Montpelier, Washington County, Vermont

From the first Vermont grant of the town of Montpelier, October 21, 1780, to January 1, 1849, the territory known by that name embraced the present towns of Montpelier and East Montpelier; hence this paper will for that period give the history of the two existing towns under the original name, and of the present town of Montpelier from the last-named date.

The original town was located on the longest river which has both its origin and embouchure within the State, the Winooski. In a map published at New Haven, Connecticut, about 1779, this river was called, 'R. a la Moelle, French River or Wenusoo River, also Oniain River."

What's New in Montpelier<NEW>
(Number of Names on Page)

Montpelier Firsts Postmasters First Town Meeting
Longevity of Montpelier (312) List of Voters Residents for 75+ Years (127)
Attorneys, 1860 Newspapers Physicians, 1872
Members of the Bar Epidemics Montpelier Merchants and Traders
Notes and Necrology (298) Clergymen Burying Grounds
Old Masonic Hall, 1834 (107)

Military in Montpelier<NEW>

Military Necrology (44) Military in Cemeteries Roll of Plattsburgh Volunteers
Notes on Other Wars First Regiment of Infantry Second Regiment of Infantry
Third Regiment of Infantry Fourth Regiment of Infantry Sixth Regiment of Infantry
Seventh Regiment of Infantry Eighth Regiment of Infantry Ninth Regiment of Infantry
Tenth Regiment of Infantry Eleventh Regiment, Heavy Artillery Thirteenth Regiment Infantry
Seventeenth Regiment First Regiment Cavalry First Battery Light Artillery
Third Battery Light Artillery Veteran Reserve Corps First Regiment Cavalry
First Regiment Frontier Cavalry Eleventh U. S. Infantry, Recruits of 1865 Regiments, Batteries, Cavalry
  Montpelier's Roll of Honor  

The first name was given by Champlain in 1609, to the next principal river north, now called Lamoille, and it was erroneously applied to the Winooski on the map referred to; French, or Onion, river was the name given in early New Hampshire charters of towns located on the river, and Wenusoo and Oniain: were the erroneous readings by the draftsman or engraver, for the genuine and beautiful Winooski, and the equally genuine but strong-flavored Onion, which suggests rather the richness of the broad meadows on either bank than the exceeding beauty of the mingled landscape of water, meads and magnificent mountains.

The town was located in latitude 44° 17' north, and longitude 4° 25' east from the capitol at Washington, and about 10 miles north-east from the exact geographical centre of the State, which is near the west line of Northfield, in the mountain between Northfield and Waitsfield.

Earliest Grants

The earliest known grant of any part of the territory, on which the township was located, was made by Cadwallader Colden, Lieutenant and acting Governor of the then royal Province of New York, June 13, 1770, under the name of "Newbrook," which was a grant to Jacobus Van Zant. On a map of Vermont, and of parts of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania, published at New Haven, Connecticut, when the inhabitants of Vermont held their lands "by the triple title of honest purchase, of Industry in Settling, and now lately that of conquest,'' ''the last phrase indicating about 1779 as the date this New York township seems to have embraced Montpelier eastward from a short distance west of the mouth of North Branch, near the spot on which the State Capitol stands, with parts of Barre, Plainfield and Berlin.

The Charter of Montpelier

The Governor of the State of Vermont, to all People to whom these Presents shall come.

Greeting: Whereas, the Legislature of the State of Vermont, at their adjourned session, holden at Windsor, on the first day of February A. D. 1804, was pleased to pass an act entitled' an act authorizing the Governor of this State to issue a new charter of Montpelier.

Now, therefore. Know Ye, that I, Isaac Tichenor, Governor within and over said State, and in the name, and by the authority of the same, and in pursuance of, and by virtue of the act aforesaid, Do, by these presents, give and grant the tract of land hereafter described and bounded, unto Timothy Bigelow, and to the several persons hereafter named, his associates, in equal shares, viz:

Ira Allen
Samuel Allen
James Brace
Jonathan Brace
Jacob Brown
Timothy Brownson
Thomas Chittenden
Joseph Dagget
John W. Dana
Asa Davis
Ebenezer Davis
Jacob Davis
Jacob Davis Jr
Levi Davis
Thomas Davis
Alanson Douglass
John Fassett Jr
Jonas Fay
Joseph Fay
George Foot
Joel Frizzle
David Galusha
Jonas Galusha
Mary Galusha
James Gamble
Sybil Goodrich
William Goodrich
Lyman Hitchcock
Samuel Horsford
Ithamer Horsford
Gideon Horton
Isaac G. Lansingh
Matthew Lyon
Adam Martin*
Thomas Matterson
James Mead
Gideon Ormsbee
Shubael Peck
James Prescott
John Ramsdell
Issacher Reed
Moses Robinson
Moses Robinson Jr.
Elijah Rood
Elisha Smith
Noah Smith
William Smith
Jacob Spear
Timothy Stanley
Ephraim Starkweather
Ebenezer Stone
Jedediah Strong
Thomas Tolman
Ebenezer Upham
Henry Walbridge Jr
Abiathar Waldo
Elisha Wales
Elisha Smith Wales
Bethuel Washburn
John Washburn
Amos Waters
Ebenezer Waters
Howell Woodbridge
* the heirs of Isaac Nash

Washington County| Vermont AHGP

Source: History of Washington County Vermont, Collated and Published by Abby Maria Hemenway, 1882.

 

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