courts of law were held here ; here-
the legislature of, the state held
several sessions, and here the mas-
sacre of the 13th of March, 1775,
was perpetrated.

The surface and soil of this town
are favorable for agriculture; and
various articles of produce are an-
nually sent to market. In 1837,
13,766 sheep were sheared in West-
minster ,    '

The principal and oldest village
is delightfully situated in the east
parish, on the bank of Connecticut
river. The main street, which is
perfectly level, crosses a table of
land about one mile in diameter,
considerably elevated above the
river, and also above the large and
fertile, meadows by which it is ap-
proached on the north and south;
and the whole is enclosed by a semi-
circle of hills which touch the
river about two miles'above and be-
low the town. It is this barrier
which, while it contributes to the
natural beauty of the place, has,
by turning the water course in an-
other direction, deprived it of all
those facilities of access, and of
water power, which have so much
contributed to the rapid growth of
some of the neighboring villages.

Westminster, Mass.

Worcester co. This town lies on
the range of high lands whieh
separate the waters of the Connec-
ticut and Merrimack. From the
village a prospect is presented of
lake and'mountain with all the va-
ried scenery which renders a New-
England town peculiarly delight-
ful.

Several streams, rising from large
ponds in this town and its neigh-
borhood, produce a considerable
water power, which is improved
for manufactures of various kinds.
These waters are so elevated and
constant that, with a small expense,
they might be rendered exceeding-
ly valuable. They deserve par-
ticular attention of those in search
39*
of mill sites in this part of the
state.

This town lies 50 miles W. N.
W. from Boston, 20 N. by W. from
Worcester, and 7 S. W. from Fitch-
burgh. Incorporated, 1759. Pop-
ulation, 1830, 1,640.

The manufactures of Westmin-
ster consist of chairs, cabinet and
wooden wares, hats, boots, shoes,
straw bonnets, palm-leaf hats, card
boards, saddlery, and leather: an-
nual value, about $60,000.

Westmore, Vt.

Orleans co. This town contains
Willoughby’s lake, a handsome
sheet of water, surrounded by
mounts Hor, Pico, and other eleva-
tions. This lake is about 6 miles in
length, and one and an half in
width. Branches of Barton, Clyde
and Passumpsie rivers rise in this
and other ponds in the town.

Westmore appears to be too high
for the habitation of many people
or sheep: in 1830, it contained 32
inhabitants, and in 1837,10 sheep.

Westmoreland, HT. H. ~

Cheshire'co. Westmoreland is
bounded N. by Walpole, E. by Sur-
ry and Keene, S. by Chesterfield,
and W. by Dummersfon and Put-
ney, Vt. Its distance from Con-
cord is 65 miles S. W, Population,
1830, 1,647.

This town is watered by several
small streams which empty into
the Connecticut. The one issuing
from Spafford’s lake in Chesterfield
is the largest, and afiords some of
the best water privileges in town.

The present charter of the town
was granted by New Hampshire,
in 1752. The first settlement was
made in 1741. The early settlers
were several times attacked by the
Indians. In one of their excur-
sions, they killed William Phips,
the first husband of Jemima How;
and in another, carried Nehemiah
How, the father of her second hus-
band, a captive to Canada, where