Around Bellows Falls: Rockingham, Westminster and Saxtons River

By Anne L. Collins, Virginia Lisai and Louise Luring

With more than two hundred vintage photographs, Around Bellows Falls: Rockingham, Westminster, and Saxtons River explores the fascinating history of these southern Vermont communities. Located along the Connecticut River, Rockingham-the township that includes both Bellows Falls and Saxtons River-was chartered in 1752. Westminster, one of Vermont's oldest towns, was granted in 1736 as Township No. 1.

Around Bellows Falls: Rockingham, Westminster, and Saxtons River chronicles the history of these communities up to the mid-twentieth century with photographs of historic homes, businesses, people, and well-known landmarks. In addition to views of the fantastic beauty of the area, this volume includes photographs of Vermont's oldest public building, the Rockingham Meetinghouse (built in 1787), and the Bellows Falls home of Hetty Green, the infamous "witch of Wall Street." Westminster's Cumberland County Court was the location of not only the Westminster Massacre but also the meeting that declared Vermont as a free and independent republic in 1777. Also included are vintage photographs of the scenic village of Saxtons River (named on the National Register of Historic Places), which once had a strong mill industry that took advantage of three falls along the river.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Jun 5, 2002
• ISBN: 9781439611555

Anne L. Collins

The authors are delighted to share their communities' histories in this volume. Anne L. Collins is the historian of the United Church of Bellows Falls, Virginia Lisai is the president of the Westminster Historical Society, and Louise Luring is the president of the Saxtons River Historical Society. The images they present are from the Rockingham Public Library, the Westminster Historical Society, the Saxtons River Historical Society, and private collections.

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photographs.

INTRODUCTION

Located along the western shore of the Connecticut River between Brattleboro and Springfield is an area alive with rich history—Rockingham Township, which includes Bellows Falls, Saxtons River, and the town of Westminster. Still noted for its rich farmland and agricultural products, the area also retains remnants of the industries that once thrived in its villages. The geography is representative of the forces of the Ice Age, which gouged the valley and created the waterfalls and terraces unique to this part of the river valley.

As early as 1724, Fort Dummer protected early settlers on the river in what is now Brattleboro. By 1727, the fort called No. 4 in Charlestown, New Hampshire, had been established. However, frequent attacks by Native Americans prevented any real settlement of towns. In 1752, residents persevered and established clearings and houses in Rockingham and Westminster on the higher elevations near the river.

Near the northern boundary of Rockingham is the Williams River, which was named for Rev. John Williams, who was taken hostage by Native Americans at Deerfield, Massachusetts. He preached a sermon to his fellow captives at the point where the river empties into the Connecticut River. South on the Connecticut is the Great Falls, once a sacred area to Native Americans, who left carvings in the rocks below the falls. The Saxtons River, which begins in Grafton, flows through the villages of Cambridgeport and Saxtons River and converges with the Connecticut River about a mile below the falls. Many mills lined the riverbanks, taking advantage of the large lumber supply upstream and the waterpower. These mills produced wool, tin, paper, and wooden products. The small settlements along these rivers became the self-sufficient villages of Bellows Falls, Bartonsville, Brockways Mills, Cambridgeport, Saxtons River, and Gageville. Until as recently as 1980, paper mills were in operation in Bellows Falls.

Just below the Great Falls, the first bridge across the Connecticut River was built by Col. Enoch Hale in 1785. It was 360 feet in length and built solely at his expense. In order to provide access to the upper river by boat, a canal was dug to the west of the falls in 1791 by the Bellows Falls Canal Company; it was the first such canal in the country. It was provided with locks and was in use for many years. With the advent of the railroad in the mid-1800s, the river was no longer an economical form of transportation and the canal fell into disuse. The great volume of water that was channeled through the canal continued to power many mills. Today, the canal still provides water to the electric power plant below the falls. A fish ladder was built to bypass the power turbines, allowing native salmon and shad a way to travel upstream and spawn.

The railroad into the area was built between 1849 and 1851. Bellows Falls became a hub for trains from Boston; Hartford, Connecticut; and Burlington. Many Irish immigrants worked as laborers laying the track. They later settled nearby to raise their families.

Quite a few famous and some infamous men and women have been attracted to the area. During the years when women were not allowed to own property or take an active part in the business world, there came to Bellows Falls a woman who would become notorious for amassing millions. She was born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on November 21, 1834, with the name Hetty Howland. She met and married Edward Green of Bellows Falls. Hetty Green became known as the Witch of Wall Street, not only because of her amazing wizardry at making money on the stock market, but also because of her reputed miserable treatment of her children and husband.

Stephen Row Bradley, one of Westminster’s early town clerks, lived along King’s Highway in Westminster Village. It was also here that Ethan Allen met and married his second wife. In Westminster’s original charter, Col. Josiah Willard was the largest landowner. He never settled in Westminster, but many of his descendants have lived and prospered here. Perhaps the most famous of these were Joseph and Henry Willard, who became owners of the Willard Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Rev. Charles Albert Dickinson, born in Westminster in 1849, was a noted minister in Maine and Massachusetts. He was responsible for establishing the Kurn Hattin Homes on the hill overlooking Westminster Village. There, he arranged for the care of countless numbers of boys and girls who could not care for themselves. The home and school continue today.

In the village of Saxtons River, Vermont Academy was founded in 1876 to educate the sons of Baptist missionaries. The school was first located in a large house. Soon, however, Jones Hall was built on a terrace overlooking the village. Today, 250 students from around the world attend the private secondary school.

Route 5, running northward from Connecticut to the Canadian border, was a favorite route for tourists, leaf-peepers, and skiers on their way to the mountains. Many businesses catered to the traffic, selling souvenirs and offering lodging and refreshment. Most of these small businesses closed when they were bypassed with the creation of Interstate 91 in 1960.

While Westminster and Rockingham