Vermont Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff (Curiosities Series)
Bernie Sanders, lone independent in the U.S. Senate, wrote the foreword. Senator Sanders concludes by saying, “This book is a pleasurable compendium for those who want to travel Vermont and see things not found in most guidebooks, and will be a delight to those who enjoy the quirkiness of Vermont’s ‘curiosities.’”As an example of this quirkiness, Wilson points to Vermont’s only professional basketball team, the Frost Heaves. “Any state serious enough of purpose to name an athletic team in honor of indigenous phenomena rather than mammals of prey earns points for originality.”This user-friendly book is organized geographically, the first chapter dealing withstatewide matters–historical, geological and cultural. The remaining chapters cover the state’s eight regions. Each “curiosity” is pictured and includes clear directions for getting there, accompanied by hours of operation, if applicable, and a phone number for more information.–Martha SlaterThe Herald of Randolph "The new bookVermont Curiositiessets out to find the interesting people, places, and historic quirks that make Vermont unique. They include tidbits like the sale of a counterfeit Norman Rockwell painting, the history of a horse-drqwn garbage service in Bristol, and where to find a covered bridge museum insidea covered bridge. Author Bob Wilson traveled the state to uncover and research the stories collected in his book, but he found one of them in his own backyard. . . ." (From the introduction to an audio review, August 18, 2009.) --Jane Lindholm, Host, "Vermont Edition," Vermont Public RadioVermont Curiositiescontains dozens of stories from Brattleboro up to the NortheastKingdom, and includes an appendix to help travelers who want to experience the places they read about. Wilson’s chapter on southeastern Vermont, for example, includes many well-known tales, but he also uncovers some lesser-known gems, like a story about Brattleboro issuing one of the first postage stamps in the country, and a profile of the last dairy farmer in Rockingham.Wilson traveled the roads of Vermont–following leads, chasing ghosts, and tracking down Vermonters with first-hand memories of some of the state’s most colorful characters. He was especially impressed with Patrick Palmer, who won the bid to pick up garbage in Bristol without telling the Selectboard that his rates were low because he’d use a horse and wagon to pick it up. “Sometimes it panned out and sometimes it didn’t,” Wilson said about his travels around Vermont. You never knew how things would turn out. That was the fun of putting it together.”–Howard Weiss-TismanBrattleboroReformer