Dorset Historical Society
(www.dorsethistory.org)

• Complete inventories of all the cemeteries in Dorset, including names and dates of everyone buried in each.
• Map reproductions for sale from the late 1800's.
• U.S. Census Reports
• A History of the quarries

Dorset Town Hall.  (802) 362-1178.    Mad Tom Road, East Dorset Village. Hours generally weekdays 9:00 am - 2:00 p.m.  You can look through the records in person ($2/hr fee) or ask the Town Clerk to look up specific information for you over the phone. Mailing address: P.O. Box 52, Dorset, VT 05251.

• Birth, Death and Marriage Records
• Land Records
• Veteran Records
• Old Map of Dorset, showing buildings and family names

Dorset - Under the Shadow of the Marble Mountain, by Tyler Resch, 1989, ISBN 0-914659-44-8. Available online from the Northshire Bookstore (located in nearby Manchester, Vermont, and my favorite bookstore).  $30.00 list.

• Extensive naratives about the town's history
• A small section about Irish Catholics
• A chapter about the quarries
• A chapter on the "summer people"
• A listing of veterans from Dorset for each war
• The liners consists of an two 1800's maps showing houses and household names - quite a few are Irish.
  

Vermont Public Records - Obtain birth, marriage and death records for a fee of $9.50.  Online application forms are available at www.bgs.state.vt.us/gsc/pubrec/referen.   You do not need to know the town in Vermont or the exact year (esp. for 1800's records).  They have their records organized alphabetically by the individual's name within groups of years.  Note: If you send away for marriage records, you will only be given a bride's record or the groom's record, unless you specify you want both and pay for both ($19.00).

Catholic Church Archives. Archivist Diocese of Burlington, 351 North Avenue, Burlington, VT 05401.

• 1837-1854, Rev. John B. Daly performed missionary work in southern VT.  The records of his baptisms for the period 1845-1848 and marriages from 1843 to 1847 are kept at the Diocesan Archives.
• 1853, The Diocese of Burlington, which covers all of the State of Vermont, was established with Louis DeGOESBRIAND serving as Bishop until 1899.

The Vermont Marble Museum - They have a large museum in Proctor, Vermont, which includes an exhibit about immigrant workers.  A photographer was hired in the late 1800's or early 1900's to document the quarries, so there are some great photos.

Also: The Vermont Marble Company. They mine what is basically the same marble vein as in Dorset, but in the next town to the north (Danby).  Here is another page (warning: plays music).   While I don't think they have any records available to the public, there's some interesting info about the Danby marble there.

Above:   This small cemetery is located on Morse Hill Road in South Dorset, overlooking the former John & Ellen McDevitt farm.  The Dorset Historical Society has a complete inventory of all cemeteries including the names of all the people buried in each.