Time Line

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