Vermont Societies and Archives
Vermont Genealogical Archives | Vermont Historical & Genealogical Societies | Vermont Genealogical Publications |
Vermont Newspapers |

 

Vermont Genealogical Archives - It is wise to acquaint yourself with any repository which you might visit by writing to the appropriate archive or library in advance. Every repository has published materials that introduce its collections and research policy. State archives and historical agencies also have Internet sites that provide the same information. Some even have downloadable databases for some or parts of their collections.

  • Vermont State Archives, 109 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05609-1103;802-828-2308 [EMAIL]
    The archives consist of state government records, the bulk of which relate to the executive and legislative branches. Collections include maps, plans, governors’ papers, election records, deeds, and photographs.
  • Vermont Department of Libraries, 109 State Street Montpelier, Vermont 05609-0601; 802-828-3261 Fax: 802-828-2199

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   "Genealogists are generally positive and energetic, and most are ready to share their findings or research experience with anyone they can help. There are hundreds of genealogical societies at the grass-roots level. Knowledge of the genealogical community will place you in the midst of much activity, increase your productivity, and alert you to the importance of research standards and etiquette."
Sandra Hargreaves Luebking, Editor of FGS Forum,
Co-editor of The Source: A Guidebook of American Genealogy

Vermont Historical & Genealogical Societies - Because family history research relies greatly upon records found at the county level, many local societies represent counties. Organizations also form around shared interests. Ethnic or religious origins account for many groups, such as the Polish Genealogical Society of America and P.O.I.N.T. (Pursuing Our Italian Names Together). Societies also form around common locales of origin for members’ ancestors; hence, the Palatines to America and Germans from Russia societies. To locate these and other societies, consult Juliana Szucs Smith’s The Ancestry Family Historian’s Address Book. It lists addresses, telephone and fax numbers, and Internet addresses of thousands of organizations throughout the United States.
For almost every state there is a state genealogical society, a state genealogical council, or both. In addition to their own work, state-level groups sometimes help coordinate the efforts of local societies within the state. Their publications, newsletters and quarterlies, supplement those produced by the local societies.

  • Genealogical Society of Vermont, P.O. Box 1553, St. Albans, VT 05478
    Membership organization publishing quarterly journal, Vermont Genealogy (with query column for members), quarterly newsletter, and books & sponsoring semi-annual meetings and occasional workshops.
  • Vermont Historical Society, 60 Washington Street, Barre, Vermont 05641-4209; 802-479-8500, [EMAIL]
  • Addison Town Historical Society, RR 1,Box 1348, Vergennes 05491
  • Alburgh Historical Society, Inc., P.O. Box 453, Alburg 05440
  • Marlboro Historical Society, P.O. Box 131, Marlboro 05344
  • Barnard Historical Society, Charles Danforth Public Library, Barnard 05031
  • Barnet Historical Society, RR 1,Box 241, Barnet 05821
  • Middletown Springs Historical Society, P.O. Box 1001, Middletown Springs 05757
  • Berlin Historical Society, RR 4,Box 2210, Montpelier 05602
  • Bethel Historical Society, Church Street, Bethel 05032
  • Missisquoi Valley Historical Society, East Main Street, North Troy 05859
  • Bradford Historical Society, P.O. Box 301, Bradford 05033
  • Braintree Historical Society, RFD 1,Thayer Brook Road, Randolph 05060
  • Morristown Historical Society, P.O. Box 1299, Morrisville 05661
  • Brattleboro Historical Society, P.O. Box 6392, Brattleboro 05302
  • Bridport Historical Society, RR 1,Box 656, Bridport 05734
  • Norwich Historical Society, P.O. Box 284, Norwich 05055
  • Bristol Historical Society, Main Street, Bristol 05443
  • Brookfield Historical Society, P.O. Box 447, Brookfield 05036
  • Pittsfield Historical Society, P.O. Box 808, Pittsfield 05762
  • Cabot Historical Society, RFD,Lower Cabot, Marshfield 05658
  • Canaan Historical Society, P.O. Box 371, Canaan 05903
  • Poultney Historical Society, RFD 1,Box 177, Poultney 05764,
  • Castleton Historical Society, P.O. Box 219, Castleton 05735
  • Cavendish Historical Society, P.O. Box 110, Cavendish 05142
  • Randolph Historical Society, P.O. Box 15, Randolph Center 05060
  • Charleston Historical Society, RR 1,Box 710, West Charleston 05872
  • Chelsea Historical Society, P.O. Box 206, Chelsea 05038
  • Readsboro Historical Society, RR 1,Box 277, Readsboro 05350
  • Chester Historical Society, Main Street, Chester 05143
  • Concord Historical Society, HCR 60,Box 40, North Concord 05858
  • Rochester Historical Society, P.O. Box 7, Rochester 05767
  • Crystal Lake Falls Historical Association, P.O. Box 253, Barton 05822,
  • Derby Historical Society, P.O. Box 357, Derby 05829
  • Rutland Historical Society, 96 Center Street, Rutland 05701
  • Dorset Historical Society, P.O. Box 52, Dorset 05251
  • Dover Historical Society, P.O. Box 53, East Dover 05341-0053
  • Shaftsbury Historical Society, P.O. Box 401, Shaftsbury 05262
  • Enosburgh Historical Society, P.O. Box 98, Enosburgh Falls 05450
  • Essex Community Historical Society, 3 Browns River Road, Essex Junction 05452
  • Springfield Historical Society, P.O. Box 313, Springfield 05156
  • Fairfax Historical Society, P.O. Box 145, Fairfax 05454
  • Fairfield Historical Society, 1345 Northrup Road, Enosburg Falls 05450
  • Stannard Historical Society, 9 Willey Road, Greensboro Bend 05842
  • Fairlee Historical Society, P.O. Box 95, Fairlee 05045
  • Franklin Historical Society, 1389 Richard Road, Franklin 05457
  • Swanton Historical Society, 11 Lake St., Swanton 05488
  • Genealogical Society Of Vermont, P.O. Box 1553, St. Albans 05478-1006
  • Georgia Historical Society, RD 3, St. Albans 054
  • Middlesex Historical Society, RR 3,Box 3395, Middlesex 05602
  • Milton Historical Society, P.O. Box 2, Milton 05468
  • Montgomery Historical Society, P.O. Box 47, Montgomery 05470
  • Northfield Historical Society, P.O. Box 88, Northfield 05663
  • Orleans County Historical Society, RFD 1,Box 500, Orleans 05860
  • Pittsford Historical Society, P.O. Box 423, Pittsford 05763
  • Putney Historical Society, P.O. Box 233, Putney 05346
  • Reading Historical Society, Reading 05062
  • Richford Historical Society, 186 So. Main St., Richford 05476
  • Royalton Historical Society, 4184 Route 14, Royalton 05068
  • Saxtons River Historical Society, P.O. Box 18, Saxtons River 05154
  • Shoreham Historical Society, Route 22-A, Shoreham 05770
  • St. Albans Historical Society, P.O. Box 722, St. Albans 05478
  • Stowe Historical Society, Main Street, Stowe 05672
  • Thetford Historical Society, P.O. Box 33, Thetford 05074
  • Vermont Historical Society, 109 State Street, Montpelier 05609-0901
  • Waterbury Historical Society, 28 North Main Street, Waterbury 05676
  • Wells Historical Society, RR 1,Box 37, Wells 05774
  • West Windsor Historical Society, P.O. Box 12, Brownsville 05037
  • Whitingham Historical Society, P.O. Box 125, Jacksonville 05342
  • Williston Historical Society, P.O. Box 995, Williston 05495
  • Winooski Historical Society, 21 Park Street, Winooski 05404
  • The Hartland Historical Society, PO Box 297 14 Rt. 12 , Hartland VT 05048, 802-436-1703
  • Westminster Historical Society, P.O. Box 2, Westminster 05158
  • Huntington Historical Society, P.O. Box 147, Huntington 05462
  • Island Pond Historical Society, P.O. Box 408, Island Pond 05846
  • Williamstown Historical Society, RFD 1,Box 612, Williamstown 05679
  • Isle La Motte Historical Society, Isle La Motte 05463
  • Jericho Historical Society, P.O. Box 35, Jericho 05465
  • Windham County, Historical Society Of, P.O. Box 246, Newfane 05345
  • Lincoln Historical Society, Quaker Street, Lincoln 05443
  • Londonderry Historical Society, P.O. Box 114, So. Londonderry 05155
  • Woodstock Historical Society, 26 Elm Street, Woodstock 05091
  • Lyndon Historical Society, P.O. Box 85, Lyndon Center 05850
  • Manchester Historical Society, P.O. Box 363, Manchester 05254
  • Greensboro Historical Society, RR 1,Box 1290, Greensboro 05841
  • Groton Historical Society, P.O. Box 89, Groton 05046
  • Weathersfield Historical Society, P.O. Box 126, Weathersfield 05151
  • Guilford Historical Society, RR 2,Box 18A, Brattleboro 05301
  • Halifax Historical Society, RR 4,Box 531, Brattleboro 05301
  • Welsh-american Genealogical Society, Hartford Historical Society, P.O. Box 547, Hartford 05047
  • Holland Historical Society, RD 1,Box 37,Derby Line, Holland 05830
  • Grafton Historical Society, P.O. Box 202, Grafton 05146
  • Wallingford Historical Society, P.O. Box 327, Wallingford 05773
  • Vermont French-canadian Genealogical Society, P.O. Box 65128, Burlington 05406-5128
  • Glover Historical Society, Municipal Building, Glover 05839

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Vermont Genealogical Publications - See also Rhode Island Periodicals The American Genealogist; and Massachusetts Periodicals The New England Historical and Genealogical Register.) Statewide or regional publications include the following:
 [ see specific county page for individual county list ]

  • Search The PERiodical Source Index
  • Vermont History is published quarterly by the Vermont Historical Society (see Archives, Libraries, and Societies) and has excellent articles on Vermont history, rarely genealogy. It is indexed annually.
  • Branches and Twigs is published quarterly by the Genealogical Society of Vermont. It is not indexed and not easy to use but is filled with bits and details on Vermont ancestors.
  • Across the Border, P.O. Box 31010, Bloomington, Minnesota 55431, covers northern Vermont and Quebec's eastern townships.

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Vermont Newspapers - There is an excellent newspaper collection for Vermont beginning with the first publication in 1781, microfilmed and available at the Vermont Department of Libraries. Under “Newspapers,” the card catalog lists the location of publications and all issues available. Vital records are occasionally included—births rarely. Obituaries are not prominent until well into the twentieth century.

An index to the Burlington Free Press in typescript form covering the years 1848–70 is in the “Vermont Room” at the state library. As a subject index, it still is essential for genealogical research since accidents and deaths, for example, can be located by topic with the names of people involved listed alphabetically.

The University of Vermont Bailey-Howe Library also has a good newspaper collection with copies of the typescript to the index, Burlington Free Press (1848–70).

Copies of the Boston Evening Transcript genealogy column for some years are held at the Vermont Historical Society in scrapbook form.

   While records of birth, marriage, and death are the most commonly sought and the most consistently helpful records, only the genealogist’s imagination and resourcefulness limit newspapers’ usefulness in supplying clues about historical events, local history, probate court and legal notices, real estate transactions, political biographies, announcements, notices of new and terminated partnerships, business advertisements, and notices for settling debts.

   Newspapers can provide at least a partial substitute for nonexistent civil records. For example, a person’s obituary may have appeared in a newspaper even when civil death records for that person do not exist. And newspapers are an important source of marriage records, particularly in those states where civil recording of marriages was essentially nonexistent until the twentieth century.

   Unlike official records, newspapers are not limited to a particular geographical area. They often include reports of the weddings of local citizens (even those that occurred in a neighboring county or another state), and they sometimes report visits of geographically distant relatives or the visits of former local residents. They often published death notices of individuals who had left the area long before but who still had local family or friends as well. In each case the newspaper account can identify the date and place of an event, thus opening the possibility of turning up additional documentation in other sources.

   The first step in searching a newspaper is to identify those which served the area of interest and which have survived. The three most necessary tools are bibliographies (What was published?), inventories of library and depository holdings (Where is it?), and indexes (How do I find what I want in it?).

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