Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-10-03
To the Propriesors Of Land and the
Legal Profession In the state.
County CLERKS OFFICE,

side of the mountain as on the west, from
the earliest settlement OF the State to the
Declaration of Independence OF the State
in l777, and even since that time, are re-
corded in this office.
The reason for this, without going in
to the history of the organization OF the
State, and in q few words, Is this The
territory on the west side OF the noun
tain, which in 1872 constituted the
county of Charlotte, was in 1879 erected
into one county, by the name of the
county of Bennington, except a small !:
portion of which for time was styled
the county of Albany, and extended on
the west line OF the State TO Canada
line, thence on that line so far on the
east side Of the mountain as to comprise
most of the towns on that side then set
tied. The remaining territory on the
east side of the mountain was embraced
in Cumberland County. Many deeds
also in the towns now comprised in the
counties of Windsor and Windham are
here recorded. Thus deeds from almost
all parts of the State, from l76l, the
the date of the earliest, continued to be
recorded in this Office, until the consti-
| tuition in 1777 and the Legislature, by
Act OF 1779, made provision requiring
conveyances of lands to be recorded in
the office OF the Clerk OF the town in
which the land lies.
When these records came into the
hands of the present incumbent Of this
office, they were in no proper condition
for reference; the first volume was mere
ly stitched together, unbound, with
newspaper cover, aud without any index,
and the indexes of all the volumes were
very imperfect and not such as are now
required by law in all Town Clerks Of
fees were not arranged alphabetically in
the names Of grantor and grantee, but
under the towns, the names Of many
of which had been long since changed
or become obsolete. 1t was absolutely
necessary, in order to refer to them with
any hope Of success, that they should be
thoroughly examined page by page, and
make such an index as would enable one
to find not only the grantor OF deed,
but the grantee.
It is also known to but few OF the
lega. profession of the State, that the
dockets, records land files OF the Su-
preme Court are deposited in this office
when such court was held alternately on
, the east and west side Of the noun
tainin almost every important town in
l the State, previous to the established or
ganization OF the Supreme Court in eact
J county, separately and independent o
/ each other.
e The dockets came into my hands tren
g every county in the State, in every form
and size, with paper covers and withou
. indexes. The files promiscuously tie(
i together in bundles, without any form
= or arrangement whatever, it was almos
? impossible to find any paper inquired fol-
), however important. 1t was onlyIthrougl
an index partially made that two gen
: tlemep from Canada were enabled to flint
n two documents of which they were il
q search.
Il :, So valuable were these papers tina
- most Of the compilation OF Mr.. Slade /
a his State papers were taken from them
a and so loosely were they held that som
e of them taken for public purposes haV
not been returned.
tT Wren the attention OF Chief Justic
a Williams was called to the subject, sue
1t was the interest he took in this matte
"a that he Immediately procured an orde
E. signed by all the Judges of the Suprem
u and County Courts directing the Cler
n. Of this county to make 8 general lnde
d of all the deeds recorded in nine vo
es umes, which has been done.
IS second-The dockets of the Suprem
u and County Courts to be arragned an
- bound, which has been done in thrice
| volumes,
C. Thirdly - The files Of the Supren
lie Court to be collected, arranged, nur
eo bered and bound, which has been dol
Nv, n' in ten volumes, and general index
We the whole has been made.
Fourthly-The index Of the causes
in the dockets OF the Supreme Court h
or not yet been completed although mu
de has been done, and some time yet W
ut be required to accomplish it.
,n All this has been done at great LAB
o., and devoting such time, for several yea
wv as could be obtained from the ordina
a and daily duties Of the Office and sol
nd of it has been procured by the Clerk
y; be done, at his own expense.
ers
II 1t is proposed by those interested
Of the early settlement Of the State and
cut pecially by the laud-holders, that I
vas vas index OF deeds before mentioned, If
nd Legislature shall so direct, be published
lex pamphlet form, in cheap manner, a
80 arH N