Book Tour

      'Tis the Season.

     No, not that Season. I'm not thinking of the time of year when we all eat too much and overindulge certain heady beverages. I do that pretty much year round. What 'Tis the Season means to me is Reading Season. That's when it gets dark by 4:30 in the afternoon and I'm happy to settle in by the woodstove with a good book for a few hours before bedtime. It's a luxury I have a hard time allowing myself the rest of the year.

     Say 'books' and libraries are the first thing that comes to my mind. Washington County has a library in almost every town and they're not cookie cutter. Each one has a personality of its own and I thought it would be fun to profile as many as I can over the next few months. Let's start with the Bancroft Library in Salem.

     It's in the center of the village, at the only stop light, and street side parking shouldn't be a problem. Look for the bell in front of the building and you'll know you're there. That bell has a story to tell. It's a Maneely bell made in Troy, New York and it once hung in the Irving Memorial Clock Tower which was part of an imposing four story edifice known as the Proudfit Building. The Proudfit was built for $20,000 in 1890 with commercial shops on the ground floor and the library, a memorial hall and the village offices on the second floor.

     On January 11, 1976 the Proudfit suffered the same fate as two previous buildings ( the Salem Hotel and the Fairchild House ) that had stood on the site, succumbing to a devastating fire. In a twist of cruel irony the fire apparently started in the firehouse towards the rear of the building. Volunteers were able to get two firetrucks out even as smoke poured out windows and doors. People also risked their lives to remove valuable books and town records from the second floor library and offices. Despite heroic efforts the upper floors were lost and the ground floor sustained smoke, heat and water damage. It's a testament to the resilience of the community that what was salvaged from the fire has become today's cozy library and town meeting hall. 

Fighting the Proudfit fire

The aftermath

  

What's left today: Open and Welcoming

     We had come to Salem to see our friend Chris Hubbard's watercolor show with nine works hanging in the hall between the library and the town meeting room. Her cat and dog portraits are striking and it was fun to try and identify the location of several local landscapes. Then there was the painting titled "Holly and Leif" which brought a chuckle. It's a beauty and the beast image of a girl snuggling with her friendly ox. The thing is, Gwenne and I can take some credit (responsibility?) for this chummy couple since Holly is our daughter and we raised Leif from newborn calf to the big boy he is today.

     After enjoying the art we moved on to the library. It's a bright, inviting space with large windows letting plenty of light into the stacks. There is wifi and several computers for patrons to use along with the usual collection of books, DVD's, newspapers and magazines. To the back is a separate reading room with comfy chairs and a large table that could accommodate big books and note taking. This is a quiet space that gets afternoon sun and houses the Walker Collection of natural history and ornithology. Also of note is the Audubon Collection of journals, published by the famed naturalist's granddaughter Maria who lived in Salem a century ago. The library has a number of books on Salem history as well. 

     One final impression from my visit was the sound of children laughing. They have their own space behind the librarians station and they were having a real good time. Come to think about it, so was I.

Greetings from Rupert

     On my way to Rupert, Vermont late one rainy fall afternoon I found myself wedged between Egg and Bear Mountains. Anyone familiar with these western Vermont villages  (Rupert and West Rupert, with maybe a mile or two between them) knows that the usual approach from New York is out Rt. 153 from Salem. That's certainly a lovely drive along White Creek, gradually gaining elevation as it approaches the border and the high mountains beyond. But there's another, wilder road that follows Camden Creek up into the heart of the Taconics before eventually bringing you to Rupert. I have a long history with this road: driving, biking and using it as starting point to climb the aforementioned mountains. I try to return whenever I can. It's like reconnecting with an old friend.

     There are a few homes, a few seasonal camps and several small ponds but what you most remember is trees crowding in and arching over a narrow gravel lane. It's a nearly perfect road and one I hope will forever escape the asphalt pavers. Maybe there's a little anxiety to driving such a lonesome route on a wet, grey day with an early dusk closing in. I still remember the comforting feel when the warm glow from the windows of West Ruperts cozy homes finally came into view.

            I was in Rupert for a program at the Methodist Church but with a few minutes to spare decided to do a quick tour of town. I'ld driven thru here dozens of times but always when going somewhere else: dinner at The Barn, biking in Dorset or some event in Manchester. What I soon realized is that these villages could easily be a destination of their own. Let others have their weekends in Boston, Montreal or New York. I could find plenty of interest right here. From rail trail to mountain preserve, from old cemeteries to historical architecture. Plenty to explore. And hopefully I will explore more in future posts but for now just a few quick shots I took before darkness settled.

The old Sheldon Store

The Post Office

Wonder if Steve Earle has been here?

     The program I had come to attend was on the early native peoples of Western Vermont and Eastern New York. It was co-hosted by the Hebron Preservation Society and the Rupert Historical Society. Jess Robinson, Vermont State Archaeologist was the featured speaker. The beautiful sanctuary of the Rupert United Methodist Church was nearly full for the presentation and we were treated to a fast paced overview of archaeological insight.

Inside and out. Views of the United Methodist Church.

     It's impossible to do Robinson's power point justice here so I'll just share a few scribbled notes I took from the evening. Modern humans evolved in Africa about 250,000 years ago. It was only about 20,000 years ago when they made it to North America from Eastern Asia. These became the Paleoindians that first populated our region as the glaciers melted 10 to 13,000 years ago. They crafted fine stone points from jasper and rhyolite and harvested the bountiful food supplies in and around the Champlain Sea.

     The Archaic Period stretched from 9000 to 3000 years ago with sites at Chimney Point and Crown Point on Lake Champlain being well documented. Archaeologist have also done excavations at a site near Bennington where an estimated village of a 100 people was located some 3900 years ago. Points were made of locally available quartz, quartzite and chert. Similar artifacts can be seen in a display case at Cambridge Central School. 

     The Woodland Period followed with a warming trend and the introduction of pottery and agriculture. Butternuts were highly sought after and one of the factors that guided native settlement. With European contact in the 1600's the rest is quite literally 'history'. The program wrapped up with a lively Q and A with Robinson explaining the difference between chipped v. ground stone points among many other queries. 

     I think everyone left the church with a deeper appreciation for the long history of our area and I know I left as well with new found appreciation for all that Rupert had to offer. It'll never be a 'drive thru' place for me again. Well, not unless I'm driving a tractor.