Three generations of women owned and operated a millinery business in Brattleboro for over 75 years during the eighteen and nineteen hundreds. One of the women, Mary Donnell, also spent a great deal of time representing the interests of the seamstresses and female factory workers who were supposed to benefit from the Thompson Trust. Here's the stor…

In 1942 Estey Organ on Birge St. went into wartime production for the government. Ammo boxes, pontoon bridges and portable organs for chaplains in war zones were made at the complex. Employment went from 90 to 350 and one third of the employees were women. here's the story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

Anthony Van Doorn came to Brattleboro in the early 1800's and became the largest furniture maker in Vermont. Pieces of his are on display in the Bennington Museum, Historic Deerfield Museum and the Brattleboro Historical Society. Here's his story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

Immigration and Deportation have both recently been in the news. The 1880's thru the 1920's saw major changes in these policies throughout the US and in Brattleboro. Here's the story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

Ernest Gibson Jr. became governor in the 1940's and established the Vermont State Police. Twenty years later he found himself criticizing the organization he helped start. Here's the story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

Brattleboro was chartered in 1753 but not organized as a town until 1761. This is the story of that process, and the first Brattleboro settler acknowledged by the New Hampshire government. His name was Oliver Willard. Here's the story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

Bayard Grant was born in Brattleboro in 1916. He would go on to fulfill a vital military role during the Berlin Airlift in the late 1940's. He benefitted from the belief that furthering one's education could help the individual, and also contribute to the well-being of society. Here's his story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

It took six years for the Harmony Parking Lot to progress from an idea to a reality...that was too long for the Dix-O-Dell Red and White Super Market. Here's the story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

In 2008 Walter Meyer donated handwritten minutes of four Brattleborough Town Meetings to the historical society. They date from 1781 and 1782. The minutes were recorded by Town Clerk Stephen Greenleaf. We summarize the actions of the freeholders in this recording...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

This week Westminster, Vt. commemorated the 250th anniversary of what became known as the “Westminster Massacre”. In 1775 two local men, William French and Daniel Houghton, were killed during a confrontation at the Westminster Courthouse between New York-leaning Tories and those who opposed the British/New York government. Here's the story...…

Seth Goldstein; Recorded February 13, 2025 - Black people and people of African heritage have lived in Maine for more than 400 years, playing a vital role in the shaping of the economy and the history of the state. In the 1800s, many of these individuals worked as farmers, homemakers, drivers, hotel owners, and restaurant keepers, and even more wor…

In 1823 the Bradshaw's rented a two floor wooden building on Main Street. The building was originally a harness shop, but the Bradshaw’s had other ideas for the structure. They were the first African American family to settle in Brattleboro. Here's the story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

Susanna Ashton; Recorded January 23, 2025 - In December of 1850, a faculty wife in Brunswick, Maine, named Harriet Beecher Stowe hid a fugitive enslaved man in her house. While John Andrew Jackson stayed for only one night, he made a lasting impression: drawing from this experience, Stowe began to write Uncle Tom’s Cabin, one of the most influentia…

Adam Shprintzen; Recorded January 13, 2025 - Vegetarianism has been practiced in the United States since the country's founding, yet the early years of the movement have been woefully misunderstood and understudied. Through the Civil War, the vegetarian movement focused on social and political reform, but by the late nineteenth century, the movemen…

On March 4, 1791 Vermont officially joined the USA. Brattleboro's representative to the convention to ratify the US Constitution was from one of the most loyal Tory families in New England. Here's the story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

Remember when dairy farms used to dot the Vermont countryside? Fifty years ago, there were almost 4000 Vermont farms milking cows. Now, the state has less than 500 dairy farms. Here in Windham County the numbers are similar. Thirty years ago, there were about 75 dairy farms in the southeastern corner of Vermont. Today there are less than 20. This w…

Brattleboro Historical Society is about to unveil a project to reach locals and visitors who are either in Brattleboro for a look or visiting via the BHS website. The project is titled “Memories of Brattleboro”. We are in the process of developing historic site markers for Brattleboro’s historic properties. A brief description will include a QR cod…

In 1912 soprano Mary Howe was the featured performer at the four day Brattleboro Pageant on Island Park. The Pageant was an historical review of Brattleboro's past. We thought this might be an appropriate topic for our 500th podcast of local history. These podcasts are an effort, on our part, to expand on our understandings of Brattleboro's past.…

In episode forty two I continue my in-depth discussion about the Silent Hill 2 Remake by Bloober Team but this time with a friend who's a new player and another who was disappointed! No video examples this time around since it was a super long podcast but you can still listen to it on youtube if you want! I hope you enjoy :)…

The first moving pictures to play in Brattleboro came to town in 1899. In 1921 the first major motion picture filmed in Vermont was shown in the Town Hall Auditorium. It starred Lillian Gish and was filmed north of here in the Connecticut River Valley. The movie was said to be "the greatest entertainment of its kind ever seen in Brattleboro.”…

This week is about Jim Fisk...the man who caused an economic panic known as "Black Friday". He was quite a wheeler-dealer and had several ties to Brattleboro. 7th grade BAMS students tell his story and rap about his impact on the country.โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

Edward C. Crosby was part of the 2nd generation of Crosby's to have a positive influence on Brattleboro. He was a prominent businessman who balanced his self-interests with the needs of the community. Here's his story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

BAMS students rap and tell the story of local hero Clarina Irene Howard Nichols. She was a pragmatic, hands-on advocate for Women's Rights, the Abolition of Slavery, and the Temperance Movement. Throughout her life she campaigned for equal opportunity and the protection of the vulnerable. This is her story...…

7th grade students created a rap about local hero Clarina Nichols with the help of artificial intelligence. This is their recording...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

Jimmy Carter visited Brattleboro in January of 1976. He was one of fifteen candidates vying for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States. Here's the story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

Elm Corners is located at the intersection of Maple and Guilford Streets. This is the history of this section of Brattleboro which used to be the southeastern boundary of Centreville village. The story goes back to the 1750's...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

In the 1980's a concerted community effort led to the creation of Wells Fountain Park in the area of town that used to be known as Toad Hill. This is the story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

In this forty-first episode I continue my in-depth discussion with my friends about the Silent Hill 2 Remake by Bloober Team! There's also a video version of the podcast uploaded to my WhitneyPlays youtube channel that includes a lot of pictures and videos of the things we are discussing!โดย Whitney Chavis

Larkin Mead was a world-renowned sculptor with many pieces on display in museums across the country. Locally he is remembered for his Recording Angel, Ceres-the Goddess of Agriculture atop the Vt. Capitol Building, statues of Ethan Allen and Abraham Lincoln. Here's the rest of his story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

A pre-1835 silver spoon was recently donated to the historical society. It was made by local silversmith John Burnham. Here's the story of how the 200 year old spoon made its way to our collection...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

This week we feature an interview with local 80 year old motorcyclist Joe Spano. Joe visited Brattleboro Area Middle School last week and shared his experiences with the local history class.โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

In late July, 1910, Brattleboro was in the middle of a railroad strike. The town was at a standstill and financial tensions filled the air. There were about 20 trains that stopped here on a daily basis. At the time, most industries in Brattleboro shipped their goods by rail, and passenger transport along the lines was also a preferred way to get fr…

In this fortieth episode I have an in-depth discussion with my friends about the Silent Hill 2 Remake by Bloober Team! There's also a video version of the podcast uploaded to my WhitneyPlays youtube channel that includes a lot of pictures and videos of the things we are discussing!โดย Whitney Chavis

Gene Ferriter was the train depot gatekeeper for 57 years. He saw many changes during his time with the railroad. Here's a bit of his story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

John Babin and Avery Yale Kamila; Recorded September 30, 2024 - Reaching back 300 years, MHS’s exhibit, Maine’s Untold Vegetarian History features stories of Mainers who changed what vegetarians eat and opened access to plant-based foods. Co-curators John Babin and Avery Yale Kamila discussed this little-known history with plenty of food for though…

Daylight Savings Time first came to the United States during World War I. This recording shares how Brattleboro dealt with the shift in time...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

The creemee first arrived in Vt. in 1951. The first creemee stand in this area was in Dummerston, next to Dutton Pines State Park in 1952. Brattleboro's first stand was the Freeze King Creemee Drive In on Canal Street, built in 1953. In 1955 it became the Hillside Dairy Freeze. Here's the story...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

Ann Powers; Recorded October 7, 2024 - Did you know that Joni Mitchell’s eighth studio record, Hejira, was inspired by a cross-country road trip Mitchell made to and from the midcoast village of Damariscotta? For decades, Mitchell’s life and music have enraptured listeners, and yet, while Mitchell has always been a force beckoning us still closer w…

Stephen R. Bradley, from Westminster, was one of Vermont's first US Senators. In fact, he was on the negotiation team that sealed the deal with New York and the United States, and brought Vermont into the Union. As Senator he put forth the bill which created the Flag Act of 1794. This law placed 15 stars and stripes on the US flag. He also proposed…

Stephen R. Bradley was very influential in the negotiations between Vermont, New York and the U.S. government when Vermont requested to join the United States. This recording tells the story of Bradley's involvement in the judicial, military, and political aspects of the negotiations.โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

Stephen R. Bradley was instrumental in winning recognition of Vermont by the newly established United States of America. This is a story of his early experiences in Vermont.โดย Brattleboro Historical Society

This recording marks the tenth year of BAMS students' collaboration with the historical society in the production of these local history recordings. For a span of approximately 100 years the Estey Company built over 500,000 reed organs and 3,000 pipe organs. The Estey Organ Company is said to have been the largest, and longest lasting, reed organ c…

A historical account of the development of Jewish communities in the Indiana Dunes Country region from 1830 to 1950. The author examines the early settlements of Jewish settlers in the area, including LaPorte, Michigan City, Valparaiso, Crown Point, and Lowell. The primary focus of the paper is on Hammond, Indiana, the first of the four industrial …

This biography of Minnette Baum, published by the Indiana Jewish Historical Society, highlights her extraordinary life as a social worker and Zionist. The document recounts her impactful work in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where she established programs for youth, immigrants, the blind, and disadvantaged women. It also explores her passionate commitment t…

A history of Congregation B'nai Torah in Indianapolis, Indiana, starting with its founding in 1923 as Central Hebrew Congregation. The text details the congregation's early struggles for survival, its growth under the leadership of Rabbi Nandor Fruchter, and its moves to more extensive facilities. The text includes anecdotes about the congregation'…

John Jacob Hays was Fort Wayne, Indiana's first known Jewish resident. The text outlines his family history, his early years in the American wilderness, his role as an Indian agent, and his contributions to the region's development. The authors examine his challenging experiences, including his efforts to mediate between Native American tribes and …

The history of Beth Shalom, a Jewish congregation in Bloomington, Indiana, focuses on the impact of a firebombing in 1984. The event profoundly affected the congregation, fostering a sense of unity and increasing their sense of community. The fire also brought an outpouring of support from the surrounding non-Jewish community, which bolstered the c…

Rabbi Morris M. Feuerlicht served the Indianapolis Hebrew Congregation for fifty years. The memoir details Feuerlicht’s career in the Jewish community, highlighting his contributions to social justice, his commitment to American Judaism, and his experiences with other faiths and cultures. Feuerlicht discusses his work with the Indianapolis Jewish F…

Our artifact collection continues to generate stories from the past...Here are two tales researched and told by BHS President Lee Ha...a doctor's scale and an 1830's foot warmer used at churchโดย Brattleboro Historical Society

Carol Farrington shares information about the life of Dr. Edward R. Lynch, founder of Melrose Hospital in West Brattleboro, which operated from 1907 until the Doctor's death in 1930...โดย Brattleboro Historical Society