Vermont’s newest historic roadside markers highlight 15 significant moments in state history — including the time Ralph Ellison spent in Fayston, Vt., while writing his acclaimed novel and the story of one of America’s earliest documented same-sex couples, who lived together in Weybridge, Vt.
The 15 new markers have all either been delivered or installed throughout the state to expand the historic roadside marker program, which began in 1947 and has produced 335 placards to date, according to a news release from Vermont’s Agency of Commerce and Community Development.
Each of the new markers offers a snapshot of local or statewide history, honoring a variety of figures and places such as Revolutionary War hero Col. Seth Warner in Bennington, Vt., and The Vermont Country Store in Weston, Vt., which was founded in 1945.
Laura Trieschmann, the state historic preservation officer, said the markers, distinguished by their green color and gold state seal, exemplify the pride Vermonters take in their state’s history.
“The Roadside Historic Site markers in Vermont are a great way to connect the community around their history, their people, their stories,” Trieschmann said. “It brings people to places to learn about our history that they have not heard about.”
Ellison’s marker commemorates his time in Vermont, where he wrote “Invisible Man,” the first and only novel he published during his lifetime.
In 1943, Ellison was invited by John and Amelia Bates of Fayston to spend a summer at their Mad River Valley farm. His fondness of the mountains and desire to escape from another busy Manhattan summer led him to return to Vermont in 1945, when he began to write the famous novel, according to Middlebury Magazine.
While some markers — like Ellison’s — required multiple years to flesh out and install, Trieschmann said the process typically takes at least one year from conception to installation.
However, once they are in place, they last. Markers dating back to the 1950s have gone more than 70 years before requiring maintenance, she said.
Trieschmann said the installation sites must be associated with a significant event or person in Vermont history, whether it be a birth place, a burial place or a building.
Some markers will also receive a dedication after their placement, such as a Weybridge roadside marker remembering the lives of Sylvia Drake and Charity Bryant, a lesbian couple who lived together in Weybridge in the early 1800s. The dedication is scheduled for June 21 at the Henry Sheldon Museum.
Other markers include one in Cambridge, Vt., recognizing the designation of Route 15 as the Grand Army of the Republic Highway in 1937; one in Swanton, Vt., honoring Leonard Lord, who lived there and was the first Vermonter killed in action in World War I; and one in West Haven, Vt., marking the home of Devil’s Bowl Speedway, known as New England’s fastest dirt track.
Trieschmann said she hopes these markers will “make people pause and think” about how they can engage with the rich history of Vermont.
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