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Land Grants That Became the Towns of
Vermont
-W-
WARDSBOROUGH. Town in Windham County. New Hampshire grant of 3,000
acres to John Walker October 17, 1764, covered land now in Wardsborough. Vermont grant
of 26,460 acres to William Ward and sixty-one associates November 7, 1780. New York
grant of 10,000 acres by Lt. Gov. Colden to James Abell & Co., September 4, 1770, was in
or near Wardsborough, and was marked "Abel & Co." on map preceding index to Vol. I,
Documentary History of New York. Divided into two districts, 1788. South District
incorporated into Down of Dover, 1810. Annexation of part of Somerset authorized, 1851. See Camden (New York grant).
WARE. A town on the map (1779) preceding index to Vol. I, Documentary History
of New York, between Hartford and Norwich, and marked as a New Hampshire grant, and
likewise appears on map in Vol. VIII, Governor and Council, as a New Hampshire grant.
Jeffery's Atlas (1776), page 15, has no town between Norwich and Hartford; page 17 has no
Hartford but there is a blank where the name should appear.
WARNER'S GRANT or WARNER'S GORE. Vermont grant of 2,000 acres to
Hester Warner, widow, and the heirs of Col. Seth Warner, November 29, 1791.
WARREN. Town in Washington County. Vermont grant of 23,040 acres in two tracts, one in Essex County, one in Washington County, to
John Throop and sixty-seven associates October 20, 1789. Whole to be considered as in Addison County, November 5,
1798. Part of Lincoln annexed, 1824. Annexed to County of Washington, 1829.
WARREN GORE. Vermont grant being one of two tracts granted to
John Throop and sixty-seven associates October 20, 1789, as Warren. See Warren.
WARRENTON. New York grant by Lt. Gov. Colden November 8, 1769, of 14,000
acres, covering land n Acton and Athens.
WASHINGTON. Town in Washington County. Vermont grant of 23,040 acres to
Major Elisha Burton and sixty-four associates August 8, 1781. Boundaries established, 1799. See Kingsland (New York grant).
WATERBURY. Town in Washington County. New Hampshire grant of 23,040 acres
to John Stiles, Esq., and sixty-five associates June 7, 1763. Part of Middlesex annexed, 1850.
Part of Bolton annexed, 1851. See Newbrook.
WATERFORD. Town in Caledonia County. Vermont grant as Littleton of 23,040
acres to Benjamin Whipple and sixty-four associates November 8, 1780. Name changed to
Waterford March 9, 1797. See Dunmore (New York grant).
WATERVILLE. Town in Lamoille County. Incorporated out of Coit's Gore and
parts of Bakersfield and Belvidere, 1824. See under Smithfield for New York grants.
WEATHERSFIELD. Town in Windsor County. New Hampshire grant of 23,000
acres to Gideon Lyman and sixty-one associates August 20, 1761. New Hampshire grant of
22,000 acres, confirming New Hampshire charter, issued April 30, 1772.
WELLS. Town in Rutland County. New Hampshire grant of 23,040 acres to
Capt. Eliakim Hall and sixty-three associates September 15, 1761. Part incorporated with parts
of Ira, Tinmouth and Poultney into town of Middletown October 28, 1784. Part annexed
to Poultney October 31, 1798. See Richmond for New York grant.
WENLOCK. New Hampshire grant of 25,000 acres to Israel Woodward and sixty-three associates October 13, 1761. East part of Caldersburg annexed, 1801. Line
established with Morgan January 31, 1804. Annexed to Brighton and Ferdinand, 1853.
WESTENHOOK. A New York patent dated March 6, 1705, and it was claimed by
New Yorkers that "its western bounds are about 30 miles from Hudson's River." See H.
Hall's Early History of Vermont for an elaborate discussion.
WEST FAIRLEE. Town in Orange County. Fairlee divided into two towns, Fairlee
and West Fairlee, February 25, 1797. Line with Vershire, Strafford and Thetford
established, 1802.
WESTFIELD. Town in Orleans County. Vermont grant of 23,040 acres to
Daniel Owen and fifty-nine associates May 15, 1780. Provision made for establishing line with
other towns and sale of a gore of land directed, 1802. Laws of 1803 repeals so much of
Laws of 1802 as directs sale of a gore of land between Berkshire and Richford.
WESTFORD. Town in Chittenden County. New Hampshire grant of 23,040 acres
to Henry Franklin and sixty-four associates June 8, 1763.
WESTFORD. Vermont grant. This is not the present town of Westford in
Chittenden County. See Westmore.
WEST HAVEN. Town in Rutland County. Incorporated out of part of Fair Haven
October 20, 1792, but represented jointly with Fair Haven in the legislature. First
represented as West Haven by Josiah Bascomb, 1823.
WESTMINSTER. New Hampshire grant of 23,040 acres to
John Halbirt and sixty-seven associates November 9, 1752. Charter renewed June 11, 1760. New Hampshire
charter confirmed by New York grant of 23,500 acres, March 26, 1772. Provision for
establishing line with Athens, 1839.
WESTMORE. Town in Orleans County. Vermont grant as Westford of 23,040 acres
to Capt. Uriah Seymour and sixty-four associates August 17, 1781. Name changed to
Westmore October 26, 1787.
WESTON. Town in Windsor County. Incorporated out of Benton's Gore and part
of Andover October 26, 1799. New Hampshire charter of Andover October 13, 1761.
Vermont charter of Benton's Gore, October 25, 1781. See Virgin Hall (New York grant).
WEST RUTLAND. Town in Rutland County. Incorporated out of part of Rutland,
1886.
WEST WINDSOR. Town in Windsor County. Windsor divided into two parishes
October 17, 1783. The two parishes of Windsor incorporated into towns of Windsor and
West Windsor, 1814; but repealed, 1815. Windsor divided into Windsor and West Windsor,
1848. See Windsor.
WEYBRIDGE. Town in Addison County. New Hampshire grant of 25,000 acres
to Joseph Gilbert and sixty-three associates November 3, 1761. Part of Addison annexed,
1804. Part of Panton annexed, 1806. Part provisionally annexed to Middlebury, 1851.
Provision for establishing line with Addison, 1856.
WHEELOCK. Town in Caledonia County. Vermont grant of 23,040 acres to
Dartmouth College and Moors Charity School June 14, 1785.
WHIPPLEBOROUGH. New York grant of 40,000 acres by Gov. Tryon to
Samuel Avery October 28, 1775. Included Starksborough and vicinity.
WHITELAW'S GORE. Vermont grant of James Whitelaw, James Savage and William Coit October 26, 1788 about 1,500 acres. Annexed to Caldersburg, 1801.
Sometimes called Whitelaw's Grant.
WHITELAW, SAVAGE AND COIT. Vermont grant of to James Whitelaw, James
Savage and William Coit of 10,000 acres (St. Andrew's Gore, now Plainfield), 10,000 acres
(Williamsburgh or Coit's Gore), 1,500 acres (Whitelaw's Gore), all the islands in Lake
Champlain lying east of deepest channel within this state and not heretofore granted by the
state 1,585 acres, and islands in the Otter Creek not heretofore granted, to south line of
Weybridge 30 acres, in all 23,040 acres, October 26, 1788.
WHITING. Town in Addison County. New Hampshire grant as Whiteing of 14,424
acres to Daniel Pond and forty-seven associates August 6, 1763. New York grant of 1,000
acres by Gov. Tryon to John Lawrence November 17, 1772, covered land now in Whiting.
Annexation of part of Orwell authorized, 1839. See under Leicester for New York grant. See Monckton (New York grant).
WHITINGHAM. Town in Windham County. March 12, 1770, a charter was issued
by Lt. Gov. Colden of New York to Nathan Whiting and associates of 10,000 acres, in the
present town of Whitingham, then called Cumberland. Vermont grants in Whitingham: (1)
March 15, 1780, of 3,000 acres to Silas Hamilton and seven associates (Hamilton's Grant),
by charter made a part of Whitingham; (2) October 15, 1787, 600 acres to Jonathan and
Arad Hunt; (3) October 29, 1796, 5,060 acres to Amos Green and fifteen associates
incorporated into a district by the name of Whitingham Gore. Power to unite part with part
[of] Wilmington for school purposes granted, 1803.
WHITINGHAM GORE. Vermont grant of 5,060 acres to
Amos Green and fifteen associates October 20, 1796.
WICKHAM. New York grant of 36,000 acres by Lt. Gov. Colden to
Phinehas Lyman & Co., October 27, 1774, in Randolph an vicinity. This grant certainly covered a part, at
least, of Brookfield.
WILDERSBURG. Vermont grant. See Barre.
WILLIAMSBURGH. The boundary of a tract of 2,000 acres which is now a part of
Waterville and which was granted to John Kelly was described in its charter dated June 8,
1791, as running "in the easterly line of a Grant made to Whitelaw & Company called
Williamsburgh." A charter dated October 26, 1788, issued to Whitelaw, Savage and
Coit, conveyed among others one tract of 10,000 acres in the locality above described, which must
have been Williamsburgh and which was afterwards known as Coit's Gore.
WILLIAMSTOWN. Town in Orange County. Vermont grant of 23,040 acres to
Absalom Baker, Samuel Clark and seventy-three associates August 9, 1781. Boundary lines
established, 1799 and 1801. See Newbrook (New York grant).
WILLISTON. Town in Chittenden County. New Hampshire grant of 23,040 acres
to Samuel Willis and sixty-four associates June 7, 1763. October 27, 1794, parts of Williston,
Jericho and New Huntington incorporated into Richmond, part of Williston annexed to New
Huntington, and part of Burlington annexed to Williston. Line established with Burlington
and part of Burlington annexed November 8, 1797. See Deerfield (New York grant).
WILMINGTON. Town in Windham County. New Hampshire grant of 23,040 acres
to Phineas Lyman and sixty associates April 29, 1751. Regranted by New Hampshire as
Draper to Francis Bernard and sixty-six others June 17, 1763. Line with Searsburg
established, 1850, 1852, and 1853. Line with Marlboro and Dover established, 1851 and
1852. Power to unite part of Wilmington and part of Whitingham for school purposes
granted, 1803. Part of Somerset provisionally annexed, 1858. Annexation of part to Dover
authorized, 1868. Part provisionally annexed to Dover, 1869.
WINDHAM. Town in Windham County. Incorporated out of east part of
Londonderry and Mack's Leg, October 22, 1795. Part annexed to Londonderry October 21,
1797. Anderson's Gore made a part of Windham by charter, October 22, 1801. Windham
allowed a representative in the legislature, October 23, 1804. See Kent (New York grant).
WINDHAM. New York grant of 35,000 acres by Gov. Tryon to
Joseph Beck & Co., March 25, 1772, in Duxbury and vicinity. Not the present town of Windham in Windham
County.
WINDSOR. Town in Windsor County. New Hampshire grant, July 6, 1761, of
23,500 acres to Samuel Ashley and fifty-eight associates. New York grant confirming New
Hampshire charter, March 28, 1772. Vermont post-office established, March 9, 1787; but
repealed, November 19, 1797. Divided into two societies, October 17, 1783. Societies
incorporated into two towns, Windsor and West Windsor, 1814; but repealed, 1815.
Windsor divided into Windsor and West Windsor, 1848.
WINHALL. Town in Bennington County. New Hampshire grant of 23,040 acres to
Osce Webster and sixty-one associates September 15, 1761. Annexation of part to
Manchester authorized, 1860.
WOLCOTT. Town in Lamoille County. Vermont grant of 23,040 acres to
Capt. Joshua Stanton and sixty-four associates August 22, 1781.
WOODBRIDGE. October 26, 1781, a grant of a township of unappropriated lands
was made to Maj. Theodore Woodbridge and Company. The granting fees were not paid,
however, and Ira Allen, as Surveyor General, was "empowered and directed by the Governor and Council in accordance with an Act of the Legislature" to dispose of the
township granted to Maj. Woodbridge and use the proceeds in purchasing stores, etc. Allen,
having failed to dispose of the township, advanced funds on his own account and Gov.
Chittenden at the request of Allen issued a charter to the latter in October 1786. This act
led to the defeat of Gov. Chittenden at the election in 1789, but after the whole matter had
been thoroughly investigated by a committee of the legislature and a large balance found
to be due Allen, as Surveyor General, from the state,, Gov. Chittenden was recalled from
his private life and held the office of governor continuously thereafter until his death.
The following is from Governor and Council III, pages 512-13: "The charter of Woodbridge seems never to have been recorded by the Secretary of the Governor and
Council, or the Secretary of State, but it was entered by Allen in his record as Surveyor
General, and is now in the office of the Secretary of State, in a book erroneously marked
as Vol. 2 of town charters. All the town charters in this book, Woodbridge excepted, are
in the official record. . . . . The charter of Woodbridge given to Allen was dated October
26, 1781, the date of the grant to Maj. Woodbridge, and it was recorded by Allen on the
10th of Oct. 1786, in this book, which probably was originally intended for a state record,
but was withheld on account of the questionable character of Woodbridge." The charter
of Woodbridge described it as a tract bounded West on Alburgh and must have covered part
at least of Highgate. When Allen's writ was served upon the state in 1792 the present town
of Troy was levied upon as "Woodbridge, so called." Governor and Council, IV 428.
WOODBURY. Town in Washington County. Vermont grant of 23,040 acres to
William Lyman, Col. Ebenezer Wood, and sixty-three associates August 16, 1781. Name
changed to Monroe, 1838. Part annexed to Walden, 1840. Name changed back to Woodbury, 1843.
WOODBURY. See under Coventry. This is not the present town of Woodbury in
Washington County.
WOODFORD. Town in Bennington County. New Hampshire grant, March 6, 1753,
of 23,040 acres to Elihu Chauncy and fifty-eight associates. Charter renewed August 12,
1762. See Leinster, for New York grant.
WOODSTOCK. Town in Windsor County. New Hampshire grant July 10, 1761, of
24,900 acres to David Paige and sixty-one associates. New York grant of 23,200 acres
confirming New Hampshire charter, June 3, 1772. Part annexed to Hartford, and part of
Hartford and part of Hartland annexed to Woodstock, 1852. Line with Pomfret established,
1880.
WORCESTER. Town in Washington County. New Hampshire grant as
Worster, of 23,040 acres to Joshua Mason and sixty-four associates, June 8, 1763. Line with Elmore
established, 1837.
WYLLIS. See Jay.
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