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60-651: The Brattleboro Free Folk Festival is an American annual music festival which takes place in Brattleboro, Vermont . The festival began in 2003 and is considered part of the New Weird America music movement. 42°51′09″N 72°33′30″W  /  42.8526°N 72.5582°W  / 42.8526; -72.5582 This music festival-related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Brattleboro, Vermont Brattleboro ( / ˈ b r æ t əl b ʌr oʊ / ), originally Brattleborough ,

120-496: A Selectboard of five members, and by several dozen town representatives elected from three municipal districts. The Selectboard, meeting on average every week or two, is considered part of the 'executive branch' of town government; its five members being elected to fill three one-year positions and two three-year positions. In turn, the Selectboard hires and supervises a full-time town manager. The town's three districts also each elect

180-509: A communication during at a seance on Oak Street. According to James, Dickens' spirit conveyed that he had chosen James to write down the end of "The Mystery of Edwin Drood", which Dickens had not completed before he died. Dickens' spirit also supposedly told James that it was fine if James made a profit from the book. The book was printed by the same company that owned the Springfield Union, which

240-459: A decade of very successful printing industry in the town. Whetstone Falls, very close to where Brattleboro's Whetstone Brook flows into the Connecticut River, was a handy source of water power for watermills , initially a sawmill and a gristmill . By 1859, when the population had reached 3,816, Brattleboro had a woolen textile mill, a paper mill, a manufacturer of papermaking machinery,

300-548: A factory making melodeons , two machine shops, a flour mill, a carriage factory, and four printing establishments. Connected by the Vermont & Massachusetts Railroad and the Vermont Valley Railroad , the town prospered as a regional center for trade in commodities including grain, lumber, turpentine , tallow and pork. In 1888, the spelling of the town's name was shortened to Brattleboro. The Estey Organ company,

360-545: A large shipping and warehouse facility in Brattleboro near I-91's Exit 3. Ehrmann Commonwealth Dairy is headquartered in Brattleboro and operates a dairy processing facility in the town that opened in 2011. New Chapter , an organic vitamin and supplement maker is headquartered in Brattleboro. The town's densely populated center is located near Vermont's lowest elevation point in the Connecticut river valley. Because of

420-437: A member of the wealthy Salisbury family with ties to Brattleboro's printing and paper making industries. British author Rudyard Kipling settled in Brattleboro after marrying a young Brattleboro woman, Carrie Balestier, in 1892. The couple built a home called Naulakha , just over the town line to the north in neighboring Dummerston . Kipling wrote The Jungle Book and other works there. He also wrote about local life in

480-558: A representative to the Vermont House of Representatives. Brattleboro is represented at the national level by U.S. senators Bernie Sanders and Peter Welch , and by Congresswoman Becca Balint , who also represents Vermont's entire at-large federal congressional district. At the state level in Montpelier : Brattleboro has a diverse mix of public and private primary, secondary and post-secondary schools and career centers. Sub-campuses of

540-577: Is a town in Windham County, Vermont , United States, located about 10 miles (16 km) north of the Massachusetts state line at the confluence of Vermont's West River and the Connecticut River . With a 2022 Census population of 12,106, it is the most populous municipality abutting Vermont's eastern border with New Hampshire , which is the Connecticut River . The town has been important to

600-597: Is also based out of downtown Brattleboro. Equivalent Lands Settlers in Springfield, Massachusetts , had several disagreements with settlers from Hartford, Connecticut , during the late 1630s when the Connecticut Colony was just getting established. The Springfield settlers decided to align themselves with the Massachusetts Bay Colony instead of Connecticut. As a result, Massachusetts Bay surveyed

660-668: Is one public middle school, the Brattleboro Area Middle School (BAMS), and one public high school, the Brattleboro Union High School (BUHS). The Windham Southeast Supervisory Union, which oversees the public school system in the southeastern corner of Windham County , also administers a dedicated vocational education unit, the Windham Regional Career Center. Oak Meadow , a K–12 homeschool curriculum provider and distance learning school

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720-503: Is the driest. Brattleboro averages 92.58 inches (235 cm) of snow annually. Brattleboro lies in USDA plant hardiness zone 5a. As of the census of 2010, there were 12,046 people, 5,364 households, and 2,880 families residing in the town. Almost all of the population is concentrated in two census-designated places identified in the town: Brattleboro and West Brattleboro . The results of recent censuses indicate very little change in

780-437: Is the first major town one encounters crossing northward by automobile from Massachusetts on Interstate 91 , and is accessed via Vermont exits 1, 2, and 3 from that thoroughfare. It offers a mix of a rural atmosphere and urban amenities including a number of lodging establishments. Brattleboro also hosts art galleries, stores, and performance spaces, mostly located in the downtown area. In 2007, after meeting qualifying criteria,

840-609: The Brattleboro Retreat , a mental health and addictions hospital. Notable annual events include Strolling of the Heifers and the Brattleboro Literary Festival . The location was called Wantastegok or "Wantastiquet" by the indigenous Sokoki band of Abenaki that resided in the area before settlement by Europeans. To defend the Massachusetts Bay Colony against Chief Gray Lock and others during Dummer's War ,

900-832: The Community College of Vermont and Vermont Technical College are located in Brattleboro; in the downtown's newly renovated Brooks House. Brattleboro was also home to the New England Academic Center of Union Institute and University , housed in the Marlboro College Graduate Center building. SIT Graduate Institute , formerly known as the School for International Training , is a private higher education institution in northern Brattleboro. An outgrowth of The Experiment in International Living , which

960-668: The Dartmouth Outing Club (1909–1910), also establishing the Brattleboro Outing Club (in 1922), contributing to the first North American use of motor-driven ski lifts, and building the Harris Hill olympic-scale ski jumping facility , the site of international competitions every February that still attract daring ski-jumping athletes from all over the world. Brattleboro employs a representative town meeting local government, wherein its citizens are represented at-large by

1020-611: The Holstein/Friesian Cattle Association, which houses and maintains the worldwide registries for those two breeds. Brooks Memorial Library houses a town historical archive, fine art paintings, and sculptures. Brattleboro has a thriving arts community. It was listed in John Villani's book The 100 Best Small Art Towns in America , in which it was ranked #9 among 'arts towns' with a population of 30,000 or less. On

1080-616: The Massachusetts General Court voted on December 27, 1723, to build a blockhouse and stockade on the Connecticut River near the site of what would later become known as Brattleboro. Lieutenant-governor William Dummer signed the measure, and construction of Fort Dummer began on February 3, 1724. It was completed before summer. On October 11 of that year, the French attacked the fort and killed some soldiers. In 1725, Dummer's War ended. By 1728, and in subsequent peaceful periods,

1140-573: The New Hampshire colony , although maintenance and protection of the settlements were paid for by Massachusetts Bay. Therefore, another survey team was sent out in 1749, to once again clarify provincial lines, resulting in the New Hampshire Grants and the subsequent territorial disputes with the New York Colony concerning jurisdiction over parts of the area and its inhabitants. In 1752,

1200-638: The United States Census Bureau , the town has a total area of 32.5 square miles (84.0 km ), of which 32.0 square miles (82.9 km ) is land and 0.5 square mile (1.2 km , 1.42%) is water. Brattleboro is drained by the West River , Ames Hill Brook and Whetstone Brook. The town is in the Connecticut River Valley , and its eastern boundary (and the Vermont state line) is

1260-572: The Vermont Jazz Center . The town operates and maintains the Gibson-Aiken Center, a large recreation and community activities facility, located downtown on Main Street, along with a number of parks and outdoor recreation centers, including Living Memorial Park , whose features include an outdoor swimming pool and a municipal skiing facility. There are bicycle lanes on Putney Road in

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1320-907: The Windham Art Gallery . Gallery Walk is a mid-1990s creation of, and continues to be sponsored by, the Arts Council of Windham County . Other arts organizations in Brattleboro include the Brattleboro Music Center , the Vermont Theatre Company , the New England Youth Theater , the Brattleboro Women's Chorus, the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA), the Vermont Performance Lab , and

1380-401: The 1960s and 1970s following the construction of Interstate 91, which runs north-south through the town. The area has little residential development and is dominated by larger commercial and industrial establishments and suburban-style shopping areas along Putney Road , including seven chain hotels and motels located within a short distance of each other. Brattleboro is also the headquarters of

1440-508: The Connecticut River on Vernon Road (VT Route 142), at the corner of Cotton Mill Hill. The western section of town, built up around Vermont's east-west Route 9 , was formally designated a village in 2005. It is mostly lower-density residential in character, and features the state's largest mobile home park and several planned housing developments and subdivisions. Away from the Route 9 conduit, other parts of western Brattleboro and some areas north of

1500-550: The Equivalent Lands, were then made available for purchase at Hartford on April 24–25, 1716, with the proceeds going to establish Yale. These auctioned lands were grouped in at least three known parcels; however, since there are no extant maps of the Equivalent Lands, there may have been additional areas not auctioned at that time. One group of land speculators purchased a 44,000-acre (180 km ) parcel. This group included William Brattle, Jr. for whom Brattleboro, Vermont

1560-565: The Estey Organ Museum. The entire surviving complex was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, both for its architecture, and for having been a major economic force in Brattleboro for many years. In 1871, Thomas P. James, "The Spirit Pen of Dickens", a printer by trade, moved to Brattleboro, where he took a job at The Vermont Farmer and Record. James claimed that the departed spirit of Charles Dickens had given him

1620-563: The Regional Career Center are also located in this section, as is Fort Dummer State Park, which is named after the first European settlers' 1724 stockade. The original Fort's site, however, was flooded in the early 20th century by a flood-control and hydro-electric dam built just downstream in Vernon, Vermont . An historical marker is located near the Fort's now-underwater site, on the west bank of

1680-487: The West River have a decidedly rural character, with dirt roads, sparse housing, wooded Green Mountains foothills, and the last few farms left in the town following the 1970s' decline of the dairy industry. At its peak, the immediate Brattleboro area had over 170 farms; there are now less than a dozen remaining. The section of Brattleboro north of the West River , formerly farmland, was mostly subdivided and developed during

1740-502: The abandonment of farms. The first person to receive a U.S. Social Security benefit check, issued on January 31, 1940, was Ida May Fuller from Brattleboro. On May 12, 1950, auctioneer Emma Bailey held her first auction in Brattleboro, selling a rocking chair for $ 2.50. She was the first American woman auctioneer, and later became the first woman admitted to the National Auctioneers Association . According to

1800-469: The area did not want to change jurisdiction from Massachusetts to Connecticut, so they agreed that Massachusetts would retain administration over the settled lands. In return, Connecticut would be granted property rights (but not sovereignty) for an equal number of acres within Massachusetts, "as an equivalent to the said colony". Connecticut began to auction off the "Equivalent Lands" in 1716, using most of

1860-480: The area was originally part of the Equivalent Lands , the township became one of the New Hampshire grants , and was chartered (founded) as such on December 26, 1753, by Governor Benning Wentworth . It was named Brattleborough, after Brigadier-General William Brattle , Jr. of Boston , a military officer, cleric, slaveholder as well as a principal proprietor. Ironically, there is no record that Brattle ever visited

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1920-403: The average family size was 2.84. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.3% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.9 males. The median income for a household in the town

1980-470: The border between Massachusetts and Connecticut in 1642, and took control of land as far south as Warehouse Point at Windsor Locks, Connecticut , the northernmost point on the Connecticut River controlled by the tides. In the 1690s, Connecticut Colony officials performed their own survey and discovered errors that were made in Massachusetts's 1642 survey, but it was not until 1713 that the two colonies co-operated to survey correct boundaries. At that time,

2040-426: The early 1890s: heavy snowfalls, ox-teams drawing sledges, and people in the small towns beset with what he called a "terrifying intimacy" about each other's lives. He recorded the death of men who had left, going to seek their fortunes in the cities or out west, and the consequent loneliness and depression in the lives of local women; the long length of the workday for farmers, even in winter, often for lack of help; and

2100-660: The east village, and in 1784, a post office was established. A bridge was built across the Connecticut River to Hinsdale, New Hampshire , in 1804. In 1834, the Brattleboro Retreat, then called the Vermont Asylum for the Insane, was established through a generous bequest by Anna Marsh of Hinsdale, New Hampshire . In 1844, the Brattleboro Hydropathic Establishment was opened by Robert Wesselhoeft; this

2160-645: The first Friday of every month, an event known as "Gallery Walk" is held, during which galleries, artists, arts organizations, and stores display new art works or hold performances. Included in the organizations that participate are the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center , the Hooker-Dunham Theater and Gallery , the In-Sight Photography Project , River Gallery School , Through the Music, and

2220-454: The fort served as a trading post for commerce among the colonial settlers and the Indians . But violence flared up from time to time throughout the first half of the 18th century. In 1744, what became known as King George's War broke out, lasting until 1748. During this period a small body of British colonial troops were posted at the fort, but after 1750 this was considered unnecessary. Although

2280-550: The history of Vermont, acting as a gateway for trade on both the Connecticut River and subsequent road and train infrastructure. Moreover the Whetstone Brook allowed the development of several mill industries that relied on water power. The town rose to national and international recognition because of several major industries in the town during the 19th century: several bookbinding companies, including Brattleboro Typographic Company which produced bibles, and Estey Organ , one of

2340-569: The largest manufacturers of pipe organs in the world. Both industries shrank in the early 20th century, relying more on its role as a economic hub for more rural communities and Vermont's tourism industry . There are satellite campuses of two colleges in Brattleboro: Community College of Vermont , and Vermont Technical College . Located in Brattleboro are the New England Center for Circus Arts , Vermont Jazz Center , and

2400-476: The largest organ manufacturer in the United States, operated in Brattleboro for about a century beginning in 1852. The company's main factory was located southwest of downtown Brattleboro, on the south side of Whetstone Brook between Birge and Organ Streets. At its height, the complex had more than 20 buildings, many of which were interconnected by raised walkways and covered bridges. One of the buildings now houses

2460-448: The local Selectboard passed a resolution designating Brattleboro a Fair Trade Town, becoming the second Fair Trade certified town in the nation after Media, Pennsylvania . C&S Wholesale Grocers , the northeast's largest regional food distributor, made its headquarters here until 2005, when they moved their administrative offices to Keene, New Hampshire ; however, because of close proximity to Interstate 91 , C&S still operates

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2520-416: The locality, and settlement activities remained tentative until after the 1763 Treaty of Paris , when France abandoned their claims to Vermont, part of the region which they had called New France . Hostilities having ceased, Brattleboro developed quickly in peacetime, and soon was second to no other settlement in the state for business and wealth. In 1771, Stephen Greenleaf opened Vermont's first store in

2580-471: The measure, and construction of Fort Dummer began on February 3, 1724. It was completed before summer, and a force of about 70 Native Americans , of the French-allied Abenaki tribe , attacked it on October 11, killing three or four defenders. The settlement surrounding the fort was called "Brattleborough". The fort was converted into a trading post in 1728 for commerce with friendly Indians. It

2640-458: The northern portion of town, on Guilford Street near Living Memorial Park, and on a short segment of Western Avenue in West Brattleboro. Open during the summer months, Fort Dummer State Park is named for, and located near, the original site of a Dummer's War -era stockade. The state park consists of 218 acres of protected forest, featuring hiking trails and a State campground, just south of

2700-567: The overall number of people living in the town. Despite this, Brattleboro remains the most populous town along Vermont's eastern border. The population density of the town was 375.3 people per square mile (144.9/km ). There were 5,686 housing units at an average density of 177.7 per square mile (68.6/km ). The racial makeup of the town was 92.1% White , 1.9% Black or African American , 0.3% Native American , 2.2% Asian , 0.04% Pacific Islander , 0.6% from other races , and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.7% of

2760-504: The population center on wooded hills overlooking the Connecticut River. Brattleboro sees a substantial seasonal influx of recreational skiers and snowboarders, many of them bound for the resorts at nearby Mount Snow and Stratton , but it is also a winter sports destination in and of itself. The town played an important role in the development and popularization of the skiing industry as a winter sport, with pioneering Brattleboro native and Dartmouth College alumnus Fred Harris, founder of

2820-409: The population. There were 5,364 households, out of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.8% were married couples living together, 12.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.3% were non-families. 37.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.15 and

2880-610: The proceeds to fund the establishment of Yale College . The surveys laying out the new tracts were concluded on November 10, 1715. One tract was in the area around Pelham and Hadley , another in the area encompassing Putney , Brattleboro , and Dummerston , and another along the east side of the Connecticut River. The commissioners appointed to locate these lands were Massachusetts Governor Joseph Dudley ; Connecticut Governor Gurdon Saltonstall ; Massachusetts residents Elisha Hutchinson and Isaac Addington; and Connecticut residents William Pitkin and William Whiting. These tracts, known as

2940-407: The settlements. Richard Hazzen was sent to survey the area in the winter of 1740–41 to try to determine the boundary line between New Hampshire and Massachusetts Bay Colony. Some settlements in the Equivalent Lands were temporarily abandoned in the mid- to late-1740s due to renewed conflicts with the French and their allied tribes. These areas around Fort Dummer at the time were regarded to be in

3000-412: The surrounding steep hills there is very little flat land, and many of its buildings and houses are situated on steep hillsides, necessarily closely bunched together. This concentrated topography and population density have helped to create a semi-urban, cosmopolitan atmosphere in the downtown. Since the 1950s, additional construction and development have expanded outside the concentrated downtown area; in

3060-407: The surveyors found that Massachusetts Bay had offered Springfield settlers the right to 105,793 acres (428.13 km ) that actually belonged to Connecticut. The settlers had established themselves in and around the towns of Springfield, Westfield , Suffield , and other areas west of the Connecticut River and believed themselves to be in lands belonging to Massachusetts Bay. Most of those inhabiting

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3120-440: The west, south, and north of the township. The southeast quarter of the town, near to and abutting the riverbank, is where its population has historically been the densest, and is composed largely of one- or two-family houses, with apartment buildings such as " triple deckers " interspersed among them. Commercial and industrial operations are concentrated along the north-south Canal Street (Route 5) artery. The town's high school and

3180-495: The western bank of the Connecticut River . Hills and mountains surround the town. Brattleboro experiences a humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ) with cold, snowy winters and hot, humid summers. The town can experience snowfall as early as November and as late as April, and in the adjacent mountains and high country as late as May. Nor'easters often come with the potential of dumping a foot or more of snow on Brattleboro when they move through; such storms are not uncommon during

3240-400: The winter months. Summers are warm to hot and generally humid, with abundant sunshine and heavy showers and thunderstorms associated with passing cold fronts . Tornadoes are rare. The record high is 100 °F (38 °C), set in 1955, and the record low is −33 °F (−36 °C), set in 1958. In terms of average annual precipitation , May is typically the wettest month, and February

3300-409: Was $ 31,997, and the median income for a family was $ 44,267. Males had a median income of $ 31,001 versus $ 25,329 for females. The per capita income for the town was $ 19,554. About 9.2% of families and 13.1% of the population were below the poverty line , including 18.0% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over. Both a commercial and touristic gateway for the state of Vermont, Brattleboro

3360-525: Was founded in 1932 in nearby Putney, Vermont , the Graduate Institute offers master's degrees in several internationally oriented concentrations. Its students and faculty hail from all regions of the globe, giving Brattleboro a decidedly eclectic and international flair, and its notable alumni include native Vermonter and 1997 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Jody Williams . Brattleboro currently has three public K–6 elementary schools. They are: There

3420-458: Was named. Other initial purchasers of the lands included Paul Dudley , Thomas Fitch III, and Jonathan Belcher . The Massachusetts General Court voted on December 27, 1723 to build a blockhouse and stockade north of its Northfield settlement in order to defend the Province of Massachusetts Bay against Chief Gray Lock and others during Dummer's War . Lieutenant-governor William Dummer signed

3480-472: Was once again manned by soldiers during King George's War from 1744 to 1748. A small body of troops remained at the fort until 1750, after which it was considered unnecessary. Brattleborough itself was only scarcely populated until after the 1763 Treaty of Paris , when France abandoned its attempts to colonize North America. The Ashuelot Valley towns of Upper Ashuelot and Arlington were established prior to 1740, with several families living in each of

3540-667: Was the paper that published the first news about James' claims, as well as excerpts from the new chapters of the novel. Newspaper editors from papers around New England who had employed James denounced the entire affair as a well-planned advertising hoax. The book became a sensation, being reviewed in the New York Times and widely promoted in spiritualist magazines of the day. James published the novel on October 31, 1873, and reported that he sold 30,000 copies of it. James left Brattleboro in 1879, abandoning his third wife, and moving to Watertown, Massachusetts, with his fourth wife Lizzie Plummer,

3600-495: Was the third " water cure " establishment in the country, utilizing waters from a spring near the current downtown fire station. Until the water cure closed in 1871, the town was widely known as a curative health resort. Other industries began to appear in the town under the initiation of the businessman John Holbrook , who initiated firms like the Brattleboro Typographic Company . These businesses initiated

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