History of Rutland, Vermont, USA

1791 - Population of Rutland, Vermont - 1,407

A gazetteer of Vermont... by John Hayward Boston - Tappan, Whittemore, and Mason 1849

1794 - December 8 - 1st issue of Herald of Rutland, VT published

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1800 - Population of Rutland, Vermont - 2,125

A gazetteer of Vermont... by John Hayward Boston - Tappan, Whittemore, and Mason 1849

1810 - Population of Rutland, Vermont - 2,379

A gazetteer of Vermont... by John Hayward Boston - Tappan, Whittemore, and Mason 1849

1820 - Population of Rutland, Vermont - 2,369

A gazetteer of Vermont... by John Hayward Boston - Tappan, Whittemore, and Mason 1849

1830 - Population of Rutland, Vermont - 2,753

A gazetteer of Vermont... by John Hayward Boston - Tappan, Whittemore, and Mason 1849

1839 - Rutland
Rutland, Vermont
Chief town, Rutland county. This town was settled about the year 1770, and for some time during the revolutionary war was a frontier town. The Green mountain boys erected here two small picket forts, which were found very useful. The soil of the town is various but generally of an excellent quality. Iron ore of a good quality is found; clay, lime, and a great abundance of beautifully variegated marble.

The village of Rutland is neat, well built and handsomely located: it is the centre of trade for a large section of fertile country. The agricultural productions of Rutland are large and valuable:—in 1837, there were within its limits 20,981 sheep. Otter Creek and its tributaries give the town a good water power, and manufacturing establishments are springing up along their banks. Rutland lies 50 miles S.W. from Montpelier, 52 N. by E. from Bennington, 60 S.S.E. from Burlington, and 34 W.N.W. from Windsor. Population, 1830, 2,753.
The New England Gazetteer containing descriptions of all the states, counties and towns in New England: also descriptions of the principal mountains, rivers lakes, capes, bays, harbors, islands and fashionable resorts within that territory. By John Hayward, author of the Columbian Traveller, Religious Creeds, &c. &c. Boston: John Hayward. Boyd & White, Concord, N.H. 1839

1840 - Population of Rutland, Vermont - 2,708

A gazetteer of Vermont... by John Hayward Boston - Tappan, Whittemore, and Mason 1849

1849 Rutland
Rutland Co. This is a shire town. The principal stream in Rutland is Otter Creek, which enters the town about the middle of the south line, and leaves it about the middle of the north line, cutting it into two nearly equal parallelograms. Tributary to this are West River, rising in Tinmouth, and East Creek, one of whose branches rises in Chittenden, and the other in Mendon, the latter entering Otter Creek one mile above Gookin's Tails, and the former about forty rods below. In addition to these, there are two other streams of less magnitude, flowing in above East Creek, on the right bank ; the first of which, near the south line, is Cold River, the other, one mile and a half below, is the confluent stream formed by the union of the Moon and Mussey Brooks, so called. Near the north-west corner of the town, on the north line, another stream, called Castleton River, enters ; and, after pursuing a southerly course about three miles, turns to the right, and passes off into Ira. On all... Read MORE...

1854 - Rutland
Rutland, a handsome post-village and seat of justice of Rutland county, Vermont, on the Otter creek, and on the line of three important railroads, viz. the Rutland and Burlington, the Rutland and Washington, and the Western Vermont railroad, 67 miles S. S. E. from Burlington, and about 55 miles S. S. W. from Montpelier. It is pleasantly situated, and contains, besides the county buildings, several churches, a bank, 2 news paper offices, a flourishing academy, a splendid railroad depot, and the machine shops and engine houses of the Western Vermont railroad. It is also the centre of trade to a large section of country. There are in the township 5 churches, 23 stores, and 16 manufactories and mills, one of which, for the sawing of marble, is very extensive, and propelled by steam. Three new villages have sprung up in the township since 1846. Population in 1840, 2708; 1850, 3716.
A New and Complete Gazetteer of the United States: Giving a Full and Comprehensive Review of the Present Condition, Industry, and Resources of the American Confederacy ... Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.) Joseph Thomas January 1, 1854 Philadelphia : Lippincott, Grambo & Company 1854.

1869 - A daughter of Sheriff Lyman Powers, of Rutland, Vt, has been insane ever since the accidental death, some weeks ago, of a railroad conductor named Cook, who was to have been her husband in a few days.

St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
June 12, 1869

1875 - OPERA HOUSE FIRE.
Whitehall, N. Y., May 15. - A fire at Rutland, Vt., this morning, burned the Ripley's Opera House, the stores of MUNN & COMPTON, STANLEY & Co., and others.

Loss of $75,000; partly insured.
Logansport Star
Logansport, Indiana
May 17, 1875

1878 - Dr. Pond, of Rutland, Vt., has invented a delicate machine, which applied to the wrist, records in lines the movements of the pulse. The instrument is called the "Sphygmograph."


St Joseph Herald
Saint Joseph, Michigan
April 6, 1878

1893 - SEVEN KILLED AND MANY INJURED. A DISASTROUS AND FATAL QUARRY ACCIDENT AT WEST RUTLAND.
RUTLAND, Vt., Feb. 11. - One of the worst disasters in the history of marble quarrying occurred at West Rutland a little after 1 o'clock this afternoon in a quarry operated by the Vermont Marble Company, with which Senator Proctor is connected. A great mass or stone fell into the quarry, and seven men were instantly killed and a number of others injured. The victims were a gang at work at channeling and taking away refuse, and were all middle-aged men.
THE KILLED.
WILLIAM LUKAS, a Pole.
FRANK SULIG, a Pole.
EDWARD POWERS.
ALEXANDER BLUMQUEST, a Swede, and three unrecognized men.
INJURED.
JAMES DOOLEY, leg broken.
JOHN DUMM, slightly injured.
CHARLES ANDERSON, slightly injured.
FREDERICK MARCHAND, rib broken.
ANTON RACTIO, slightly injured.
JOHN C. ANDERSON, slightly injured.
PETER GRENIER, slightly injured.
JOHN MICHAN, slightly injured about the head.
M. CUPPS, slightly injured.
As soon as the accident happened, the electric danger signal was rung in at the company's... Read MORE...

1894 - June 17 - 1st US poliomyelitis epidemic breaks out, Rutland, Vermont

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June 17, 1894

1895 - Rutland
Rutland, a flourishing town, the capital of Rutland co., Vt., is pleasantly situated on Otter Creek, in a township of its own name, 68 miles S. of Burlington, about 55 miles S.S.W. of Montpelier, 24 miles E. by N. of Whitehall, and 6 miles W. by N. of Killington Peak, one of the highest peaks of the Green Mountains. It is on the Rutland division of the Vermont Central Railroad, and is the N.E. terminus of the Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad. Rutland is the second town of the state in population. It contains a handsome court-house, a town hall, 3 first-class hotel, churches, the Rutland High School, a military school. s national banks, the capital of which amounts to $1,000,000, and printing-offices which issue 2 daily and 2 or 3 weekly newspapers. It has also 3 foundries, with machine-shops, and manufactories of marble monuments. Large quantities of fine white marble are quarried in this township, at West Rutland. Marble, wool, butter, cheese, and slate are the chief articles of... Read MORE...

1895 - Flood
NEW ENGLAND FLOODS.
Great Damage to Railroads by the Surging Rivers.
TOWNS PARTIALLY SUBMERGED.

ST. ALBANS, Vt., April 16. - The Winooski river is higher than it has been for twenty five years. The country for miles around is one vast sheet of water, many farms being partially of wholly flooded. Several villages are using boats and rafts as a means of moving about. Much damage had been done to bridges, and washouts have occurred in many places on both railroads and highways. The railroad between Proctor and Central Rutland for a distance of three miles is under water, and has been abandoned. Many of the residents of Northfield and Central Rutland have been driven from their dwellings, the water having reached the first stories. It is though that the water has reached its highest point...

At Rutland there was a steady downpour of rain for fifty-two hours, and a flood is prevailing in the western Vermont valley that is almost without parallel. All trains to Boston and stations... Read MORE...

1900 - RUTLAND RAILROAD TRAINS COLLIDE. Freight Wreck on Rutland Railroad.
Owing to a mix-up in train orders two freight trains collided near Gassetts on the Rutland railroad about noon Saturday. No one was injured, but the front ends of both engines were smashed in and three box cars were demolished. It was reported that one of the train crews had orders to meet the other train at Gassetts and the other was ordered to meet at Chester. The collision occurred upon a new bridge, which stood the shock and was used by the mail train in passing over the scene of the wreck as soon as the debris had been cleared away. The engineer of the up-bound train saw indications of the approach of the down train and had stopped, but the other engineer did not discover the up-bound train and crashed into it while running at a good rate of speed. Both engineers and firemen jumped down the bank toward the river.
St. Albans Daily Messenger
St. Albans, Vermont
June 18, 1900

1906
Rutland, a township (town) of Rutland co., Vt. Pop. in 1900, 1109.
Lippincott's New Gazetteer: A Complete Pronouncing Gazetteer Or Geographical Dictionary of the World, Containing the Most Recent and Authentic Information Respecting the Countries, Cities, Towns ... in Every Portion of the Globe Publisher J.B. Lippincott Company, 1906

1906 - NEARLY A MILLION Fire at Rutland Vermont, Destroys Six Blocks.
Rutland, Vt., Feb. 19. - Six large brick blocks in the business section of the city, occupied by nearly a score of firms and many smaller tenants were destroyed by fire: Loss $750,000.

The fire got beyond the control of the local department, and help was summoned from Whitehall, N. Y. and other places. The heaviest losses WILLIAM Y. RIPLEY estate (buildings), $20,000; DR. A. J. MEADE (buildings), $50,000; A. H. ABRAHAM, drugs and tobacco, $23,000; WILSON & ROOT, clothing, $23,000; J. L. BAKER (buildings), $40,000, the TUTTLE company (buildings), $40,000, the TUTTLE company, printers, $130,000; CRANSTON and COMBINATION cash store block, $60,000; Combination Cash Store company's stock, $125,000. The insurance amounts to about two-thirds.
The Lima Times Democrat
Lima, Ohio
February 19, 1906

1927 - Flood
...Some 200 families were reported homeless at Rutland [Vermont]. Many had been forced to use boats to escape...
The Oelwein Daily Register
Iowa
November 4, 1927

1952 - First woman to win Olympic gold medals in skiing was Andrea Mead, of Rutland, in 1952.

www.ereferencedesk.com/ resources/ state-facts/ vermont.html

1968 - March 18 - WVER TV channel 28 in Rutland, VT (PBS) begins broadcasting

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Here's a list of places to go and things to do in Rutland:
Rutland Historical Society & Museum:

Start your exploration of Rutland by delving into its history. The Historical Society and Museum provide a fascinating glimpse into the region's past.

Chaffee Art Center:

If you appreciate art, visit the Chaffee Art Center. It often hosts exhibitions featuring local and regional artists.

Paramount Theatre:

Catch a live performance or a movie at the historic Paramount Theatre. The architecture alone is worth the visit.

Vermont State Fair:

If your visit coincides with late summer, don't miss the Vermont State Fair. It's a classic American fair with rides, games, and delicious fair food.

Wilson Castle:

Take a short drive to Proctor to see the Wilson Castle. This impressive structure has a unique architectural style and offers guided tours.

Pine Hill Park:

Outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy Pine Hill Park. It has a network of trails for hiking, trail running, and mountain biking.

Rutland Bowlerama:

Have some indoor... Read MORE...