Rutland City history

Rutland was the capital of Vermont from 1784 to 1804.

In 1824 a Bank of Rutland was chartered as the fourth bank in Vermont.

In 1844, William Ripley established the marble works for which Rutland became noted.

The Rutland & Burlington Railroad became the first line to connect Boston and western Vermont when it was completed in 1849.

The fires of 1868 provided the largest economic loss the Town has ever experienced, when the west side of Main Street burned, the north side of Center Street and both sides of Merchants Row were gutted.

In 1870 Rutland was the railroad crossroads of Vermont.

In 1877 the Howe Scale Company opened a plant in Rutland after moving from Brandon to Rutland to share in Rutland's transportation advantages and its numerous and skilled industrial workforce.

By 1885 the growing pressures of urbanization led to the development of a horse-drawn trolley system that looped around north and south Rutland and also went to West Rutland.

In 1886 Proctor succeeded in convincing the state legislature that two new townships should be created from the original town.

The Rutland Regional Medical Center has grown substantially from the 10-bed hospital that opened in 1896.

Public Schools Information: Rutland City Public Schools, 6 Church Street, Rutland, VT 05701; telephone (802)773-1900

Moore, William, The Story of a Young Man's Tramp Across Three States; Cooking His Meals and Camping Along Three Hundred Sixty Miles of Road in New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York (New York: Markey Press, 1911)

In 1913 George Chaffee built the Playhouse, another new theater seating nearly 1,000 people.

After the disastrous Mead Block fire, at the intersection of Merchants Row and Center Street, the City opted to purchase another steamer, instead of a new "motorized fire truck". The first motorized apparatus was purchased in 1916 from the American LaFrance Company.

After numerous political contests with the Proctor wing of the Republican Party, Clement was elected Governor in 1918.

In November 1927 floods hit Vermont and Rutland was no exception although it did not suffer as much as some other communities.

In 1929 the community also opened a new high school building on Library Avenue.

Joan Looker, the 1955 queen, appeared on the Dave Garroway national TV show on NBC to promote Rutland and Vermont.

St Joseph's College also was founded here in 1956 by the Sisters of St Joseph.

Rutland is the seat of the College of St Joseph the Provider (founded 1957). It is also the headquarters of Green Mountain National Forest, and winter sports (especially at nearby Pico Peak) and tourism provide additional sources of income.

In the late 1960’s promotion of a new headquarters for the Fire Department began to take root.

Against the backdrop of a city in economic difficulty, local volunteers built a Bicentennial Village in 1961 to celebrate the 200th Anniversary of Rutland's 1761 charter.

But how did Rutland come about in England? This history is not quite obscured by the mists of time. It stayed in existence until being swallowed up by a nearby county in the 1970's so that a man-made lake could be built as a reservoir.

In 1974, the regular rank and file affiliated with the International Association of Fire Fighters (Local 2323) to allow collective bargaining for wages and benefits.

By 1975, the Department had grown to 36 full time fire fighters with 24 call personnel.

United States rank in 1990: Not reported

The successful restoration of the renamed Paramount Theatre was completed in February 2000 and an Opening Night Gala in March 2000 honored the artisans and contributors who made the historic project possible.

In 2002 Rutland voters passed a $4.3 million school bond issue which, after an additional $2.3 million in state contributions, provided $6.6 million for improvements to school buildings, fields, and a community track facility.

In 2003 large-scale development, and some attendant controversy, came to Rutland with the opening of a Home Depot store on the site of the old Rutland Mall, which was demolished due the popularity of the newer Diamond Run Mall.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Burlington and South Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area labor force, 2004 annual averages.

In 2005 the Rutland Amateur Hockey Association was more than halfway to its goal of raising $3.3 million toward the construction of a new Rutland Regional Fieldhouse.

Historical Information: Rutland Historical Society, 96 Center Street, Rutland, VT 05701; telephone (802)775-2006