From Historical Rutland: an illustrated history of Rutland, Vermont, from the granting of the charter in 1761 to 1911 by Rev. F. E. Davison, Rutland, Vt.: P.H. Brehmer, 1911, page 22:
It was about this time that the village was incorporated, under an act of the General Assembly passed November 15, 1847. The village was divided into seven wards in 1856.
The first section of the act of incorporation reads as follows:
"That part of the town of Rutland embraced within the following boundaries to wit: Beginning at the east side of the high way at the northern corner of land owned by Charles K. Williams; thence east on the north line of the said land, and in that direction 100 rods; thence due south to the south bank of Moon's brook; thence west along said bank until it strikes Truman Moulthrop's land; thence in a stranght line to the southeast corner of Jonathan c. Thrall's land; thence north on the east line of said land to the northeast
corner of the same; thence due north to the north line of land set off to Lydia Fay, as dower in her husband's [23] estate; thence east on the north line of said land and in that direction to the east side of the highway first mentioned; thence to the first mentioned bounds, shall hereafter be known by the name of the village of Rutland, and the inhabitants of said village are hereby constituted a body politic and corporate with the usual powers incident to public corporations, to be known by the name of the village of Rutland."
These boundaries were afterwards somewhat changed but as given sufficiently locate the boundaries of the village as at first incorporated.
The precursor of the sewer system is found among the instructions to the trustees at the July meeting of 1850, in which they were directed to "clear out and cover up such ditches as they shall think proper." They were also instructed to "extend the plank walks and construct them through the Main street north and south from Mrs. Temple's to Mr. Perkins's on both sides; also, on the street from Mr. Perkins's east on the north side as far as they think proper." One of the regulaations adopted the following year (1851) was as follows: "No person shall drive on or ride any horse or other beast upon the plank sidewalks, except to cross the same; penalty fifty cents."
The march of progress is further noted in the record of a meeting called in June, 1858, to see if the people would aid in putting up gas works. and in the same year $500 was appropriated to erect fences around the parks on Main Street. In March, 1859, a proposal was advanced at a meeting, that the people buy the land between West and Center Streets and west of Court Street, for a public square, and to see if the corporation would purchase a vacant lot between Washington and Center Streets and east of Dr. Page's residences and the new bank, for a public park. This proposition called out from some facetious person, a proposal to buy three acres in "Nebraska" for musters and bull fights.
Up to the year 1863 no effort was made towards lighting the streets, except the limited use of lamps provided by private enterprise. In that year a charter was obtained for the organization of the "Rutland Gas Light Company." This company erected gas works, laid pipes and started manufacture, continuing until 1867. in which year a special meeting was called to consider the prooject of lighting the village with gas, and a commmittee was appointed to confer with the owners of the stock of the Rutland Gas Light Company as to the purchase of their works; General Baxter then holding the majority of the stock. On March 28, a charter was obtained for the "Peoples Gas Light Company," with an original capital stock of $60,000. This company purchased the entire plant of the original organization, made necessary improvements and put the works upon a thorough going basis. This was the genesis of the present day system of street lighting and general illumination. Geo. A. Tuttle was the organizer and for a long time treasurer of the company.