Pawlett Historical Society

05/17/2026

More coverage of the ceremony in West Pawlet to commemorate Pawlet's role in the reintroduction of the wild turkey to Vermont. You can listen, but click on the link to see one of the best photos of the event.

Community members, government officials and conservation groups gathered to celebrate nearly 60 years of wild turkey restoration.

05/12/2026

More coverage of the Wild Turkey Restoration commemoration in West Pawlet. "“I am a lifelong Vermonter,” [Brett Ladeau, Vermont NWTF State Chapter president] said in his speech. “When I was a kid, there were not many turkeys in the eastern part of the state, and I remember hearing about the restoration efforts, but didn’t see my first wild turkey until I was 17.”

“The reintroduction of the wild turkey to the Northeastern states has long been considered one of the greatest conservation success stories of all time, and that certainly applies to the state of Vermont,” said Carter Heath, NWTF regional director for New England. “The partnership between Verm...

04/18/2026

Here are a few photos from today’s celebration of Pawlet as the site where wild turkey restoration was launched in Vermont. They were wiped out in Vermont by the 1800s and other states due to loss of habitat through extensive forest clearing and unregulated subsistence harvesting. Lieutenant Governor John Rodgers shared that growing up in the Northeast Kingdom, he’d never even seen a wild turkey in his part of the state. Today, turkey populations thrive thanks to what is recognized as one of the nation’s great wildlife restoration success stories. Those efforts were funded by federal excise taxes on fi****ms and ammunition through the Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937 and state hunting license dollars. Stop by the D&H Rail Trail in West Pawlet to read about it on the new sign posted there.

It’s a good news story for us all, whether you’re a turkey hunter, nature lover, or just admire these creatures when they choose to cross the road in front of your car as you drive down River Road.

03/16/2026

Friends, a member has reached out to share this wonderful photo of school children at the West Pawlet school. The photo is undated, but the sender shares that their mother, Lucille Ross, is in the photo, along with sisters Carmella and Margie, and brother John Ross. Helpfully, someone took the time to identify the children in this photo. Perhaps other folks in this community recognize a relative? Any help identifying the date of this photo would be appreciated!

03/13/2026

Want to march with the "Green Mountain Boys" in the Bennington Battle Day Parade?

The Pawlet Historical Society is looking for volunteers to march in the Bennington Battle Day Parade on August 16, wearing our Green Mountain Boys uniforms.

Students age 10 and up, as well as adults, are welcome. Younger children may participate if accompanied by an adult.

The parade route is about one mile, so participants should be comfortable walking that distance. (Not quite as far as Fort Ticonderoga, but still a good stretch!)

A costume fitting and first practice march will take place May 2 at the Pawlet Town Hall. We have a limited supply of uniforms.

If you are interested in participating, please contact Judy Coolidge

Come help represent Pawlet and commemorate 250th anniversary of our nation's struggle for independence.

01/15/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/1H3BmFQ6Ty/

PAWLET — The Pawlett and Rupert Historical Societies will present Vermont filmmaker Jay Craven’s film “Lost Nation” on Feb. 7 at 1 p.m. The screening will take place at Mettawee

01/06/2026

A stroll down memory lane, courtesy of our fantastic Pawlet Town Clerk! Just in time to warm up for our nation's 250th anniversary. Watch this space for more related events!

The Town of Pawlet, Vermont celebrates their 250 Birthday with a hometown parade in West Pawlet. Event Coordinator-Judy Coolidge, Production Assistant, Deb ...

09/12/2025

Please join us for this exciting lecture "Vermont Firsts and Other Claims to Fame" with historian Dick Smith this Saturday at 1pm at the Poultney Public Library.

09/12/2025

Public event in Poultney on Saturday, September 13!

Please join us for this exciting lecture "Vermont Firsts and Other Claims to Fame" with historian Dick Smith this Saturday at 1pm at the Poultney Public Library.

09/07/2025

Warmest thanks to the nearly 50 neighbors who joined us today for “The Power of Landscape.” Author M.T. Anderson led us through the fascinating story of how Vermont’s land has shaped our history and sense of place, while local artists Eva Bowker, Ruth Frost, H.H. Lee, John Mach, K. Ojala, Richard Leach, and Joanne Waite shared beautiful Pawlet-area landscapes. We closed the afternoon with ice cream sundaes, courtesy of Stewarts in Granville.

Couldn’t be there? A full recap will be featured in the upcoming PHS newsletter, delivered by mail to all members. We hope you’ll join us for the next Pawlett Historical Society program this winter. Watch this space for details. Events like these are even better when we share them together. Our speaker was sponsored by Vermont Humanities, which makes it possible for small communities like ours to host world-class speakers.