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Williams River (Vermont): Difference between revisions

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Coordinates: 43°20′11″N 72°40′28″W / 43.3363953°N 72.6745717°W / 43.3363953; -72.6745717
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m Changed old name, "Deerfield Massacre" to a more modern name, "Deerfield Raid"
m Added photo from 1912 of the dedication of John Williams memorial in Rockingham, VT
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[[File:Bartonsville covered bridge 10-25-2013 10-40-28 AM.JPG|thumb|The new Bartonsville covered bridge, taken from the Green Mountain Flyer excursion train, on the south side of the Williams River.]]
[[File:Bartonsville covered bridge 10-25-2013 10-40-28 AM.JPG|thumb|The new Bartonsville covered bridge, taken from the Green Mountain Flyer excursion train, on the south side of the Williams River.]]
The '''Williams River''' is a {{convert|27.0|mi|km|adj=mid}}<ref name=NHD>U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map], accessed April 1, 2011</ref> river in the [[United States|U.S.]] state of [[Vermont]]. It is a [[tributary]] of the [[Connecticut River]]. Its watershed covers 117 square miles; land use is about 80% forested and 4% agricultural, and the upper river supports wild brook trout and brown trout.<ref name="Basin">Williams River basin summary, 2014 http://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wsm/mapp/docs/mp_williamsriver.pdf</ref>
The '''Williams River''' is a {{convert|27.0|mi|km|adj=mid}}<ref name=NHD>U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. [http://viewer.nationalmap.gov/viewer/ The National Map], accessed April 1, 2011</ref> river in the [[United States|U.S.]] state of [[Vermont]]. It is a [[tributary]] of the [[Connecticut River]]. Its watershed covers 117 square miles; land use is about 80% forested and 4% agricultural, and the upper river supports wild brook trout and brown trout.<ref name="Basin">Williams River basin summary, 2014 http://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wsm/mapp/docs/mp_williamsriver.pdf</ref>
[[File:Rev. John Williams memorial dedication 1912 Rockingham VT.jpg|thumb|Rev. John Williams memorial dedication in 1912 in Rockingham, VT, near the mouth of the Williams River, just north of the intersection of Rts. 5 & 103. ]]

The river was named for Rev. [[John Williams (minister)|John Williams]] of [[Deerfield, Massachusetts]]. He preached the first Christian sermon in what would become Vermont near the mouth of the river on March 5, 1704.<ref>Hayes, Lyman S. 1907. History of the Town of Rockingham, Vermont: Including the Villages of Bellows Falls, Saxtons River, Rockingham, Cambridgeport and Bartonsville, 1753-1907, with Family Genealogies. Published by Bellows Falls, VT. Retrieved 6-12-14 at https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=ULmlDG8KLjYC&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&authuser=0&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA2</ref> At the time, he and part of his congregation were captives of the French, [[Mohawk people|the Mohawk]] and the [[Abenaki]] after the [[Raid on Deerfield|Deerfield Raid]], being marched from Deerfield to Quebec, Canada.<ref>Williams, Stephen. 1837. A Biographical Memoir of the Rev. John Williams, First Minister of Deerfield, MA. C.J.J. Ingersoll, Greenfield, MA. Retrieved 6-12-14 from https://archive.org/stream/abiographicalme00willgoog#page/n46/mode/2up</ref>
The river was named for Rev. [[John Williams (minister)|John Williams]] of [[Deerfield, Massachusetts]]. He preached the first Christian sermon in what would become Vermont near the mouth of the river on March 5, 1704.<ref>Hayes, Lyman S. 1907. History of the Town of Rockingham, Vermont: Including the Villages of Bellows Falls, Saxtons River, Rockingham, Cambridgeport and Bartonsville, 1753-1907, with Family Genealogies. Published by Bellows Falls, VT. Retrieved 6-12-14 at https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=ULmlDG8KLjYC&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&authuser=0&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA2</ref> A historical marker was placed near the site of the sermon in 1912 (see photo). At the time, he and part of his congregation were captives of the French, [[Mohawk people|the Mohawk]] and the [[Abenaki]] after the [[Raid on Deerfield|Deerfield Raid]], being marched from Deerfield, MA to Quebec, Canada.<ref>Williams, Stephen. 1837. A Biographical Memoir of the Rev. John Williams, First Minister of Deerfield, MA. C.J.J. Ingersoll, Greenfield, MA. Retrieved 6-12-14 from https://archive.org/stream/abiographicalme00willgoog#page/n46/mode/2up</ref>


The Williams River rises in the northern part of the town of [[Andover, Vermont|Andover]] and flows east through a corner of [[Ludlow (town), Vermont|Ludlow]] and into [[Chester, Vermont|Chester]], where it turns southeast. The river then flows in a narrow valley near [[Vermont Route 103]] between rolling hills into the town of [[Rockingham, Vermont|Rockingham]], where it joins the [[Connecticut River]] at Herricks Cove. Its major tributaries (from upriver to downriver) include Wheaton Brook, Lovejoy Brook, and Bear Brook in [[Andover, Vermont|Andover]] and [[Ludlow (town), Vermont|Ludlow]]. In [[Chester, Vermont|Chester]], it is joined by the Middle Branch Williams River, which starts in Windham; the tributaries of the Middle Branch include Lyman Brook, Andover Branch, and South Branch Williams River. Named tributaries in [[Rockingham, Vermont|Rockingham]] include Wright Brook, Stearns Brook, Wiley Hill Brook, and Divoll Brook (flowing north), and Skunk Hollow Brook, Petty Brook, Brockways Mills Brook, Lillie Brook, Locke Brook, and O'Brien Brook (flowing south).<ref name="Basin" /><ref>Geographic names Information System search page https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=138:1:0:::::</ref> The lower part of Petty Brook (in Bartonsville) was the mainstem of the river until a flood in 1869 changed its course.<ref name="Bridge">Bartonsville Covered Bridge History http://www.bartonsvillecoveredbridge.com/history/</ref> The Williams River watershed lies south of the [[Black River (Connecticut River)|Black River]] watershed, which includes most of Springfield, and north of the [[Saxtons River]] watershed.
The Williams River rises in the northern part of the town of [[Andover, Vermont|Andover]] and flows east through a corner of [[Ludlow (town), Vermont|Ludlow]] and into [[Chester, Vermont|Chester]], where it turns southeast. The river then flows in a narrow valley near [[Vermont Route 103]] between rolling hills into the town of [[Rockingham, Vermont|Rockingham]], where it joins the [[Connecticut River]] at Herricks Cove. Its major tributaries (from upriver to downriver) include Wheaton Brook, Lovejoy Brook, and Bear Brook in [[Andover, Vermont|Andover]] and [[Ludlow (town), Vermont|Ludlow]]. In [[Chester, Vermont|Chester]], it is joined by the Middle Branch Williams River, which starts in Windham; the tributaries of the Middle Branch include Lyman Brook, Andover Branch, and South Branch Williams River. Named tributaries in [[Rockingham, Vermont|Rockingham]] include Wright Brook, Stearns Brook, Wiley Hill Brook, and Divoll Brook (flowing north), and Skunk Hollow Brook, Petty Brook, Brockways Mills Brook, Lillie Brook, Locke Brook, and O'Brien Brook (flowing south).<ref name="Basin" /><ref>Geographic names Information System search page https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=138:1:0:::::</ref> The lower part of Petty Brook (in Bartonsville) was the mainstem of the river until a flood in 1869 changed its course.<ref name="Bridge">Bartonsville Covered Bridge History http://www.bartonsvillecoveredbridge.com/history/</ref> The Williams River watershed lies south of the [[Black River (Connecticut River)|Black River]] watershed, which includes most of Springfield, and north of the [[Saxtons River]] watershed.

Revision as of 21:01, 1 September 2020

Sokoki Falls as seen from the Green Mountain Flyer excursion train. On the Williams River in Rockingham, VT.
Brockways Mills Gorge, just below Sokoki Falls, as seen from the Green Mountain Flyer excursion train. On the Williams River in Rockingham, VT.
The new Bartonsville covered bridge, taken from the Green Mountain Flyer excursion train, on the south side of the Williams River.

The Williams River is a 27.0-mile (43.5 km)[1] river in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River. Its watershed covers 117 square miles; land use is about 80% forested and 4% agricultural, and the upper river supports wild brook trout and brown trout.[2]

Rev. John Williams memorial dedication in 1912 in Rockingham, VT, near the mouth of the Williams River, just north of the intersection of Rts. 5 & 103.

The river was named for Rev. John Williams of Deerfield, Massachusetts. He preached the first Christian sermon in what would become Vermont near the mouth of the river on March 5, 1704.[3] A historical marker was placed near the site of the sermon in 1912 (see photo). At the time, he and part of his congregation were captives of the French, the Mohawk and the Abenaki after the Deerfield Raid, being marched from Deerfield, MA to Quebec, Canada.[4]

The Williams River rises in the northern part of the town of Andover and flows east through a corner of Ludlow and into Chester, where it turns southeast. The river then flows in a narrow valley near Vermont Route 103 between rolling hills into the town of Rockingham, where it joins the Connecticut River at Herricks Cove. Its major tributaries (from upriver to downriver) include Wheaton Brook, Lovejoy Brook, and Bear Brook in Andover and Ludlow. In Chester, it is joined by the Middle Branch Williams River, which starts in Windham; the tributaries of the Middle Branch include Lyman Brook, Andover Branch, and South Branch Williams River. Named tributaries in Rockingham include Wright Brook, Stearns Brook, Wiley Hill Brook, and Divoll Brook (flowing north), and Skunk Hollow Brook, Petty Brook, Brockways Mills Brook, Lillie Brook, Locke Brook, and O'Brien Brook (flowing south).[2][5] The lower part of Petty Brook (in Bartonsville) was the mainstem of the river until a flood in 1869 changed its course.[6] The Williams River watershed lies south of the Black River watershed, which includes most of Springfield, and north of the Saxtons River watershed.

In Rockingham it is crossed by the Bartonsville Covered Bridge that was washed away in Hurricane Irene in August 2011, rebuilt in 2012, and reopened in January 2013,[6] as well as the Worrall Covered Bridge, the only 19th century covered bridge left in town. Below those bridges, it flows over Sokoki Falls, named for the local band of the Abenaki,[7] and through Brockways Mills Gorge.

The river is a target for prospectors who can be seen panning for placer gold, south of the Town of Ludlow, near the site of the Rio Tinto open-pit talc mine.

See also

References

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline data. The National Map, accessed April 1, 2011
  2. ^ a b Williams River basin summary, 2014 http://dec.vermont.gov/sites/dec/files/wsm/mapp/docs/mp_williamsriver.pdf
  3. ^ Hayes, Lyman S. 1907. History of the Town of Rockingham, Vermont: Including the Villages of Bellows Falls, Saxtons River, Rockingham, Cambridgeport and Bartonsville, 1753-1907, with Family Genealogies. Published by Bellows Falls, VT. Retrieved 6-12-14 at https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=ULmlDG8KLjYC&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&authuser=0&hl=en&pg=GBS.PA2
  4. ^ Williams, Stephen. 1837. A Biographical Memoir of the Rev. John Williams, First Minister of Deerfield, MA. C.J.J. Ingersoll, Greenfield, MA. Retrieved 6-12-14 from https://archive.org/stream/abiographicalme00willgoog#page/n46/mode/2up
  5. ^ Geographic names Information System search page https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=138:1:0:::::
  6. ^ a b Bartonsville Covered Bridge History http://www.bartonsvillecoveredbridge.com/history/
  7. ^ Geographic names Information System, Sokoki Falls https://geonames.usgs.gov/apex/f?p=138:3:0::NO:3:P3_FID,P3_TITLE:2785370,Sokoki%20Falls

43°20′11″N 72°40′28″W / 43.3363953°N 72.6745717°W / 43.3363953; -72.6745717

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