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Welcome |
| The
Rutland Historical Society was founded in 1969 to serve the original
town of Rutland which includes the present towns of Proctor, Rutland
Town, West Rutland and the City of Rutland.
The original
Rutland was chartered in 1761 as part of the New Hampshire Grants
by the Provincial Governor Benning Wentworth. The first settlers
arrived in 1770 led by Colonel James Mead. Almost immediately a
controversy arose with New York claiming the same land grants under
the name of “Socialborough.” This controversy ultimately
led to the Vermonters forming the Republic of Vermont from 1777-1791.
Vermont became the fourteenth state in 1791.
Old Fort Rutland
During
the early 1800’s the Rutland area was known for agriculture
and for the sheep industry. By the mid 1800’s the development
of the marble industry and the arrival of the railroads created an
industrial and retail boom which brought many immigrant workers to
the Rutland area. Rutland has continued to grow in industry and population
to become the largest city in Southern Vermont.
From
modest beginnings the Society has progressed to a very active organization.
It has received awards of excellence from the Vermont League of
Local Historical Societies for its quarterly magazine and for its
monthly television series “Historically Speaking”. The
Society has produced over 99 episodes in this series that airs on
the local public access channel. A companion newsletter about Society
activities is mailed to members with the Quarterly magazine.
A weekly Rutland Historical Society column entitled “Tidbits
From Then and Now” is featured in “Sam’s Good
News”, a local weekly newspaper. The Society also offers
live programming for groups of all ages from kindergarten to senior
citizens both at the Society and at other locations.
The Society
collects and preserves all manner of artifacts including books,
manuscripts, photographs, textiles, special collections i.e.: an
extensive collection of Rutland newspapers including the Rutland
Herald, municipal court records, cemetery records and much
more.
The Society
has nearly 600 members from 32 states and the District of Columbia.
All the activities of the Society are the work of volunteers. We
welcome all gifts of items and collections of historical value and
bequests or donations so that we may preserve the past and enrich
future generations. Your participation is requested, through volunteer
work, being a member or just visiting us at 96 Center Street to
do some research or see the changing exhibits. Please drop by; we
would love to see you. |
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What's New |
A HOT BONUS
Viewers can now read or print out copies of our out of print Quarterly magazine from our web site at no charge here. A PDF reader, like Adobe reader is required. A free copy of Adobe 9 reader can be down loaded at: (Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader Required)
Those that appear in maroon are out of print but if you click on one you will be linked to a searchable PDF file of that item. In the"Find" box above you may search for a name or term. You may arrow (upper left) thru the pages or click down thru the pages by using the right margin arrow. We will continue to add items as they become out of print.
This is a free service of the Rutland Historical Society. We hope that you will like it.
The Society has just completed scanning its five foot by five foot 1884 Beers wall map of Rutland. For $10 you can purchase this CD for yourself or as a Christmas gift. The map sections are in a PDF format readable by a PC or MAC. A PDF reader, like Adobe reader is required. A free copy of Adobe 9 reader can be down loaded at: (Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader Required)
The CD includes (1) a brief history of late 19th Century Rutland maps, (2) a listing of Rutland businesses, (3 )a map of Rutland Town, (4) a map of Center Rutland, (5) a map of West Rutland Town, (6) four maps of the four quadrants of Rutland Village and a map of the heart of downtown Rutland. Each property has the name of the resident. All maps can be blown up to a comfortable reading size.
If you like maps don't miss this one. There is NO shipping or handling fee.
Send a check for $10 per disc to:
Rutland Historical Society, 96 Center Street Rutland, Vt. 05701or walk in to make your purchase. Sorry, we do not process credit cards.
A list of 19th Century Rutland Photographer's is available here for your research assistance. (Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader Required)
We are sorry to say that "Early Families of Rutland, Vermont" compiled by Marvel G. Swan and Donald P. Swan, edited by Dawn Hance and published by the Rutland Historical Society, 1990, is Out of Print as of 23 May 2008. The good news is that Rutland Historical Society is in the process of re-issuing this item in a digital format on CD or DVD. We will announce further details about this item as soon as it is available. |
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