Northeastern Speedway: Photos Today

 I took some photos today for someone whose father's race car is at the track, at the Northeastern Speedway. A great day for it! To learn more about this historic gem of Waterford, Vermont, click HERE.

  

West Waterford's Post Office

Waterford holds onto its post office in Lower Waterford, which serves people across a wide area, even some in New Hampshire. In the 1800s the town had four post offices: Upper Waterford, then simply called Waterford (the location's under Moore Dam Reservoir now), Lower Waterford, Gaskill (in a house on Route 18 near Stiles Pond), and West Waterford on Duck Pond Road.

A recent response to a post on this blog started a conversation about the West Waterford one, and the person writing to us said, "It's a piece of furniture and it's in my mother's home in western Massachusetts." Of course, calling a post office a piece of furniture was wild -- but understandable, since what the correspondent meant was that her family has the sorting cupboard from the old West Waterford post office. The family descends from the Carpenter branch who hosted this post office in the past:

West Waterford [Post Office], Caledonia County, Vermont
Established on January 5, 1856
Discontinued on February 28, 1902 (mail to Saint Johnsburg) [sic]
Reestablished on April 8, 1902
Discontinued on June 30, 1905 (mail to Saint Johnsburg) [sic]

Postmasters                  Appointment Dates
                               Through June 30, 1905

Amos B. Carpenter      January 5, 1856
James W. Curtis           April 21, 1862
Amos B. Carpenter      October 31, 1862
Edwin L. Hovey          December 11, 1863
Amos B. Carpenter      August 25, 1864
Cosbi B. Carpenter      August 13, 1884
Cosbi B. Carpenter (Reappointed)    April 8, 1902
Mabel H. Carpenter       July 16, 1903 

Here is Amos Bugbee Carpenter, from Men of Vermont:

 

And here is the "piece of furniture" mentioned -- we are so grateful to the family for sharing these images with us:

 

The correspondent also shared this portrait of Ezra Carpenter, a son of Amos B. Carpenter and Cosbi Bowman Carpenter and husband of Mabel Hovey Carpenter, the last postmaster for this office.

 

Just for fun, here are many of the family members (you can find Ezra, can't you?) in a collage image from Amos B. Carpenter's own book, A Genealogical History of the Rehoboth Branch of the Carpenter Family in America ... (1898).

 

Hands-On Historic Preservation, Thanks to Students and DAR Folks and Waterford's Cemetery Committee

How can you clean a hundred old cemetery stones in a single day? 

Teenagers! 

Waterford Town Clerk Deb Benoit reported with joy that the town's Cemetery Committee hosted about 42 students from St. Johnsbury Academy on May 1, for "Sophomore Stewardship Day" at the Lower Waterford Cemetery. 

With coaching from DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) leaders Nola Forbes and Deb Ball, and Cemetery Committee members Mark Harpin, Lyn Fleming, and Deb Benoit, the crew tenderly scrubbed clean the markers that mean so much to Waterford's history and residents.

On the stones, simple water and "elbow grease" gave the students a chance to read a LOT more, and they were impressed to see the stories come to life. 

Want to pitch in when there's another round of effort? Let the Town Clerk's office know you'd like to assist in this great maintenance care for our historic monuments.

Arnold Waters, Lower Waterford Resident: Diamond Mines and Community Service

Arnold Waters, 1906-1985, photo from the 1985 Town Report, courtesy of Helen C. Pike

It's easy to look at the white houses and green shutters of Lower Waterford's "White Village" and think that the residents will all fit together, New Englanders of some generation and maybe even "kissing cousins."

But the reality of the White Village,  even from its days as an important stagecoach stop, is far different. One of the residents who left wonderful stories behind of his adventurous life was Arnold Waters, with his wife Betty and, later, subsequent wife Beth.

Long-time local resident and attorney Kate Piper wrote this about the couple, back in 2007:

Arnold E. Waters, Jr., graduated with a PhD in geology in 1933 from Johns Hopkins University. After graduation he joined the Anglo American group, a diamond mining company. He spent his career exploring parts of South Africa, Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), Indonesia, and Canada. After he retired in 1972, he and his wife, Betty, moved to the village of Lower Waterford where they purchased the house next to the Rabbit Hill Inn. Arnold was a beloved and active member of the community. He served as president of the board of the Fairbanks Museum and was later named a museum fellow. Arnold chaired the Waterford Planning Commission and served the Lower Waterford Congregational Church in many capacities. He was an avid gardener and prize-winning beekeeper who generously shared his knowledge and skills as well as his honey and produce. Betty (Elizabeth S.) Waters died in March 1977. In June 1983, Arnold married their close family friend from South Africa, Elizabeth (Beth) Hicks. When Arnold died on August 15, 1985, one of Waterford’s selectmen, lamenting his passing, described Arnold perfectly as “the cement that holds this community together.” 

Diamond mining?? Yes, indeed! The obituary written by David Lang for the Caledonian-Record said even more:

Thanks again to Helen C. Pike for this.

 

Years in the White Village meant that there are many other memories of Mr. Waters. Here is a reflection from Donna Rae Heath:

I first met Arnold Waters at Green Up Day at the Waterford Elementary School. I was assigned to the last remaining volunteer with a vehicle. That is how I picked up trash on a Saturday with a lanky retired geologist, both of us picking up highway garbage in his Mercedes Benz in the mid-1970s. I learned that he was still active as a geologist and a volunteer in the Waterford community. I was a farm girl recently graduated from Johnson State College after having to work thirteen years in low paying typist jobs before being able to afford college.

Later, I had been hired by the Essex County Conservation District through a one-year funded position to work on a USDA soil erosion project and administrative work for the district. Arnold was asked to be a speaker at the meeting of the district in Guildhall and offered to let me ride with him. When he picked me up in the Mercedes Benz, he opened the door for me.

When the I-93 highway construction was at the end of the planning stage and close to construction, I read some of the State’s paperwork and discovered in the Environmental Impact Statement that the access to my road, now called Walsh Rd., and the Hudson Rd. that enters Rt.18 by Stiles Pond was not to be saved. I discussed this with one of my former teachers from Johnson State College, and he gave me suggestions on what information to obtain to enter an appeal to the State. I obtained the accident rates for two other roads accessing my area versus
the intersection of Hudson Rd and Rt.18, the number of new houses built in the area, and the time for the St. Johnsbury Fire Department to arrive to my area. The access from Hudson Rd., to Rt. 18 was the safest. On my birthday evening in January, I walked the neighborhood and collected signatures to support the appeal. Only one neighbor refused.

I submitted the appeal with my research to the Vermont Transportation Agency and cc’d Arnold Waters as he was on the planning commission. Arnold called me and said the Transportation Agency had called him asking for information. Arnold promised to visit the Transportation Agency. He obtained a commitment from them to not close our access to Rt. 18 from Hudson Road, and we now have overpasses, and the road remains open.

Arnold had a face, somewhat reddish and windblown, like someone who was outdoors all the time. He was a man in his seventies, always running with a project or a job to do. My brother, Raymond, had a construction company, and Arnold had hired his crew to work on a new well for him. I remember my brother telling me how impressed he was when Arnold offered to collect tools or supplies from his house or garage. He ran down from the well site to the house and back again with whatever they needed.

Arnold Waters was a gentleman, always committed to his community, and never afraid to speak up even though he had a stutter or lisp, but always forceful in his beliefs. I try to follow Arnold’s rules, except speaking up, that’s still a little shaky.

Donna Rae Heath

Another time when memories of Mr. Waters came up was when the Waterford Historical Society hosted a "reunion" of people who owned, worked at, and for other reasons had vivid memories of the Rabbit Hill Inn, next door to the house where Arnold resided. Watch an engaging and often light-hearted video of this gathering, recorded by Donna Heath for the WHS, here.

And if you'd like to read something about Arnold Waters and the diamonds, check out The Geochemical News from January 2000 -- here's a good bit:

There are also mentions of the important role of Mr. Waters in the South African diamond mines in a 2018 conference report describing the Jwaneng diamond mine in the hands of De Beers -- Mr. Waters is decribed as consulting geologist for the famous diamond company, productively testing a theory on where to mine the gems.  

A memoir by Tom Molyneux also mentions Arnold Waters:

After a thirty-six hour journey by train across The Karoo I arrived in Johannesburg and went to the Anglo American offices at 44 and 45 Main Street. It was a Friday and I met Dr. Arnold Waters who was the Chief Geologist and a long term member of the famous Northern Rhodesian geological team of The Late Dr. Austin Bancroft. That team had been based in The Northern Rhodesian (Zambian) Copperbelt in the 1930s and they had great success in exploring for, and bringing huge copper mines to the production stage. This team was also legendary for its hard work, self-reliance, dedication and Spartan approach to field work.

After all that adventure, the most tangible sign that Arnold Waters ended up belonging to Lower Waterford is that when the village church was decommissioned a few years ago, historian and author Helen C. Pike already knew which pew had always been where Mr. Waters sat, along with his wife and their friends the Hird family -- number 12 -- and she made sure it was saved as a treasure of White Village history.

 

 

Railroad Fan or Fancier? Here's a New Vermont Opportunity!

The railroad has never run through Waterford. And of course, in an era when the railroad hosted most of our commerce, that was a drawback. Still, the town's villages linked up with stage routes, and later with the County Road and more ... 

But if you have felt an empty space where you'd like to have some railroad history, a Berlin Historical Society member sent this to the Waterford Historical Society: 

My interest in trains comes from my dad and his American Flyer collection and his love of the trains chugging down the tracks.  We also have the Montpelier Junction Station here in Berlin that I've done research on and there was also a station down in Riverton (West Berlin).

I belong to the Champlain Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (CVC-NRHS).  It's a wonderful group of people who share varying interests in trains. We have monthly meetings September through June in Essex Junction (also accessible online) which include sharing some current railroading information along with an interesting program. We have a fantastic website, much of the website is only available to our members.  Sometimes our members travel to train shows and plan other railfan trips.

 

Intrigued? Here's the group's flyer. And why not check out their website,  https://www.cvcnrhs.org.  

 

 

What Kind of Apples Grow Nearby? Mark Your Calendar!

The Waterford Historical Society announces:

 Stan Crane will present a program on various, ancient apples on Saturday,
September 13 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The program will take place in the barn on
Walsh Rd., in Waterford at Donna Heath’s place. Drinks and slices of apple pie or
tarts and cider donuts will be available. Contact Donna Heath for directions, 802-748-3314.

Waterford's Racing History Gets a New Milestone with McKenna Merchant

History is being made all the time. Waterford was home of the Northeastern Speedway in 1959 to 1966 and hosts a preserved monument to it today. Now the town's racer McKenna Merchant is collecting wins at White Mountain Motor Sports Park. See the Caledonian-Record article HERE.

And discover (or refresh) the story of the town's historic speedway HERE. 

Summer Event: Wed. June 25, 6:30 pm, Butter Churns

 Everything's Better with Butter ... Churns! Join the Waterford Historical Society this Wednesday June 25 at 6:30 p.m. to learn about varieties of churns and their use. For directions (this is NOT at the library!), check with Beth at BethKanellAuthor at gmail dot com. And for a warmup of knowledge, look here.

Waterford's Stories: Summer Begins, 2025

Summer vacation has arrived! If you'd like a peek at the 2025-2026 Waterford School calendar, it's here. 

There will soon be more Waterford stories on the blog site. Meanwhile, here's the 1957 Town Report, as a reminder of when the town's district schools gave way to education for all in one building. At a time of challenges to education funding (again!), it's good to recall how significant this change was for our community. 

Waterford's Lily Cahoon and Her Own St J Academy Equine Program

 With permission from St. Johnsbury Academy's alumni magazine, The Hilltopper (spring 2025), here is Lily Cahoon of Waterford and her self-designed equine program. (Click on each image for clear reading.)

 

Already Missing Her Voice and Knowledge: Vivian Mae Daniels Davis, 95

 (This obituary with photo was published in the Caledonian-Record today, April 18, 2025.)

 

Vivian Mae Davis, 95, of Waterford, Vt., passed away at her home on April 16, 2025. Vivian was born Nov. 22, 1929, to Benjamin Daniels and Helen (Morton) Daniels at the family farm located in Waterford, Vt. She attended local schools, graduating from St. Johnsbury Academy with the Class of 1948. After Russell B. Davis’s return from service in WWII they married on Sept. 25, 1948. The couple shared nearly 50 years of marriage until Russell’s death in 1997.

In her younger years Vivian loved horseback riding, traveling, and was well-known in the community as the ‘Tupperware Lady.’ Vivian was more well-known as a home maker and caregiver, raising her children along with having helped raise other children of extended family members, friends of the family and her grandchildren.

Survivors include her sons: Thomas Davis and wife Sol of the Philippines and Glen Davis and wife Jo-Ann of Plano, Texas; her daughters: Kathleen Goslant of Waterford, Susan Davis of Roundup, Mont., and Amy Derby and husband Kendall of Fossil, Ore.; seven grandchildren: Matthew Davis, Jennifer Davis, Kathryn Davis, Meghan Garcia (John), Christopher Goslant, Estan Davis (Diana), and Stacey Davis (Ethan Bechtel); 13 great-grandchildren: Marah, Killian, Finn, Trever, Wyatt, Waylon, Avery, Jack, Sylvester, Keith, Hunter, Madeline, and Elle; and many nieces and nephews.

Vivian was predeceased by her husband: Russell Davis; two sons: Stephen and Baby Paul Davis; brother: Glen Daniels; sisters: Lucille Farr and Marjory Canning; and a great granddaughter: Mikayla.

A Memorial Service officiated by Diane Raymond will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2025, 1 p.m. at North Danville Baptist Church, 4243 Bruce Badger Memorial Hwy, Danville, Vt. Burial will be in the summer at Passumpsic Cemetery.

Memorial donations can be made to Caledonia Home Health and Hospice, 161 Sherman Dr., St Johnsbury, VT 05819 or North Danville Baptist Church, 4243 Bruce Badger Memorial Hwy, Danville, VT 05828.

Memories and condolences can be shared with the family at CaledoniaLifeServices.com. The family is being assisted by Guibord-Pearsons & Sayles Funeral Home.

* *

 RECORDED INTERVIEW WITH MRS. DAVIS HERE.

Waterford's Earliest Map, 1787, plus the 1875 Map

The earliest history of Waterford is under its original name, which was Littleton (Vt.). According to the Vermont State Archives & Records Administration (VSARA), "Littleton was created by a Vermont charter in 1780. The town name changed to Waterford in 1797." 

VSARA offers through its website a selection of "lotting plans" of Vermont's earliest years, as investors and potential settlers divided up land that had been by custom held by the Abenakis. (There was no agreement from the tribe for this, so the lands today are called "unceded" -- that is, never actually "given up.")

This map of the town's lots shows many familiar names. When I (BK) find a good explanation of the "divisions" referred to, I will add it to this post. Meanwhile, here is the fascinating map!

For comparison, here is the 1875 Beers Atlas map of the town (can be purchased today from www.old-maps.com):

Farewell and God Bless, to Rosalie Vear

What a loss this town has felt with the September 1 passing of Rosalie Vear, whose creative and kind spirit brought so much to so many. With permission from her daughter Kate, we share pages from her memoir here, as she wrote about her years growing up in Waterford.

Also here, with her photo, is the beautifully written obituary that celebrates her life:

 

Rosalie T. (Rancour) Vear

Aug. 19, 1926 - Sept. 1, 2024

Anyone who was fortunate enough to know Rosalie T. (Rancour) Vear had the privilege of knowing a woman who was unequivocally selfless and kind. They also knew she had many passions including gardening, baking bread, and quilting (just to mention a few) and that she possessed a wonderful sense of humor and a remarkable artistic talent. She was also a great storyteller and wrote several books chronicling her life and family. At the age of 90, she wrote her first memoir, From Start to Finish. These are her words taken from the epilogue of that book, and they portray perfectly how truly thoughtful and loving she was:

“My life is like a tapestry filled with bright colors showing the happy times and the dark colors outlining the bright colors, depicting the sad times of my life. The contrast is what makes it beautiful. And my life has been truly beautiful. [The people I have deeply loved and lost] are the dark colors [woven into] my tapestry, [adding] a dimension, a beauty to my creation. I have dearly loved being the mother and grandmother of such an interesting and wonderful group of people. I wish I had worried less and laughed more. That I had trusted my instincts and forgotten about the experts.”

Rosalie married Donald Vear, the love of her life, who predeceased her in 1998. Together,they created and nurtured the “interesting and wonderful” (and let’s be honest and also add “fun and sometimes crazy”) group that was their family: William (Linda) Vear, Kathryn (Robert) McGill, Margaret (Michael) Hale, Donna (David) Coker, James Vear, and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. That family is forever indebted to her for setting an example of what a good human is and teaching the invaluable lessons of life that helped to shape them into the people they are today.

Rosalie felt so fortunate to start a second chapter and find happiness again when she reconnected with her old friend Frank Landry. They married and enjoyed nearly two wonderful decades together before Frank’s passing in 2019.

Rosalie died on September 1st, just two weeks after celebrating her 98th birthday with family and friends. At 98, she was still the same wonderful person she had been her whole life. If you want to learn about all the amazing things she did throughout her life, you can find her wonderful life story in her books.

Rosalie, your family is sending you off with love and gratitude. We will miss you, but we know we will see you again. Please hug and kiss everybody up there for us, especially Dad and your beautiful great-grandson Gunnar.

In lieu of flowers, please plant a flower in your own flower garden in memory of Rosalie.

[Calling hours were held at Sayles Funeral Home, 525 Summer Street in St. Johnsbury on Thursday, Sept. 5, from 4 – 6 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Friday, Sept. 6, at 10 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Church in St. Johnsbury, Vt., with Fr. Lance Harlow officiating.]

And here, again with Kate's help, are two pages of from the manuscript of her writing about Upper Waterford and its changes:

 

The Rabbit Hill Inn: Dottie Starin, Working in 1962, Visiting 30 Years Later

A big thank you to Dottie Starin, née Dorothy Jean Chase, who provided a 1988 New York Times article on the Rabbit Hill Inn, as well as her own photographs from a 1992 visit there.

Dottie wrote, "I worked there the Summer of 1962 after graduating from Concord High & only worked mostly in the motel rooms through October since I remember they were not heated rooms & Fall foliage was ending. The photos were from the 90’s. Probably 1992 as that would have been when I would have been up there for a reunion with my classmates when we got together on our own." She worked with Lola Bullock, whom she recalls as a very sweet person.

Dottie also has strong connections to the nearby churches, especially the Congregational church in East St Johnsbury village. She wrote, "I was married there in June 1963 [to William Thresher] and we had my mom & dad's 50th anniversary in the Church basement in December 1990."

Here are the gems that she mailed here, from her home in Texas. Click on each image to see them better. Thank you so much, Dottie!

 

Jonathan Ross, One of Waterford's Noted Residents (Chief Justice, Vermont Supreme Court)

When Waterford Began Its Kindergarten

These pages from 1970 give a good view of the issues at stake as Waterford's school expanded to include kindergarten. For today's readers, it may be surprising to learn that kindergartens weren't common in northeastern Vermont in the 1960s and early 1970s. Concord's collaboration in this presentation is also interesting, as this preceded the movement to tie together education across town lines.

Waterford's 1963 Cookbook -- Three Sample Pages

 

1970: The Year Waterford Voted on a Kindergarten