HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF 
BALTIMORE

      BALTIMORE is a small, triangular shaped town of about 3,000 acres, located in the southern part of the county, in lat. 43° 21' and long, 4° 25', bounded northwest by Cavendish, east by Weathersfield, and south by Chester. When Cavendish became settled it was found that Hawks Mountain, a rugged highland extending in a diagonal direction across the southeastern corner of the town, rendered communication between the settlements on opposite sides of the elevation quite difficult, so much so, indeed, that the settlers in the corner thus cut off objected to traveling to the center of the town to vote and attend to public business, and so petitioned the legislature for the privilege of establishing themselves in the territory as an independent township. This petition was looked upon with favor by the legislature, who passed an act October 19, 1793, establishing the town of Baltimore, Hawks Mountain forming the dividing line between it and Cavendish. It was not organized, however until March 12, 1794, when Joseph ATHERTON was chosen town clerk, Samuel DAVIS, constable, and Waldo CHENEY, Jonathan WOODBURY and Joseph ATHERTON, selectmen. The first justice was Isaac CHAMBERLAIN, elected in 1794. The first representative was Benjamin PAGE, in 1824, since which time the town has seldom been represented in the legislature, thus saving a large amount of taxes.

      The surface of the territory is not broken by any prominent elevation, except the one mentioned, while the soil, which is warm, though quite stony, renders fair crops of grass and grain. Numerous springs and brooks abound, though there are no streams of importance and no mill-seats. The rock are mostly gneiss formation. In the southeastern part there is a small amount of mica schist, and in the extreme northern part a bed of steatite.

      Joseph ATHERTON, one of the first settlers, located on road 2, upon the farm now owned by E. C. SHERWIN. His son, Barney, was killed by lightning in 1810, while standing in the door of his father's house. Noah PIPER and Col. Joshua MARTIN were also early settlers. Emigration to the town seems to have been quite popular for a time, for in 1791 the census returns show it to have had a population of 275. Since then, however, each decade shows a diminution in the number of inhabitants, until the town now boasts a population of only seventy-one souls. It has no settlement worthy of the title of village, no post office, no church, and no schools, the people being obliged to step over the lines of their narrow territory, into the towns south and east, for such conveniences.

      Benjamin LITCH came to Baltimore from Lunenburgh, Mass., about 1800, and resided here until his death, February 22, 1832. Mrs. LITCH died about 1850. Their son Lyman, born here May 6, 1803, is now the oldest resident in the town. He married Prudence CHAPLIN, and has reared a family of four daughters, all but one of whom are living. Lyman represented the town in the legislature of 1837, and has also held most of the other town offices.

      Amasa GREGORY came here from Roylston, Mass., in 1809, and located upon the farm now owned by Orville FULLUM, where he resided until his death, December 4, 1849. Three of his eight children are now living, one, Mrs. Zenas GRAVES, in this town.

      Luther GRAVES came to Baltimore in 1815, and located upon the farm now owned by his son, Zenas H., where he died February 28, 1861, aged eighty years. Zenas is the only child of Luther now living. He represented the town in the legislature of 1858-'59.

      Fox SHERWIN came here in 1841, from Weathersfield. His son, Erwin C., born on the farm he now occupies in 1841, represented the town in 1878-'79.

Gazetteer of Towns,
Gazetteer and Business Directory of Windsor County, Vt., For 1883-84
Compiled and Published By Hamilton Child,
Syracuse, N. Y. Printed January, 1884.
Page 80-81.

Transcribed by Karima Allison ~ 2004