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The town of Hartford, Vermont was born in controversy.
On June 29, 1674, King Charles II of Great Britain issued a grant, creating the colony of New York, to his brother James, the Duke of York. It was to include "all land from the west side of Connecticut River to the east side of Delaware Bay.
On September 18, 1679, Charles II established the Royal Province of New Hampshire. On July 3, 1741, King George II appointed Benning Wentworth as the governor of New Hampshire.
As early as 1749, Governor Wentworth was issuing land grants for the land west of the Connecticut River. Eventually, a dispute arose between New York's Governor Clinton and New Hampshire's Wentworth. They agreed to issue no further land grants for the disputed area until the Crown decided. Despite the agreement, Wentworth issue a grant for the Town of Hartford on July 5, 1761.
On July 20,1764, King George III declared the boundary of New York and New Hampshire to be the Connecticut River.
New York approved a regrant of the town but the name would change to Ware on November 12, 1766. The regrant would cost the inhabitants 2000 pounds. The inhabitants balked at the cost.
The issue came up again in 1772 with yet another failure to receive another grant.
With the ensuing independence struggle of the colonies with Britain and Vermont becoming a
colony itself, the grant became a moot point. Vermont became the 14th state to enter the Union,
achieving statehood on March 4, 1791.
The town has had a history of industry dating back to its first sawmill in 1769. Three rivers,
the Connecticut, the White, and the Ottauquechee, provided an abundance of power to spur
industrial growth.
With the growth of industry came the railroad with ground being broken for the Central Vermont
Railroad in 1845. Soon railroads were built connecting Boston to Montreal with the railheads
converging in the village of White River Jct. establishing the village as an important hub in the
northeast.
Although the mills have been replaced by other commerce and the traffic on the railroads have
waned, the area remains economically viable. A junction of two major interstate highways, a
rekindled rail passenger service, and an airport in neighboring Lebanon, New Hampshire allowing convenient transportation options have fostered growth in tourism.
With recent investments into public education, the town and its people are preparing for the
21st Century.
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