Concord is decidedly an agricultural town.  A large portion of the territory is stony and uneven, but the soil is very strong and fertile. On both the Connecticut and Moose rivers are fine meadows, and the whole township is abundantly supplied with never-failing springs of pure soft water. Among the streams are Hall's brook, issuing from Hall's pond in the southwesterly part of the town; Miles stream, issuing from Miles pond in the northwesterly part; Mink brook, near the center; Moose river, in the westerly part; and with the Connecticut river many fine mill sites are afforded. Hall's pond is a beautiful sheet of water more than a mile in length and about a half mile in width.  Miles pond is considerably larger. It lies just southwest of Miles mountain, the highest elevation of land in the town. These ponds are well stocked with fish. Brooks pond is a small sheet of water in the central part. The greatest natural curiosity of the township is Miles cave, a cavern in the Miles mountain, which has never been fully explored. 

       In 1880,  Concord had a population of 1612.  In 1886 the town had thirteen school districts and thirteen common schools, employing two male and twenty-three female teachers, to whom was paid an average weekly salary, including board, of $4.83 and $5.11, respectively. There were 534 scholars, ten of whom attended private schools. The entire income for school purposes was $2,612.00, while the total expenditures were $2,065.17, with Mrs. R. T. Johnson, superintendent. 

       West Concord is a flourishing post village, located in the western part of the town on Moose river, eight miles from St. Johnsbury, and is also a station on the P. & O. R.R. It was founded by John D. Chase, who built a dwelling  and saw-mill, here, in 1838, and with Levi Howe a gristmill in 1840. The first store was established by S.S. Hill in 1840, and about the same time various mechanical shops were put in operation.  In 1845, Chase & Howe erected a second saw-mill, and Mr.Chase and others a foundry and machine shop. The postoffice was established in 1830. The village now has two churches (Methodist and Universalist), an hotel, a number of stores and shops, mills, etc., supports two physicians and a lawyer, and has about fifty dwellings. 

       Concord Corner (Concord p. o.) is a post village located in the southwesterly part of the town east of Hall’s pond. It was formerly a place of considerable business importance, with a flourishing trade with adjoining towns. It boasted of its physician and its minister long before the adjoining villages sprang up. Among its early settlers were Hon. Samuel Weatherbee, and Joseph Frye; Andrew Hardy, who kept the first tavern; Hon. Azarias Williams, who was a merchant here as early as 1798; and Reuben Grout, who flourished as a lawyer a few years later. The Concord academy and the Essex County Grammar school was also a flourishing institution here for many years. Other villages have, however, taken the major portion of the Corner's business. 

       North Concord (p. o.) is a station on a branch of the P. & O. R.R.. It has a store and extensive lumber mills. 

       East Concord (p. o.) is also a railroad station and has one church (Methodist Episcopal) three stores, two lumber-mills, and about twenty dwellings. 

       Miles Pond (p. o.), a railroad station at the foot of Miles pond, has extensive timber mills and about a dozen dwellings. 

       Warden & Bingham's rake factory.  In 1844, James Warden began the manufacture of hand rakes in, the northeastern corner of Peacham, where T.P. Bingham now is, and has since been almost constantly engaged in the business, till J. Warden has come to be a name known wherever hand rakes are used, and gives the article on which it is stamped a standard of excellence. He also manufactures revolving horse-rakes, drag-rakes, fork handles, etc. In the fall of 1885 he formed with his son-in-law, J. Warner Bingham, the firm of Warden & Bingham, doing business at East Barnet. On November 1, 1886, they removed to West Concord, where they employ six men in the manufacture of rake, fork and hoe handles. 

       D.W. Hibbard's saw-mill, at West Concord, was built by John D. Chase in 1845 and purchased by Mr. Hibbard in 1876. He manufactures about 600,000 feet of lumber and 3,000 shingles annually. 

       C.H. Dudley's steam saw-mill, at North Concord, originally erected in 1870, turns out about 1,500,000 feet of lumber per year, employing thirty-five men. 

       Albion G. Parsons' flouring-mill, at West Concord, grinds about 40,000 bushels of grain per annum. 

       Whipple & Parker's shingle and lumber-mill, on Miles brook, was built by James Darling about 1820. It cuts about 200,000 feet of lumber, and 100,000 shingles per year. 

       The settlement of the town was begun in by Joseph Ball, who came with his family from Westboro, Mass., in 1783. His son John, born in 1789, was the first child born in the town, and in consequence thereof received a gratuitous grant of land from the proprietors. 

       In 1795, seven years after the first settlement, there were but seventeen families in the town. The following from the Poll list of 1799 will give a good idea of the names of the early settlers: Oliver Perry, Benjamin Streeter, James Morse, Oliver Cutting, Andrew Scott, David Streeter, Richard Temple, Daniel Gregory, Noah Vilas, Joseph Streeter, Benjamin Hardy, Levi Ball, John Hopkins, Samuel Hutchinson, Jonathan Hunter, Nathan Fighter, John Frye, Solomon Babcock, Amos Underwood, Jonathan Hutchinson, Dolphus Holton, Joseph Holton, Richard Graves, David Hutchinson, Thomas Ames, Jonathan Ames, James Willard, Theophilus Grout, Simeon Olcott, John Walker, David Hibbard, Elijah W. Bingham, John Billings, Lester May, Samuel Weatherbee, Jr., Oliver May, William Williams, Nathan Wilder, Samuel Weatherbee, Jonathan Lewis, Joseph Barton, Moses Hill, Josiah Beal, Benjamin May, Benjamin May, Jr., Francis Chase, Amasa Hudson, William Williams, Jr., Askalus Wilkins, Thomas Townsend, James Weatherbee, John Frye, Jr., William Hamblet and Azarias Williams. 

       The first town meeting was held at the house of Joseph Morse, October 5, 1794. when Capt. Samuel Weatherbee was chosen clerk, and Samuel Hudson, collector. The first grain raised in town was rye, upon the farm of Joseph Morse. 
 

(Source: Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, VT.; 1764-1887, Compiled and Published by Hamilton Child; May 1887, Page 421-423)

This excerpt was provided by Tom Dunn.