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 Putnam Allen

Putnam Allen was born in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, in January 1816. He served as selectman, lister, and justice of the peace, and represented his district in the Legislature in 1872. Allen owned 387 acres of land, including a 100-acre farm from the original homestead established in 1800. Married to Mary Ann Beach in 1839, he had eight children, five of whom survived him. He was the son of William and Lucretia Allen, who had nine children and were early settlers in Ferrisburgh.

Biographical Sketch of Norman C. Brooks

Norman C. Brooks was born on October 20, 1824, in Middlebury, Vermont. He is a manufacturer of edged tools and married Emily Atwood, without children. Norman is the son of Barzeliel and Polly Brooks, the latter being a Crane descendant from New Haven. Barzeliel, a blacksmith, moved to New Haven in 1818 before relocating to Middlebury, where he started the edged tool business. Norman succeeded his father in 1861, continuing the family legacy in manufacturing after Barzeliel’s death in 1849.

Biography of Jared Booth

Jared Booth was born in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, in 1839 and became a notable general farmer. He served as town representative and justice of the peace in the 1880s. Booth married Julia A. Porter in 1860, who died in 1871, leaving him with three children who subsequently passed away. He remarried Phila F. Hurlburt in 1873, with whom he had two sons. Booth’s lineage includes several generations of residents from Ferrisburgh and Vergennes, with family ties to early settlers of the region.

Biographical Sketch of Lewis L. Collins

Lewis L. Collins, born in 1832 in Monkton, Vermont, served as a town representative in the Legislature during 1878 and 1879 and held various local offices, including lister and selectman. A general farmer, he married Louise Nye in 1860, and they had one daughter, Alma, who married J. R. Dean in 1881. Lewis L. was the son of Franklin and Caroline Collins, who had four children. Franklin passed away in 1871, and Caroline died in 1885.

Biographical Sketch of Lawrence Bartley

Lawrence Bartley, born in 1853 in Vergennes, Vermont, began his career as a grocer in 1875 before transitioning to furniture manufacturing in 1880. He later ventured into the stove and plumbing business. Active in local governance, he also managed family responsibilities after the death of his mother in 1884. Bartley married Elizabeth McMahon in 1883. His father, James Bartley, an Irish immigrant and U.S. Army veteran, held various community roles and had a distinguished military family.

Biographical Sketch of Gardner C. Cady

Gardner C. Cady was born on April 26, 1823, in New Haven, Vermont, to Isaac and Mary Cady. Isaac, originally from Connecticut, moved to Addison County in 1799 and later settled in Windsor before returning to New Haven. Gardner was educated in local schools and married Eliza L. Everts in 1844. The Everts family, prominent in the region’s history, included pioneers like John Everts, whose name appears on the original grant of Middlebury. Gardner Cady engaged in farming in Middlebury, where he built his home.

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Butler

Thomas Butler was born in Ireland on June 18, 1831, and immigrated to the United States in 1851, eventually settling in Addison, Vermont. In 1874, he established a successful 250-acre farm in Panton, Vermont. He married Catherine McLaughlin in the same year he arrived in America, and they had four children, with only one surviving, Edward, born in 1863. Thomas was the son of Patrick and Honora Butler, who also hailed from Ireland; Patrick died in Ireland, while Honora passed away in Addison County, Vermont.

Biographical Sketch of Alexander Daniels

Alexander Daniels was born on October 16, 1822, in Lower Canada. He moved to Peru, New York, at age twelve, engaging in farming while attending school. In 1839, he relocated to Middlebury, where he continued farming before apprenticing in paper-making for three years. He worked in this field for thirty-three years. Married to Harriette Gee in 1841, they had eleven children. After leaving the paper trade, Daniels successfully ventured into various pursuits, including being a book agent, and now resides on a two-acre property in the village.

Biographical Sketch of Julius I. Clark

Julius I. Clark was born on July 25, 1836, in Addison, Vermont, to Isaiah and Harriette Clark. His father, a notable local figure and landowner, passed away in 1873. Julius received a common school education and married Amy E. Smith in 1861. After living in New Haven for three years, he managed the Luther farm for 16 years before purchasing the Arunah Warner farm in 1880. Julius became a successful farmer, apiarist, and served as town constable and collector. He had two children, Arthur and Dora.

Biographical Sketch of Judge Norman J. Allen

Judge Norman J. Allen was born on March 31, 1818, in Phelps, New York, and settled in North Ferrisburgh, Vermont, in 1838, establishing a successful mercantile business until 1860. He also engaged in milling and served as an associate judge and held various local offices. Allen married Sarah Martin in 1841, with whom he had three children; after her passing in 1873, he married Lucinda Palmer. He was the son of Cyrus and Sally Allen and spent his early years in Woodstock and Jericho, Vermont.

Biographical Sketch of Doctor Franklin Bond

Doctor Franklin Bond was born on April 15, 1821, in Cornwall, Vermont, to Asa and Lucy Bond. Asa, a tanner and farmer, had eight children. Franklin was educated in common schools and worked in farming and tanning until pursuing medicine, graduating from Castleton Medical College in 1847. He practiced in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin, for eleven years before returning to care for his parents and engage in farming. Married in 1848, he and his wife had ten children. Bond was active locally but never sought public office.

Biographical Sketch of John F. Collins

John F. Collins was born in 1856 to James and Abigail M. Collins in Monkton, Vermont. His father, James, born in 1820, passed away in November 1876, leaving behind a widow, Delia, and nine children, including John F. and his sister Lemira, a teacher who died young. The Collins family lineage traces back to Alson and Jerusha Collins, early settlers in Monkton, whose roots extend to Daniel Collins, born in 1772.

Biographical Sketch of David C. Barto

David C. Barto, born in 1849 in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, is a prominent farmer and sheep grower. He has served as town lister and selectman and married Harriet F. Stimson in 1878, with whom he has two daughters. David is the son of William R. Barto, who settled in Ferrisburgh in 1836 and passed away in 1878. William’s lineage includes Alphonso Barto, who achieved prominence in Illinois and Minnesota, highlighting the family’s notable contributions to their communities.

Biographical Sketch of Ephron Allen

Ephron Allen was born on May 9, 1822, in Ferrisburgh, Vermont. He has served in various local offices and currently manages a portion of the Allen family homestead along with a large farm. He married Abigail Amelia Ward in 1847, and they had four children, three sons and a daughter who died young. Ephron was the son of William and Lucretia Allen and the brother of Putnam Allen. His descendants include Chester W. Allen, Henry E. Allen, and Ethan J. Allen.

Biographical Sketch of Doud Bushnell

Doud Bushnell emigrated from Saybrook, Connecticut, to Wattsfield, Vermont, where he lived until his death around 1845. A shoemaker turned farmer, he and his wife, Lucy Joyce, raised eleven children. His son, Ira Bushnell, born in 1799, was a blacksmith in Starksboro, Vermont, where he settled in 1814. Ira, a respected businessman and civic leader, passed away in 1873. His second youngest son, Sidney, inherited the homestead and served in various town offices, including justice of the peace and town treasurer.

Biographical Sketch of Milo E. Day

Milo E. Day was born on August 2, 1834, in Middlebury, Vermont. His father, Milo K. Day, settled in the area in 1813 and engaged in various businesses, including general merchandising and lumbering. Following his father’s death in 1877, Milo E. took over the family business. He received his education from local schools and was involved in community service as a selectman. Married to Lydia Bailey in 1854, they had seven children, with six surviving. Milo E. Day is recognized as a self-made man.

Biography of Elvin M. Collins

Elvin M. Collins was born in Monkton, Vermont, in February 1850 to George H. and Rebecca U. Bates Collins. His father, George, a prominent local figure, served in various town offices and was a notable farmer. The family included three children: Julia, Charles, and Elvin. George had previously lost a wife, Julia M. Ladd, who bore a son that served in the Civil War but died young. The Collins family has deep roots in Monkton, having settled there from Massachusetts.

Biographical Sketch of Artemus A. Ball

Artemus A. Ball, born in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, in 1846, is a prominent farmer and dairyman owning 200 acres by the lake. He established a coal business in 1879 that has grown significantly, benefiting from his strategic location for eastern trade. He married Mary Chadbourne in 1874, with whom he had four children. Ball was the son of Stephen and Urana Ball, who had six children together. His brother Peter served in the Sixth Vermont Regiment and died during the Civil War.

Biographical Sketch of John Clark

John Clark was born in 1843 in Ferrisburgh, Vermont. He married Maria Gordon, daughter of Dudley Gordon, on September 31, 1868, and they have one daughter, Nellie. John is the son of William and Nancy (McKinney) Clark, who emigrated from Ireland to Ferrisburgh in 1831, where William passed away in 1883 and Nancy in 1885 at eighty-six. John is the sole surviving child of their six offspring.

Biographical Sketch of Roswell John Hopkins

Roswell John Hopkins, born in Ferrisburgh, Vermont, in 1809, passed away in March 1877. He married Louisa Dudley in 1852, and they had two children, one dying in infancy, while their daughter, Ella A., married Chester Allen and left a legacy through her son, John Hopkins Allen. Louisa was the daughter of early Connecticut settlers, Thomas and Rachel Dudley, and was the last surviving child among her siblings. Roswell was the son of Roswell D. and Mary Hopkins and had a notable brother, Dr. William Hopkins.