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Land Grants That Became the Towns of
Vermont
-B-
BAKERSFIELD. Town in Franklin County. Vermont grant of 10,000 acres to
Luke Knoulton, January 25, 1791, in accordance with a joint resolution passed February 28, 1787.
In a committee report it is referred to as a "Gore of land marked Knowlton in the Plan or
Map of this State." While named Bakersfield in the charter, until 1792 it was called
Bakersfield, alias Knoulton's Gore. Part of Fairfield and Smithfield were annexed to it
October 25, 1792, and the tract so formed was incorporated as one town to be called
Bakersfield. Knight's Gore was annexed October 31, 1798, and part of Bakersfield was
annexed to Enosburgh by the same act. Part of Coit's Gore was annexed October 26, 1799.
Part of Bakersfield with remainder of Coit's Gore and part of Belvidere incorporated as
Waterville in 1824.
BALTIMORE. Town in Windsor County. Incorporated out of part of Cavendish
in 1793.
BAMF. New York grant of 30,000 acres to Thomas Clark & Co. by Lt. Gov. Colden
December 24, 1774. It covered lands in Burke and vicinity. Bamf must have included
Billymead, which is now Sutton.
BARNARD. Town in Windsor County. New Hampshire grant as Bernard, of 26,000
acres to William Story, Francis Bernard and sixty associates July 17, 1761. In 1774 the first
permanent settlement was made by Asa and Lot Whitcomb, Thomas W. White and
others,
emigrants from Massachusetts and Connecticut. On August 9, 1780 a party of twenty-one
Indians visited the town and made prisoners of Thomas M. Wright, Prince Haskell and John
Newton, and carried them to Canada. Newton and Wright escaped the following spring, and
Haskell was exchanged the succeeding fall. They suffered many hardships while prisoners
and on their return, but they all arrived safely at Barnard and returned to living on the
farms from which they were taken.
BARNET. Town in Caledonia County. New Hampshire grant as Barnett of 23,040
acres to Simons Stevens and sixty-six associates September 16, 1763.
BARRE, CITY OF. City in Washington County. Incorporated out of part of the
town of Barre (1894). The territory included within the city limits is about 1,917 acres, and
the present (1902) town of Barre has about 17,736 acres.
BARRE, TOWN OF. Town In Washington County. Vermont grant of 23,040 acres
by the name of Wildersburgh to Col. William Williams and sixty-four
associates, August 12,
1781. The Legislature changed the name of the town to Barre October 19, 1793, because
"the name of the township has ever sounded uncouthly to the inhabitants and settlers and
is also disagreeable on account of its length." See Newbrook (New York grant).
BARTON. Town in Orleans County. Vermont grant to Col. William Barton and Company, sixty-five in
number, of a township of land by the name of Providence by act of
October 23, 1781 - Providence, R.I., being the residence of Col. Barton. A charter was not
issued until October 20, 1789, and then to Col. Barton and twenty-eight associates of a
township by the name of Barton. Part of Sheffield was annexed in 1858.
BELL ISLAND. In Lake Memphremagog; annexed to Derby and Auditor of
Accounts authorized to sell (1865).
BELVIDERE. Town in Lamoille County. Vermont grant of 30,000 acres to
John
Kelly of the City of New York, November 4, 1791. Part of Belvidere, with Coit's Gore and
part of Bakersfield, incorporated as Waterville.
BENNINGTON. Town in Bennington County. New Hampshire grant of 23,040
acres to William Williams and sixty-two associates, January 3, 1749. The town of Bennington was the first of the New Hampshire grants to the west of
the Green Mountains to be settled under the New Hampshire charters. After the revolution
began Ethan Allen and others of the "Bennington mobb" were in evidence at the capture
of Ticonderoga, and Seth Warner and others at the Battle of Bennington, from which Allen
was absent because still a captive in the hands of the British. Bennington by its name perpetuates the memory of New Hampshire's governor,
Benning Wentworth, and by its battle (fought on New York soil because Stark did not wait
for, but went forward to meet, the Hessians) gave bluff and plain and brave John Stark and
his embattled New Hampshire farmers a fame, than which from all war there is none more
lasting and real or with more dramatic setting. Vermont men, Massachusetts men, and New
York men were there to help in the danger and share in the victory, but Stark commanded
and his main army consisted of his officers and 1,332 enlisted men who had hurried across
the Connecticut valley and the Green Mountains to aid those inhabitants of the New
Hampshire Grants whom Burgoyne described as the most rebellious and warlike race on the
continent hanging like a gathering cloud on his left. Bennington was the first New Hampshire grant. Its first settlement is generally stated
to have been in June, 1761; but according to one account Col. Samuel Robinson began a
settlement on March 25, 1761.
BENSON. Town in Rutland County. Vermont grant to
James Meacham, James
Blair and associates, May 5, 1780.
BENTON'S GORE. About 5,000 acres of land in Windsor County granted by
Vermont October 25, 1781, to Samuel Benton and twenty-three associates. By the charter
it was constituted a part of the town of Andover. It became a part of the town of Weston
when that town was incorporated October 26, 1799.
BERKSHIRE. Town in Franklin County. Vermont grant to
William Goodrich and
sixty associates, June 22, 1781. Line with Richford established and sale of a gore of land
(Enosburgh Gore) between Berkshire and Enosburgh, Montgomery and Richford directed,
1802. So much of the law of 1802 as directed sale of a gore of land between Berkshire and
Richford was repealed in 1803. Line with Enosburgh altered and part of Enosburgh
annexed, and part of Berkshire annexed to Enosburgh, in 1838.
BERLIN. Town in Washington County. New Hampshire grant of 23,040 acres to
Rev. Dr. Chauncy Graham and sixty-three associates, June 8, 1763.
BESSBOROUGH. New York grant of 36,000 acres by Lt. Gov. Colden, March 20,
1770. It embraced what is now St. Johnsbury and vicinity.
BETHEL. Town in Windsor County. Vermont grant of 23,060 acres to
John Payne,
John House and forty-five associates. The grant was voted October 23, 1779, and the
charter issued December 23, 1779. Line with Rochester established 1821. Bethel was the
first town granted and chartered by Vermont. Its settlement began in 1780.
BILLYMEAD. Now Sutton, Caledonia County. Vermont grant of 23,040 acres to
Jonathan Arnold and twelve associates, February 26, 1782. Billymead was claimed by the
proprietors of Bamf. Its named was changed to Sutton in 1812.
BLACK ISLAND. In Lake Memphremagog; annexed to Derby and Auditor of
Accounts authorized to sell, 1865.
BLAKE'S GORE. In Lake Memphremagog; from grant to
Timothy Blake and
fourteen associates.
BLOOMFIELD. Town in Essex County. New Hampshire grant as
Minehead, of
23,040 acres, to Rev. Noah Waddams and sixty-three associates, June 29, 1762. Name
changed to Bloomfield, 1830.
BOLTON. Town in Chittenden County. New Hampshire grant of 23,040 acres to
George Bunnell and sixty-five associates, June 7, 1763. Part annexed to Richmond, 1804;
part of Huntington annexed, 1794. Part annexed to Waterbury, 1851.
BRADFORD. Town in Orange County. New York grant as Mooretown of 25,000
acres to William Smith by Lt. Gov. Colden, May 3, 1770. Name changed to Bradford,
October 23, 1788.
BRADLEYVALE. Incorporated out of Pearsall's Gore, October 29, 1803. The town
was never represented in the legislature, and was annexed to Concord and Victory, 1856.
BRAINTREE. Town in Orange County. Vermont grant of 23,040 acres to
Jacob
Spear, Levi Davis and sixty-three associates, August 1, 1781. Part annexed to Rochester,
1824.
BRANDON. Town in Rutland County. New Hampshire grant as
Neshobe, of 23,000
acres to Josiah Powers and sixty-five associates, October 20, 1761. Name changed to
Brandon October 20, 1784. Part annexed to Philadelphia for school purposes, 1812. Part
provisionally annexed to Goshen, 1854. Annexation of part of Chittenden authorized, 1855.
Annexation of part of Pittsford to Brandon and part of Branford to Pittsford authorized,
1854. See Halesborough (New York grant).
BRATLLEBORO. Town in Windham County. New Hampshire grant of 19,360
acres to William Brattle and fifty associates, December 26, 1753; charter renewed June 11,
1760, and July 6, 1761; New Hampshire charter of December 26, 1753, was confirmed by
New York grant of 19,500 acres, July 22, 1766. Thompson's History of Vermont (1824 ed.) states: "The first civilized establishment
in Vermont was made in the south-east part of this town in 1724, and was called Fort
Drummer'; and "Col. John Sergeant was the first known white person born in the State of
Vermont." Fort Dummer was at least the first white settlement in Vermont east of the
Green Mountains, unless it be that in Vernon which was in part included in Northfield,
Massachusetts, some of the settlers in the seventeenth century had their farms north of the
present Vermont line. Conant in his History of Vermont gives Vernon as first settled.
BRIDGEWATER. Town in Windsor County. New Hampshire grant of 28,000 acres
to Seth and Rufus Field and fifty-nine associates, July 10, 1761.
BRIDPORT. Town in Addison County. New Hampshire grant of 25,500 acres to
Ebenezer Wiswall and sixty-three associates, October 9, 1761.
BRIGHTON. Town in Essex County. Vermont grant to
Col. Joseph Nightingale and
sixty-four associates, as Random, August 13, 1781. Name changed to Brighton November
3, 1832. Part of Wenlcok annexed and part of Brighton annexed to Ferdinand, 1858.
BRISTOL. Town in Addison County. New Hampshire grant as
Pocock, of 23,600
acres, to Samuel Averill and sixty-three associates, June 26, 1762. Name changed to Bristol,
October 21, 1789. Part annexed to Lincoln, 1824.
BROMLEY. See Brumley.
BROOKFIELD. Town in Orange County. Vermont grant of 23,040 acres to
Phinehas Lyman and sixty-four associates, August 15, 1781. Annexation of part to Chelsea
authorized, 1829.
BROOKLINE. Town in Windham County. Incorporated out of Putney and Athens,
November 30, 1794. Part of Putney annexed, 1804; part of Newfane annexed, 1820.
BROWNINGTON. Town in Orleans County. Vermont grant of two tracts of 16,750
and 3,095 acres to Timothy and Daniel Brown and sixty-four associates, October 2, 1790.
The smaller of the two tracts (called Brownington Gore) annexed to Caldersburgh (now
Morgan), 1801.
BROWNINGTON GORE. Tract of 3,095 acres granted as a part of Brownington
and annexed to Caldersburgh (now Morgan) in 1801.
BRUMLEY or BROMLEY. Now Peru. New Hampshire grant as Brumley of 23,040
acres to William Sumner and sixty-five associates, October 13, 1761. Name changed to Peru,
February 3, 1804.
BRUNSWICK. Town in Essex County. New Hampshire grant of 25,000 acres to
Stephen Noble and sixty-three associates, October 13, 1761.
BUEL'S GORE. A tract of land in Chittenden County. Vermont grant of 4,273
acres as a part of Coventry to Major Elias Buel and fifty-nine associates November 4, 1780.
BURKE. Town in Caledonia County. Vermont grant as Burk of 23,040 acres to
Justus Rose, Capt. Uriah Seymour and sixty-three associates, February 20, 1782. Part known
as Burke Tongue annexed to Hopkinsville and the whole incorporated into a town by the
name of Kirby, 1807. See Bamf (New York grant).
BURKE TONGUE. See Burke.
BURLINGTON. City in Chittenden County. New Hampshire grant of 23,040 acres
to Samuel Willis, John Willis, 3d, and sixty-four associates, June 7, 1763. Part incorporated
into town of Williston, October 27, 1794. Part annexed to Williston and line between the
two established, 1797. Division of Burlington into city of Burlington and town of South
Burlington authorized, 1852. See Deerfield (New York grant).
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