20th-Century Restaurants Near Waterford

It was a pleasure to post the image of the Countryside Restaurant; here are two other dining spots just west of the Waterford/St. Johnsbury line where the buildings are still on the sites, but things have changed a great deal! The first is Aime's Restaurant and Motel (the local pronunciation of Aime in this case is "Amy"). Now with a dark blue exterior, it's a convenience store and gas station called Pettico Junction. When this postcard photo was taken -- maybe the 1950s? -- it was one of the popular dining spots, and for many years included wild game on the menu.

The second and third images (courtesy of Dave Kanell-- thank you!) are the front and back of a postcard of Gerard and Susan Pilette's Frosty Bar, a bit further west along Route 2 (across the road from the current Fairbanks Scales structure). I remember stopping here with my small children, maybe around 1982 or a couple of years later. Now the building is painted white, and after many years of being empty, a "P" sign has announced permitted construction taking place. Wonder what's next? And will the Holstein go back onto the roof??

Use the "Comments" button below to add your memories of these or other Waterford-area eateries.

"Modern" History: The Countryside Restaurant (Drive-In), Waterford, VT

The owners of the Countryside Restaurant in Lower Waterford were Gladys F. (Jewett) Whittemore (–1984) and her husband F. Earl Whittemore (1900–1987). Although this postcard is widely labeled "1950s" by sellers on the Internet, it seems likely to be from the early 1960s instead. Here are David Morrison's recollections on this popular business:

It started in the late '50s I think, quite small -- just gas pumps (Texaco) and ice cream window service. Gladys Whittemore was a great cook, especially known for her pies. Before the brush and trees grew up on the south side of the road, there was a good view down river.

Earl and Gladys got older. Don Douse, Barb's husband, remodeled the whole building into living quarters. ... I think what prompted the Whittemores to go into business was the passing of Mitchell Curran. He and his wife Gertrude ran a little store, gas station (Mobil), and the post office (between my grandmother and mother) on [Route] 18 at the top of the rise, leaving the village for St. J[ohnsbury].

The '50s into the '60s was a strong period for the local church. Gladys W., Elizabeth Wark, Bertha William, Hazel Morrison, and others were in their prime, church suppers were frequent; they also did the "much mourned" Town Meeting dinner.

What memories do you have of the Countryside and the Whittemores? Did you have a favorite among Gladys's pies? What else was on the menu?

Hope to hear from you soon!

The remodeled Countryside, a private home today.

Under the Water, Under the Rocks: Waterford's Mining History

Just south of "Ross Mountain," in Waterford's old "District No. 2" and probably on the property belonging to C. Stoddard on the 1875 Beers map of the town, is a pair of small open circles, labeled "Copper Mine." It's another example of how early residents searched for what they needed within what was provided by the region. A rumor persists that gold was also mined at this spot, but it's only a rumor. Any material on the town's mines would be very welcome here.

Meanwhile, these two pages from C. H. (Charles Henry) Hitchcock's 1905 The Geology of Littleton, New Hampshire, give another look at this area where mines were not a surprise. Geology isn't my best area -- are there others who can comment knowledgeably on what these pages suggest?

Perhaps most important for the short term is to try to find and label the named mountains of 1905 on the maps of 2014!

Historic photo of the Elizabeth Mine, Strafford, VT. Photo source: "The Legacy of the Elizabeth Mine" website

"West Waterford": The Village That Once Was

"West Waterford" was a village of Waterford and even had its own post office -- but not for long. If you've traveled Duck Pond Road and seen the lovely landmark "Hovey Place," you've been in the heart of that old village. Names associated with it were mostly Hovey and Carpenter -- in this case, Amos B. Carpenter, whose name is written in very large script (indicating large holding) on the 1875 Beers map of town -- the "A.B. Carpenter" place was located to the west of the Hovey place, about halfway to what was then a T-junction where both a mill and the Town House are marked. Bodies of water nearby include Carpenter Brook and Frog Pond. The Carpenter family settled on the road in 1808, according to the map, and the Hovey family in 1803.

Here is the chronology of the West Waterford post office:

West Waterford, 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

And here, thanks to Dave Kanell, is an envelope (front and back) addressed to Amos B. Carpenter and showing, among others, the West Waterford postmark, in 1897.

  If you have more information on the post office -- which probably was in the homes of the postmasters, as far as I can tell -- or on the people mentioned here, please do add comments to this post, or e-mail material to Beth (BethPoet at gmail dot com) for a separate article here.

Comerford Dam Construction, Waterford, Vermont, and Adjacent Towns, Circa 1930

Yes, we've talked about Comerford Dam before in the Waterford History group -- but who can resist wanting to know more about this amazing structure and the complicated project that built it? We'll talk more about these photos in the 2014 meetings of our group, and look at a possible new project: mapping and walking the existing trails and old roads that reveal the dam's construction process.

Meanwhile, on the agenda for Wed. Oct. 23 and for our November meeting: Waterford's own farm-to-table project (for an event next summer!); a report from Girl Scout Laura Benoit on her Waterford cemeteries Silver Award project; and more!

First Annual Waterford, Vermont, Barn Tour

Our self-driving barn tour was off to a lovely start today, as a soft mist clung to the hills before a bright sunny day. Here are a few photos as generous barn owners prepared to open their historic structures to visitors.

Donna Heath's display of old tools and "parts":

Donna's photo display, giving visitors a sense of farm history, as well as the less accessible upper floor of her barn:

Mary Florio's welcome to visitors at her 1857 double barn:

Mary's collection of photos shared by the Remick family, who owned the barn before her, over generations:

Sharron Caplan's decorative entryway to the barn at Dream Catcher Farm:

The event room on the main barn floor at Dream Catcher, ready for the next gathering:

In addition to these wonderful opportunities, the Lee family opened its "high drive" (not visible from Route 18) so that 94-year-old Mrs. Geneva Powers Wright could see the interior of the barn, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Visitors at the Davies Memorial Library shared their passion for Waterford's barns and beauty. The Concord Historical Society also hosted a table during the group's open house today, for the barn tour maps and barn documents. Heartfelt thanks to all who collaborated, share resources, visited, smiled.

To see more of the barns in detail, click here:  http://waterford-vt-barn-census.blogspot.com

And one last reminder: If your Vermont town would like to hear about how Waterford's history group (a library interest group) is documenting our barns, simply and effectively, let us know; we can visit and share our experience.

Now, it's your turn: Did you take any photos of Vermont barns that you'd like to share here?

Our Barns

This year, the UVM Barn Census website hasn't been working, so the state historic preservation team was kind enough to send us back our material listed so far. I've added the other barns documented as of Sept. 2013 as well, and they are all here:

http://waterford-vt-barn-census.blogspot.com/

Just click on that link!