no town-owned machine came to clear them. It was up to the residents of each district to break open their roads if they wanted to get down to Waterbury Village (called the "Street" back then) or even down to a neighbor. Some of the residents remember seeing the Town of Waterbury roll the roads in the early 1900's, much to the delight of the children, who would then use them for some excellent sledding.

35

-

I i

I I '

I I I ' I !

I I. i ' I l I I l

I I I

I 1

I I

I ' I f ,. I ' I I I I I

I I ' I ' I I I

I I I

I I

I I I

' ~. ' I' I I

A westerly view of the Hedgehog Hill Road as it heads to farms farther up the road. This is the way most hill roads looked then.

A view taken south of the present dam in the early 1920's looking north up the Little River Road. This area looks much the same today.

34

I I I

I I l

I I

I

I I I ! I

I I '

I

School activities were obviously not as well scheduled as today. An 1888 diary found in a Little River house contained the following entries: May 7- School begun; July 16 -The teacher came to board; December 3- school begun.' The two schools in the Cotton Brook area (Districts #6 and #18) were said to have had the two Lyon sisters, Martha and Mary, as teachers sometime in the late 1870's. Many daughters, and even a few sons of the regions's early settlers, taught school in these districts at one time or another, sometimes at the tender age of 16. A true story is told about a boy around that age who went to one of the schools in the region. He had been attending school for a few years, and that particular year, his school had a new teacher. When he discovered that he was the same age as she was, he promptly fell in love with her and ended up marrying her after school was over. It would be highly unlikely for this to happen in today's elementary schools, but in the 1800's it was not that uncommon an occurrence.

Schools in the region were, at times, filled with children having the same last name. This interesting situation occurred when fathers and sons, brothers, and cousins came to the region together and settled near each other. They would raise large families, and their children in tum had families themselves. Some notable examples of this were the Ayers brothers, Jerry and Jasper; the Ricker brothers, Joseph, I and Gideon, I; Richard and Daniel Demeritt, who were close relatives; and the many Woodwards who were related to each other. For quite a span of years, the Ricker Mountain and Little River schools must have been filled with Ayers'and Rickers, the Cotton Brook schools with Demeritts, and the Woodward Hill School with Woodwards. Some schools in the region would temporarily close now and then for lack of pupils, and would reopen when a family with many children settled in. When this happened, the teacher would find her school filled mostly with children from one family, and if she happened to board with them besides, she may have found herself a willing (or maybe unwilling) member of the family. Such occurrences would not be possible in the educational systems of today, but situations like this, and the one in the preceding paragraph, made life interesting back then.

One by one, the various district schools in the region shut down for lack of pupils. The first to close was the Upper Cotton Brook School, and the last one to operate during the final years of settlement was the Little River School, which opened first. In this case, the biblical saying: "The first shall be last," indeed came true. With the closing of this school in 1935, over a hundred years of teaching the "three.R's" to children of the Little River Region came to a quiet and dignified end.

1 Pauline Moody, "Little River," Vermont Quarterly, (October 1949), p.98.

33

A view towards Moscow from a hill above the George Randall Farm (Site #67) in 1928. This shows what the River Road Area just north of the dam looked like before 1936. The Little River School was located across the road from the last farm in the background.

A view looking south from a hill above the George Randall Farm. The road passes through the Randall and Roberts Sawmill settlement at left of center as it winds its way towards Waterbury.

32

SCHOOLS

Each town in Vermont was divided into districts, and each district was responsible for building and maintaining its own roads and schools, as well as providing room and board for the teacher. Birth records were kept in each district by an appointed squire. The area covered by the Little River Historical Map involved five such school districts: #18 (Upper Cotton Brook), #6 (Lower Cotton Brook), #10 (Ricker Mountain), #9 (Little River) and #13 (Woodward Hill). District #9 was said to be the first to have a schoolhouse. In some old school records, #18 was listed as Cotton Brook and #6 as Eddy.

In the mid 1800's, it appears that only two terms of school were held in the region, a winter one and a summer one, together lasting around 24 weeks. In the late 1800's, there were three terms of school per year, each lasting from eight to 12 weeks, for a total of around 30 weeks. These were usually referred to as the spring, fall, and winter terms. During that time, schools with fewer pupils (or "scholars" as they were called then) had only two terms at times. Occasionally, a school with only a handful of students might have only one term. School terms began any time the district decided, and town records show them beginning in practically every month of the year. Pupils who went to school for only one term were probably envied by other children who disliked school and had to go for a longer time, and pitied by the ones who couldn't get enough of it. Some teachers were especially kind to their pupils and even gave them food at times. Children from very poor families who were fortunate enough to have one of these teachers were reluctant to go when the school day was over.

From the early 1800's to Civil War times, schooling was rudimentary and often subservient to the more basic needs of feeding the family. Boys big enough to work attended school primarily during the winter months when there was much less work to do. As time went on, boys, regardless of size, would attend spring and fall terms too, provided they weren't urgently needed at home. Girls generally attended school whenever it was held, and only extreme necessity kept them away. Children were allowed to stay home during the worst of "mud time," and the teacher would adjust her schedule accordingly.

Children weren't the only ones to attend the little schools. Parents also came now and then in order to gain some extra knowledge or check up on the teacher or their children. Even older brothers and sisters and grandparents came now and then. Although there were high schools in many towns in the 1800's, very few children living in remote areas were able to attend them, primarily because of economic hardship and lack of transportation. This changed in the early 1900's, when many more "country" children were able to attend these schools and gain the benefits of a higher education.

Walking, or "shanks mare" as it was known, was the principal method of getting to school, even when the distance was great. A "ride to school" was seldom provided by the individual districts in the early days, but in winter when the snow got too deep, children were sometimes transported. Terrible snowstorms struck the region at various times. Some who lived in the Ricker Mountain area tell of having to walk on top of stone walls to find their way to school or home. Some in the Cotton Brook area tell of an older brother having to break a trail ahead of the little ones in order to get them home safely. Jackson Ricker drew the tots to the Little River School in his ox-drawn sled, and in later years, Charles Ricker did the same with an old bus. Sometimes, an enterprising pupil would transport some far-distant children to school with a horse and buggy or sleigh, and another would get appointed "janitor," which meant coming to school early to start the fire or do other chores. In either case, these children could earn some money for themselves, or even their families, if times were hard.

31

I I I

I

I I I I I '

i I

I

i I I I !I· I

I I I

I il-. [ I I ii ' ' i

The Lower Cotton Brook School (Site #32A) in the early 1920's. This small school served many generations of Cotton Brook residents.

' .... ~. . '

••

The Ricker Mountain School (Site# 21A) in the early 1920's. This school opened and closed many times during its long history.

30

I

I.

I I I

I I I I I I

I I I I I I I I !

I I I ~

I ~ ~

I ,,

Many of the earliest sawmills were powered by overshot waterwheels like this one on the left. The drawing on the right shows one way a turbine could be installed to run a sawmill. Notice how

much gearing is involved in the process.

Lane Monitor Water-Wheels were used extensively in the region. Lane products were made in Montpelier, Vermont by Lane, Pitkin, and Brock which later became the Lane Manufacturing Co.

27

I I

I I

I I

I l I

I ,.

I I I I l I I •

I I

The Randall and Roberts Sawmill (Site #71) in 1899, showing a horse­drawn lumber cart loaded with finished beams in the foreground. This was a water-powered sawmill that used a circular saw.

A good example of a steam-powered sawmill that used a circular saw. This is believed to be the sawmill that was in use in the early 1900's at Site #8, and it's not known who owned or operated it.

26

EARLY SA WMILLING

The Little River was harnessed early as a source of industrial power. In 1796, Josiah Hurlburt built a saw and grist mill on the upper reaches of the river in the lower Village of Stowe. In 1822, Alexander Seaver built a sawmill and iron foundry farther down the river in Stowe. This convenient waterfall site eventually became the village of Moscow. In all probability, the first sawmill run by waterpower in the area covered by the Little River historical map was the one built in the 1820's at the base of a 25-foot waterfall on Little River. This location (Site #71) is where George Randall, I and Luke Roberts once operated a sawmill. The site is now buried under the dam.

These early .sawmills were small, and barely made a dent in the local timber supply. They were all powered by water and used an up-and-down sawblade, a heavy blade that moved in a vertical fashion while being supported inside a framework. This type of sawing was very slow, so slow that other chores could be done while each board was being cut. The machinery was a product of old-time ingenuity and generally made from the more dense species of wood. Since it took only one or two men to operate an up-and-down mill, the owner could make a modest living. When the faster, more

·more efficient circular saw came along in the mid 1800's, most small sawmills quickly adopted it.

Two of the best-known, small, up-and-down sawmills in the region were the Jerry Ayers Sawmill (Site #3A) on Bryant Brook, run by Jerry Ayers for 25 years, and the David Lord Sawmill (Site #35A) on Cotton Brook, which was run at one time by Jerry's brother, Jasper, for six years. The brothers helped each other in both mills, and this arrangement enabled them to survive for a longer period of time. Most farmers in those days cut their own logs for constructing and repairing farm buildings, so custom sawing was an important service. Jasper charged $2.50 per thousand for softwood logs, and $3.00 if sawing 112 inch stock. Hardwood logs went through his upright saw much slower, so he charged $3.00 to $4.00 per thousand to custom saw them. Small mills such as these could only operate when there was sufficient water in the. brook to fill the small pond behind the dam, and keep the water turbine turning. Because of this, they were sometimes referred to as "thunderstorm mills." More on the operation of these two mills can be found under the sites named above, and Jasper Ayers described some of the business transactions and day-to-day affairs of the Lord's mill in his diary.

If he had enough logs on hand, the mill owner would count on fall rains to provide sufficient water to keep his sawmill running, even into the wintertime when the water wheel or turbine would freeze. Winter meant a time for mill repairs, possibly a new gig shaft and gig wheel, a track replacement under the log carriage, or new cogs in the rag wheel shaft. Some mill equipment sure had strange­sounding names! The small sawmills that had been so important to the earlier settlers were eventually abandoned as the bigger, more efficient steam-powered mills came on the scene.

Lumber values of the 1860's can be appreciated by noting the prices received by Jasper Ayers for rough lumber (prices per thousand board feet).

Spruce boards Clear spruce Spruce casing Hemlock boards Hemlock common boards Poor hemlock boards

$ 6.50 $10.00 $ 6.00 $ 5.00 $ 4.50

$ 3. 00

25

Floor Hardwood Ash plank Basswood Basswood boards

$10.00 $10.00 $10.00 $ 8.00 $10.00

Slabwood $ .50-$1.00 per cord, delivered.

A gasoline-powered Lombard Hauler used by C. E & F. 0. Burt Co. to haul logs from Cotton Brook to their large sawmill in Stowe during the 1920's. This type of tractor had the ability to haul many loaded traverse sleds hooked together, saving time and effort.

An "up-and-down" sawmill showing the carriage and saw frame. Though very slow in operation, the earliest sawmills were usually of this variety since they were relatively easy to build and run.

24

I r

I ! I I i I

I r I . I

I i l I

I I

I I I

i I ~

I ~ j

! -J f

Commercial lumbering on a bigger scale began after the tum of the century with the establishment of large, steam-powered sawmills (Site #'s 8, 43, and 53), and improved methods oflog hauling. In the 1920's, the C. E. and F. 0. Burt Company of Stowe logged off the Howard Shaw property beyond the end of the Cotton Brook Road. They loaded the logs onto horse-drawn traverse sleds and drew them down the Cotton Brook Road to the River Road where they reloaded them onto larger tractor sleds. Each of these sleds had a carrying capacity of 2 1/2 thousand board feet, and after several of them were hooked together, they were pulled seven miles to Burt's mill in Stowe by a gasoline-powered machine called the Lombard Hauler. This powerful tractor had skies on the front and long cleat-tracks on the back that supplied excellent traction in any kind of winter weather.

A man named Stevens, who operated a foundry in Essex Junction, reportedly owned a large piece of property in the region. He had loggers cut spruce from it and draw the logs to the Randall and Roberts Sawmill. There they were sawed into lumber and shipped to his foundry for use as crating.

Patrick Herbert (Site # 15) did considerable Jogging in the area in addition to his farming, and purchased many softwood lots with the financial help of Fred Smith. He sledded the Jogs up the Little River Road to Smith's buttertub and butterbox mills in Moscow. It was a common sight in the early 1900's to see large wagonloads ofbuttertubs travelling down the Little River Road toward Waterbury to be loaded onto railroad cars. The high quality spruce found in these old growth forests sometimes yielded five or six Jogs per tree and produced excellent butt logs for clapboard manufacture. An exceptionally tall spruce tree was once cut on top of Hedgehog Hill and drawn all the way to Essex Junction with a pair of horses for use as a flag pole.

Logging activities around the time of the First World War and the decade after, removed what was left of the "old growth" timber. Even many of the fine old sugarbushes were cut down at this time, reflecting the newly expanding market for maple lumber. Today, there's a fine stand of second growth hardwood in the region, with a much smaller percentage of spruce evident. Some of the stands have been partially cut three of four times and are still in thrifty condition due to proper forest management. Also noteworthy, are the natural stands of young trees now growing on sites where the hard-working farmers ofthe Ricker Mountain area had once planted, mowed, and eked out a Jiving.

23

I

I '· I I I .

I I I . ' I j

I I ' I I

I I ' ' [ L I I I I 1

! ~ ,,

I

II .

I

' ' ~ li li

Bobsledding with a yoke of oxen. Note that oxen were harnessed differently than horses were. Though oxen were slower, they could pull large loads through deep snow easier than horses.

A team of horses hauling a loaded traverse sled to a nearby sawmill. Horses were faster than oxen, and were used for hauling logs long distances over travelled roads.

22

LOGGING HISTORY

Logging played a major part in the lives of the region's inhabitants, as it did in all farming communities nestled among forested hills. At ftrst, the timbered slopes that weren't cleared for pasture provided a livelihood for farmers and other seasonal laborers during the winter months. Later, the heavily forested areas provided the resources for large-scale lumbering and sawmilling activities that brought many changes to the Little River Region.

Most of the farms had logging roads which traversed the back pastures and led into wooded areas beyond. These woodlots were usually large enough to supply the farmhouse with plenty .of wood for the winter, and the farmer with additional income from Jogging. A woods laborer, using only an axe at times, would receive $ . 75 per cord to chop and pile cord wood.

Extensive logging roads reached westerly from the Jasper Ayers Farm (Site #17), and the David Austin Farm (Site #9), to enable the vast area along the upper slopes of Ricker Mountain and Woodward Hill to be logged. One such road went from the Daniel Blush Farm (Site #10) to Camp #4 (Site #lOA) of the Waterbury Last Block Company. The long logging road that went westerly from the upper end of the Cotton Brook Road, tapped a vast, heavily timbered area, and serviced at least one large logging camp, and perhaps other smaller ones.

Logging in the early days was done mostly during the winter months, because it was much easier to haul the sleds over the snow. Logs would be skidded from the stump to openings along the sled roads, either by dragging a single log with horses or oxen, or by "bobbing." The bobsled was a single sled that held the front end of the log up on a bunk, and allowed the rear end to drag on the ground. At landing points along the sled roads, the logs were loaded onto a larger sled with two sets of runners called a "traverse sled." The traverse sled could carry a large load, possibly 600 to 700 board feet of logs. Pulled by one or two teams, it took the logs down the mountain to a nearby sawmill. A traverse sled with iron pins and a set of runners cost about $20.00 to build. There were also one horse traverse sleds, and one of these, made in 1870, well built and shod with steel, brought the maker $35.00.

Sometimes the logs on a traverse sled would not be taken allthe way to the sawmill, but instead, unloaded and piled in an open field, awaiting a time when some local far-mer}s team was not busy and could haul them the rest of the way to the mill. In this manner, some logs were loaded onto sleds three times before they finally reached the sawmill.

In the 1860's, before the days of heavy lumbering, timber prices were understandably low. Stumpage would vary from $ .60 to $1.50 per thousand board feet, and logs delivered to the mill brought $2.50 per thousand for hemlock or birch, $2.90 for spruce, and up to $5.00 per thousand for high quality basswood Jogs. Basswood was preferred for many uses by both artisan and farmer because of its workability. In the early 1900's, an average load of logs was worth around $7.00 to $8.00 per thousand board feet at the sawmill.

Spruce was the species used most in this area, and those trees suitable for making framing timbers demanded premium prices. Stumpage values for rafter logs in the mid 1860's averaged around $2.00 per thousand board feet. If bought by the stick, prices ranged from $ .05 for a ten-foot Jog suitable for hewing a seven-inch by seven-inch beam, to as high as $ .40 for a forty-foot log suitable for hewing an eight-inch by eight-inch beam. These were the times when a man and his team of oxen hired out on a log job for $2.00 per day. An ox yoke cost the teamster $1.25, and a cross cut saw, $5.00. It was definitely not a path to riches for the average farmer.

21

I I

I I

I '

I !

I I

I I I l

I I i ! I

I I J.

Lunchtime for Patrick Herbert's logging CI"ew on Ricker Mountain. Logging provided much needed income for the hard-pressed farmei"S, and CI"ews such as this wei"e active in the I"egion from earliest times.

A yoke of cattle pulling a loaded log sled out of the woods.

20

I '

I I I

I ! ' 1 !

I I ! . ~ I 1

f l I I ~--1 ~ I I ~

The chapel that served the CCC camps. The house on the Dennis Downing Farm (Site #75), which can be seen to the far right of the chapel, served as an office or living quarters.

The pumphouse and small dam that provided water for the CCC camps. It was located on a hill overlooking the camp area.

43

The first survey of the actual damsite done in February 1935. The Randall and Roberts Sawmill can be seen just behind the man in the middle.

The north plateau of CCC camps located just south of the present dam. The camps of the south plateau were farther down the road towards Waterbury. Together they comprised a small city.

42

THE BillLDING OF WATERBURY DAM

Sometime in the early 1920's, the Green Mountain Power Company investigated the possibility of constructing an electric power dam somewhere in the narrow part of the Little River valley. They began purchasing lands in the region, and the first one to sell was Herb Pike, who sold the Gideon Ricker Farm (Site #29) in December, 1921.

Their ambitious plans were rudely interrupted, however, when nature intervened with the terribly destructive flood of 1927, forcing a decision that completely changed the face of the Little River Region. On November 3 and 4, 1927, the New England area was visited by the most devastating torrential downpour of modern recorded history, which totally paralyzed Vermont. In the Winooski Valley alone, 55 persons lost their lives, and property damage was estimated at $13,500,000----il huge sum for those days.

To hopefully prevent the recurrence of such a catastrophe, the United States Engineering Department surveyed the region soon after the flood, and proposed plans for flood control and power development for several streams in Vermont, including the Winooski and the Little River. Of all the rivers in Vermont, the Winooski received the most comprehensive plan. Because of its history of frequent flooding and subsequent loss of life and property, seven earth fill dams were proposed for this river and its tributaries.

At that time, there were no funds available to begin construction, and nothing was done about these projects until early in the summer of 1933, when the Engineering Department was asked if it could use about 5,000 men from the newly formed Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). Since the surveys and plans had been completed in 1928, it was possible to put these men to work immediately on flood control projects in the Winooski Valley.

The first projects completed were the earthen dams at East Barre and Wrightsville, plus the completion of the Montpelier Clothespin Dam, a dam with adjustable gates in the City of Montpelier. This dam replaced an old timber crib dam which had been a serious river obstruction. It was at the dedication of this last dam that Governor Wilson formally requested the director of Emergency Conservation Work, Robert Fechner, to make the CCC available for the construction of the Little River Dam. President Roosevelt gave his approval to the request on condition that the State of Vermont acquire the large flowage area, and shortly afterwards the State authorized its Public Works Board to obtain the land. The State acquired about 10,000 acres, which came primarily from the Green Mountain Power Company, who had been accumulating the land so they could build their own power dam.

The first sign of activity along the Little River was in April 1934, when CCC men from Camp Mead in Middlesex moved in and began to break ground for a large camp. Trees and brush began to disappear on the abandoned farm lands along the Little River. As other dam projects were completed, more men were moved in, and by the end of November 1934, 13 CCC companies of experienced engineers were at work clearing the flowage area.

The formal opening of this huge project was celebrated in a big way on June 1, 1935, and a large throng was on hand to witness the ceremony. Director Robert Fechner and Vermont Governor Charles M. Smith turned the first soil of the Little River valley with silver spades. Camp Smith, named after the Governor, was built on the flat above the old Downing place (Site #75), and was capable of housing 2,500 men. Over 100 buildings sprang up, providing all the necessities for camp

41

THE FINAL YEARS OF SETTLEMENT

With the decline of small subsistence farming around the end of the 19th Century, and the exodus of farmers from hilltop farms in most parts of Vermont, the foothills of Ricker Mountain were soon to see a big change. They were losing their inhabitants and the well groomed look the little farms had given them. Some stragglers stayed on, but their unkept and unproductive farms were dying a slow and painful death.

The first area in the region to be vacated was the Cotton Brook area. Farming was not as easy on this steep land as it was in the next valley to the South or down along the Little River, and most of the residents had left the area by the tum of the century. Even though much of the farmland was still being used as remote pasture, only a few people still resided here by the time World War I began.

Outside of the Daniel Demeritt Farm (Site #34) near the mouth of Cotton Brook, the Frank Ladd Farm (Site #42) was the last one to be actively farmed up in this valley. When large-scale lumbering commenced, some of the houses were used as camps by lumbermen operating in the area. When the large flood control dam was begun in 1935, the Daniel Demeritt Farm was the only one still in use.

The farms in the River Road, Ricker Mountain, and Woodward Hill areas continued to operate for a few years longer. There was a mildflurry of activity on Woodward Hill in 1907, when a good granite deposit was discovered on the properties of George Randall, I and Thomas Devine. Samples were taken, but no commercial activity ever resulted. Even the farms along the rich and level lands bordering the Little River began to diminish after the First World War. A watery grave was soon to be the fate for these once-productive farms.

Many of the old farmhouses and barns had been tom down prior to World War I. In most cases, those that remained were in rather poor condition. They made good deer hunting camps, however, and were often used as such by either descendants of the previous owners, or others who simply "occupied" them. Fred Smith's mill in Moscow would shut down at the beginning of deer season, and some of the crew would head for their camp on Ricker Mountain, first using the house at the Patrick Kelty Farm (Site #22), and later the house on the Almeron Goodell Farm (Site #14), which still stands.

They had foresight enough to keep an old truck at the Goodell camp, so when the valley filled with water and the roads were closed off, they were able to drive from the boat landing to the camp, and travel the old, abandoned roads at will. Skulduggery was soon to end their fun, however. While the camp owners were visiting Waterbury Center for supplies one day, a gang of envious hunters made their way to the boat landing and pushed the old truck into the reservoir, leaving it there to "rust in peace." Easy come, and easy go!

40

I I

THE STORY OF GEORGE RANDALL, I

There weren't many residents of the Little River Region who went on to achieve su=ss and wealth in the bigger world outside. Since George W. Randall, I stood out in this category and figures so prominently in the history of the region, his story bears telling.

George I was the son of Oliver C. Randall, and the grandson of William Randall, I. William I was the first Randall to settle in the region. He was a cooper from Moultonboro, New Hampshire, and is reported to have fled his debts there and travelled to Canada. He refused to swear allegiance to the British, and when the Indians burned his Canadian home, he fled across the border and down to Waterbury where he leased some land on the south side of Ricker Mountain at Site #21 in 1815. He also owned Site #25 where George Randall, I was born on September 18, 1825.

A story was told that as a young boy, George became lost in a snowstorm and burrowed into a snowdrift, where he managed to stay alive until someone found him. When he was 16, he took up the trade of blacksmithing. After being ldcked by a horse, however, he gave up that line of work and was said to have taught school on Ricker Mountain for a while. At 24, he went to California to take part in the gold rush of 1849, and came back with a bundle of money (some said $5,000, others even more) and some said he obtained it by questionable means, but it staked him to a good start as a successful Vermont farmer. He went out West again in 1853, but failed to succeed that time.

George owned some prime agricultural land, including a fine section in the center of Waterbury Village, where a street is now named for him. He had as much as 700 to 800 acres under cultivation, and was a breeder of cattle and horses. He also owned considerable timberland, in excess of 3,000 acres, located mostly in the Ricker Mountain and Cotton Brook areas, and owned and operated a sawmill on the Little River (Site #71) for many years.

As time went on, he purchased many of the farms in the Little River Region, then leased them out on "shares" or "halves" to anyone brave enough to try and scratch out a living. In this arrangement, he had his herdsmen take a great many cows, which he wintered in his large barn in Waterbury Village, drive them up the Little River Road in the springtime, and distribute them to his farms along the way. A humorous story concerning one of these springtime cattle drives relates how, on one occasion, George stopped to inquire from his two herdsmen how many cows they had left at tJ'ie Robinson Farm. It was late in the day and the men, as was the habit of some, had consumed so much hard drink they were unable to think straight. Their reply to Randall was that a pair of oxen had gotten mixed into the herd and thus they weren't able to count them!

As his farmers produced milk, they sent it to the creamery to be processed. Instead of sending the milk check to the farmers, the creamery would send it directly to Randall. After deducting half the grain bill and paying any other necessary expenses, he split the profit with his farmers on a 50/50 basis. In addition, he required them to give him half of all field crops and produce they grew on the farm, including maple sugar or syrup, and to pay half the property tax besides. He also expected them to do their own repairs on these farms, which by then were probably in deplorable shape. Given these overly one-sided terms and the generally poor growing conditions on mountain land, many of his struggling farmers were unable to make a go of it and left his farms to seek greener pastures.

George W. Randall eventually sold his numerous holdings in the region, most of them going to the predecessors of the Green Mountain Power Company who wanted to build their own dam for power generation. George had a son, George W. Randall, II, who apparently didn't handle the financial affairs of the family as well as his father had, and the family fortunes soon dwindled.

39

George Randall, I, who at various times, owned many of the region's farms and much of the woodland.

38

I I

I

I I !

I

I I I l

I I j I I I ,, I

I I. I ! ! " ~ .. ~

I I ~ ~. ~

The daily stage travelled the main roads and always made an effort to run. In a winter with fluctuating freezing and thawing, the stage would continually switch over between runners and wheels. A mild winter could really make for difficult travelling. The winter of 1889-1890 was one of the mildest ever known in the region with never more than three or four inches of snow on the ground and only two days when the temperature reached -12°. There were reportedly no occasions of sleighing over two days at a time, so that meant a lot of sloppy travelling in muddy ruts.

A cutter (one-horse sleigh) with bells cost about $75.00, and a fancy robe for the proud traveller as much as $17.00. No doubt the Ricker Mountain residents appreciated a winter of steady cold weather that allowed them an easy glide down the steep roads to visit a neighbor, and possibly show off a prize horse. The one-horse lumber wagon, a common vehicle on all the farms for general freight use, cost $45.00 in the 1870's.

In 1897, an electric railway, called the Mount Mansfield Electric Railroad, was built from Waterbury to Stowe. When plans were being made for its construction, one of the proposed routes was along the Little River Road. This route claimed to offer the advantage of electric power generation along the path, but the route eventually chosen was the one through Waterbury Center. The railroad opened for business on December 18, 1897, and did well for many years. The advent of the automobile and the effects of the Great Depression took their toll however, and the little railroad was forced to shut down. With much fanfare and sadness, the company announced that on May 2, 1932, it would offer free rides to one and all, and at the end of the day it would close for good. Many took their final ride that day, and the Mount Mansfield Electric Railroad took its final ride into the pages of history, never to run again.

As time progressed, the town of Waterbury gradually took over the care of the roads in the region, and in the 1920's, horse-drawn road graders were seen scraping the main roads. By the time the dam was begun, trucks and gasoline powered equipment had taken over for good.

37

What the view looked like from just above the Randall and Roberts Sawmill looking towards Moscow. The barns at the George Randall Farm are seen in the background.

An old stone culvert on the Hedgehog Hill Road. This one is in excellent condition and shows how the residents of those days built things to last.

36

I t

I I.

I I I I

I I I

I

Dragline excavation of the damsite. This was one of the early steps in the long process of building the dam.

A view from the western end of the damsite looking north up the Little River Road. Notice the long line of trucks snaking their way up the road to unload fill on the dam.

44

:.:-'-it,.

E~-

life such as barracks, stores, a chapel, a library, a hospital, and a movie theater. What a drastic change was suddenly being imposed on this quiet valley of sagging old farmhouses and abandoned farm lands.

Over 2,000 men worked vigorously through the adverse winter conditions of 1935-1936, and on June 27, 1936, water began to gush through the 900-foot-Iong concrete diversion conduit. No longer would the waters of Little River rush down through the narrow little gorge, where for generations it had turned the water turbines of the Randall and Roberts Sawmill. Now the beautiful falls would soon be covered with thousands of tons of earth fill.

Day and night through the summer of 1936, about 160 trucks, with a large complement of bulldozers and power shovels, worked around the clock, gouging out the valley bottom and depositing their loads of fill on the ever rising dam. About 20,000 cubic yards of earth fill were deposited daily over the top of what had once been the Little River sawmill settlement. On August 1 of that year, President Roosevelt was numbered among the large crowd of visitors that viewed the unbelievable scene each day from the observation terrace on a hill at the west end of the dam.

The 2, 130-foot-long dam was constructed of rolled earth fill, each layer spread and rolled before the next was dumped on. The dam is 175 feet high with a maximum width of 900 feet. Borrow pits up along the valley provided the needed 2,200,000 cubic yards of selected materials, including 490,000 cubic yards of clay for the core. A layer of gravel was placed on all surfaces and topped with a heavy rock fill. The stone rip-rap on the face was hand placed, a tedious and back-breaking job.

To provide protection for the earth embankment in case of a large flood, a spillway of reinforced concrete 252 feet long and 15 feet high was constructed at the end of the dam. The normal water level of the reservoir (conservation pool elevation) is 592 feet above sea level, and at this level the reservoir has a surface area of 1,600 acres. When the water is at the spillway crest (625 feet above sea level), it forms a lake about six miles long up the Little River valley. The water line of the reservoir at 625 feet above sea level is indicated on the historical map to show how much of the former settlement area along the Little River is now inundated.

The dam was completed in 1938 and formally delivered to the State of Vermont on October 19 of that year. There was still a large area of state-owned land not under water, and State Forester Perry

· Merrill suggested to Vermont Governor George Aiken that this area be turned over to the Vermont Forest Service. This arrangement was consummated on May 15, 1939, and the 9,100 acre tract drained by Bryant and Cotton Brooks became part of the Mount Mansfield State Forest.

ACTIVITY AFTER THE DAM

The Camp Smith buildings were used as a National Youth Administration School for a short while after the dam was completed, and youths were trained here in machinist and radio skills. Today, only a few stone chimneys remain as reminders of the sprawling camp that once housed the hard-working members of the CCC.

After the reservoir was built, the State considered building a new road up the west side of the valley above the new waterline. The idea was discarded, however, and as a result, this area has remained remote forest land, excluded from those who travel only by car; a mini-wilderness reclaimed from the agricultural community of yesteryear.

In 1954, a road coming in from the northern end of the valley was built along Cotton Brook for logging purposes and state lands maintenance only, and no pubic automotive travel is allowed on it. Logging activities have been conducted periodically throughout the region since it became a state forest, testifying to the fact that trees are a renewable and remarkable resource. Trees have been recently harvested on the very soil that was once plowed back in the late 1800's.

A power plant capable of generating 15 million kilowatt hours yearly was added to the dam in 1956. In 1962, a State Park was built within the State Forest, on an area that had once been a hill overlooking the now-inundated Martin Barber Farm (Site #64). This area is known as the South Camping Loop. In 1976, another camping area known as the North Camping Loop was created. Each area contains a beach and many camping sites, some with leantos and others for tents. The area from Site #3 through Site #31 has been preserved and one can walk the old roads and see the remains of these places as they look today.

The Little River Region that once played a very important part in the lives of hundreds of people has now changed completely. With the exception of Almeron Goodell's house (Site #14) north of the dam, and Garry Crossett's house (Site #77) south of the dam, the buildings on all sites covered in this book were either destroyed or moved to new locations. Generations have come and gone since the first settlers arrived here and cleared much of the land of trees. Now the cycle completes itself as these agricultural lands slowly revert to the forest lands they once were. It's difficult to imagine that the woods one sees today were once some farmer's open pasture.

If you walk the still-existing horse carriage roads and farm lanes and look carefully here and there, you can still see foundations that supported a house; bam, or shed; a well that still has water in it; a lane between two stone walls where cows walked out to pasture; a few remaining lilac bushes where some farm wife had her flower garden; some diseased apple trees scattered here and there where an apple orchard stood; and a few aged maple trees that had been part of a productive sugarbush. By reading this book and studying the historical map, one can relive a way of life that exists today only in the pages of history books, and in stories the "old timers" tell.

49

. _f

l

I I I ' i I

i I

1

~

I I f I I l ! ~ I

~ ~ I I ~ !

I I I

I I I I I I I ~ l I

I I I

' ' I ~

I I I

I [

! ' I 1.

I

I I I I ~