TOM SLAYTON AND ‘SEARCHING FOR THOREAU’ DECEMBER 9 IN MAIN ROOM

Brattleboro Historical Society and Brooks Memorial Library will join in sponsoring a talk by Tom Slayton of Montpelier on his new book Searching for Thoreau:On the Trails and Shores of Wild New England to be held in the library Main Reading Room, 224 Main Street, at 2pm on Sunday, December 9th.

The speaker Tom Slayton is well known as former editor-in-chief of Vermont Life Magazine from 1986 to 2007. He has spent many years studying the works of the great naturalist and writer, Henry David Thoreau, and traveling to places that were important to Thoreau. In his new book Slayton leads the reader to places in New England that were important to Thoreau from the shores of Cape Cod to the heights of Katahdin in Maine.

Slayton is also known as a long time commentator on Vermont Public Radio. He is author of Sabra Field: The Art of Place (1994) The Beauty of Vermont (1998); and Finding Vermont: An Informal Guide to Vermont’s Places and People (2005).

Slayton will be introduced by a local Thoreau scholar, J. Parker Huber of Brattleboro, who has published Elevating Ourselves:Thoreau on Mountains in 1999 and has climbed mountains with Tom Slayton.

Of local interest it is noted that Thoreau visited Brattleboro briefly in September 1856 when he stayed with the Addison and Ann Brown family on Chase Street. He also visited with Charles C. Frost, local shoemaker and self-educated expert amateur botanist, known locally as “the learned shoemaker.” Thanks to David Allen and his Old Maps company in West Chesterfield, BHS has prepared a map showing some of the places and plant findings that Thoreau recorded in his Journal during this visit.

Following the Slayton talk and comments from the floor, there will be a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Brattleboro Historical Society with recognition of previous officers and cutting of an anniversary cake.

The Sunday event will conclude with a business meeting of the Society membership to receive annual reports and to elect trustees.

All Brattleboro Historical Society programs are free and open to the public. Brooks Memorial Library is handicap accessible. Any questions, contact John Carnahan 254-8398.