Hopkinton, R, I.

Washington co. Wood river, a
valuable mill stream, passes through
this town, on which are cotton and
woolen mills, iron works, and vari-
ous other manufactories. The soil
of the town is generally well adapt-
ed for grazing, and the cultivation
of grain. It produces large quanti-
ties of fruit and excellent cider.
Shad and alewives are taken in
Pawcatuck river. There are seve-
ral ponds within the town. Con-
siderable wood and timber are sent
to market from this place.

Hopkinton City, at the south
part of the town, on the Tomma-
quaug branch of Charles river, is
very pleasant and flourishing. It
lies 35 miles S. W. from Provi-
dence, and 15 W. from South
Kingston. Hopkinton was first set-
tled in 1660. Incorporated, 1757.
Population, 1830, 1,777.

Houlton, Me*

Washington co. This town is
situated on the east line of the state
and of the United States, on the
border of the Province of New
Brunswick. It lies 120 miles N.
N. E. from Bangor, and about 75
W. N. W. from Frederickton, the
capital of New Brunswick. The
town was first settled in 1808, and
for twenty years it was entirely cut
off from all communication with the
western part of the state by a dense
wilderness of nearly 100 miles in
extent.

In 1829, a military post, the “Han-
cock Barracks,” was established
here by the U. S. government, and
in 1834 the military and state roads
between Bangor and Houlton were
completed and opened for travel.
The great thoroughfare between
the United States and the British
Province of New Brunswick is
through this town. The roads be-
tween Bangor and Houlton are ex-
cellent : stages pass and repass from
Bangor through Houlton to Frede-
rickton, three times a week. Fred-
erickton is 80 miles N. N. W. from
St. Johns. A good road between
Houlton and Calais, on the river
St. Croix, about 90 miles distant, is
now open for travel. This town is
well watered by branche-s of Me-
duxnekeag river, which empties
into the St. John’s. The garrison is
located about a mile north of the
village, and ha^ generally contain-
ed four companies of infantry. In
this town the courts of probate are
held, and tbe office of registry of
deeds kept for the northern district
of Washington county.

The soil of Houlton and its vicin-
ity is of a superior quality. Twen-
ty-five bushels of wheat to the acre
is an - average crop: 40 bushels to
the acre is frequently obtained.—
Houlton, with a population of 667,
raised 5,869 bushels of wheat in the
year 1837.

We have heard it is said, that per-
sons might go so far “ down east”
as to “jump off.” If Houlton is
the jumping off place, we advise
some of our western brethren to go
and view the precipice.

Housatonick River*

The sources of this river are in
the towns of Lanesborough and
Windsor, Berkshire county, Mass.
The two branches meet at Pitts-
field, where the river forms; it then
passes south, through Berkshire
county, and enters the state of Con-
necticut. After meandering through
the county of Litchfield, in that
state, it separates the counties of
New Haven and Fairfield, and
meets the tide water at Derby, 14
miles above its entrance into Long
Island Sound. Tbe source of this
mountain stream is more than 1,000
feet above the ocean; and in its
course, of nearly 150 miles, it af-
fords numerous mill sites, and pre-
sents many pleasant and well cul-
tivated towns. The volume of wa-
ter of this river is not very large
except in seasons of freshet, when