The Stowe Historical Society is located in historic Stowe, Vermont -- situated on the Waterbury River between Mt. Mansfield on the west and the Worcesters on the east. It boasts one of the better alluvial plains in northern Vermont. Chartered in 1763 and settled in 1794 by Oliver Luce and family, it has supported forest industries, sheep and dairy farming, recreation including some of the earliest Alpine skiing in Vermont and lodging from its earliest days to the present.
In 1955 members of some of the oldest families in Stowe and other townspeople came together to record and preserve the past, for the sake of the future. Motivating them was the fear that if they did not act, Stowe's rich historical legacy would be lost to future generations. The town was changing, people were arriving from other places to open lodges, shops and work in the developing alpine ski business on Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak. The Stowe Historical Society was founded with the help of the Vermont Historical Society. Today it is one of the state's largest not-profit repository of books, letters, journals, maps, drawings, and photographs about Stowe, Vermont and Vermont history. The collection contains artifacts brought home from the Civil War and other military involvements, farm implements, domestic items, textiles and more that shed light on life in Stowe from the early 19th century to recent times. The Society was chartered in 1956.
Following the Annual Meeting on August 25, 2009, the new slate of officers is:
Directory:
Barbara Baraw, President
Wendy Parrish, V. President
Constance Bull, Secretary
Barbara Sorkin, Treasurer
Edward Rhodes, Curator
Constance Bull, Archivist
L. Sonny Davis, Director
Patricia Haslam, Genealogist
Wendy Parrish, Membership
Jon Hanson, Director
We are a completely volunteer organization! Several have been with the Society for many years. For some, volunteering for the Society is a passion. We are pleased to have on board a new volunteer -- Chuck Dudley, a recent semi-retired transplant from the Chicago area. Already he has proved to be a great addition to our team with his knowledge of technology, scanning photos, and doing research on specific topics. He joins us for work and then lunch regularly on Fridays. Come in and meet him!! You’ll be glad you did!
