Vermont Humanities Calendar of Events by County

Addison

August 15 — Vermont and the Civil War. From Cedar Creek to Gettysburg, Vermonters were central to the Union cause. Vermont author and Civil War historian Howard Coffin addresses the Vermont contribution to the Civil War. Hosted by the Bristol Historical Society. Bristol, Howden Hall, 19 West St, 7:00 pm. Gerald L Heffernan, (802) 453-2888.

October 17 — The Changing Music Scene of the 1940s. Catamount Arts’ Martin Bryan takes a look at the popular music scene of the 1940s — how it was affected by war, the musicians’ union, and the war’s aftermath — and how music styles evolved from the beginning of the decade to its end. Martin’s talk includes selections from original 78 rpm recordings, ranging from Big Band swing to wartime music, from popular Broadway musicals to bebop, and more. Americans marched off to war and returned to a changed society; Martin documents that time through its music. Hosted by the Bristol Historical Society. Bristol, Howden Hall, 7:30 pm. Gerald L Heffernan, (802) 453-2888.

Bennington

June 12 — The Old Country Fiddler: Charles Ross Taggart, Vermont’s Traveling Entertainer. Having grown up in Topsham, Vermont, Charles Ross Taggart went on to a forty-year career performing in countless stage shows across the country, including the famous Red Path Chautauqua circuit. A fiddler, piano player, humorist, singer, and ventriloquist, he made at least 25 recordings with the Victor, Edison, and Columbia companies, and appeared in a talking movie picture four years before Al Jolson starred in The Jazz Singer. Fiddler Adam Boyce portrays Mr. Taggart near the end of his career, circa 1936, sharing recollections of his life and career interspersed with live fiddling and humorous sketches. Hosted by the Bennington Senior Center. Bennington Senior Center, 124 Pleasant St, 1:00 pm. Susan Hoag, (802) 442-1052.

June 28 — Alec Turner: Journey's End, Destination of a Dream. Alec Turner was born a slave in 1845 on the John Gouldin plantation of Port Royal, Virginia. He died a freeman, farmer, and landowner in Grafton, Vermont in 1923. His is a remarkable narrative, told by Alec to his family and recounted to Jane Beck by his daughter, Daisy, who was born in Grafton in 1883. Alec Turner's saga is rich in detail, with compelling anecdotes painted on a well-textured canvas. We are drawn to the power of Alec Turner's spirit, his humanity, and the measure of the man himself. Hosted by the Landgrove Meetinghouse. Landgrove Meetinghouse, Landgrove Road, 4:00 pm. Priscilla Grayson, (802) 824-6867.

August 16 — Vermont and the Civil War. From Cedar Creek to Gettysburg, Vermonters were central to the Union cause. Vermont author and Civil War historian Howard Coffin addresses the Vermont contribution to the Civil War. Hosted by the Landgrove Meetinghouse. Landgrove Meetinghouse, Landgrove Road, 4:30 pm. Sally Ogden, (802) 824-3850.

November 21 — Arming the Union: Vermont Gunmakers and the Technology that Shaped America. During the Civil War, the Union army fielded more than two million men, most of them armed with newlymade, highly accurate rifles. In this illustrated lecture, historian and museum curator Carrie Brown explores the critical role that Windsor, Vermont, played in producing technology that won the war and changed American life and popular culture even after the war ended. Hosted by the Dorset Historical Society. Dorset, Bley House Museum, 34 Kent Hill Road, 12:00 pm. Suzanne Hittle, (802) 867-0331.