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Lake Champlain Byway

EXPLORE by activity: history

HISTORY & LANDMARKS Lake Champlain is at the heart of history in the region; it's where the first Vermonters - native Americans of several tribes - and Europeans first met and set the course for our modern presence here. In 1609 Samuel de Champlain, the French explorer and namesake of the lake, called the land "les Vert Monts" (the Green Mountains), an appellation that we carry forward today as 'Vermont.'

Through centuries of agricultural pursuits ranging from apple orchards to sheep and dairy, and many industries of the early eras of the United States, the region has narrated a deep and wide history for itself. Burlington was a bustling port of trade, especially of lumber, and was important to commerce in the northeast. Mills sat along (and in!) the Byway rivers, and the story of transportation is read in the bygone ferries, trains, and evolving motor routes. Captivating personalities made contributions to the uniqueness of the region, contributing to local traditions and the larger story of America.

Discover these stories at the Lake Champlain Byway sites below, followed by more information about historical resources in the region. Also visit CelebrateChamplain.org, information about the Lake Champlain Quadricentennial Celebration coming up in 2009 (a big event!).

GRAND ISLE COUNTY

CHITTENDEN COUNTY

MIDDLEBURY & VERGENNES

MORE INFORMATION:

HISTORIC SITES ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN

Lake Champlain has been a busy waterway for thousands of years. Native Americans fished, hunted, and traded here centuries before Samuel de Champlain arrived in 1609. Because of the lake’s strategic position for trade and transportation, key military battles were fought on its waters during the French and Indian War (Seven Years War), the American Revolution, and the War of 1812.

From the mid-1700s and into the late-1800s, commerce thrived in small towns along Lake Champlain. Shoreline communities provided building stone, iron, wood, and other materials needed for the growing country, its expanding railroad system, and increasing industrialization. Textile mills used the water power of waterfalls of river that flowed into the lake. Marble and granite were quarried and used in buildings throughout the northeastern United States. Apples, sheep, and cows provided important agricultural products. A special type of vessel, the sailing canal boat, was developed to travel the Champlain and Chambly canals connecting Lake Champlain to the Hudson and St. Lawrence rivers respectively. The boats traveled the canals with their masts down, raising them to sail along the lake. Waterborne commerce diminished as railroad networks expanded; some towns grew as rail centers and the importance of some lakeside port communities waned.

Below is a partial list of some of the historic sites in the region where you can explore Lake Champlain’s history. These places played key roles in the founding and development of the United States. Most are open seasonally, and hours vary, so please call ahead.

Sites Along the Byway

St. Anne’s Shrine, Isle La Motte. Shrine built in 1894 on the site of a 1666 French fort (the first European settlement in Vermont). A small Victorian chapel is open to the public. (802) 928-3362. http://www.saintannesshrine.org/

Hyde Log Cabin State Historic Site, Grand Isle. Log home (considered to be one of the oldest in the United States) of Green Mountain Boy Jedediah Hyde. The home is interpreted with furnishings and household implements of the period. (802) 828-3051 http://www.dhca.state.vt.us/HistoricSites/html/hyde.html

Ethan Allen Homestead, Burlington. The museum, located on 300 acres of park land along the Winooski River, includes the restored 1785 home of Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen. (802) 865-4556. http://www.ethanallenhomestead.org/

ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Burlington. Visitors learn about the Ecology of the Lake Champlain Basin, the region’s Culture, the fascinating History of this place, and the Opportunities for stewardship of these invaluable resources. (802) 864-1848 http://www.echovermont.org/

Fleming Museum, University of Vermont, Burlington. Museum houses a comprehensive collection of art and anthropology and hosts exhibitions of contemporary and historic art. (802) 656-0750. http://www.uvm.edu/~fleming/

The Lake Champlain Basin Program Burlington Campus:

The Lois McClure, a full-scale, fully functioning replica canal schooner allows visitor to learn about life on a vessel that was once very common on Lake Champlain. When not in Burlington, the McClure travels to historic ports on the lake and beyond. http://www.lcmm.org/our_fleet/lois_mcclure.htm

 

The LCMM Lyman Building at Perkins Pier houses an interpretive exhibit on the rich history of the Burlington waterfront. http://www.lcmm.org/museum_info/hours_location_pricing.htm

The Shelburne Museum, Shelburne. Museum houses one of the world’s finest collections of 18th and 19th century furnishings, crafts, fine art, and artifacts from New England’s cultural and agricultural heritage in 35 historic buildings. Relocated structures on the grounds include the side-wheel steamboat Ticonderoga, and the Colchester Reef Lighthouse. (802) 985-3346. http://www.shelburnemuseum.org

Shelburne Farms, Shelburne. Now committed to agricultural and environmental education, the farm was once a large scale experimental farm developed in the 1890s by industrialist William Seward Webb and his wife Lila Vanderbilt Webb. The grounds include architecturally outstanding barns and the Webb’s former home, which is now a seasonal inn. (802) 985-8686. http://www.shelburnefarms.org

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes. Museum chronicles the maritime history of Lake Champlain. Exhibits include the Philadelphia II, a replica of the Revolutionary War gunboat used by Benedict Arnold and his fleet on Lake Champlain. Special events, demonstrations, classes. (802) 475-2022, http://www.lcmm.org

Photo: Middlebury College Building, from Webshots community photo page.

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