History of Franklin, (Franklin County) Vermont United States of America

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Local History Notes:

FRANKLIN, a county in the N. part of Vermont, has an area of about 630 square miles. It is bounded on the W. by Lake Champlain, and is drained principally by the Missisque and Lamoille rivers, which afford motive-power to numerous grist and saw mills. The surface is uneven, and in the E. part hilly. Marble of good quality is found at Swanton, and iron ore in other parts of the county. The soil is fertile. Potatoes, oats, wool, and grass are the staples. In 1850 this county produced 258,757 bushels of potatoes; 145,840 of oats; 78,619 tons of hay; 1,899,445 pounds of butter; 1,196,660 of cheese, and 209,350 of wool. There were 4 woollen factories, 2 foundries, 3 grist mills, 20 saw mills, and 15 tanneries. It contained 47 churches, 2 newspaper offices, 7587 pupils attending public schools, and 279 attending academies or other schools. Lake Champlain, on the western border of this county, is navigable for vessels of 90 tons burthen. It is intersected by the railroad connecting Burlington and Rouse's point. Organized in 1792. Capital, St. Albans. Population, 28,586.

Biographies:

Orville E. Babcock, soldier, was born at Franklin, Vt., Dec. 25, 1835. He entered the military academy at West Point in 1856, and was graduated in 1861 as 2d lieutenant in the corps of engineers. He served during the civil war, first in drilling volunteers, then as assistant engineer in the construction of the defences at Washington, D.C., and from June to August, 1861, acted as aide-de-camp to Major-General Banks on the upper Potomac and Shenandoah Valley. In November, 1861, he was promoted lieutenant, and from Feb. 24 to March 4, 1862, he was at Harper's Ferry, constructing and guarding the pontoon bridge across the Potomac for General Banks's movement to Winchester. He served in the Virginia peninsular campaign, being engaged in the siege of Yorktown, and for his services during that siege he was brevetted captain. On June 1, 1863, he was promoted to the full rank, and in November was brevetted major for his gallantry at the siege of Knoxville, Tenn. From May to December, 1864, he was aide-de-camp to General Grant in the Richmond campaign, and on March 13, 1865, was brevetted colonel and brigadier-general for his services during the war. From April 9, 1866, to March 4, 1869, he served at the headquarters of the general commanding the armies of the United States, and until 1877 was under the orders of the President at the executive mansion, being superintending engineer of public buildings and grounds, and certain public works in the District of Columbia, and also of the Washington aqueduct, the chain bridge over the Potomac river, of the Anacosta bridge, of the construction of the east wing of the building for the state, war and navy departments, and of the 5th lighthouse district. From March 3, 1873, to March 3, 1877, he was colonel, ex-officio, by act of Congress. He was drowned at Mosquito Inlet, Fla., June 2, 1884.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor