Hello neighbors!

We are a group of residents of Townshend, Athens, Jamaica, and Newfane. We have been working closely with members of the Townshend Historical Society to rename Negro Brook in Townshend State Park.

We have proposed to change the name of the brook to Huzzy Brook. This name is based on the rich history of James and Susannah Huzzy: two hard-working Black Vermonters who were early Townshend residents.

As researched by Charlie Marchant - local historian, and Dr. Elise Guyette – Vermont historian:

James was a Revolutionary War Veteran who served two tours in the army: the first tour on behalf of his enslaver's son, and the second tour to buy his freedom.

Suzannah and her children lived in Townshend and in surrounding communities from 1810 until she died in Shaftsbury at the age of 104. She owned land in Townshend which was rare for women at that time. She was also a member of the Newfane Church.

The Townshend Historical Society and representatives of the Elnu Abenaki support moving forward with the renaming of this brook. Our next step is to collect signatures of Townshend and other local residents for the official petition to the Board of Libraries, which is responsible for approving geographic names in the state.

Please stop by to sign our petition on Saturday, June 4th from 9 to 12 outside Riverbend Market. We look forward to meeting you and sharing some of the history we have learned about the Huzzy family! If you would like to sign the petition but can't make it on Saturday, please message one of us directly.

Thanks for your support!

Lynne Shea, Townshend resident
Sarah Palacios, Townshend resident
Stephanie Amyot, Jamaica resident
Juliette Carr, Newfane resident
Wichie Artu, Athens resident