The Mt. Tabor - Danby Historical Society invites all to hear Jason Smiley speak on the Eddy family of Chittenden, Vermont (Rutland County). During the mid to late 1800s they became world-renowned as spirit mediums with the alleged ability of generating full-bodied spirit manifestations or "materializations" of the departed. People traveled from all over the world to Chittenden to witness these phenomena for themselves. Some came with the hope of seeing and speaking to their own departed family members. Others came as skeptics, hoping to debunk the family's alleged powers as "humbug." By 1874, the family was so well-known that Chittenden started being referred to as "Spirit Vale." To this day, many believe that the family had genuine supernatural abilities. The family and the story have ties to P.T. Barnum, Mark Twain, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Harry Houdini, Queen Victoria, and President Lincoln.

Refreshments follow the talk. For further information please contact Brad Bender, wallacad@vermontel.net, (802) 293-5160.