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."

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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:

Washington County| Vermont AHGP

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