Our History
Before the arrival of European settlers, the local population of modern day Vermont consisted of indigenous people called the Abenakis and the Mohicans. These people have inhabited Vermont for at least 10,000 years. They were a spiritual people who lived in harmony with the land as hunter-gatherers and fisherman. They cultivated crops agriculturally as well, including corn, beans, squash and tobacco. The Connecticut and Nulhegan river basins provided the Abenakis and Mohicans with food, water and also means of transportation.
European settlers first arrived in America by boat in the late 15th Century, introducing many problems with the native cultures including conflict and disease. During the 17th century, France and Great Britain competed heavily throughout America and the Northeast for control of territory. In 1777 during the Revolutionary War, the Vermont Republic was established as an independent state. On September 3, 1783, the Treaty of Paris was signed ending the Revolutionary War and recognizing the independence of the United States. Vermont’s border with Quebec was established at 45 degrees north latitude.
On November 5, 1792, the State legislature divided Chittenden and Orange counties into six separate counties, as follows: Chittenden, Orange, Franklin, Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans. Essex County was named after the county of Essex in England. In 1801, Guildhall became the official seat for the County. Essex County is considered the most remote County in all of Vermont and New England, with an approximate population density of 9.5 residents per square mile.
Sources
- “Abenaki.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 2022. Wikimedia Foundation. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abenaki>
- “The Abenaki People: Indigenous Foods & Resources.” Great Bay Estuarine Research Reserve. Feb 21, 2021. <https://greatbay.org/the-abenaki-people-indigenous-foods-and-resources/>
- “GMNF – The Original Vermonters.” Green Mountain Finger Lakes & National Forest. 2023. USDA. <https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/gmfl/learning/history-culture/?cid=stelprdb5316753>
- Knepper, Andrea. “The Abenaki & The Europeans.” University of Vermont. Vermont History Explorer. 2021. <https://vermonthistoryexplorer.org/the-abenaki-and-the-europeans#:~:text=Historians%20estimate%20that%20in%20the,and%20built%20wigwams%20in%20villages>