The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-09-27
vERMoNT's FIRST CENSUS.
Some Interesting Figures Compiled
from Recent Report.

The Banner has received from the bu-
reau OF the census at Washington a copy
of the recently printed book which gives
the names of all the heads OF families in
the state at the time of the iirst census
in 1870. 1t is book OF great historical
interest and contains scores of things OF
interest which the Banner plans to print
from time to time.
At that time Vermont was divided into
seven counties. OF these Bennington,
Windham, Windsor, Rutland and Ad-
olson were about the same as now while
all the rest OF the state was divided into
the two counties of Chittenden and Or
ange. Chittenden county included all of
what is now in the county OF the same
name, all of the present counties of
Franklin and Grand Isle and parts Of the
present Addison, Washington, Lamoille
and Orleans. The county OF Orange IN
cluded the present county OF that name,
all of Caledonia and Essex counties and
the greater part OF what Is now Wash
ington, Lamoille and Orleans.
The most populous county in the state
was Windham which had l7,572 people.
The other counties followed in order
thus: Windsor, 1910; Rutland, 1880;
Bennington, l2,2O6; Orange, 1926; Chit.
tenden, 1887; Addison, 6,42O. The total
for the state was $3.50. BY the latest
census, that Of 1900, the population OF
Vermont was found to be 81, 64l, The
census Of 1870 as first reported in li9l
stated that there were 10 slaves in Yer
mont, but this was afterwards shown to
be an error. The persons. reported as
slave" should have been reported as
free colored" persons.
Bennington in 1890 was the second
town in size in the state, first honor be-
| 4 MI.
ty which had 2,422 people while Ben.
with 1890, Putney fourth with l,S4s and
Pownal fifth with 1872, In this connec-
ton it is interesting to note that Gull
ford in 1900 had only 1872 people or less
than a third what it had ITO years before.
The population in 1870 of the towns
which are now the largest in the state
was as follows: Burlington, $3.50; Rut-
land, l,4l7; Brattleboro, l,5s9; st. Al
bans, 256; Barre then Wildersburgh),
IS; st. Johnsbury, l43; Montpelier, rs.
The population of the several towns
in Bennington county was Arlington,
992; Bennington, 1850; Bromley (now
Peru, II; Dorset, 957; Glastonbury. "a;
Landgrove, 81; Manchester, l,27l; Pow
borough, So; Rupert, l,034; Sandgate,
Sunderland, Ala; Winhall l55; Wood
ford, 60. 1t will be noted that of the
towns in this county the only ones that
have made any material gain in popula-
ton in the III years past are Bennington,
Manchester and Readsboro, while some
have actually lost.
One Of the most interesting things in
the book is to note the great number OF
towns, the names of which have been
changed. In this county Bromley has
been changed to Peru. Over in Wind.
ham county Hinsdale has been changed
to Vernon and Thomlinson to Grafton;
Dover has been formed out of the south
district of Wardsboro and Brookline from
parts of Newfane, Putney, Townshend
and Athens.
In Rutland county Harwick has been
changed to Mt. Tabor; Philadelphia is
now a part of Chittenden. Midway and
Killington have been changed to Men
don and Sherburne. Some other more
noticeable changes are: Sultash in Wind
sor county to Plymouth; Kellysburgh in
Chittenden county then now forms Ba-
kersfeld in Franklin county and Belvi-
dere in Lamoille; Minden then in Or
ange county is now Craftsbury in Or
leans; Kingston in Addison county is
now Granville; Tumersburg in Orange
changed to Sutton; Navy to Charleston;
Caldersburg to Morgan; Random and
Winlock to Brighton; Minehead to
Bloomfield; Littleton to Waterford;
Smithfeld and Hungerford to Sheldon;
Huntsburg to Franklin; Carthage to
Jay; Lutterlock to Albany; Mansfield is
now part of Stowe; Sterling is now
parts of Cambridge and Waterville and
there are other changes. The present
prosperous towns of Barton, Newport
and Troy had no inhabitants at all in
1870 and the two latter were not even
named-Bennington Banner.