Monkton Museum and Historical Society

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Monkton Museum and Historical Society

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Contact information, map and directions, contact form, opening hours, services, ratings, photos, videos and announcements from Monkton Museum and Historical Society, Nonprofit Organization, P. O. Box 12, Monkton Ridge, VT.

09/30/2026

We were delighted to meet Judy Teske (on the right below) when she came from North Carolina to visit friends in Shelburne. Judy’s trip was largely motivated by her discovery that her 4th great grandfather Nathan Paine, lived several years in Monkton in the early 1800s, moving here from Kent, Conn. to engage in the iron industry. Nathan Paine did not leave much of a paper trail in Monkton, but he appears in the 1800 census, and land records reveal he bought three parcels of land - two in East Monkton near the mining operations, and one a little further away. He and his wife Charity had two children here (including Seeley, the interesting character pictured below) before returning to Kent.

Lucky for Judy, our recording (https://www.monktonhistory.org/event-recordings/) of Sam Ford’s presentation on the Industrial History of Monkton was right on topic! She also signed up to attend last week’s presentation by Ivor Hughes on “Following the Ore”, via Zoom. The recording for this talk will also be up on our website on the near future.

Judy, and her friends Kris and Stephanie Wernhoff asked if we could open the museum so they could visit. Lauren and Cindy had a wonderful time chatting with them about Monkton’s history. They are all members now!

09/23/2026

Recently, Margaret French Sunderland donated two photos and a short history of the French farm on Silver Street. Back in the early 1800s, the farm was owned by Diah and Lucretia Lawrence. Their family owned it until 1875, when Charles Falby bought it. The next owner was Obed Clough. It came into the French family in 1924, successively owned by Howard French, Randall and Ruth French and now by Philip and Marlene (French) Russell. Over 100 years in one family! The barn in the background of the photo below still stands, but the smaller barn and milk storage shed in front are gone. The second photo show the French's 1951 Plymouth hauling a creamery trailer behind.

09/20/2026

Join us Monday 9/21 at 7 in Town Hall to hear Ivor Hughes talk about "Following the Ore". He'll follow up on our presentation on Monkton's Iron Ore pits last April, found on our website, by exploring the founding of the Monkton Iron Works in Vergennes. The marvelous new museum display will be open before his talk, starting at 6:15. A suggested donation of $5-$10 will support our presentation series and museum. We look forward to seeing you!

09/14/2026

We know you are looking forward to Ivor's talk next Monday 9/20 at 7PM. So are we!
Did you know that we host multiple events a year? And that they all cost us money? We pay our speakers, we offer snacks, we post the event recordings when possible, we have an amazing museum, we offer free publications, and more. We are now going to be more explicit in asking for donations when people attend and will have a sign saying SUGGESTED donation $5 - $10. Of course we'll never turn someone away who isn't able to donate, and members are always free. A basic annual membership is $10, although there are a variety of options, found at monktonhistory.org. Thanks in advance for helping when you attend.

09/05/2026

Mark your calendars, because Ivor Hughes always fills the house! Join us on Sept 21 at 7:00 in the Town Hall Community Room to listen to this tale: FOLLOWING THE ORE. The Monkton Historical Society will be hosting another interesting presentation revealing the history of Monkton. Earlier this year a presentation by Samantha Ford (Turn Stone Research) covered the history of the Monkton Iron Ore Pits and the Kaolin Industry in Monkton. So now we continue the story with “Following the Ore” as it makes its way to Vergennes and the founding of the Monkton Iron Works. We will follow the rise of this industry as investors and industrialists soon saw the combined benefit of iron ore and water power and when put together spelled “money”. Vergennes, which in the early 1800’s was just a small village, grew to become an industrial hub, helped on its way by the Monkton Iron Works.
In Vermont the establishment of villages and towns often occurred along rivers where waterfalls existed and Vergennes was no exception as the Otter Creek plunged 30 feet over the falls to power water wheels to drive grist mills and saw mills. This water power was in turn used to operate the air blast bellows for the iron ore furnaces as well as machinery to turn the resulting iron into usable products. We will explore the rise and fall of the industry, the contribution in 1812-14 to the Battle of Lake Champlain by manufacturing cannonballs. We will look at some of the other industries that relied on the water power, culminating in the peak of industrialization in the 1870’s. Here we will look at some of the companies and their products as well as the rise of the Water Power Company, a company that came into being after a number of devastating fires.

08/31/2026

2 ideas for celebrating Labor Day Weeks: Take a Selfie with a Settler in the Monkton History Museum AND take a tour of the historic sites in Monkton and/or surrounding towns using our FREE passport. Earn beautiful buttons for the kids to show at school. Pick up your passport from Sharon (Town Clerk) during the week, or from the library, where you also go for the museum (open Tues and Thurs 3:00-1:00, or Fri and Sat from 9:00 AM-1:00. The museum is also open by appointment: email monktonmhs@gmail.

08/26/2026

Recently, Dodie Shea generously donated items from the Monkton post office when it was housed in her home in Monkton Boro. This will bring back memories for many of you! Photo is of Jane Huizenga and Dolores "Dodie" Shea.

08/24/2026

Would anyone like these paper punches? The 3- hole one is modern. The 2-hole one is old and heavy metal. DM us here to arrange pickup.

08/16/2026

Monkton History Museum will be open from 6:15-6:55 PM Monday, Aug 17th, preceding the fascinating, challenging talk by Angie Grove. She was tremendously helpful in figuring out how to fit so much information about Monkton's Early Settlers into such a small space. Take a Selfie with a Settler!

08/14/2026

Monday night at 7:00 (8/17) come hear Angie Grove, Executive Director of the Ethan Allen Homestead Museum discuss "Vermont's Revolution" What was the American Revolution like in Vermont? Not only were there Revolutionary War battles and soldiers from both sides in Vermont, but there was an internal Revolution for Vermont independence at the same time. The Vermont Revolution resulted in the independent State of Vermont from 1777-1791 (often referred to as the Republic of Vermont). Vermont’s Revolution aligned itself with the American Revolution, often using the same rhetoric and even the same militia fighting units, such as the Green Mountain Boys. But Vermont was a borderland state caught between British Canada and Patriot New England, and nowhere was it more evident that the American Revolution was a civil war than in Vermont. This presentation will showcase how the American Revolution affected everyday Vermonters and resulted in the Independent State of Vermont. Monkton Town Hall, 92 Monkton Ridge Road. Museum open from 6:30-6:55 PM

Address

P. O. Box 12
Monkton Ridge, VT
05469

Website

http://monktonhistory.org/

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