Site Content

Thomas Northrop

Thomas was one of the earliest settlers of Fairfield. He had eight daughters and one son. The latter, Harmon, was born in 1796 and died in 1884. His wife was Sarah, daughter of Benjamin Wooster, who was the first Congregational minister of Fairfield. They had ten children, four of whom are living: Benjamin W. and Julian, of Fairfield; Joseph, of St. Albans; and Charlotte, the wife of W. Deming, of Sheldon. Benjamin W. Northrop married Emeline Smith, February 15, 1841. She was the daughter of Joab Smith, of Fairfield, the so-called " father of the town," and was born October 8, 1821, and died April 4, 1884. They had four children, of whom one was killed by lightning at the age of four years; Eunice married J. M. Carter, and died at Waukegan, 111., in 1886; Mary, wife of Archibald McArthur, resides in Waukegan, 111.; and J. S. lives on the homestead in Fairfield, The latter married Mary, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Hand, of Fairfield. Hazel Emeline, daughter of J. S. and Mary Northrop, was born April 8, 1889.

 Consuelo Bailey Northrop

Born in Fairfield in 1899 at her family farm, Consuelo Northrop attended grade school in Sheldon and high school in St. Albans. In 1921 she graduated from the University of Vermont. Later she entered Boston University Law School, graduating in 1925. In 1940 she married Henry Albon Bailey. Consuelo Bailey was the “first” in many areas: first woman city prosecutor for Burlington, first woman lawyer in VT to try a murder case, first VT woman to be admitted to practice law before the U. S. Supreme Court, first woman to be elected Speaker of the VT House, and the nation’s first female to be elected lieutenant governor.

Traveling the world and representing the state were important to Consuelo Northrop Bailey but no place was more comforting than Fairfield.

“One of life’s most comforting extras is love of the land…I see here the same land which the Northrop Family knew for nearly two centuries…I feel close to the America I knew in days gone by and because I feel free here… I feel the love of those whom I have known there which today still gives me a feeling of confidence, protection and peace”.

Bailey worked tirelessly for the local and national Republican Party until her death in 1976. She bequeathed the Town of Fairfield monies to build “The Bent Northrop Memorial Library.” The library, opened in 1988, is a constant reminder of Bailey’s never ending love of Fairfield.