Waterford, Vermont, History: January 2017

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Wrapping Up January, Planning for April -- and Waterford Poetry!

This poster, provided by Helen Pike, one of the planners of a new April event, says it all!

To get your poetry to Library Director Jen D'Agostino, e-mail it to davieslibraryvt@gmail.com or mail them to the Davies Memorial Library, PO Box 56, Lower Waterford VT 05848 -- or deliver it in person, for the added pleasure of a visit to the state's last "honor system" library at 111 Lower Waterford Road.

Friday, January 6, 2017

Waterford's Northeastern Speedway

The Caledonian-Record printed for January 6, 2017, included a pair of photos in the sports/racing section that apply to Waterford's own Northeastern Speedway. For connections to more information on the historic track, click on this earlier post and follow the embedded links to related material.

Bill Labadouche confirmed today that the noted photographer of the track's heyday, Norm McIver, has passed away, and so has regional racing historian Cho Lee, who carried on from McIver. We hope that Mr. Labadouche may be able to provide more Northeastern Speedway materials here in the future. Meanwhile, here are today's photos (thank you, Dave Kanell, for the scan):

Stories and History of Waterford, Vermont, Chartered Nov. 9, 1780

"The Town of Waterford is located in the southeastern part of Caledonia County, Vermont. It is bounded on the north-east by Concord, on the south by the southerly half of so-called Fifteen Mile Falls or rapids of the Connecticut River, on the southwest by Barnet, and on the northwest by St. Johnsbury.

"The Passumpsic River flows across the western corner of town; Stiles Pond is located in the northern part of the town. Its outlet flows into the Moose River in St. Johnsbury.

"At a meeting of the Governor and Council on Thursday, November 9th, 1780, a charter was granted to Benjamin Whipple and sixty-five associates as proprietors of the Township of Littleton [name would change to Waterford in 1797], the 43rd in the state and the second in Caledonia County, [the town of] Groton being one day older.

"The exact date of settlement is unknown but there is reliable evidence that James Adams was in town as early as 1783. Other settlers were John and James Wood, who settled near Passumpsic in 1782 or '85; and the Pike brothers, (Daniel and Nathan), Jonathan Hutchinson and Luther Knight who came from Royalston, Mass., in 1792 and settled in the eastern part of the town. The first settler in West Waterford was Amasa Hastings." -- From A VERMONT VILLAGE by Dr. C. E. Harris, circa 1942.

Waterford, Vermont, History

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Wrapping Up January, Planning for April -- and Waterford Poetry!

Friday, January 6, 2017

Waterford's Northeastern Speedway

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