2026 LLHSM Annual Conference
How History Works
72nd Annual LLHSM Conference
Friday, May 8
Saint Albans Museum, St. Albans, VT
Printable Conference Info Flyer
Join us in St. Albans, VT on May 8th for the 72nd annual League of Local Historical Societies & Museums (LLHSM) Conference! This meeting is the largest yearly gathering of local history and museum professionals in the state. It is a chance to network and learn with colleagues in a supportive environment.
This Year's Theme is "How History Works"
There are a few ways we can think about how history “works.” It is the nuts & bolts of doing history. It can also be the function it holds in our lives. Join us in exploring both practical examples of history projects & tools, alongside sessions and discussions that help us in thinking about the value history holds to our communities.
Support provided by the Walter Cerf Community Fund
REGISTRATION *See note on member registration below
Registration Fees: $35 VHS Members/$50 Non-Members. Free for Presenters & those only attending the LLHSM Awards Ceremony.
Registration fees include lunch, light breakfast, all sessions & snacks. Space may be limited, register early to reserve your spot! Contact Director of Service & Outreach Eileen Corcoran at director.outreach@vermonthistory.org for invoicing/payment options or other registration questions.
CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
9:00 to 9:30 am
Registration & Coffee
Saint Albans Museum, 9 Church St, St. Albans, VT
Bliss Room- Third Floor
Parking
There is a small parking lot behind the Museum accessed from Bishop St. Use 7 Bishop Street as your GPS address. We ask that you reserve that for lower mobility/handicap attendees.
There is additional parking in the small lot for St. Luke’s Episcopal Church at 8 Bishop St. (lot is on the left before the church). Please note that Bishop St. is one way, accessed from Lincoln Ave.
There is on-street parking on Church St. and Fairfield St. (on-street parking is free, but there may be time limits). There is also a parking lot at 26 Lake St and a parking garage at 26 Hampton Lane. The city utilizes the ParkMobile app for paid parking locations.
Please use the entrance at the rear of the Museum (at the parking lot) for entry.
9:45 to 10:30 am
Welcome & LLHSM Awards
We’ll kick off the conference with our annual LLHSM Achievement Awards, which recognize the exceptional work being done by individuals and community history organizations throughout the state to collect, preserve, and share Vermont’s rich history.
10:45 to 11:45 am
Concurrent Sessions 1
Box Making Workshop
Kelly Bartlett, Ethan Allen Homestead Museum and Devyn Cabral & Patricia Reid, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
Think inside the box and get hands-on experience making archival custom sized boxes. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum Collections staff will explain the process from soup to nuts and give all attendees a chance to try their hand. Bring a small, tricky object (or its dimensions) from your collection to create the perfect storage container for it at the session. Please note that box making materials will be limited to one box per organization. Session attendees over the first 20 organizations may not be able to make their own box.
Let The Power of Canva Tell Your Story
Bret Thayer, Crystal Lake Falls Historical Association
Ever wonder how you can get the story out about all of the amazing things your museum or historical organization is doing? Or, how to give a new, fresh look to your existing exhibits? Look no further than Canva. This free program has features that can do it all: posters, brochures, signs, articles, still image movies and more!
Bret Thayer, former classroom educator and Director of the Pierce House Museum in Barton, will guide you through the features of Canva and share some concrete examples that are currently being used in the Pierce House Museum.
From Hidden to Honored: Matthew Lyon and the Fair Haven Historical Society
Walter Sperr & Victoria Angis, Fair Haven Historical Society
Matthew Lyon is one of early America's forgotten patriot heroes. This session will describe the Fair Haven Historical Society's research that uncovered the true character, spirit and resilience of a member of Congress unjustly condemned to jail for breaking a federal law before it became a law. You will discover the reasons why Lyon is called Vermont's Champion of Freedom and learn the details of how we are sharing his story through speeches, presentations, publications, and the creation of a premiere theatrical event.
11:45 am to 1:00 pm
Keynote Discussion & Lunch: Inspiring History Work
Featuring Jeffrey Potash
Sponsored by Arcadia Publishing
Now, perhaps more than ever, local history has a social purpose. In what ways can we engage with, wrestle with, and recognize how that matters, and how local history is a way to better understand our Vermont identity.
Jeffery Potash is a former Professor of History at Trinity College (VT) and co-author with Michael Sherman and Gene Sessions of Freedom and Unity: A History of Vermont (2004) for which he is currently working on a second edition.
1:15 to 2:15 pm
Concurrent Sessions 2
Vermont 2027: Inspiring the Next 250
VHS Staff & Friends
Vermont’s own 250th anniversary takes place in 2027, honoring the establishment of what we now know as the Vermont Republic. We’ll take inspiration from our keynote for small-group discussion on ways in which we might reflect and honor this milestone, including potential archival and exhibit projects.
Stitching History: 100 Years of Vermont Samplers
Ellen Thompson, Vermont Sampler Initiative
The Vermont Sampler Initiative has documented nearly 600 samplers made in Vermont between 1777 and 1880. They represent the work of girls from every county and more than 150 towns. This presentation will summarize findings of this initiative, suggest ways that local historical connections can be made and showcase the creativity demonstrated by these girls and young women. Participants will also be invited to help solve a sampler puzzle and suggest ways to best disseminate the findings of the project.
Rediscovering Immigrant Vermont
Beth Kanell, Krista Barry, & Darlene Young, Old Stone House Museum
Census pages from 1920 show Vermont's wide base of immigrants at that time: Swedish, Italian, Irish, Spanish, Bulgarian, Russian, and more—well beyond the English, Scottish, and French-Canadian roots we often associate with this place. This hands-on workshop explores an effective method of engaging community volunteers in rediscovering immigrant roots and exploring why people left other places to come here, and how they became "Vermonters," as people have now become for 250 years. Worksheets, samples, and images are provided, and innovation is encouraged.
2:15 to 2:30 pm
Break
Snacks & conversation.
2:30 to 3:30 pm
Concurrent Sessions 3
The Green Mountain Parkway: Archival Collections and Classroom Engagement
Danielle Harris-Burnett, Vermont Historical Society
On Town Meeting Day 1936, Vermonters voted down the Green Mountain Parkway proposal; but what if the parkway came up again for debate? In this session, learn how to use your archival collections as primary sources in programs for K-12 audiences through the Vermont History Museum’s hands-on program Learning from the Past: Town Meeting Day and the Green Mountain Parkway. Primary source analysis is an essential component in social studies pedagogy, Vermont Historical Society staff will also provide guidance on staging a mock Town Meeting for students, and how to create dynamic field trip opportunities for your local schools.
How SAM Shares Community Stories
Trish Denton, Corrina King, & Eliza Callahan, Saint Albans Museum
At Saint Albans Museum (SAM) we share our community stories through exhibits, education, community programs, cultural events & performances. A hub for community-based research, we elevate both the historic and present-day narratives of our local communities to highlight our contributions to the broader field of American history. In this short talk, we will discuss the multiple pathways we offer for presenting community with a special focus on highlighting our annual programmatic arc. Additionally, we will share how we amended our current season programming to work with the City of Saint Albans on our 250th programming and upcoming exhibition. We will end the talk with a visit to the Don Miner & Wilma Cowie Research Library, and set participants loose for a self-guided tour of the first and second floor exhibit halls.
*In order to access the member conference rate, you will have to login to the online ticketing system using the PRIMARY email on your membership account. If you don't know your/your institution's primary account email, please contact Kathleen Gilmartin, membership@vermonthistory.org or (802) 479-8503 for assistance.
Local accommodations options for attendees:
Hampton inn (walking distance from SAM)
Holiday inn
Econo Lodge Motel
Cadillac Motel
