Stephen Bates
Stephen Bates was Vermont’s earliest known Black sheriff and chief of police, living and serving in the City of Vergennes from 1879-1907. Bates was born enslaved in Virginia. He escaped in 1862 and came to Vermont after the Civil War with U.S. Congressman Frederick E. Woodbridge.
This Place in History is produced in partnership by Local 22 & Local 44 (www.mychamplainvalley.com) and the Vermont Historical Society.
