South Royalton in Windsor County, Vermont — The American Northeast (New England)

Jessie LaFountain Bigwood

First Woman Admitted To Vermont Bar

Photographed by Kevin Craft, May 17, 2014

1. Jessie LaFountain Bigwood Marker

Inscription. Born in 1874, Jessie LaFountain attended Burlington Business College and worked as a government reporter at Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester/Essex, Vermont. In 1898 she married Frederick H. Bigwood and shortly thereafter entered the office of V.A. Bullard, a Burlington attorney. In 1900 she took a special law course at Boston University and, after completing the Vermont Bar examination, was successfully admitted in October 1902. It would be 10 more years before another woman was admitted to the VT Bar and 18 years before the passage of the 19th Amendment giving women the right to vote. Mrs. Bigwood died in 1953.

Erected 1997 by Vermont Division for Historic Preservation.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Education • Women. In addition, it is included in the Vermont Division for Historic Preservation Markers series list. A significant historical month for this entry is October 1902.

Location. 43° 49.32′ N, 72° 31.2′ W. Marker is in Royalton, Vermont, in Windsor County. It is in South Royalton. It is on Chelsea Street (Vermont Route 110) 0.2 miles south of Route 14, on the right when

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traveling south. Located adjacent the entrance to the Vermont Law School. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 118 Chelsea St, South Royalton VT 05068, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Vermont’s Connecticut River Valley

and in the Green Mountains.

It is also in the American Northeast

and in New England.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Joseph Smith Monument (approx. 0.9 miles away); Wagon Wheels Farm (approx. one mile away); Lafayette's Tour (approx. 1.4 miles away); The Royalton Raid (approx. 1.4 miles away); Stone Turnpike Marker (approx. 1.4 miles away); Burning of Royalton (approx. 1.4 miles away); Site of 1780 Raid (approx. 2.2 miles away); Joseph Smith Birthplace Memorial (approx. 2.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Royalton.

Photographed by Kevin Craft, May 17, 2014

2. Jessie LaFountain Bigwood Marker

(looking north)

Photographed by Kevin Craft, May 17, 2014

3. Jessie LaFountain Bigwood Marker

(looking south)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 24, 2014, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec. This page has been viewed 797 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on May 24, 2014, by Kevin Craft of Bedford, Quebec. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.