Joseph D. Hatch (January 21, 1811 - May 21, 1898) was a Vermont politician and businessman. He was most notable for terms in the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives ar ...

and

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members. Senate districting divides the 30 members into three single-member districts, six two-m ...

, and for serving as mayor of Burlington from 1876 to 1883.

Early life

Joseph Denison Hatch (frequently abbreviated as Jo. D. Hatch and J. D. Hatch) was born in

Norwich, Vermont Norwich is a town in Windsor County, in the U.S. state of Vermont. The population was 3,612 at the 2020 census. Home to some of the state of Vermont's wealthiest residents, the municipality is a commuter town for nearby Hanover, New Hampshir ...

on January 21, 1811, a son of Reuben and Eunice (Denison) Hatch. He attended the schools of Norwich and was a student at

Norwich University Norwich University – The Military College of Vermont is a private senior military college in Northfield, Vermont. It is the oldest private and senior military college in the United States and offers bachelor's and master's degrees on-campus ...

from 1823 to 1826. He then began attendance at

Dartmouth College Dartmouth College (; ) is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is one of the nine colonial colleges chartered before the American Revolution. Although founded to educate Native A ...

, from which he received his

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

degree in 1830. After finishing his college studies, Hatch settled in

Windsor, Vermont Windsor is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As the "Birthplace of Vermont", the town is where the Constitution of Vermont was adopted in 1777, thus marking the founding of the Vermont Republic, a sovereign state until 1791, when ...

, where he operated a successful general store in partnership with his brother Albert. After Albert Hatch's 1859 death, Joseph Hatch operated the store as the sole partner until he moved to

Burlington Burlington may refer to: Places Canada Geography * Burlington, Newfoundland and Labrador * Burlington, Nova Scotia * Burlington, Ontario, the most populous city with the name "Burlington" * Burlington, Prince Edward Island * Burlington Bay, no ...

. He was active in politics as a Whig and later as a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

, and represented Windsor in the

from 1853 to 1855 and Windsor County in the

from 1857 to 1859.

Later career

In 1861, Hatch moved to Burlington, where he became an investor in the

Central Vermont Railway The Central Vermont Railway was a railroad that operated in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, as well as the Canadian province of Quebec. It connected Montreal, Quebec, with New London, Connect ...

and the

Vermont and Canada Railroad The Central Vermont Railway was a railroad that operated in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, as well as the Canadian province of Quebec. It connected Montreal, Quebec, with New London, Conne ...

. He also became active in Burlington's government, serving on the board of aldermen from 1870 to 1876. Hatch served as mayor from 1876 to 1883, and frequently ran for reelection with the endorsement of both Republicans and Democrats. As the city's chief executive, Hatch received credit for reductions in the city tax rate and its bonded debt. In addition, he was credited with the creation of a sinking fund, which the city used to finance future projects, enabling it to avoid incurring additional debt.

Death and burial

Hatch died in Burlington on May 21, 1898. His funeral took place at Burlington's Cathedral Church of St. Paul. Attendees included

Edward Curtis Smith Edward Curtis Smith (January 5, 1854 – April 6, 1935) was an American attorney, businessman, and politician from Vermont. A Republican, he was most notable for his service as the 47th governor of Vermont from 1898 to 1900. Early life Edward Cur ...

Farrand Stewart Stranahan Farrand Stewart Stranahan (February 2, 1842 – July 13, 1904) was an American Civil War veteran, a railroad executive, a banker, and a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. Early life F. Stewart Stranahan was born in Manhattan, New Yo ...

, and

Urban A. Woodbury Urban Andrain Woodbury (July 11, 1838 – April 15, 1915) was an American Civil War veteran, an entrepreneur and a U.S. politician of the Republican Party. He served as mayor of Burlington, 37th lieutenant governor, and as the 45th governor of V ...

. Hatch was buried at

Lakeview Cemetery Lake View Cemetery is a Private property, privately owned, Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Rural cemetery, garden cemetery located in the cities of Cleveland, Cleveland Heights, Ohio, Cleveland Heights, and East Cleveland, Ohio, East Cleveland ...

in Burlington.

Family

In, 1832, Hatch married Frances Spooner Forbes (1812-1883) of Windsor. They were the parents of four children. Frances Elizabeth (1833-1860) was the wife of Isaac Green. Pattie (1839-1923) was the wife of Daniel Chipman Linsley. William was born and died in 1846. Josephine (1847-1936) married Rodney S. Wires.

References

Sources

Books

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Newspapers

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hatch, Joseph D. 1811 births 1898 deaths People from Norwich, Vermont People from Windsor, Vermont Politicians from Burlington, Vermont Dartmouth College alumni Vermont Whigs Vermont Republicans 19th-century American legislators Mayors of Burlington, Vermont Members of the Vermont House of Representatives Vermont state senators Burials at Lakeview Cemetery (Burlington, Vermont)