Today In Brattleboro History

Historic events for Jul 14

1866 Edwin Brant Frost born.

Birth of Edwin Branch Frost, astronomer and author.

1880 Great London Circus Comes to Brattleboro

Cooper & Bailey's Great London Circus and Allied Shows plays town.

1871 P.T. Barnum Plays Brattleboro

P. T. Barnum's Museum, Menagerie, Caravan and Hippodrome plays Brattleboro.

1834 Brattleboro Considers Railroad

The town considers a railroad from Brattleboro to a "suitable market."

1899 Depot Street Prepared For Granite Paving

The work of preparing Depot street for granite paving has been in progress this week. Three yoke of oxen and a gang of men were at work Monday plowing up the macadam and teams have been drawing away the cobble stones and carting on sand for the bed for the paving blocks.

1899 Band Is Out Of Sight

A man sitting on the Brooks House steps during the band concert Wednesday evening was heard to remark, “That band is out of sight. It’s the best band I’ve heard in years. These people ought to be more than proud of it.”

1899 Demonstration of X-Ray Machine at Retreat

It was the privilege of half a dozen persons to assemble in the office of the Brattleboro Retreat Wednesday evening to witness a demonstration of the Ranney Wimhurst Holtz static machine and X-ray attachment, which has recently been bought for use by the Retreat for use in the treatment of muscular, nervous and other affections.

1899 Congregational Parsonage Staked Out

The site for the new Congregational parsonage has been staked out this week, and as soon as specifications and plan are completed the work on the foundation will be begun.

1899 Camera Club Likely To Form

There is a prospect that a camera club will be organized in Brattleboro during the next two months.

1893 Weight of Estey Monument

The total weight of the Estey monument, which has been placed in the Prospect Hill cemetery by Tayntor & Co., of Barre, is 89,000 pounds.

1893 Express Wolf

An interesting express package was received at the express office yesterday, it containing a young wolf weighing about four pounds, and as tame as a kitten. It was shipped to Mrs. Hattie Lord from Indian Territory.

1893 Earliest Tomatoes

C. P. Dickenson has the earliest tomatoes yet announced, having gathered ripe ones from his vines yesterday.

1893 New Typewriter Style Available

Miss Florence Clark has one of the latest style Hammond typewriters on exhibition at the express office. The wheel in the Hammond machine has been transformed into an anvil and shuttle, which is the greatest improvement ever made in a typewriter.

1893 Picnic Bell Mistaken For Fire Alarm

When the Baptist church bell rang Tuesday morning to announce the picnic many people thought there was an alarm of fire, and the driver of the steamer horses hastened to the engine house with his span.

1882 Woman at Work Now Published in Brattleboro

The first monthly number of the Woman at Work issued since its change of base from Louisville, Ky., to Brattleboro made its appearance last Saturday. This number begins the sixth volume of the publication.

1882 Library Progress

At a special meeting of the trustees of the public library, Tuesday afternoon, it was voted to expend $300 in the purchase of new books for the library, and a sub-committee consisting of Revs. Gow, Collins and Whitney are now engaged in making up the list. The library will be opened to the public at the earliest possible day — probably by Sept. 1st.

1882 Gen. Phelps Property Sold To School District

The sale of the Gen. Phelps property to the district has been completed and the papers passed. Next week the work of making the premises ready for the occupancy of the Intermediate school will begin.

1876 Lower Town Hall Renovations

The lower town hall is undergoing a thorough renovation in the way of new paint and paper and a whitened ceiling.

1871 New Crosby Block Pushing Forward

Work on Crosby’s new block, on Elliot street, is being pushed forward with energy, the roof being already on and the partitions up. The east room on the first floor is to be fitted up for a saloon; the middle room will be occupied by E. J. Carpenter for a news office, and the west room by W.F. Richardson, for a meat market. The second floor will be used for tenements.

1871 Directory Compiler Disappears

Tuttle, the compiler of the new directory of Brattleboro, absented himself from town rather unceremoniously, one day last week, leaving his board and other bills unpaid.

1860 Counterfeit Fives

Counterfeit $5’s on the Windham County Bank of this place are in circulation in various places.

1860 Balloon Sighting

On Thursday morning July 12th at half past seven o’clock, a balloon was discovered by some of the inhabitants of this village, moving toward the east more than a mile above the surface of the earth, and was going very rapidly, altho’ there was not much perceptible wind stirring at the time. It was a beautiful sunny morning, and the brilliant point on the balloon twinkled like a star. From the rate and direction in which it was going it would soon have to descend or else be borne out to sea.

1855 Cornet Band Available To Play

Music! Music! The Brattleboro Cornet Band are prepared to furnish Music on all occasions, of the latest and most popular character. Address J. F. Steen, Clerk, or Chas. C. Ellis, Leader.

1855 American Party Meeting

The American Party of Brattleboro held a meeting in this place on Friday evening of last week. “Resolved, that Slavery and Popery being so nearly allied, it is our duty to unite in one common cause against both; and that the fires of liberty now burning throughout the Union should continue to burn, till, in the language of the gallant Ford, “Liberty shall be a birthright of every American, until we have a government without a despotism, a religion without a Pope, and an empire without a Slave."

1848 Wool Wanted at Woolen Factory

Wool, Wool. 10,000 Lbs. of Wool wanted at the Brattleboro Woolen Factory, in exchange for Cassimeres and Tweeds. A good assortment is constantly on hand. F. A. Wheeler, Agent.

1848 Aurora Borealis Display

Natural Fireworks. — There was a beautiful display of the Aurora Borealis, on Tuesday night last, extending over nearly the entire firmament.

1843 Vermont Asylum Wants Assistant

Wanted to Hire, A Man to assist at the Vermont Asylum. Apply to W. H. Rockwell.