Welcome to VTGenWeb of Caledonia County, Vermont

for History and Genealogy Research

 

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County Coordinator:  Ann Mensch

 

 

 

 

 

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Thank you to Dean Goss, who graciously allowed one of his wonderful waterfall photographs to be used in the Caledonia County, Vermont graphic logo.

PAST HISTORY of the Geographic Area of Caledonia County

Prior to the American Revolution, the part of the country now known as "Vermont" was claimed by New York and New Hampshire, and was known as "The New Hampshire Grants".  New York divided the area into four counties:  Bennington and Charlotte counties on the west, and Cumberland and Gloucester counties of the east side of the Green Mountains.  (See era maps)

In 1791, Vermont joined the original 13 as a state in the union.

On November 5, 1792, Caledonia County was incorporated from Orange County, including all that part of Vermont north of that county, and extending so far west as to include Montpelier and adjacent towns, however, the Caledonia County was not fully organized until November 8, 1796, when Danville was made the shire town.  In 1811, the state of Vermont was divided into eleven counties and the counties of Orleans and Essex were incorporated from Caledonia County.  In addition, in 1811, four towns from Caledonia County were incorporated into Washington County, to which Woodbury was also annexed, in 1836, and Cabot, in 1855.  In 1856, the county seat was removed from Danville to St. Johnsbury where new county buildings were erected.

The county was called "Caledonia" -the ancient Roman name of Scotland, out of regard for the emigrants from that country who had purchased large tracts of land in the county, and had large and flourishing settlements in Barnet and Ryegate...

PRESENT

County seat:  St. Johnsbury

Located in northeastern Vermont, with Essex County to the east, Washington and Orleans Counties to the west, and Orange County to the south, the communities within Caledonia County are found in the Towns Table which follows.

Select from the TOWNS Table below to view information and links specific to a town / township.

Select this LINK to see GENERAL Caledonia County information and links.

Please note:  Though the information on this web page is believed to be correct, the possibility of error remains.  Please notify Ann Mensch should an error be found.

 

TOWNS TABLE

Town

Date of Grant

Date of Charter

Date of 1st Settlement

Villages &

Communities Within

Contact

Barnet

 

16 Sep 1763

4 Mar 1770

Barnet, Barnet Center, East Barnet, McIndoe Falls, Passupsic, Walter Harvey, West Barnet

Ann Mensch

(formerly

Robert H. Goss)

Burke

 

23 Feb 1782

1794

Burke Hollow, East Burke, West Burke

Ann Mensch

(formerly

Robert H. Goss)

*Cabot

1780

 

 

Cabot was once a part of Caledonia County.  In 1855, it became part of Washington County, Vermont.  See an 1835 Vermont Counties Map, then visit Cabot, Washington County, Vermont

 

Danville

27 Oct 1786

31 Oct 1786

1783 or 1784

Danville, Harvey's Hollow, North Danville, West Danville

Ann Mensch

(formerly

Robert H. Goss)

Groton

7 Nov 1780

20 Oct 1789

1787

Groton, West Groton

Ann Mensch

Thank you to former TCs Jim Dresser & Don Smith

Hardwick

7 Nov 1780

19 Aug 1781

13 Mar 1792

East Hardwick, Hardwick, Mackville

Ann Mensch

(formerly

Robert H. Goss)

Kirby

20 Oct 1786

27 Oct 1790

Ca. 1792

North Kirby, South Kirby

Ann Mensch

(formerly

Robert H. Goss)

Lyndon

2 Nov 1780

20 Nov 1780

Apr 1788

 

Ann Mensch

Newark

6 Nov 1780

15 Aug 1781

1797

Newark

Ann Mensch

(formerly

Robert H. Goss)

Peacham

 

31 Dec 1763

1775

East Peacham, Peacham, South Peacham

Ann Mensch

(formerly

Robert H. Goss)

Ryegate

 

8 Sep 1763

1773

 

Ann Mensch

(formerly

Robert H. Goss)

Sheffield

7 Nov 1780

7 Nov 1780

1794

 

Ann Mensch

(formerly

Robert H. Goss)

St. Johnsbury

27 Oct 1786

1 Nov 1786

Apr 1788

 

Paul Des Troismaisons

Stannard

 

1 Feb 1792

1802

 

Ann Mensch

Sutton

 

26 Feb 1782

1790

 

Ann Mensch

(formerly

Robert H. Goss)

Walden

6 Nov 1780

18 Aug 1781

1784

 

Ann Mensch

Waterford

7 Nov 1780

8 Nov 1780

Ca. 1783

 

Ann Mensch

(formerly

Robert H. Goss)

Wheelock

14 Jun 1785

14 Jun 1785

Ca. 1780

 

Rosalie Wolfe

 

GENERAL Caledonia County information and links

CEMETERIES

CENSUS

HISTORY

HISTORICAL & GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES

MAPS

MILITARY

QUERIES

TOWNS / TOWNSHIPS / VILLAGES

VITAL RECORDS

WILL & PROBATE

 

CEMETERIES

§  Find A Grave for Caledonia County, Vermont Cemeteries

 

CENSUS

 

Note regarding the 1790 U.S. Census of Vermont - Vermont joined the Union in March, 1791, so its 1790 census was actually taken in 1791.  At that time, Vermont consisted of 7 counties.  Present-day counties were later formed from all or portions of these seven counties.

§  The 1790 Census of Chittenden County - (includes towns which later became part of the counties of Franklin, Chittenden, Lamoille and portions of Orleans, Washington and Addison Counties)

§  The 1790 U. S. Census of Orange County, Vermont included towns which were soon to become part of Caledonia County when it was formed, in 1792, from Orange County, (includes towns which came to be within the counties of Caledonia, Essex, Orange, Orleans and Washington) 

§  1790 Census (familysearch.org)

§  1800 Census (familysearch.org)

§  1810 Census (familysearch.org)

§  1820 Census (familysearch.org)

§  1830 Census (familysearch.org)

§  1840 Census (familysearch.org)

§  1850 Census (familysearch.org)

§  1860 Census (familysearch.org)

§  1870 Census (familysearch.org)

§  1880 Census Index - Excellent resource!!!  (familysearch.org)

§  1900 Census (familysearch.org)

§  1910 Census (familysearch.org)

§  1920 Census (familysearch.org)

§  Obtaining EDs for the 1930 Census in One Step (Large Cities), by Stephen P. Morse, PhD, Joel D. Weintraub, PhD and David R. Kehs, PhD

§  1930 Census (familysearch.org)

§  1940 Census (familysearch.org)

§  USGenWeb Census Project for Vermont, coordinated by Linda Talbott

§  NARA: National Archives and Records Administration

o   The Genealogy Page.

o   About Census Records

o   Clues in Census Records, 1790-1840

o   Clues in Census Records, 1850-1930

o   Indian Census Rolls

o   Nonpopulation Census Records

o   Prologue, Spring 1996, Vol. 28, No. 1, "First in the Path of the Firemen" The Fate of the 1890 Population Census,” by Kellee Blake.

 

 

HISTORY

§  History of Caledonia County and TownsPart First. Gazetteer of Caledonia and Essex Counties, VT., 1764-1887,  compiled and published by Hamilton Child.  Syracuse, N. Y. :  The Syracuse Journal Company, Printers and Binders, May, 1867.

§  Index to The Vermont Historical Gazetteer:  A Local History of All the Towns in the State, transcribed by Rod Skinner (County Coordinator for Windham County, VTGenWeb), 2006.  The VERMONT HISTORICAL GAZETTEER is a 5 volume set of historical information, by Abby Maria Hemenway, with Volume I published in 1867, and Volume V completed in 1891 after her death.  Thank you!  Thank you! to Rod Skinner!!!

§  Caledonia County [Vermont], by  Abby Maria Hemenway, Ludlow, Vt.: Miss A. M. Hemenway, 1862.

§  Vermont in the Civil War, online by Tom Ledoux,

 

HISTORICAL & GENEALOGICAL SOCIETIES

 

 

 

MAPS

Ø Vermont Area Map of ca. 1756: An accurate map of His Majesty's Province of New-Hampshire in New England & all the adjacent country northward to the River St. Lawrence, & eastward to Penobscot Bay, containing the principal places which relate to the present war on the continent of North America. By Saml. Langdon (1723-1797).

Ø Ca. 1780 Map which shows land grants and purchases in northeastern New York State and granted townships in Vermont and parts of New Hampshire, and Massachusetts: A chorographical map of the Northern Department of North-America, drawn from the latest and most accurate observations, at Amsterdam by Cóvens and Mortier and Cóvens, junior.  By H. Klockhoff, sculp., [Amsterdam] 1780.  Repository: Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA, url: <http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3715.ar082800>

Ø Ca. 1781 Map: An Accurate map of New Hampshire in New England, from a late survey. [London, 1781].  From the Universal magazine of knowledge and pleasure. March, 1781. Repository: Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA, url: <http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3740.ar087200>

Ø Ca. 1784 Map: An accurate map of the State and Province of New-Hampshire in New England, taken from actual surveys of all the inhabited part, and from the best information of what is uninhabited, together with the adjacent countries, which exhibits the theatre of this war in that part of the world, by Col. Blanchard and the Revd. Mr. Langdon. Engraved by Thomas Jefferys. With many additions by Abel Sawyer. Boston, 1784.  Repository: Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA, url: <http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3740.ar087100>

Ø 1795 Map of Vermont, from actual survey.  By Doolittle, Amos (1754-1832).  From Carey's American Atlas, Philadelphia, 1795. DLC.  Philadelphia, 1795.  Repository: Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA, url: <http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3750.ct000093> 

o   This map shows the original Orange county from which Caledonia County was created in 1796.

Ø 1814 Map of Vermont, from actual survey. By Carey, Mathew (1760-1839). From Carey's General Atlas of the World. DLC.  [S.l.], 1814.  Repository: Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA, url: <http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3750.ct000094>

Ø Vermont Maps – Middlebury College digital collections.

Ø 1817 Map of Vermont, from actual survey. By Doolittle, Amos, 1754-1832.  From Samuel Lewis' Atlas, 1817. DLC.  [S.l., 181-].  Repository: Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA, url: <http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3750.ct000097>

Ø 1826 Map of Vermont. By Lucas, Fielding, 1781-1854.  [S.l.], 1826.  Repository: Library of Congress Geography and Map Division Washington, D.C. 20540-4650 USA, url: <http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.gmd/g3750.ct000096>

Ø Index to Names, Businesses, and Features, which appear in Caledonia County on the ca. 1858 atlas:  "Map of Caledonia County, Vermont From Actual Surveys under the direction of H. F. Walling", New York : Baker & Tilden, 1858.

Ø "Map of Caledonia County, Vermont From Actual Surveys under the direction of H. F. Walling", New York : Baker & Tilden, 1858.  [Library of Congress]

Ø Use the query form, at USGS, to map features including cemeteries, churches, populated places, and more.  Please note that the map town listed with a feature may be used as a map reference for the site, and may not be the town where the feature is actually located...Select a map to see the location of the actual feature.  This database may not be complete, and, as with any database, there may be errors.

 

MILITARY

Ø Vermont in the Civil War, by Tom Ledoux.

 

QUERIES

Would you like to post a query related to Caledonia County, Vermont?  Visit the Rootsweb message board for Caledonia County, Vermont.

 

TOWNS / TOWNSHIPS / VILLAGES

See TOWNS TABLE

 

VITAL RECORDS

Vermont vital records may be obtained through the town clerk of the town in which the event occurred and/or through the resources below:

Ø How to Obtain Vital Records for Vermont ?

Ø Vermont State Archives & Records Administration

o   Online and Informational Copies of Vital Records

Ø Index to Vermont Vital Records, 1760-1954, (familysearch.org) – note this index may not be complete, some towns and records may not be included among state records.

Ø Index to Vermont Vital Records, 1955-2003, (familysearch.org).

Ø Vermont, Town Clerk, Vital and Town Records, 1732-2005, (familysearch.org) -  Vital and town records acquired from local town clerk offices.

 

WILL & PROBATE

". . .The Probate Division handles the probate of wills, settlement of estates, adoptions, guardianships, name changes, correction of vital records, and uniform gifts to minors. . ." (vermontjudiciary.org)

Caledonia District Probate Court:   P.O. Box 406, 27 Main Street,  St. Johnsbury, VT 05819  Phone: (802) 748-6605.

 

Caledonia County Clerk:  27 Main Street - St. Johnsbury, VT 05819-2637  Phone: (802) 748-6600.

 

TOWNS LIST

BARNET

 

 

 

BURKE

 

 

 

*Cabot [Washington County]

DANVILLE

 

 

 

GROTON

 

 

 

HARDWICK

 

 

 

KIRBY

 

 

 

LYNDON

 

 

NEWARK

 

 

 

PEACHAM

 

 

RYEGATE

 

 

 

SHEFFIELD

 

 

 

ST. JOHNSBURY

 

 

 

STANNARD

 

 

SUTTON

 

 

 

WALDEN

 

 

WATERFORD

 

 

WHEELOCK

 

 

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Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001-2017, by Ann Mensch.  All Rights Reserved.