Rods, Miles, Maps & Acres, Martin Sets Me Straight!

As the old adage goes, when you find yourself in a hole, put down your shovel and holler for a rope! Well maybe that's not exactly how it goes, but it's what makes sense. So when Bruce, on social media, more than politely commented, "Where did you get your dimensions for Vernon? They are way off...." I took a couple more shovels full and then contacted Martin. 

"Martin, Regarding Phineas Munn's Historical Survey and the dimensions of Vernon. Would you be willing to comment on my blog  Intentionally Wild in Vernon error so that I can addendum it citing you?" The following is Martin reminding me that when claiming facts, even one sentence worth, due diligence is in order. 

Take it away Martin!

Questions having been raised about the use of data from Phineas Munn's Historical Survey of Vernon in this blog post, I've been asked to look into the question of Vernon's north-south and east-west dimensions.

In this post, Norma cites Munn's survey as the source of this statement: "With Vernon being a mere 3 x .5 miles in dimension, or 18 square miles plus 1.08 acres...'"

Clearly on the face of it, that's incorrect. (a) Vernon is not a rectangle, so one can't simply multiply its width times its length to get the area. (b) Anyone who has driven the length of Vernon from north to south along Route 142 knows it is ore than 3 miles, and anyone who has done an east-west stroll anywhere in town knows the width is more than a half mile. (c) Finally, even if it were a rectangle 3 miles by .5 miles, the area would be then be 1.5 square miles, not 18 square miles plus an acre or two. 

So, inquiring minds would like to know, what did Munn actually determine to be the size of Vernon, and was he correct? (And if not, what are the actual dimensions of the town?}

So, first I visited Norma's source, which was not Munn's survey itself, but a statement in the 1891 history of Vernon by A.H. Washburn, Esq. and his wife Lucinda W.B. Washburn, which is a source of much useful information about Vernon.

In their paragraph about one of the several land grants formed Vernon, the Washburns state:

"FALL TOWN, was granted (see Centennial Addresses by Lt. Gov. Henry W. Cushman at Barnardston [sic], Mass.), June, 1736 by the Provincial Legislature of Massachusetts, on petition of Samuel Hunt (son of Samuel Hunt who was in the Falls fight) and others of Billerica, Mass., for services rendered at the battle and sixty years after the battle of Turner's Falls. On surveying the north line of Massachusetts in 1763, it was found, about half a mile in width belonged to New Hampshire, now Vernon, taking about 3 miles from the owners of Fall Town Township."

This appears to be the source of Norma's statement that the town of Vernon is 3 miles by .5 miles, but that's not what the paragraph says at all. It says that of the land originally granted as Fall Town( which later became part of Hinsdale, N.H., then Hinsdale, Vermont, and finally was named Vernon) a portion half a mile in width actually belonged to New Hampshire, not Massachusetts, and this resulted in the owners of Fall Town losing "3 miles." (Perhaps meaning 3 square miles - the meaning is not entirely clear.)

The Washburns then go on to cite Munn's survey as follows:

"The boundary of the town from Phineas Munn's survey, 1777, Fall Town Gore being on parchment: Beginning at the northeast corner of the west bank of Connecticut river at the mouth of a small brook, called Venter's brook near the south end of Dummer meadow, about one-half mile south of Mr. Brooks; house, the site of old Fort Dummer; thence, W. 19deg. N. on Brattleboro' south line, 224 4-10 rods to the northwest corner: thence S. 10 deg. W. on Guilford east line 1972 3-10 rods to the southwest corner: thence E. 10 deg. S. on Massachusetts state line and N. line of Bernardston and Northfield 1692 rods to the southeast corner on the west bank of Connecticut river: thence northerly following the west bank of the river and the west line of Hinsdale, N.H., to the place of beginning. The average with of the town is about 3 miles and it contains 18 square miles and 1.08 acres."

Dissecting all that and translating rods into miles (there are 16.5 feet in a rod and 320 rods in a mile), this means that Munn found that at its narrow (north end, Vernon is .70 miles (244.4 rods) wide and at its south end (the Massachusetts line) 5.29 miles (1692 rods) wide. (Thus averaging almost exactly 3 miles wide.) Lengthwise (north-south) Munn found a distance of 6.16 miles (1972.3rods) along the western boundary with Guilford, which is a straight line (or almost a straight line-see below). If you multiply the length of 6.16 miles by the average width of 3 miles you get 18.48 square miles, but given the irregularity of the eastern line along the river, Munn's assertion of 18 square miles is at least plausible. 

Munn was operating in 1777, using actual rods and chains to measure the land, so there was a considerable margin of error in all this, Phineas was a resident of Deerfield, Mass., and surveyed quite a few town in Massachusetts as well as Vermont. We have on the town website, a map of Vernon https://vernonvt.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Vernon-historic-Lotting-Plan.pdf based on his original survey, but I've not been able to locate Munn's original "parchment" survey to see whether the Washburns transcribed his information accurately. So, we can only compare the Washburn description with modern-day data on Vernon's dimensions.

While I'm sure that Jeff Nugent, the eminent cartographer of the Windham Regional Commission, could cite accurate modern dimensions equivalent to Munn's down to the inch, I don't want to bother him for that but will go with the following information derived from Wikipedia, the U.S. Census Bureau, and Google Maps. Here goes:

The northern boundary of Vernon (with Brattleboro, which Munn figured at .70 miles, 244.4 rods, or 3702 feet) runs from a point along the Connecticut River east of the main Cersosimo plant, to a point just north of Fort Dummer State Park. On Google maps (using their distance measurement tool) its length measures out to 4217 feet or 0.80 miles) meaning Munn was shy 515 feet. But as described above, Munn began near the moth of Venter's brook (which you can see on your left when you head up Cottonmill Hill.) the actual line is a bit farther south, bisecting the Cersosimo sawmill building, which may account for the 515 foot difference. (There is actually a slight northward bend in this line as you approach its eastern end, probably derived from some ancient surveying error or correction, but we'll ignore that for the purposes of this treatise.)

Heading south from the Brattleboro-Vernon-Guilford tri-town point, Munn measured 6.16 miles. But per Google Maps, that line is actually 6.53 miles long. (It also has a corrective jog in it, from where Franklin Road crosses the line, south to where the power line crosses.) so on this stretch, Munn was short by 9.37 miles, perhaps because of uncertainties at the time as to where the Massachusetts state line actually was.)

Finally, we have the southern boundary with Bernardston and Northfield , which Munn determined to be 5.29 miles long. In actuality, I find that Google Maps has it at 5.46 miles. Dh here, it appears that Munn came closest, being shy just 0.18 miles.

Now as to the area: using the Munn/Washburn estimating method, the average width of the town is (5.46 +0.80)/2=3.13 miles. Multiply that by the length of 6.53 miles and you get 20.44 square miles. But that's only an approximation, since the boundary that follows the river is not at all a straight line.

The actual area of Vernon according to the Census Bureau is 20.0 square miles — so Munn/Washburn (at 18 square miles) was a little short, but their method, per previous paragraph, was actually pretty close. Of the 20 square miles, 19.4 square miles is land, and 0.6 square miles is water (mainly Lily Pond and a few smaller ponds; I'm sure the water area of our small broods is disregarded)

-Martin Langeveld \ marketing\social media\strategic planning\fundraising

Intentionally Wild in Vernon

Wayne has a new toy and it's nothing like Jim's. Jim claims that once locked in, his toy (or as he calls it his second midlife), will climb straight up walls. Kayden and Ethan took turns riding shotgun in the dark on Christmas night after hearing that it made their uncle's rebuilt Jeep feel more like a Prius. Not to worry, both of my adult children returned in one piece, which has been my long standing agreement with Jim. 

Similar to my agreement with their Uncle, Wayne's new toy puts our children at ease with their wandering parents out in the wilds of Vernon. It was Seth who showed me the Onx App on his phone after I asked him a question about the south western most corner of the Vernon town forest. Now Wayne's phone is suddenly Invention # 127 - Gyro-Homing Device (Fantastic Four vol. 1 #109). It seems however, that reducing the chances of us getting turned around in the woods, has increased my personal anxiety by knowing exactly where we are. Sometimes, like with my choosing to not inspect what Jim's second midlife actually looks like, willful ignorance can be bliss; and sometimes ...

Many a passing conversations had led us to believe that Cersosimo Lumber Company,. Inc owns large swaths of land in north Vernon. With Vernon being a mere 20 square miles, it begs to question exactly what constitutes a swath of land. Vermont bill H233 which passed the House in 2017, aims to reduce "forest fragmentation" of undeveloped land. As near as I am able to discern, Vermont's natural resource entities have determined that blocks of undeveloped land of 50 acres or more are in pressing need of conservation and for this reason I am considering 50 acres to be a swath. I am in no way pointing fingers at the lumber industry as being a fragmentary agent as such industries are one of the sited purposes for conserving blocks of undeveloped forest land. 

With our new Gyro-Homing Device in hand, gone are the days of spontaneously traversing over unposted lands without concern of being unwanted trespassers. 

Before consulting with Onx, Wayne and I had planned on parking in the Water Trough Hill pull off on 142 for our meandering hike into north Vernon.  Onx however, revealed a swath of rectangular shaped land owned by Renaud Gravel Inc. and west of the Gravel Inc. land, lay three to five land divisions to be crossed on our way to the Roaring Brook Wildlife Management state owned land as shown in blue in the above image. 

Wayne decided that we should park instead at the pull off located just after the bridge on Broad Brook road. The plan was to hike to the southeastern corner of  Fort Dummer State Park and follow as best we could, the property line along the Lesure land and Cersosimo's, to RBWMA. Onx made it seem that this would be a quick hike in; but what we found once we put boots on the ground was one of our most wild hikes in Vernon to date. 

Technology aside, Wayne, Kayden and I set out for some good old fashioned leisurely fun.

Under these conditions, we should reach our goal in short order

When hiking in Vernon, hills are to be expected.

Kayden wasn't convinced that we should continue hiking without a well marked trail. Wayne and I on the other hand, often find ourselves without clear trails. An unexpected fence at the top of the hill forced us to the east. We soon discovered that this fence is a part of the VT Welcome Center property on I91 N.

Our first glimpse of a tributary running north into the Broad Brook. 

Evidence that other more sensible hikers reached their destination before we did. 

The fence, the tree on the fence and the bank left us with two options. I'm still not convinced that we chose the right one.

Nothing ventured nothing gained, Kayden takes the lead and plans our decent.

Saturated thick organic matter gave way under our feet. Here, Kayden finds herself in the trees.

Wayne regains his balance with the help of a downed tree while Kayden switches back.

A look back to where I finally sat down and slid the final length on my bottom.

Wayne and Kayden wait for me to pick my way across the slope. I want to point out, that I would have turned around and headed for home at this point if the way back wasn't at the top of that hill!

Our reward for getting to the bottom was discovering that we had to cross the brook.

Grateful to be on relatively level and dry land, we walked until Wayne located survey marker #1. We still aren't sure why this marker is in the middle of no place in particular on Fort Dummer park land. 

Making our way to the Lesure property, we noticed a distinct change in the age and size of the trees. Perhaps we had at last found the peace that the trailhead graffiti eluded to.

Wayne standing among these giant trees reminded me of our trip to see the Coastal Redwoods at Muir Wood National Monument which is north of San Francisco, CA. If you are unfamiliar with John Muir and his work with American land use and conservation, here is a brief synopsis of Muir's legacy.

It's been a while since this area was last logged.

Cersosimo's boundary. We were close to learning why RBWMA set aside land in this area.

We crossed an old logging road which begged us to question if there was an alternate way into this area. As far as we could figure however, this road ends before it reaches the Broad Brook. I was beginning to lose hope of finding an easier path back to the car. Unless Uncle Jim showed up with his second midlife, we were hiking back up that hill.

Upon reaching the RBWMA, we realized that we had come unprepared to scale its icy ridge.

We settled for taking pictures of ice falls.

I'm uncertain of exactly what the state is protecting in these rocky ledges and I am reserving my guess to prevent misinformation.

This area is a good example of how Vernon's working landscape coexists with conservation efforts.

Kayden removed a balloon (pictured), a bag and cans from the woods. 

Time to find our way back to the car.

We located a deer trail while on the hill and followed it up. When I hear residents state that, "people can do what they want to on their land", I wonder why land owners don't always recognize that natural communities also own the land. 

Part 2, Further thoughts:

 As I was sliding down the hill on my bottom I couldn't help but wonder how we found ourselves on this wild and crazy route across Vernon. I realized that I couldn't blame mother nature herself. There were plenty of more reasonable ways into the woods! The real question weighing on my mind: how did all of these man-made obstacles pop up without us noticing? 

"The improvement of forest trees is the work of centuries. So much more the reason for beginning now" George Perkins Marsh

Over the past decade, there has been a renewed back and forth conversation of sorts taking place between Vermont's many arms of government regarding Act 250. I have included in Further Reading, one such conversation. Vernon is a "one acre town" while one of our largest land stakeholders depends on unfragmented tracts of forested land for their industry. What many may have forgotten however, is that Sustainable Development has been a part of the Vermont conversation since 1847 when Marsh delivered his lecture on sustainable farm practices to the Agricultural Society of Rutland County.* 

Starting one hundred and seventy five years ago, three generations of families; Marsh - Billings - Rockefeller from the town of Woodstock, VT, worked to promote and carry out the belief that it is imperative that development and land conservation work as in partnership and not as adversaries. A visit to Vermont's sole national park should be on every Vermonters 2022 bucket list. -Norma & Kayden Manning

Note: the dimensions of Vernon in this article has been edited and is now based on Martin Langeveld's research.

*The 1847 Lecture that predicted human-induced climate change, The Guardian

*Man and Nature, G.P. Marsh, The Public Domain Review

Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park

Part 3, Further reading:

In towns with no zoning, reopened Supreme Court decision has big implications for Act 250, VTDigger

How a small quarry could have a big effect on Vermont's land use law, WCAX 3

Forest Fragmentation, Vermont Natural Resources Council 

Act 250 and Forest Fragmentation, VNRC

Act 171 and Planning for Forest Blocks and Habitat Connectors, State of VT Agency of Natural Resources

Forest Fragmentation, TORC

From Our Family to Yours

It's December the 24th. It's been two years since we have all been together. There is a freshly fallen snow in Vernon. What better way to celebrate than a hike in the town forest?   

From our backyard to yours, we wish you the peace of a winter forest and the joy of spending time in it with those that you love. - The Mannings

Truce!

107 years ago in December while in the midst of the first great world war that would ultimately claim fifteen million lives, Pope Benedict XV called for a Christmas truce. Though the truce was rejected by the powers that be, soldiers from the trenches of war began to sing Christmas carols, buried their dead and exchanged gifts with their enemies.*   

The first weeks of December have come and gone and with it our first snow here in Vernon. The students at VES had two days of sleds, snowballs and learning the rules of engagement on the winter playground. It's traditionally a steep learning curve for the younger students who to this point have not yet become accustomed to sharing the seven available sleds among them, and this has been further compounded by the pandemic which kept all of last year's students separated by grades. We spent these days pulling on mittens and boots, reminding them that throwing snow at each other is against the rules and only those who built the snowmen and forts may destroy them. 

December is also the time when student leadership puts out the call to remember those in our broader community who are food insecure. Without knowing exactly for whom the food is destined, only that it will be brought to the Vernon food pantry, students and staff fill boxes in their classrooms with food and other necessities. In addition to staff assisting anonymous families in need of extra help with gifts, this year we joined in a letter writing campaign. Under the leadership of our Principal Mary Ross, we wrote letters of acknowledgement and encouragement to every Vernon student attending high school in the district. Though arguments about vaccine / no vaccine, political and religious banners, and how to live a country life remain, December is a time to rebuild our community.

Speaking of truces, with the entry of cold temperatures, comes the mice into our homes. This has been a perennial issue at our house with the nooks and crannies in our basement being packed with birdseed. At first we invested in one of those metal cans with a lids in which to store our seed and keep the mice out. We humanely removed all those that we could while locating and fixing possible points of entry. We exercised great patience until the day they moved upstairs. That was the day we bought snap traps. Two years after, with those traps still snapping, I decided that either my bad habits needed to go or I would forever be dumping seed out of boots and nagging Wayne to dispose of another victim.

I say victim because it is a balancing act when it comes to managing wildlife in a human dominated habitat.  I have said it before and I will say it again, when we put out the welcome mat, we should expect wildlife to accept the invitation and that includes the ones we don't want to accept it. Take for example bird feeders. Vermont Fish and Wildlife sets the date to begin feeding birds as December first; but this year they requested that we delay doing so because the bears had yet to settle in for their winter nap. A fed bear is a dead bear after all. The same goes for mice as this is when wildlife is declared a nuisance. For this reason, this year we have decided that we will no longer hang our bird feeders from or near the house and instead they have been moved so far away that I will require binoculars to see the rodents raiding them. The neighborhood cats are delighted by the change, of this I am certain.

Of course, there are more creative means to achieving a truce.  The Bangor Daily News recently ran, "Squirrelzilla proves Maine's gray squirrels are fat and fluffy this fall," the story is about how the residents of southern ME have put aside the annoyance of marauding bird feeder pirates in lieu of a competition to see who can capture an image of the fattest squirrel. Tolerance, now there is an idea worth exploring! - Norma Manning

Crow tracks on the driveway lead to my recycling bin on trash day.

*TIME, World War 1 Christmas Truce of 1914

Laughing Stock Of The Neighborhood & Other Holiday Cheer!

 At risk of being the laughing stock of the neighborhood, on December 4th after decorating our Christmas tree, I persevered over the 26 degree temperatures and started up the push mower. I admit to feeling like a dolt, donning my florescent orange camouflage winter coat while mulching oak leaves in the front ditch. So much so, that I looked down every time a neighbor passed me by in their heated car. But these are the times that we are living in. 

On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, Helen, Wayne and I left a balmy 35 degree snowless day behind in Vernon to find a "natural" Christmas tree in the southern end of the Green Mountain National Forest. I discovered last year, that anyone can purchase a five dollar opportunity to make true Christmas memories in the Vermont wilderness come true. I would call it a Hallmark "somebody's going to get kissed" moment, but that tree was located on a tiny rise in the middle of  flooded beaver habitat; and well, my boots were full of water, and I wasn't even sure we were going to make it back to the car without taking a swim. This year, conditions were a bit different.

Amid widespread reports of Vermont Christmas tree farm shortages, Helen and Wayne haul this years tree up to the car in over a foot of snow. There were hunters camping and plenty of trucks parked on this last weekend of the regular deer season. (Somebody had to document it)

Meanwhile up in Southern Maine, The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife is conducting research on the New England Cottontail Rabbit. While it's true that Reindeer are the mammal of focus in December, and you may be thinking that rabbits really need to stay in their lane, there are certain schools of thought that December in New England will soon be the new April. The story of our native rabbit is an important one. Less fanciful than Rudolph; but like that misfit deer, the New England Cottontail is looking for a place to fit in. 

Like so many of our native plants and animals, our rabbit's tale of woe began with the introduction of a non native species that quickly began to outcompete them. The Eastern Cottontail, introduced by settlers in the 1800s is now one of our most populace mammals, and milder winters appear to work towards to their advantage.** Additionally, the NEC decline is attributed to, "habitat loss, particularly the loss of old field, shrubland, and young forest habitats."*  What's bunny to do with all of this working against her? The hard truth is that the NEC hasn't been positively identified in Vermont for the last forty-five years,** In ME, the statewide population is less than 300 individuals, and those bunnies are living on the coast*** 

You may be asking yourselves, what's with all of this talk about the Heat Miser? Santa is actually coming to town...tis the season to be jolly!  After all, in the end doesn't  Hocus Pocus save Frosty and Karen by arranging a ride for Frosty with Santa to the North Pole?  "Isn't there anyone who knows what Christmas is all about?"- Charlie Brown

"Listen, all of you! You've got to take direction! You've got to have discipline! You've got to have respect for your director!"-Lucy

With a measure of amusement and cynicism, Wayne pondered California's new law that enacts a ban on gas powered lawn mowers by 2024. Wayne is hardly the Burgermeister Meisterburger, "Toys are hereby declared illegal, immoral, unlawful..." On this topic Wayne is a sceptic and want's to know how we would get our big country lot mowed with an electric mower. This isn't the direction that he is ready to take...yet. I have a plan however and unbeknownst to Wayne, I have been ever so slowly working it into the script. Don't tell Wayne, but it involves to some extent the "old field, shrubland, and young forest habitat" mentioned above. 

If you like Hermey and Wayne, don't appreciate being told that you can't be a dentist and that your lawn tractor is relegated to the Island of Misfit Toys, I want to let you know that there is no need to be a Bumble about it. I assure you that there are other scripts available that you may choose to follow. Take for example the project underway at Vernon Elementary School under the direction of Tara Gordon. Tara, who runs the VES school garden, recently proposed to the Environmental Committee, that she and VES students install a native plant pollinator garden in front of the building. The plan is to support our food garden by feeding the creatures that do the heavy lifting. Ahhh yes, pollinators are the elves of  gardens, and with Climate Justice being this year's district Diversity and Equity Committee's theme, it is a natural collaboration. 

Still a skeptic? The Vermont League of Cities and Town's has announced that FEMA is offering municipalities cold hard cash in the form of a grant, to prepare for the inevitable flooding that Climate Scientists predict will impact VT as more intense and frequent storms occur. It's enough funding to lure Yukon Cornelius away from prospecting for silver. Select this link to find out more.

The Vermont's Climate Action Plan states, "If action isn't taken soon, when young Vermonters reach retirement age, summer in Vermont will feel similar to Northwest Georgia, with more than 17 days a year exceeding 95F." In short, the time has come for us to hop on down the bunny trail lest December becomes more like April, Santa retires his sleigh once and for all, Rudolph spends Christmas in the unemployment line and Hocus Pocus along with Frosty run out of habitat. - Norma Manning

*Working Together For The New England Cottontail

**Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife: Rabbit Sightings

***Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife: About New England Cottontail

Additional information on grant funding:

FEMA, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program

VT Digger, Vermont is getting millions for water infrastructure