History Archives - Happy Vermont

History

  • Vermont Places and Roads Named After Mud
    Vermont Places and Roads Named After Mud

    If you've driven on dirt roads in the last week or so, it's clear that Vermont mud season has arrived. Mud season happens when temperatures rise above freezing and the snow starts to melt. The ground thaws on the surface but remains frozen deep underneath, preventing...

  • Quirks, Collections and Taxidermy: Vermont Libraries
    Quirks, Collections and Taxidermy: Vermont Libraries

    Vermont is home to about 185 libraries. Jessamyn West is on a quest to visit every single one. "Vermont is a very make-your-own-fun kind of place," says West, a library technologist from Randolph. She's visited about 68 Vermont libraries so far. "My rule is that you have...

  • Vermont Winter Carnivals to Celebrate the Season
    Vermont Winter Carnivals to Celebrate the Season

    Ski jumping, a wood sawing competition and a nine-mile sleigh ride were some highlights of the first Chester Winter Carnival in 1922. The sleigh ride to Rockingham and back brought locals to a supper and dance at the Rockingham Grange Hall. The night ran long that...

  • Old and Lost Vermont Town Names
    Old and Lost Vermont Town Names

    On any digital or paper Vermont map, you can easily find Vermont's 252 cities and towns. But what you won't find as easily are lost Vermont town names like Vineyard or Mansfield. Vineyard is now Isle La Motte and Mansfield is now Stowe. Dig a little...

  • Ethan Allen and the Hidden History of Burlington
    Ethan Allen and the Hidden History of Burlington

    What would Vermont be if not for Ethan Allen? Perhaps the Green Mountains would still be part of the Empire or Granite State. Allen, a Revolutionary War hero, is best known for leading the Green Mountain Boys during the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in 1775. In his adopted...

  • Art, Nature and Beauty in Montgomery
    Art, Nature and Beauty in Montgomery

    Traveling east on Route 118 along the Trout River is a nostalgic scene with covered bridges, barns and mountain views. After a few bends in the road, a clear view of the Montgomery Center for the Arts unfolds. The Greek Revival building was empty the first...

  • A Place Called Adamant
    A Place Called Adamant

    It's hard to define Adamant. The unincorporated village, situated on the Calais and East Montpelier town line, consists of dirt roads, ponds, waterfalls and a small co-op grocery store with a post office. But where its border exactly starts and ends is tricky to pin down. Locals...

  • Pieces of History on Mount Philo in Charlotte
    Pieces of History on Mount Philo in Charlotte

    Mount Philo in Charlotte stands at 968 feet. Lower in elevation than the Empire State Building and tiny compared to the neighboring Green Mountains and Adirondacks, Mount Philo is everything you could want in a mountain. It's accessible, easy to hike and offers some of the best views around. The...

  • Vermont Museums Explore Rocks, Organs, Birds and Everyday Items
    Vermont Museums Explore Rocks, Organs, Birds and Everyday Items

    Vermont museums are gearing up for the 2024 season with new exhibits highlighting mining and minerals, birds, New England culture, Vermont firsts, organs, history and the notion of stains. Read on to learn about summer and fall exhibits at eight Vermont museums across the state. -The Museum...

  • The Early Days of Skiing and Trails at Stowe
    The Early Days of Skiing and Trails at Stowe

    When it comes to Vermont ski history, 1934 was a big year. Ninety years ago, the first rope tow in the country opened in Woodstock. In 1934, the Mt. Mansfield Ski Patrol at Stowe Mountain Resort became incorporated, and the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the...