U.S. Customs Service. District of Vermont.

The United States Customs Service, a branch of the U.S. Treasury Department, was organized under a July 1798 act (I Stat L., 29-49) "providing for the establishment of customs districts and ports of entry, the appointment of customs officials and the method of collecting the duties." The Service controlled the movement of commodities, persons, and vessels between the United States and foreign countries. Customs officers collected duties on imports, registered and licensed vessels, and enforced laws and regulations governing foreign trade.

The collection district of Vermont was established on March 2, 1791 and encompassed the entire state. Alburg was the port of entry. In 1811 a separate collection district was established for Lake Memphremagog encompassing that part of the Lake lying within Vermont. It was discontinued and annexed to the Vermont district in 1822.

In 1874 the boundaries of the district included all of Lake Champlain and extended along the northern boundary of the State with Burlington as the port of entry. Vermont was divided into two districts, conforming to its congressional district lines, in 1897. The first district's port of entry was Burlington, with subports at St. Albans, Alburg, East Alburg, Swanton, Highgate, Franklin, West Berkshire, Windmill Point (Alburg) and Richford.

The second district's port of entry was Newport and North Troy, Derby Line, Island Pond, Canaan, and Beecher Falls (Canaan) were subports. The second district was abolished in 1913 when a single district for the State was re-established.