Today one thinks of Vermont as little more than a vacation spot, a place of ski resorts and hilly wilderness. But Vermont has had a very rich history, and it has played an important role in the development of our nation. In particular, it served as a testing grounds for the families that would migrate across the nation, building farms, cities, and states in their wake.
Vermont is characterized by the Green Mountain range that run like a spine down the center of the state. Habitation occured in the valleys on either side of this central ridge, Lake Champlain on the east and the Connecticut River on the west. These two waterways were the primary means of access to the heavily hilled and wooded land.
In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the land that would one day be called Vermont was occupied by the Abenaki, a tribe of the Algonquin nation, who lived on the shores of Lake Champlain at an area north of present day Burlington. The Abenaki were fortunate to have survived the horrors enacted by whites on other indian tribes and still live in the same region, concentrated about St. Albans. The Iroquois were also present in the state.
The French were the first to visit the Vermont area. Samuel de Champlain visited the lake now bearing his name in 1609. It is thought that he landed at Isle la Motte. The French named the Green Mountains, Les Verdes Montagnes, abbreviated to Verd Mont and thence, Vermont. Champlain, as all good explorers must, claimed the entire region for his king.
There are several distinct regions in Vermont where settlement took place. Along the shore of Lake Champlain is... The Connecticut River Valley was another place of occupation. In the southwest corner is the county of Bennington, where the cities of Bennington, Shaftsbury, Arlington, Manchester, and Dorset sprung up along the floor of the ??? river valley.
In 1763 the land was transferred from France to England with the signing of the Treaty of Paris at the end of the French and Indian War.
Both New Hampshire and New York claimed the area.
Cities were founded: s and cities of Bennington, Cabot, Calais, Duxbery, East Montpelier, Fayston, Orange, Springfield, Woodbury, and Worcester.
Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys. Battle of Bennington was a turning point in the Revolutionary War.
In 1777, Vermont's constitution was drawn up and signed in the city of Windsor.
Following the Revolutionary War, Vermont did not immediately become a state in the Union but instead became an independent republic.
In 1791, Vermont joined as the 14th member of the United States.
Paul Harrington and his family were one of the many who moved to the state following the Revolution. Abraham, the eldest son, had just completed his service in the war; no doubt his younger brothers Phineas, Whipple, and etc. were anxious to hear of his exploits.
The Harringtons probably moved to Vermont in search of land. Connecticut and Rhode Island were becoming crowded, and an enterprising man of those days believed that prosperity would come to pioneers at the frontier of the expanding nation.
This group of Harringtons took up residence in the city of Shaftsbury.
In 1809, Phineas had a son, whom he named Sidney Phineas.
As the years passed, Vermont lost its luster. Phineas decided to set forth for new lands and in 1832 moved on to Erie county, New York. His son Sidney Phineas, now at 23 years of age, accompanied him and thence married Mary Polly Hicks. Sidney Phineas would later emigrate to Illinois.
Today, the explorer of Vermont history can visit a number of historical sites. More information can be obtained from the Vermont Historical Society, 109 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05609 and the Vermont Museum and Gallery Alliance, P.O. Box 10, Shelburne, VT 05482.
The Hyde Log Cabin in Grand Isle is the nation's oldest.
The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum: West of Vergennes. Has a collection of watercraft from 1850 and later. The museum's main attraction is a full-scale replica of the Philadelphia, a Revolutionary War gunboat.
The Shelburne Museum displays objects of American heritage.
The Bennington Battle Monument in the city of Bennington commemorates the Revolutionary War battle.
In Windsor is The Constitution House, the 1777 signing place of the constitution making Vermont an independent republic.
Montpelier's Vermont State House is a beautiful architectural building as well as a museum containing memorabilia and pictures illustrating the state's history since 1775.
Wolcott has the last working covered railroad bridge.
Two U.S. presidents called Vermont home: Calvin Coolidge in Plymouth and Chester A. Arthut in Fairfield.
Jericho's Old Mill.
South Royalton holds the Joseph Smith Memorial.
Ferrisburgh was a stop on the Underground Railroad. The Rokeby Museum contains information about this time in US history.
Rudyard Kipling's house is in Brattleboro.