The Cavendish Historical Society Newsletter
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PO Box 472 Cavendish, VT 05142
802-226-7807 margocaulfield@icloud.com
Summer 2025 Vol. 20, Issue 3
WE’RE 70 YEARS OLD!
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 Hoffman was born on March 8, 1901 in Boston, Massachusetts to Russian immigrants. He attended the Boston Museum of Fine Arts as a 15 year old and 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.
Name: _______________________________________
Address: _______________________________________________
Phone Number: _____________________ E-Mail: ____________________________
Membership Level
__ Individual Member $10 __ Senior Member 65+ $5 __ Sustaining Member $500
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:
__ Archaeological Activities _ Museum & Archival __ Special Events
__ Rankin Fund __ Williams Fund __ Solzhenitsyn Project
__ Other (please specify) __ Cemetery Restoration __ Preservation Projects
