Trip 16 - Waterville

Taking advantage of a not-rainy window, we piled into my new Ford Escape hybrid for a quick 251 Club excursion.

We need to do this more often so the Dogz get into the habit of cooperating when I'm taking the picture.

Actually, Mex and Kayla are well-behaved when I'm setting up, but they can't seem to get settled for the shot itself.  I think it's because we're moving fast to beat the timer, so they think we're going to run and play.  Regardless, as you can see in the photo we went to Waterville (history, demographics):

Waterville was created out of three parcels: Coits Gore, Belvidere Leg and part of Bakersfield. The town contains a little more than 10,000 acres, being essentially the valley through which the North Branch of the Lamoille River flows. Probably the town was given its name because the river was the most important feature, in the same way that Brookline was named in 1794.

The legislative records give the reason for the establishment of Waterville as a separate town: "It appears to this assembly that it is inconvenient for the inhabitants of the southeast corner of Bakersfield, and that part of Belvidere called the 'Leg' to attend town meetings and transact town business in their respective towns, and that Coits Gore ought to be incorporated and form a part of a new town...." The inconvenience was the hills and mountains that effectively blocked communication from east to west, as it has been elsewhere in Vermont, be it within a town, a county or the state as a whole.

The records of the Governor and Council show that Coits Gore was also called Williamsburgh, part of a grant that had been made to Vermont's second Surveyor General, James Whitelaw, James Savage and William Coit. It was the latter's first name that inspired the Williamsburgh name. Another part of the grant was first known as St. Andrews Gore, then became Plainfield.

James Savage and William Coit were surveyors who worked with General Whitelaw for the state; and their grant was given to them in lieu of back salary, as were grants to Tom Chittenden, Ira Allen, and some of the other founding fathers of the Vermont republic.

One of my best friends in elementary school lived in Waterville, OH.  And I went to college in Waterville, ME.  Hmm...

The meeting house.

The Dogz accosted this lovely woman and her little girl, so I was mortified

She was very nice and understanding, and we chatted about the 251 Club.  She asked what was the most beautiful town I'd seen thus far.  I thought, "this one because you're here."  Since that might've been rather forward, I ended up telling her about Granville instead.

A little footbridge in the town green spanning a brook.

On the way back out of town.

These cows found barking dogz to be fascinating.

Not in Waterville, but something we saw in Fletcher on the way home:

We were asked to stop as this dumb cow was crossing River Road--the farmers had just extricated her from mud on the other side.

And now the clouds are really rolling in.  Looks to be a wet coupla days in God's Country...

ntodd

Comments

[ina]

Thanks for the lovely photos of your lovely state.

[Lesley]

It's picture postcard perfect. Nice to know such places still exist.

[Nancy]

Lovely indeed.

[Bill]

You've really got some nice photos. I'd like to feature you on Vermonter.com if that's ok. Please let me know. Thanks!