Many years after Jesse Welden became the first permanent settler in St. Albans, the town was the site of the northernmost raid by Confederate Civil War soldiers in 1864. St. Albans went on to earn fame as the "Railroad City." Over the years, the commercial base in St. Albans grew, many churches and schools were founded, and there was a sharp increase in population. Because of these many changes, St. Albans transformed from an agricultural community dependent upon Lake Champlain for transportation to the seat of Franklin County.