Connecticut River

William Gilliland, Philip Skene & the NH Grants at the Eve of Revolution

January 16, 2026 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

In the latest episode of the Crossroads of a Continent podcast Tim Dusablon discusses the events in the Champlain Valley leading up to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War including the New Hampshire Grants and loyalists Philip Skene and William Gilliland‘s grand plans for a 14th British colony.

Before the War families from southern New England and eastern New York had settled in “the Grants,” as the New Hampshire-titled lands disputed by the Province of New York but now located in Vermont were known.

They believed that the royal governments of New Hampshire and New York, representing the king, wouldn’t deny the rights of citizens who settled the land, organized governments, paid taxes, and obeyed the laws. [Read more…] about William Gilliland, Philip Skene & the NH Grants at the Eve of Revolution

Burgeoning Black Bear Populations

November 14, 2025 by Guest Contributor 1 Comment

A few nights ago, I heard a crash on the front porch and flicked on the light to reveal a black bear’s reflective eyes. It lorded over the contents spilling out of our overturned floor freezer. I opened the door, prompting it to tear back through the screen and off into the night.

With the Northeast black bear population at a record high, this kind of encounter is no surprise. [Read more…] about Burgeoning Black Bear Populations

The Dutchess Turnpike

May 18, 2025 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

In early New York and New England, rivers offered the most accommodating transportation options available to settlers, notably the Hudson and Connecticut Rivers. Travel between these rivers began on foot trails created by native people. These were improved to accommodate military and commercial traffic by governments and by entrepreneurs chartering turnpikes to exploit the tolls.

A new historical marker near Millbrook in Dutchess County identifies one such route: the Dutchess Turnpike. [Read more…] about The Dutchess Turnpike

Northern Forest Canoe Trail Wraps 2024 Stewardship Season

October 28, 2024 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

The Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) wrapped up its 2024 stewardship season earlier this fall, completing a diverse array of infrastructure and access projects across the 740-mile water trail that runs from Old Forge, NY, to Fort Kent, Maine, and connects New York, Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire and Maine.

This year’s NFCT stewardship program set new benchmarks for the organization, with more staff and volunteers on hand than ever before and a record number of projects completed. [Read more…] about Northern Forest Canoe Trail Wraps 2024 Stewardship Season

Jesup’s Milk-Vetch

May 21, 2024 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

A few ledges along the Connecticut River are home to a rare plant commonly known as Jesup’s milk-vetch (Astragalus robbinsii var. jesupii). In fact, this species, which has been listed as federally endangered since 1987, only grows at six sites along a 16-mile stretch of the river in New Hampshire and Vermont. But conservationists are working to boost the plant’s presence. [Read more…] about Jesup’s Milk-Vetch

“Locusts of the East”: The Yankee Invasion of New York

March 9, 2024 by Guest Contributor 3 Comments

New York by 1820 was becoming a “colony from New England” to use the phrase of President Timothy Dwight of Yale. The “Puritan Pope,” as he was some times called, estimated that 60 to 67 percent of the people of New York had originated in the “land of steady habits.”

The few thousand Puritans who had established a new Zion around Boston in the 1630s were a remarkably energetic, prolific, and self-assertive people. The thin soils on the hilly lands, the harsh winters, and the stern theology of John Calvin created a distinct community spirit and shaped a unique character. [Read more…] about “Locusts of the East”: The Yankee Invasion of New York

Covered Bridges: Common Questions Answered

December 3, 2023 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Many reasons are offered for covering bridges such as providing shelter during inclement weather or so horses wouldn’t be afraid to cross the water. However, the true reason is much more practical – to protect the structure supporting the bridge. Without protection from the weather, the wooden timbers supporting the bridge would decay more rapidly and eventually collapse. [Read more…] about Covered Bridges: Common Questions Answered

Crown Point Road: Opening Northern New England & Lake Champlain

July 17, 2023 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

After the fall of the forts at Ticonderoga and Crown Point during the French and Indian War in the fall of 1759, General Jeffrey Amherst ordered the building of the Crown Point Road.

The road was to run across what is now Vermont between Crown Point and The Fort at No. 4 on the Connecticut River in what is now Charlestown, New Hampshire. [Read more…] about Crown Point Road: Opening Northern New England & Lake Champlain

Connecticut River

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