ORANGE County, Vermont History & Genealogy   Return to VTGenweb

ORANGE County, Vermont

     Orange County was established in 1781, from Cumberland County, Vermont, which was created from Cumberland and Gloucester counties, in New York.
     Located in eastern Vermont, with the Connecticut River as its eastern boundary, and the state of New Hampshire across the river, the communities in Orange County include:  Boltonville, Bradford, Braintree, Brookfield, Chelsea, Corinth, East Corinth, East Orange, East Randolph, Ely, Fairlee, Newbury, Orange, Post Mills, Randolph, South Newbury, South Strafford, Thetford, Tunbridge, Vershire, Waits River, Washington, Wells River, West Corinth, West Fairlee, West Newbury, West Topsham, Williamstown.

Orange County TOWNS are listed in bold print below.
Villages and communities within each town follow the town's name, in normal type.
Would you like to volunteer to assist with one of the Orange County, VT Towns?  Please contact: Robert H. Goss or Ann Mensch

Town	Date Formed	Villages & Communities Within	Contact
BRADFORD	1770 NY	Bradford, Bradford Center, Goshen, Lower Plain	Robert H. Goss
BRAINTREE	1781 VT	Braintree Center, East Braintree, Snowsville, West Braintree	Robert H. Goss
BROOKFIELD	1781 VT	Brookfield, Brookfield Center, East Brookfield	Robert H. Goss
CHELSEA	1781 VT	Chelsea, Chelsea West Hill, Kennedy Corners	Robert H. Goss
CORINTH	1764 NH 1772 NY	Cookville, Corinth Corners, Corinth Center, East Corinth, Goose Green, South Corinth, West Corinth	Robert H. Goss
FAIRLEE	1761 NH	Ely, Fairlee	Robert H. Goss
ORANGE	1781 VT	East Orange, Orange	Robert H. Goss
NEWBURY	1763 NH 1772 NY	Boltonville, Newbury, Newbury Center, Peach Four Corners, South Newbury, West Newbury, Wells River	Robert H. Goss
RANDOLPH	1770 NY 1781 VT	Beanville, East Randolph, North Randolph, Randolph, Randolph Center, South Randolph	Robert H. Goss
STRAFFORD	1761 NH	Old City, South Strafford, Strafford	Robert H. Goss
TOPSHAM	1763 NH 1776 NY	East Topsham, Topsham Four Corners, Waits River, West Topsham	Robert H. Goss
THETFORD	1761 NH	Campbell Corner, East Thetford, North Thetford, Post Mills, Thetford Center, Thetford Hill, Rices Mills, Union Village	Karen De Groote-Johnson
TUNBRIDGE	1761 NH	North Tunbridge, South Tunbridge, Tunbridge	Robert H. Goss
VERSHIRE	1781 VT	Beanville, Brimstone Corner, Mill Village, South Vershire, Vershire, Vershire Center	Robert H. Goss
WASHINGTON	1781 VT	South Washington, Washington	Robert H. Goss
WEST FAIRLEE	1797 VT	West Fairlee, West Fairlee Center	Robert H. Goss
WILLIAMSTOWN	1781 VT	Foxville, Williamstown	Robert H. Goss

 

• Orange County, Vermont History, from The Vermont Historical Gazetteer:  A Magazine Embracing a History of Each Town, Civil, Ecclesiastical, Biographical and Military.  Vol. II.  Abby Maria Hemenway.  (Editor).  "Orange County," Rev. Silas McKeen, D. D.  (Author).  Burlington, Vt.:  Miss Abby Maria Hemenway, 1871.
• Index to the 1790 Census of Orange County, Vermont
• Index to the 1790 Census of Orange County and Caledonia County, Vermont
• 1800 Census Vermont Federal Population Census Schedules – (Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Orange, and Orleans Counties)
• 1810 Census Vermont Federal Population Census Schedules – (Addison, Bennington, Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Grand Isle, Orange, and Orleans Counties)
• 1820 Census Vermont Federal Population Census Schedules – (Caledonia, Chittenden, Essex, Franklin, Orange, and Orleans Counties)  
• 1830 Census of Orange County, Vermont (and Essex County) – actual images on internet archive
• 1840 Census of Orange County, Vermont – actual images on internet archive
• 1850 Census of Orange County, Vermont – actual images on internet archive
• 1860 Census of Orange County, Vermont – actual images on internet archive
• 1870 Census of Orange County, Vermont – actual images on internet archive
• VTGenWeb for Orange County, Vermont, by Karima
• W.P.A. Collection for Vermont: Herbert Wheeler - Mrs. Rebecca N. Halley of Newbury, VT
• 1895 Orange County, Vermont Atlas, by Pam Rietsch
• Randolph Area Chamber of Commerce
• Orange County Vermont Historical Societies
• Orange County Historical Markers
• Rolls of the Soldiers in the Revolutionary War, 1775-1783, Vermont, by J. E. Goodrich
• Information by Town, Orange County - Center for Rural Studies.
• Chelsea Library
        Main Street - Chelsea, VT 05038; Phone: (802) 685-2188.
• Orange County Probate Court:
     R.R.1 Box 30 - Chelsea, VT 05038; Phone: (802) 685-4610.
  Note:  Bradford District Probate Court and Randolph District Probate Court merged in 1994.

QUERIES

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MAILING LISTS

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for the VTORANGE-L.
Please note:  Though the information on this web page is believed to be correct, the possibility of error remains.  Please notify the webmaster should an error be found.

BRADFORD

• Bradford, Vermont Census - 1790 -
• Bradford, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• MOA: A History of Bradford, Vermont, containing some account of the place of its first settlement in 1765, and the pricipal improvements made, and events which have occurred down to 1874--a period of one hundred and nine years. With various genealogical records, and biographical sketches of families and individuals,some deceased, and others still living ... Written by request of said town, By Silas McKeen, Montpelier, Vt. :  J.D. Clark & son, 1875.
• Town of Bradford, Vermont
• Bradford Town Clerk:  P.O. Box 339 - Bradford, VT 05033; Phone: (802) 222-4727.

BRAINTREE

• Braintree, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• 1790 Census of Braintree, Vermont
• Braintree Historical Society - (Braintree Hill, Braintree, VT)
      RFD 1 - Thayer Brook Road, Randolph, VT 05060; Phone: (802) 728-9291.
• Braintree Town Clerk:

   932 VT Route 12A, Braintree, VT 05060; Phone: (802) 728-9787

• Town of Braintree, VT

 

BROOKFIELD

• Brookfield, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• 1790 Census of Brookfield, Vermont
• Brookfield Historical Society - (Marvin Newton House, Ridge Rd., Brookfield)
     P.O. Box 447 - Brookfield, VT 05036; Phone: (802) 728-5320 or (802) 276-3470.
• Brookfield Free Public Library
     40 Ralph Road - Brookfield, VT 05036; Phone: (802) 276-3352.
• History of Brookfield Free Public Library, from the book: “Where the Books Are,” by Patricia W. Belding
• Brookfield Town Clerk:
     P.O. Box 463 - Brookfield, VT 05036;  Phone: (802) 276-3352
• Vermont League of Cities and Towns for Brookfield information

CHELSEA

• Chelsea, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• 1790 Census of Chelsea, Vermont
• Chelsea Historical Society - (Main Street in Chelsea, VT)
     Museum:  VT Rte. 110, Main Street - Chelsea, VT 05038; Phone: (802) 685-4843.
• Mailing Address:  274 East Randolph Road, Chelsea, VT  05038
• Chelsea Library
     Main Street - Chelsea, VT 05038; Phone: (802) 685-2218.
• About the Library
• Town of Chelsea, Vermont
• History of Chelsea, Vermont
• Chelsea Town Clerk:
     P.O. Box 266 - Chelsea, VT 05038; Phone: (802) 685-4460.

CORINTH  - includes the villages of Cookville, Corinth Center, Corinth Corners, East Corinth, West Corinth

• Corinth, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• 1790 Census of Corinth, Vermont
• Town of Corinth, Vermont
• Corinth Town Clerk: 
     P.O. Box 461 - Corinth, VT 05039 - Phone: (802) 439-5850.
• Blake Memorial Library

FAIRLEE

• Fairlee, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• 1790 Census of Fairlee, Vermont - Ely was south Fairlee until 1927
• Town of Fairlee, Vermont
• Fairlee Historical Society - (Fairlee Town Hall, Fairlee, VT)     P.O. Box 95 - Fairlee, VT 05045; Phone: (802) 333-4363 or (802) 333-9727.
• Fairlee Public Library
• Fairlee Town Clerk:     P.O. Box 95 - Fairlee, VT 05045; Phone: (802) 333-4363.

NEWBURY

• Newbury, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• 1790 Census of Newbury, Vermont
• Lower Cohase Regional Chamber of Commerce (Bradford & Newbury, Vermont)
• Local Information for Newbury, Vermont
• Historic Register:  Newbury Town House
• Newbury Historical Society:  One-Room School House, West Newbury, VT
• Mailing Address:  P.O. Box 115, Newbury, VT  05051, Phone:  (802) 866-5584
• Newbury Town Clerk:

   P.O. Box 126 - Newbury, VT 05051; Phone: (802) 866-5521.

Cemeteries:
Boltonville Cemetery: 1842-present
Jefferson Hill Cemetery: 1823-present
Lime Kiln Cemetery: 1836-1989
Newbury town House Cemetery: 1836-present
Oxbow Cemetery (new): 1771-present
Oxbow Cemetery (old): 1771-present
Page Hill-Grow Cemetery: 1791-1987
Renfrew-Heath Cemetery: 1838-1920
Rogers Hill Cemetery: 1797-1872
Tucker Mt.-Putnam Cemetery: 1802-1840
Wells River Cemetery: 1810-present
West Newbury Cemetery: 1829-present

ORANGE

• Orange, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• 1790 Census of Orange, Vermont
• Central Vermont Travel Guide:
• About Orange, VT
• History of Orange, By Elsie Beard
• Orange Town Clerk:

   P.O. Box 233 - East Barre, VT 05649; Phone: (802) 479-2673.

POST MILLS a village in the Township of Thetford, Vermont

• Book resource:  History and Folklore of Post Mills, Vermont, by Jesse A. Baldwin, Thetford, Vermont: Thetford Historical Society, 1983 (Second Printing, 1993)

RANDOLPH

• Randolph, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• 1790 Census of Randolph, Vermont
• Randolph, Vermont Chamber of Commerce - area business guide
• Randolph, Vermont
  
• Randolph Historical Society Museum - (Salisbury Street in Randolph, VT)

   P.O. Box 15 - Randolph Center, VT 05061; Phone: (802) 728-5398.
   Hours:  2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on the first Sunday of summer months (June thru September)

• Kimball Public Library

     67 Main Street - Randolph, VT 05060; Phone: (802) 728-5073.

• Randolph Town Clerk:  
     Drawer B - 7 Summer Street, Randolph, VT 05060; Phone: (802) 728-5433.

STRAFFORD

• Strafford, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• 1790 Census of Strafford, Vermont
• Town of Strafford, Vermont
• Strafford Town Clerk:  
     P.O Box 27 - Strafford, VT 05072; Phone: (802) 765-4411.

THETFORD – includes the villages of East Thetford, North Thetford, Post Mills, Rices Mills, Thetford Center, Thetford Hill, and Union Village

• VTGenWeb for Thetford Township, by Karen De Groote-Johnson
• 1790 Census of Thetford, Vermont
• Child’s History of Thetford, Vermont, from Gazetteer of Orange County, Vermont, 1762-1888, by Hamilton Child, Syracuse, N. Y. : The Syracuse Journal Company, Printers and Binders, 1888, (pp. 419-451).
• Thetford Historical Society - (Hughes Barn Museum at 2274 Route 113, Thetford, VT)
     P.O. Box 33 – 16 Library Road, Thetford, VT 05074  -  Phone: (802) 785-2068.
• Thetford Library Federation
    
• Town of Thetford, Vermont
• Thetford Town Clerk:
         P.O. Box 126 - Thetford Center, VT 05075; Phone: (802) 785-2922, ext. 10.
• Book resource:  History and Folklore of Post Mills, Vermont, by Jesse A. Baldwin, Thetford, Vermont: Thetford Historical Society, 1983 (Second Printing, 1993)

TOPSHAM

• Topsham, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• 1790 Census of Topsham, Vermont
• About Topsham (on epodunk) – includes maps
• Topsham Town Clerk:   
     P.O. Box 69, Topsham, VT 05076;    Phone: (802) 439-5505.

TUNBRIDGE

• Tunbridge, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• 1790 Census of Tunbridge, Vermont
• Tunbridge Vermont  Genealogy, by Marjorie MacNeill.
• Tunbridge's Mill Bridge and the Multiple-kingpost Truss, from Spanning Time: Tour 11 - The Northern Tributaries of the White River.
• Tunbridge Historical Society
     24 The Crossroad, Tunbridge, VT, 05077; Phone: (802) 889-3458.
• Tunbridge Public Library
     RR. 110 -  Tunbridge, VT 05077;  Phone: (802) 889-9404.
• Tunbridge Town Clerk:  
     P.O. Box 6 - Tunbridge, VT 05077; Phone: (802) 889-5521.

VERSHIRE

• Vershire, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• 1790 Census of Vershire, Vermont
• Vershire Town Clerk:   6894 VT Rte 113, Vershire, VT 05079   Phone: (802) 685-2227.

WASHINGTON

• Washington, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• 1790 Census of Washington, Vermont
• Central Vermont Travel Guide:  About Washington, VT and History of Washington
• Washington Town Clerk:

   2974 VT RTE 110, Washington, VT 05675; Phone: (802) 883-2218.

WEST FAIRLEE

• West Fairlee, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• West Fairlee Town Clerk:

   Route 113, Bean Hall - W. Fairlee, VT 05083; Phone: (802) 333-9696.

WILLIAMSTOWN

• Williamstown, VTGenWeb, by Robert Goss, for Genealogy.
• 1790 Census of Williamstown, Vermont
• Welcome to Williamstown, VT
• Williamstown Historical Society -
      498 Boyce Road - Williamstown, VT 05679; Phone: (802) 433-1283.
• Williamstown Town Clerk:  
     P.O Box 646 - Williamstown, VT 05679; Phone: (802) 433-5455.
• Vermont Courts - Office of the Court Administrator, State of Vermont.

 

 

Additional Research Resources:

o    NARA: National Archives and Records Administration

§  The Genealogy Page.

§  About Census Records

§  1790-1890 Federal Population Censuses Catalog of NARA Microfilm

§  1930 Census Microfilm Locator

§  The Soundex Indexing System

§  Clues in Census Records, 1790-1840

§  Clues in Census Records, 1850-1930

§  Indian Census Rolls

§  Nonpopulation Census Records

§  Prologue, Spring 1996, Vol. 28, No. 1, "First in the Path of the Firemen" The Fate of the 1890 Population Census, by Kellee Blake.

§  Native American Records

§  African-American : Introduction to Research 

§  Immigration Records and Naturalization Records

§  "Any woman who is now or hereafter may be married... Women and Naturalization, ca. 1802-1940", by Marian L. Smith (Prologue, Summer 1998)

§  By Way of Canada: U.S. Records of Immigration Across the U.S.-Canadian Border, 1895-1954, By Marian L. Smith (St. Albans Lists) (Fall 2000) — A guide to using immigration records of the U.S.-Canada border.

§  Military Records available from the National Archives

§  Military Service and Pension Records: Requesting Pre-WWI

§  Civil War Records: An Introduction and Invitation, By Michael P. Musick  (Prologue, Summer 1995)

§  Women Soldiers of the Civil War, by DeAnne Blanton (Prologue, Spring 1993)

§  Sailors, Soldiers, and Marines of the Spanish-American War: The Legacy of USS Maine, By Rebecca Livingston (Prologue, Spring 1998).

§  They Answered the Call: Military Service in the United States Army during World War I, 1917-1919  (Prologue, Fall 1998). -- A guide to looking for information about World War I army veterans - By Mitchell Yockelson.

§  The World War II Army Enlistment Records File and Access to Archival Databases, by Theodore J. Hull (Prologue, Spring 2006).

§  State-level Lists of Casualties from the Korean Conflict (1951-1957) and the Vietnam Conflict , By Theodore J. Hull, (Prologue, Spring 2000).

§  Indian Bounty Land Applications, By Mary Frances Morrow (Prologue,

§  Snakes & Scribes: The Dawes Commission and the Enrollment of the Creeks, By Kent Carter, in "Prologue" (Prologue, Spring 1997)

§  Genealogical Fallout from the War of 1812, By Ruth Priest Dixon (Prologue, Spring 1992) - "...The impressment of American seamen by the British was one of the causes of the War of 1812. The practice also resulted in the creation of extensive records about merchant seamen that are of great value to genealogists and historians..."

§  Genealogical Records of the War of 1812, By Stuart L. Butler (Prologue, Winter 1991) - "...National Archives records created during and after the War of 1812 offer the genealogist a diverse and fertile ground in which to obtain invaluable family information..."

§  Preserving the Legacy of the United States Colored Troops, by Budge Weidman (Prologue, Summer 1997)

§  A Guiding Light: Black History: A Guide to Civilian Records in the National Archives, By Debra Newman Ham (Prologue, Special Issue, Summer 1997).

§  From Slave Women to Free Women: The National Archives and Black Women's History in the Civil War Era, By Noralee Frankel (Prologue, Summer 1997)

§  Riding the Rails Up Paper Mountain: Researching Railroad Records in the National Archives, By David A. Pfeiffer (Spring 1997).

§  Prologue Magazine

• State of Vermont
• Vermont Genealogy - How to obtain Vital Records
• Vermont Life Explorer - Official Site of the Vermont Dept. of Tourism
• Vermont Historical Society
     109 State Street - Montpelier, Vermont 05609-0901; Phone: (802) 828-2291.
• Vermont Travel and Tourism
• Vermont in the Civil War by Tom Ledoux.
• U.S. Census Bureau Interactive County Maps for VT.
• Vermont Geography.
• Library of Congress: American Memory All Collections Search - enter topic or Indiana town and/or county location to find available online photos, maps, and more!

 

 

 

PROFESSIONAL HISTORICAL GENEALOGY RESEARCH
Ann McRoden Mensch, Professional Historical Genealogist
Researching on-site, and with the vast resources of The Allen County Public Library, holding one of the largest genealogical collections in North America.  Search the Library's online catalogue to see some of the printed resources available for a location or topic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Printed resources for this page include:

• The Vermont Atlas & Gazetteer.  Eighth Edition, Third Printing.  Freeport, Maine:  Delorme.  1988.

School and Library Atlas of the World.  Fred W. Foster, Ph.D. (Editor).  Sycamore, Illinois:  School and Library Publishing Company.  1982.

 

Return to VTGenWeb for Vermont Local History and Genealogy Main Page.
Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002-2010, by Ann Mensch.  All Rights Reserved.