Genealogy in Bennington County, Vermont

Town of Dorset


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Dorset lies in the northern part of Bennington County and is roughly bounded by Pawlet on the northwest, Danby on the north, Mount Tabor on the northeast (the preceding three towns in Rutland County), Peru on the east, Winhall on the southeast, Manchester on the south, Sandgate on the southwest, and Rupert on the west. Dorset was chartered August 29, 1761, settled in 1768, and organized as town in 1769. The town of Dorset includes the locales of Dorset, East Dorset, North Dorset, and South Dorset.

In 1853, Zadock Thompson described the town of Dorset as follows:
DORSET, a post town in the north part of Bennington county, is in lat. 43° 15' and long. 4° 1', and is bounded north by Danby, east by Peru, south by Manchester and west by Rupert. It was chartered Aug. 29, 1761, and contains about 41 square miles. The first settlement was made in 1768, by Felex Powell, from Massachusetts, Isaac Lacy, from Connecticut, and Benj. Baldwin, Abraham Underhill, John Manley, and Geo. Gage, from New York. The town was organized in 1769, when Asa Baldwin was chosen town clerk. Cephas Kent was the first representative. In 1781, the Rev. Elijah Sill was settled over the Congregational church and society here, but the time of his dismission is not known. In Sept. 1796, the Rev. William Jackson was settled over this church. The first minister of the Baptist society was Elder Cyrenus M. Fuller, settled in 1818. The epidemic of 1813 was very mortal. About 40 were victims to it. There are no considerable streams in this township. Otter creek heads in Mount Taobr, runs southwesterly two or three miles, into Peru, then west three fourths of a mile into this township, when it takes a northerly direction through a considerable natural pond, and leaves the township near the northeast corner. The Battenkill heads in this township, on the flat about 25 rods south of the bend in Otter creek, and runs off to the south. Another branch of this stream rises in the southwestern part, and unites with it in Manchester. Pawlet river, rises in the northwestern part, and passes off into Rupert. These streams afford a number of mill privileges. This township is considerably mountainous. Dorset mountain lies in the north part, and extends into Danby, where it is called South mountain. Equinox mountain lies partly in the southwest corner. In this township are several remarkable caverns. One in the south part, is entered by an aperture nearly 10 feet square, "which opens into a spacious room nine rods in length and four wide. At the further end of this apartment are two openings, which are about 30 feet apart. The one on the right is three feet from the floor, and is about 20 inches by six feet in length. It leads to an apartment 20 feet long, 12 wide and 12 high. From this room there is an opening sufficient to admit a man to pass through sideways about 20 feet, when it opens into a large hall 80 feet long and 30 wide. The other aperture from the first room is about as large as a common door, and leads to an apartment 12 feet square, out of which is a passage to another considerable room, in which is a spring of water. This cavern is said to have been explored 40 or 50 rods without arriving at the end." Considerable quantities of marble are wrought here. The town contains three meeting houses, four stores, one grist and eight saw mills. Statistics of 1840. Horses, 253; cattle, 1,723; sheep, 7,802; swine, 590; wheat, bus. 1,321; oats, 7,830; rye, 906; buckwheat, 1,013; Indian corn, 5,595; potatoes, 31,018; hay, tons, 4,080; sugar, lbs. 17,560; wool, 18,030. Population, 1432.
(Source: Thompson, Zadock, 1796-1856. History of Vermont : natural, civil, and statistical ... / by Zadock Thompson. -- Burlington : Z. Thompson, 1853. -- pt. 3, p. 64-65)

Genealogical Resources

The following resources may provide information useful in researching Dorset families.

General Information

The following resources may provide useful information on the Dorset town area.

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