History of Williamstown, Vermont, USA

Williamstown, Vermont
Orange county. This town lies on the height of land between Onion and White rivers, 10 miles S.E. from Montpelier and about the same distance N.W. from Chelsea. First settled, 1784. Population, 1830, 1,487. This mountain town produces good crops of grain and hay. It pastures about 7,500 sheep.

The "Gulf Road," so called, between Royalton and Montpelier, passes through this town. This mountain pass is some miles in length, wild and picturesque. The mountains on each side of the gulf are very high, and the sides are so steep as to leave only a narrow passage for the turnpike, and a gurgling branch of White river on the south side, and a branch of Onion river on the north.

Orange Co. Williamstown lies on the height of land between Winooski and White Rivers, and contains no large streams. A brook, which here runs down a steep hill towards the west, divides naturally, and while one part runs to the north, forming Steven's Branch of Winooski River, the other runs to the south, forming the second branch of White River.

The turnpike from Royalton to Montpelier passes along these streams, and is known by the name of the Gulf Road, on account of the deep ravine through which it passes in this town, near the head of the second branch. The hills here, upon each side of the branch, are very high and abrupt, and approach so near each other, as hardly to leave space for a road between them. In this ravine a medicinal spring has recently been discovered, which is thought to be equal to that at Clarendon.

Williamstown is timbered principally with hard wood, and the soil is well adapted to the production of grass. There is a small but pleasant village near the...