I have a number of early 1800s Vermont law books. These are flimsy paperbacks of laws passed by the Vermont General Assembly by year. The history below is from the year 1819. I love these old ephemeral records. I can … Continued
I was recently asked what I knew about stone walls, and why so many stone walls are in the woods. It was in the early 1800s when Merino sheep were first imported from Spain to Weathersfield, Vt. Merino sheep were … Continued
The first photo with this article was taken in Bellows Falls. The Bellows Falls photo This is a mounted photo with black mount. Dating photos can be determined by the color of the mount. As decades passed, colors of … Continued
Below is from Zadock Thompson’s 1842 “History of Vermont.” At the end I will add my two cents. “THE BANDED RATTLE SNAKE “History. – This is the only poisonous reptile known to exist in Vermont; and although Rattle Snakes … Continued
The photo with this article is the 1920-1921 Chester High School basketball team. The boys are identified on the reverse. I won’t list their names, as several are incorrectly identified. As an example, Ray Pollard graduated in 1914, as did … Continued
I was going through stuff and found a Black River Gazette newspaper, published in Ludlow on Friday, Oct. 27, 1871. The front page is national news with some local news. The last page is news from area towns. Chester … Continued
Last week I mentioned Jane Farrell in the Stone Village. She and her mother Alice lived in the stone house previously owned by the Abbotts. Over the years I did a lot of business with Alice and Jane. Alice … Continued
A couple years ago an out-of-town antiques dealer brought to my attention that the eagle weathervane on top of Chester Town Hall was precariously leaning to one side. It was only a matter of time before it fell. I went … Continued
Twice a year, Vermont Fish & Wildlife hosts a free fishing day. This past Jan. 25 was the annual winter free fishing day. This is a program to introduce people to ice fishing. I went and took Ryan with me. … Continued
Sometimes I get caught short for time to write an article. Such was the case this weekend. So, I stole a story from my latest book, “Stories of Us.” These books are available at Stone House Antiques Center and The … Continued