Vermont

Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont, is one of New England's most renowned graveyards. The cemetery attracts thousands of visitors every year, particularly when the foliage turns during fall.

This 85-acre open-air museum is noted for the artistry and craftsmanship of its monuments, derived exclusively from legendary Barre gray granite. Barre was a boomtown with a rapidly rising population of European immigrants, especially those from Italy and Scotland, seeking opportunities as artisan carvers and laborers in the area's granite quarries. Ethnic enclaves developed around Barre; most notably, the city's north end became known as Little Italy. This diversity is captured in granite on the monuments of those interred at Hope Cemetery—not only in the surnames etched in stone but also in the monuments' widely varying symbols of remembrance. Within Hope Cemetery, memorials range from traditional European forms, including angels, cherubs, and other religious hallmarks, to highly individualized modern monuments depicting images representative of family life, interests, and leisure in the form of such diverse objects as lounge chairs, airplanes, race cars, a soccer ball, and many more.

When we think of covered bridges, we think of Vermont. Today, the state still boasts a hundred covered bridges, and records tell of hundreds more such historical structures no longer in existence. Vermont Covered Bridges offers views of the most interesting and beautiful of these bygone covered bridges, as well as old photographs of existing structures. The images are drawn from the archives of the National Society for the Preservation of Covered Bridges (NSPCB), including the incomparable Richard Sanders Allen Collection and the work of noted photographers Henry A. Gibson, Raymond Brainerd, and others. Royalties from the sales of this book will benefit the NSPCB.

Sitting on a hillside overlooking a spectacular lake and mountains, Burlington was destined to attract greatness, although much of its history has remained hidden.

It was the territory of the Alnôbak, who lived in concert with nature for thousands of years, and later the swashbuckling Green Mountain Boy Ethan Allen and his kin. Self-made tycoon Lawrence Barnes helped make the city the third-largest lumber shipping port in the country. The resilient Fanny Penniman created the first herbarium, and her daughter inspired a nineteenth-century hospital. Bootlegger Cyrus Dean was convicted of murder and publicly executed in the hill section. Irish, French Canadian, Jewish and Italian neighborhoods all combined to give a unique character to the city.

Join author and historian Glenn Fay as he reveals stories and images of Burlington's forgotten past.

Located in Westmore, Vermont, Willoughby Lake was carved out by a glacier; the latest findings state it is 357 feet deep at its greatest depth, about 5.5 miles long, and 1 mile wide. Mount Hor and Mount Pisgah tower above its tranquil beauty. During Prohibition, Mount Hor was the site of a secret cave harboring a still, accessible only by boat or on foot. The mysterious Arcadia Retreat was built in a very remote area not easily accessible and was left vacant for many years before burning in 1923. Sentinel Rock is situated on a hill high above Westmore with a tremendous view of the lake and valley below. It has been owned by a few different families over the years—most recently the Wright family, who donated the area to the State of Vermont as a park, so that everyone could enjoy the area. Today, visitors enjoy peaceful canoe rides while others brave the icy cold waters as they run into the frigid lake to raise money for various causes.

Created in 1867, Lakeview is one of New England's most beautiful burial grounds, where locals used to gather to share picnic lunches and stories of their past. Meet a selfless philanthropist and her equally generous brother, John Purple Howard, the innkeeper's son who amassed a fortune in the hotel industry. From Civil War hero General George Stannard to lesser-known soldiers of the noted Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Regiment, veterans, paupers and benefactors populate this peaceful setting. Join Burlington native and historian Thea Lewis as she reveals the stories behind the fascinating and sometimes famous citizens of Lakeview Cemetery.

A bustling lumber and trading port on the shores of Lake Champlain founded by Ethan and Ira Allen in the 1780s became the city of Burlington in 1865. With a current population of almost 43,000 residents, Burlington is still Vermont's "Queen City," consistently nationally ranked for quality of life and as a great place to both raise a family and to retire. It is not just the beautiful scenery and endlessly interesting weather that makes Burlington desirable but also the amazing people and businesses of Burlington that make it unique. Burlington is the hometown of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream; Horatio Nelson Jackson, the first man to drive an automobile across the continental United States; the Lake Champlain Chocolate Company; first lady Grace Coolidge; the Vermont Pub & Brewery, one of the nation's first brewpubs; philosopher and educator John Dewey; the world-renowned jam band Phish; a small army of accomplished and eclectic artists; and more interesting coffee and tea shops than almost any other small city in the country.

Waterbury is known as both a beautiful vacation spot and a great place to live. Since 2000, this historic town has experienced unique challenges, all of which have been met by a sense of resiliency and determination. Devastated from Tropical Storm Irene in 2011, Waterbury residents rallied together to rebuild their town and the local economy. Part of this revitalization included Waterbury emerging as a leader in the farm-to-table and craft beer movements, as well as becoming a top tourist destination. Told by members of the community in their own words, this collection of stories, gathered by the Waterbury Historical Society, captures the essence of Waterbury's community and illustrates its ability to persist and celebrate in the face of adversity.

The ruins of Daniel Shays's fortified settlement reveal the hidden story of the famous rebellion.

The ruins of Daniel Shays's fortified settlement reveal the hidden story of the famous rebellion. Shays and the Regulators founded the settlement deep in the Vermont wilderness after fleeing the uprising they led in 1787 in Massachusetts. Rediscovered in 1997 and under study since 2013, these remnants divulge secrets of Shays's life that previously remained unknown, including his connection to Millard Filmore and the Anti-Federalist lawyer John Bay. As the leader of the site's first formal study, Stephen D. Butz weaves together the tale of the archaeological investigation, along with Shays's heroic life in the Continental army, his role in the infamous rebellion that bears his name and his influence on American law.

Many believe that support for the abolition of slavery was universally accepted in Vermont, but it was actually a fiercely divisive issue that rocked the Green Mountain State. In the midst of turbulence and violence, though, some brave Vermonters helped fight for the freedom of their enslaved Southern brethren. Thaddeus Stevens--one of abolition's most outspoken advocates--was a Vermont native. Delia Webster, the first woman arrested for aiding a fugitive slave, was also a Vermonter. The Rokeby house in Ferrisburgh was a busy Underground Railroad station for decades. Peacham's Oliver Johnson worked closely with William Lloyd Garrison during the abolition movement. Discover the stories of these and others in Vermont who risked their own lives to help more than four thousand slaves to freedom.

From 1768 on, people settled in several parts of Dorset, creating 14 school districts and six distinct villages. Join us as we examine the histories of these villages through photographs from the 1850s to 1960. Discover the industry and recreation of North Dorset, the marble mills of East Dorset, the quarries of South Dorset, and the businesses of Dorset Village, as well as the people who have called Dorset home: Alcoholics Anonymous cofounder Bill Wilson, authors Elizabeth Prentiss and Zephine Humphrey, quarry and orchard entrepreneur Ernest West, and many others. 

The Dorset Historical Society has been actively preserving and presenting local history since 1963.

Vermont is known as a center of contemporary craft food and beverage production, and the distilled spirits industry is no exception. From a handful of ambitious entrepreneurs a decade ago, the state now boasts more than fifteen distilleries and growing. But getting a product from concept to glass involves more than just trial and error. The ingredients, production processes and marketing techniques are as varied as the distilleries themselves. From SILO Distillery in Windsor to Stonecutter Spirits in Middlebury, each producer reveals its stories as it recounts the trials and tribulations of distilling in the Green Mountain State. Join author and distiller Chris Maggiolo as he reveals the unique and complex journey of taking a product idea to market in a state known for its innovation.