Our Vermont Travelblog

Trip 22 - Isle La Motte

Long time since our last trip, and this was our first with Sits In Utero weighing Baby Momma down.

Haha, we're going for arideinthecar and you're not!

Trip 21 - Derby

3 dogz?  Not so bad to control in general, 'cept for when trying to get them to settle for a picture.

On our way to the Fortress this morning we decided to detour a bit north to Derby (history, demographics):

It was not until 1788 that Derby was actually chartered, the document back-dated to when the grant was made by the Legislature to Timothy Andrews (sometimes Andrus in early records) and 59 others.

Himself a carpenter by trade and a land speculator on a big scale in both Vermont and Connecticut, Andrews came from a prominent Connecticut family which produced a number of clergymen, educators and statesmen. He was involved in the charters for a half-dozen towns near the Canadian border, including East Haven, which was named for his home in Connecticut. He died in Vermont 1789, never having taken any advantage from his Vermont holdings.

Some of the earliest proprietors' meetings took place in Derby, Connecticut, so it is quite certain that town provided the name for the new Vermont venture. In turn, Derbyshire, England provided the name for the Connecticut town. An authority on English place-names says Derby originally meant "homestead frequented by wild animals."

Neat, eh?

The Haskell Opera House. The audience sits in the US and watches a performance in Canada.

Lady parked her truck behind us in the Canadarian territory, asked us something in French (we gave Gallic shrugs) and walked across the border into the building with her little girl (presumably for story hour). 

Neppy apologizes for any international ill will: he crapped on Canada.

ntodd

PS--New official blog pic coming...

Trip 20 - Guildhall And Lunenburg

This is Ericka's last visit as a barbarian from the hinterlands--next 251 Club trip she'll be a resident of Vermont (though, like me, she'll always be a flatlander according to Vermont natives)!

Just before heading out, a flock of Canada geese came over to the pond for a flyby.

Trip 19 - Marshfield And Irasburg

I'm stretching the concept of The Trip Singularity a bit since today's post is about 2 towns on 2 separate days, but this is the inaugural 251 Club event with Ericka (sans Neptune this one time) and it's during one of her visits from PDX, so what the hell.

We visited Marshfield yesterday and had a little difficulty getting the Dogz back in the 251 groove what with the excitement of meeting Olive, our Guest Star.

Trip 18 - Highgate

Finally, a day with normal temps in the 70s instead of the 90s, with blue sky rather than haze.  Perfect for a 251 Club trip.

I'll be dropping the Dogz off at The Resort on Wednesday morning, so it seemed like the surrounding town was a good choice to explore today.

My god, we were spittin' distance from The Socialist Republic of Canadaria!  Somehow we survived Highgate despite the looming threat of universal healthcare (history, demographics):

A totally fanciful story about the town's name says there was once a toll road closed by a very high gate, and that people began saying they were "going to High Gate" when traveling to the area. Not even acceptable as folklore, for the area had no roads at all when Benning Wentworth named the town.

Wentworth probably had the well-known London suburb of Highgate in mind. That area did take its name from an old gatehouse which had been an important part of London's defenses, but dismantled by Wentworth's time. There are but two other Highgates in the world, both known to have been named for the London suburb: Ontario, Canada and St. Mary's Parish, Jamaica.

John Godrey Saxe was born here: lawyer, educator, newspaper editor, state's attorney, collector of customs, gubernatorial candidate, lecturer. It was, however, as a poet that he gained his greatest fame. His poems are still included in anthologies of American verse, and his story "Four Blind Men and an Elephant", the classic treatise on differing viewpoints, is one of the most successful children's picture books.

On the outskirts of town, this bridge over the Missisquoi by the Swanton Generating Station caught my eye. 

I like dams.  Never been close enough to a spillway to see that the apron controlling flow over the dam was canvas-reinforced rubber. 

You gotta fight!  For your right!  To parrrrrr...SHIT, THE COPS! 

C'mon, everybody back on the bus! 

Gulls hang out on the roof of the Highgate Sports Arena. 

Another exciting adventure comes to an end...

ntodd

Trip 17 - Wolcott

Had to run some errands and decided it was a lovely day that should have Dogz out with me enjoying it...

We tried doing this without leashes, but Kayla wanted to go visit the family fishing by the bridge, and Mex only sat in one place for about 30 femtoseconds.

We were all alone for a while, so off-leash wasn't an issue and the pups could run around.  Kayla was surprisingly not barky, but there were no MILFs around in contrast to our last trip.  Sigh. (history, demographics):

The second-named grantee, General Oliver Wolcott, was held in only slightly less esteem by Vermonters than George Washington. Son of one of Connecticut's most outstanding colonial officials, he graduated from Yale and became a noted juror in Litchfield. He later served as a Captain in the French and Indian Wars and became a Commissioner for Indian Affairs, in which role he brought about settlement of the Wyoming Valley - New York - Vermont boundary dispute. He was a member of the Continental Congress and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. During the Revolutionary War he rose to the rank of Major General, after which he served as Lieutenant Governor, then Governor of Connecticut. The Allens, the Chittendens and many other early Vermont leaders were from the Litchfield area, and they all knew and respected General Wolcott.

I've seen Fisher Bridge from the road many a time to and fro the Fortress of Solitude, and it was nice to finally get a closer look.

This is the most popular angle to shoot from, probably because it's the easiest one to catch the full bridge without bushwhacking on the other side of the footpath.

Harsh lighting made for some challenges.

Mex really wanted to walk across the bridge, but Daddy was too scared and wouldn't let him.

Some info:

Bridge Carries:       Railroad Line
Bridge Crosses:      Lamoille River
Bridge Traffic:      Railroad
Truss Type:      Town-Pratt double lattice
Year Built:      1908
Builder:      St. Johnsbury and Lamoille County Railroad
Structure Characteristics:      Length:  109'-0"
Span:  103'-0"
Width: 15'±
Tracks:  1

On our way out of town.

I should've ridden my bike today.  Of course, I could say that for most of the days this summer...

ntodd

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

Trip 15 - Berkshire

It was just a smidge over a year ago that Kayla got to enjoy her first 251 Club trip.  As it turns out, that was the last trip I'd been able to manage until today--I decided it was a lovely day and we needed to go explore the state for just a little bit.

Looking back at that trip last July, I'm amazed by just how scrawny Kayla, having been with us for not even two weeks, really was compared to Mex:

And now she dwarfs Mex in all dimensions!

Anyway, once again we hit Rt 105, then took a promising little road toward Berkshire (history, demographics):

Berkshire was one of six towns (the others being Enosburgh, Montgomery, Richford, Wyllis [now Jay] and Westfield) authorized by the legislature in the spring of 1780. Vermont was desperately looking for ways to raise money to supply her troops (the Continental Congress was disinclined to help) and the grant fees paid by those seeking land was a simple source of funds.

The petition requesting the charter flowed with admiration: "Whereas we have long been Spectators of the Struggles you have had in establishing and defending a New State on our Frontiers and being convinced of the Justice of your Cause as well as captivated with your Magnanimity and Heroism..."

How could the legislature refuse? The first man named in both the petition and the subsequent charter was William Goodrich of Stockbridge, Berkshire County, Massachussetts, a Captain in the militia which had marched to Lexington in 1775. Commissioned as a Major in 1777, his brigade was part of the Berkshire Company which helped win the Battle of Bennington. Many of the other grantees were his neighbors and most fought under him at Bennington. It is for their Massachusetts home that Berkshire is named.

Mex loves to do the Dog-in-a-Car-Window thing.  Kayla just makes herself comfy and stays out of the wind.

Katano farm, just south of Berkshire on Water Tower Road.

It's not easy controlling 2 dogz and a camera--this shot took three takes.

The church in the center of town, across the road from the clerk's office.

And this little shop rounds out "downtown."

We'll try to fit a few more trips in this summer.  Certainly won't let it go on hiatus for another year...

ntodd

Trip 14 - Enosburg

This morning was sunny and lovely, so Mex, Kayla and I decided do take our first short 251 Club trip together before the thunderstorms came back.

Stymied in Fletcher at the beginning of our trip!

All the cows had crossed in a few minutes, so we didn't have long to wait.

An account of our journey to Enosburg below.

Trip 13 - Sheldon And Fairfield

It was a lovely day for biking, but I was more in the mood to hang out with the dog and take a little jaunt--he's been such a good boy since coming home, and between my being busy and the incessant rainfall, he hasn't gotten as much attention as he deserves.  So...

Dude, look at the camera or it doesn't count!

First stop was Sheldon (history, demographics):

About 1789 Colonel Sheldon and his sons, Elisha Jr., George and Samuel, moved to Vermont. Other settlers soon followed and the town's name was changed from Hungerford to Sheldon in 1792. Colonel Sheldon and Elisha Jr. were elected selectmen at the first town meeting, and Samuel was elected town clerk. Later Samuel was to become the town's first justice of the peace and first representative to the Vermont legislature.
...
A railroad stop named Olmstead Falls became known for the recuperative powers of "the waters" of what were known as the Missisquoi Springs in that part of town. In 1884, Olmstead Falls became Sheldon Springs in a move probably designed to draw attention to the town as a resort area. After the largest hotel in town was destroyed by fire (set by a disgruntled employee) the village declined as a tourist spot, but the name remains.

We parked here by a little quasi-park thing next to the river.