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An Airfield of Dreams in East Montpelier When World War II ended in 1945, hundreds of young pilots came home to pick up their lives. They were full of enthusiasm and convinced that flying was the future; "An airplane in every garage," as the saying went at the time. The Serviceman's Readjustment Act, known as the "GI Bill," provided money to start businesses and to further education. Among the things it paid for was flight training. So, in 1946, ex fighter pilot, Gordon Robinson, and his father-in-law Peter Lemieux bought the old fair ground site in East Montpelier and started the Fairmont Flying Service. |
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Water and Wool Ralph Nading Hill says in The Winooski, Heart way of Vermont the Kingsbury Branch (one of 7 main tributaries feeding the Winooski River) drains the country up around Calais and Woodbury. A pioneer named Kingsbury fished in it a great deal and always referred to it as “his branch.” His neighbors agreed. More ---> |
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The Pedal Powered Poet “On our desk lies a little magazine called “Driftwind” and beside it a telegram. The magazine has a wallpaper cover with parrots on the front and, on the back of it, the printed words ‘18 cents a single roll’ and ‘use Pyramid Dry Paste.’ It contains an essay on democracy and thirty-nine short poems. The telegram informs us that we can call on its editor no more.”More ---> |
| This announcement appeared in the Boston Sunday Herald Village to have two days of song |
The East Montpelier Music Convention The East Montpelier Musical Convention was started in eighteen ninety-eight and continued until nineteen twenty-nine. These conventions were conceived, managed and conducted by Charles F. Dudley. |
East Montpelier in the Civil War On April 12, 1861, Confederate batteries fired on Fort Sumpter in Charleston harbor. This followed several months of action by South Carolina and other southern states to vote to seceed from the Union and establish the Confederate States of America. The attack precipitated the American Civil War and prompted President Lincoln, on April 15, to call Congress into session and issue a call to the states for militia to restore the Union. A telegram was sent to His Excellency, Erastus Fairbanks, Governor of Vt. for one regiment for immediate service. Governor Fairbanks called the legislature into emergency session and it quickly voted to respond to the President's call and muster the militia and ask for volunteers for service. One of the first East Montpelier residents to volunteer was Joseph Hill, on 1 June, 1861. Dwight Kelton tried to enlist on the same day but was rejected for being under age. He later served in a New York regement. In all, some 136 men were credited as coming from East Montpelier. For more information on those who served from our town go to:East Montpelier soldiers. There is an excellent website for Civil War information at:
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