The surface, of the township is diversified by a succession of swells running back from the Connecticut to the west, where it rises in a range of hills near the Victory line. The most noted elevation is Mount Tug, a name probably derived from the difficulty in going over it. The soil is generally good and productive, though in some localities quite stony. The timber of the highlands is generally hard wood; of the low lands mostly hemlock and spruce. On the intervals and plains of the Connecticut the timber was originally a valuable white pine. The town is well watered, for in addition to the Connecticut there are Neal's pond and several brooks. The pond is a beautiful sheet of water about a mile long and half a mile wide. Neals brook, Catspaw brook and Mink brook are considerable mill streams. 

      In 1880,  Lunenburgh had a population of 1038.  In 1886 the town had nine school districts and ten common schools, taught during the year by two male and fifteen female teachers, to whom was paid an average weekly salary, including board, of $6.93 to the former, and $5.15 to the latter. There were 248 scholars, two of whom attended private schools, The entire amount raised for school purposes was $1,587.42, while the total expenditures were $3,168.64, with F.D. Hale, superintendent. 

      Lunenburgh is a fine, pleasant post village, located on a beautiful plateau in the eastern part of the town. It is one of New England's pleasantest villages, is greatly admired for its surrounding beautiful scenery, and is becoming quite famous as a summer retreat. The summer resident is well taken care of here in the pleasant homelike hotels. Mail is received twice daily from South Lancaster, N. H., M.V.B. Vance, stage proprietor and mail carrier. The village has two churches (Congregational and Methodist), a half dozen stores, a wagon shop, grist-mill, three blacksmith shops and about thirty dwellings. Dr. H. A. Cutting's library and mineralogical cabinet here is probably unequaled as a private collection in the state. 

      South Lunenburgh (p. o.) is a hamlet in the south part of the Connecticut river.  Silsby's lumber mills, on the outlet of Neal's pond, were built by Joshua Silsby in 1867. They give employment to thirty hands and turn out about 2,000,000 feet of lumber per year. 

      The first settlement was made in what was supposed to be the northeastern part of the town, in 1764, by David Page, Timothy Nash and George Wheeler. It was subsequently ascertained, however, that these settlements were located over the line in Guildhall. They brought their grain and provisions from Northfield, Mass., in canoes, a distance of more than 150 miles; and during the Revolutionary war they were in a continual state of alarm, and frequently annoyed by the Indians and Tories, who killed their cattle, flooded their houses and carried a number of their inhabitants into captivity, as we have detailed in the earlier pages of this work. 

      It is difficult to determine when the first settlement was made in the present limits of the town, but probably as early as 1768, by Uriah Cross, Thomas Gustin and Ebenezer Rice, who made their log huts near the bank of the Connecticut.  In 1791 the population had increased to 119 souls. The subsequent growth may be seen by reference to the census table on another page. The town was organized September 11, 1781, and David Hopkins, was the first town clerk. 
 
 

(Source: Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, VT.; 1764-1887, Compiled and Published by Hamilton Child; May 1887, Page 459-461)

This excerpt was provided by Tom Dunn.