The Cavendish Historical Society's accepts tax-deductible contributions to help preserve our history. You can reach us at margocaulfield@icloud.com 802-226-7807 or PO Box 472 Cavendish, VT 05142 The CHS Museum is located at 1958 Main Street (Route 131) in Cavendish.
This is a very quick brief as the Fall newsletter will be coming out shortly. If you haven’t had a chance to read this year’s Halloween’s Cavendish Ghost story, check it out at the Cavendish Historical Society Blog. It features Cavendish’s first settlers the Coffeens.
Please be advised that given all the various projects we’re working on, we needed to cancel this year’s Dia de los Muertos event. However, the one for the fifth grade at Cavendish Town Elementary School takes place on Nov. 4th. Stay tuned for Ullr Fest in December.
Sunday Nov. 9 is the Annual Proctorsville Ghost Walk. Proctorsville seems to favor a very diverse group of hauntings and spirits. One ghost is actually written into the deed of a home, another has a thing for pennies, children spirits have their favorite haunt, and the village boasts the most haunted inn in Vermont, the Golden Stage Inn.
The Ghost Walk takes place at 2 pm. Meet at the Proctorsville War Memorial, which is at the intersection of route 131 and Depot Street. Wear comfortable walking shoes. This tour includes both a visit to the Proctor Cemetery and free copies of CHS’s Cemetery Guide.
This event is free and open to the public. Donations are welcomed and appreciated. For more information, call 802-226-7807 or e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.com
Donations for CHS can be sent to CHS, PO Box 472, Cavendish, VT 05142. Checks should be payable to the Cavendish Historical Society.
This is a work of fiction based on the first colonial settlers to Cavendish, the Coffeens. Susanna Coffeen was born in Scotland and would have grown up with the tradition of Samhain (sow-in) and would most likely have shared it with her family.
While there is little evidence of Halloween traditions during the Revolutionary time period, the Irish and Scots kept the Samhain tradition alive with their families. With the arrival of the Irish following the potato famine, more and more people were celebrating “all hallows eve,” so that by the end of the 19th century, Halloween was an established tradition in America.
At the end of the story, there is more information on Samhain and Cavendish’s first family as well as links to previous years’ ghost stories.
It was the smell that woke Amy out of a deep sleep on a very cold and frosty October morning. She was often the last out of bed, and her mother frequently had to call her more than once to get her to crawl out from under the covers. But not this morning.
Amy jumped up, shouting, “It’s Barm Brack,” and went racing over to the hearth.
Her mother, Susanna, was from Scotland and to honor the feast of Samhain, she had already started baking a type of fruitcake which held tiny objects that would be used to help predict the new year.
Amy hoped the day would be full of the fun Samhain traditions she was used to. However, 1775 had been like no other year she remembered. Two of her older brothers had gone off to fight a war that she didn’t quite understand. Someplace in Boston she thought.
Since her parents owned a tavern close to the Crown Point Road, there were all sorts of strange men showing up at all hours of the day and night. There was a constant talk of war. Both her parents had furrowed brows and were constantly speaking in hushed voices and doing their best to keep the younger children from listening to their conversations.
At 11, and the seventh of 14 kids, Amy found she could slip in and out of the tavern area pretty easily without being noticed. Consequently, she had some understanding of the reason they had to drink things like Indian Lemonade, versus the black tea she had grown up with, was due to taxes and a King. While her parents understood why Lake, their eldest child of 23 years old, went off to enlist to fight, Michael’s leaving at 17 was particularly concerning to their mother.
As she approached the hearth to get a look and smell of the Barm Brack, her mother said, “Amy, go tend to William, and after that help with the milking.” In such a large family, the running of the farm and tavern, there was always work to be done. Samhain or not, Amy was quick to get about doing her chores.
William was the baby of the family, having been born in January. Much of his care had fallen to Amy as her older sisters had their hands full helping their mother with many other household duties. With more frequent visitors traveling on the Crown Point Road, there was a lot more laundry, cooking and other chores to be done.
In past years, on Oct. 31, Amy’s mother had served up breakfast along with a talk about the importance of Samhain and why they celebrated it each year, though most families in town did not. Today there was no mention of it, as breakfast was a hasty affair. Not only was a soldier traveling on the Crown Point Road sick and needing care, but her father had said that a neighbor was about to give birth and Susanna’s midwifery skills were needed.
Quickly, the oldest daughter, who was in training to become a midwife, along with the baby, as he was still nursing, left the house. This meant that Amy and her older sister Lydia would be responsible for not only completing their normal chores, but also those of their mother and sister. Since it was fall, butchering was well underway and the candle and soap making, started by her mother and eldest sister, would need to be finished by Amy and Lydia.
Between cooking, candle and soap making, tending to the younger children, various sewing projects, darning a pair of their father’s socks, milking, feeding a new guest at the tavern, it was close to dusk by the time Amy and Lydia realized they hadn’t checked on the sick traveler since early morning.
“You go check on him Amy,” said Lydia. Tired from a very full day of work, Amy replied, “Why can’t you do it?” Equally weary, Lydia replied, “Because if I don’t finish dinner as well as the spinning mother will not be pleased.” Amy sighed and started wrapping herself in her cape. Her sister handed her some bread and a mug of cider telling her to see if the man might want something to eat.
As she stepped outside, Amy pulled her cape tighter. It was not only very cold, but the wind was whipping leaves mixed with snowflakes around her. The fading light cast eerie shadows in her path. She couldn’t help but think how Samhain was the time when the veil was thinnest between this world and the next and departed loved ones often visited. As she scurried along, she thought of a sister who had died when she was a year old. Close in age, Amy had few memories of her. Still she wondered if her spirit was about.
Hearing moaning sounds coming from the barn, Amy moved even quicker than she had been. “He must be really sick,” Amy thought.
Imagine her surprise when she entered the barn and there was no one there. There was no evidence that anyone had even been there. As she was searching, she saw something black swoop by the open door. It made the hair on the back of her neck stand up and she called, “Hello,” but there was no answer.
It seemed that in the short time since she left the house to come to the barn, it had gotten even darker and scarier. She ran back to the house, spilling the cider and dropping the bread. A momentary thought flashed through her head, “At least the fairies will be fed.” On Samhain, her mother always set food and drink outside for the “wee folk” as the belief was that if they were tended to they wouldn’t interfere by making crops rot.
Taking her cape off, she started telling her sister and her brother Daniel about how the soldier appeared to have vanished. She was so busy telling her story, she hadn’t immediately noticed that Daniel and Lydia both had very odd looks on their face. “What’s wrong?” asked Amy.
“While you were gone, we heard this strange moaning and when we looked outside, we saw a ghoul!” said Daniel. It was so ugly and frightening.” As if on cue, there was as audible moan that was coming from upstairs. Amy and Lydia held on to each other. “Where’s Papa?” asked Amy
“The last I saw him he was going to see if the baby was born so he could bring Mother home,” replied Daniel.
Lydia, being the oldest present thought she’d best go check. All of the children begged her not to go upstairs as they were afraid something would happen to her. “Remember what mother told us last year on Samhain. Sometimes the spirits will take you away to the other world,” replied Daniel. Oliver, who was all of seven, said, “Yeah, but she also said that’s why they dress up and put stuff on their faces so they’d confuse the spirits.”
Amy and Lydia looked at each other and said at the same time, “Ashes!” They promptly began wiping cold hearth ashes, to their faces and all the younger children.
Again they heard the moaning, but this time it sounded like it was just outside. Would it help to hide from the ghosts they wondered? Some of the youngest children hid under the tables and Goldsmith, who was all of two, started crying.
The moaning stopped and they heard voices. Whew, it was the rest of the family coming home.
Susanna was shocked when she walked into the house and saw the children huddled together, covered in soot and looking terrified.
“What is going on here?” she asked.
“It’s the ghosts. They’ve come for us,” said Daniel. No sooner had the words come out of his mouth, when they all heard the most shrill and terrifying sound, a cross between a shriek and a moan.
Turning to the direction of the sound, Amy’s father looking out the front door and yelled, “Fire!” He ran out, closely followed by most of the family. With no fire department and a strong wind, a fire could lay waste to their property in no time.
Amy, who was carrying and walking the youngest children outside, saw the others had stopped. Up a head she could see a fire and it appeared as if someone was dancing around it.
By the time she reached her family, her parents were looking amused. “What could possibly be funny?” wondered Amy. It was then that her mother took off running and then embracing the ghostly dancer who was hugging her as if they’d never let go.
With the other siblings helping the youngest ones, everyone made it to the fire and were amazed to see that the Samhain spirit was none other than their brother Michael. The trickster of the family, Susanna was already plying him with questions about his brother Lake, while at the same time scolding him for scaring his siblings.
Michael explained that he and Lake’s enlistments had expired just a few days ago. While Lake had gone to Amherst, Mass for a job, he had decided if he traveled fast enough he could be home in time for Samhain. “I’ve always loved this time of year,” he commented. After what I’ve seen this past year, I just needed to come home for a bit.” Looking sheepish, he said, “I thought you’d appreciate a bit of ‘guising.’ “ Guising was the practice of wearing disguises in order to protect yourself from the spirits that would be out roaming that night.
In the years to come, Amy would look back on this night with great fondness. No, there wasn’t the time for all of the usual festivities but they did have a bonfire, enjoyed the Bram Brack, listened to Michael’s war adventures and were just grateful that he was safe and home.
As for the vanished soldier, they had no explanation and it became part of their Samhain lore.
The Tradition of Samhain: An ancient Celtic holiday celebrated in Ireland, Scotland and some parts of England, many of today’s Halloween traditions stem from Samhain, which means “Summer’s End.” With traditions that are over 2,000 years old, The festival of Samhain marked the transition to the new year at the end of the harvest and beginning of the winter. Celtic people believed that during the festival, spirits walked the Earth. Later on, Christian missionaries introducedAll Souls’ Dayon November 2, which perpetuated the idea of the living coming into contact with the dead around the same time of year. The festival of Samhain marked the transition to the new year at the end of the harvest and beginning of the winter. Celtic people believed that during the festival, spirits walked the Earth. Later on, Christian missionaries introducedAll Souls’ Dayon November 2, which perpetuated the idea of the living coming into contact with the dead around the same time of year. The Origins of Halloween Traditions
Scottish traditions for Samhain included:
• bonfires (protection from evil spirits
• turnip lanterns, called “tumshies” to scare off fairies and ghosts-these become pumpkin carvings in the 19thcentury
• guising or wearing of costumes to keep the fairies and spirits from stealing children; • games of divination: Nut Burning and pulling up stalks revealed future spouses and/or how long relationships would last
Scotland Halloween| The Fascinating Celtic history of Samhuinn
Halloween History/National Geographic
Coffeens-Cavendish’s First Settlers: Human occupation of Cavendish extends back more than 10,000 years. The Coffeens were the first legal colonists of Cavendish, meaning they paid for their land. Arriving in 1769, their property was located on what today is known as the South Reading Rd.
According to her obituary (“The Christian Repository, Vol 6 page 282, 1826) Susanna had 14 children but not all survived childhood. She was in her 95th year at the time of her passing and outlived all but four of her children, with only one, Amy, still living in Cavendish.
At the time of this story, 1775, there were 12 Coffeen children. Lake, who would have been 23 and Michael 17 had enlisted in the war and both had fought at Bunker Hill. Michael ultimately became a Green Mountain boy fighting with Ethan Allan. Both Lake and Michael followed in their father’s footsteps becoming ministers/physicians.
For the early settlers in Cavendish, life would be challenging and it would have required daily work by all members of the family. Girls were taught how to keep house, sew, tend to children, milk the cow etc. Boys worked alongside their fathers, entering a trade or being apprenticed. While many colonists did not teach their daughters to read and write, New Englanders were more likely to do so as they thought it important they could read the Bible.
It's very possible Susanna Coffeen was a midwife, and according to information about some of her daughters, including Amy, they were known to care for the sick. Because of their proximity to the Crown Point Road, as well as being listed as having a tavern, they would have cared for and even buried soldiers-supposedly there are 12 Revolutionary War soldiers buried in unmarked graves in the Coffeen Cemetery.
To learn more about the Coffeens, and the other early settlers of Cavendish, check out Volume 1 of the Families of Cavendish. This is available at the Cavendish Library and can be purchased from CHS for $40.
The Cavendish Historical Society is the beneficiary of Shaw’s October Give Back Where it Counts Reusable Bag Program. CHS receives a $1 donation for every $3 Give Back Where it Counts Reusable bag sold. Money raised will be used to help with the Young Historians program and for the 250th Anniversary programs honoring the start of the Revolutionary War and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
UPCOMING EVENTS: Note that all events are free and open to the public. Donations are greatly appreciated. For more information, and where registration is required, please e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.com or call 802-226-7807.
Oct. 7 (Tuesday): RiverSweep with CTES 5th and 6th grades
Oct. 11 (Saturday): Tea Blending workshop with Dr. Charis Boke. This will be held at 2 pm at Togather (Super Roasted Coffee) 73 Depot Street, Proctorsville. Please use the contact information above to register for this workshop.
Oct. 12 (Sunday): Last day the Museum is open for the season.
Oct. 20 (Monday): Archeology program with CTES 6th grade at Castleton University
Oct. 31 (Friday): Happy Halloween! Proctorsville Ghost Walk with CTES 5th Grade.
November 1 (Saturday): Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), workshop at Togather, 73 Depot St., Proctorsville 3-5 pm.
November 9 (Sunday) : Proctorsville Ghost Walk. Meet at the Proctorsville War Memorial at 2 pm. Wear comfortable walking shoes. This walk includes the Proctor Cemetery. We will be giving away free Cemetery Guides.
TEA BLENDING WORKSHOP: As we continue to honor the historic 250th anniversaries of the start of the Revolutionary War and the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Cavendish. Historical Society (CHS) has been looking at colonial life. Tea was the beverage of choice until the Boston Tea Party. According to the US. Census, Although tea was a popular beverage in the United States, Americans began drinking more coffee than tea as a direct result of the Tea Act of 1773, the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution … Boston-area merchants like John Hancock were so enraged by the 3-cents-per-pound tax on tea arriving in colonial ports that he declared that anyone who drank the ‘baneful weed’ and paid the tea tax was an ‘Enemy of America’."
Vermonters, like other patriotic colonists, started brewing “liberty teas,” using herbal infusions from local plants. They would have used ingredients like chamomile, red clover, and winter green. Herbal teas played an important role in medicinal care.
CHS is hosting a tea blending workshop with Dr. Charis Boke, a research scientist at Dartmouth, with a specialty in Medical and /Environmental anthropology, and a focus on herbalism and alternative medicine. This is a hands-on class where you will learn about teas, herbs, and spices, their history and how to blend them for maximum taste and effect. Participants will take home a tea they’ve blended for their personal use.
The workshop takes place at 2 pm on Saturday, October 11 at ToGather (home of SuperRoasted), 73 Depot Street, Proctorsville. While this is a free workshop, registration is required, which can be done by e-mailing margocaulfield@icloud.com or calling 802-226-7807.
Shaw’s Selects the Cavendish Historical Society as October’s “Give Back” Nonprofit The Cavendish Historical Society has been honoring the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolutionary War this year with a “taste of history.” It’s therefore both fitting and a priviledge to be the recipient of the Ludlow Shaw’s Give Back Where it Counts Reusable Bag Program for the month of October.
During the Revolutionary era, frugal, thrift, and repurposing were key to the war effort. These activities are just as important today as they were back then. The Shaw’s Give Back Program is an easy way for the community to support CHS’s efforts to recognize this time period as they regularly shop at Shaw’s. For every bag purchased, a portion is donated to CHS, who will use the funds to offer workshops in the coming months as we begin celebrations for the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We hope you’ll support us in October by purchasing one – or two! – Give Back Where It Counts bags at the Ludlow Shaw’s!”
For more information about the Shaw’s “Give Back Where It Counts” Reusable Bag Program, please visit www.shaws.bags4mycause.com.
Donations for CHS can be sent to CHS, PO Box 472, Cavendish, VT 05142. Checks should be payable to the Cavendish Historical Society.
We had a lot of fun at the weekly Farmers Market in Proctorsville-special thanks to Amy Davis who was there every single Friday-but now it’s time for, the Cavendish Historical Society (CHS) to turn its attention to our fall programs, see events section below, and the Young Historians program at Cavendish Town Elementary School (CTES). We’re planning lots of trips and activities.
The “Taste of History” we ran at the Farmers Market was a big hit and many have asked for recipes, which are now available on-line at the CHS blog. We will be continuing to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War, along with the Declaration of Independence 250th throughout 2026. We welcome all ideas and suggestions. If there some aspect of Cavendish history you'd like to know more about, just e-mail or call.
UPCOMING EVENTS: Note that all events are free and open to the public. Donations are greatly appreciated. For more information, and where registration is required, please e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.com or call 802-226-7807.
Sept. 13 (Saturday): CHS will be setting up for the morning 10-noon at the Honey Festival- Proctorsville Green and we’re considering a variety of hands on activities
Sept. 14 (Sunday): Annual Phineas Gage, Walk and Talk. Meet at the museum (1958 Main St) at 2 pm for the talk, which will be followed by a walk to the various sites pertaining to this event, including the scene of the accident. The walk is 1 ½ miles round trip from the Museum. Wear comfortable walking shoes.
Sept. 28 (Sunday): Dr. Charis Boke will be speaking about the history of air pollution, miasma and herbal support for lungs. Dr. Boke, is a research scientist at Dartmouth, with a specialty in Medical and /Environmental anthropology, and a focus on herbalism and alternative medicine.
Oct. 11 (Saturday): Tea Blending workshop with Dr. Charis Boke. This will be held at 2 pm at Togather (Super Roasted Coffee) 73 Depot Street, Proctorsville. Please use the contact information above to register for this workshop.
October 12 (Sunday): Last day the Museum is open for the season.
November 1 (Saturday): Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), workshop at Togather, 73 Depot St., Proctorsville 3-5 pm. More information in the October Briefs.
November 9 (Sunday) : Proctorsville Ghost Walk. Meet at the Proctorsville War Memorial at 2 pm. Wear comfortable walking shoes. This walk includes the Proctor Cemetery. We will be giving away free Cemetery Guides.
Donations for CHS can be sent to CHS, PO Box 472, Cavendish, VT 05142. Checks should be payable to the Cavendish Historical Society.
This summer, at the Market on the Proctorsville Green-takes places on Fridays from 4-7-the Cavendish Historical Society has been offering a "taste" of history by making foods that would have been common during the Revolutionary War period. We've been asked for the recipes.
Switchel: Great for hot days, particularly when doing things like haying. Some people thought it tasted a lot like ginger beer.
• In a large jug, add 1 cup maple syrup to 10 cups of cold water. Stir well
• Add ½ cup apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon powdered ginger and whisk until well mixed, chill thoroughly.
Serve cold.
Blueberry Jam
• 4 cups of blueberries (you can use frozen but we’re at the height of blueberry picking)
• 1/3 cup of maple syrup
Bring to a medium boil over medium heat. Use a potato masher or spatula to mash the blueberries and break them open. Once the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat so you have a gentle boil. Cook for approximately 30 minutes or until the mixture has reduced and thickened (210F). Run a rubber spatula across the bottom of the pot until it leaves a "path" for a moment before the jam fills it in. Transfer the jam to a jar and let cool completely before putting on the lid. Keep in the freezer or refrigerator.
Modern recipes would add the juice of a lemon to this recipe but 18th century Vermonters wouldn’t have had access to lemons and might have added vinegar instead. It’s fine either way, just a bit looser without the pectin from the lemon.
No Knead Bread: This type of bread has been around for centuries. Yeast for these breads would have come from using "a starter" that would have naturally been left from previous bread making in the wooden bread bowl, plus yeast is in the air.
Mix together in a large bowl
• 3 cups of flour
• 1 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t instant yeast
• 1 5/8 cup water
The dough will be shaggy. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for at least 18 hours (the loaf made for market had risen for 24 hours).
Place a Dutch Oven (heavy pot with lid) in an oven. Set temp to 450 degrees. When the oven has reached 450, the Dutch Oven should be sufficiently hot. Remove the lid. Sprinkle corn meal in the bottom of the pot, and put the risen dough into the pot. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and let bake for 15 minutes longer.
Once baked, cool on a baking rack.
Pickles: Sugar and salt were common ingredients used in preserving vegetables, which would be cut up, placed in earthen jars and covered by the brine. A "stone" would be placed on top of the vegetables to keep them submerged in the brine and did not require the "canning" process that was used in the 19th century.
Cut up
• 7 pickling cucumbers (for the market version, 2 very large cucumbers were used)
• 1 white onion
Cut into thin slices and place in a bowl, toss with 3 T kosher salt and let sit for an hour. Modern recipes recommend placing in the refrigerator during the chilling process.
Transfer the cucumbers and onions to a colander and rinse off the salt. Divide the mix between two pint size mason jars (or whatever you have on hand)
In a small saucepan combine
• Less than 1 cup light brown sugar (raw sugar was used for the market pickles)
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 2 t celery seeds
• 2 t mustard seeds
Heat over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Pour over the sliced cucumbers and onions, making sure all of them are covered in the brine. Let cool completely before putting on the lid and refrigerating.
Summer has to be the shortest season in Vermont. Hard to believe that school starts in a few weeks, which means we’re already thinking about programs and trips for our amazing young historians. However, there is still lots ofFriday Farmers Markets on the Proctorsville Green as well as programs.
JAM RECIPE: In July we’ve been doing a “Taste of History” at the Friday Farmer’s Market, offering various food items that would have been made in Cavendish during the Revolutionary War time period. The summer newsletter includes the recipe for Switchel. By request this is the blueberry jam we made for one of the “tastings:”
• 4 cups of blueberries (you can use frozen but we’re at the height of blueberry picking)
• 1/3 cup of maple syrup
Bring to a medium boil over medium heat. Use a potato masher or spatula to mash the blueberries and break them open. Once the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat so you have a gentle boil. Cook for approximately 30 minutes or until the mixture has reduced and thickened (210F). Run a rubber spatula across the bottom of the pot until it leaves a "path" for a moment before the jam fills it in. Transfer the jam to a jar and let cool completely before putting on the lid. Keep in the freezer or refrigerator.
Modern recipes would add the juice of a lemon to this recipe but 18th century Vermonters wouldn’t have had access to lemons and might have added vinegar instead. It’s fine either way, just a bit looser without the pectin from the lemon.
FARMERS MARKET: CHS will continue to be at Friday evening markets on the Proctorsville Green from 4-7. For August 1st, we’ll be tasting bread made with just flour, water and salt. Stop by for a visit and play a game of “Graces” with some of our vendors who are becoming quite the experts.
UPCOMING EVENTS: Note that all events are free and open to the public
August 10 (Sunday): Dr. Charis Boke will be leading a medicinal plant walk at Greven Field. Meet at the Museum at 2pm. See article below for more information.
Sept 28 (Sunday): 2 pm Dr. Boke will be speaking about the history of air pollution, miasma and herbal support for lungs.
Sept 14 (Sunday): Annual Phineas Gage Walk and Talk. Begins at 2 pm at the Museum.
October 11 (Saturday): Tea Blending Workshop with Dr. Boke at 2 pm.
October 12 (Sunday): Last day the Museum is open for the season.
November: Proctorsville Ghost Walk Date and time TBA.
MEDICINAL PLANT WALK: Greven Field has flooded many times since July 2023. In the fall of 2024, Dr. Charis Boke, a research scientist at Dartmouth, with a speciality in Medical and Environmental anthropology, and a focus on herbalism and alternative medicine, was working in Cavendish on a Rivers Project. As we walked through this field, that once hosted many a baseball game, Dr. Boke began to point out the wide array of plants that had sprung up since the floods. She explained how they were not only helpful in restoring the land but also had many uses for people.
Having led three workshops last year for the Cavendish Historical Society (CHS), we are thrilled to once again be hosting Dr. Boke for another three workshops this season. The first, a medicinal plant walk, will be on Sunday, August 10, at 2 pm. We will be meeting at the CHS Museum on Route 131 in Cavendish, and will car pool to the site. Given limited parking in this area, we ask that people come to the Museum.
Participants should wear walking shoes and bring a water bottle and bug spray. This walk is free, open to the public but not suitable for young children. Donations are welcomed and appreciated. For more information call 802-226-7807 or e-mail margocaulfield@icloud.com
The Cavendish Historical Society (CHS) is 70 years old this year. According to Barbara Kingsbury’s “Chubb Hill Farm and Cavendish, Vermont: A Family and Town History,” “Beverly Stowell remembers Ethel (Roosevelt) Derby urging the formation of a local historical society. Elizabeth Williams, the Roy Healds, the Will Atkinsons Constance Bradly, and others were enthusiastic about the idea. In 1955, the Cavendish Historical Society was established. Miss Williams spent hours keeping records and Mrs. Bradley collected and arranged artifacts. Atherton Bemis was the first president. The society was able to lease the old Town Hall for its museum in 1970 and the old stone building of the Universalist Church was given it soon after for preservation.
If you have ideas how we should be celebrating this land mark year, let us know.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Back by popular demand are three more events with herbalist and medical anthropologist
Dr. Charis Boke. https://faculty-directory.dartmouth.edu/charis-ford-morrison-boke Charis has an academic appointment at Dartmouth College where she lectures and conducts research.
July 26 (Saturday): Cavendish Town Wide Tag Sale. CHS will be in the Gazebo on the Proctorsville Green. We will have Sandra Stearns book for sale along with the biography “Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn: the Writer Who Changed History.” Stop by to receive a free copy of the Cavendish Cemetery Guide. We’ll even have T shirts for sale.
August 10 (Sunday): Dr. Charis Boke will be leading a medicinal plant walk at Greven Field. Meet at the Museum at 2pm. Wear comfortable shoes and bring bug spray and a water bottle
September: TBA Dr. Boke will be talking about the history of air pollution and how to protect yourself
Sept 14 (Sunday): Annual Phineas Gage Walk and Talk. Begins at 2 pm at the Museum.
October 11 (Saturday): Tea Blending Workshop with Dr. Boke at 2 pm.
October 12 (Sunday): Last day the Museum is open for the season.
November: Proctorsville Ghost Walk Date and time TBA.
REMEMBERING SANDRA STEARNS
It is with sadness that we report the passing of Cavendish’s Laura Ingalls Wilder’s-Sandra Stearns, on June 16. A stalwart of CHS, many students at Cavendish Town Elementary School (CTES) were thrilled to have Sandy visit their classroom and read from her book “Cavendish Hillside Farm 1939-1957.” She wrote this book for her children and grandchildren in 1996.
About 5 years ago my husband, John and I took our grandchildren, Kelly and Ryan Prouty, to watch the old fashioned horse and ox plowing contest in Weathersfield. They, being 4 and 6 years of age, were fascinated by the enormous oxen and work horses. Countless questions were asked, which we tried to answer in terms they could understand, Finally, Kelly, who had ridden horseback since babyhood, asked, “Grandma, how come their saddles have two handles?” Bingo, a light went on! My three youngest children and my grandchildren had never seen horses working. Night after night I laid in bed remembering things they would never experience.”
“During my growing up years on the farm I lived things that my children and grandchildren cannot even begin to imagine. Life was hard, conveniences were few and far between, but I was happy. Being outdoors and around animals. I appreciated school and church for they were my major chances to get away from the work and solitude. I was blessed. To live and see and do so many things the old fashioned way!”
While Sandy’s book provides an amazing insight into rural life, which future generations will treasure, this is but one small contribution she made to the study of Cavendish history. She was an active member of the Cavendish William French Daughters Chapter of the American Revolution (DAR) and held regional and national positions within the DAR. She was constantly researching various aspects of Vermont history, including genealogy, Native American studies, the underground railroad and much more.
Sandy was very active in the community and was a member of the Cavendish Select Board and served on a wide range or organizations at the local and state level. She wrote poetry-it was always a surprise to hear what new verse she’d leave on her answering machine-spoke at various town gatherings, such as Memorial Day, and always had a tidbit of historical information that you didn’t know about. Sandy was the first person you contacted when people asked about some aspect of town or state history you weren’t sure about.
Like her research, Sandy was all about the details. It was no surprise, that as we gathered at the top of the Center Road Cemetery, sandwiched between the one room school house she so loved and her childhood home on Field Hill, she was brought to the cemetery by a horse and not a hearse. While a member of the Cavendish Baptist Church, she mentioned at the service of another CHS member-Barbara Kingsbury-that being in nature was all the service she needed. It was fitting then. that she was sung to her final resting place on a day awash with the smell of mock orange blossoms, nestled in the mountains she so loved.
Our condolences to her children Barry; Eric; Vicky Prouty (Wayne Tucker); Andrew; Jeffrey (Alex Farrell), and Joanne Ross, grandchildren; great grandchildren, brother Hollis Field, and her many friends and relatives.
Sandra’s book can be purchased at the CHS Museum on Sunday from 2-4 pm, at the Friday Farmer’s Market on the Proctorsville Green (4-7 pm) or by mailing a check, payable to CHS, for $20 (book is $15 plus $5 for shipping and handling) to PO Box 472, Cavendish, VT 05142
REMEMBERING BARBARA DICKEY
June 16 also saw the passing of another member of CHS, Barbara Dickey. Barbara was one of the founders of the Cavendish Community Fund, which has supported a variety of CHS activities. She spear headed the Historic Barn Recovery program, helping many homeowners in our community apply for grants to restore their old barns. She loved the chairs manufactured in Cavendish and had one reproduced. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to be a hot seller.
After tropical storm Irene caused considerable damage to the Gethsemane Episcopal Church on Depot Street, Barbara worked to not only restore the church but to add a parish hall that double as a community center for the town. She held many meetings to help ensure that the building could be a hub for the community. Thanks to Barbara’s efforts, both a film and music series were offered there and CHS used the space for various events.
Barbara was a member of the faculty at Harvard Medical School. As associate professor, she won national recognition and support for her research on the delivery of mental health services for persons with serious mental illness. She published 85 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including The New England Journal of Medicine, The Journal of the American Medical Association, and the International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, among many others.
Our sympathies to her children, family and many friends.
POTRAITS OF CAVENDISH RESIDENTS BY IRWIN HOFFMAN
Irwin David Hoffmanwas born on March 8,1901in Boston, Massachusetts to Russian immigrants. He attended the Boston Museum of Fine Arts as a15 year oldand graduated from there. At age 19 he had his first exhibition in Boston. New York City was his base.
According to Kingsbury’s History of Cavendish, “Three Hoffman brothers, Arnold, Irwin and Robert bought a house and farm for summer use from James Cady (Brook RD). Irwin was an artist. The Vermont Tribune noted in January, 1946 that 23 of his Cavendish paintings were displayed at an exhibit in New York City. He painted portraits of his Cavendish neighbors. Below are some of those paintings, which currently hang in the Radiology Dept at Dartmouth Hospital, and various people commented on them when we posted them to Facebook. Do you recognize any of these people?
Several people agreed this was Lyma or Limey Howard. Stacia Spaulding posted Lyma Howard (my step-great grandfather). My mother said he use to have some vegetables for sale with a sign that said "...raised on talc..." My grandfather sold the farm to Mrs. Derby.
According to Greg Bryant this was “Limey Howard”. He used to rub lime all over himself like baby powder lol - because he said it made him strong and kept him young… He used to grab my grandfather’ s hand and say “look Cliff! Feel that grip! That’s the talc/lime!”
We had two people post the possibilities that the man was Bert Preston or George Pratt.
Two possible identities were given for the lady with the children, Bernice Van Guilder or Mae Atkinson.
Hollis Quinn, Sr. poses next to his Hoffman portrait.
“READING” SOLZHENITSYN VIA AUDIOBOOKS
Audiobooks are very convenient, as they’re easy to download to your phone, tablet or computer. Not only can they be a good source of entertainment while you cook, clean, walk, exercise, travel, or relax on the beach, they can also give you a whole new take on a book.
Whether you’ve read “One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich” or not, try listening to it. Many of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn’s works, are available via companies like Audible. Our local libraries offer a free audio download app called Libby that contains a number of books by and about Solzhenitsyn. One of the nice features of this app is a timer, so you can fall asleep and not miss anything.
Be sure and check with your local library about what free app they use. They can also help you download it to your device. Enjoy!
CHS GOES TO MARKET
New this summer is a farmers market on the Proctorsville Green, Fridays from 4-7 pm. CHS has been offering a variety of “hands on history” activities along with a “taste of history.” We’re focusing on the colonial period, since we’ve now begun our programming in honor of the 250th anniversary of the start of the Revolutionary War.
Recently, we made “switchel” for people to try. Variations on this recipe have been around for centuries and used by farmers during the heat of the summer for haying and other chores. Consequently, it’s often called “haymaker’s punch” and is an excellent thirst quencher.
As we were handing out samples, some of our farm families told us about recipes from parents and grandparents. While many people liked it, others weren’t so enthralled. Below is the recipe we used. Note that while many today use fresh ginger, we used dry, which is what they would have been using in the 18th century. Interestingly, many thought it tasted like ginger beer.
• In a large jug, add 1 cup maple syrup to 10 cups of cold water. Stir well
• Add ½ cup apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon powdered ginger and whisk until well mixed, chill thoroughly. Serve cold.
BECOME A MEMBER, RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP, DONATE
If you have not joined the Cavendish Historical Society, need to renew your membership, and/or would like to be a volunteer, please complete the form below and sending a check, payable to CHS, to CHS, PO Box 472, Cavendish, VT 05142. All contributions are tax deductible.
__ Individual Member $10 __ Senior Member 65+ $5 __ Sustaining Member $500
__ Household Member $15 ___ Contributing Member $250
Volunteer
___ I would be interested in serving, as a volunteer .I would be interested in serving on the following committee(s):__ Program Planning __ Fundraising __ Building (Museum)
__Archives _ Budget –– Cemetery __ Carmine Guica Young Historians
Donations are always welcome and can be designated as follows:
__ For general purposes __ Young Historians __Publications
__ Archaeological Activities _ Museum & Archival __ Special Events
__ Rankin Fund __ Williams Fund __ Solzhenitsyn Project
__ Other (please specify) __ Cemetery Restoration __ Preservation Projects
