History of Searsburg, Vermont

Searsburg Reservoir

The town is situated on the Eastern boundary line of Bennington County, and is in latitude 42 degrees 45 minutes and longitude 42 degrees 6 minutes East from Washington. It was chartered February 23, 1781 by Thomas Chittenden, governor of Vermont, to William Williams and twenty seven others, but not surveyed or allotted until about the year 1800, at which time the survey was made by John Marks, and for many years afterward the town seems to have been an unbroken wilderness. It was originally a part of a tract of land about twelve miles north and south, and about four or four and a half miles east and west, extending from the Massachusetts line on the south to Somerset on the north and is bounded east by Whitingham and Wilmington, west by Stamford and Woodford. Readsboro was first chartered four miles by eight, leaving what was supposed to be four miles square for Searsburg but for some unknown reason John Marks commenced his surveying one half mile too far north, leaving an unclaimed tract of land one half mile in width and four miles in length between Readsboro and Searsburg. Some years afterward one Chester Packard made another survey covering this unclaimed tract and some of the south tiers of lots in Mark?s survey, and by virtue of this survey and sundry survey bills and "Colors of Titles" of later date, this unclaimed tract gravitated to Searsburg, and has so remained ever since. There is no known record of this pact and survey, and it is only mentioned in the Searsburg records to designate particularly the southern tiers of lots.

From about the year 1800 to 1828 or 1830 Searsburg seems to have dropped out of existence. No titles of land seems to have passed from the original proprietors except in two or three instances and one instance of unbroken claim of title from original proprietors exists at present on the town records. Occasionally, during this period a man moved into town but the inclemency of the seasons and the uninviting nature of the land seems to have induced an early removal therefrom.

There is a tradition that in 1812 one Samual Hollman began a settlement in the extreme eastern part of the town, but there can be found no definite proof of this fact. Soon after this, or before 1822, Benoni Davis moved into town and cleared a farm in the eastern portion or what is now known as the "Varce Place", and there planted the first orchard. Mr. Davis?s mode of conveyance was of the most primitive kind, consisting of a yoke of oxen, and his vehicle was two spruce poles, the ends of which were inserted in the yoke, the other ends diverging in the form of the letter V with boards nailed across near the center to form a seat. On this contrivance he brought his provisions and apple trees from Halifax.

About 1820 a Mr. Haskell and Stephen Martin moved into town but not to reside permanently. The first permanent settler in town was Joseph Crosier who came in 1823 with two sons, Joseph Jr. And David and located on one of the "Packard Survey" lots near the south side of town.

That portion of the town was then a dense forest. They cleared up a piece of land, planted corn and potatoes, cut a road from their place to Heartwellville, built a log home and covered it with bark. They went through the forest some three miles to some meadows in Woodford, cut and stacked a supply of hay, and then ventured to Halifax, taking with him his family, a yoke of cattle and a cow, but afterwards returned to his forest home where he continued to reside till his death in 1844 at the age of fifty-eight. He left six sons who were for many years identified with every interest of the town.

About this time also William Eaton, known as the "Searsburg Poet", came to town, and located about a mile north of Mr. Crosiers place, on the farm now occupied by D. B. Leray. He moved away in 1826, and Mr. Crosiers family were alone in town until 1827, when Beniah Gallup came from Halifax and located on another of the Packard Survey lots, about a mile west of the Crosier place. The march of civilization then moved north, and in 1828 Mason Pike located one mile north of the William Eaton place. Then came Nicholas Grousbeck and Joseph Eames in 1830, and others soon following.

The town was organized at a meeting called on the 18^th day of March, 1833, by Samual H. Blackmer, a justice of the peace from Bennington. At this the following officers were elected; Joseph Eames - Town Clerk and Moderator, Joseph Crosier, Hiram Weld and David Crosier - Selectmen, Oliver Preston - Treasurer, Luther Park, Hiram Weld, Joseph Eames - Listers, John Knapp - Constable, Nicholas Grousback - Grand Juror, Mason Pike - Highway Surveyor, Solomon Rich - Pound Keeper, Nicholas Grousbeck - Tithingman. Other minor officers were also elected. Luther Park was the first Representative to the Legislature in 1833. Hon. Tenar W. Park for some time resided here in his youthful days near the place now occupied by Allen E. Briggs and but a short time before his death he with a party of friends crossed the mountains and took a lunch at the old spring which had quenched his thirst so often in his boyhood.

The Searsburg Turnpike, leading from Wilmington to Bennington, was begun in 1830, and for the next four years the population of the town seems to have increased quite rapidly for a mountain town. A hotel was built by Freeman Lamb on what is now the Robinson place and for many years was a successful and reliable house. The hotel was burned in 1871 and has never been rebuilt. The turnpike was also a successful venture. From its completion until the opening of the Troy and Boston Railroad a large share of the freight and passengers from Troy to Boston and intermediate places passed over this road. The writer in this chapter in his young days has frequently seen forty and fifty passengers with the necessary accompaniment of covered coaches and baggage wagons pass over the route on a summer morning. But the glory of the stage route and the halcyon days of the stage driver have departed, and a single horse with buggy or sled as the season demands, now conveys the daily mail.

A Mr. Briggs of Wilmington, at that time, owned several freight teams, and run from Wilmington to Troy, NY and often through to Boston, Mass. It used to be a custom with him to send a trusty teamster to Troy with a load of lumber or country produce, with instructions to invest the proceeds in flour and grain. He would then start for home peddling his flour and grain to the inhabitants on the road, and if he sold out before reaching home he returned to Troy and bought more, and so continued his sales until the people on the route were fully supplied, and he finally reached home with a load. Old men who were his teamsters in those days have told the writer that they were frequently out two weeks at a time on the road.

The first saw mill in town was built by James Crosier at the head of "Devil?s Stair Falls", and had quite a run of business for several years. From this saw mill the inhabitants seem to have been mostly engaged in clearing up and improving their lands, till in 1842, when Squires and Swift built a tannery about one mile west of the Wilmington line on the Deerfield River. This enterprise employed ten or twelve hands and was very successful manufacturing annually upwards of one hundred tons of sole leather. It was sold by Squires & Swift to Sayer & Bracket, and by them to Shaw & Mety, and continued in operation until 1866.

In 1845 a destructive fire occurred destroying several acres of valuable woodlands in the central and eastern parts of the town. In the same year the "Sloane Mill" was built at the foot of the mountain on the Deerfield River by Solomon Rich, and was occupied as a saw mill and wash board and clothespin factory by S.&G.W. Doane and others until about 1866. At which time the firm of Doane and Stanley began making grain measures and butter boxes. The mill was burned in 1872 and rebuilt by Simon Doane in 1877 and 1878. Simon and George W. Doane came here about 1845 and for many years intimately identified with the best interests of the town. At the death of Simon Doane in 1878, the "Doane Mill" passed to Mason and Butterfield and has since been used in manufacturing lumber and cot bedspreads.

In 1845 Aaron Pike built a saw mill near the Somerset line on the river and later engaged in making bedsteads. In 1866 the mill was burned but was replaced by a larger one by Leonard Smith of Troy, NY with Royal W. Irish as foreman. This mill continued to be occupied as a bedstead and lumber mill until the year 1877, when it was purchased by the Deerfield River Company and torn down by the latter and removed to Readsboro.

In 1850 a saw mill was built by Haynes and Livermore at the junction of the east and west branches of the Deerfield River, but never was very successful. Therefore it went to decay in about ten years thereafter.

For some years prior to 1850 there had been a disagreement between Searsburg and Wilmington in regard to the boundary line between the towns, and after acting on the matter several times in town meetings without any definite result a petition was sent to the Legislature in 1852 asking for the appointment of a committee to settle and establish the line between Searsburg and Readsboro on the west and Wilmington on the east. The Legislature appointed Isaac T. Wright of Castleton, Edward D. Barber of Middlebury, and John F. Deane of Cavendish, who after a full hearing in the matter, decided in favor of Searsburg and Readsboro. The trouble seems to have originated as follows; Wilmington was chartered under the name of Draper by Benning Wentworth, Governor of New Hampshire, June 17, 1763. In the year following a grant was sent by Governor Wentworth to Robert Rogers of three thousand acres along that tract of land which afterwards became Readsboro, and immediately afterwards he made another grant to General Phineas Lyman of two thousand acres under the name of Wilmington, extending northward from the Rogers grant and covering the northeast corner of what was afterwards Readsboro and the east part of what was afterwards Searsburg. This grant was some two thousand rods wide and six miles long. The charter of Draper became void for some reason, and Governor Wentworth made another under the name of Wilmington, and surveys under that name were made in 1769 and 1777. In making these surveys they seemed to have covered not only the original Draper Charter but also the Lyman grant. In the hearing before the Legislature Committee Searsburg claimed a certain white ash tree as their true south east corner. In their investigations the committee found that this ash tree gave Wilmington their full charter distance and one hundred and twenty five rods more, while Searsburg was somewhat short. They also found that the ash tree stood in the true northerly continuation of the west lines of Whitingham, and rendered decision accordingly. But there has ever since been some controversy concerning the title of lands along the Lyman grant, some claiming under the Wilmington and others under the Searsburg titles. Searsburg is still short of her charter distance east and west and the recent discovery of a very ancient line extending from Stratton to the Massachusetts line makes it quite evident that she is entitled to another addition on the west.

In 1856 George W. Doane built a saw mill and washboard and clothespin factory at the foot of the Devils Stair Falls. At the close of the war in 1865 he sold to George J. Bond. This mill was burned in 1869 and immediately rebuilt by Mr. Bond, and is one of the two active mills in town at the present time, the Medbury mill being the other. The latter mill was first built by Clark Harris in 1851, was burned in 1871, and rebuilt by A. B. Medbury, and changed to a bench screw factory. In 1887 it again burned, and rebuilt by the R. Bliss Manufacturing Company by which concern it is now operated.

In the war of 1861 - 1865 Searsburg took a part as honorable as any of the other towns of the state furnishing twenty-one men under a quota of twenty by enlistment and six by draft in a quota of four. All the drafted men paid commutation. Those who enlisted previous to the call of October 17, 1863 were Feronda W. Fisher, Foster Grousbeck, William O'Brien, Andrew J. Pike, George C. Shippee, William E. Shippee, William W. Varce, John A. Whitcomb, and Horatio Wilson. Those credited under call of October 17, 1863 for three years were; George J. bond, Silas M. Haskins, Nathan Mann. Volunteers for one year; Francis Gooodell, James R. Leray, Ameron Grover. Volunteers for nine months were; Charles Bond, Allen E. Briggs, Eli Briggs, George Farrington, Dighton Jennings, and Benjamin F. Wilson. Of these, Foster Grousbeck, William O?Brien, A. J. Pike, George C. Shippee, William Shippee, William W. Varce, and H. K. Wilson were wounded in action. None were killed but one, Nathan Mann was taken prisoner June 23, 1864 experienced the full horrors of Andersonville prison, was exchanged and died from the effects of prison life a day or two after reaching home. George C. Shippee, William O?Brien,, and Benjamin F. Wilson have since died and Francis Goodell died in service.

Lumbering and the manufacture of merchandise from wood has for years engaged the chief capital and labor of the town. The timber is beech, birch, maple, spruce, fir, and hemlock. The soil is a gravely loam. Along the Deerfield River the soil is rich and yields good returns for labor, but the town is quite hilly and only a small part is susceptible of tillage. Corn, oats, potatoes, and hay are grown successfully and wheat of good quality and good yield is also raised, but farming has declined very much since the war. The town is well adopted to grazing. The Deerfield River and its tributaries furnishes a series of the best water power in southern Vermont, and cheap and unlimited supplies of hardwood lumber offers the best of inducements to the manufacturer.

The name of the first child born in town is unknown. The first marriage was David R. Heath of Corinth to Elizabeth Morse of Searsburg, December 4, 1837, by John Knapp Justice of the peace.

The History of Searsburg above was written by George J. Bond Esq. in the late 1800's.

Many years have passed since George L. Bond wrote the History of Searsburg as he knew it back in the late 1800's. Actually not much has changed in the passed 100 years. The population has actually gone down from several hundred to about 100 by the year 1997. All the mills and hotels that once prospered and provided employment for residents have been gone since the early 1900's. Searsburg no longer has a post office and has no stores. All the land that had been stripped of timber to provide building materials and fuel for heating has since grown back to a virgin state. All that is left is the stone walls that once surrounded the open pasture land.

Searsburgs Wind Mill Facility

Harnessing the Power of the Wind

The year 1997 saw Green Mountain Power's fifteen year wind study come to some closure. The largest commercial wind mill power generating facility east of the Mississippi River was assembled on a mountain top at the southern end of Searsburg. Eleven towers were erected. The site off Sleepy Hollow Road was selected because of its north/south ridge line and capability to supply the necessary wind, road access and close proximity to the existing transmission line, and the minimal effect on the surrounding community. Environmental studies were performed to insure a minimum impact on wild life. The facility will not only be a used commercially to provide enough power to maintain 2000 homes but will also be classified as an experimental project to gather data on operating wind mills in extreme weather conditions as is experienced in Searsburg at an elevation of 2500 feet above sea level with the freezing temperatures and ice build up of the winter as well as the electrical storms that occur in the summer months. The towers are designed to withstand wind speeds up to 150 MPH. The fifteen year study has never recorded winds that high but wind speed in excess of 100 MPH has been recorded. The yearly average wind speed on this site has been 17 MPH. It takes a wind speed of 29 MPH to realize the full capabilities of each system which is 550 KW.

This shows the preparation for installing a 36 square foot cement pad 3 feet thick to mount a tower that weighs 119,700 pounds. On top of the 132 foot tower is the nacelle that contains the rotor and blades that when rotated to its highest point is 198 feet above the ground. Blasting had to be used because of the rocky terrain to provide enough depth for the cement pad. A metal grid was used to reinforce the cement. The access road up the mountain contains the same rocky material which provides a sturdy foundation for the road, but which also caused hardships in construction. The road was built at a minimum width of 50 feet to allow just enough room to haul equipment to the top. The vegetation surrounding the site and road will be allowed to re-grow.

The picture shown here is a nacelle, without the top portion, with a rotor installed. This assembly alone weighs 55,300 pounds. Each blade is 64 feet in length and weighs about 5,500 pounds. The blades are made of fiberglass and are coated with a black Teflon which has a low friction surface to better expel ice and snow build-up. Black also acts to absorb energy from the sun to further minimize ice build-up. The system will start producing power when the wind speed is approximately 10 MPH and will reach full potential at 29 MPH. When the wind speed starts to exceed 29 MPH the blades will begin to feather to spill off excess energy in order to maintain the rotor at a constant velocity of 29 RPM's. When the wind speed exceeds 65 MPH the system will shut down and the blades will be locked in a stationary position until a safe level of wind velocity is attained. The blade feathering is controlled by a sensor on top of the nacelle, monitoring wind speed, and sending this data to the computer mounted at the base of the tower. The computer in turn controls the motors required to feather the blades. Likewise, the wind direction is monitored by a sensor on the nacelle, which sends data to the computer to rotate the nacelle in the direction of the wind.

Specifications:

Installed Capacity	6 Megawatts
Turbine Type	Zond Z-40FS
Number of Turbines	11
Equivalent Horsepower	8,113 Horsepower
Rating of each Turbine	550 Kilowatts
Interconnection Voltage	69 Kilovolts
Cleared land area required	35 acres
Estimated annual energy production	14,000.000 kWh
Equivalent households	2,000+ households
Equivalent oil saved	23,400 barrels/year
Estimated total plant cost	$11 million
Funding from EPRI & DOE	$4.0 million
Projected levelized cost/kWh	5.8 to 6.2 cents/kWh

E-Mail comments to Frank Pulaski at frank@classypages.com