PAGE 2 — Addison Independent | ARTS+LEISURE | Thursday, May 7, 2020 CONNECTING WITH THE PAST IN TODAY’S PRESENT PHOTO COURTESY OF ABBY MARIA HEMENWAY THE VERMONT HISTORICAL SOCIETY Like other remarkable women in him to give her a list of Addison County her methods of persuading people to write for Addison County, Abby Hemenway residents to contribute histories of their towns. it and her recruitment of “lady assistants” to rebelled against the prevailing, Battell complied but his real purpose was obtain subscribers. centuries-old, androcentric perceptions to discourage Abby. Soon after this meeting of her gender. She was a teacher, poet, she received a letter from the Middlebury Abby’s single-minded determination to finish author, historian and publisher, proving Historical Society endorsed by professors of Vermont’s early story ended with her death on herself with fortitude, independence Middlebury College stating their academic Feb. 24, 1890, alone in a Chicago boarding house and great accomplishments. As the point of view: “…an impracticality…not suitable surrounded by documents and copious notes. Lcontributions Abby and other extraordinary work for a woman,…how could she expect to The task of completion fell to her youngest women made were realized, the collective do what 40 men have been trying to do for 16 sister, Carrie Page, a Brandon, Vt., housewife with consciousness shifted towards support of more years and could not.” Despite her public rebuke, little or no experience as an editor or publisher. significant roles for all women. Hemenway remained undaunted in her mission Remarkably, after two years, Carrie was able to record the natural history, early settlements, to get all 1,249 pages of Volume V printed. Abby Maria Hemenway was born in 1828, on town organizations, prominent citizens, first Lacking money to print Volume VI, Carrie sent a hill farm in Ludlow, Vt., to Abigail and Daniel house, first clergyman, first members of the last manuscript to Abby’s friend in Chicago, Hemenway. A precocious student, starting at the militia and other details of each town. former Vermonter William Portus Baxter, to age 14 she alternated between teaching in Hemenway instructed her authors to describe store along with other trunks stuffed with Abby’s local area schoolhouses and carrying on her ordinary men and women, not just prominent life’s works. When Baxter died in 1911, all of own studies at the Black River Academy. In townspeople. Abby’s possessions went to William’s niece, 1853 she left Vermont for Michigan where she Janet Baxter, in Jackson Springs, N.C. On Nov. became an underpaid, homesick teacher with Volume I of “Vermont Historical Gazetteer” was 22, 1911, Vermont Historical Society sent her a thwarted literary ambitions. Abby returned to published in 1868. Its 1,096 pages described letter asking to take possession of Hemenway’s Ludlow as a 30-year-old unemployed woman, the early histories of Addison, Bennington, records and notes. Just days later, on Nov. 27, a again a ward of her parents. Caledonia, Chittenden and Essex counties. fire destroyed Baxter’s home, along with Abby’s Completion of Volumes II through IV were irreplaceable notes, documents, Volume VI Abby’s love of poetry, trust in her own literary also accomplished after much stress and manuscript, and personal papers. Despite the abilities, and ambition to succeed as a single personal poverty. In 1886, after stealing back horrific loss of Volume VI, the five surviving woman gradually gelled into a course of her manuscripts from a printer who had legally volumes of “Vermont Historical Gazetteer” action that would define her life’s works. She confiscated them as collateral against printing provide a detailed and diverse history of early collected 3,000 poems throughout Vermont, debts, Abby escaped to Chicago. There, among Vermont that is unrivaled by early histories of diplomatically narrowed these down to a friends, with less pressure from her creditors any other state. select 500, and published them as “Poets and and renewed energy, she worked day and night Poetry of Vermont.” This collection transformed on unfinished Volumes V and VI. Abby’s life, giving her a measure of financial independence, statewide recognition, From 1885 to 1888, she corresponded with her Contributed by the Research Center Committee credibility in literary circles, a personal antiquarian friend Henry Sheldon in Middlebury, of the Henry Sheldon Museum. Excellent as the connection to many prominent citizens, and an soliciting his help in appropriating funds from Research Center documentation is, it doesn’t expectation of credit worthiness. Its publication the Vermont Legislature to complete the include everyone. Which courageous women was the apprenticeship she needed to defy “Gazetteers.” Along with Hemenway’s letters of the past come to your mind? Who deserves stereotypes, ignore academic envy, and set to Henry Sheldon, the Stewart-Swift Research recognition for their part in surviving or driving an unwavering course to collect stories and Center of the Henry Sheldon Museum has her change? Why? Would you tell us about them? preserve history of every Vermont town while “Poets and Poetry of Vermont” and complete What about the Abenaki and people of color those who had made it were still alive. sets of both the “Vermont Historical Gazetteer” who’ve been ever present but little recognized? and “Notes by the Path of the Gazetteer,” a Do you have stories about them? We’d love Abby started by meeting Phillip Battell in small monthly that Hemenway put out for to hear from you. Please get in touch at info@ Middlebury, a prominent citizen and secretary subscribers. The latter contains the fascinating HenrySheldonMuseum.org. of Middlebury Historical Society. She convinced “Autobiography” of the “Gazetteer,” including .