Harris Hill To Add Stairs, Adjustable Take-Off in 1922

When Brattleboro’s  ski jump was first built, there were no stairs! Ski jumpers and anyone else hoping to reach the top had to climb the hill.

This Vermont Phoenix article from Dec 15, 1922 explains the many improvements being made at the hill shortly after it was built. In addition to the stairs, the committee was planning to build a small building at the top of the hill for ski jumpers to sit and await their turn, plus add a really neat mechanical innovation to allow and encourage others to start their ski jumping careers with ease. The take-off of the jump was to be made adjustable, so beginners could simply slide down the hill before raising it a bit and trying to jump.

Interesting, too, to note that they had scheduled two events (January and February) for jumping, and that they were considering building a skating rink in town.


Alt Brattleboros

An enigmatic Chinese proverb goes something like this: A farmer and his wife have a newborn son, and the neighbors come over to congratulate them. “Now you have an heir to work the field, how great!” The farmer says…”We’ll see.” The child grows to be a strong young man, he indeed was a helper to his parents, but one day he falls off a horse and breaks his leg. The neighbors converge to offer their sympathies, the farmer simply says, “We’ll see.“  Soon thereafter state officials arrive to conscribe all young men of the region into military service. The farmer’s son is deferred because of his disability. The son says to his father, “I guess that was a blessing in disguise.“ ”We’ll see…”

The Esplanade:


Lee Ha on “Here We Are”

Have a question about the history of your house, business or Brattleboro relatives?

Researcher LEE HA can help you discover and explore some of Brattleboro’s best stories, artifacts and photographs. Lee also talks about some very cool community projects that the Brattleboro Historical Society is currently involved with.


Last Brattleboro Walking History Tours of the Season!

The last Brattleboro Walking History tours of the season will be held this Friday, October 27 at 4 pm (NOT 10/28 at 11 am as advertised on the calendar) AND next Saturday, November 4 at 11 am.

Designed as a fundraiser, volunteers from the Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary Club have created a walking history tour of downtown Brattleboro. With the help of the Brattleboro Historical Society and the Brattleboro Words Project, Sunrise Rotary volunteers pooled their collective knowledge to put together a great introduction to Brattleboro, Vermont’s illustrious history.


Today In History – The Enemy

Events for Oct 11

1724
Fort Dummer was attacked by about seventy of the enemy and four or five of its occupants were killed or wounded, but the attack was repulsed. It does not appear to have been attacked afterward.

The enemy? I wonder why they do not name the enemy?


Brattleboro History Walking Tour this Saturday!

Designed as a fundraiser, volunteers from the Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary Club have created a walking history tour of downtown Brattleboro. With the help of the Brattleboro Historical Society and the Brattleboro Words Project, Sunrise Rotary volunteers pooled their collective knowledge to put together a great introduction to Brattleboro, Vermont’s illustrious history.

Tours will be scheduled on a rolling basis for select Saturdays at 11 am for the fall. The fall tours will take place Saturdays, September 16, October 14 & 28, and November 4.


Brattleboro History

Just want to point out this little piece of Brattleboro history for August 30 in the right hand column in iBrattleboro so you don’t miss it.
Some things never change.

1844
Again We Caution the people against lying reports and publications on the day of the election. Look out for them and treat them with the contempt they merit.


Brattleboro Walking History Tours

Designed as a fundraiser, volunteers from the Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary Club have created a walking history tour of downtown Brattleboro. With the help of the Brattleboro Historical Society and the Brattleboro Words Project, Sunrise Rotary volunteers pooled their collective knowledge to put together a great introduction to Brattleboro, Vermont’s illustrious history.

Tours will be scheduled on a rolling basis for select Saturdays at 11 am in summer and fall 2023. The summer tours will take place Saturdays, June 3 & 24, July 22, and August 5. 

Tours walk from one end of Main Street to the other (approximately 7/10 of a mile) with about 10 stops explaining Brattleboro’s history and culture. The tour will last approximately 1.5 hours and will go from Plaza Park (across from the Co-op) to the Brattleboro Common. Kids are welcome, but the tour is designed for adults.


Brattleboro History Walking Tour

Designed as a fundraiser, volunteers from the Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary Club have created a walking history tour of downtown Brattleboro. With the help of the Brattleboro Historical Society and the Brattleboro Words Project, Sunrise Rotary volunteers pooled their collective knowledge to put together a great introduction to Brattleboro, Vermont’s illustrious history.

Tours will be scheduled on a rolling basis for select Saturdays at 11 am in summer and fall 2023. The first tours will take place Saturdays, May 13, June 3 and June 24. 

Tours walk from one end of Main Street to the other (approximately 7/10 of a mile) with about 10 stops explaining Brattleboro’s history and culture. The tour will last approximately 1.5 hours and will go from Plaza Park (across from the Co-op) to the Brattleboro Common. Kids are welcome, but the tour is designed for adults.


Brattleboro History Walking Tour

Designed as a fundraiser, volunteers from the Brattleboro Sunrise Rotary Club have created a wonderful walking history tour of downtown Brattleboro. With the help of the Brattleboro Historical Society and the Brattleboro Words Project, Sunrise Rotary volunteers pooled their collective knowledge to put together a great introduction to Brattleboro, Vermont’s illustrious history.

Tours will be scheduled on a rolling basis for select Saturdays at 11 am in summer and fall 2023. The first tours will take place Saturdays, April 15, May 13, June 3 and June 24.


January Thaw

This is all from memory and after 45+ years it is not all that good but:

It was January 1976, and I was on Christmas break from VTC at my parent’s house here in Brattleboro.  I drove an old Dodge Dart and was able to get it started on cold mornings by putting a drop light under the hood overnight to keep the battery warm.  During the first week or two of January we went for a spell of 4 or 5 days with the daytime high temperature staying below zero.  I think it was 5 days.  I remember this because my friend Mark was living in Putney and called me each morning for help to get his car started. Each morning I would start my car, drive to Putney and jump start his car.  I think an old VW Beatle.


Juneteenth

Juneteenth is a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. It marks the anniversary of an announcement by the Union Army on June 19, 1865, proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas.

The holiday has been celebrated annually on June 19th in various parts of the United States since the 1860s, broadly celebrating African-American culture.

The day was first recognized as a federal holiday in June 2021, when President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.


1916 Tech Mystery in Downtown Brattleboro

As I sometimes do, I was reading the old newspapers of Brattleboro and came across this little bit of tech news from 1916 in the Phoenix. It’s a story of a mysterious sound that was interfering with a downtown Brattleboro business.  Vaughan & Burnett had a jewelry store on Main Street and were innovators in that they installed special equipment to accurately set clocks and watches.


Today In History – Samuel Wells

Events for Nov 27
1782
At a secret session, the United States Congress ordered the arrest of Col. Samuel Wells forcing him to flee Brattleboro.

Seems that Colonel Wells, an early developer of Brattleboro and a loyalist to the King, had to escape to Canada during the Revolutionary War.


Historical Info Appreciated

I just wanted to pop in to thank Chris for continuing to run the Historical events. I read them almost daily and enjoy them very much. I’m young enough that some of the “olde tyme” terms are unknown to me, so I look them up, adding to the vast array of almost useless knowledge I carry around in my head. When I looked up ‘peripatetic’ today, it struck me that a thank you was in order, so thank you!


Vermont’s Harris Hill Ski Jump Releases Commemorative Historic Book for its 100th Anniversary

Brattleboro, Vermont (November 16, 2021) — Harris Hill Ski Jump, home of New England’s only Olympic-sized, 90-meter ski jump, is kicking off its 100-year anniversary with the publication and release of its history, “Harris Hill Ski Jump, the First 100 Years.” The 120-page soft cover book is narrated in a storytelling cadence by Vermont-based journalist Kevin O’Connor.

This book chronicles the colorful history of Harris Hill Ski Jump in Brattleboro, a celebrated winter sporting event that has attracted athletes and spectators from near and far for 100 years. The history is told in a photo-rich, engaging story format. It is broken up into segments through the years and features many aspects of Harris Hill including a colorful background on its founder Fred Harris, the history of the jump’s coveted Winged Ski Trophy, how Harris Hill helped pave the way for women in ski jumping and much more.