New Bridge! Old Newspaper Accounts
Excerpts from local newspapers concerning the replacement of the covered bridge connecting Brattleboro with Hinsdale. March 7, 1902 The old Connecticut River Bridge in Brattleboro, known as the old toll bridge, had the closest call in its history and it is now in such battered and weakened condition that it will probably be a better...Continue reading→
Breweries & Prohibition
C2H5OH: BANNED! Prohibition came to New England much earlier than it did to much of the rest of the country. In 1851 Maine passed a law banning the sale of alcoholic beverages. By 1855 all New England states had adopted a version of the Maine law, including Vermont.Continue reading→
John & Mary Carnahan Honored at Vermont Statehouse
On Wednesday, January 19, 2022, on the steps of the Vermont Capitol, John & Mary Carnahan were recognized by the Vermont Senate & House of Representatives for their many civic contributions to the Brattleboro community. Watch a video of the presentation at: https://youtu.be/ABvRSpyAxVY?si=hhblf3kdtsd326TD
Island Park – Brattleboro’s Playground
In the Connecticut River there used to be a pretty big island between Brattleboro and Hinsdale. In the 1800’s it was over 22 acres. 1862 In 1862 a Connecticut Valley flood devastated the island. The tollhouse was washed away, as was the farmhouse, and when the waters subsided about eight sandy acres of land remained....Continue reading→
Brattleboro’s Beginnings
ORIGINS: BRATTLEBORO’S BEGINNINGS Abenaki & Fort Dummer Prior to the 1700’s, Vermont was home to the Abenaki. Fort Dummer was built as the first English settlement in Vermont in 1724. The view of the Connecticut River and Mount Wantastiquet from the former site of Fort Dummer THE FORT Lt. Governor William Dummer of the Massachusetts...Continue reading→
The Brattleboro Historical Society Annual Meeting 2021
Page 1 Carol Farrington, Sec Brattleboro Historical Society – 2020 Annual Meeting November 15, 2020 – Virtual meeting via ZOOM The annual meeting was held via ZOOM as a result of the Covid Pandemic which has been curtailing most in-person activities. Call to order: 2:00 p. m. The annual meeting of the membership was called...Continue reading→
Deadly Flu Pandemic Hit Brattleboro in 1918
The first Brattleboro death from the flu epidemic occurred on September 30, 1918. The victim was a 36-year-old Fort Dummer Cotton Mill worker named Isidor Bellair. He was a French Canadian immigrant who had moved his family to Brattleboro two years earlier in order to find work at the mill. He was survived by his...Continue reading→
Brattleboro: The Defining Decades 1870-1920 Exhibit
By The Brattleboro Historical Society, Special to the Reformer Feb 15, 2019 In 1870 Brattleboro was in a lot of trouble. In the previous year two disasters had devastated much of the town. A flood had come ripping down the Whetstone Valley and destroyed many mills and businesses along the brook. The deluge had washed...Continue reading→
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 attendees. Farmers exhibited cattle, horses, poultry, sheep, pigs, dogs, fruits and vegetables, and many ribbons were awarded. It was an agricultural fair and the local organizers prided themselves on keeping the...Continue reading→
Hinsdale Bridge
The Hinsdale Bridge Collapse 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 Brattleboro Daily Reformer gave the...Continue reading→
‘There’s A Bigger Story’: Recently Rediscovered Petroglyphs Bring Indigenous Narrative To Surface
Bigger Story: Recently Rediscovered Petroglyphs Bring Indigenous Narrative To Surface AT THE RETREAT MEADOWS – Written in the land This 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...Continue reading→
Words on the Water: Stories of Wantastegok, the West River and Abenaki Presence
Words on the Water: Stories of Wantastegok, the West River and Abenaki Presence Friday, August 16, 2019 at 6:00 pm The Marina Restaurant, 28 Spring Tree Road, Brattleboro, VT 05301 Since construction of the Vernon Dam flooded the Retreat Meadows 110 years ago, Abenaki petroglyphs—ancient images carved in stone—have rested submerged, unseen evidence of the...Continue reading→