Ira is supposed to have been chartered by Benning Wentworth about the year 1761.  The original charter was in the Capitol at Montpelier at the time the Capitol burned, and was probably destroyed. The town was organized May 31, 1779, with Isaac CLARK as first town clerk, who was at the same meeting chosen to represent the town in the Legislature. 

      A large portion of the township lies upon the Taconic range of mountains, whose lofty, sterile peaks frown down upon but little good farming land. Many parts of the town, indeed, are incapable either of cultivation or settlement. There are, however, in some of the mountain valleys, and along the basin of Ira Brook, many excellent farms, and the hills are here covered with flocks of sheep, from which the town probably derives its principal wealth. Herrick Mountain, situated in the central part of the town, is the highest peak, being 2,661 feet above tidewater. Bird Mountain, located a little to the north-west of Herrick Mountain, and about eight miles from Rutland village, is one of the most northern peaks of the laconic range. Its elevation is about 2,500 feet above tide water, and is rendered of peculiar interest to geologists, as it is composed almost entirely of quartz conglomerate, a mass of small quartz pebbles about the size of kernels of corn, cemented together. At all points on the mountain - except the north-east-the sides are so precipitous as to render its ascent nearly or quite impossible. 

      The territory is watered by several streams, but they contain few good mill privileges; hence it is that Ira is not engaged in the manufacture of lumber to as great an extent as her forests would admit had nature been more liberal in this respect. Ira Brook, the principal stream, rises in the southern part of the town, flows a northeasterly course and joins Tinmouth River in Clarendon. Castleton River crosses the northern part of the town, flowing a westerly course. The township is also crossed here by the Rutland & Washington Railroad. The timber is that peculiar to mountain districts, namely, beech, birch, maple and hemlock, with some pine and ash. In some sections maple abounds to a great extent, from which is manufactured large quantities of sugar. 

      In 1880 Ira had a population of 479, was divided into five school districts and contained five common schools, employing two male and nine female teachers, to whom was paid an aggregate salary of $756.50. There were 123 pupils attending common schools, and the total cost of the schools for the year was $794.01. Simon L. PECK was superintendent. 

      Ira, (p. o.) a small hamlet, located in the eastern part of the town, is the only settlement of any extent, and contains a church, one blacksmith shop, a town hall and several dwellings. 

      Limestone is found in some parts of the town, from which is made a very good quality of lime. The lime-kiln of A. E. & S. W. DAY, located on road 9, manufactures about 2,000 barrels per annum. 

      Smith JOHNSON's saw mill, located in the north part of the town, manufactures 75,000 feet of lumber per year. 

      LINCOLN & DAY's saw mill, located at Ira, on Ira Brook, manufactures 1,000 feet of lumber per day. 

      Among the first settlers of Ira are found the names of SHERMAN, COLLINS, CARPENTER and LEE. Just at what date they settled in the town is, so far as we can learn, not known, but it was probably about the year 1770. The LEEs settled in that portion of the town called "Ira Hollow," which contains some of the most fertile land in the town. Here the LEE family had 324 acres of land, and quite a portion of it under cultivation. Lee, however, became a Tory and sympathized with his mother country. For this he had to suffer the penalty; accordingly, on the 24th of February, 1779, his farm was confiscated and he was obliged to leave the town under penalty of the "beech seal." His farm was sold for one hundred pounds, to Thomas COLLINS, of Lanesborough. Mass. 

      The first marriage recorded in the town was that of Isaac CLARK and Hannah, daughter of Gov. CHITTENDEN, the ceremony being performed by the Governor, on the 5th of September, 1779. 

      The first birth was Olive, daughter of George and Olive SHERMAN, Sept. 5, 1773. The first death recorded is that of Hannah BAKER, daughter of John BAKER, on the 24th of February, 1785. 

      Preserved FISH came to Ira from Berkshire, Mass., in 1790, and was married the following year to Abigail CARPENTER, by whom he had twelve children; she outliving him about two years and six months. Mr. FISH, when he first came to the town, worked at the mason trade. He held different offices in the town for many years, was a magistrate for over forty years, town clerk two years, represented the town thirteen years, and was foreman of the grand jury so often that the boys of Rutland had for a by-word "a true bill, P. FISH, foreman." Mr. FISH died October 10, 1849, in his 79th year. Bradley FISH, a grandson of Preserved FISH, is still a resident of Ira. He has represented his district twelve years, 1860 to 1873, and was associate judge in 1870, ‘71 and ‘72. There are numerous other representatives of the family in town. 

      Justus COLLINS came to Ira among the early settlers, locating about one mile south of Ira hamlet, where he died at an advanced age. His son Harry now owns and occupies the old homestead, where he is extensively engaged in breeding blooded stock. 

      Caleb WILLIAMS came to this town at an early date, residing here until his death, in 187?. His son. Cornelius is still a resident of the town. 

      Cephas CARPENTER settled upon the farm now owned by Capt. Enos FISH, and was followed a few years after by his brother, Wilson, who settled in the south part of the town, where he resided until his death in 1855, at the age of 88. He had a family of eleven children. 

      Captain Enos C. FISH was born here in 1809, and has never been absent from the town four consecutive weeks during his life. 

      Peter PARKER came to Ira about 1790. Mr. PARKER was rather an eccentric individual, of whom there is extant many humorous anecdotes. He was a great story-teller and doted on his courage as a fighter. A short time after he came to Ira, a few roguish boys, one night, learning that Peter would pass through the woods to the north part of the town, a little east of Bird Mountain, got some clothes and stuffed them with straw, so as to resemble a human being, and attached it to a tree over the road, in such a manner as to move it back and forth. Peter approached the object in war-like array, with fists drawn, and addressed it as follows: "Who are you, God, man, or the devil ?" and drew his fist and knocked it down, emptied out the straw, and carried off the clothes, which he needed. He left Ira about 1830, going to Hampton. Washington County, N.Y., where he subsequently died at an advanced age. 

      Daniel GIDDINGS, one of the earliest settlers, planted, the first year he was in the town, a half-acre of corn. In this cornfield he killed thirteen bears. 

      During the war of 1812, six minute men volunteered from Ira. At the time of the battle of Plattsburgh, the news came to Ira by a dispatch to Preserved FISH, to start at once to West Clarendon and notify the people there. This Mr. FISH did, and upon the arrival of the dispatch, the people were at meeting, but the meeting was immediately broken up and cooking commenced, so that early the next morning, Monday, a company started, provisioned for Plattsburgh. Preserved FISH at this time offered five dollars extra per month, from his own pocket, to each man who would volunteer. 

      During the war of 1861 and '65 Ira furnished the following three years' men: Silas GIDDINGS, Edward HALEY, John HUNTER. Joseph W. PARKER, Aaron SAVORY, Cornelius CURTIS, Thomas LONG, Henry TOWER, Henry PETERS, Levi PLUMLY, Wm. H. WALKER, James FULLER, Henry DAVIS. Charles W. PECK, Harrison PECK, Collamer PERSONS, Rollin RUSSELL, Sylvanus WETMORE, Manser YOUNG, John BATCHELDER, Benjamin MANN, Wm. HOGLE. One year’s men: James FOX, H. H. WHEELER, Henry FLAGG.  Nine months' men: L. C. PARKER, Charles PATEMAN, George BROWN, Gilbert HANLY, Aaron HINCKLY, Arthur MORGAN, Cyrus RUSSELL, Emmet M. TOWER, James C. WETMORE, John BOAR, Henry C. TOWER. Three months’ men: Albert FISH and George LINCOLN. 

      The town clerks of Ira have been as follows: Isaac CLARK. May 31st, 1779; Joseph WOOD, March 30th. 1780; George SHERMAN, March 15th, 1781; John BAKER, March 24th. 1788; Cephas CARPENTER, March 8th, 1792; George SHERMAN, March, 1801; Cephas CARPENTER, March, 1802; Preserved FISH, March 2d, 1819; John MASON March 7th, 1820; Preserved FISH, March 1st, 1821; John MASON, March 11th, 1823; Bradley FISH, June 4th, 1861. Mr. FISH has since that time filled the office. Cephas CARPENTER held the office 25 years, and John MASON 39 years. 

      The Baptist Church, located at Ira, was organized in 1783, by the Rev. Thomas SKEELS, who was their first pastor. What the membership was at its organization is not known, but it at present has 106 members, although they have no regular pastor. The church building was erected in 1852, at a cost of about $2,000. The building committee was Leonard MORSE, Bradley FISH and John MORSE. The building will comfortably accommodate about three hundred persons, and is valued, including grounds, at about $2,000. 

Gazetteer and Business Directory of  Rutland  County, VT.;
1881-82, Compiled and Published by Hamilton Child;
Syracuse, N.Y.; Printed at the Journal Office
August 1881, Part Two, Pages 144 - 148.

Transcribed by Karima Allison 2004