David Chase's Blog: From Elm Corners...
March 19, 2013
December 2, 2012
Writing Long
That was the project - tell a story in more than four pages.
I decided I'd write the story of a legend that would be part Grants Ferry, the community I'd create. It was based on the confusion over the land that would eventually become Vermont. I'd not done a lot of research but I knew the story. Both the New York and the New Hampshire colonies laid claim to it. Years later I learned that the reason for this was that the New York Colony had its eastern boundary defined as the Connecticut River. New Hampshire, on the other hand, had no western boundary established by its charter.
Then, in 1749 New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts agreed to a common boundary 20 miles to the east of the Hudson River. Before the ink was even dry on that agreement Benning Wentworth decided to extend that line north to the lower end of Lake Champlain. And to make his point he established the township of Bennington on that very line. He went on to establish 135 more townships, through grants to various of his friends and acquaintances who then created smaller parcels which they could then sell. Benning Wentworth made a small fortune, married a much younger woman, and retired to Portsmouth.
New York, in the meantime, tried to reclaim the territory but Ethan and Ira Allen, a couple land speculators from Connecticut, took up arms, formed a militia, and sent the New York people packing. They then established the Republic of Vermont which lasted for about 10 years.
I decided I'd write the story of a legend that would be part Grants Ferry, the community I'd create. It was based on the confusion over the land that would eventually become Vermont. I'd not done a lot of research but I knew the story. Both the New York and the New Hampshire colonies laid claim to it. Years later I learned that the reason for this was that the New York Colony had its eastern boundary defined as the Connecticut River. New Hampshire, on the other hand, had no western boundary established by its charter.
Then, in 1749 New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts agreed to a common boundary 20 miles to the east of the Hudson River. Before the ink was even dry on that agreement Benning Wentworth decided to extend that line north to the lower end of Lake Champlain. And to make his point he established the township of Bennington on that very line. He went on to establish 135 more townships, through grants to various of his friends and acquaintances who then created smaller parcels which they could then sell. Benning Wentworth made a small fortune, married a much younger woman, and retired to Portsmouth.
New York, in the meantime, tried to reclaim the territory but Ethan and Ira Allen, a couple land speculators from Connecticut, took up arms, formed a militia, and sent the New York people packing. They then established the Republic of Vermont which lasted for about 10 years.
November 27, 2012
Grants Ferry -The Beginning
It was September, 1989. I'd won a one month residency at the Millay Colony for the Arts in Austerlitz, NY. Once there, they require nothing of you. If you choose to spend the entire month walking in the woods, it doesn't matter to them because they believe that eventually your being there in that place will eventually have result. I had written a weekly newspaper column for several years. I was pretty good at it, but it always had to be finished in 1,000 words or less. I spent my time at the Millay Colony teaching myself to write long and I produced 20 pages of what would be the very beginnings of Grants Ferry.
It languished for several years after that but never disappeared. Finally, in 2003 I began to tackle it in earnest. Nine years and multiple edits and revisions later, it's now complete.
It languished for several years after that but never disappeared. Finally, in 2003 I began to tackle it in earnest. Nine years and multiple edits and revisions later, it's now complete.
