January

January

January 1, 1863

Robert A. Babbitt was appointed as Assistant Surgeon of a regiment in Washington, North Carolina during the Civil War. Babbitt was a soldier from Vermont whose regiment was based in a part of North Carolina occupied by Union troops. Soldiers from the Northern Army were in North Carolina fighting to end slavery.

January 3, 1835

Larkin Goldsmith Mead, Jr. was born in New Hampshire. Mead grew up in Brattleboro, Vermont and became an artist. He is famous for designing the first statue to sit on top of the State House.

Embodiment of Agriculture

January 5, 1921

Edna Beard of Orange became Vermont's first woman legislator. There has never been a legislative session since without a woman member.

January 6, 1791

The Bennington Convention ratifies the federal constitution and applies for Vermont's admission to the Union. Vermont becomes a state on March 4, 1791.

Vermont Statehood Document Transcription
The Great Vermont Statehood Debate (PDF)

January 6, 1857

Vermont's second State House was destroyed by fire. A stove, left burning all night to warm the building for a special session of the General Assembly the next morning, became so hot that it ignited the timbers near it.

Vermont Government Finds a Home (PDF)

January 7, 1913

Important child labor laws are passed by the U.S. government. They limit the work week of children to fifty-eight hours. Photographs taken of children working even longer hours at woolen mills in Winooski and Bennington help convince people that these laws are needed.

The Bitter Cry of the Children (PDF)

Child Labor

January 10, 1737

Ethan Allen was born in Litchfield, Connecticut. He was destined to become Vermont's most famous patriot. He is said to have been the boldest, bravest, and cleverest man then living in frontier Vermont. He has also been called a rogue, a cheat, and a liar.

Ethan Allen

January 13, 1781

New Hampshire ended claims to Vermont land. Ten years later, Vermont became its own state.

Becoming a State

January 15, 1885

Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley takes his first successful photomicrograph of a snow crystal at his home in Jericho, Vermont.

Snowflake Bentley

January 18, 1810

James Wilson, from Bradford, sold his first globe. Wilson taught himself how to make globes. He became a master at painting, woodworking, blacksmithing, and even engraving to make his globes. Through his efforts, Wilson made and sold high-quality globes for almost 50 years.

James Wilson (video)

January 18, 1898

The Barre Opera House burned down. An opera house is a place to see plays or watch concerts. The fire began very early in the morning. Frozen fire hydrants made it difficult for the firefighters to put out the flames. The fire destroyed the entire building.

January 22, 1879

The Mary Fletcher Hospital opened in Burlington. It was the first teaching hospital in the state. A teaching hospital is a place that trains medical students and provides care to people who need it. Mary Fletcher used money from her rich father to build this hospital.

Mary Martha Fletcher (video)

January 22, 1934

The first ski tow in the United States was set up in Woodstock, Vermont. The tow was powered by a Model T Ford engine which pulled the 900 yards of rope at a speed of thirty miles per hour. The first ticket for the rope tow was sold on January 28th.

Small Beginnings: The First Rope Tow in Vermont (PDF)

January 28, 1846

Construction began on Vermont’s first railroad, the Vermont Central. The rail went from Hartford to Essex Junction. Trains transported both people and materials across Vermont.

January 30, 1808

The state of Vermont bought four acres of land to build Vermont’s first prison in Windsor. People were excited to see the new prison. The prison was open to visitors once a week. The prison closed in 2017 after over 200 years.