SHHS Presents: The History of CIDER Part 1

Champlain Islanders Developing Essential Resources-CIDER Part 1 Click here for the video telling about the beginnings of this model program right here in the Champlain Islands.

SHHS Presents: Taking Care of the Roads with John Roy and Bernita Tourville

March 2025, Click here for a video of John Roy and Bernita Tourville sharing stories of taking care of the roads in South Hero.

John has been road commisioner for over 35 years.This is a picture of his farm on Station Road.

Bernita's husband Junior Tourville was road commisioner from 1966 to 1987. Junior in 1970s with the Town Truck

A young Junior Tourville

Junior Tourville and Jasper Santor designed a 3 barrell heater to heat water to use to melt ice in the culverts that were frozen!

Junior grading the road down to his farm on East Shore Road

SHHS Presents: The History of South Heroe Island

Click here for a link to the LCATV recording of "The History of South Heroe Island" presented on October. 21st by the South Hero Historical Society

SHHS PRESENTS: The Early History of the South Heroe Island (1775-1800) 6:30 PM at Worthen Library Oct. 21, 2025 Presenter: Jim Hoag

On Tuesday, Oct. 21st, The South Hero Historical Society shared with us research into the early history and European settlement of what is now the towns of South Hero and Grand Isle. Did the Green Mountain Boys settle the islands? Who gave them the land and why? Where did other settlers come from and why? What hardships were overcome living here? How did South Hero become a community that to this day remains a place where people feel connected, take care of each other, and always appreciate crossing the sandbar bridge and “coming home.”

We went back in time and appreciated how our ancestors did what they did so we can do what we do! All ages are always invited to our programs. Refreshments were served.

Hyde Log Cabin (1783) is representative of homes built during the 1775-1800 time period in the islands. (Pic courtesy of Grand Isle Historical Society)

Caption for the picture of the map: South Hero original land plots granted to the Green Mountain Boys (Pic courtesy of South Hero Bicentennial Museum)

SHHS Presents: The Champagne Family Legacy 7 pm Tuesday, July 15, 2025

The South Hero Historical Society hosted an evening event highlighting the lasting legacy of the Champagne Family on South Hero and Grand Isle Communities.Click here for the link to the video of the Champagne presentation

Family stories were shared that brought to light the impact their grandparents, parents, and they, themselves, have left on the island community. Emotions ranged from genuine laughter to nostalgic tears as the Champagne kids recounted family stories to an audience of about 60+ people.

Click here for a link to the Islander Newspaper article with details about the event.

Click here for the link to the video of the Champagne presentation The Champagne family has shaped South Hero and Grand Isle for more than a century. Their legacy continues both nearby as Andrea continues her real estate centure and Bill fufills his duties as the local 'Pumpkin Man'and in Colorado and Virginia where Teresa is a business owner and Nancy is a top-notch manager.

Charlie Farrell and the Vermont Schoolhouses Project

SHHS Presents: Charlie Farrell and the Vermont Schoolhouses Project-Tues. 9/16/25 Your program *South Hero Historical Society 2025-09-16* is available for viewing online at https://lcatv.org/south-hero-historical-society-2025-09-16

“Sometimes they would close a school for up to a decade and then reopen it,” Farrell said. “Go out and dust it all out, repaint it, put it back into use if the population suddenly increased in that district.” One of Farrell’s most trusted research tools has been the Beers atlases which are hand-drawn town maps from the 1870s. These maps show the thousands of school districts that once existed in Vermont. The program was held on Tuesday, Sept. 16th, 2025 at 7PM at the Worthen Library. The event was free and refreshments were served.

Charlie shared a slideshow of photographs and history he has collected since 2006 on all the old schoolhouses in Vermont with a special focus on the South Hero and Grand Isle County schoolhouses. Charlie is a former Folsom School and Grand Isle school Social Studies teacher whom you might have heard interviewed recently on Vermont Public talking about his unique quest to find every school in VT that ever was! Charlie says that old schoolhouses are easy to spot, if you know the signs. They are often right on the roadside and converted into private homes now. They often have a bank of windows.

The History of Eagle Camp presented by the Guernsey and Perry Families

The History of Eagle Camp Program *South Hero Historical Society 2025-08-19* is available for viewing online at https://lcatv.org/south-hero-historical-society-2025-08-19 Here are three videos from the walk before the program. Sarah Gusernsey led us.

SHHS Presents: The History of the Jamaican Workers in the Island Apple Orchards Nov 6 at 6:30PM at Worthen Library

South Hero Historical Society Program and Annual Meeting Wednesday, Nov. 6 at 6:30 PM at the Worthen Library “The History of the Jamaican Workers in the Island Apple Orchards” Join us as Ray C. Allen, Kim Kinney, Devon and Ron Hackett, and Allen Hall present poignant and fun stories from their experiences and involvement with their Jamaican “family” over the past 50 years starting in the 1970s. The short Annual Meeting will start at 6:30 pm at Worthen Library where new officers will be voted on. All are welcome and encouraged to attend. The program will start immediately at the conclusion of the annual meeting. Membership dues may be paid this evening too. $10 per person per year. Thank you

Oct. 2023 Annual Meeting and Program by Bob Krebs: A Primer on research: The Calvin Robinson Farm

https://vimeo.com/910603837?share=copy