From 1974-1981 the Chelsea House Cafe and Folklore Center operated in an old barn in West Brattleboro.  Philadelphia transplants Carol Levin and Bill Gehman began the non-profit organization and brought Folk and Traditional Music performers from all over the world to the area.

BHS e433-Chelsea House 1974-1981

In the late 1800's  French Canadian immigrant Frank Curtis invented a machine that could automatically make screws.  He and his sons would go on to refine the machining components and further develop his invention.  Eventually, the machining platform developed by Curtis would be used to create products for a variety of industries.  Today, many vehicles around the world contain Curtis-manufactured parts.  The image shows the original Curtis Mill in West Brattleboro.  Here's the story...

BHS e434-Frank Curtis, West Brattleboro Inventor

Between the 1850’s and the 1950’s Brattleboro’s Estey Organ Company built more than 500,000 reed organs.  Jacob Estey, founder of the business, could not play an instrument, but was instrumental in the development of American musical tastes.  This is the story of how it all began...

BHS e435-Melodeon Beginnings in Brattleboro

In 1971 snow began to fall late on Thanksgiving Eve.  The National Weather Service had anticipated light precipitation in the Brattleboro area. However, a Nor’easter arrived instead of light snow and the town plows were on the road by 4 am Thanksgiving morning.  They ran continuously for the next twenty hours as fifteen inches of snow fell in Brattleboro.  Here's the story...

BHS e436-Thanksgiving Storm 1971

Barrows Mussey moved to the Brattleboro area in the 1930's.  He wrote many stories with local historical connections.  He also translated Mein Kampf for a NYC publisher and wrote many textbooks for magicians.  Here's his story...

BHS e437-Barrows Mussey-magician, historian and translator

In 1958 the Creamery Bridge was decorated for the holidays by the Lions Club.  The lights remained on until Winter Carnival.  This was a tradition for many years.

BHS e438-Creamery Bridge-Holiday Edition-1958

Bob Cornellier joined the BHS Trustees in 2020. He has made many contributions to the Society. These contributions include images from far below the water's surface and high above the tallest structure in our community.

BHS e439-Bob Cornellier and the Bridges

Sixty years ago the Puerto Rican Little League champions played in Brattleboro as part of the New England Little League Championship.  Enrique Rivera was the 2nd baseman for the team.  Recently he visited the Little League field on South Main St to help remember the experience...

Enrique “Coco” Rivera-Moran

BHS e440-Enrique “Coco” Rivera-Moran and Little League

In 1824 Stephen Greenleaf wrote a description of Brattleborough for Zadock Thompson's Vermont Gazetteer.  The 200 year old overview of town is shared in this podcast...

BHS e441-Brattleborough and the Vermont Gazetteer  1824

In 1939 the Wizard of Oz played at the newly opened Latchis Memorial Theatre.  As part of the movie promotion, the original Munchkin Land Carriage from the movie set was on display during a parade featuring local youngsters dressed as the movie characters.  This is the story...

The Wizard of Oz 2010 Deluxe Edition

BHS e442-Oz and the Latchis Memorial Theatre

In 1803 John Gore was born in Halifax, Vermont.  He moved to Brattleboro and opened a blacksmith shop with his brothers.  He also became very involved in the design and construction of steam boilers and engines.  His mechanical genius became well known to many.  Here's his story...

BHS e443-Steam Power and John Gore  1837

In December 1723 the colony of Massachusetts decided to build a fort on the northern frontier of their colony to protect settlements along the Connecticut River Valley and establish trade arrangements with the Natives.  Alliances between Europeans and Native Americans shifted with changing circumstances.  Here's the story...

BHS e444-Fort Dummer and Shifting Alliances

In 1976 Walt Harrington led an archaeological dig on the Fort Dummer site along the Connecticut River.  This is the story...

BHS e 445-Fort Dummer In 1976

The first African American family burial plot in Brattleboro was purchased in 1859 by Francis (Frank) Green.  The plot is located in the Prospect Hill Cemetery.   Frank Green moved to Brattleboro in the mid-1830’s.  Here is the story...

BHS e446-"Barber" Green family burial plot

The Willard family is very connected to the history of Fort Dummer.  This podcast follows four generations of Willards, from the mouth of the Connecticut River in the 1600's to Fort #4 in the 1700's.

BHS e447- The Willards and Fort Dummer

The wood fiber/polymer material known as Texon was developed in Brattleboro by DuPont in the 1930's.  It is presently used in many products that include footwear, athletic wear and protective gear.  Here's the story...

BHS e448-DuPont And Vinton Mill

Warren Pease recently celebrated his 90th birthday.  For much of his life he worked at the Retreat Farm.  The Historical Society interviewed Warren about his farm experience.  Here is a summary of the interview...

BHS e449-Warren Pease and the Retreat Farm

In 1961 Brattleboro switched to Representative Town Meeting.
177 candidates filed petitions to become one of the 105 Representative Town Meeting members.  There was a robust vote and the Representatives were chosen.  The meeting took place in the high school gym.  In this episode reasons for the 1961 government switch are offered. This year there are 35 candidates running for the 62 open Representative Town Meeting seats.

BHS e450-1st Representative Town Meeting 1961

This week’s vocabulary word is hyperbole.
In 1893 Daniel Griggs declared Brattleboro “The Best Place on Earth”.  Griggs was half of a business partnership that produced a promotional real estate booklet claiming the town was “full of beauty, health and goodness.”  Here's the story...

BHS e451-Daniel Griggs and "The Best Place On Earth"

Caroline Balestier, a young woman from Brattleboro, married world-famous author Rudyard Kipling in January, 1892 while both were in London, England.  The wedding took place during a flu epidemic that was sweeping through England at the time. This is the story of how Carrie and Kipling met and chose to settle in Brattleboro.

BHS e452-Carrie And Rudyard Part 1

Carrie Balestier and Rudyard Kipling were married and moved to Vermont in 1892.  They would remain in the Brattleboro area until a family feud caused them to move to England in 1896.  Local historian Mary Cabot was a family friend and wrote about what caused them to leave...here's the story  (portrait of Carrie Balestier Kipling)

1982-09-29 - The Metro

BHS e453-The Kipling's and Mary Cabot (part 2)

The last major solar eclipse to pass over Brattleboro occurred in 1932.  Radio was still a fairly new technology and scientists studied the impact of a solar eclipse on commercial radio signals.  The press called this the first "spectator eclipse" as many people traveled to see the rare, natural phenomenon.  Here is the story...

BHS e454-1932 Eclipse (and 1925)

Pleasant Valley Reservoir is a vital piece of the Brattleboro water system.  Here's the story of its 1909 construction and how Italian workers were involved in many of the major infrastructure projects of the time...

BHS e455-Pleasant Valley Reservoir and Italian Immigrants

Irah D. Spaulding was 19 when he earned his pilot's license in 1912.  Irah grew up on Elliot Street.  He was the first person to fly an exhibition biplane at the Valley Fairgrounds.  He served in World War I and continued flying experimental planes for the Navy after the war.  Injuries caused him to leave the military in 1922.  He would later have an insurance claim against the Navy settled by the Supreme Court...

BHS e456-Irah D Spaulding, early pilot

BAMS students interviewed Ben Robb of Robb Family Farm concerning this year's sugaring season.  The Robb's have been sugaring on Ames Hill in West Brattleboro for four generations.  It was a wide-ranging interview touching upon the polar vortex, the Canadian Maple Federation, changing taste palates, evolving technology and predicted long term trends in the local industry.

BHS e457 - The Robb Sugaring Report

From 1837 to 1950 Brattleboro operated a Town Farm to provide support for those who could not financially take care of themselves.  This is the story...

BHS e458-Town Farms and Paupers  1837-1950

200 years ago Daniel Webster was a strong advocate for keeping the United States together during tumultuous times.  He also had some connections with Brattleboro...here's the story...

BHS e459-Daniel Webster, the Union, and Brattleboro

Beginning May 4 the Black Lives Matter flag will fly under the American flag at BAMS, BUHS and the Career Center.  Here's the story...

BHS Podcast e152 - Black Lives Matter at BAMS

In May of 1982 the Ku Klux Klan held a recruitment rally at the Common.  It was not the Klan's first visit to Brattleboro.  Here's the story...

BHS e216-The Day a Song Drove the KKK Out of Brattleboro

Arthur Goodenough was born in 1871 and his first published poem appeared when he was fourteen years old.  He spent his entire life on the family farm in West Brattleboro and, as an amateur poet, wrote thousands of stanzas.
In 1931 Goodenough argued against the adoption of sterilization as a means of promoting the eugenics movement in Vermont.  Here's the story...

BHS e246  Arthur Goodenough and Vt. Eugenics

Since its founding in 1982, the Brattleboro Historical Society has worked to shelter and share locally significant facts and artifacts so present and future generations can learn from the past.

BrattHistoricalSoc

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