Addison County VT

Addison County, Vermont is a county in western Vermont, established by act of the legislature on October 18, 1785, from a portion of Rutland County during the period of the independent Vermont Republic (prior to Vermont’s statehood in 1791), with its shire town (county seat) at Middlebury, making county court and land records available there from the late 1780s onward—vital for genealogical research. The area lies in the Champlain Valley and is drained primarily by Otter Creek; Native American presence by Iroquoian and other tribes along Lake Champlain predates European exploration by Samuel de Champlain in 1609 and later French and British colonial activity at sites such as Chimney Point. Early towns within the county, many chartered in the 1780s and 1790s, drew settlers largely from New England states after the American Revolution, with township land records, early census returns, and town meeting minutes beginning in this period; resources for genealogy include county town clerk records, Probate and Deed offices in Middlebury, local historical societies, libraries, and numerous cemetery transcriptions.

Biographical Sketch of Enos P. Hoag

Enos P. Hoag, born on January 18, 1816, in Lincoln, Vermont, was a prominent local figure and dedicated public servant. He married Nancy F. Keyes in 1838 and had several children, including Alonzo, who predeceased him. Hoag served in the State Legislature, held the role of justice of the peace for about thirty years, and fulfilled multiple civic duties, including town treasurer and postmaster. He was the son of Nathan Hoag, an early settler of Lincoln who passed away in 1828.

Biographical Sketch of Frederick H. Dean

Frederick H. Dean, born in 1850 in Monkton, Vt., grew up in farming before entering the general merchandise business in 1879. He succeeded Hon. Harrison O. Smith and served as postmaster and town clerk. Married to Halcyone Adele Smith in 1875, he is the son of Carlton S. Dean, a former town representative and hotel proprietor, and Celestia (French) Dean. Following a family legacy of public service, Frederick H. Dean has recently been elected to represent Monkton in the Vermont Legislature.

Biographical Sketch of Franklin A. Goss

Franklin A. Goss, born in 1850 in Waterbury, Vermont, is a manufacturer of kaolin under the firm Goss Gleason, based in Vergennes. He married Ruth C. Keeler on June 3, 1873, and they had four children. Franklin is the son of Benjamin F. and Mary J. Goss, who moved to Vergennes in 1864; Benjamin passed away in 1878, leaving a son and daughter, Jennie, who married H. J. Talbot.

Biographical Sketch of Jethro B. Husted

Jethro B. Husted, born in 1817 in Starksboro, Vermont, began his career as an apprentice tailor before opening his own store in 1840. He operated successfully until 1868, then spent two years in Philadelphia before returning to Starksboro in 1870 to resume his business. Husted married Jane Simonds in 1852 and is one of ten children born to Ezekiel and Martha (Allen) Husted, who settled in Vermont before 1800. Four of their children, including Jethro, are still living.

Biographical Sketch of Byron W. Field

Byron W. Field, born in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, in 1842, established himself as a prominent businessman, engaging in the hay trade since 1866. He also pursued farming and dairying, accumulating a business valued at over fifty thousand dollars. Field served as treasurer of his town and married Hattie E. Sattley in 1863, with whom he had four children. He was the son of Hiram and Persena (Walker) Field, with deep familial roots in Ferrisburgh, tracing back to Anthony and Hannah Field, early settlers in 1785.

Biographical Sketch of Chester Elmer

Chester Elmer was born on January 13, 1812, in Addison, Vermont. He was the son of Chester and Huldah Elmer. After his father passed in 1804, Chester, Jr. cleared the family farm and built a brick house that remains today. A successful farmer, he had seven children, five of whom survived him. Elmer was educated locally and married twice, first to Eliza M. Parker in 1831 and later to Electa A. Wales in 1873. He died in Middlebury on October 31, 1870.

Biographical Sketch of A. C. Hamilton

A. C. Hamilton, born on July 19, 1843, in Bridport, Vermont, is the son of Hosea and Lucetta Hamilton. Hosea, a pioneer’s descendant, spent his last years in Cornwall before passing away in 1885. A. C. was educated locally and married Julia Perkins in 1864. After farming on his family land, he acquired the former Skinner farm in 1876, expanding it to 240 acres. A successful farmer and sheep breeder, he remains active in the Masonic order and the Baptist Church, raising two sons and two daughters.

Biographical Sketch of Hiram F. Kingsland

Hiram F. Kingsland was born in Addison, Vermont, in 1828 and settled in Ferrisburgh in 1844. He acquired his homestead farm in 1873 and married Rhoda Wing in 1863, with whom he had five children. Hiram was the son of Abraham and Ann Kingsland, who moved from New Jersey to Addison. Hiram passed away in 1884 at the age of 81. His wife, Ann, died in 1879. Rhoda Wing’s lineage includes early Vermont settlers and significant landowners.

Biography of Rollin C. Goodale

Rollin C. Goodale, born on December 18, 1836, in Westport, New York, came from a lineage of early settlers in Vermont. Educated in common schools, he faced hardships early on, navigating various states and occupations, including farming and teaching. After serving in the First Vermont Cavalry during the Civil War, he settled in Bridport, Vermont. Goodale became a successful entrepreneur in agriculture, introducing several innovative farming implements and extensively engaging in fruit raising and general farming. He is married to Hila Frost, with whom he has one daughter, Cora M.

Biography of Ward B. Hurlburt

Ward B. Hurlburt was born on November 19, 1842, in Ripton, Vermont, to Hiram and Susan Hurlburt. He received his education in local schools and taught for a year before enlisting in the Civil War, serving in the Second Vermont Volunteers and rising to the rank of captain. After the war, he settled in Weybridge and married Sarah Jane Ayres, with whom he had five children. Hurlburt managed a 200-acre farm and held various local offices, including justice of the peace and school superintendent.

Biographical Sketch of Benjamin T. Field

Benjamin T. Field, born in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, in 1855, married Minnie Laduke in 1876 and had three children: Maude, Thaddeus, and Rose. He was the son of Thomas Field, who had two marriages, and grandson of Benjamin Field, an early settler from Dutchess County, New York. The family’s lineage includes numerous members, emphasizing a robust heritage with connections to significant local history. Thomas Field passed away in 1878, and Benjamin T. Field continued the family legacy in Vermont.

Biographical Sketch of Jacob C. Hindes

Jacob C. Hindes was born in 1839 in Clinton County, New York, and moved to Vergennes, Vermont, in 1869, where he established a horse shoe-nail manufacturing business. By 1871, he served as the general manager of the National Horse Nail Company. Hindes became a member of the Vergennes Board of Aldermen and married Lucy C. Cutting in 1860, with whom he had four children. He was the son of James and Armitta F. Hindes, who had six children in total.

Biographical Sketch of Charles C. Dunshee

Charles C. Dunshee was born on November 20, 1826, in Bristol, Vermont, to William and Almeda Dunshee. He married Martha Barnes on March 29, 1862, a widow from Ferrisburgh, and they had one daughter, Hattie, born on February 15, 1866. The Dunshee family operates an eighty-five-acre homestead farm.

Biographical Sketch of John Halnon

John Halnon, born June 22, 1836, in Canada, immigrated to America in 1849 with his parents. He settled in Schuyler Falls, New York, and later moved to Cornwall, Vermont, where he worked for five years before purchasing a farm in Beekmantown. In 1865, he returned to Cornwall and acquired the Baxter property, expanding it to 550 acres. Halnon was a successful farmer and served in the Sixty-Ninth New York Volunteers during the Civil War. He married Isabella M. Tully in 1870.

Biographical Sketch of Noble L. Kimball

Noble L. Kimball, born in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, in 1847, married L. Tracy in 1873. They had two daughters, Mary J. and Alice P. Noble is the son of Lyman Kimball and Phebe Ball, who settled in Ferrisburgh in the early 19th century. Lyman, born in 1805, owned a homestead farm and passed it to Noble in 1873 before his death in 1884. Phebe died in 1879. Noble continues to reside near Lake Champlain.

Biographical Sketch of Isaac Gibbs

Isaac Gibbs, born on July 29, 1800, in Middlebury, Vermont, developed a stone quarry before relocating to New Haven in 1866. Married to Betsey Chittenden in 1821, they had two children, William and Maryette. Isaac was the son of Warren and Huldah Gibbs, early settlers in Middlebury, where they lived during its formative years. The couple had eleven children, with Isaac and one sister, Mary P., being the only survivors.

Biographical Sketch of Hiram F. Hurlbut

Hiram F. Hurlbut was born in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, and married Roxy Satterly in 1860, also a Ferrisburgh native. They had one son, Byron S., who is currently a student at Harvard College. Hurlbut is the son of Lewis and Philomelia (Fuller) Hurlbut, while Roxy is the daughter of Captain Isaac and Sophia (Marsh) Satterly. Captain Satterly passed away in 1885, after having raised four children, including Roxy.

Biographical Sketch of Heman Hallock

Heman Hallock, born in Hinesburg, Vermont, was the son of Anson and Polly Hallock and moved to Bristol in 1826. He married Mehitable Norton in 1851, who died the following year, leaving one daughter. In 1855, he remarried Emily Eastman Stewart, bringing together their families. Hallock had three children with his second wife. He relocated to Panton, Vermont, in 1873. His brother Stephen served in the Ninth Vermont and died from fever while in service.

Biographical Sketch of George F. O. Kimball

George F. O. Kimball, born in Burlington, Vermont, in 1841, served his community in various capacities, including deputy sheriff, constable, and postmaster. He represented Vergennes in the Legislature during 1882 and 1883 and has held several local government positions. Married to Roxey C. Champion in 1862, they had three children, though their son Chas. P. passed away at 17. Kimball was the son of Daniel and Mary A. Kimball and spent his early years with his grandparents after his mother’s death.

Biographical Sketch of Benjamin F. Field

Benjamin F. Field was born on January 26, 1834, in Ferrisburgh, Vermont. He married Vesta Mosier in 1866, with whom he had one daughter. Vesta was the daughter of Isaac and Diana Mosier, who also settled in Ferrisburgh. Benjamin was the son of William and Rachel Field, who had seven children, five of whom survive. William Field moved to Ferrisburgh with his parents in 1807, and they hailed from Dutchess County, New York.