Panton dates to 1764, and 31% of its homes were built before 1940
Its Register listing is the District School No. 1. Its Register listing is the District School No. 1. Below: 2 old photos and papers from 1819 on and old-book passages.
Retreating from the Battle of Valcour Island, one of the first naval battles of the American Revolutionary War, American General Benedict Arnold ordered his men to run their five vessels aground in Ferris Bay (now called Arnold's Bay) in Panton, where the waters were too shallow for the larger British vessels to follow. These boats were stripped, and set on fire, with their flags still flying. Arnold, the last to land, personally torched his flagship Congress.
Passages that mention Panton, cut from the printed page as they were published.
History of Addison county Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1886 · page 582Read the page →
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After the war a number of unsuccessful attempts were made to unite a portion of Panton and the town of Ferrisburgh into one township. Thus, in May, 1784, we find it recorded that a meeting proceeded to the following action : " Mr. Peter Ferris git a remonstrance for to see who will sign to unite with Ferrisburgh, (viz.) the Inhabitants on the southwest side of Otter Creek and the inhabitants of Panton." And again in September, 1785, " That we will and do by a great majority of votes that we will petition with Ferrisburgh to the legislature body of this State to frame the township of Panton and the
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History of Addison county Vermont, with illustrations and biographical sketches of some of its prominent men and pioneers1886 · page 577Read the page →
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full number of acres of land demanded in their charter, to which we have alluded. We quote as follows : " Captain Josiah Dean was chosen agent to go to Portsmouth, and there make petition of the survey of s'd township of Panton, to the governor of New Hampshire, or of the proper officer for s'd return to be made, and, whereas there is not room between Otter Creek and Lake Champlain for s'd township of Panton, to be laid agreeable to the charter thereof, by reason the Lake and Otter Creek at the northern end of s'd Township are found on a mensuration to be nearer together than were supposed to be
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Scans and text from the Internet Archive. Books published in 1930 or earlier, which are in the public domain.
By decade
Panton, decade by decade
2 decades in the archive, from the 1810s to the 1970s. Scroll each row; tap a photo for its story.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →
From Wikimedia Commons (6), the National Register of Historic Places (1), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock), the USGS Geographic Names Information System and old county and town histories (Internet Archive). Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
2017
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2004