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Grafton, Massachusetts was first settled by Europeans in 1718
and was officially incorporated in 1735. Its namesake is the
illegitimate son of King James, the Earl of Grafton.
Grafton is a semi-rural town in east central Massachusetts lying
southeast of the City of Worcester. The population according to
the federal census in 2000 was 14,894.
Grafton was originally occupied by a tribe of Nipmuck Indians and
was called Hassanamisco (place of small stones). In 1671, an
English missionary named John Eliot, who preached in Hassanamisco,
established an Indian church and school here where the Bible was
studied in the Indian language. The church and school were located
near the current common. Today there is an Indian Homestead on
Brigham Hill.
In 1724, a group of 39 men and one woman, mainly from Marlborough,
Sudbury, Concord, and Stow, presented a petition to the General
Court and were granted the right to purchase 7,500 acres of land
from Indian owners. The money was to be held in an account under
the direction of the General Court for the benefit of the Indians.
The Town of Grafton was established in 1735 and named in honor of
Charles Fitzroy, Duke of Grafton, and grandson of Charles I.
As of the census of 2000, there were 14,894 people, 5,694 households,
and 3,951 families residing in the town.
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Grafton, Windham County, Vermont
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Two principal links to Grafton, Windham Couny, Vermont:
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The Vermont region was claimed by the French explorer Samuel
de Champlain for France in 1609 and was turned over to the
British in 1763 via the Treaty of Paris which ended the French and
Indian Wars. The land was claimed by both New Hampshire and
New York. First organized to drive settlers from New York
out of Vermont, the Green Mountain Boys, led by Ethan Allen,
won fame by capturing Fort Ticonderoga from the British on
May 10, 1775, in the early days of the Revolutionary War.
From 1777 until 1791 Vermont was an independent republic
with its own constitution. This was among the first written
constitutions in North America and was the first to constitutionally
provide for the abolition of slavery, suffrage for men who did
not own land, and public schools. Vermont became the nation's
fourteenth state on March 4, 1791. To this day Vermonters remain
fiercely independent.
The Town of Grafton's history dates back to 1754 when the town
was given the name Thomlinson and was granted its first charter
by Benning Wentworth, the governor of New Hampshire. On March 4, 1791,
Vermont officially became a state. The settlers felt the name of
the town should be changed. Perhaps, they felt that as members of
a new state, the town should have a new name. On October 31, 1791
the privilege of renaming the town was sold at public auction to
Joseph Axtell for the high bid of five dollars and a jug of rum.
He renamed the town in honor of his Grafton, Massachusetts hometown.
Thus Grafton, Vermont was born. Frequently featured as a backdrop
for commercials and movies, Grafton, Vermont is a charming, "almost
too perfect" village with a unique history.
As of the census of 2000, there were 649 people, 291 households,
and 190 families residing in the town. To my mind, it is
more properly called a "village" than a "town".
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Grafton, Rensselaer County, New York
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Two principal linkw to Grafton, Rensselaer County, New York:
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Grafton was formed from Troy and Petersburgh on March 20, 1807.
Nathaniel Dumbleton, who was the first person elected to the office of
supervisor (mayor) of Grafton, Rensselaer County, New York,
removed to the town from Grafton, Vermont, and tradition says
that through his influence the town received the name which
it has since borne. The first town meeting was held soon after the
organization, on the first Tuesday of April, 1807, at the house of
Nathan Hakes.
Grafton, Rensselaer County, New York had been a central part of
our Dumbleton family tree for many years, but that is no longer
the case. In its early days, there were eighteen Dumbletons
buried in Rensselaer County, fourteen of whom
are buried in Grafton at the red schoolhouse between the years
1864 to 1927. Read about them
here. Sadly, I cannot locate any Dumbletons currently residing
in the County of Rensselaer, New York and I only find a total
of thirty telephone numbers for the surname Dumbleton in the entire
State of New York. Of course, these are listed telephone numbers,
which excludes unlisted numbers and cellphone numbers. Check them out here.
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,987 people, 747
households, and 554 families residing in the town.
Various Towns Of Grafton:
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There is a Town of Grafton, Glouchestershire County, England
There is a Town of Grafton, Windham County, Vermont
There is a Town of Grafton, Rensselaer County, New York
There is a Town of Grafton, Worchester County, Massachusetts
There is a Town of Grafton, Monroe County, Michigan
There is a Town of Grafton, Ozaujkee County, Wisconsin
There is a Grafton County, New Hampshire
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