Henry Raymond
Fairfax News => Current News & Events => Topic started by: MikeF9 on April 19, 2010, 09:09:25 AM
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The Fairfax Historical Society would like to thank John and Sue Mitchell for inviting us into their home Sunday evening and hosting our meeting.
The Society would like to announce that Burt Steen has won the 2010 Fairfax Historical Society Award for Architectural Preservation, for his effort in restoring an elderly Vermont barn and transforming it into The Vermont Woodworking School.
Some dates to remember:
Saturday June 26, 2010 Work detail at the museum, 9am-noon.
Sunday June 27, 2010 Annual Pie and Ice Cream Social 7pm on the front lawn of the Baptist Building on Main Street. Concert by the Fairfax-Fletcher-Westford Band
Sundays in July and August: Museum open from 2-4pm
Sunday August 15, 2010 Annual Meeting and Bus Tour around Fairfax. Please be at BFA-Fairfax to board the bus at 1pm.
Some new things were learned at the meeting.
John Mitchell, in his overview of letters from the Civil War, disclosed that according to one of the Rebel soldiers arrested after the St. Albans Raid, the idea was to rob and burn St. Albans, go to Sheldon, do the same, then on to West Berkshire and do the same again. The Rebel soldiers would then escape into Canada. The thought process was to attack Vermont, and force the Union to re-assign Vermont troops, who were stationed around, and protecting, Washington D.C., back to Vermont, leaving the capitol vunerable for a Rebel attack.
However, what resulted, was a homefront security detail in which towns people formed their own unit to protect their own towns.
(This is what I took from the meeting. If I misinterprited what was said, someone please correct me-Mike Cain)
I mentioned that the same sort of homefront security was also practiced during World War II, as some Fairfax residents did security detail over at the Georgia HighBridge on Rt. 104A. They would watch the skies for any aircraft activity. There was a genuine fear that Germany was going to attack the U.S. by plane, attacking bridges, and such, much the same way Germany was attacking England.
Fairfax residents Bev Stewart Taylor, and her sister, Janet Stewart Geer, then disclosed that BFA-Fairfax was also under the watchful eye of residents AND students. A teacher and a student would be stationed on the roof of BFA(the current old building), and keep a watchful eye on the skies. This practice was started after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Again, the fear was Germany attacking by air.
Bev said that if a student didn't have a class and was in study hall, they would be asked to "stand guard". Students and residents also stood guard on the roof over the weekend. Bev said that if a plane was spotted, they would run to the principal's office and call a pre-determined number, and give a description of the plane. They were then told if it was friendly or not.
Of course, Germany never invaded US airspace, that anyone was aware of.
The wonderful thing about history, is there is always something new to learn.
Thank you to everyone who attended. It was a wonderful evening.