Vermont Trivia & Tidbits

Looking for Vermont trivia? Try our list Vermont little know facts, tidbits and trivia.

Vermont's Capitol, a Greek Revival structure in Montpelier (pop. 8,035), is one of America's few state capitols with a gilded dome. A statue of Ceres, the goddess of agriculture, perches on top.

first appeared: 10/18/2009

Since 2005, the North Branch Nature Center in Montpelier (pop. 8,035) has trained and organized volunteers to help amphibians-frogs and salamanders-cross roadways on their way to mating sites. Since that time, the program has expanded to other communities in the region.

first appeared: 10/4/2009

In the late 1940s and '50s, the snow on slopes at Mad River Glen ski area in Fayston (pop. 1,141) was packed to make them more skiable-but not by using the sophisticated grooming machines of today. Crews on skis would sidestep up the trails to "foot pack" snow on the mountain runs.

first appeared: 9/20/2009

The Shelburne (pop. 6,944) Museum showcases more than 150,000 works in 39 exhibition buildings. Its collection includes impressionist paintings, folk art, quilts, textiles, decorative arts and furniture.

first appeared: 9/6/2009

Walter Schoenknecht, developer of the Mount Snow ski area in West Dover, is credited with inventing a monorail chairlift using a series of conveyor belts up many towers. The lift had the capacity of lifting 1,200 skiers an hour in the 1950s.

first appeared: 8/23/2009

In 1938, Charles Minot Dole (1899-1976) founded the National Ski Patrol to aid injured skiers after he broke an ankle in a skiing accident in Stowe (pop. 4,339) and a friend died in a ski race.

first appeared: 8/9/2009

The honeybee became the official state insect in 1978. The bee aids Vermont farmers and orchardists by pollinating crops, and its honey contributes to the state's agricultural economy.

first appeared: 7/26/2009

—Shoreham (pop. 1,222) was settled by about a dozen men who agreed that initially residents would hold all property in common and share in the work. They decided upon such communal efforts not for any political or social beliefs, but to ensure the community would thrive. Once the town was sufficiently advanced, the communal model was abandoned.

first appeared: 7/12/2009

—Middlebury (pop. 8,183) College was founded in 1800 with the purpose of training young men from Vermont and neighboring states for the ministry and other early 19th-century professions. In 1883, it abandoned its all-male requirement, becoming one of the first men-only schools in New England to admit women.

first appeared: 6/28/2009

—At the Montshire Museum of Science in Norwich (pop. 3,544), children can visit the "Bubble" exhibit and learn about liquids and surface tension while creating giant bubbles. The Bernoulli Blower demonstrates the concept of air pressure, and water exhibits are offered at the outdoor science park in the summer.

first appeared: 6/14/2009

—Revolutionary War soldier and Green Mountain Boys leader Ethan Allen, who died in Burlington (pop. 38,889) in 1789, also was a philosopher and deist. He wrote Reason, the Only Oracle of Man, which was published in 1784.

first appeared: 5/31/2009

—Visitors at the New England Maple Museum in Pittsford (pop. 3,140) can explore the history and making of maple syrup through more than 100 feet of murals, sugaring artifacts, a slide show, two dioramas, and evaporators simulating the syrup-making process.

first appeared: 5/17/2009

—Hancock (pop. 382) was settled in 1788, but because it is situated within the Green Mountain National Forest, the town has supported a small population over the years. Hikers, however, may be familiar with its trails in such places as the Texas Falls Recreation Area.

first appeared: 5/3/2009

–The Old First Church in Bennington (pop. 15,737), built in 1805, was one of the first churches erected in the state. Among those resting in the adjacent cemetery are poet Robert Frost and soldiers killed at the Battle of Bennington. In 1935, the Legislature deemed the church "Vermont's Colonial Shrine."

first appeared: 4/19/2009

—Hammerhead Sleds, which produces a high performance successor to the old Flexible Flyer, assembles its sleds in St. Albans (pop. 7,650). The company, founded in 2002, makes a sled built with an aluminum frame, a netting body and improved steering.

first appeared: 4/5/2009

—Prayer Rock, located in Bristol (pop. 3,788), is inscribed with the Lord's Prayer. The words were carved in 1891 at the request of 19th-century physician Joseph Greene, of Buffalo, N.Y., who had grown up and worked in the area.

first appeared: 3/22/2009

—The Bread Loaf Writers Conference, established more than 80 years ago, is conducted each summer at the Bread Loaf Inn in Ripton (pop. 556). The conference helps participants learn practical and theoretical approaches to writing.

first appeared: 3/8/2009

—Col. Joseph Battell, a wealthy philanthropist, bought thousands of acres near Middlebury (pop. 8,183) in the late 1800s to protect the area from development. Much of the land, which became part of the Green Mountain National Forest, was bequeathed to Middlebury College.

first appeared: 2/22/2009

—The Vergennes (pop. 2,741) Opera House, built in 1897, later fell into disrepair and was shuttered by the 1970s. The Friends of the Vergennes Opera House, with help from the community, raised the funds to restore the facility. The opera house reopened in 1997, and hosts a variety of events, including educational programs and musical performances.

first appeared: 2/8/2009

—Born and raised in Bellows Falls (pop. 3,165), playwright Ernest Thompson is best known for adapting his original play On Golden Pond for the movie screen. He was recognized by the Academy Awards, Golden Globes and Writers Guild of America for the 1981 box office hit.

first appeared: 1/11/2009

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