Vermont History and Genealogy
February 2, 2007
History of the Town of Middlebury, Vermont
Filed under: Addison County, Middlebury, Vermont Counties, Vermont Towns — thedarwinexception @ 9:58 pm
HISTORY OF THE TOWN OF MIDDLEBURY
THE rapid settlement of the territory of the State of Vermont was long postponed by the fact that it was a
thoroughfare of the war parties of the French and Indians on their way to the southward and eastward from Canada
and Lake Champlain; and but little progress was made in that direction until the conquest of Canada by the English
in 1760. Benning Wentworth was appointed in 1741, by the king of England, governor of the province of New
Hampshire, and given authority to issue patents for lands to applicants, in any unoccupied territory. Under this
authority he claimed the right to issue charters over what is now the State of Vermont. His first charter within its
boundaries was for the town of Bennington in 1749, and in the next year this was followed by the charter of
Pownal; about a dozen towns had also been chartered east of the Green Mountains; but no grants were made in the
more dangerous western part of the State until 1761, in which year, the banners of peace having been uplifted over
the territory of the " New Hampshire Grants," as this region came to be known, there was a rapid movement to
secure charters to the territory, no less than sixty having been granted in the year named within the present limits of
the Green Mountain State. Among the number was Middlebury, as well as eight other Addison county towns.
Among the residents of Salisbury, Conn., were a number of men who, with others, united for the purpose of
procuring town charters of lands in this county and engaged John Evarts, of Salisbury, to act as their agent.
Procuring the needed assistance, he came into the wilderness until he reached the region along the east side of
Otter Creek, before he found unoccupied territory. Here he discovered that there was sufficient land to constitute
three towns of the proposed extent-six miles square- between the "Great Falls" at Vergennes on the north, and
Leicester on the south: hence he proceeded to survey the entire tract. He began at the head of the falls (which was
fixed upon as a permanent starting point and boundary), laid out the town of New Haven and followed with
Middlebury and Salisbury. Some of the original applicants agreed to take shares in two and others in all three of
these!