Museum Catalog

A Storm Coming

Watercolor painting showing a town in a valley. The town (Waterbury, Vermont) is situated to the left of a straight railroad track running from the lower left corner of the painting to the center horizon. The buildings are carefully drafted, with pencil marks visible through the paint. Green hills rise up behind and to either side of the town, with blue mountains in the far distance. Grey clouds darken the sky at the upper right. The painting is in a gilded frame, and the backboard is cut away in sections on the reverse to reveal the handwritten title.

2021.30.2

Painted by Rachael Robinson in Waterbury, Vermont

Arthur Tandy

Orange and maroon screen print of a photograph showing three men standing in front of a locomotive engine. The side of the train is labeled, "ARTHUR TANDY / PEOPLE'S LINE", and the coal car is labeled, "MONTPELIER".

1972.63.1

Baseball

Leather baseball with a pasted-on paper label that reads, "July 14th 1867 score 75-52 / [illeg] Champlain vs [illeg] BBC". The outermost layer of the ball is formed from three wedge-shaped pieces of dark leather stitched together with a whipstitch. A split in one of the seams reveals undyed canvas and red and blue yarn on the interior.

1967.33

Used during an unidentified baseball game in Vergennes, Vermont, in 1867.

Bell

Large bell held in a cast iron frame. The upper portion of the frame sits in to vertical posts, allowing the bell to be swung by pulling the large handle on the left side. It is molded with the inscription, "Manchester Locomotive". The whole is attached to a square pedestal with the label, "Bell from locomotive "Arthur Tandy", ca. 1890 Montpelier and Wells River Railroad.

1965.27

From a train on the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad in Vermont.

Broadside

Broadside advertising special railroad fares for travel to the 1882 Republican state convention

a-bside-a_politicalparty-republicaanstateconvention1882

Button

Silver post-backed button with the molded inscription, "RUTLAND", on a striped textured ground.

2021.5.30

Worn by an employee of the Rutland Railroad

Button

Silver-toned post-backed button with the molded inscription, "RUTLAND" on a striped textured ground.

2021.5.31

Worn by an employee of the Rutland Railroad

Cane

Walking stick or cane with brass knob handle. There is a bullet imbedded in the cane. The knob screws off, and the metal tip at the base has a small spike at the center.

1951.24

The knob of the case is a locomotive bell-tongue, case in the St. Albans, Vermont, railroad machine shop around 1861 by Hiram Maxim for Theron Webster. The bullet was embedded into the cane during the St. Albans Raid during the Civil War.

Card Case

Leather card case decorated on the front with flowers and a banner that reads, "Mrs. C. J. Bell". The year 1905 is written in the lower right corner. A clear pocket shows a blue paper pass for the Boston & Maine Railroad, giving Hon. C. J. Bell and family complimentary use of the railroad within Vermont for the year of 1906. There is also a calling card that reads, "Mrs. Charles James Bell".

1960.44.3

Owned by Mary Louise Bell of Walden, Vermont

Commemorative Medal

Commemorative medal with an image of a small steam-powered wagon labeled "PETER COOPER'S "TOM THUMB"" on one side. The inscription, "THE BALTIMORE AND OHIO RAILROAD COMPANY 1827 1927", rings the edge. The other side shows a steam-powered passenger train with a naked man flying beside it, reaching out to ring the train's bell. The inscription, "ONE HUNDRED YEARS / SAFETY STRENGTH SPEED" rings the edge.

1945.21

Presented by the president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, Daniel Willard of North Hartland, Vermont, to the Vermont Department of Libraries in 1927.

Conductor Hat

Wool, flat-topped train conductor's hat with square, leather-covered brim. At the center front is a metal plate with the stamped inscription, "BOSTON & MAINE / TRAINMAN".

1972.61.3

Worn by an employee of the Boston & Maine Railroad.

Conductor Hat

Train conductor's hat with silver buttons on either side bearing the initials of the Canadian National Railroad. The crown of the hat is formed of navy-blue felted wool. It has a wide band of black, basket-woven cords, and twisted cords of black or navy silk cross the front of the band, looping around the two silver side buttons. The hat has a round front brim covered and edged in thin leather.

2021.5.1

Worn by an employee of the Canadian National Express, which at one time operated within Vermont.

Cream Pitcher

Ornate silver cream pitcher. The pitcher is extensively decorated with applied molded flowers at the base, handle, and rim. The body is engraved with rococo-style scrollwork featuring oak leaves on the front and flowers on the back. A cartouche at the center front is engraved with the initials, "JW".

1972.58.1e

Given as a retirement gift to Jonas Wilder, who invented the first refrigerated railroad car for transporting butter from Vermont to Boston.

Cream Pitcher

Small white porcelain cream pitcher. The pitcher is printed with a full color illustration of an industrial area consisting of multiple factory buildings, a tall chimney tower, and a water tower, with a railroad and a green space separating the area from water. The image is labeled, "A Section of the E. L. Chandler Co's Plant, Barton Landing, Vt." The images is surrounded with a decorative gilded frame in an oak leaf pattern and the top edge of the pitcher is similarly gilded. The bottom is marked, "Wheelock Vienna Austria" and "Made in Austria for Whipple, French & Co., Barton Landing, Vt. Vienna".

2005.21.11

Sold by Whipple, French, & Co. in Barton Landing, Vermont

Demitasse Cup

Small white porcelain cup printed with a landscape image showing a metal railroad bridge spanning a river gorge. There are multiple buildings, including a mill, in the background. The image is labeled, "C.P.R. Bridge, No. Troy, Vt." The bottom of the cup is marked, "Made in Germany for A. A. Seaver, No. Troy, Vt."

2012.36.5

Sold by A. A. Seaver in North Troy, Vermont

Directional Sign

Rectangular metal road sign. The side is printed with yellow lettering on a black ground that reads, "GILMAN / VERMONT" beneath a right-pointing arrow. There is a yellow rectangle for writing the distance followed by "MI". Protective tissue paper applied by the manufacturer is still attached to the face of the sign, indicating it was never hung.

2022.70.7

Likely produced for use at a railroad station.

Dorset Mountains

Vibrant green and blue landscape dominated by a large mountain in the background with a small strip of clouded sky. The foreground depicts a lush, green valley with hints of structures and light green tree in the center. Modern label on the back indicates the title as, "Dorset Mountains."

2017.12.3

Jay Connaway was born in Liberty, Indiana, November 27, 1893, the son of Cass Connaway, a lawyer and collector of Chinese art, and his wife May. Jay Connaway graduated from Emmerich Manual High School and undertook his first art training from William Forsyth, known for coastal Oregon views, at John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis in 1910 and 1911. Connaway left home to tour the California and Oregon coasts, working his way across the country and then back to the East Coast as a stoker on engines for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad.

In New York, Connaway enrolled at the National Academy of Design school in 1912. From 1912 to 1914 he attended the Art Student's League at New York City, where he studied with George Bridgman and with William Merritt Chase. Another influence was Robert Henri, a New York Social Realist and leader of the Ashcan School, whom Connaway had met while attending night classes at the National Academy.

In 1917 he enlisted and shipped out to Contrexeville, France. After suffering a shoulder wound, he worked as a cartographer. Then he was assigned to what he called "the most wonderful work of my life"—making detailed watercolor drawings of lesions caused by mustard gas. This brought him to the attention of Lafayette Page, a physician who was so impressed with Connaway's draftsmanship that, at the close of the war, he sponsored his studies at the Académie Julian (1919–20) under Jean Paul Laurens and at the École des Beaux-Arts (1921) in Paris.

With backing from collectors and gallery owners, Connaway, "seeking to paint the lonely sea" found his way to uninhabited Head Harbor Island off the coast of Jonesport, Maine where he lived as an artistic hermit. He later worked dories with a Grand Banks fishing fleet, was also a cook for a lumber camp in Maine, and he enlisted in the Coast Guard.

In 1928 Connaway married Louise Boehle. During the Depression, Connaway moved to Monhegan Island to paint and start the Connaway Art School.

The Connaways remained on Monhegan until 1947, when they moved to Vermont, residing in Dorset until 1953, then North Rupert. Connaway painted rural landscapes of the Vermont countryside and operated a summer art school, until 1966.

In 1962, Connaway merged his school with the Southern Vermont Arts Center and became the school's first director. During the 1960s, in addition to managing the art school Connaway painted in Portugal, Spain, California, and Arizona. In the last year of his life, troubled with poor eyesight and failing health, Connaway was no longer able to paint.

Elmer, Rachael Robinson (1878-1919)

Born: January 28, 1878 in Ferrisburgh, Vermont
Died: February 12, 1919 in New York, New York

Primary Residence: Ferrisburgh

Noted artist and book illustrator. Member of the Robinson family, the Quaker family that lived at Rokeby (now a museum and National Historic Landmark in Ferrisburgh, Vermont).

1.1.32

Embossing Press

Iron embossing stamp. The stamp consists of an ear-shaped metal arm spanning between a square base pedestal and a round stamp head. The top press button is stamped into a decorative floral pattern.

1972.61.2

Used on the Woodstock Railway

Eyeglasses

Cardboard viewer to safely view the 1932 eclipse. Patented by Derick Studio in Orleans, Vt.
One side has a map showing where in New England and New York the best views will be, with the total eclipse forecast for the Northeastern corner of Vermont. The other side explains why an eclipse takes place and notes the safety of the filter for viewing the sun for extended periods without damage to the eyes.

2019.22.1

Here is a 2017 write-up about the eclipse of 1932. The path of totality ran across the Northeast.

From: https://streetsofsalem.com/2017/08/20/the-great-new-england-eclipse-of-1932/

"This eclipse cut a diagonal swath through New England from Montreal to Provincetown, and people converged in the White Mountains, Cape Ann and Cape Cod for viewing: there were special eclipse “packages” and special eclipse trains, and more than one observer pointed out that the frenzy was serving as a distraction from the Depression. In Salem, the shops closed at 1:00 in the afternoon on the 31st (which was a Wednesday), as everyone departed for Gloucester–apparently not content to be in the 99% zone! The headlines leading up to the 1932 eclipse were not too different than those today: watch out for your eyes, watch out for your chickens (perhaps there was more emphasis on chickens then), the best viewing places, why the scientists are so excited. I do think there was more “eclipse ephemera” produced then, but it was a period of paper.

The viewing experience seems to have been uneven across New England on August 31, 1932: clouds and rain prevailed in some places, inspiring my favorite September 1 headlines: Long Awaited Eclipse is Partially Eclipsed (or some variation thereof). I have no doubt that people had fun on the New Haven Railroad’s special Eclipse Train, however, on which they could see night-time when it’s day in New England as you play. Strange things were reported for days afterwards: chickens (very sensitive to eclipses, apparently) laid eggs that bore an imprint of the corona, which appeared on several glass windows around the region as well. In my hometown of York Harbor, Maine, the artist Henry Russell Butler, who had traveled across the country in order to capture the previous three eclipses on canvas, was thrilled to see one appear in his backyard. Photography had long been able to capture eclipses, but paint still worked too."

Farm Route 67 with Cows, Autumn

Oil painting of a farm on Vermont Route 67 with cows in autumn by Patsy Santo. The painting features a paved road with a double yellow center line in the closest foreground and a slightly golden-tinged fenced-in pasture with black and white cattle just behind it. The pale yellow barn has a brown shingle roof and white silos on the near side, and a white farmhouse peeks out of the fall-tinged trees on the left middle ground. The blue sky above has scattered puffy clouds. The painting is signed "Patsy Santo in the lower right corner and resides in a painted and gilt wooden frame.

2024.10.1

Patsy Santo pursued a number of professional activities after emigrating to this country from Italy in 1913. He worked for the railroad and as a housepainter. His first artistic effort was an outgrowth of one of his house painting jobs; his second was undertaken at the request of a friend. He did not follow up on these sporadic endeavors until many years later, however, when one of his paintings took first prize at the 1937 state fair in Rutland, Vermont. This brought Santo his first patron and inspired him to start painting in earnest. Other exhibitions followed. His introduction to the New York art world was about as auspicious as any folk painter could hope for. He debuted, with Grandma Moses, Morris Hirshfield, and a number of others, in a 1939 members-only showing at the Museum of Modern Art. His first one-man show at the Marie Harriman Gallery the following year was a virtual sell-out. His paintings were acquired by the Whitney Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. Sidney Janis included him in his book, "They Taught Themselves," observing that Santo, unlike most self-taught painters, evidenced continuing stylistic development.

Green, Henrietta Howland Robinson (1834-1916)

Hetty Green

Born: November 21, 1834 in New Bedford, Massachusetts
Died: July 3, 1916 in New York, New York

Primary Residence: Bellows Falls

Astute businesswoman and investor. Reportedly the wealthiest woman in the world at the time of her death in 1916. Nicknamed ""The Witch of Wall Street"" because of her extreme frugality and its effects on her family.

1.1.40

Hatbox

Oval bandbox and lid covered in wallpaper. The wallpaper has a striped design in grey, beige, white, blue, and green. The stripes have different floral patterns, some resembling lace. The lid interior and base of the box are lined with sheets of newspaper that mention Lyndon, Passumpsic Railroad, the Bank of Orleans, Greensboro, Cabot, Lunenburg, Danville, and Wheelock."

1993.14.3a-b

Henry Bridge

A framed painting of a landscape with a red covered bridge spanning a flowing river, flanked by lush green trees on either side, while a grassy riverbank stretches into the foreground. A low dam with flowing water can be seen under the bridge. A man stands with a horse at the river's edge.

Painting is identified as the Henry Covered Bridge in North Bennington by Pasquale Santo. Signed "Patsy Santo" in yellow lower right.

2024.25.1

Patsy Santo pursued a number of professional activities after emigrating to this country from Italy in 1913. He worked for the railroad and as a housepainter. His first artistic effort was an outgrowth of one of his house painting jobs; his second was undertaken at the request of a friend. He did not follow up on these sporadic endeavors until many years later, however, when one of his paintings took first prize at the 1937 state fair in Rutland, Vermont. This brought Santo his first patron and inspired him to start painting in earnest. Other exhibitions followed. His introduction to the New York art world was about as auspicious as any folk painter could hope for. He debuted, with Grandma Moses, Morris Hirshfield, and a number of others, in a 1939 members-only showing at the Museum of Modern Art. His first one-man show at the Marie Harriman Gallery the following year was a virtual sell-out. His paintings were acquired by the Whitney Museum and the Museum of Modern Art. Sidney Janis included him in his book, "They Taught Themselves," observing that Santo, unlike most self-taught painters, evidenced continuing stylistic development.

Howe Scale Works

Print on tin showing a bird's eye view of a factory complex. The complex is set within a triangular block and consists of several blue or grey warehouses and a red factory with a tall chimney. The complex is bordered on two sides by railroad tracks, and there is an additional track inside the complex. There is a residential building in the foreground, a small village in the middleground, and grassy hills in the background. The words "HOWE SCALE WORKS / RUTLAND, V.T. U.S.A." are in the sky.

1984.7.1

The history of the Howe Scale Company begins with Frank M. Strong of Vergennes and Thomas Ross designing and patenting a ball bearing scale for the Sampson Scale Company of Vergennes. Prior to this invention, the sharp pivot on which the platform of the scale rests would become worn down with repeated use, thus causing the scale to lose accuracy over time. The ball-bearing design provided a shock absorber for the pivot to reduce stress on the scale and improve its accuracy. This was the first major scale improvement in America and the first major innovation by Strong and Ross, the second being the building in 1857 of a gigantic scale for weighing canal boats, a feat that experts said was impossible.

In Spring 1857 John Howe Jr. of Brandon took over Strong and Ross's patents and began to manufacture their designs under the name Howe Scale Company. The Howe Scale Company became world-renowned, earning several awards at fairs and exhibitions, including the the gold, silver, and bronze medals at the 1867 Paris Exhibition against competitors from all over the world.

In 1873 the plant was moved to Rutland, with John A. Mead of Rutland becoming president in 1886, followed by Carl B. Hinsman and Frank G. Riehl. The Howe Scale Company went on to manufacture the weightograph, a device which produces weight readings on a ground glass screen that can be read in the dark from some distance away. It also produced the longest railroad track scale in the world, scales for weighing airplane propellors, and lightweight, aluminum scales that were easily transportable on airplanes. It also began producing trucks and tailers for cargo, and this became an important part of the company's product line. The Howe Scale Company continued to be a leader in the manufactuer of high-accuracy weighing instruments into the twentieth century.

Howe Scales

Wood block print in black ink on white paper showing a man demonstrating a platform scale on a city street. The salesman is wearing a tailcoat and holding a poster that reads, “HOWE SCALES”. He is gesturing to a man in a top hat who is holding a wallet in one hand and touching the scale with the other. He is standing in striped pants in front of a leaning briefcase on his leg. There are posters for Howe Scales with inscriptions, "THE/IMPROVED/HOWE/SCALES," a man holding a tabletop scale, and a cart toting scales in the background. The bottom of the image is labeled, “HOWE SCALES / Vermont’s Honest Weigh!” with a Howe logo. It is signed in pencil above the label, “M. Simpson 3/40 2010”. The print is top mounted onto dark red mat board and framed behind glass in a black wooden frame.

2022.21.7

The history of the Howe Scale Company begins with Frank M. Strong of Vergennes and Thomas Ross designing and patenting a ball bearing scale for the Sampson Scale Company of Vergennes. Prior to this invention, the sharp pivot on which the platform of the scale rests would become worn down with repeated use, thus causing the scale to lose accuracy over time. The ball-bearing design provided a shock absorber for the pivot to reduce stress on the scale and improve its accuracy. This was the first major scale improvement in America and the first major innovation by Strong and Ross, the second being the building in 1857 of a gigantic scale for weighing canal boats, a feat that experts said was impossible.

In Spring 1857 John Howe Jr. of Brandon took over Strong and Ross's patents and began to manufacture their designs under the name Howe Scale Company. The Howe Scale Company became world-renowned, earning several awards at fairs and exhibitions, including the the gold, silver, and bronze medals at the 1867 Paris Exhibition against competitors from all over the world.

In 1873 the plant was moved to Rutland, with John A. Mead of Rutland becoming president in 1886, followed by Carl B. Hinsman and Frank G. Riehl. The Howe Scale Company went on to manufacture the weightograph, a device which produces weight readings on a ground glass screen that can be read in the dark from some distance away. It also produced the longest railroad track scale in the world, scales for weighing airplane propellors, and lightweight, aluminum scales that were easily transportable on airplanes. It also began producing trucks and tailers for cargo, and this became an important part of the company's product line. The Howe Scale Company continued to be a leader in the manufactuer of high-accuracy weighing instruments into the twentieth century.

Currently residing in Lyndonville, Mary Gorham Simpson was born in northern Vermont and raised on a working dairy farm in Burke. After graduating from Lyndon State College, she and her husband, Wilder Simpson, taught school in the area for several years, then moved west. They lived for seven years in Wyoming and 14 years in Alaska, returning to Vermont in 1992.

While raising her three children, Simpson took art classes and worked on her own in various media - drawing, calligraphy, and painting. In Alaska, she worked as a graphic artist for the Imaginarium Science Center in Anchorage and as a scenic artist for the Alaska Festival Theater and Anchorage Civic Opera. She did scrimshaw for two shops and exhibit calligraphy for three years for the Anchorage Museum of History and Art.

Now back in Vermont, she mostly works as a printmaker with subjects reflecting memories of Vermont agriculture.

Jewelry Box

A metal case in the shape of cross-cut section of a railroad track rail with a red velvet interior. The silver top says, "SOUVENIR 28th NATL. ENCAMPMENT. G.A.R." Four pictures are also etched on the metal top. The top one looks like a factory and has the words “Glass House” and perhaps another word underneath. The top center image shows a cannon and a row of tents. The lower center image is of some kind of tower. The bottom image is of mills and the word steel is visible on the left side.

1953.52.21

The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was a fraternal organization for veterans of the Union Army in the Civil War.

Key

Key with round head. The head is labeled "O & L C R R" on one side. The side opposite the head has a small portion that sticks outward with two prongs.

2021.5.24

Labeled for the Ogdensburg and Lake Champlain Railroad

Key

Key with round head. The head is stamped with the label "RUT R R" on one side and "48" on the other side. The end opposite the head has a rectangular hole where the key would be. The shaft is hollow.

2021.5.26

Labeled for the Rutland Railroad

Key

Key with round head. The head is stamped with the label "RUT R R" on one side and "26" on the other side. The end opposite the head has a rectangular hole where the key would be. The shaft is hollow.

2021.5.25

Labeled for the Rutland Railroad

Key

Key with round head. The head is stamped with the label "R & B R R" on one side and "WILLIAMS & PAGE" on the other side. The end opposite the head has a protruding bit with two widely set wards.

2021.5.27

Labeled for Rutland and Bennington Railroad

Locomotive Brattleboro

Naive watercolor painting showing a train engine and tender from the side. The engine is painted green with a large front chimney, high orange wheels, and a black cabin labeled, "BRATTLEBORO". The tender is green with an orange top, red wheels, and the yellow label, "V. &. M. R. R." There are two small United States flags at the front of the engine. The top of the image is labeled "ROBERT. G. HARDIE. Jr. / Brattleboro. Sept. 30. 1863." Each letter and number is painted in a different color.

1958.1.1632

Magnet

Rectangular magnet with "MILLER MEMORIAL/ UNITED METHODIST CHURCH / Bethel, Vermont / Celebrating 100 Years / 1905 - 2005" The yellow writing is superimposed over a photograph of the church.

2005.44

This church was built in 1905. Here is a bit of Bethel history that notes the construction of new churches.
(Source: https://townofbethelvt.com/index.asp?SEC=521041EA-7D21-4547-B4DE-F502747A9E43)

"Bethel Village sustained its "Golden Age" from the late 1880’s until the early 1920’s and developed an industrial character. The three largest industries of the era—the shoe shop, the tannery and the white granite quarry and cutting sheds—flourished because of the ease of railroad transportation, the availability of local workers and the influx of European immigrants skilled in granite extraction, cutting and sculpting. During this period Bethel proudly enhanced its community with major cultural and civic improvements including the town hall, the first high school and library, electric lighting, new churches, and civic and business organizations. Main street businesses thrived as they supported the many needs of the community. By 1910, the town population grew to 1,953 with nearly 50% of the citizens residing in the Village."

Matchbook

White cardboard bifold matchbook. The front flap is printed with the inscription, "ST. JOHNSBURY GAS CO. 123 RAILROAD STREET ST. JOHNSBURY, VERMONT City and Bottled Gas".
The back is printed with the inscription, "HIGH-WOOD AND HANDSOME / A NEW FREEDOM GAS KITCHEN", with a full-color photograph of a midcentury kitchen.
The interior is printed with the inscription, "Another Example Of The Modernity Of GAS and GAS Appliances Featured In McCall's Cabinets by MUTSCHLER Designed by PAUL McCOBB Go Modern - Go GAS".

1999.59.25

Produced as an advertisement for St. Johnsbury Gas Company in St. Johnsbury, Vermont.

Matchbook

White cardboard bifold matchbook. The front flap is printed with the inscription, "1971 FORD."
The back is printed with the inscription, "FORD GIVES YOU BETTER IDEAS / WARREN MOTORS INC. COR. RAILROAD & HASTINGS STS. ST. JOHNSBURY, VT. TEL. 748-2396."

1999.59.61

Produced as an advertisement for Warren Motors Inc. in Saint Johnsbury, Vermont.

Matchbook

Narrow, white cardboard bifold matchbook. The front flap is printed with the inscription, "IMPEY INSURANCE AGENCY 107 Railroad St. St. Johnsbury Vt."
The back is printed with the inscription, "INSURANCE OF ALL KINDS Protection IS ALWAYS WORTH THE COST."

1999.59.62

Produced as an advertisement for Impey Insurance Agency in Saint Johnsbury, Vermont.

Medicine Bottle

Small, clear, molded glass bottle with the molded inscription "DRUGGIST AND/PHARMACIST/Frank G. Landry/83 RAILROAD ST./ST. JOHNSBURY, VT." Frank G. Landry is in cursive. Two paper stickers are on the reverse, one on top of the other, the top bearing the inked inscription, "6/20/72 / Srocker". The base bears a molded inscription that is largely illegible, but appears to read, "A-21".

2004.78.14

Membership Ribbon

Green satin-woven ribbon with the stamped inscription, "C. V. R. VETERANS 1981". The bottom is cut into two points, and there is a safety pin attached to the top back.

2021.5.10

Central Vermont Railroad ribbon given to Conrad LeCompte

Membership Ribbon

Green satin-woven ribbon with the stamped inscription, "C. V. R. VETERANS 1982". The bottom is cut into two points, and there is a safety pin attached to the top back.

2021.5.11

Central Vermont Railroad ribbon given to Conrad LeCompte

Membership Ribbon

Green satin-woven ribbon with the stamped inscription, "C. V. R. VETERANS 1973". The bottom is cut into two points, and there is a safety pin attached to the top back.

2021.5.3

Central Vermont Railroad ribbon given to Conrad LeCompte.

Membership Ribbon

Green satin-woven ribbon with the stamped inscription, "C. V. R. VETERANS 1975". The bottom is cut into two points, and there is a safety pin attached to the top back.

2021.5.4

Central Vermont Railroad ribbon given to Conrad LeCompte

Membership Ribbon

Green satin-woven ribbon with the stamped inscription, "C. V. R. VETERANS 1976". The bottom is cut into two points, and there is a safety pin attached to the top back.

2021.5.5

Central Vermont Railroad ribbon given to Conrad LeCompte

Membership Ribbon

Green satin-woven ribbon with the stamped inscription, "C. V. R. VETERANS 1977". The bottom is cut into two points, and there is a safety pin attached to the top back.

2021.5.6

Central Vermont Railroad ribbon given to Conrad LeCompte

Membership Ribbon

Green satin-woven ribbon with the stamped inscription, "C. V. R. VETERANS 1978". The bottom is cut into two points, and there is a safety pin attached to the top back.

2021.5.7

Central Vermont Railroad ribbon given to Conrad LeCompte

Membership Ribbon

Green satin-woven ribbon with the stamped inscription, "C. V. R. VETERANS 1979". The bottom is cut into two points, and there is a safety pin attached to the top back.

2021.5.8

Central Vermont Railroad ribbon given to Conrad LeCompte

Membership Ribbon

Green satin-woven ribbon with the stamped inscription, "C. V. R. VETERANS 1980". The bottom is cut into two points, and there is a safety pin attached to the top back.

2021.5.9

Central Vermont Railroad ribbon given to Conrad LeCompte

Model Train

Miniature train engine and tender (coal car). The model is made from painted wood and sits on a base of railroad tracks. The engine and tender are black with black and silver wheels. A red stripe runs the length of the engine and tender. On the engine, the stripe has the blue label, "AMERICAN FREEDOM TRAIN" on each side. On the tender, the stripe has 13 5-pointed stars on each side. The model is inside a glass case with a wooden frame. A small photograph of original train is at the center top of the front pane, attached with a pin hinge. A paper tag is inserted into the frame of the case indicating that the model won first premium at a fair.

2022.72.1

Shows Bicentennial "American Freedom Train". Made by Frederick A. Brice Sr. of Burlington, Vermont

Model Train Car

Model Train car. The railroad car is painted mustard yellow and has a slightly domed maroon-painted roof. There are vertical outlined and painted windows and doors on the sides in dark green, silver, and red, and the word "COUPLING" with scrolled designs on either end above the windows. The date information, "PT / 1869" is painted in orange at the center below the middle window. Each end of the car has a painted door and a coupling mechanism to attach to another train car and a small platform.

2014.23.1.2

Model Train Car

Half-inch scale train car model. The rail car has a slightly domed roof and vertical red siding. There are human-sized doors with a half-window of glass in the top at either end of the long side and a freight or livestock door in the center. The train car has slightly green oxidized wheels underneath and a wire extending from the center of the top to the back of the car.

This model is of the Mansfield First Freight Motor 1898, which was a car used on the Mount Mansfield Electric Railroad between 1898 and 1933.

1993.7.1

Model Train Car

Half-inch scale train car model. The rail car has a slightly domed roof and vertical red siding. There are human-sized doors with a half-window of glass in the top at either end of the long side and a freight or livestock door in the center. There is a metal ladder affixed to the left of the rear door on the same long side, and two attachments at the top of the car to attach to the electrical motorized system. The train car has slightly green oxidized wheels underneath

This model is of the Mansfield Second Freight Motor - 1915 train car, which was used on the Mount Mansfield Electric Railroad between 1898 and 1933.

1993.7.2

Model Train Car

Half-inch scale train car model. The rail car has a slightly domed gold-colored roof and green panel siding. The short front and rear ends are stepped and angled, and the long side has a large slide door and metal rung ladder affixed to the left of the door. There is a wired attachment at the center of the roof to tie into the electrical running system.

This train car is a model of Mansfield's Rotary Plow-A-Failure-1898, which was used on the Mount Mansfield Electric Railroad between 1898 and 1933.

1993.7.4

Model Train Car

Half-inch scale train car model. The rail car has a slightly domed roof and green panel siding. The stepped roof has narrow windows for venting cut into it and a series of tall glass windows down the sides, with booth seats visible through the windows. There is a sliding door with glass top half at either end of the car. Printed on the side is "U.S. MAIL" between the two front doors and "MOUNT MANSFIELD ELECTRIC RAILROAD" below the windows, all in gold. There are electrical wiring bases mounted at either end of the roof to tie into the electrical running system.

This model is of the Waterbury-Stowe Interurban rail car used on the Mount Mansfield Electric Railroad between 1898 and 1933.

1993.7.5

Model Train Engine

Model train engine, coal car (tender), and track. The engine and tender are black with red wheels and gold-painted accents. The word "BARRE" is on the engine, and "C. V R. R." is on the tender. In the engine, the door to the firebox opens, and there is a lever underneath to let out ashes. The tender has working brakes, and the sand box rod is moveable. The front of the engine has a removable cow catcher. The track is made of wood.

1949.17.1a-c

Model of the first engine to run between Barre and Montpelier Junction made by William Arthur Watson at age 14 (1879). The model was made from boxes and the tops of flour barrels, with a piece of railroad track used as an anvil during the construction process.

Model Train Engine

Model train consisting of an engine car and fuel car. The engine has a chimney, a large bell, and whistle along the top. The front has a pilot grate and a lantern. The wheels are painted red and there is a small red cab at the back printed on the sides with "STRANGER". A small car is attached to the back of the engine with three sides. (The back is left open.) The sides are printed with "N.G.R.R."

1945.27ab

The model is of the locomotive, "Stranger", which operated for the Vermont Central Railroad starting in 1852. This model was made by Alfred E. Butterfly in 1877.

Montpelier Junction, Vt. Railroad Station

Full-color print of a painting showing a train next to a building. The visible portion of the train consists of a long, grey engine, a grey coal car, and a red box car. There is a short chimney at the front of the engine emanating white smoke. The engine is labeled 703 beneath an opening through which the conductor is waving. The coal car is labeled "CENTRAL VERMONT" within a rectangle. The building has wood siding and is painted red. There is a sign hanging from the roofline that reads, "MONTPELIER JU[nction]". There is a tall structure in the background consisting of a tall pole, a ladder connected to the top of the pole and reaching down until it is out of sight, a curved piece at the center top with circles in red, yellow, and blue, and two upwardly pointed arms, one black and one red with a white stripe. There is a mountain in the background forming the horizon. The artwork is signed, "ARCH McDONNELL", and the print is marked, "Montpelier Junction, Vt. Railroad Station, an original painting by Arch McDonnell / From the private collection of Shelby Walker, Concord, N.H. / (c) 1974 Village Press Publications, Concord, N.H."

1990.25.2

Nail

Large nail with the number 30 molded into the head.

2021.5.18

Nail

Large nail with the number 31 molded into its head.

2021.5.19

Nail

Large nail with the number 32 molded into its head.

2021.5.21

Nail

Large nail with the number 47 molded into the head.

2021.5.23

Nail

Large nail with the number 31 molded into its head.

2021.5.20

Nail

Large nail with the number 29 molded into the head.

2021.5.17

Nail

Large nail with the number 22 molded into the head.

2021.5.15

Nail

Large nail with the number 32 molded into its head.

2021.5.22

Nail

Large nail with the number 29 molded into the head.

2021.5.16

Pen

Yellow pen with chewed tip.

2025.3.13

This pen is said to have belonged to Frank C. Partridge (1861-1943). He was born in East Middlebury, and graduated from Amherst College in 1882 and Columbia Law School in 1884. He was appointed U.S. Senator from Vermont (1930-31) to serve out the term of Frank Green who had died in office. He was chairman of the board of the Vermont Marble Co. in Proctor. he was on the board of directors of National Life Insurance Co. and the Rutland Railroad and a trustee of Middlebury College.

Pen

Black and silver pen

2025.3.14

This pen is said to have belonged to Frank C. Partridge (1861-1943). He was born in East Middlebury, and graduated from Amherst College in 1882 and Columbia Law School in 1884. He was appointed U.S. Senator from Vermont (1930-31) to serve out the term of Frank Green who had died in office. He was chairman of the board of the Vermont Marble Co. in Proctor. he was on the board of directors of National Life Insurance Co. and the Rutland Railroad and a trustee of Middlebury College.

Pen

Black pen

2025.3.15

This pen is said to have belonged to Frank C. Partridge (1861-1943). He was born in East Middlebury, and graduated from Amherst College in 1882 and Columbia Law School in 1884. He was appointed U.S. Senator from Vermont (1930-31) to serve out the term of Frank Green who had died in office. He was chairman of the board of the Vermont Marble Co. in Proctor. he was on the board of directors of National Life Insurance Co. and the Rutland Railroad and a trustee of Middlebury College.

Pen

Black case with blue interior and tarnished silver and white pen and an extra nib.
a= pen
B= case
c=nib

2025.3.12a-c

This pen is said to have belonged to Frank C. Partridge (1861-1943). He was born in East Middlebury, and graduated from Amherst College in 1882 and Columbia Law School in 1884. He was appointed U.S. Senator from Vermont (1930-31) to serve out the term of Frank Green who had died in office. He was chairman of the board of the Vermont Marble Co. in Proctor. he was on the board of directors of National Life Insurance Co. and the Rutland Railroad and a trustee of Middlebury College.

Product Model

Sales sample for a Cooley Creamer, manufactured by the Vermont Farm Machinery Company.

Wooden box painted green, gold, and black with a tin lined interior. On the outside of the box are elaborate painted decorations as well as the lettering “COOLEY CREAMER” at the top front in black letters shadowed with gold. On the front gold panels are the words “MANUF’D BY / VERMONT FARM MACHINE CO / BELLOWS FALLS, VT, U.S.A. / PATENTS ISSUED / FEB 10 1877, AUG 28 1877, JULY 17, 1883” There is also a metal slot on the top of the front panel above the words. The whole box is held off the ground by two pieces of wood on the bottom. On the right hand side is a crank connected to three gears as well as two additional levers.

On the underside of the lid, the words “INVENTED BY / WILLIAM COOLEY / OF WATERBURY, VT.” are painted in black. The lid is held open by two chains connecting diagonally to the box. Inside the box, four metal cylinders rest on a platform that raises or lowers with a system of gears. The cans have spigots and gauges and removable lids.

1957.19

William Cooley of Waterbury patented this creamer in the 1870s as the dairy industry began booming, and it was sold and distributed nationally by the Vermont Farm Manufacturing Company of Bellows Falls.

Promotional Button

Barre/ The Granite Center 1895-1995 pin. White pin with blue graphics of a male granite cutter with tools in hand central. Around him is an oval of text "1895 BARRE 1995 THE GRANITE CENTER" With a safety clasp pin back.

1995.22

Here is some history to explain the tag "The Granite Center" associated with Barre, Vermont, provided by the Barre Granite Association. (http://barregranite.org/BGAmobile/index.php/pid/5)


" Barre Gray Granite was used extensively in the early 1800’s for millstones, paving stones and home and building construction. It was at that time that Robert Parker became Barre’s first professional quarryman and the first granite manufacturer. Slowly, but steadily the granite industry grew, causing Barre’s population to expand to 2,012 by the year 1830. A few years later the industry would get a tremendous boost with the contract for a new Vermont Statehouse to be built of Barre Gray granite in Montpelier, VT. It was the first major building project to use Barre granite. Then, in 1875, the railroad came to town, giving Barre access to the markets of the world.

In the 1880’s, Barre experienced a technological boom. Emery L. Smith, who later became the first mayor of Barre City, pioneered new quarrying technology, including a permanent derrick, electrically detonated explosives, the steam drill and the pneumatic plug drill. Electricity came to the region in 1885, giving rise to power cutting, polishing, surfacing, carving and stone transferring with overhead cranes.

With rapid growth in the granite industry, immigrants began flooding into Barre, and by 1890 the population had more than to 6,790. The first workers to arrive were Scots, followed by Italians, Scandinavians, Spanish, English, Irish, Greeks, and French-Canadians. When an order for 10 million hand-cut paving stones for the city of Troy, New York, was received, this gave Barre’s granite industry a big boost in the 1890’s. At that time about 40 quarries were cutting granite, primarily for monuments and memorials, and by 1902 Barre became the Granite Center of the World, with 68 quarries producing granite valued at more than $1.5 million."

R. & B. R. R.

Partially painted drawing of a train engine and tender (coal car). The engine has a large chimney at the front (black), and a cab at the back (brown over light blue). The small front wheels are red with blue edges, and the large back wheels are pink and blue. The tender is painted with an image of a flying eagle holding a scroll over four crossed flags: Spanish, French, German, and United States. The lantern at the front of the engine reads, "Drawn by Robert Hardie, Rutland Vermont, Feb 9th 1866 11 years of age."

1958.1.1601

Rail

Rusting cast iron railroad rail segment. The rail is cast in an "I" shape with a narrow center and flared top and bottom. The bottom flair is wider than the top. The broken end suggests that it may have been saved to use as a Dutchman, or splice.

1975.2

Found along the abandoned road bed of the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad near Wells River, Vermont. The rail segment is one of the earliest types of rail used in Vermont in the 1840s and 1850s.

Railroad Lantern

Railroad lantern with metal base and ventilation cap and glass chimney. Both the cap and base are stamped with six-pointed stars. The glass is engraved with the initials, "V C R R" (Vermont Central Rail Road). The base contains a well for holding liquid fuel, and a central wick holder rises from the base into the center of the chimney. The lantern has a round metal handle at the top.

1960.190

Used on the Central Vermont Railway

Railroad Lantern

Lantern with glass globe/chimney set into a metal cage mount. The oil reservoir sits in the base of the lantern, and the round wire handle is attached to the vent cap.

1988.14.1

Used on the first train from White River Junction, Vermont, through Sharon, Vermont.

Road to Sunderland

Small oil painting of a winter farm scene. A road in the foreground leads to a grey barn with other red outbuildings. A large tree appears behind the barn and mountains can be seen in the background. The painting is mostly in shades of greys and browns except for the two red buildings. A label affixed to the back entitles the painting, "Road to Sunderland."

2017.12.2

Jay Connaway was born in Liberty, Indiana, November 27, 1893, the son of Cass Connaway, a lawyer and collector of Chinese art, and his wife May. Jay Connaway graduated from Emmerich Manual High School and undertook his first art training from William Forsyth, known for coastal Oregon views, at John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis in 1910 and 1911. Connaway left home to tour the California and Oregon coasts, working his way across the country and then back to the East Coast as a stoker on engines for the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad.

In New York, Connaway enrolled at the National Academy of Design school in 1912. From 1912 to 1914 he attended the Art Student's League at New York City, where he studied with George Bridgman and with William Merritt Chase. Another influence was Robert Henri, a New York Social Realist and leader of the Ashcan School, whom Connaway had met while attending night classes at the National Academy.

In 1917 he enlisted and shipped out to Contrexeville, France. After suffering a shoulder wound, he worked as a cartographer. Then he was assigned to what he called "the most wonderful work of my life"—making detailed watercolor drawings of lesions caused by mustard gas. This brought him to the attention of Lafayette Page, a physician who was so impressed with Connaway's draftsmanship that, at the close of the war, he sponsored his studies at the Académie Julian (1919–20) under Jean Paul Laurens and at the École des Beaux-Arts (1921) in Paris.

With backing from collectors and gallery owners, Connaway, "seeking to paint the lonely sea" found his way to uninhabited Head Harbor Island off the coast of Jonesport, Maine where he lived as an artistic hermit. He later worked dories with a Grand Banks fishing fleet, was also a cook for a lumber camp in Maine, and he enlisted in the Coast Guard.

In 1928 Connaway married Louise Boehle. During the Depression, Connaway moved to Monhegan Island to paint and start the Connaway Art School.

The Connaways remained on Monhegan until 1947, when they moved to Vermont, residing in Dorset until 1953, then North Rupert. Connaway painted rural landscapes of the Vermont countryside and operated a summer art school, until 1966.

In 1962, Connaway merged his school with the Southern Vermont Arts Center and became the school's first director. During the 1960s, in addition to managing the art school Connaway painted in Portugal, Spain, California, and Arizona. In the last year of his life, troubled with poor eyesight and failing health, Connaway was no longer able to paint.

Rockefeller, Mary Billings French (1910-1997)

Born: May 1, 1910 in New York, New York
Died: April 17, 1997 in Manhattan, New York

Primary Residence: Woodstock

Rockefeller donated her home and surrounding property in Woodstock, Vermont, for the state's first national park. She and her husband advised the Calvin Coolidge Memorial Foundation in Plymouth, Vermont, and were instrumental in funding a program to bury wires and telephone lines in the historic site.Through the YWCA, she was an advocate for women throughout the world.

1.1.133

Saucer

White ceramic saucer printed in the center with an illustration of a small station alongside a railroad track with a dirt road and trees to the left. The image is labeled, "C. V. STATION, SO. ROYALTON, VT." The bottom is marked, "Made in Austria for E. F. MOODY, So. Royalton, Vt. Vienna".

2012.36.14

Sold by E. F. Moody in South Royalton, Vermont

Saucer

White ceramic saucer with full-color roses printed in around the rim. The center is printed with an illustration of several warehouse or factories along a railroad track. The image is labeled, "A Section of the E. L. Chandler Co. S Plant, Barton Landing, Vt." The back of the saucer is marked, "WHEELOCK VIENNA AUSTRIA Made in Austria for Whipple, French & Co., Barton Landing, Vt. Vienna."

2012.36.30

Sold by Whipple, French & Co. in Barton Landing, Vermont

Scale Model

Wooden and metal floating railroad bridge scale model. The scale model has a natural wooden base, silver painted dowels in a grid pattern holding a silver painted platform, and a wooden track made of a series of rungs on the top of the platform. A metal chain is attached to one of the painted dowels. A long green painted box with pierced squares below an a-frame roof is on the edge of the orange and black box. Moveable wooden sections of the platform are on top of the orange and black box.

1970.11.1a-i

Model of floating railroad bridge across Lake Champlain connecting Vermont and New York from Larrabee's Point to Ticonderoga. The bridge was composed of stationery piers from each shore joined by a floating barge hinged on one side. Powered by a steam engine. The barge would swing open for boats to pass through.

Shipley, Lillian Miner (1866-1941)

Queen Lill

Born: July 10, 1866 in Richford, Vermont
Died: March 22, 1951 in St. Albans, Vermont

Primary Residence: Richford

Known locally as "Queen Lill," Shipley founded and ran a successful bar, hotel, and brothel on the Vermont/Canadian border. An entreprener in the prostitution and liquor business, she capitalized on illegal trade to amass considerable wealth.

1.1.135

Shirt

Red and white pinstriped shirt. The shirt has long sleeves and a pointed falling collar that buttons to the shirt at the points. The shirt opens down the center front and secures with 7 white plastic buttons. The hem is longer in the back than the front, and the cuffs are railroaded. A tag at the back neckline reads, "JCW J. W. Campion MONTPELIER, VT. enro".

1997.43

Sold by J. W. Campion of Montpelier, Vermont. Worn by Syver Rogstad of Calais, Vermont.

Sign

Square wooden sign made from 6 pine planks nailed to three vertical boards. The front of the sign is painted white with a black border and the words, "TO BARRE VERMONT THE GRANITE CENTER OF THE WORLD GOOD HOTELS-GARAGES-STORES" with a right-pointing arrow. The back of the sign is painted black with the words, "Barre Board of Trade Barre, Vt." in white painted vertically.

2014.60.1245

Smith, Anne Eliza Brainerd (1819-1905)

Born: October 7, 1819 in St. Albans, Vermont
Died: January 6, 1905 in St. Albans, Vermont

Primary Residence: St. Albans

Prolific writer of essays, poems, and novels in the late nineteenth century. "Seola" (1878) was revised and republished in 1924 as "Angels and Women." Wife of J. Gregory Smith, railroad developer and governor of Vermont during the Civil War. Active in local charitable work. President of Managers of Vermont Women's Exhibit at Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia.

1.1.136

Sugar Bowl

Ornate silver sugar bowl with hinged lid and two handles. The bowl is extensively decorated with applied molded flowers at the base, handles, and rim. The body and lid are engraved with rococo-style scrollwork featuring oak leaves on the front and flowers on the back. A cartouche at the center front is engraved with the initials, "JW".

1972.58.1d

Given as a retirement gift to Jonas Wilder, who invented the first refrigerated railroad car for transporting butter from Vermont to Boston.

Tea Service

Silver-plated oval tray. The tray has two small handles on the ends and is engraved in the center with rococo-style scrollwork and hunt scenes.

1972.58.1g

Given as a retirement gift to Jonas Wilder, who invented the first refrigerated railroad car for transporting butter from Vermont to Boston.

Teapot

Ornate, silver teapot with hinged lid. The pot is extensively decorated with applied molded flowers at the base, handle, spout, and rim. The body and lid are engraved with rococo-style scrollwork featuring oak leaves on the front and flowers on the back. A cartouche at the center front is engraved with the initials, "JW".

1972.58.1a

Given as a retirement gift to Jonas Wilder, who invented the first refrigerated railroad car for transporting butter from Vermont to Boston.

Teapot

Ornate, silver-plated teapot with hinged lid. The pot is extensively decorated with applied molded flowers at the base, handle, spout, and rim. The body and lid are engraved with rococo-style scrollwork featuring oak leaves on the front and flowers on the back. A cartouche at the center front is engraved with the initials, "JW".

1972.58.1b

Given as a retirement gift to Jonas Wilder, who invented the first refrigerated railroad car for transporting butter from Vermont to Boston.

Teapot

Ornate, silver teapot with hinged lid. The pot is extensively decorated with applied molded flowers at the base, handle, spout, and rim. The body and lid are engraved with rococo-style scrollwork featuring oak leaves on the front and flowers on the back. A cartouche at the center front is engraved with the initials, "JW".

1972.58.1c

Given as a retirement gift to Jonas Wilder, who invented the first refrigerated railroad car for transporting butter from Vermont to Boston.

Ticket Box

Long, leather covered box. The box lid hinges from the back and secures with a front flap that locks in the center. The flap is labeled, "R. C. BUSH," on the left and "VT. C. R. R." on the right. The interior of the box has wooden dividers separating it into two rows with several small cubbies.

1950.6

Used by R. C. Bush, a train conductor for Vermont Central Railroad. Bush died when the engine on his train exploded around 1850.

Ticket Punch

Chrome-plated ticket punch. The punch has two rounded handles that lead to a mount with a slit in the middle. The punch tack is in the shape of an L.

1972.61.1

Towel

Linen kitchen towel printed with images of train stations and train-related objects of interest.

2021.5.2

The stations depicted are along the Rutland Railroad route.

Toy Truck

Red-painted wooden toy truck. The truck has a walled bed and open cab. The outer walls of the wheels are painted black, and the wheels are each mounted on a wire axel, allowing them to rotate. The front bumper is painted silver, and there is a small silver decoration painted on the hood. The label, "R.H.A. 1952" is written in black ink on the bottom of the truck, beneath the driver's seat.

2008.38.7

Made by Raymond "Bob" H. Adams. He made several trucks as Christmas presents for all his male grandchildren. They were assembled and painted at the Railroad Station waiting room.

Vermont Lime Company

This artwork is a watercolor and ink drawing depicting an industrial scene. At the center of the composition stands a large industrial building or factory, distinguished by a prominent sign on its roof peak that reads "THE VERMONT LIME COMPANY." This building is connected to a shorter factory structure, characterized by two substantial chimneys or smokestacks. In the foreground, parallel to the factory, two railroad tracks are depicted, with trains positioned along them. Towards the bottom right corner, a river flows. On the left side of the composition, piles of timber can be seen. In the background, the horizon is marked by rolling hills. The railroad tracks form a bridge leading into the hills.

2005.30.1

The Vermont Lime Company operated in Whitingham, Vermont from 1910 to 1913.

Waste Bowl

Ornate silver waste bowl. The bowl is extensively decorated with applied molded flowers at the base and rim. The body is engraved with rococo-style scrollwork featuring oak leaves on the front and flowers on the back. A cartouche at the center front is engraved with the initials, "JW".

1972.58.1f

Given as a retirement gift to Jonas Wilder, who invented the first refrigerated railroad car for transporting butter from Vermont to Boston.

Webster, Delia (1817-1904)

Born: December 17, 1817 in Vergennes, Vermont
Died: January 18, 1904 in Des Moines, Iowa

Primary Residence: Vergennes

Active abolitionist in 1840's and 1850's

1.1.96

Willoughby Lake House

White, three-story hotel with outbuildings featured in lower right of print. Stage coach can be seen arriving. Two steep mountain peaks frame a lake in the middle and background. The lower left features visitors watching two chained bears fight.

The print is titled: Willoughby Lake House, Westmore, VT
The lithograph is noted as from a "Sketch by Hunter" and produced by "J.H. Bufford's Lith.-Boston."

Instructions for traveling to the resort by rail, stage, or road are printed at the bottom of the piece along with the resort ownership: Bemis, Hall & Company

2006.69.9

Alonzo Bemis of Lyndon, along with investors, constructed the Willoughby Lake House in 1852. By 1854, when this print was produced, the resort was very popular and growing fast. Summer guests took the Passumpsic Railroad and then the Willoughby Lake and White Mountains Stage Coach operated by resort owners Bemis, Hall & Co. Guests enjoyed boating excursions, guided angling, hikes up mounts Pisgah and Hor, or relaxation on the large lawns. The Lake House was a popular resort and large part of the Westmore economy right up until it was destroyed by fire in 1907. It was never rebuilt and much of the area is now a private campground.