Halifax
Organized
1761
Vermont
Local History and Genealogy
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History/Histories
Excerpts from "History of Halifax,"
by Rev. H. Eastman:
Halifax
is a small town lying 25 miles east of Bennington
and 9 miles southwest from Brattleboro.
The town was chartered May
11, 1750, by Benning Wentworth to Oliver Partridge
and 63 others. Abner Rice was the town's first settler, coming from Worcester
County, Massachusetts
around the year 1761. By the early part of 1766, there were four families in
town: Mr. Rice in the eastern part; Capt. John Pannel and a Mr. Gaught in the
southwest part, that came to be called Pannel Hill; and a Mr. Pratt. Twelve
years later, in 1778, the town recorded the names of 140 freemen. Pannel Hill
was settled by people who came from Colrain, Massachusetts.
They were soon joined by families from Connecticut
and Princeton, Mass.
The southeast part of the town was also
settled by many families from Colrain, along with the Taggetts and other
families who came from Londonderry,
NH. The
northeast part of town was mostly settled by people from Rhode
Island, among whom were the Wilcox and
Thomas families. The center of town was settled mostly by people from Massachusetts.
The Baptist
Church
was organized in 1793, with it's first settled minister being Abner Bemis, in
1796. He was followed by Mr. Samuel Fish, who was born in Halifax
October 13, 1788.
The geographical center of the town in the
early days was originally north of what was later the center. It was here that
a meetinghouse was built, a town common and an adjoining cemetery, which was
then deeded, to the Congregational Society, this cemetery being the second in
town. The Congregational church in Halifax
was organized July 24,
1778 with Rev. David Goodall as pastor. The first
cemetery was on Pannel Hill. There was a third early cemetery near the business
center of the town. Deacon Conant's daughter was the first person buried in
this one, the second person being Cornish Stacy. The first person to die in
town was Samuel Gaught, a lad three years old, a brother of the widow Crozier.
He was buried in Colrain.
Among the early settlers were five families
with the name "Hall". Another well-known person in the early days of
the town was Jedediah Stark, a lawyer, who removed from Litchfield
County, Connecticut
to Halifax
in 1792. Other noted people were: high sheriff, Chipman Swain; high sheriff and
representative, Stephen Niles; and senator and representative, Sanford
Plumb.
During the Civil War, Halifax
furnished 109 men. Three were lost in battle and sixteen others died in
service. See Vermont
Civil War Site.
The town had a devastating tornado in August
1788, leaving a path of destruction through the town, nearly two miles in
width.
Halifax
today remains a very small town. It is not on one of the main roads in
Southern, Vermont
and therefore often remains a challenge to those trying to find it for
genealogical purposes. It however, has provided Vermont
through the years, with a wealth of intelligent and adventurous people.
Vital Records
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Halifax Town Clerk
Laura Sumner
P.O Box 45
West Halifax VT 05358
802-368-7390
email: halifax@tax.state.vt.us
The Town Clerk
holds all Vital Records for town and all Deed Books
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"Halifax
Vital Records, etc." Copy in Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro,
VT. Many of the town vital
records and cemetery records can be seen in this paper back notebook.
Cemeteries
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"Halifax
Vital Records, etc." Copy in Brooks Memorial Library, Brattleboro,
VT. Many of the town vital
records and cemetery records can be seen in this paper back notebook.
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Clark Family
Cemetery
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Center
Cemetery
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Pennel
Hill Cemetery
Military
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Halifax in the Civil
War
Census Records
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Windham County Census
Sources
Genealogy
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Wilcox Family
Biographies
& Famous Sons
Elisha Graves Otis, Inventor
Born August 3, 1811 Halifax - Died April
8, 1861
Improved the hoisting apparatus
for the modern passenger elevator --- He invented a safety device which
prevented the car from falling if the cables broke.
Elisha Graves Otis Website1 | Elisha Graves Otis Website2
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Resources
Historical
Societies & Libraries
Local Websites
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Virtual Vermont -
Halifax
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Last Updated Thursday, June 08, 2000


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