Welcome! Scroll Down for Posts and Archives.
Other Menu Options at Top |
|
Welcome! Scroll Down for Posts and Archives.
Other Menu Options at Top |
|
Part 2: The Most Direct Route from Norwich to Chelsea By choosing the most direct route to Chelsea from Norwich, the proprietors of the Strafford Turnpike Company probably brought about the demise of their enterprise.... (Click here if you missed Part One of the Strafford Turnpike) The route out of Norwich, which followed Blood or Bloody Brook out past Gile Mountain, headed uphill into the wilds of east Sharon, and Strafford Vermont. This was rugged country, and miles away from town centers, and there were reasons it was sparsely settled. Travel was not easy along rock ledges and through swales and mud troughs. Strafford Turnpike from Sharon Town Line into Strafford, Vermont. Using the 1855 Windsor County map above, we can see that as we traveled along the Strafford Turnpike from Norwich, we would pass the homes of T. Slack, S.B. Slack, and Mrs. Blaisdell on our way back down into South Strafford. This is the path along the valley between Morrill Mountain and Copperas Hill. The turnpike connects with Mine Road before entering the village, near what is today Coburn's General Store. Once the route came out of the hills and descened into South Strafford Village, the going became easy for a while, following the West Branch of the Ompompanoosuc River westward, and uphill, gently at first, toward the river's source. Early sketch map of the Strafford Turnpike, showing boundaries of Norwich, Sharon, and Strafford. The third dotted line from the left, at the bottom, is the Strafford Turnpike. From the map above, I could see that the turnpike followed along the West Branch of the Ompompanoosuc River, on its way to Strafford Upper Village. It appears that the home of "Col. Chamberlain" is denoted on the map in Strafford. Route of Strafford Turnpike from South Strafford to "Strafford Center" or Upper Village, along the West Branch of the Ompompanoosuc River. The Windsor County map from 1855 above, was a big help in finding the route of the Strafford Turnpike. Strafford Town House, Upper Village Strafford, Vermont. 1894 USGS Topographic map showing the route of the Strafford Turnpike, from Strafford Upper Village to Vershire along Taylor Valley Road. Also helpful was the USGS map above, from 1894. The long-dashed lines represent the township boundaries. Clearly seen is the point at which the boundaries of four towns come together, (top, middle); Vershire, Strafford, Tunbridge and Chelsea. It was a fun challenge, to study the crude early sketches of the Strafford Turnpike, and other, more recent maps of the area, in order to see where the turnpike went after the Upper Village of Stafford. I had originally thought that the route would have taken the Justin Morrill Memorial Highway into Tunbridge on the Strafford Road, past Fred Tuttle's old family farm. However, I saw that the correct route ran through a corner of Vershire, avoiding Tunbridge altogether. Northwest portion of early sketch/map from Strafford, through Vershire, to Chelsea, Vermont. I could see that Taylor Valley Road, along the west branch of the Ompompanoosuc River was most likely the Strafford Turnpike. Traveling along Taylor Valley Road, eventually one would enter the township of Vershire, and then begin turning westward, toward Chelsea. As Taylor Valley Road enters Vershire, the Strafford Highway turns west, and is called Turnpike Road, once again. A friend of mine lives way out on Taylor Valley Road, near the corners of Vershire, Chelsea, Tunbridge and Strafford. He has lived there for over forty years. I asked him if he ever heard that Taylor Valley Road was part of the Strafford Turnpike, and he told me the following: "Yes what I heard from the older set was that Taylor Valley Rd. and Turnpike were part of the Main road not just to Chelsea but from Boston to Montpelier and Montreal. I was told that there were 28 farms, three school houses and a mill up here in 1850. after the Civil War people moved away, to Ohio and California, etc. The saw mill that used to be across the street is rumored to have sawed the boards for the Town House and all the houses on the common." 1944 USGS Map showing Strafford Highway, single dashed line. The Strafford Turnpike followed what is now Taylor Valley Road, and the west branch of the "Pompy" River, climbing higher and higher, into Vershire, and turning west, onto Turnpike road. Eventually the turnpike came to the height of the land, around 1700 feet in elevation, near the Vershire/Chelsea line, before descending into Chelsea. This area is no longer maintained, and I've been told there is a large beaver pond in the middle of the old turnpike. Strafford Turnpike in Strafford, Vershire, and Chelsea, east and north of "Brattlebank" Hill On the 1855 map of Windsor County, above, we can see that there were quarries along "Brattlebank Hill". Today that hill is known as Brocklebank HIll. The quarries would have given employment to some local people, and helped with the local economy. Surnames in the area are familiar, such as Howe, Hall, Titus, Bugbee, Tucker and Grant. There was a schoolhouse in Vershire, where the turnpike veered to the west, at the confluence of the Pompy west branch, with a feeder stream. As the turnpike left the high country, it followed Jenkins Brook on its way to the First Branch of the White River, at what is today known as Vermont State Route 110. The areas of higher elevation between the Pompy west branch and Jenkins Brook would have been another difficult portion of the route to keep open and maintained well enough for turnpike travel. Like the turnpike's route in Sharon, the Vershire section was probably one of the worst areas to keep open. Taylor Valley Road and Justin Morrill Memorial Highway in Strafford. The old Strafford Turnpike, along the banks of the West Branch of the Ompompanoosuc River. When the Strafford Turnpike Company was formed, they were given a certain amount of time in which to get the turnpike surveyed, cleared, built, and up and running. It turned out they needed more time. The petition was granted in 1808, and work started on the route to Chelsea from Norwich. The first part of the turnpike, from the Ledyard Bridge to the Norwich Plain was easy, as the road already existed. The Vermont Legislature stipulated there would be two tollgates, and also dictated toll fares. Here is an excerpt on toll fares: "For each four wheeled pleasure carriage, drawn by one beast, twenty cents; for each four wheeled pleasure carriage drawn by two beasts thirty one cents; and for each additional beast four cents; for each two wheeled pleasure carriage drawn by one beast, sixteen cents; and for each additional beast, four cents...for all sheep or swine at the rate of three cents per dozen." Excerpt from 1823 Letter from the Strafford Turnpike Company to the Vermont Legislature, explaining the difficulties with keeping the Company in business, and petitioning for an increase in toll fees to cover maintenance costs. The Strafford Turnpike Company began in 1808 with an idea: Create a turnpike, or toll road, from the Connecticut River in Norwich, along the most direct route, to the Chelsea Vermont Courthouse. By 1823, the company was not doing well. Tolls could barely cover the cost of road maintenance. They had chosen the most direct route they could find, but that brought them into difficult areas of high elevation with major drainage issues, that were extremely difficult to keep passable. By 1826, the Strafford Turnpike Company ceased to exist. The book, The Turnpikes of New England, by Frederic Wood, published 1919, had this to say about the Strafford Turnpike: "The Strafford Turnpike was granted the right on November 11, 1808, to build from the Connecticut River Turnpike in Norwich, diagonally across the town of Strafford, to the courthouse in Chelsea. In 1813 the company made petition to the legislature for an extension of the time within which it should finish the road, stating in explanation that it had nearly finished the turnpike, but that heavy rains had done so much damage that completion within the required time would be impossible....November 4th, 1826, the corporation was allowed to surrender its charter and the road became free". The Chelsea end of the Strafford Turnpike. Jenkins Brook Road to State Route 110, and the "Welcome to Chelsea" sign. Today, I find it fascinating that what used to be a main thoroughfare, running past family farms, sawmills and schoolhouses, is now an unused old trail, with a Beaver Pond in the middle of it. Comments 12
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI'm Bob Totz, retired VT postmaster, and historical geographer ARCHIVES:
October 2021
EXPANDED ARCHIVES: AUGUST 2021 1858 Johnson Map of North America MAY 2021 1795 - "Road Over the Mountain" - Part Two Historic Toll House For Sale 1795 - "Road Over the Mountain" Part One OCTOBER 2020 Finding That Special Peaceful Place AUGUST 2020 Kayaking on the Pompy JULY 2020 Pt. 2: What the Heck Are These Things? JUNE 2020 Bob's Bio... What the Heck Are These Things? Pt. 1 MAY 2020 Stone Walls and Spirits The View APRIL 2020 Sunny Brook Farm Relics: Pt 2. Sunny Brook Farm Relics: Pt 1. MARCH 2020 Signs of Norwich Pt. 2 COVID-19 Tracking Map Centertown and Valleyquest Signs of Norwich Pt. 1 "Imperfect Union" - Book Review Historic Centertown FEBRUARY 2020 King's Hwy Pt. 2 WRJ Museum at Post Mills Airport Chatauguay Vermont The Independent Farmer poem Traveling Along the King's Highway - Lebanon NH JANUARY 2020 Finding Parkhurst Cemetery In Search of Parkhurst Cemetery Affordable Housing The Old Stone Grill Two Rivers Trail-Kmart License and Registration, Please! Prohibition, Murder and Dr. Seuss Peace, Paris, & P.O. DECEMBER 2019 BLOGGER'S LINKS Welcome to Old Roads Love-Quail Hollow fun Dartmouth Cemetery SEPTEMBER 2019 E. Thetford Cemetery JUNE 2019
Taps: Meetinghouse Cemetery 4-Corners Borders Quest Old Iron Gate Stumbling Upon History Sunrise Walk MAY 2019 4 Corners Cemetery Strafford's Abandoned Foundations Art in Old Stonework APRIL 2019 Strafford Tpke Pt 2 Strafford Tpke Pt 1 White River Valley FEBRUARY 2019 Learning from Historic Maps of the Upper Valley Change in Lewiston VT JANUARY 2019 A Vermont Ski Waltz John Ledyard 1773 What is the Upper Valley? DECEMBER 2018 Dartmouth Green Music Video: Sometimes Music Video: Montreal Express Railway Disaster of 1887 |