Chittenden County Historical Society presents local historian, Richard H. Allen, discussing his acclaimed new book: Reed Brown's 1841 Journey: America Through the Eyes of a Vermont Yankee at the Brownell Library Kolvoord Room, 6 Lincoln Street, Essex Junction, Vermont. In the fall of 1841, Williston native and Essex resident Reed Brown set out on a two-month odyssey with dual goals: to obtain a patent for his improved carriage springs, and to assist his brother, Nathaniel, in jail in Ohio. Reed kept a journal that chronicles the dangers and difficulties, as well as some of the pleasures, of travel in that time. He experienced: a steamboat explosion, a rail car derailment, hours of a bone-jarring stagecoach ride, delightful encounters with fellow travelers, unhurried travel on canal boats, and warm hospitality along the way. The journal has been transcribed, supplemented with illustrations, and presented in a well-researched historical context that includes reminiscences from more famous writers of the same time period, such as Charles Dickens and Frances Trollope. Copies will be available for purchase at the event. Refreshments after the presentation.

Feb 15, 2025, 11 AM

Feb 15, 2025, 2 to 3:30 PM

Feb 19, 2025, 10 to 11 AM