http://www. ber kshi r ehi st or y. or g/ r esour ces. ht ml

ADAMS In 1766, the Gener al Court of Massachusetts confirmed t he sal e of an ar ea of land i n the west er n par t of the st at e t o Nat han Jones, Elisha J ones , and John Murray. The or i gi nal land pur chas e amount ed t o 23 square mi l es. A s mall communi t y devel oped i nt o what was first called T owns hi p Number One and l at er changed t o Eas t Hoos ac. The l and was incorporated i nt o t he T own of Adams in 1778, named i n honor of patriot Samuel Adams. Adams history is the f ami l i ar New Engl and s t or y of a f ar m vi llage gr owi ng i nt o an i ndustr i al small town. Former farmers and s ons of farmers tapped t he ener gy of the f l owi ng H oos i c R i ver to t ur n the bel t s and pulleys of textile and paper -making machi ner y. By the end of the 19th centur y, Adams had become an industrial communi t y, dealing i n paper , textiles, and l i me pr oduct s. These ear l y industrial ists laid a foundation on whi ch each successive gener at i on bui l t an i ndustr i al communi t y. T his communi t y was peopled wi t h i mmi gr ants of several countries. Eight ethni c gr oups came t o wor k in Adams, each one weavi ng i t s thread of influence i nt o t he f abr i c t hat is Adams. The ar chi t ect ur e t hat the industrialists and wor ker s constructed i s the envi r onment that we see t oday- an i ndustr i al setting pleasantly surrounded by the l ush l andscape of the Hoos i c R i ver Valley and t he Ber kshi r e Hi lls.

Source: Adams Historical Society

For further Information, visit: http://www. adamshi st or i cal . or g/ CLARKSBURG

Settlement of Clarksburg began i n 1769 with Captai n Matthew Ket chum, Colonel William Bullock and Nicholas Clark, the l atter for whom t he t own was named. The agr i cul t ur al interests of the ear l y settlers dictated t hei r settlement in the r el at i vel y l evel areas to t he west of Route 8 and al ong upper reaches of the Nor t h Br anch of the Hoos i c R i ver .

T he settlement of Briggs vi lle began i n the ear l y 19th centur y and i ncl uded f our mills by 1829. Briggs vi lle expanded about 1866 with the const r uct i on of Linwood Wool en Company, a br i ck mill to weave cashmer e. In 1885 Linwood empl oyed 140 persons, and t he vi llage had t wo s t or es , a gr i s t mill, saw mi ll and a new brick school . The t own al so had t hr ee powder mills which pr oduced $36, 000 worth of black gunpowder between 1861 and 1869. The E. R. Tinker powder mill exploded i n May of 1869 ending pr oduct i on of that product.

Source: http://www.berkshireweb.com/themap/clar ksbur g/clar ksbur g. ht ml

WILLIAMSTOWN

In 1750 village l ot s in the newl y surveyed Wes t Hoos ac pl ant at i on wer e f i r st offered f or sale by the General Court of Col ony. The Cour t probably had t wo mot i ves in establ i shi ng t he plantation: to s ettle and f or t i f y the nor t hwest corner of the col ony, lying al ong a heavi l y used I ndi an path, and t her eby protect towns to t he east and s out h; and t o pr event Dutch settlers in New Yor k from i nchi ng over their eastern boundar y into Massachusetts.

T he ar ea was a heavi l y forested wi l der ness, and al t hough some of the l ot s were pur chased by specul ators, many were acqui r ed by sol diers from F or t Massachusetts, four miles to t he east .

In 1760 settlement began to i ncr eas e. More l and was divided and cl ear ed, some r oads were cut , and farming became t he domi nant way of life i n the valley. Small saw, grist, and f uelling mi lls appear ed, easing t he l abor of colonial living. Professionals and cr af t s men began to arrive as well: a doct or , lawyer, cobbl er s , carpenters, blacksmiths, and s hopkeeper s.

In 1765, to compl y with ter ms in the wi ll of Colonel Ephraim Wi lliams, who bequeat hed f unds for the founding of a l ocal free school only if the haml et was incorporated and r e-named, Fort West Hoos ac officially became Wi lliamstown. The school opened i n 1791 and became Wi lliams College i n 1793.

Until the I ndust r i al Revolution, the t own fl our i shed on a combi nat i on of dairy farming, sheep her di ng and wool production, small local mills and gener al stores. The Amer i can For ei gn Mi ssionary movement was born her e at a pr ayer meet i ng i n 1806, when a gr oup of Williams College st udent s, taking s hel t er under a haystack from a s udden thunder stor m, proposed s endi ng t he Gospel abroad. And al ways , the sceni c beauty of the surrounding mount ai ns was an i mpor tant part of life. T he Al pi ne Cl ub, formed i n 1863 under the i nspi r at i on of Professor Albert Hopkins, sponsored mount ai n cl i mbi ng and campi ng ex cur s i ons in the local hills, it declared pur pos e bei ng " t o ex pl or e t he i nt er est i ng pl aces in the vi ci ni t y, to become acquainted...with the nat ur al history of the l ocal i t i es...also t o i mpr ove t he pedest r i an power s of the members."

T he comi ng of the r ai l r oad and t he I ndust r i al Revolution changed t he f ace of Williamstown. Although the amount of water power in Wi lliamstown l i mi ted t he extent of industrialization i t experienced, the t own was transformed by the appear ance of the Walley Mill and Wi lliamstown Manufactur i ng Company (Station Mill), both texti l e mi lls, and A. Loop and Company (Water Street Mill), which manufactur ed t wi ne.

Summer tourism gr ew, and bot h the el egant Idlewild Hot el in South Wi lliamstown and t he Gr eyl ock Hotel on the cor ner of North and Mai n Str eet s, were i n thei r heyday. The cat chy and des cr i pt i ve phr ase "Williamstown the Vi llage Beaut i f ul " was coined by Henry T ague, manager of the Gr eyl ock, who was also successful in pushi ng f or construction of the T aconi c T r ai l . Sand Spr i ngs , famous to t he ear l i est Indian tribes for the medi ci nal properties of its thermal spring, also t hr i ved as a gr and r es or t , and l at er as a Sanitarium, and bottling pl ant for spring wat er . When fl avor i ngs were added, Sand Spr i ngs Ginger Ale became a r enowned s of t drink.

Farming cont i nued i n Wi lliamstown dur i ng t hi s period, and Mount Hope F ar m, a maj or experimental farm that gradually grew t o over 1300 acres, was noted f or its success in usi ng genet i c pr i nci pl es to i mpr ove the yi el d of potatoes and t o boos t the pr oduct i on of egg-laying poul t r y and dai r y cattle. In addi t i on to being a l ar ge l ocal employer, Mount Hope's findings were usef ul worldwide.

After World War II, Williamstown gr ew r api dl y. Businesses changed. Recent major employers have included Carrol Cable, Steinerfilm, Ivy Gui l d, Sweet Brook Nursing H ome, Williamstown Medi cal Associates, and t he School District. But with the admi ssion of women i n the 1970s and i t s consequent expansion to over 2000 students, Williams College i s the l ar gest employer by far.

Source: T he Wi lliamstown House of Local History For further information, Visit: http://www. wi lliamstown.net/house_of_local_history.htm

NORT H ADAMS

T he Hoos ac Valley was not suited f or farming becaus e i t was rough, rocky, and cover ed wi t h both swamps and dens e f or est s. The ear l i est settlers were attracted by the f or est s of white pi ne and t he excellent water power resources. The Hoosac R i ver that runs through town was much deeper and wi der . Floodi ng was common and t hat is why many settlers chose t o l i ve i n what is now Adams instead of North Adams. T he f i r st cloth manufactur i ng was done i n 1799, when a f ulling mi ll was added t o a gr i s t mill. The first building cons t r uct ed f or carding wool and dr essing cl ot h was built in 1801. The f i r st regular mail and passenger line was established i n 1814. The st age ran between Gr eenf i el d and Al bany. By 1825 the vi llage was still small but beginni ng t o gr ow. Two f act or i es were bui l t that year. There wer e al so 2 carding and clothing wor k s , 2 grist mills, a s aw mi ll, an oi l mill, a machi ne shop and a t anner y. There wer e 2 churches, 2 hotels, 2 blacksmith shops, 5 stores, 3 shoemakers, 1 milliner, 1 harness maker and 1 tailor shop. The entire vi llage i ncl uded onl y Main, Eagle, and Cent er Street s. T he pr osper i t y of North Adams was due i n l ar ge par t to t he wat er power available. It was also due t o i t s citizens who wor ked t owar d i mpr ovi ng t he means of transportation. Residents were i n favor of a r ai l r oad l i ne f r om Bost on to t he West that would pi er ce t he Hoos ac mount ai n and i nt er s ect the t own. T he Hoos ac T unnel was more di fficult and ex pens i ve t o cons t r uct than anyone coul d have i magi ned. Work was not completed on i t until 1873, 21 years after it started. The f i r st train that came t hr ough caused rocks to f all from t he cei l i ng of the t unnel . The t unnel could not be used unt i l a br i ck arch was completed. Two mi llion br i cks were r equi r ed f or the pr oj ect at a cos t of $14, 000, 000. In 1876 the t unnel was pronounced r eas onabl y safe f or travel. North Adams was now t he nor t her n ter mi nal for the Pi ttsfield and Nor t h Adams Railroad and was on the l i ne of the T r oy and Gr eenf i el d r ai l r oad. The t own was a railway terminal for 6 important railroad l i nes . T he l ast town census before t he t own was divided was in 1875 showing 15, 760 residents. It was decided t hat the t own of Adams (formerly East Hoos uck) had become t oo l ar ge and s houl d be di vi ded. In 1878 the t own of North Adams was incorporated.

Source: http://www. geoci t i es. com/ nor t hadamshi st or y/

HIST ORY OF NORTH ADAMS, MASS. 1749 – 1885

W. F. SPEAR North Adams, Mss.: Hoos ac Valley News Printing H ous e 1885

Click Here: http://www. r oot s web. com/ ~maber ks h/ t owns / nadams / hi s t or yof na. ht m#1

COLONIAL PERIOD (lat e 1700s - mid 1800s)

Manufacturing began on and ar ound t he si t e bef or e t he Revolutionary War, as its location at the confluence of the t wo br anches of the Hoosi c R i ver was ideal for the di ver se, small-scale i ndust r i es of colonial times. By the l at e 1700s and ear l y 1800s businesses at or near the si t e i ncl uded: wholesale shoe manufacturers; a br i ck yard; a s aw mi ll; cabinet-makers; hat manufacturers; machine shops for the construction of mill machines; marble wor ks; wagon- and s l ei gh-makers; and an i r onwor ks, which l ater forged ar mor plates for the Ci vi l War ship, the Moni t or .

ARNOLD PRINT WORKS (1860 - 1942)

In 1860, the pr i nt works O. Arnold and Company establ ished i t s el f on a por t i on of the si t e and i ns t alled the l at est equipment for printing cl ot h. Large gover nment contracts to s uppl y fabric f or the Uni on Ar my ensured t hat the busi ness prospered, and dur i ng t he next four decades Arnold became t he l ar gest employer in Nor th Adams. By the end of the 1890s, 26 of the 27 buildings in the pr esent -day MASS MoCA complex had been constr ucted, and by 1905, Arnold empl oyed s ome 3, 200 people as one of the l eadi ng producers of printed t ex t i l es in the wor l d. Despite decades of success, falling cl ot h pr i ces and t he lingering effects of the gr eat Depression for ced Ar nol d Pr i nt Works to cl os e i t s Marshall Street operation i n 1942, consolidating t o s maller facilities in nei ghbor i ng Adams , Massachusetts.

Source: Mass MoCA.org

NORT H ADAMS RIVER MEMORIES

Memories of the 1948-49 Flood i n Nor th Adams: A Memor abl e New Year 's Eve by Virginia B os t wi ck

Click Here: http://abeged. com/ny/vb-flood. ht ml

From: Manni ng, Joe. 2003. Bytes from t he Bean February, 03 2003

T HEN AND NOW, PART II : Morning Conver s at i ons (Donald Surr, North Adams Resident)

“Although Nor th Adams was a bus t l i ng and qui t e f asci nat i ng multi-ethni c communi t y during i t s industrial heyday, it did have some ser i ous environmental problems.”

“T he l ocal wool en mi lls mixed power f ul dyes in bi g vat s that were empt i ed s t r ai ght into t he r i ver after use. I can r emember shudder i ng, as a boy very familiar and del i ght ed wi t h ever y other aspect of wool en cloth manufactur e, every time I went through the dye house i n Bl acki nton. The huge bubbl i ng cal dr ons reminded me of witches' brew. Ghastly stuff! I always kept at a s af e di st ance. ”

“T hey al so us ed potent acid t o car boni z e, which means to bur n out burrs in the wool . That also woul d have been dumped unt r eat ed i nt o t he r i ver . I would i magi ne t hat the Ar nol d Pr i nt Works (current site of MASS MoCA) dumped i n thei r share of potent chemicals, as well, since they special ized i n appl yi ng col or ed patterns to cotton cl oth whi ch had been woven and bl eached el s ewher e. ”

“Other chemicals were used i n appl yi ng s peci al treatments to t he pr i nt ed cl ot h. It was not customary, in those days, to car t used i ndus t r i al chemicals away for special treatment or disposal. That is one r eason why f act or ies located on the edge of rivers. Everything unwant ed went straight in.”

“With due r espect to t he memor y of our industrial leaders, I do not believe t hat they were awar e t hat they were endanger i ng t he envi r onment . In those days there was a t heor y that rivers somehow cl eansed themselves of impurities in the cour se of their flow, so nobody worried much about pollution. We j ust more or less took it for granted and assumed t hat nature would get rid of it somewhere downst r eam. ”

Source: http://www.iberkshires.com/columnist.php?colm_id=4&story_id=9474

For further info on the cul t ur al history of North Adams, visit: http://www. geoci t i es. com/ nor t hadamshi st or y/

NEW YORK

Source: http://www. hoos i ckhi s t or y. com/

Source: Hoos i ck T ownship Hi s t or i cal Society, P.O. BOX 536 Hoos i ck Falls, NY 12090

HOOSI CK FALLS

Excerpts from T I ME LINE

T OWN OF HOOS I CK 1900 -- 2000

Compiled by Gil bert E. Wright, Town Hi stor i an 1995-1999

1900 -- 1910

1900 T he Hoos i ck Valley Rail way buil t two wat er -powered gener at or s for use by their trolley l ine. The trolley l ine r an fr om Hoos i ck Falls to Benni ngton. The gener at or s were l ocat ed near the Benni ngton Battlefield Par k, near the Car etaker’s Bridge i n Wallooms ac.

1902 A new br i dge was erected over the Wallooms ac R i ver at the St evens and T homps on Paper mill. It is an i r on and s t eel bridge, 120 feet long.

1906 T he suspensi on br i dge t hat crossed t he Hoos i ck River at the end of River Street , known as the Shanghi or the Rai nbow Br i dge, was replaced wi t h an i r on br i dge (t r uss design).

1907 January 15. Citizens of Hoos i ck Falls voted t o pur chas e t he wat er suppl y system, property, rights and pr i vi l eges of the Hoos i ck Falls Water Suppl y Company incl uding r enewal and r epai r of the syst em at a cost not to ex ceed $75, 000. The Vi llage t ook control on Febr uar y 23, 1907.

1910 T he wooden dam t hat provided wat er power for the St evens and T homps on paper mill in Nor th Hoos i ck was replaced wi t h a concrete dam.

1911 -- 1920

1913 T he Br adl ey El ectric Company was founded by J. A. Bradley. It is now owned and oper at ed by his sons, Phil and Don Br adl ey.

1915 T he T wi n State El ect r i c Company bought the Power Plant that was built by the Hoos i ck Falls Water and Power Company in 1888. The T wi n State El ect r i c Company suppl i ed el ect r i ci t y to cus t omer s in Hoos i ck Falls area and Benni ngton.

1921 -- 1930

1927 Church Str eet Bridge, known today as T he Shop Br i dge, was reconstructed.

1927 A devas t at i ng f l ood damaged t he village pumpi ng s t at i on. Chief Engineer John J. Hughs was rescued from t he r oof of the bui l di ng. A r ecor d wat er mark was set.

1930 T he i r on br i dge at River Street was replaced wi t h the pr esent concrete br i dge.

1930 Walter Shurewood bui l t a dam on a s t r eam known as White Cr eek j ust above t he Whi t e Cr eek pool . Mr. Shurewood oper at ed a beat er for making paper and ex per i ment ed wi t h i mpr ovi ng t he efficiency of beaters.

1931 -- 1940 1935 T he Whi t e House Br i dge, known l ocally as the L ong B r i dge, and t he Whi t e House Mi lls were demolished t o allow r econst r uct i on of Route 7. White House Mi lls produced el ect r i c l i ght bulbs and dynamos.

1938 floodi ng r avaged t he ar ea f or the t hi r d t i me.

1940 T he New Yor k Power and L i ght Company bought the r i ght s to s ell electric power in New Yor k State from t he T wi n State El ect r i c Company.

1941 -- 1950

1946 T he Nor t h Hoos i ck Communi t y Cl ub was organized f or the pur pose of raising f unds to i ns t all water and s ani t ar y facil ities in the Nor t h Hoos i ck School .

1949 A f l ood t hat broke t he 1927 high water record occurred on December 31. It caused damage t o t he various factories. Water was five f eet above t he gr ound on Water and L yman Str eet s. As in 1927, John Hughs, Chief Engineer , had t o be r escued f r om t he r oof of the pumpi ng s t at i on.

1950 New Yor k Power and L i ght Corporation and t he Mohawk Power Company consol idated t o become t he Niagara Mohawk Power Company.

1951 -- 1960

1953 T he Ar my Corp of Engineer s completed t he f l ood cont r ol project that was started i n 1951. The Cor p removed t he nat ural falls and concr et e dam t hat had been bui l t by Wal ter A. Wood t o s uppl y the power for his manufacturing pl ant . This ended t he f l oods that had pl agued t he vi llage many times in ear l i er years. The l ast and per haps the most damaging f l ood occurred i n December 1949.

1961 -- 1970

1970 T he vi llage of Hoos i ck Falls started oper at i on of the sewage treatment plant in Januar y. It is located near Thayer's Pond .

1978 T he Cover ed Br i dge i n Buski r k was placed on the Nat i onal Register on Mar ch 8.

1980 T he f or mer home of the T hompson fami l y of the St evens and T homps on Paper Company burned December 12. It was owned and occupi ed by Larry and Judy Peterson at the t i me.

1981 -- 1990

1984 One of the cast iron eagl es was mysteriously taken fr om t he i r on br i dge at Eagle Br i dge. This was noticed i n August. It was replaced on December 18 of the same year as mysteriously as it was taken.

1991-1999

1998 A t or nado t ouched down at Round L ake i n Sar atoga Count y and cont i nued eas t until it lifted i n North Benni ngton. In the t own of Hoos i ck, a bar n owned by the Hoag f ami l y and a hous e owned by Mr. And Mr s Bruce Pat i r e wer e dest r oyed. Many homes were damaged al ong wi t h many acres of trees.

Source: Hoos i ck T ownship Hi s t or i cal Society, P.O. BOX 536 Hoos i ck Falls, NY 12090

For more i nf o, visit: http://www. hoos i ckhi s t or y. com/

SCHAGHT ICOKE

After the Revol ut i on, many immi gr ant s came t o Schaght i coke, especially from Engl and and I r el and. Population center s grew up near streams, where t he wat er powered mi lls of various kinds. In 1792, William Chase const r uct ed t he f i r st bridge over the Hoosi c R i ver at what would become t he Vi llage of Schaghticoke. Most residents were f ar mer s, growing cr ops used i n the l ocal industries.

T hough the t own of Schaghticoke devel oped i ndus t r i ally and agr i cul t ur ally, in never developed a pol i t i cal center. One of its hamlets, Hemstreet Park, faces Mechanicville acr oss the Hudson Ri ver ; two ot her s , Pleasantdale and Spei gl et own, were par t of Lansingburgh for almost 100 years. Melrose gr ew up at the j unction of the r ai l r oad and t he r oad. A s ubs t ant i al number of its homes were bui l t as vacation r etr eats by the weal t hy T roj ans. The Vi llage of Schaghticoke was incorporated as Harts Falls in 1867. The f alls of the Hoos i c power ed l ar ge wool en, flax, and powder mills among ot her s .

For more i nf or mat i on, Visit: http://www. t ownof schaght i coke. or g/ hi st or y. ht m.

Source: Chris Kelly [email protected]

P OW NAL from Chi l d'sB enni ngt on Count y Di r ect or y

Child, Hamilton. Child’s Benni ngton County Directory 1880-81. Syracuse, NY: Hamilton Chi l d, 1880.

Pownal is located i n the sout hwest er n cor ner of Vermont, adjacent to t he St at es of New Yor k and Massachusetts. It has an ar ea of 23, 040 acres and i s well watered. The pr i nci pal streams are t he Hoos i ck and Wallooms ac R i ver s . The Hoosi ck River rises in Massachusetts, in Cheshi r e, and f l ows north thr ough the beaut i f ul Hoos i ck Valley. The Walloomsac rises in the Gr een Mountains and passes through the t own near that range. Barber Pond is near the cent r al portion of Pownal on the Wallooms ac. Broad Br ook also flows through the east er n por ti on, while t he cent r al and wes t er n par ts are wat er ed by the t r i but ar i es of the Hoos i ck. T he whol e count r y is peculiarly rich i n scener y. In the east er n secti on the Gr een Mountai ns rise i n thei r grandeur, while i n the west , Petersburg or West Mountain pr esents a f i ne vi ew of a bol d and r ugged elevation...T here i s scarcely a poi nt in the vi ci nity but one may find a vi ew t o char m an ar ti sti c eye. One of the f i nest of pictures is spread out for any one who wi ll stand on Mason's Hill looki ng eas t , west or south. Looki ng down the Hoos i ck valley from t he hi lls, known as Gregor Rocks, east of the Pownal factories, another charming l ands cape i s before t he t r avel er . It is impossible t o par t i cul ar i z e, for so r i ch in scener y is the whol e count r y that from all points the eye i s met with beauty. Iron or e i n small quantities has been found, while whi t e cl ay and s ul phur et of iron i s discovered occas i onally. Lime r ock crops out in l ar ge quant i t i es, and of good qual i t y; while sl at e, silex, marble and quar t z is distributed about in unequal quantities.

NORT H POWNAL, a pos t village si t uat ed on the Hoos i ck River, T roy & Boston R. R., and t he Bost on & Hoos ac T unnel R. R., contains a pos t office, three st or es, one hot el , one chur ch, (Congregational,) two blacksmith shops) one wagon shop, one sal oon, grist and s aw mi ll. The popul at i on i s about ;6o. It contains a Good T emplars' l odge, which was organized i n 1867. This lodge has an aver age of 50 members, and meet s every Saturday in Good T empl ar s ' Hall. It is one of the ol dest working l odges in the St at e . T he Nor t h Pownal Manufacturing Co. has been conducted s i nce 1876 by A. C. Houghton & Co. in the manufacturing of cotton pr i nt cloths. They empl oy about two hundr ed and t hi r t y operatives, and have some 16, 000 spindles. Their annual manufacture of cotton cl oth i s about 5,000, 000 yards, using about 1,000, 000 pounds of cotton. T he f act or y is on the Hoos i ck River. North Pownal Saw Mi ll is on the Hoos i ck River and owned by T . V. Me Cumber . It cuts about 30, 000 feet of lumber annually. Mr. McCumber also runs the gr i st mill which i s located at the same pl ace. T he mi ll has two r un of stones. T he manuf act or y of tin war e owned by Edmund L i llie i s employing f r om t en to t wel ve men, and t ur ns out about $ 1, 000 worth oftin war e each month. The busi ness was established i n Nor th Pownal in 1863. Pownal Valley Cheese Factory is situated about one mi l e f r om t he vi llage. It was built by a company composed of 1. F. Paddock, David Car pent er , William B. Arnold and S. W. Gardner. The mi l k from about 200 cows is used, and s ome 60, 000 pounds of cheese ar e made annually.

POWNAL, a pos t village, is situated on the Hoos i ck River, in the sout h par t of the t own , on the T r oy and Boston R. R., and on the Bost on, Hoos ac T unnel and Wes t er n R. R. It contains two Chur ches , (Methodist and Bapt i s t , ) T wo hot el s and f our stores, The L i ncol n Carriage Manuf act or y, three bl acksmi t h shops, one wagon shop and t he Hoos i c Valley mills, furnishing empl oyment to a l ar ge number of workmen. "J.M. Batcheldor's "Rural Home F ami l y School for Boys," is located near the vi llage, as is the beaut i f ul cemetery known as "Oak Hill." Population i n 1880 was 418.

T he Hoos i c Valley Mills are l ocat ed on the Hoosi c R i ver , at Pownal. They were bui l t in 1863 by Sol omon Wright, and r un by him as wool en mi lls until 1876 when he began spi nni ng yar n for hosiery. In 1880 they were manuf act ur i ng about 30, 000 pounds of yarn and kni t goods per month. About forty persons are employed i n the mi ll. Cotton i s also us ed i n the manuf act ur i ng of the kni t goods . Bushnell and Bar ber 's Sawmill is situated on Bar ber 's Pond. It cuts annually about 100, 000 feet of mluber. Montgomery's Cider Mill is situated about one mi l e sout h of the vi llage of Pownal. About five hundr ed barrels of cider are made each year . Towslee's Saw Mi ll, grist Mill and bobbi n mi ll, is in the nor t heast er n part of the t own, on Bar ber Pond St r eam. T he saw mi ll has a capaci t y for cutting 1 , 000, 000 feet of lumber annually, but usually turns out about 125, 000 feet . The gr i st mi ll grinds feed. The bobbi n mi ll has a capacity for turning out 5,000 bobbi ns per day. These mi lls are owned and r un Othni el Towslee. T he f i r st settlement of the t own was as far back as 1724, by a s mall number of Dutch settlers without titles. In l ater years by the new gr ant of 1762 strangers came i n and t ook up l ands , the hi st or y of the place t her ef or e may be sai d t o r eally date f rom t hat period. And i t is the descendant s of those settlers who now hol d the l ands of their forefathers.

Source: Pownal Historical Society, Inc. P.O. Box 313, Pownal, Vermont 05261