History Archives - Happy Vermont

History

  • Hiking The Long Trail in the Heart of Vermont
    Hiking The Long Trail in the Heart of Vermont

    Hiking the Long Trail might mean seeing an old stone wall, a cellar hole, or an abandoned road. On mountains like Camels Hump—where the century-old Long Trail crosses its peak—nearby wreckage from a 1944 bomber plane crash has fascinated historians, hikers and locals for decades. But hikers...

  • Celebrating Calvin Coolidge in Plymouth Notch
    Celebrating Calvin Coolidge in Plymouth Notch

    Vice president Calvin Coolidge was asleep in his childhood home in Plymouth Notch when the news arrived that President Warren Harding had died. A few hours later, on Aug. 3, 1923, at 2:47 a.m., Coolidge was sworn in as the 30th president of the United States....

  • The Wonder of Old Trees at Gifford Woods State Park
    The Wonder of Old Trees at Gifford Woods State Park

    It’s hard to imagine, but most of Vermont’s forests and hillsides were clear-cut in the 19th-century. Still, while 80 percent of the state had been deforested, a handful of Vermont’s old forests miraculously survived. Some of those old trees—more than 300 years old—can be seen...

  • Vermont Town Halls Showcase History, Community & Civic Life
    Vermont Town Halls Showcase History, Community & Civic Life

    Meander through the center of just about any small Vermont town and you'll likely come across a town hall. Not every Vermont town hall is the go-to place on Town Meeting Day—the first Tuesday in March—but many are gathering places for democracy in action that...

  • Podcast: Turnpikes, Toll Roads and Historic Routes
    Podcast: Turnpikes, Toll Roads and Historic Routes

    Driving west on Route 17, the road’s pitch starts to noticeably change as it rounds past Mad River Glen and climbs to an elevation of 2,375 feet in Buel’s Gore. The area, known as the “App Gap,” is also referred to as the McCullough Turnpike—a...

  • 8 Vermont Art and History Museums Showcase Quirky, Colorful and Eye-Opening Exhibits
    8 Vermont Art and History Museums Showcase Quirky, Colorful and Eye-Opening Exhibits

    Want to escape the cold or find inspiration during mud season? Several Vermont art and history museums are open in late winter and early spring with special events, new exhibitions, and timeless collections. From Burlington the Brattleboro, you’ll find a variety of Vermont art and history...

  • Signs and Archives at Stratton Mountain Resort
    Signs and Archives at Stratton Mountain Resort

    Stratton Mountain may not be Vermont’s oldest ski area, but its history is iconic. Tucked away at this Southern Vermont resort is a collection of Stratton Mountain signs, photos, and posters that tell the story of the ski area that opened in 1961. Stratton was Jake...

  • Snowsville to Lost Nation: Vermont Place Names Offer a Glimpse into Local History
    Snowsville to Lost Nation: Vermont Place Names Offer a Glimpse into Local History

    If you spend enough time in any Vermont town, you'll likely come across Vermont place names like Maple Corner in Calais, Snowsville in Braintree, and Hortonville in Mount Holly. These places are not official villages but rather unincorporated areas that are deeply rooted in the...

  • Small Vermont Ski Hills Offer Affordable Winter Fun
    Small Vermont Ski Hills Offer Affordable Winter Fun

    In the early days of New England skiing, winter enthusiasts flocked to small Vermont ski hills like Northeast Slopes in East Corinth, Gilbert’s Hill in Woodstock (home of the first rope tow in the United States), and Prospect Mountain in Woodford. Vermont skiing has come a...

  • Volunteers Take Pride in Preserving and Restoring Vermont’s Old Cemeteries
    Volunteers Take Pride in Preserving and Restoring Vermont’s Old Cemeteries

    When vandals damaged 200 gravestones at the historic Village Cemetery in Bennington last weekend, Tom Giffin immediately reached out to the town about how he could help. Giffin, of Rutland, is president of Vermont Old Cemetery Association (VOCA), a volunteer organization founded in 1958 to restore...