My earliest memory of Christmas is 1955. I was four years old. I have just hazy visions of that day. We always had a tree, although by today’s standard they weren’t much. Today balsam trees are widely available, but in … Continued
Below is some Chester Depot railroad history. Robert “Bob” Adams wrote this history for me in 2005. Bob had retired from the Rutland Railroad. He was about to meet Nelson Blount. These two men, with others, including Gov. Tom Salmon, … Continued
CHESTER, Vt. – Most readers will be aware of high school yearbooks. Yearbooks have not always been around. Here I shed light on what existed before yearbooks. This history would apply to most New England towns. Autograph albums The earliest … Continued
Last week, Lonnie Lisai and I went exploring some of the 1760 Crown Point Road in Cavendish. Lonnie is now on the board of the Crown Point Road Association. Lonnie wanted to show me the site where, in 1760, a … Continued
The Cheshire Toll Bridge is the iron bridge that connects Springfield and Charlestown. In 1804, the Cheshire Bridge Corporation was granted a charter to build a bridge at this location. This wooden bridge was completed in 1806. A second covered … Continued
CHESTER, Vt. – As he settled into his chair, he told me. “I’m not a writer,” he said. “I’m a storyteller. I make that distinction.” If you were to see him walking around Chester, you might not recognize him. The … Continued
Here, from a 1962 Rutland Herald, is an article from 60 years ago. Roy Williams and his wife, Thad, were close friends with my mother. I remember both well. Roy was a patient man. Thad could be difficult. As this … Continued
Some will know of Richard and Helen Moore at the Town Farm in Springfield. In 1998, Helen compiled a spiral bound book, “History Begins at Home.” It’s a history of Richard Moore’s family. Below is a story written by Richard’s … Continued
Danny Clemons and I went cemeterying this past Oct. 15 for the first time this year. We’ve visited many of the cemeteries in this region in past years. So where to go was the question. We began the day in … Continued
An interesting category of ephemera to collect is mourning covers. What we call envelopes today, are known as “covers” in the trade. The mourning cover with this article is 1923. In the old days, communication as we know it today … Continued