The Sheldon Time Line of History (Including National & State Events)
On this Historical Time Line we attempt to record events occurring nationwide as well as statewide in order to put the history of Sheldon in perspective. All links lead to research resources or to web pages further amplifying the details of Sheldon History through events and the people who lived during the time.
Year |
Event or Occurrence |
| 1500-1600 | Native Period Jacques Cartier explores Quebec and possible parts of Vermont |
| 1607 | The initial settlement of Jamestown Virginia It is a current historical landmark |
| 1609 | Samuel D. Champlain explorer Quebec and is the first European to make contact with the native population in Vermont |
| 1620 | Plymouth Mass Settlement founded continues until 1691 |
| 1666 | Fort Sainte Anne on Isle La Motte were added. The fort included Saint Anne’s Shrine. |
| 1628 | Massachusetts Bay Colony settled continues until 1691 |
| 1724 | Fort Dummer, near the present Brattleboro, established by British. Isle La Motte was probably the first British Settlement |
| 1762 | Hungerford Grant |
| 1770 | The Boston Massacre takes place in Massachusetts |
| 1774 | The First Continental Congress is held |
| 1775 | The battles of Lexington and Concord MA open the revolutionary war Second Continental Congress is held |
| 1776 | The Declaration of Independence signed |
| 1777 | The land to be known as Vermont organized into the “Republic of Vermont” lasting until statehood in 1791 |
| 1783 | Revolutionary War Ends |
| 1789 | First visit by a “Sheldon” US Constitution Ratified |
| 1790 | Arrival of second group from “Sheldon” family |
| 1791 | Town organized and “Sheldon” along with others move |
| 1792 | Franklin County Vermont formed out of part of Chittenden County Nov 8, 1792 name changed to Sheldon First sawmill built by Major Sheldon at the “Olmstead Falls” |
| 1797 | First Grist Mill Built, Sheldon Creek, east side of Black Creek by Mjr. Sheldon |
| 1798 | Sheldon’s first blast furnace built by Keith Brothers on east side of Black Creek |
| 1803 | US concludes Louisiana Purchase and begins to open the west Carding Mill built in Sheldon Creek on east side of Black Creek First Post office in Sheldon postmaster Dr. Hildreth |
| 1805 | Col Elisha Sheldon death |
| 1807 | First Preacher In Sheldon Robert Fulton demonstrates the first steamboat for river transportation |
| 1812 | Grace Episcopal church likely built – wooden structure The beginning of the War of 1812 also known as the Second Revolutionary War |
| 1816 | Congregational Church of Sheldon Organized |
| 1817 | Moses Kimball buys Kimball Springs |
| 1830 | Union House of the “Rock” built in East Sheldon Serious flooding in Vermont |
| 1833 | Establishment of the Sheldon Poor Farm |
| 1835 | First Covered Bridge built in Sheldon at the Creek |
| 1837 | John Deere invented the steel plow in 1837 – revolutionized crop planting |
| 1840 | Sheep predominate for agricultural animals with 6 sheep for every person |
| 1846 | First railroad built in US |
| 1847 | The Missisquoi Bank chartered |
| 1850 | 117 farms with 20,946 acres |
| 1851 | Samuel T Bancroft Carriage Factory in the Creek The beginning of popular photography |
| 1853 | Episcopal Church built present brick structure |
| 1859 | Methodist Episcopal Church built in village |
| 1860 | Family dairy farms overtake Sheep for leading agricultural products |
| 1861 | US Civil War |
| 1862 | Congregational Church likely built parsonage built in 1865 Missisquoi Camp Ground opens |
| 1864 | October 19 St. Albans Raid overflows to Sheldon |
| 1865 | Sheldon becomes resort town based on springs C Bainbridge Smith buys Kimball Springs changes name to Missisquoi Springs |
| 1867 | Missisquoi Springs Hotel built Bellevue House built by Alfred Keith moved to McQuam Shore in 1880 |
| 1868 | Congress Hotel built |
| 1869 | Sheldon Library Formed E T Holmes Saw mill Methodist Episcopal parsonage built |
| 1870 | July 4 First Missisquoi Valley Railroad train out of Sheldon Missisquoi Springs Hotel burns |
| 1873 | US financial panic effects economy |
| 1877 | July 27 first Lamoille Valley Railroad train in Sheldon |
| 1880 | Samuel Olmstead builds grist mill at the creek End of the Missisquoi Bank Thirteen school districts and one graded school at the Creek |
| 1882 | Missisquoi Camp Ground established |
| 1883 | The “Travelers Home” destroyed by fire |
| 1884 | Store built by George Maynard replaces Weed & Hapgood store |
| 1885 | The Missisquoi Springs Company founded |
| 1894 | J T Shipley comes to Springs and begins pulp mill Kodak begins to develop “film” More pictures begin to record history |
| 1900 | Sheldon Fair |
| 1901 | Portland House burns11/28/1901 and rebuilt becomes Napoli Home later Railroad Station in Sheldon Burglarized 9/30/01 Fire at the farm house used by E. J. Wilder South Franklin 2/1/01 $3,000 damage |
| 1902 | Store of Jennison & Gallop Co burglarized. Burglar caught by H. C. Royce |
| 1906 | George Remington deeds land for Rice Hill Methodist Church 7/6/2006 |
| 1907 | Catholics meet in former Congress Hotel deeded to them s. Emeline Fiatch of NY |
| 1912 | “The Mill” at Sheldon Springs incorporated First services in new St, Anthony’s Catholic Church |
| World War I | |
| 1925 | Congregational Church building given to Town of Sheldon |
| 1927 | The Great Flood |
| 1930 | First radio station in Vermont (never one in Sheldon) |
| 1932 | Bridge burns in Sheldon ending the covered bridge era |
| 1935 | Four rural schools, Webster, North Sheldon (1948), Rice Hill (1950) and East Sheldon (1957) and schools in the Creek and the Springs 5.5 million maple trees tapped in Vermont |
| 1938 | Hurricane destroys 150 million trees including maple reducing the number tapped and never to be regained |
| World War II | |
| 1947 | First required pasteurization of milk – Increased Vermont market area |
| Korean War | |
| 1954 | First TV Station WCAX |
| 1968 | End of the Poor Farm era Catholic rectory build at Sheldon Springs |
| 1984 | 2500 Square Miles of Vermont used as farm land |
| 1991 | Sheldon Bi-Centennial |
| 1996 | First Sheldon Old Home Days held |
| 2001 | Second Sheldon Old Home Days |
| 2006 | Third Sheldon Old Home Days |
| 2011 | Fourth Sheldon Old Home Days |
| 2013 | Sheldon 250 Celebration Vermont Farm land use shrinks to 1900 Square Miles |
| 2016 | Fifth Sheldon Old Home Days |