Hancock was granted November 7, 1780 and chartered July 31, 1781 by our first governor, Governor Chittenden, to Samuel Wilcox and 129 associates. Hancock grew as Poineers seeking new land after the Revolutionary War moved into Hancock, In 1791, there were 56 people. The population reached its peak of 472 residents in 1830. After the Civil War, the opening of the west brought on a movement of people westward to better farming lands and opportunities. This affected most of Vermont and Hancock was no immune to the departures. The small farms and mills that made up much of the town were gradually phased out and only the larger farms survived. Today, farms have all but disappeared from Hancock’s landscape. Since its peak, the population of Hancock has been slowly rebounding; however, it has never made it back to the population that is once held.