The Valley Fair
https://soundcloud.com/bratthistoricalsoc/bhs-podcast-e12-this-week-in-brattleboro-history-by-joe-rivers?si=d06bfcbf9fb342188676fae623d86931 The Valley Fair in Brattleboro began in 1886. It was held for one day in the 2nd week of October and had over 5000...
Neighborhoods: Centreville
NeighborhoodsCentreville1930Since 1860 The (Nearly) ForgottonCentreville is a nearly forgotten neighborhood located mainly on Western Avenue, the busy Vermont Deli thrives today in the heart of it. Extending along Western Avenue from approximately I-91, Exit 2 to the...
Hinsdale Bridge
ExhibitCollapse!Saturday, March 28, 1920 the Hinsdale Bridge between Brattleboro and Island Park collapsed into the Connecticut River. The winter had produced a great deal of snow, a warm spell caused a quick melt, and eight to ten inches of ice were still on the...
Maple Sugaring
Sugar ImportAbout 125 years ago the Vermont Phoenix, a Brattleboro newspaper, published an article by local sugar maker John Gale concerning the annual gathering of maple sap during the early spring. The practice was learned from Indigenous peoples of the Northeast...
Podcast BHS e186-Charles Frost-botanist, abolitionist and shoemaker
‘There’s A Bigger Story’: Recently Rediscovered Petroglyphs Bring Indigenous Narrative To Surface
At the Retreat meadowsWritten in the landThis year brings the first official observation of Indigenous People’s Day in Vermont. It's also a time to reflect on what this part of the world was like before any Europeans set foot here, and on a submerged river bank in...
The Valley Fair
The Valley Fair in Brattleboro began in 1886. It was held for one day in the 2nd week of October and had over 5000 people attend. Farmers exhibited cattle, horses, poultry, sheep, pigs, dogs, fruits and vegetables, and many ribbons were awarded.
A Weekend of Events Celebrate “Something About Mary”
Across Brattleboro Mary at the Lit Fest The Governor of Vermont has proclaimed Oct. 17, 2019 to be “Mary E. Wilkins Freeman Day,” starting an entire weekend of events celebrating local history and words as part of the Brattleboro Literary Festival, a principal partner...
Union Block
On the east side of Main Street, near the junction of Main and Elliot, is an old brick building with the name “Union Block” highlighted in raised bricks at the top of the third floor. Between the second and third floors is a large bronze plaque, bearing the name “Amedeo de Angelis”, with the United States Seal depicted at each end of the plaque. Have you ever wondered how the building ended up with these two monikers?
Putney Road Expansion
From 1900 to 1950 Brattleboro’s population, on average, increased by 1000 people per decade. In 1900 the population was about 6,500 and by 1950 the census stated there were about 11,500 people in town.