A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....07-11-03...Welcome to "Les Verts Mont"

Mama_Bear

[Mama_Bear]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

Free Republic made its debut in September, 1996, and the forum was added in early 1997.   Over 100,000 people have registered for posting privileges on Free Republic, and the forum is read daily by tens of thousands of concerned citizens and patriots from all around the country and the world.

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

On Mondays please visit us to see photos of A FEW OF FR'S VETERANS AND ACTIVE MILITARY

If you have a suggestion, or an idea, or if there's a FReeper you would like to see featured, please drop one of us a note in FR mail.

We're having fun and hope you are!
~ Billie, Mama_Bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine ~

Please join us as we tour
"Les Verts Mont"

What comes to mind when you think of Vermont? Great skiing? Maple syrup? Covered bridges? Maybe, if you are a history buff, Ethan Allen and the "Green Mountain Boys"? Well, Vermont is all this and much more. When I set out to discover Vermont, I realized that I knew practically nothing about this state. Now, having done some exploring during my travels to some interesting Vermont websites, I am ready to pack my bags, go for an extended visit and see this beautiful state for myself.

A bit of history.....
(the condensed version)

Vermont is the second smallest state in the Union, with fewer than 1 million people. Originally populated by various indigenous peoples of the Algonquin, Iroquois, and Abenaki nations, the land now known as Vermont was first seen by European eyes in 1609, when the French explorer Samuel de Champlain sailed the lake that now bears his name. The French must have paid their visits during the warmer months, for when they gazed upon the mountains that form the spine of the state, they named them Les verts monts, 17th century French for the Green Mountains. As happens with language, Les Verts Mont became Verts Mont, which then became "Vermont". And as happened with explorers, Champlain claimed all he saw in the name of France.

In 1763, England was granted the area via the Treaty of Paris, which ended the French and Indian war. Locally, the land was at various times claimed by both New Hampshire and New York; however, Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys put an end to that, and by 1777 Vermont had achieved independence. In fact, Vermont remained an independent republic until 1791, at which point it joined the United States as that fledgling nation's fourteenth member. Nonetheless, to this day Vermonters remain fiercely independent.

State Motto: "Freedom and Unity"



So, who were the
Green Mountain Boys?

They were a citizens' militia founded in Fay's Tavern in Bennington in 1770. This militia could be called up to protect, by force if necessary, the ownership of the land in the New Hampshire Grants. Ethan Allen was its first, and by all accounts very charismatic Colonel-Commandant. Some of the methods of coercion used by the Green Mountain Boys are questionable at best, violence and intimidation often occurring as they defended their lands against the hated "Yorkers". However, this group of Yankee Vigilantes was very instrumental in resisting New York's claims to land in what is now Vermont. It is worth noting that the Green Mountain Boys took no lives.

Ethan Allen demanding the
surrender of Fort Ticonderoga


Today's "Green Mountain Boys"...

.......
the 158th Fighter Wing
of the Vermont Air National Guard.


Facts and Trivia about our fourteenth state...

Did you know that the world's largest granite quarry is located in central Vermont? It is. At the "Rock of Ages" quarry, where granite is mined and memorial stones are manufactured, sheer cliffs descend 600 feet to the quarry floor below. Tours are available during the summer months.



Also in central Vermont is what is believed to be the world's ONLY "spider web farm". No kidding. Will Knight, maker of collectibles and fine woodenware, noticed he had an abundance of spiders on his farm. Each spider wove it's own individual web design. Will began collecting these webs and making unique web items from them. He also devised an ingenious method of encouraging the spiders to weave just for him. He harvests them through a painstaking process and mounts the delicate, silk webs on wooden plaques and jewelry boxes.


Mr. Knight says, "Our spiders hunger for their work and provide us with genuine masterpieces of natural art. Enjoy the beauty of a silky spider web without the spider. Admire the precision and the perfection of the orb weaver, araneidae, preserved and protected as a work of art."

Another interesting fact ~ Robert James Waller's novel "The Bridges of Madison County" could easily have been set in Vermont rather than Iowa, with a slight name change. There is no "Madison County" in Vermont, but there are many beautifully restored covered bridges. In fact, Vermont has the largest concentration of covered bridges in the United States - a total of 114 in this tiny state, many of which are still in use.

One of the covered bridges in Vermont
and a bit of folklore surrounding.....

"Emily's Bridge"

Located in Stowe, Vermont
(John N. Smith, c.1844) (Photo © Dave MacKenzie)
Howe Truss, 50', spanning Gold Brook on Gold Brook Road.

There are at least three dramatic stories about how the name "Emily's Bridge" came about:

- In the 1800's, Emily was jilted by her fiancé and hung herself
from the rafters.

- In 1925, homely Emily fell in love with Donald, who got her pregnant. When Emily's father insisted that Donald marry Emily, Donald killed himself here. After the birth of twins, Emily followed suit.

- (Date unknown) Emily died after her horse threw her here; she was on her way to her wedding.

Whatever the truth behind the name, there are numerous "eyewitness" accounts of continued haunting of the bridge, supposedly by Emily's ghost.

Click HERE for a complete presentation of photographs
and historical information on Vermont's Covered Bridges.

Last but not least, this profile of Vermont would not be complete without mentioning their world famous maple syrup. Vermont is the largest producer of maple syrup in the U.S.

The first American Sugarmakers were early Native Americans of New England who called their delicious maple syrup, "sinzibukwud," which translated means, "sweet buds." The world is forever in their debt for teaching their Sugarmaking trade to the first American white settlers. Read more about it HERE.

A Vermont Maple Syrup Recipe
and Harvest-time Tradition
Sugar On Snow

-Vermont Fancy, Grade-A Light Amber Maple Syrup
-Pure white snow
-Sour Pickles
-Donuts

Boil syrup to 255 degrees Fahrenheit. Scoop snow into large bowl or pan. Drizzle hot maple syrup lightly over snow. Use forks to eat the sticky top layer. Follow with a bite of your favorite donut or a sour pickle. (I am not making this up. LOL!)

The heated syrup will form a lace-like pattern across the top of the snow and quickly harden into a delectable confection. Build a fire pit, round up a few avid maple sap gatherers and you have the makings for a.........

"SUGAR ON SNOW PARTY!"



"These Green Mountains"
Diane Martin - Composer
Rita Buglass - Arranger

These green hills and silver waters
are my home. They belong to me.
And to all of her sons and daughters
May they be strong and forever free.
Let us live to protect her beauty
And look with pride on the golden dome
They say home is where the heart is
These green mountains are my home.
These green mountains are my home.

On May 22, 2000, in a ceremony at Twinfield Union School, Governor Howard B. Dean, M.D. signed Act 99, which designated "These Green Mountains" as the new state song of Vermont.

I could not find a midi of this state song,
but I did find this: "Moonlight in Vermont".










Thank you to the following websites for information and graphics:
The Ethan Allen Homestead and Museum
Vermont, the Green Mountain State
Vermont 'Sugar Shack Facts'

Thank you for joining us on our trek through Vermont.
Have a nice FRiday and a great weekend!

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 07-07-03...Military Monday 07-08-03...FRPets - iceskater's Bubba/Lucy 07-09-03...Things I've Learned in Life 07-10-03...JH2 - "Is Iraq Another Vietnam?"

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[Mama_Bear]

It's Saturday! Time for another........

WEEK IN REVIEW

[Mama_Bear]

Thanks, Meek. Apparently I was one of the last to know about these Google things. Guess I need to get out more and discover what is happening on other threads. LOL!

Have a great weekend. :-)

[.30Carbine]

(((HUGS!)))
and many thanks, Mama_Bear.

[FreeTheHostages]

Well, thank YOU for spotlighting it -- and sorry I was in bed with cold for too much of the day!

You should come visit, in mid-October, when it's on fire. It's an easy thing to get to cheaply -- just fly into Albany, NY (lots of major airlines do) and drive an hour east to hit the bottom of the state.

[FreeTheHostages]

but doesn't say it all

Lovely post, and it makes perfect sense that a Vermonter would feel it in his bones but wouldn't, at the end of the day, "say it all." ;)

[FreeTheHostages]

"My Dad still owns and rides the John Deere tractor he bought in 1972! Nothing runs like a Deere!"

You see 'em in the all the *true* Vermont parades, which include antique tractors. 1972 wouldn't even count as antique! Deere's last.

[Mama_Bear]

.... just fly into Albany, NY (lots of major airlines do) and drive an hour east to hit the bottom of the state.

Might just do that. I'd like to get back to Massachusetts too and see where I was born and where my family comes from. My son was stationed in Ballston Spa for awhile (near Albany, I think) when he was going to Navy Nuclear Power school. We had hoped to get back there to visit him while he was there, but, before we could, he was transfered to Bremerton WA.

There is so much to see and do in New England, we are going to need at least a month. Guess we will have to wait until we retire.

[MeekOneGOP]

Hey, you have a lovely weekend too !

I should have linked that Google thread here when I found it. Whoops!

[longshadow]

I give up. I'm a California bear, what do I know? LOL.

I'm going to wait to see if "FreeTheHostages" can come up with the answer....

Sorry to keep you in suspense. All will be revealed, eventually.

[longshadow]

Vermonters are legendary for their "dry, take-nothing-for-granted humor." Here's a sample (allegedly true):

Calvin Coolidge was riding in a car with a friend in Vermont. The friend looks out the side window and sees a flock of sheep in a meadow.

"Say, Cal; the sheep sure are shorn kinda close this year...." said the friend.

After a long silence, during which Coolidge stared at the sheep, he finally replied: "They are on this side...."

[FreeTheHostages]

Uncle. Don't know where the doctor practiced. (LOL -- I'm MUCH better on my Bennington history than my general Vermont history!)

[longshadow]

Uncle. Don't know where the doctor practiced. (LOL -- I'm MUCH better on my Bennington history than my general Vermont history!)

Ah, but he practiced within 10 miles of Bennington! And I gave you the hint he was on staff at the Putnam Hospital, so he had to be from somewhere near Bennington....

The doctor in the famous Rockwell painting is George Russell, from Arlington.

[FreeTheHostages]

Well, that's easy! 10 miles within the radius of Bennington, he would be from:

Shaftsbury, Woodford, or Pownal (gee, I'm not even sure if I spelled that last one right -- it occurs to me I've only said, never written, that town name). I don't think Arlington's within 10 miles. I guess I'd add "Old Bennington" to the list if one wants to call it a separate town.

[FreeTheHostages]

OH! Or it could be North Bennington. We real Vermonters try to forget that town even exists, inasmuch as Bennington College has overtook it. But it is the site of the beautiful McCullough Mansion.

[longshadow]

I don't think Arlington's within 10 miles.

Okay.... so it's 12 miles. Ten should be close enough for government work, right?

[FreeTheHostages]

on the new route 7, it's probably 10!

yes, close enough for government work

[longshadow]

yes, close enough for government work

Arlington was also the stomping ground for Remember Baker, who used to chase away the Yorker sherriffs who were trying to evict settlers off of their land so people with New York titles could settle on it during pre-revolutionary times. And if recollection serves, Ira Allen, brother of Ethan, lived in Sunderland (the next town north of Arlington, for all you flat-landers out there reading this thread.)