Jericho, Vermont
Posted by: 
Vermontish
N 44° 30.264 W 072° 59.973
18T E 659019 N 4929844
In this case, the footbridge came tumbling down...
Waymark Code: WM4MC3
Location: Vermont, United States
Date Posted: 09/06/2008
Views: 18
Jericho and Corinth are the only towns in the New Hampshire Grants not to succumb to Benning Wentworth's relentless efforts to impress the wealthy and politically powerful*.
While classical and Biblical names were popular in other colonies, Wentworth opted to name towns for the peerage and the English towns in which they lived, or, at the very least, after one of the town's principal grantees. It would appear that Tom Chittenden, one such principal grantee of this town, prevailed upon Wentworth to depart from habit: an impressive name from antiquity would surely attract buyers.
On the Underhill-Jericho town line is Underhill Flats, one of the few villages in the state which lie in two towns.
In what could be called an early variant of gerrymandering, the story is told of Jedediah Lane, who moved here from Connecticut, eventually to become the town's representative in the Legislature. When a land survey was completed, it was discovered that Lane actually lived in Underhill. Not wanting to lose his job, Lane had his house moved a few feet west, over the line into Jericho.
"Snowflake" Bentley called Jericho home. An exhibit of his work is part of the pictured mill museum.
Coordinates are for the the mill's parking lot. The "Jericho" sign is not in an easy place to visit (you almost have to pull into a private driveway to get out of the traffic). Then again, the picture of the mill was also a little iffy, requiring a walk across a road bridge not designed with pedestrians in mind; until a couple of years ago, there was a footbridge across the gorge.
*Eden, Vermont was not one of Wentworth's New Hampshire Grants. It was granted by the Vermont Legislature after the Revolution.