Bellows Falls: Manufacturing center on the river
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By DON WICKMAN - Published: September 14, 2007
The colony of New Hampshire granted the land designated as Rockingham on Dec. 28, 1752.
Within five years, settlers moved into the region, but the proprietors of the town actually gathered in March 1753 to transact business. At this initial meeting, the men elected Benjamin Bellows, a resident of Walpole, N.H., as moderator. When people settled on the eastern edge of Rockingham, where the Connecticut River tumbled over falls 50 feet, the highest on the river, they named the village Bellows Falls, in honor of their moderator and one of the original proprietors.
Bellows Falls is credited with many firsts. Col. Enoch Hale constructed the first bridge across the Connecticut, a covered bridge 365 feet in length. A wooden pier set upon a large rock in the gorge supported the span. For 55 years, this bridge functioned until the Tucker Toll Bridge replaced it in 1840.
The covered bridge stood another 71 years, until crews built a concrete replacement at the same location. The first bridge provided much convenience and allowed people, stages and wagons to bypass the slower and less reliable ferries.
A transformation of the fledgling village occurred in 1802 — a canal opened, effectively bypassing the Connecticut River falls. It took 10 years to complete the half-mile project. To provide sufficient lift over the falls, nine locks needed to be built plus a dam across the river to divert water. Goods now easily passed up and down the river as workers constructed additional locks around other waterfalls and rapids. The Bellows Falls Canal also created a 30-acre island, as the waterway cut off the eastern point of the village from the mainland. Soon, industry sprouted up, taking full advantage of the available and cheap water power.
Bill Blake opened up a paper mill in 1802 as one of the commercial enterprises. This mill commenced a long history of paper making in Bellows Falls. In one of these paper mills, William Russell directed the making of the first paper from wood pulp in the world during 1869-70 — a process that revolutionized the paper-making process.
Several paper companies erected large complexes on the island.
In 1898, International Paper Co. opened up a large mill. For nearly three decades, the company operated in Bellows Falls before closing down the plant in 1926 after a bitter labor dispute.
Bellows Falls had its share of notable residents. Edwin Stougton, a West Point graduate, rose to the rank of brigadier general in the Civil War. He started his career as the colonel of the 4th Vermont Regiment. However, Stoughton's rising star quickly plummeted when early on the morning of March 9, 1863, he fell captive to the Confederate partisan ranger, John S. Mosby. The Confederate not only had infiltrated five miles behind Union lines, but also caught Stoughton asleep in his bed.
Charles Stoughton, Edwin's brother, served admirably during the war. He assumed command of the 4th Vermont and served until wounded in 1863.
Then there was Hetty Green, known by many as the "Witch of Wall Street." Managing through her life to acquire three fortunes through inheritance and marriage, Green eventually amassed a wealth calculated to be $100 million. Though the wealthiest woman in the country, Green developed a reputation for her common, sensible dressing habits, penny-pinching lifestyle and abrupt behavior.
Like so many other Vermont communities, Bellows Falls flourished because of the railroad, which rendered the canal obsolete. By 1900, four lines intersected at the village and two railroad bridges crossed the Connecticut. The rail activity necessitated part of the island being dedicated to the railroads.
Two roundhouses stood on the site, as did switching yards and a number of associated buildings. One of the most noteworthy and still functioning pieces of rail history is the tunnel under the Town Square. Constructed in 1851, the 251-foot tunnel avoided the problem of disturbing the growing town, yet still allowed the railroad passage. It is now being expanded to handle higher loads.
The vibrant commercial district responded to meet the need of workers and passengers. Three hotels provided "excellent accommodations" as well did numerous boarding houses. Restaurants offered a wide variety of food. For those interested in cultural activities, an opera house capable of holding one thousand patrons could be found in the village center. An electric trolley carried people around town.
The commercial district suffered through a number of severe fires over the years, which removed many of the early wooden structures. However, the people rebuilt and Bellows Falls contains an array of 19th and 20th century commercial buildings.
Bellows Falls inaugurated another Vermont first on Sept. 4, 1922. That day, WLAK began broadcasting as the state's first radio station. It catered to the local farm population with weather forecasts, farm reports plus some music. Charles Doe assembled all the technology to set up this station with financial backing from the Vermont Farm Machinery Co.
Bellows Falls truly exemplified a manufacturing center.
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