The students in Dr. Robinson's 3-4 Team studied South Hero History for 6 years and took many field trips around town.
Click on this link to see wherethe students went around town and what townsfolk they met along the way.
Notice
At the end of 2018 Lake Champlain Access Television [LCATV] started filming our presentations. Their output is 2 to 4 times sharper than the videos I was putting up. That means it takes a little longer to get the video to start. [The reason I reduced the quality level of my videos.] Their production is different than mine and you will notice that immediately. When you click on a video, it starts to load. It will take about 30 seconds [an eternity when you are waiting] to start playing. The speakers will start to sound and the video will look like it is not running for about 23 seconds. LCATV puts up an identification POSTER for those 23 seconds. Don't be alarmed, it is running if you can hear the sound.
On Friday, June 7th @7:00pm the Neighbors of Featherbed Lane shared
stories and photos of its ongoing history. The presentation was well attended and audience participation was excellent. Many might not know where Featherbed Lane is [HINT: Look to the right as you get off the causeway and onto the island, don't blink or you will miss the sign].
In the day, roads and cow-paths were much the same. Listen to the stories of the early days when it was a little bit of a challenge just to get to your property. Having a unique name like Featherbed might conger up images and imaginary stories of how it got the name. Bet the real story is just as unique as your imaginations.
The presenters are Dick Bingham, Ray Jacoby, and Bill and Shirley Bingham. I don't want to say they were there since day one but maybe from day one and a half. They have a vast knowledge of the history of the Lane.
Audience participation from NEW owners and the current Road Association President was extremely interesting and sparked lively discussions around the room.
Watch the video to see the presentation as 'taped' by LCATV to get the answers to questions that inquiring minds want to ask.
On May 3, 2019 the South Hero Historical Society hosted a wonderful session that enlightened a full crowd about the history of the Robinson Hardware Store, the kickoff of the 2019 season.
As you drive on route 2 you will pass OUR hardware store. The Robinson Family Hardware store has been there for about 140 years. I dare say that no-one in town remembers when it opened. The primary building that is now the Hardware Store has always been the primary building, although it has provided multiple functions to the community over the years, in addition to hardware.
Cathy Robinson and Sarah [Robinson] Wakefield showed pictures and shared stories of local merchandising by the Robinson Family. Color commentary was added by Malcolm Allen as only Malcolm can do. Watch the video, check out the pictures and enjoy a large piece of South Hero history that is tied up in the Robinson Hardware Store.
On October 16th, 2018 the SHHS held its annual meeting at Folsom Ed Center. At this meeting we Elected officers, updated by-laws, and discussed merging with the Bicentennial Museum.
We also had a SNEAK Preview Presentation of the SHHS upcoming Burlington Free Press Article about the SANDBAR and how it developed and changed life on the Islands. The road we affectionately call the CAUSEWAY was not always the pristeen looking passage that it is today. Some parts of the year it did not exist and other parts of the year it was little more than a RUT with some dirt around it. The development of both the causeway and the environment of the islands is a very interesting topic. Watch the video and peruse the pictures and see what your mind thinks about all this.
Ebenezer Allen was granted a parcel of land on the southernmost end of South Hero in appreciation of his contributions as a Green Mountain Boy in the Revolutionary War. He later turned his homestead into a tavern, as did others living near the lake at that time. Residents living on the island came to swap stories and acquaintances and travelers from across the lake came to trade supplies.
Over the years, the Allen Homestead changed hands and uses. It was a family farm house, a tavern, a hippie commune, and today is a tastefully renovated suburban family home.
Ron Phelps was born and grew up in the farmhouse across the road from the Allen Homestead and his family lived there for many generations. Ron told us a little history of the famous Vermonter who first built this house and his cousin who visited him there and also about the changes he has seen in the house and those he has learned from his family in the past.
This is a very appropriate subject for our historical society program because the evolution of this house mirrors the evolution of the community and society as a whole.
Sept. 7th, 2018 at 7PM in the brick area of the Folsom Educational Center.
Joyce Blow was also on hand to tell about her family's years living in the house. And we were very lucky to have some members of the audience who had very interesting stories to add to this presentation especially the ones about when Hippies lived in the house.
As you drive around South
Hero you have probably noticed the miniature stone castles scattered
all over the place. Have you ever wondered about their history? If you
have or have not you are still welcome to come to the South Hero
Historical Society
presentation on Friday, August 3, 2018 at 7 pm. at the Folsom
Educational
Center.
Eloise Hedbor will be giving a
presentation on the history and maybe a little folklore of these amazing little castles.
Who knows, perhaps a surprise guest will show up.
The gulls on a small island off the west coast of South Hero pay no heed to the early morning mists reminiscent of smoke flitting and wafting above the waters of the lake. Suddenly, with a crack and a snap the gulls go silent. They line the ridges and crags of the small island, facing south as if to pay homage to the sight they know they are about to see. And there it is, a thin image floating many feet above the water, attached to a massive body with vertical spikes covered with brightly colored cloth. As it finally breaks clear of the secluded bay it lives in, the gulls for the first time get to see what this magical beast is called. The Aladdin and the gulls know that the Pirates of Dingley Dell have set off on yet another voyage of adventure.
That is the image my minds eye drew when I read the part of Bret Corbin's book that is before page 1. Imagine that.
On July 6 at 7:00PM the South Hero Historical Society Excitedly presented Bret Corbin and the PIRATES OF DINGLEY DELL
- A True Swashbuckling Adventure at a Vermont Boys Camp
In my mind's eye I can just about make out the multi--colored sails of the mighty and magical pirate ship Aladdin, as it heads around Valcour Island and returns from its latest adventure just in time for Bret Corbin to teach us all about the great and wonderful life that existed at DINGLEY DELL in the early 20th century.
The pirates who settled there [albeit just for the summer] accomplished feats that are only dreamed about in today's lore.
Who knows which dignitary is on the ship this time as it heads for its safe harbor. Bret will tell us about those very dignitaries. We could wax poetic about a time when life was simpler and maybe more fun. Or we can hear Bret bring us back to the days of yore when young men could REALLY be pirates and build their own ship and sail into international waters and learn how to manage adversity and grow up to be real men… and so on… and so on.. and…
Sorry about that, I was lost in the mists of nostalgia about an adolescence most of us only think about...
Bret did take us back to those times as only he can do. So watch the video, view the images but better yet, READ THE BOOK.
SOUTH HERO- Click here for the South Hero Historical Society's (SHHS) presentation of The history of South Hero Cemeteries to learn interesting information and look
at pictures of old cemeteries located in South Hero. Ron and Sue Phelps, members of Community Association
for the Restoration of Neglected Gravestones (C.A.R.I.N.G), presented this fascinating topic on Friday, June 1,2018
beginning at 7:00 p.m at the Folsom Educational Center.
This presentation would not be possible without the amazing insight of lifetime South Hero resident, Elinor
“Polly” McBride. Born in 1918, she grew up on Allenholm Farm, one of five older sisters to Ray W. Allen. Polly
graduated from Mary Fletcher School of Nursing and received her master’s degree from Columbia University.
She married Charlie McBride in 1947 and they raised their two children in South Hero. Polly passed away in
early 2018, just one day after turning 100 years old.
The idea of C.A.R.I.N.G. came to Polly over three decades ago after one of our infamous island storms. The
storm caused a large tree branch to fall and break an extremely old tombstone belonging to a Phelps descendent.
Polly was also a Phelps descendent and decided the damaged stone needed to be replaced.
While Polly was working on replacing the damaged gravestone, she noticed the “old” part of the cemetery
(from the Masonic Lodge to the second gate on South. St.) had many old gravestones in a terrible state of disrepair.
The graves in the “old” part of the cemetery date back to the 1700’s. These aging gravestones usually
do not have any remaining relatives able to tend to them.
This motivated Polly to get a group of people together
to help preserve the historic gravestones.
Polly founded the non-profit, volunteer organization
C.A.R.I.N.G in l984. At first it was mostly cleaning
stones and a lot of rubbings. Rubbings, a way of
transposing gravestones engravements onto paper
using charcoal, were very popular at the time.
There are other near forgotten private cemeteries
around town. Did you know there is controversy
around some historic tombstones in our area? For
example, if you examine the rubbing of the tombstone
of Lydia Allen, wife of Ebenezer and one of
the first settlers on the island, the stone clearly attributes
a site in South Hero as her grave. However,
a stone located in Lakeview Cemetery in Burlington
also claims to be her burial site. Only DNA testing
could settle the dispute, but C.A.R.I.N.G. has far too
many pressing needs to be able to spend their limited
funds digging up remains to confirm.
C.A.R.I.N.G. has evolved immensely from when
the group began. Members Ron & Susan Phelps are
joined by John and Alice Wells. John volunteers his
time mowing and installing flags on veterans’ gravestones.
The C.A.R.I.N.G. members visit the cemetery and
prioritize repair of gravestones by need. The group is
funded by donations and receives a small amount requested
from the town annually for upkeep. Currently,
when someone is buried in the cemetery there is
an endowment where relatives of the deceased provide
money for the maintenance of the burial site
and stone.
C.A.R.I.N.G. feels indebted to the many volunteers,
past and present, who have helped preserved our
heritage.
