Thetford Book
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Thetford, part of Arcadia Publishing's Images of America series, chronicles the long and fascinating visual history of Thetford, Vermont.
In addition to more visually artistic pursuits, I do a lot of writing. In this case, I created a book about Thetford, Vermont, the town where I live. I love the Images of America series; when I go somewhere on vacation, I buy a copy of Arcadia’s book about that town as a souvenir because I don’t feel I can really start to know a place unless I know something of its history. But when I moved to Thetford and dutifully went looking for its Arcadia book, I discovered there was none. So I pitched the idea to Arcadia and wrote it myself.
The book is full of images from the 1860s to the 1970s, and each chapter covers one of Thetford's six villages. I traveled to archives all over the state and talked to many residents, discovering wonderful troves of images and information that made me see Thetford in a whole new light.
I have a passion for heritage and preservation, and my own Upper Valley roots reach back to 1754. I hope Thetford inspires readers to learn more about their own history and sense of place.
You can find Thetford online, at book retailers in the Upper Valley, and at most general stores in the Thetford area. Or you can order a signed copy directly from me.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THETFORD
Soon after Thetford was chartered in 1761, settlers from southern New England arrived and began transforming the forestland into a community. They took advantage of both the Connecticut River and the Ompompanoosuc River to forge a lively and self-sustaining collection of mill villages within the town. The railroad arrived in 1848, enabling three depot villages to blossom.
Thetford Hill, with neither mills nor transportation, became home to the renowned Thetford Academy, the first coeducational secondary school in Vermont.
Thetford’s mill-based commerce ebbed significantly by 1900, but tourism became a prevalent industry, with city dwellers flocking to summer retreats such as Camp Hanoum and the Lake Fairlee camps.
Despite fires, floods, and hurricanes, as well as the construction of the Union Village Dam in 1950 and Interstate 91 in 1971, Thetford has retained its resilient spirit and looks much as it did a century ago.
