The surface of Middletown is broken and uneven, but still retains some intervales of arable productive laud. The hills and mountain-sides afford pasturage for large herds of sheep and cattle; hence it is that the township is noted rather as a stock and wool-growing section than a grain-growing district. The rocks are those peculiar to most of the country lying on the Taconic range of mountains, Talcoid schist preponderating.  The soil is mostly a gravelly loam, with some alluvial deposit from the mountains, both affording good farming-land, and especially along the Poultney River, where are found many excellent farms. The products are wheat, oats, rye, buckwheat, Indian corn, potatoes and hay. 

      The only considerable stream is Poultney River, which has, however, numerous small tributaries. It rises in Tinmouth and flows a westerly course through this township into Poultney. The timber is mostly beech, birch, maple, hemlock, cedar, spruce and ash.  From the maple large quantities of sugar is manufactured. 

      In 1880 Middletown had a population of 824, with eight common schools, employing three male, and ten female teachers, at an aggregate salary of $822.50. There were 160 pupils attending common schools, and the entire cost of the schools for the year ending October 31st., was $1,025.60. Mr. L. H. JENNINGS was superintendent. 

      Middletown Springs, a post village located in the central part of the town on Poultney River, has three hotels, four stores, two cheese factories, three churches, one foundry, two blacksmith shops, the horsepower and threshing machine works of A. W. GRAY's Sons, and about fifty dwellings. 

      The village is also noted for the MINERal springs found here, from which it derives its name. The springs are situated on the north bank of the river, and are said, in tradition; to have been used by the red man as far back as were those at Saratoga. Be that as it may, a century ago they were found by the first settlers, led to them by the Indians, and were used with great benefit; but being off the line of any, great thoroughfare, and the country at that time a wilderness, their use was local. But in the great freshet of the year 1811, the great storm flooded the Poultney River, and it overflowed its banks, cut a new channel and left these springs buried deep under hundreds of tons of dirt and debris.  Their history was almost lost, and they existed only in tradition. Young men and maidens grew to manhood and womanhood to old age; saw their grandchildren rise up to take their places, and after more than half a century, in 1868, another flood sent the Poultney River over its banks, and by a freak of nature it undid what it had before done, and so cutting through the deposit of dirt and gravel, these healing fountains were again uncovered. Now the country is cleared. The woods have been swept back to the hilltops, and a numerous and busy population surrounds them, while hundreds come many miles each year to drink of the healthful waters. 

      The Montvert Hotel, connected with the Springs property, an elegant and commodious house, passed into the hands of A. W. GRAY's Sons, and by them was last spring sold to the Montvert Hotel Company, Limited, with Thos. B. WILSON Esq., of New York, one of the company, as manager. The house has been thoroughly refurnished, and fitted in first class style, and on July 4th, was formerly opened with a grand celebration and display of fire-works in the evening. 

      A. W. GRAY's Sons manufactory, situated on Poultney River, at this village, is operated by both water and steam power. The firm has been in continual business here for the last forty years. At the opening of the shops, the farm labor of the country, was almost entirely done by hand, the plough and the drag being almost the only implements in common use by the farmers, in which the power of the horse was substituted for that of man. The cultivator, drill, threshing machine, wood-saw, mowing-machine, horse-rake and reaper have been introduced since. This firm began with A. W. GRAY, the father, in a small way and with rude machinery; the business has increased and the machines been improved until they are now able to offer the perfected machines of the present day. The present proprietors were brought up as boys in the shop, and taught to make every part of either wood or metal of each machine manufactured by them, having invented and perfected many of the devices in use in the machines. Arriving at manhood, they became interested as partners in the business. Many years since they assumed the sole control, and five years since became the sole owners, and have since then conducted the business under the name of A. W. GRAY's Sons, by which they are widely known through the whole country, as manufacturers of agricultural implements, etc. They employ about 50 men and manufacture about 1,200 different machines each year.

      SMITH's carriage manufactory, located at Middletown Springs, opposite the works of A. W. GRAY's Sons, was established in 1871.  He manufactures all kinds of wagons and carriages, and also does repairing. 

      Spring Valley Cheese Factory, located at Middletown Springs, was built by a stock company in 1876. It has the capacity for manufacturing cheese from the milk of 400 cows. 

      Middletown Cheese Factory was one of the first established in the State. It has facilities for manufacturing the milk from 700 cows, but only uses the milk of a little over six hundred. 

      Cline's grist and saw mill is located on Poultney River, one half mile east of Middletown Springs. The grist-mill has one run of stones and does mostly custom work.  The saw-mill has the capacity for cutting 3,000 feet of lumber per day. 

      ATWATER's cider-mill, located about three miles south of Middletown Springs, on road 24, has the capacity for making 20 barrels of cider per day. 

      The exact date when the first settlers came here perhaps cannot be given. It was, however, before the Revolutionary war, and probably but a short time before. Settlement was commenced by Thomas MORGAN, Richard and Benjamin HASKINS, Phineas CLOUGH and Luther FILMORE. Thomas MORGAN built the first frame house in town, nearly one mile south of the village, on the farm now owned by his grandson, Daniel MORGAN. Mr. MORGAN lived here until his death, which occurred in the year 1841. When he came to the town it was an unbroken wilderness, and he could only find his way by marked trees.  After he came and commenced clearing the forest, he purchased 100 acres of land about one mile from where the village now stands, and put up a log house a few feet from where the framed house now stands on the old "Morgan Farm." By the summer of 1777 he had made considerable progress in clearing up his land, as he had that summer four acres of wheat, but he was called away to Bennington by the Revolution, and his wheat was never harvested. 

      Richard HASKINS commenced settlement a little east of the village. He, too, in 1777, had two acres of wheat, which he never harvested, but went to Bennington. 

      Benj. HOSKINS built a log house and commenced settlement a little east of the village.  Luther FILMORE put up a log house on the south-west corner of what is known as the  "Green," in the village. Where Phineas CLOUGH first located is not positively known; but he early settled on what has since been known as the "Orcutt Farm." 

      These five men are all who are known to have been here before the Revolutionary war. They all left in the summer of 1777, joined the militia at Manchester, and were all in Bennington battle. 

      The first mills were built by Gideon MINER in 1782. They were located about one-half mile east of where the village now is. Mr. MORGAN assisted Mr. MINER, as a workman, in building the mills. MORGAN brought the mill-irons from Bennington on a horse. After the Revolution, when the settlers had again returned to their farms, immigration became rapid, for in the fall of 1784, the people petitioned the Legislature for a new town. It can readily be seen that the settlers upon those parts of the then towns of Poultney, Ira, Tinmouth and Wells, now included in the limits of Middletown, would naturally become a community by themselves, and unite their interests and feelings in spite of town lines.  They had already done so -- two churches had been organized, and a log meeting-house erected, and the members of the church were from the four towns, but had a common centre, where it has been since and now is. If those town lines had never been changed, there must have been the same churches here, the same business, the same village.  Nature formed the territory for a town, and as the settlers increased in numbers, they became aware of it and petitioned, as has been seen, the Legislature for the same. 

      On the farm of E. B. COOK is an old house, built about 100 years ago by Caleb SMITH.  Mr. COOK intends to tear it down this year and build anew on its site. 

      Asa GARDNER was one of the early settlers of the township, settling about two miles north of the village. Almer, his son, was born in this town, where he resided until his death in 1877, at the age of 82 years. Charles, brother of Almer, is still living, the oldest man in the township, aged 88. The GARDNER place is situated on road 2, and contains the oldest house in town, being built in 1778. 

      Nathaniel CLEFT was born in the town of Ira, April 1, 1800, where he resided until 1838, when he removed to this town and settled on road 2, on the farm now owned by his son, H. R. CLEFT. He died Dec. 7, 1875. 

      Joseph SPAULDING, who laid out and surveyed the township, was also the first school teacher in the town, having taught in a log meeting house, where the village now stands. He lived one mile north of the village, where he died at the age of 96 years. His son Joseph came to the town a few years after his father, and located near the village, but afterward lived in various parts of the town. His son Harley is still living in town. 

      Gideon BUEL, an early settler of Middletown, left two sons and one daughter, named Jared, Julia and BOSWELL, Sen. Boswell Buel, Sen., represented the town in the State Legislature during the years 1860 and '61. His son, Boswell, Jr., represented the town in 1850, and was a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1870, and a member of the Legislature in 1870, '72, '74, '75 and '76. H e was instrumental in getting an appropriation of six hundred dollars for the Nathaniel CHIPMAN monument of 1872, and in 1874 an appropriation of $150 for the purpose of erecting an iron fence around said monument. 

      Samuel HUTCHINGS settled in the town at an early date. His daughter, Anna CLARK, still resides here, at the advanced age of 85 years. 

      Moses E. VAIL, an old resident of Middletown, is a son of Micah, and grandson of Edward VAIL, early settlers of Danby, spoken of in the Danby history. Moses engaged in mercantile pursuits in Middletown as early as 1841, retiring from active business in 1875.  His son, C. B. VAIL, is now one of the prominent merchants of Rutland village. 

      The freshet spoken of as having changed the course of Poultney River did a great deal of damage to the town. It occurred in July, 1811. Many houses at the village, and all the mills and machinery, except those now known as Gray's Mills, were swept away. The disastrous effects of this flood were severely felt in Middletown for many years, and indeed the town, as a place of business, never fully recovered from it. John BURNAM, who had been the leading businessman of the town, was becoming an old man, and felt disinclined to undergo the necessary labor and care which would be required to start anew in so extensive a business as he had done. He, however, rebuilt his forge and saw mill, which were in operation some years after that, but without the activity, which his former mills had shown. A good many men were thrown out of employment, and were obliged to seek elsewhere. At the census of 1820 the population of the town was but 1,039, a falling off of 168 from 1810, owing in a great measure, if not entirely, to the sad effects of the freshet. Yet, notwithstanding the great destruction of property, Middletown continued, and still is, a lively little place. 

      The Congregational Church, located at Middletown Springs, was organized in 1780, by the Rev. Mr. HIBBARD, who was the first minister. The church building is a comfortable structure, capable of seating 300 persons, erected in 1796, and, including grounds, is valued at $4,000. The society now has a membership of 85, with Osborn MYRICK as pastor. 

      Middletown Baptist Church, located at Middletown Springs, was organized by a delegation from Manchester and Danby, in the year 1784, with Rev. Sylvanus HAYNES as pastor. The building was erected in 1806, and is valued at about $5,500, with a seating capacity of about 250. The society has now about 70 members, with Rev. T. H. ARCHIBALD as pastor. 

      The M. E. Church of Middletown, located at Middletown Springs, was organized by the Rev. Samuel YOUNG, on Nov. 24, 1835, with a membership of nine. The society now has fourteen members, with no regular pastor. The building was erected in the year 1836.  It has a seating capacity of 200, and, together with the property at the time it was built, was valued at $1,200; but has since decreased in value, so that it is now estimated at about $1,000. 

      The Second Advent Church, located at Middletown Springs, was organized by Elder C. KINGSLEY in 1879, and consisted of 17 members. They have erected no building yet, and hold their services in the hall. The society now consists of 20 members, with Rev. W. O. BIBBINS, of Rutland, pastor. 

Gazetteer and Business Directory of  Rutland  County, VT.;
1881-82, Compiled and Published by Hamilton Child;
Syracuse, N.Y.; Printed at the Journal Office
August 1881, Part Two, Pages 151 - 157.

Transcribed by Karima Allison 2004