The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-08-17
VERMONT TOWN CHARTERS.
Publication of Interesting Document
Under Way by State.

Work has been begun at the Secfe-
tary of state : office preparatory to the
publication, as authorized by the last
legislature, of a volume to show the
charters of towns that this state IS
sued. Franklin H. Dewart of Burling-
ton. who edited volume ! of State Pa
pers Of Vermont, has in hand the prep
aration of this, which viii be volume
II of the same series.
More than half OF the towns OF the
state, of course, received their charters
from New Hampshire aud copies of
these have been available through vol
ume 70 of State Papers of New Hamp-
shire devoted entirely to chapters OF
towns now part of Nermont1. A gen
erouS share of this edition was bought
from New Hampshire by Vermont and
distributed to Vermont officers about
80 years ago. But, hitherto, If one
wanted copy of town charter IS
sued BY Vermont he has not been able
to find it except in manuscript at the
office Of the secretary of state.
There has long been a considerable
demand for these for LEGAL and histori-
cal matters. The proposed volume Is
TO show also by reference where infor-
nation regarding town bounds, names,
proprietors, etc, may be found IN print
or record Interest in this book Is
auiokened because it viii include refer
ences TO all the 40 maps recently re
stored 70 the state after a visit OF
nearly 100 years in the West, through
the 1houghtfulness of the great grand
son of John w. Chandler, who presented
two books of plans to the Vermont His
torical society.
In the latter part Of the 18th cen
tury James Whitelaw had a famous
land Office at Ryegate and from his
long prominence as eyor-generaI OF
Vermont. Whitelaw acquired great
prestige as an expert surveyor. At
h taIa = of I1a
were bought by John w. Chandler OF
Paacham. who was large dealer IN
wild lands in Essex and Caledonia
counties. His maps, now recovered.
show neat accurate draughting TO show
| the divisions of towns into lots for the
| original proprietors and usually the
names of the proprietors and which lots
| they each drew, as well as roads,
/ streams etc. and the two books Clarge-
| w covering the same towns twice. con-
stitute treasure tTove such as Is not
likely to be found again after such
| lapse bf time since death of the
/ draughtsman.
| There was a great interest stirred by
| the plans of Samuel c. Crafts teX-gOy-
1 ernorl, which were copied for the sec
rotary of state = Office about I > years
ago. as they showed similar data for
nearly 30 towns and apparently date
| from 1910
| But the Crafts book plates besides
| Chandler s. both for the reason that
(hoth being well drawn and aecurate)
Chandler Is has nearly twice as many as
Crafts and still more because there
now arises a strong suspicion that
Crafts copied from Chandler 3, which
had been so long in use that it had to
be re bound in 1890
In any case the maps are of great
interest and value and the book now
under way will give the general reader
q good introduction to them. rs we'll as
70 the original charters issued by Yer
mont.
1t will be recalled that Vermont drew
very much more population than other
nearby states after the close of the
Revolution. largely by reason of the
wit of our forefathers Tin great con
trast to the other New England states
which were under heavy burdens OF
war taXesl. who by selling the vacant
lands of Vermont to form new towns
! served the double purpose of raisinf
money not felt by her citizens and o1
| attracting large numbers of desirable
amhit ;aus people in to cast their lots
: with the new towns which the charters
created out of the wilderness. - Barre
| Times