Vermont Historical Society

2012: Vermont in the Civil War

June 16 & 17, 2012 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

In 2012, we welcomed thousands of visitors for an Expo themed around the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. 

 

Features

150 Local Historical Society, Museum & Heritage Attraction Exhibits
Genealogy Resource & Archive Center
Ongoing Musical Performances in Two Venues
Author Lectures/Book-Signings
Historical Presentations
Genealogy Presentations
Heirloom Animals: Demonstrations and Breed Presentations
Hands-on-History Demonstrations
The Little Dig: Hands-On Field Archaeology with the Vermont Archaeological Society
Traditional Craft Demonstrations
Tunbridge Fair Log Cabin Museum, Late 18th to Early 20th Century Collection
Living History Encampments: Revolutionary, Civil & Korean War
Morgan Horse Presentations and Demonstration
Special Exhibit on Common Crackers
Viewing of 19th Century One Room Schoolhouse
Working 19th Century Blacksmith & Print Shops
Antique Farm Equipment Exhibits
Sponsor Exhibits
Vermont Historical Society Museum Store Annex
Food Vendors
History-on-PARADE TWO DAYS!: Saturday, June 16 and Sunday June 17, at 1:00 pm
Parade Preparation Craft Activities: Saturday, June 16 & Sunday June 17, 10:00 am-1:00 pm
Live Auction: Sunday only, June 17, at 2:00 pm

In 2012, Yankee Magazine selected the History Expo a Top Twenty Summer Event in Vermont! The Vermont History Expo is made possible through the generous support of the event sponsors. See more information on how you can showcase your products or services to the Expo audience here.

In 2012, the Vermont Chamber of Commerce again chose the History Expo as one of the 10 Ten Events of the summer.

History Expo Partnership Underwriters

2010: Back to the Land, Again

June 26 & 27, 2010, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Vermont History Expo 2010, with its theme of "Back to the Land, Again" featured a packed schedule of history presentations, children's activities, animal and craft demonstrations, living history reenactors, and special exhibits.

Vermont authors Deborah Luskin, Bill Schubart, Sandra Levesque, Ron Krupp, Erica Huyler Donnis, Beth Kannell, Vincent Feeney, Bill McKone, John Lonergan & Castle Freeman all spoke about their recent books, and our presentations tent was kept hopping all day with talks such as Euclid Farnham's If Mills Could Talk: A Tunbridge Field Trip, Howard Coffin's A Vermont Reporter in the 60s & 70s; Abby Paige, When we were French; Secretary of Agriculture Roger Allbee, History of Vermont Agriculture; Sue Allen and Ellen McCollogh-Lovell, The Future of Vermont; Bob Chappelle's Potato Story; Amanda Kuhnert, Family Oral History.

Farmers showcased heirloom pigs, sheep, mules, horses, goats, fowl, and more, while craftsmen demonstrated historic masonry, post and beam building, basketmaking, spinning, blacksmithing and print-making. Living history encampments by the Vermont Civil War Hemlocks, the 18th Vermont Regiment, and Vermont Veteran Military Vehicles welcomed crowds of all ages.

Musicians and performing artists included: Dave Carpenter & Friend, Patti Casey & Tom MacKenzie; Cold Country Bluegrass, Colonial Consort; Ed Larkin Dancers; Fiddleheads; Me and You; Michele Fay Band; O'hAnleigh; Robert Resnick and Marty Morrissey; Rick Norcross; The W'Abenaki Dancers.

We welcomed over one hundred local historical societies, museums, and other heritage organizations as well as two special exhibits: "When Vermonters Weighed the World," about the Howe Scale company of Rutland, VT and an exhibition of historic scales from across Vermont from the collections of Harold Putney.

2008: Industry and Innovation: Vermont Ingenuity

June 21 & 22, 2008, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

Vermont History Expo 2008's theme of "Industry and Innovation: Vermont Ingenuity" attracted large crowds and a varied list of presentations, performances, demonstrations, and Expo's always wonderful array of exhibits, heirloom animal breeds, children's activities, and reenactors.

Vermont authors Madeline Kunin, Deborah and Nicholas Clifford, Greg Joly, John Stark Ballamy, Tracy Madieros Leland Kinsey and Elliot Hoffman all spoke about their new books, and presentations included Chris Abair, The Adventurous Ballads of Vermont Poet George Albert Leddy; Adam Boyce, Old time Rules will Prevail: The Fiddle Contest in Vermont; and Don Thompson, performing as Samuel de Champlain.

Musicians and dancers included O'hAnleigh, The W'Abenaki Dancers, The Larkin Dancers, Fiddleheads, Adam Boyce, Robert Resnick and Mary Morrissey, CVQ Barbershop Quartet, The BarreTones, St Andrews Highland Dancers, The Saltash Serenaders, and Richard Shadroui.

As always, children's activities were popular, including Clara's Games, a selection of board games and challenges such as hoops and graces and stilt walking, hat and costume making in preparation for the history parade, an old fashioned spelling bee, and a treasure hunt.

Civil War Sunday featured programming specifically about the war, including historian Howard Coffin presenting on his research into Civil War sites throughout Vermont; musician Linda Radtke singing a selection of period songs; soloist Francois Clemmons performing spirituals; reenactors and military bands performing and playing concerts; and authors such as Paul Zeller, Jane Beck, and Elliott Hoffman speaking about their new books on Civil War era history.

Over one hundred historical societies, museums, and heritage organizations presented exhibits, many of them based around the theme of ingenuity and innovation. One special exhibit presented the history of the Vermont Farm Machinery Company from Bellows Falls, and displayed early devices meant to help dairy farmers and featured reenactments of period sales pitches and a swinging butter churn.

2007: Travel and Transportation: How Vermonters Got There From Here

June 23 & 24, 2007, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

The weather for this Vermont History Expo was the best yet – sunny and pleasant – and made for one of the most successful Expos to date. This year’s theme of travel brought many first-time Expo attendees to the historic fairgrounds in Tunbridge.

Visitors were treated to a dozen antique cars, a real train simulator, and G-gauge garden trains in an elaborately landscaped display. We had a special appearance of the State Transportation Agency’s 1911 V-plow brought out of retirement to push vast amounts of snow in the recent Valentine’s Day Blizzard! Calvin Coolidge’s 1923 Lincoln made an appearance, as did Cal himself, aka Jim Cooke of Quincy, MA.

A popular highlight was the newly restore Little State House, a faithful replica of our beloved golden-domed capital built in 1927 for the dedication of the ChamplainBridge. The Montpelier Kiwanis Club dedicated thousands of hours, beautifully restoring her, right down to the carving of the statue of Ceres on top!

Heirloom animals, History on Parade, Clara’s Games, genealogical and archival services, living history craft demonstrations, wonderful music, food and more delighted the crowds. Still the stars of the show were the local historical societies themselves. Johnson, the most recently formed Historical Society, showed a display about the lost town of Sterling, VT. East Middlebury recreated Palmer’s Dairy soda fountain, Fairlee and West Fairlee offered hand’s-on summer camp crafts, Fayston brought a snow roller, ChittendenCounty brought bicycles and Bradford brought strawberries! Plainfield told the story of Goddard College’s founder, Richmond gave us the early car dealership, and Ryegate told the story of Jack Johnson, a very big dog who pulled a cart for his young master who couldn’t walk to school.