Bridges and Floods

Bridges and Floods

In 1889 a “remarkably strong and substantial” suspension bridge was built across the Connecticut River to connect Brattleboro with Chesterfield, NH.  It was the culmination of a series of negotiations designed to improve east/west transportation between Brattleboro,...

Steamboats and Connecticut River

Steamboats and Connecticut River

Gravestone epitaphs have led us on interesting journeys. At Prospect Hill Cemetery there is a stone that overlooks the Connecticut River. Carved on one side is the following; “The grave of Alanson D. Wood, who was killed instantly on this river by the explosion of the Steamboat Greenfield, May 18, 1840, age 30.”

Soldiers’ Monument Tablet on Juneteenth

Soldiers’ Monument Tablet on Juneteenth

On June 19, 2022 the town of Brattleboro unveiled a corrective and interpretative tablet that was placed next to the Civil War Soldiers' Monument.  A town committee crafted the text of the tablet and the Select Board approved the new installation and funding for the...

The Bradshaw’s

The Bradshaw’s

What was it like to be a young African American family settling into 1820’s Brattleboro?  In 1823 a young couple in their twenties, with a small child, moved to Brattleboro from Massachusetts.   Andrew and Phoebe Bradshaw rented a building on Main Street to begin...

Hinsdale Bridge

Hinsdale Bridge

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 river.  The...