Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1896-10-08

settled towns of Vermont then came
the events preceding the Revolution
then the early events OF the rev
olution: then the important battles OF
the war of independence and the dedl-
cation of monuments on the battle
fields the great centennial exposition
at Philadelphia in 1876, and now we
are celebrating the establishment OF
Orange county court in Chelsea, which
was made the new county seat one
hundred years ago come next Deem
Der. The observance Of ~centennlals
will gradually move westward until
every state, county and town, and
every point of historical interest will
have had its celebration.
How can history be better taught
the Young than by a grand object Rs-
son, such rs is presented here todaxn
What boy or girl will ever for98 with
courts were first held in this chady on
village one hundred years agd,eg ao
who will forget the men and the u
of those early days rs presented To-
on this occasion ?
These things are not only Of vaIteu
as historical object lessons, but we owe
it TO the men and women who first
came into this wilderness and subducd
it to the needs and comforts Of civil
lied life, who here planted churches,
schools and courts Of Justice, that they
be not forgotten among men.
Orange county originally extended
from the north line of what is now
Windsor county to Canada line, and
includp1 thp whole OF Caledonia. Is
sex sl,s and Orleans counb and parts of
Washington and LAM Its county
seat was Newbury' lass. the first
eouiI oi ol"nlse lind fami ca nv ~ ~
the second Tuesday or ne, A. d.,
1871, at the tavern OF capt. William
Heaton. Gen. Jacob Bailey of New
bury mot Il lawyer was chief justice
and Israel Smith, Noah White and
Thomas Russell were assistant judges.
Davenport Phelps Of Oxford. now Of
New Hampshire, then of Vermont, was
clerk. He lost his office when Oxford
went back to New Hampshire.
The proposition TO divide the inn
mense territory of Orange county into
three counties was brought before the
General Assembly of Vermont in Oc-
tober, 1891, by a petition of the inhab-
itants of the county and the same
went to the governor and council, but
no decisive action was taken at that
time.
Again i'm October 1892, the question
of the eXpediency Of dividing the
counties of Orange and Chittenden
was before the Assembly and council,
but nothing came Of it until November
9TH of the same session when an act
passed the General Assembly. which
then only comprised the house of
representatives, there being no sen
ate, and was c|oncurrcd in by the coun-
Gil, dividing Orange and Chittenden
counties and erecting six new coun-
ties with an amendment to the original
bill or proposition that said counties
be organized in 1875 and 1896 instead
of in 1898 as first provided. The act
so far us it relates to Orange county is
as follows:
An act for dividing the counties of
Orange and Chittenden into six sepa-
rate and distinct counties.
Whereas, From the extensive limits
and increased population of the coun-
ties of Orange and Chittenden it hath
become convenient and necessary TO
divide the same into six distinct coun-
ties.
1t is hereby enacted by the General
Assembly of the state of Vermont,
That the towns of Thetford, Fairlee,
Bradford, Newbwry, Topsham, Cor
NTH, Vershire. STAFFORD, Tunbridge,
Chelsea, Washington, Orange, Wilder
burg, (now Barre) Williamstown,
Brooktield, Randolph, Braintree, Rox-
bury, Northfield and Berlin, be, and
they are hereby continued to be the
county of Orange.
October Is, 1895, the General As
sembly appointed as a committee to
determine the place or places in the
county of Orange where the county
buildings shall be erected, Hon. Jona-
athan Hunt, Hon. Enoch Wood
bridge and Hon. Samuel Cutler.
And it was further enacted that
1.-The place or places determined upon
by said committee, or either two of
them, shall, after the rising of the
General Assembly in October next,
Chat is October 1866 be established
for holding the courts in said county
Provided the town or towns so deter
mined on. as aforesaid, shall be at the
whole expense of erecting convenient
buildings for the purposes aforesaid,
and also pay and satisfy the aforesaid
committee for their services
That committee reported as follows,
viz:
To the Hon'ble the General Assem-
bly, of the state of Vermont to be CON
vened at Rutland on the second Thurs
day of October next.
We, the subscribers, pursuant to an
act entitled IAN act appointing a COM
mittee to determine the place or places
for county buildings in the county of
Orange" passed October 1895, having
examined the situation of said county.
DO report, That we have determined
that the most suitable place for erect
ing county buildings in said county is
in the town of Chelsea ut the east end
of the green, near the centre of said
town, and north of the pound, at a
stake and stones erected as a monu-
ment for that purpose.
Hinsdale, 10th June, 1896.
JONATHAN HUNT, I Committee
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