Local Speakers Provide Double Feature Program in Chittenden

On Tuesday evening, August 8th, at 7:00 PM, in Chittenden, two distinguished local residents will present their fascinating research into two radically different subjects. This program is sponsored by the Chittenden Historical Society, and will take place at the Chittenden Grange Hall, at 3 Lower Middle Road in North Chittenden.

The first program will be given by this year’s recipient for the Society’s Muzzy Davenport Award: Natalia Svoren, daughter of Jan and Elana Svoren of Chittenden. According to Jamie Gallagher, Natalia’s teacher at Barstow Memorial School, Natalia put together a rather interesting examination of the development of Chittenden over its history. Her project even garnered an award at the state level for History Day, qualifying her for a trip to the National History contest in Washington, D.C.

Following a short intermission, our second program will be “Adventures in DNA: What does it tell us about who we are?” Michael Dwyer of Pittsford, a Fellow of the American Society of Genealogists, will present an overview of the different types of DNA tests, their results, and their impact on his four decades of family research.

This evening’s programs are free and handicap accessible. Refreshments will be served. For further information, call 802-483-6471.

Heritage Sites in the GMNF

On Tuesday evening, April 11, Sarah Skinner, M.S., Archeologist for the Green Mountain National Forest, will present a program for the Chittenden Historical Society on heritage sites of historical interest within the Telephone Gap area. The Telephone Gap project encompasses the towns of Towns of Chittenden, Goshen, Killington, Mendon, Pittsfield, Pittsford, Rutland Town, and Stockbridge. Most of the Town of Chittenden is within this project.
The Society will meet at the Chittenden Grange Hall located at 3 Lower Middle Road in Chittenden at 7:00 PM. This program is free, handicap accessible, and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
For more information, please contact Karen at 802-483-6471.

Bake Sale at Town Meeting

CHS Hosts Bake Sale on Town Meeting Day

Town Meeting can be a little sweeter this year with a goodie from the Chittenden Historical Society Bake Sale. We will be in the Listers’ Office at the Municipal Offices on March 7th during voting hours from 10:00 AM until closing at 7:00 PM or food runs out. Stop by and visit. We hope to see you then.

Message from the President

Hello CHS Members,

My name is Elaine Meyers and I was elected as the new President of our society. I would like to invite you all to our first meeting of 2023 on Tuesday, March 14th, at 7:00pm at the Historical Society building on Holden Road. We will start out with a program of, “Show and Tell”. Bring along a historical or special article of interest and tell why it is special to you and what the history is behind it. (It can be a picture, teacup, tool, written letter, whatever. ) We will follow this with a business meeting and discuss what we would like to plan for the rest of the year.

The past couple of years attendance at our meetings have been somewhat small, and I hope we can come up with some new activities and programs that more of you would like to participate in. If anyone would like to provide refreshments for this meeting please contact me at .

Looking forward to seeing you.
Elaine

Chittenden Historical Society: Finding Jesse

On Tuesday, October 11, at 7:00 pm, the Chittenden Historical Society is hosting speaker Jane Williamson for a Vermont Humanities Council program at the North Chittenden Grange Hall at 3 Lower Middle Road in North Chittenden. Her topic “Finding Jesse: A Fugitive from Slavery in Vermont,” traces Jesse’s life from enslavement in North Carolina to freedom in Vermont. His story is told through letters in the collection at Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburg, Vermont, and documents at the North Carolina State Archives. This illustrated talk brings the narrative of one slave out of anonymity and explores his life and pursuit of freedom. Desserts will be served.

The talk is free, open to the public, and accessible to those with disabilities. For more information, contact Karen at (802) 483-6471.

This program is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of the NEH or Vermont Humanities.

Chittenden Historical Society Program: Kip Clark, World War II POW from Chittenden

On May 10 at 7:00 PM at the Chittenden Grange Hall at 3 Lower Middle Road in North Chittenden, the Chittenden Historical Society will present a taped interview with Leland Clark by Marko Svoren about Lee’s father Kip Clark and his experiences as a Prisoner of War in Germany during World War II.

Marko was the Society’s Muzzy Davenport Award winner in 2020, but Covid restrictions prevented presentation of the program. For his eighth-grade history project at Barstow Memorial School, Marko, son of Jan and Elana Svoren of Chittenden, chose to write a paper about Chittenden resident Merald Paul Clark, known as Kip to his friends and family, who spent time as a POW in World War II. Following his interview at the Chittenden Historical Society in March with Kip’s son Leland Clark which was taped by then Society president Steve Welch, Marko wrote a 2,217-word paper using facts from the interview plus further research.

Marko was encouraged by teacher Jamie Gallagher to submit his paper, “ ‘Kip’ Clark: Vermont Local and American POW,” to the 2020 Virtual Vermont History competition. sponsored by the Vermont Historical Society. Marko was the Junior Division Winner. Moreover, he placed second overall in the competition, qualifying him to present his paper at the National History Day Event in Washington, DC.

The Society is very pleased to have had a small part in Marko’s achievement, and we welcome the opportunity to share the interview. The program is free open to the public. All are welcome to attend. Refreshments will be served.

Chittenden Historical Society Hosts Amateur Genealogist

Please join the Chittenden Historical Society on Tuesday, April 12, at 7:00 PM at the North Chittenden Grange Hall at 3 Lower Middle Road in Chittenden. Amateur genealogist Elaine Meyers will give the program. In retracing her family’s westward migration, Elaine discovers a surprise relationship. Elaine also gives the process leading to her discovery so others can follow a similar journey.

First Meeting

The Chittenden Historical Society will hold its first meeting of 2022 on Tuesday, March 8, at 7:00 PM at the Historical Society at 337 Holden Road in Chittenden. This is our organizational meeting  that determines the programming for the year. Everyone is invited and welcome to attend.

Town Meeting Bake Sale

The Chittenden Historical extends a thank you to all who baked for out Town Meeting Day Bake Sale. After last year’s sale was skipped for the pandemic considerations, we certainly enjoyed visiting with everyone again. Our total for the day was $638.02, including sales, donations and memberships. Our thanks goes to all who helped make this a success.

2021 Chittenden Historical Society Activities

Chittenden Historical Society, Inc.

Although the Chittenden Historical Society building has been closed since March 2020, first by the pandemic and then for water quality considerations, we still managed to host a few events.

• Memorial Day observance at Memorial Park – no singing this year, but notable addresses.
• The July Ice Cream Social at the Grange Hall at which Ardan Niering, son of Colleen and Jacob Niering of Chittenden, was awarded the Muzzy Davenport Award for his research of Oliver Erastus Churchill, Civil War veteran from Chittenden.
• Business meeting in August at the Grange Hall to plan future programming.
• In September Justin Lindholm’s presentation spotlighting the Brad and Janet Mead family, founders of Pico Ski Area, with special guest Karl Acker, II, in attendance. Also featured was a motion picture capturing the opening day at Killington Ski Area.
• October Vermont Humanities Program with speaker Bill Mares “From Homebrew to the House of Fermentology.”
• The November Annual Meeting dinner and election of officers held at the Fox Creek Inn was both delicious and delightful.

Despite our “office” being closed by the pandemic considerations, our collections have been improved by significant donations from the Robert Baird family and from Sandra Davenport Avery. We are grateful to receive all of these items reminding us of earlier times in Chittenden, and we look forward to the day we can show them to you.

The following officers were elected to serve in 2022: President, Karen Webster; Vice-President, Joseph Meyers; Secretary, Elaine Meyers; and Treasurer, Marcia Lertola. Bob Muzzy and George Butts were reelected for two-year terms as directors. They will join directors Reggi Dubin and Dave Sargent, whose two-year terms expire next year. We thank Steve Welch for his valuable leadership as recent President of the Society.

As per preferences expressed at the November dinner, programming next year will focus on more “history walks” and local history. The Society meets the second Tuesday of each month, March through November. Our meetings are open and free to the public. Please join us!
For more information, please contact Karen at (802) 483-6471.