Burlington, Vermont Town/City Records

The collection contains records from the town, and later city, of Burlington, Vermont up to 1900. The collection is not a comprehensive archive for that time period. Some categories are rich in documentation, others contain only a few folders of scattered material. The collection fills 14 cartons and is partially arranged.

Series Descriptions

Alderman/Selectmen. Minutes of board meetings; correspondence and communications to/from selectmen; City Common Council notes/ordinances/misc. mostly 1860s-1890s. Carton 1, 13 folders.

Cemeteries. Expenses/bills for cemetery upkeep; petitions about cemeteries; establishment of new cemeteries. 1840s-1910s. Carton 1, 23 folders.

Elections. Local returns for town/state/national elections; checklist of eligible voters. Late 19th century. Carton 1, 33 folders.

Financial. Bills/receipts for town/city expenses that don’t fall into other departments/categories in the collection. 1820s-1910s. Carton 2, 43 folders.

Fire Department. Independent local fire-company lists and rosters; bills/receipts for independent companies and municipal fire-department expenses; fire-company and fire-department reports. 1850s-1900s. Carton 3, 42 folders.

Health Department/Vital Statistics. Records of births and deaths, a few marriages; municipal health-department reports/statistics/bills; reports of doctors who did occasional medical work for town/city; a little on smallpox, 1830s. Mostly 19th century. Carton 3, 37 folders, 1 oversize volume, 1 oversize roll.

Land Records. Deeds; property records and real estate transactions, private and public. 1790s-early 1900s. Cartons 4 and 5, 105 folders.

Legal/Courts. Miscellaneous legal papers; records of municipal courts; writs and local court orders; miscellaneous from town/city attorneys on work done on public cases; court writs/docs. 1850s-early 1900s. Cartons 5-7, 89 folders.

Libraries. Miscellaneous pieces. Late 19th century. 1 folder.

Licensing Requests. Requests for licenses, mostly to open restaurants (1860s-1880s); requests for building permits and licenses (1910s). Carton 7, 7 folders.

Liquor/Alcohol Control. Reports/finances of city liquor agents; temperance petitions; bills/receipts for city purchases of liquor. 1840s-1910s. Carton 7, 27 folders.

Marriage Certificates. Certificates of marriages in Burlington. Early 1900s. Carton 7, 10 folders.

Mayor. Miscellaneous correspondence to/from mayors. 1867-1900. Carton 8, 3 folders.

Military. Militia rolls/lists/reports, pre-Civil War; town expenses/reports for Civil War recruiting; Civil War draft lists. 1805-1860s. Carton 8, 31 folders.

Overseer of the Poor. Bills/receipts/reports on care of town/city poor; miscellaneous on town/city poor farm, building of new poor house (1858-1859). 1820s-1890s. Cartons 8-10, 98 folders.

Police. Constable reports/expenses for town (pre-1865); police department reports/expenses (1865-on); arrest lists and records, jail records; appointments of policemen. 1850s-1890s. Carton 10, 18 folders.

Public Buildings and Parks Department. Maintenance of town/city hall and other municipal properties; expenses for upkeep of town/city parks; petitions concerning local parks; requests to rent/use City Hall for lectures/meetings/performances. 1850s-1890s. Carton 10, 20 folders.

Schools. Reports on district schools; bills/receipts for town/city school expenses; reports of school commissioners and superintendents. 1830s-1900s. Cartons 10-11, 33 folders, 1 oversize roll.

Streets/Roads. Maintenance/repair of town streets, roads, and bridges; petitions for new streets; winter care of bridges; maintenance of street/bridge lamps; accidents/injuries incurred on town streets; surveys of early town roads. 1800s-1890s. Cartons 11-12, 67 folders.

Taxes. Grand list; tax bills and receipts; requests for abatement of taxes; tax assessor/lister/collector reports; highway rate-bill books (1830s-1840s). 1800s-1890s. Cartons 12-13, 97 folders, 8 volumes.

Town Meeting. Minutes of meetings, ordinances proposed, warnings for meetings, etc. Scattered 1800-1900, most detailed are 1850s-1860s. Carton 14, 22 folders.

Water/Sewer Department. Water supply expenses and bills; petitions for extension of water/sewer services; miscellaneous from Burlington Aqueduct Company; establishment of new city waterworks (late 1860s); reports from city engineers. 1850s-1890s. Carton 14, 18 folders.