USA > Vermont > Addison County > Bristol > History of Bristol, Vermont (1762-1980), Third Edition > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17
Hired by Selectmen
Rutherford W. Smith
1981
Auditors
See that all financial records of the other town officials are examined and verified and then published in the Town Report.
Elected
Three years
George E. Smith Carl A. Nelson Chauncy H. Eldridge
1982
1983
t
33
·
Position
Duties
Elected, Hired, or Appointed
Term of Office
Person(s)
Term Expires
Board of Civil Authority
Charge of all elections, counts ballots, oversees revision of the checklist, hears tax appeals, swears in new officials for which the state requires an oath of office.
Elected
Varies with
Selectmen, Town Clerk, Justices of the Peace.
---.
Civil Defense Assistant
Helps Civil Defense Director prepare and execute emergency civil defense plans.
Appointed by Selectmen
One year
Bernard Valentine
1981
Civil Defense Director
Prepares and executes emergency civil defense plans.
Appointed by Selectmen
One Year
Richard F. Partridge
1981
Constable, First
Serves as chief law enforcement official for the town and cooperates with county, state, and federal law enforcement of- ficials; presides at Primary and General Elections.
Elected
One year
Richard F. Partridge
1981
Constable, Second
Same as above.
Elected
One year
Lawrence E. Lathrop, Sr.
1981
Dog Officer
Picks up stray dogs.
Appointed by Selectmen
One year
Arthur T. Prime
1981
Dog Pound
Place to house stray animals.
Appointed by Selectmen
One year
Vacant
1981
Energy Coordinator
Checks energy conservation methods, for public or private use.
Appointed by Selectmen
One year
Eugene Swier
1981
Fence Viewers
Decide questions involving the care and maintenance of fences between properties.
Appointed by Selectmen
One year
Felix Cousino Robert Fuller George Sherman
1981
1981
1981
Fire Warden
Issues outdoor burning permits when appropriate; supervises local forest fire fighting activities and files reports of such fires with the State Forester.
Appointed by Selectmen
One year
Claire Lathrop
1981
Health Officer
Oversees health conditions in private residences, public buildings, and businesses.
Appointed by Selectmen
One year
William O'Neill
1981
Inspector of Weights of Coal
Provides certification of coal weight at request of buyer or seller.
Appointed by Selectmen
One year
Andrew Johnson
1981
Inspector of Wood and Lumber
Settles disputes about measure- ments and quality of wood and lumber.
Appointed by Selectmen
One year
Andrew Johnson
1981
Justices of the Peace
Serve on Board of Civil Authority; take absentee votes from house-bound voters; perform various other detailed duties.
Nominated at party caucuses; elected at General Election
Two years
Eleanor Adams Wendell Brown Stanton Bryden Edward Burke Roy J. Clark Felix Cousino Frederick Jackman William James Carl A. Nelson Kenneth Weston
All
1982
34
primary office term.
Position
Duties
Elected, Hired, or Appointed
Term of Office
Person(s)
Term Expires
Library Trustees
Oversee the operation of Lawrence Memorial Library and and the Lawrence Memorial Fund.
Elected
Five years
John McEvoy
1981
Frederick Hoff Evelyn Dike
1983
Lillian Lambertson
1984
Mary Ann Halnon
1985
Listers
Serve as Tax Assessors; as of April 1 each year, all real and personal property must be appraised to determine its fair market value; file records with Town Clerk.
Elected
Three years
Lester Coffin
1981
Janice Kilbourn George Rockwood
1982
1983
Planning Commission
Prepares a Town Plan before a permanent zoning code can be adopted; participates in Regional Planning Commissions.
Appointed by Selectmen
Five-year revolving terms
Susan Hawkins
1980
David Sharpe
1980
Terry Thomas
1980
Christopher Acker
1981
Vacancy
1982
Frank Buonincontro
1983
Andrew Johnson
1984
Pound Keepers
Impound any stray animals in town.
Appointed by Selectmen
One year
Lester Coffin Earl Lathrop
1981
School Directors, Town District
Oversee operation of town elementary schools.
Elected
Three years
Sylvia Coffin
1981
Craig Scribner, Sr.
1981
Edward Tucker, Jr.
1981
Ralph Cook
1982
Karen Yager
1983
School Directors, UHS District #28 (Bristol Representatives)
Oversee operation of the union high school, together with the directors from the other four towns.
Elected
Three years
Evelyn Dike
1981
Edwin A. Hilbert, Jr.
1982
Thomas Yager
1982
Carol Eldridge
1983
Andrew Johnson
1983
Service Officer
Handles social service needs of residents.
Appointed by Selectmen
One year
Rutherford W. Smith
1981
Tax Collector
Collects all delinquent town taxes plus interest and penalty.
Elected
One year
Richard F. Partridge
1981
Tree Warden
Oversees care and removal, when necessary, of all road-side trees within the town.
Appointed by Selectmen
One year
Paul Fuller
1981
Town Agent to Deed Real Estate
Acts for the town to convey real estate.
Elected
One year
Carl A. Nelson
1981
Town Agent to Prosecute and Defend Suits
Sees that civil cases involving the town are prosecuted and defended.
Elected
One year
Carl A. Nelson
1981
Town Grand Juror
Prosecutes cases against persons charged with a crime committed in the town.
Elected
One year
Carl A. Nelson
1981
TOWN DEPARTMENTS
Highway Department
Maintains roads throughout the town.
Hired by Selectmen
----
Rutherford W. Smith Town Manager
----
Landfill Department
Supervises activity of the town landfill.
Hired by Selectmen
Rutherford W. Smith Town Manager
Park Department
Maintains the town park; over- sees its use.
Hired by Selectmen
Rutherford W. Smith Town Manager
----
35
1982
1981
10
Town and Village Manager -- Rutherford W. (Hap) Smith
Town and Village Auditors (left to right): Carl A. Nelson, George E. Smith, Chauncy H. Eldridge
Town Selectmen - 1979: Roy J. Clark, Francis Heffernan, William O'Neill
-------
--
--
Village Trustees: Frederick E. Jackman, Peter D. Ryan, George M. Tighe
Town and Village Clerk and Treasurer - Renia C. Partridge
36
Past and Present Town Officials
Town Managers
Town Selectmen 1979-1899
Roy Clark
Felix A. Cousino
W. H. Cardell
William O'Neill
Clarence G. Lathrop
B. C. Fuller
Francis Heffernan
R. W. Shadrick
D. B. Parmelee
John A. Hise, Jr.
O. N. Estes
C. E. Lathrop
Floyd Hall, Jr.
Walter L. Irish
C. E. Hathorne
Claire Lathrop
M. A. Rider
H. S. Sumner
Glenn Fuller
W. M. Farr
C. W. Norton
1979 to present -- Renia C. Partridge
1973-1979 -- Charles F. Lathrop
1943-1973 - Ruth V. Clark McCormick
W. A. James
A. W. Norton
S. D. Farr
Robert O. Willey
C. A. Hanks
W. C. Bingham
Peter A. Nelson
T. C. Varney
E. C. Dike
Fenwick S. Estey
E. C. Norton
R. A. Young
A. F. Gove
Fred P. Smith
Fred Landon
A. P. Mckinnon
W. F. Hammond
Almon W. Norton
W. E. Morgan
Village of Bristol Government
In addition to the Town of Bristol government offices, there is also the Village of Bristol government offices. The Village government oversees the smaller boundaries of the Village prop- er. It provides services not required or supported by the Town.
The Village of Bristol, Inc., elects
a Village President who moderates the annual Village Meeting.
Bristol Village is governed by a three person Board of Trustees, who hire a Village Manager. There is also a Village Clerk and Village Treasurer.
Following is a chart of the various village positions with an explanation of each one.
At the end of the chart, there is a listing of Bristol's representatives in the Vermont State Legislature.
The information on Bristol's Town and Village governments was derived from the "Ver- mont Citizens' Guide to Government in Ver- mont," published by the League of Women Voters in 1972, from George M. Tighe, Village Trustee, and from Rutherford W. Smith, Town Manager.
Village of Bristol Government -- March 1980
Position
Duties
Elected, Hired, or Appointed
Term of Office
Person(s)
Term Expires
Village President
Serves as president of the incor- porated Village of Bristol; moderates the annual Village Meeting.
Elected
One year
Ernest M. Codding, Sr.
1981
Village Clerk
Records the annual Village Meeting; keeps all village records.
Elected
One year
Renia C. Partridge
1981
Village Treasurer
Keeps village accounts; prepares village tax bills and receives tax monies.
Elected
One year
Renia C. Partridge
1981
Board of Trustees
Administers the village govern- ment between Village Meetings; members serve as water commis- sioners.
Elected
Three years
Frederick E. Jackman
1981
Peter J. Ryan
1982
George M. Tighe
1983
Village Manager
Supervises the various activities of the village under the directives of the Trustees.
Hired by Trustees
--
Rutherford W. Smith
Administrative Officer
Enforces the village zoning regulations.
Appointed by Trustees
One year
Rutherford W. Smith
1981
A. F. Johnson
Ridley Norton
C. E. Munsill
R. E. Devino
Wayne W. Shadrick
Andrew Dillon
1942 - Ruth V. Clark
1930-1942 --- Leland Landon
1929-1930 - Jennie E. Wilson
1900-1929 W. W. Wilson
1969 to present ---- Rutherford W. Smith · 1967 to 1969 - Alden Rollins 1967 --- William Pinney
Town Clerks
37
Position
Duties
Elected, Hired, or Appointed
Term of Office
Person(s)
Term Expires
Auditors
See that all village financial records are examined and verified and then published in the Village Report.
Elected
One year
George E. Smith Carl A. Nelson Chauncy H. Eldridge
1981
Board of Civil Authority
Oversees all village elections, counts ballots, supervises revision of the checklist, and hears tax appeals.
Elected
Varies with
Trustees, Village Clerk,
primary
village residents on the
office
Town Board of Civil Authority.
Fire Wardens
Issue outdoor burning permits when appropriate.
Elected
One year
Harris Brassard
1981
Frederick E. Jackman
1981
Richard Lathrop
1981
Planning Commission
Prepares a Village Plan and the zoning bylaws; administers the zoning regulations after they are accepted by the Village.
Appointed by Trustees
Five-year revolving terms
Dean Allnutt
1980
Raymond Pellegrini
1980
John Connolly
1981
Prudence Tomasi
1982
George E. Smith
1983
George Rockwood
1984
Tax Collector
Collects all delinquent village taxes plus interest and penalty.
Elected
One year
Richard F. Partridge
1981
Zoning Board of Adjustment
Grants appropriate variances for projects not in conformity with zoning regulations.
Appointed by Trustees
Five-year
Stanton Bryden
1980
John Connolly
1980
Raymond Pellegrini
1980
Patricia Lathrop
1981
Marjorie Bushey
1982
George E. Smith
1983
George Rockwood
1984
VILLAGE DEPARTMENTS
Fire Department
Provide fire protection and emergency fire fighting.
Volunteer
Chief has
Harris Brassard Chief
1981
one-year
term
Police Department
Provide police and safety protection.
Hired by Trustees
Ceylon Dearborn
Chief
Street Department
Maintains roads throughout the Village.
Hired by Trustees
----
Rutherford W. Smith
----
Town Manager
Water Department
Oversees the Village waterworks.
Hired by Trustees
----
John C. Smith Foreman
----
VERMONT STATE LEGISLATORS
State Senators
Represent the Senatorial District's interests in the State Legislature.
Elected
Two years
Arthur Gibb
1980
Seeley Reynolds, Jr.
1980
State Representative
Represents the Representative
Elected
Two years
John A. Hise, Jr.
1980
District's (Bristol's) interests in the State Legislature.
Past and Present Village Trustees 1913-1979
Peter D. Ryan
Ridley J. Norton
W. Roy LeBaron
E. J. Kneeland
H. L. Williamson
George M. Tighe
John C. Smith
J. A. Bouvier
L. A. Bristol
C. C. Smith
Frederick E. Jackman
Herbert F. Fraser
R. W. Shadrick
R. J. Clark
V. J. Patnode
A.W. Norton
T. K. Burnham
C. W. Sprague
George E. Smith R. W. Smith Charles Berry Ernest M. Codding Richard Railton
Suel C. Sargent W. R. Newton
R. C. Martin
W. M. Farr
E. H. Boynton
E. N. Dike
A. M. Russell
F. H. Palmer
W. M. DeCoursey Kenneth A. Cameron Peter A. Nelson
Claude Larocque A. F. Gove
O. E. Wing F. S. Gove
C. E. Hathorne
C. A. Burnham W. N. Gove
1981
1981
term.
revolving terms
38
VII Bristol Cliffs Wilderness Controversy
On January 3, 1975, a law was passed in the Congress of the United States, declaring seven-thousand-four- hundred acres on South Mountain in Bristol to be part of the Bristol Cliffs Wilderness Area. Unfortunately, no one in Bristol had heard about this act of Congress until it was passed, and the land involved included two-thousand- nine-hundred-five acres of private land.
The act marked the first time the Federal Government attempted to re- claim extensively developed land, to return it to its primeval state. Thus, when Bristol Cliffs residents were in- formed of the act and the restrictions this act placed on the use of their land, a great uproar ensued.
Led by Joseph C. Conowal and
Representative John A. Hise, Jr., an organization called the Bristol Cliffs Landowners' Association sprang into being. Mr. Conowal served as Chair- man; the Clerk was Leah Ruth Denton; and the Treasurer was Ruth Lathrop. Members of the "Congressional Com- mittees" were Andrew Johnson, Leah Denton, Janice Cousino, and Lovina Baslow. The organization enlisted the aid of the three Vermont Congress- men, Senator Robert Stafford, Senator Patrick Leahy, and Representative James Jeffords. Also involved were the local legislators, Representative Douglas Baker and Senators Seeley Reynolds and Arthur Gibb, in addition to Representative Hise.
The work of the committee result- ed in a Senate Bill, S 2308, which
following hearings on the act that were held in Bristol on September 28 and 29, 1975, was passed in the United States Senate, December 12, 1975. This bill modified the boundaries of the Bristol Cliffs Wilderness Area, eliminating the lands that were privately owned. Bill S 2308 passed the full House of Repre- sentatives on April 6, 1976, and on April 17, 1976, President Gerald Ford signed the bill into law, returning full use of the land to the owners.
Information for this article was provided by Leah Ruth Denton; Representative John A. Hise, Jr .; and an article written by Pat Orvis for The New York Times, Sunday, October 26, 1975.
39
VIII Public Buildings
Holley Hall
Holley Hall is the name of the present town hall in Bristol. However, the first permanent place used specifically for town meetings was a room in the Bristol High School which was completed in 1856. In 1855, when plans were under way to construct the new high school, the Selectmen provid- ed $600 towards the cost of the school in exchange for the privilege of a town meeting room in the building.
In 1882, at a special meeting, the residents of the town voted to sell the town room and all its appointments to the school district for $480. Apparent- ly, the room was unsatisfactory to the townspeople. At the annual meeting, March 6, 1883, it was voted to appoint a committee of three to investigate the matter of building a town hall. Their report, which was to have been given in May, was not given until July. At the meeting at that time, Mrs. Cornelia Holley Smith, daughter of Winter Holley and granddaughter of Robert Holley, who settled in Bristol in 1795, offered to give the town the land on which her father's store had stood. The store was also the post office, and had burned down in 1878. Mrs. Smith gave the land, providing the town would build a town hall on that site within the next three years.
Smith & Allen, contractors from Middlebury, did the work, which began April 23, 1884, and was finished during that summer at a cost of about $11,000. The brick building with a clock in the belfry, was named Holley Hall, after Mrs. Smith's father. The big room inside, where town meetings are held, has a seating capacity of five hundred.
For many years, it was rented to churches and various organizations whenever a large auditorium was need- ed. Until 1930, when the school auditorium and gymnasium were built, it was rented to the school for all public gatherings and served for eight years as a place for basketball practice and games. From about 1910 to 1917, Mr.
Flagg of Brandon rented the hall one or two nights a week for moving pic- tures. In 1930, sound equipment was installed for talking pictures which were shown there for two years.
In 1929, two rooms were finished off in the basement for a Town Clerk's office, and a vault was installed to hold the town records. A cement sidewalk on the north and east sides of the hall was laid at this time.
When the old school building became inadequate to hold the larger number of pupils, a room was finished off in the basement to take care of the overflow. In 1958, this room was no longer used as the addition to the new school on Mountain Street was large enough for the children.
Today, there are offices in the basement for the Town Clerk, the Town Manager, the Police Depart- ment, and the Listers. In 1979, the unused portion of the basement, where the jail cells are, was transformed into the Bristol Historical Society's meeting room and museum.
Holley Hall corner of West and South Streets
BRISTOL
-
Bristol Town offices located in basement of Holley Hall, entrances on South Street
40
Lawrence Memorial Library
The Bristol Library was estab- lished on January 20, 1893, when a group of public-spirited citizens met and formed the Bristol Library Association. The library was opened in one room over the Patterson Store in August 1893. It was financed by membership fees of two dollars, yearly tickets of one dollar, private contribu- tions, and public entertainments. A rental collection which aided in financ- ing the projects was also kept.
The first action taken in Town Meeting in regards to a library occur- red in March 1901, when fifty dollars was appropriated to help establish a public library. The appropriations were increased to two-hundred dollars in 1902 and 1903. In March 1902, the Bristol Library Association turned over its property, which included one- thousand-ninety-five books and a large collection of magazines to the town. The Bristol Public Library was established.
At the annual Town Meeting in 1910, the townspeople voted to accept the offer of William A. Lawrence to erect a library building and present it to the town. The town voted eight- hundred dollars for the library that same year. The building was completed and dedicated January 17, 1911. It was given in memory of Mrs. Lockie Partch Lawrence, first wife of Mr. Lawrence, and of his second wife, Mrs. Minnie Peet Lawrence, both of whom had been faithful workers in the library association. Mr. Lawrence left to the town real estate consisting of four tene- ment houses, known as Lawrence Kane, and a two-tenement house beside the library to help finance the library, which has been know since 1911 as awrence Memorial Library.
The town appropriates each year a sum of money to help maintain the library. This amount has grown from two-thousand dollars twenty years ago to seven-thousand dollars in 1979. The ibrary is run by a Board of Trustees consisting of five members. The 1979 Board of Trustees included Lawrence Diette, President; Frederick Hoff, Vice President; John McEvoy, Secretary; Lillian Lambertson, Treasurer; and Evelyn Dike.
LAWRENCE MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Lawrence Memorial Library North Street, built in 1911
Y-X-
Lawrence Memorial Li- brary Board of Trustees: Evelyn Dike, John (Jay) McEvoy, Lawrence Diette, Lillian G. Lambertson (Frederick Hoff absent from photo)
In 1972, one wing of the two- tenement house was torn down, due to disrepair, which made room for an ad- dition to the Fire Department next door. In 1979, two of the tenements on Lawrence Lane were sold.
At present, the library is open thirty-nine hours each week. Grants have been obtained to completely up- date the card catalog system.
An active story hour has grown in the past few years, offering a story hour for pre-school as well as school- age children. A Cultural Studies Pro- gram, made possible by a state grant, works in cooperation with our school system to better acquaint our children with their own cultural heritage and that of our country, with special focus on the American Indian.
The Community Education Re- sources Project has renovated the library basement to offer courses of study to residents of the area by residents of the area.
Librarians throughout the years
include the following: Miss Kate I. Stewart, March 1902 to November 1926; Mrs. G. A. Jacobs, November 1926 to March 1927; Miss Nila Hall Miller, March 1927 to March 1928; Mrs. Eugenia D. Irish, March 1928 to May 1933 *; Mrs. Lois Landon, May 1933* to September 1939; Mrs. Eugenia D. Irish, September 1939 to September 1949; Mrs. Sylvia H. Kirby, September 1949 to January 1971; Mrs. Fay-Bond Hinrichs, January 1971 to April 1978; Ms. Barbara Brasure, April 1978 to present, and Mrs. Marion Palmer, Assistant Librarian, March 1979 to present. Former substitute librarians include Mrs. G. A. Jacobs, Mrs. Elisha Follansbee, and Mrs. Ruth Clark.
*The date of May 1933 cannot be verified by existing records, but from other research appears to be correct.
Information compiled from the History of Bristol, Vermont, Second Edition, Minutes Books of the Lawrence Memorial Library Trustees' Meetings, and Barbara Brasure.
41
IX Bristol Fire Department
The N. H. Munsill Hose Company was started in 1893, by the efforts of Newcomb H. Munsill. His Rock Spring Water Company gave the first equipment which consisted of a hose cart and seven-hundred feet of hose. Mr. Munsill was the chief stockholder in this company, thus the name, N. H. Munsill Hose Company. The bylaws drawn up by Mr. Munsill still govern the activities of the department today. The fire station was built in 1898. Until 1934, the hose company served only the Village of Bristol.
New equipment was purchased in 1937. This gave adequate protection until 1953, when a new fire truck was purchased. This included a seven- hundred gallon tank and pumper, a portable pump with suction lines, two Scott air-pacs and other small equip- ment.
In 1953, the company joined the Addison County Unit, which includes eight other towns.
Recently acquired equipment in- cludes a new van purchased in 1970 and a five-year-old van purchased in 1979. A pumper capable of pumping one-thousand gallons per minute was purchased new in 1972. A used 1970 tanker was bought in 1975. The fire department still has the original 1893 hose cart and uses it in local parades.
In 1924, after a severe fire that almost went undetected, it became ap- parent that the fire alarm, a bell hung in the fire house, was not sufficient. Because of strong winds on that night in 1924, the bell was not heard in time. Therefore, an electrically controlled siren was installed, one that can be heard more than five miles away. The horn is blown at noon every day to check that it is still working.
The siren is directly connected to the three pull boxes in operation at Drake, Smith & Company, at the Claire Lathrop Band Mill, and on Main Street. After the dial telephone system went into use, ten fire phones were installed in private homes from which alarms can be sounded. In 1979,
BRISTOL FIRE DEPT.
Bristol Fire Department - North Street
Li
Bristol Fire Department - 1979
Front row: Paul Jackman; Harland Wendel; Frederick Jackman, 2nd Asst .; Dr. David Pak, former Minister of The Federated Church; Harris Brassard, Chief; Richard Lathrop, Ist Asst .; Charles Tyler, Secretary-Treasurer
Second row: Edson Rathbun; George Shepard; Loren Lathrop; Lawrence Lathrop, Sr .; Robert Kimball
Third row: Gerald Lafoy; Roy LaRose, Capt .; Edward Shepard; Peter Coffey; Alan Lathrop; George Smith
Fourth row: Edward Tucker, Jr .; Eric Bouvier; John Smith; Peter Wisell; Tim Heffernan; Alan Clark
42
the department purchased a paging system. Every member carries a pager which sounds a tone and a voice message can be given from the base radio located at the fire station.
In 1972, the name was changed from the N. H. Munsill Hose Com- pany to the Bristol Fire Department. Previously, Bristol had joined the county mutual aid system, and other departments were referring to "the Bristol Fire Department." There was also some confusion over the initials "N.H."; some people thought it meant "New Hampshire."
The Bristol Fire Department is owned by the Village of Bristol. The Town of Bristol pays the Village a yearly sum for fire protection.
In 1972, a portion of the house on the north side of the fire station was torn down, which made room for the new four base station constructed in 1973.
The 1979-1980 officers of the fire department are: Chief, Harris Brassard; First Assistant, Richard Lathrop; Second Assistant, Frederick Jackman; Captains, Roy LaRose and Francis Heffernan; Secretary- Treasurer, Charles Tyler; Training Of- ficer, Mark Bouvier; and Chaplain, Reverend Basil Nichols. There are cur- rently thirty-two members in the department. It is mandatory that a new member take a forty-five hour training course. All members are volunteers, and we owe much to their faithful, effi- cient service for the past eighty-seven years.
Information for this article was compiled by Mark Bouvier.
Major Fires
One of Bristol's earliest disastrous fires occurred in 1898 when over half of the business section on the north side of Main Street was destroyed by fire. Again, in 1914, nearly all of the Drake-Farr Block on the south side of Main Street was left in ruins. In 1924, Bristol suffered one of the worst fires r in its history; Kilbourn's grist mill and Stewart's barn were completely destroyed. Other buildings on the south side of Main Street were so badly damaged that they had to be practically
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.