UPCOMING EVENTS
May 28 (Friday): Plant Sale Early Bird Special 5:30-7:00 PM. We will be offering container veggies again this year, along with Hosta, hanging baskets and even peonies. Farmer’s Market Covid requirements apply-that means masking and social distancing if you are not vaccinated.
May 29 (Saturday): Annual Plant Sale from 8:30-Noon. Note the CHS Cares Closet will be open so a good time to load up on free summer reading, puzzles, art supplies as well as cloth and surgical masks.
June 19 (Saturday): Midsummer Night’s Eve Cavendish Village Ghost Walk. Meet at the Museum at 8 pm. Wear comfortable walking shoes and bring a flashlight.
July 11 (Sunday): The Museum will be open from 2-4 pm for the season.
July 31 (Saturday): 11th Annual Cavendish Town Wide Tag Sale. 9-2.
September 12 (Sunday): Annual Phineas Gage Walk & Talk, meet at the CHS Museum at 2 pm. Walk portion is about a mile and a half and includes a visit to the site of the accident.
VIRTUAL CAVENDISH ESCAPE ROOM
Want to learn more about Cavendish history while playing a game?
CHS is pleased to announce an on-line “Cavendish EscapeRoom” designed by Lorien Strange, a Cavendish home school student. Already winning awards for her writing, one of the CHS board members noted after playing the game ..even if Lorien doesn’t become a writer, and I don’t see why she wouldn’t, she already writes better than most of us.
Not familiar with virtual escape rooms? This is a web-based activity where you solve riddles, complete puzzles with the goal of “escaping the room.” These can be played solo or as teams.
To help Lorien in developing the game, we gave her a variety of Cavendish history books. It’s amazing how much she was able to incorporate, including Phineas Gage, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, the Duttons, Fitton Mill and so much more.
As far as suitable ages, Lorien noted the following, I had my younger brother, who is almost ten, playtest the game. He got through it in about an hour and ten minutes. Wonderful activity for a wet rainy day to do with kids or by yourself. Can you beat Lorien’s brother’s time?
To play the game, go to the CHS blog,
Thank you Lorien for combining history and gaming in such an interesting and fun manner.
ALICE BERTRAND’S DOLLS
This winter, CHS received several donations that have had us engaged in various types of interesting research.
Patty White contacted us about “some dolls” made by a woman in Proctorsville that she thought would be better served in the Museum than in her closet. Thanks to her donation, we uncovered the story of Alice Wheeler Bertrand.
Born in 1898, Alice Wheeler Bertrand grew up in Pinney Hollow, a village of Plymouth VT. She created highly realistic character dolls, perfecting a technique using felted wool and wire. She depicting family members and other people she knew in Plymouth and nearby Proctorsville. The dolls bear an uncanny likeness to their subjects.
Alice Bertrand gained national fame for her dolls, winning a blue ribbon at the New York World’s Fair in 1964. Her descendants donated nearly two dozen dolls to the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site in 2000, which are on display in the Aldrich House. They were also featured in their “Homespun Treasures” exhibit at the Museum & Education Center a few years ago.
According to an April 24,1964 article in what is believed to be “The Rutland Herald,” Proctorsville: A collection of character dolls designed by Mrs. Alice Bertrand of this village will be shown at the New York /world’s Fair in the State of Louisiana Building.
The Long Island Doll Club of New York selected four dolls made in the real likeness of individuals Mrs. Mary Wheeler, Mr. Lois Pollard, Miss Mary Edson and Mrs. Cora Sheehan. Other dolls in this collection are a caricature type of country folk. Mrs. Bertrand’s dolls were accepted by directors of the Doll Museum and will be listed in the category of Individual Creative Doll Artistry.
The Doll Collectors Museum planned a full range of Doll art. The theme is “The Kinship of Mankind” The dolls will be exhibited in stage and scenic settings approved by the collectors and artists whose doll are on loan. Collections from the Metropolitan Opera Association and Traphagn School of Design are in the doll display.
Married to Claude, the Bertrands lived on Depot St., the ranch house just before the Golden Stage Inn. Alice died in 1976 while Claude died in 2000. Both are buried at the Hillcrest Cemetery in Proctorsville.
Thanks to social media, we’re learning a lot more about Alice and who these dolls depicted.
In the accompanying note from the donor, White wrote, “The dolls were hand made in the likeness of a couple who lived in town, not sure who. My Aunt, was good friends with Claude’s sister Sally Rellis, who has also been dead now for several years, although she lived to be 104!.”
Given her ability to make such realistic dolls, the overwhelming consensus is that the dolls represent Ralph and Doris Bates who also lived on Depot Street in Proctorsville. As one person noted, I think this is a likeness of the couple that lived on Depot Street also just down from where the present post office is now. .. My husband says it was made by a Mrs. Bertrand. They were on his paper route when he was a boy.
The details of each doll is fascinating. “Doris” is holding a purse, which appears to have been bought, but when opened, it reveals a tiny homemade wallet. There is as much detail in the under garments as there is in the outer wear.
If you have any information you’d like to share about, Alice or the Bates family, please use the contact information on the front page of the newsletter.
The dolls will be on display at the CHS Museum starting this summer.
A very special thank you to all who commented and provided information. Particular thanks to Dr. Stacia Spaulding, Norma Randall, Penny Trick, and William W. Jenney, Regional Historic Site Administrator, President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site.
CIVIL WAR PITCHER COMES HOME TO CAVENDISH
CHS also recently received a donation of an engraved Meriden Quadruple Silver plate tilting insulated water pitcher from Carolyn Somerville of Richmond, VA. She has provided a piece of Civil War history that we were unaware of.
Carolyn noted, that the pitcher has been in her family for 70 years. It came from her grandmother Grace Dennard of Dallas Texas. My mother says my grandmother bought it at an antique shop. She thinks the antique shop was in New Orleans.
Such pitchers were found in private and public dining rooms from the 1850s until the early 1900s. There were also widely used as presentation pieces and awards and were generally expensive.
The pitcher is engraved as follows, “Presented to Mr. & Mrs. J. E. Ward Company E, 1 Infantry Vermont Volunteers.”
John Ward was the supervisor of the Proctorsville Woolen Mill and provided the cloth and money to help recruit the 1st Vt. Co. Many of the men were employees of the Proctorsville mill before they left for the war.
Responding to President Lincoln’s call in mid-April 1861, for 75,000 men for three months to help put down the rebellion, Vermont Governor Erastus Fairbanks ordered the recruitment of the regiment. The regiment was organized from militia companies from ten towns, including “E” Cavendish VT.
The regiment mustered in 38 officers and 743 enlisted men, 28 of whom were from Cavendish. Members of Company E, 1 Infantry were as follows: Blanchard, Oliver H; Carey, William W; Clark, Asaph; Conant, Freeman C; Emery, Nelson W; Field, Alphonzo L; Fitch, Samuel; Fletcher, Henry Clay-Died in the Marine hospital at New Orleans, LO Jan. 24 1865; Freeman, Jason E; French, George Blood; French, John Quincy; Howard, George M. R; Ingleston, William H.; Langworthy, Sanford; Lyon, Josiah T; Miller, George S; Paine, Lowell B: lost on steamer "North America", 12/22/64, off Cape Hatteras, near Egg Harbor; Shepard, Charles A; Spaulding, George T; Sperry, William Joseph (Medal of Honor); Stearns, Alick; Stone, Edmund; Taylor, George D; Tuttle, Oscar S; Weston, Isaac H.; Witherell, Jonathan B; and Witherell, Nathaniel G. B.
On May 23, 1861 the regiment made the first reconnaissance on Virginia soil by United States troops, marching six miles from Fortress Monroe to Hampton.
While the initial tour of duty was three months, many of the Cavendish men re-enlisted and served with distinction throughout the war.
In 1878, John Ward and his wife moved to Ohio where John was a superintendent at a woolen mill in the village of Tiffin. Though Ohio was now their home, they did return to Proctorsville. According to an article in the in the Vermont Tribune Proctorsville News 14 July 1910: Mrs. John Ward from Green Springs, Ohio and her daughter Mrs. Josephine "Josie" Hansberger wife of Charles F. Hansberger from Columbus Ohio, are guests of Mrs. Don C. Pollard (Aunt to Calvin Coolidge). Mr. Ward's family were beloved residents of here a number of years ago. Mr. Ward being the overseer in the weave room. They moved from here in 1878. This is Mrs. Ward's 1st visit back here in 32 yrs. Mrs. Hansberger was here 10 years ago."
ALL SET TO DIG
Thanks to Dave Gallagher and Ana, our amazing duo who gave us the CHS Cares Closet, we now have the screens to do archeological digs in Cavendish.
If you are interested in learning more about CHS’s archeology efforts, contact us at the numbers on the front page of the newsletter.
SUMMER PROJECTS
If you are a local you know how challenging Route 131 is at the moment. A major road replacement and repaving is underway, which will not be completed until the fall.
However, work will be taking place on both the Stone Church (thank you Doug McBride for the staging) and the Museum (thank you Chris Chadwick for taking care of the broken window).
The Museum will be opening for the season starting Sunday, July 7, from 2-4 pm. The delay in start is in keeping with Vermont’s Covid guidelines. Anyone who is not vaccinated will be asked to mask and social distance in accordance with state recommendations. Visits can be arranged for other times by contacting CHS staff. The Museum will be open on Sundays through October 10.
YOUNG HISTORIANS PRESERVE & SERVE
As part of the CHS’S Carmine Guica Young Historian's Preserve and Serve program, Cavendish Town Elementary School (CTES) students as well as our home learners have hit the ground running this spring.
Our home learners have cleared a home owner’s lawn and have been working in Hillcrest Cemetery.
Very shortly the 6th graders will be
working in the Proctor Cemetery and 3-5th grades will be completing the
labyrinth and doing yard work at Gethsemane Church. Note that the labyrinth is
open to the public.
Thank you to our incredible students who are making such a difference in our community.
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.
Name: _______________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________
Phone Number: _____________________ E-Mail: ____________________________
Membership Level
__ 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
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