Putney in the History in the 252 Project

The Vermont Historical Society initiated their History in the 252 project. The Putney Historical Society submitted information on John Humphrey Noyes that was included in the project website: https://vermonthistory.org/history-in-the-252. Keep an eye out for the next PHS newsletter that will include an article by Bill Darrow that continues his history of the Washburn family and … Read more

Snapshots in Time: At Home in Putney

The Putney Historical Society’s collection of late 19th/early 20th century photographs containsmany photos of Putney families gathered on their porches or in their front yards. This summer, the Putney Historical Society asks Putney residents to carry on this tradition, and update our town’s historical record, by submitting family photographs taken in front of their homes. … Read more

Remembering Elka Schumann

by Nancy Olson Elka Leigh Scott Schumann, (1935 – 2021) is perhaps best known in Vermont as the co-founder with her husband Peter Schumann of Bread and Puppet Theater, located in the town of Glover, in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. But she also has some interesting ties to the town of Putney. First, some background on … Read more

The Allard Collection

by Tim Ragle and Tom Jamison Earlier this spring Robert Allard generously gave a collection of historical records related to Putney’s history to the Putney Historical Society. Robert’s great grandfather, Russell H. Braley, a farmer in Putney, was a district commissioner for School District No. 4. He collected taxes for schools and recorded information on … Read more

The Washburns in Putney – Chapter 2

  Click here for The Washburns in Putney – Chapter 2. Chapter 2 is Bill Darrow’s second installment on the Washburn family traces the fortunes of the large family as many children spread from Vermont across the country. Their mother/stepmother Patty returned to Putney with seven young children during a time of religious and social turmoil … Read more

The Fortnightly Club

Putney Fortnightly Club 1902-2021 The social club that lasted the longest in Putney was the Putney Fortnightly Club. This organization kept a regular schedule of meetings and fellowship for 119 years. We remaining eight members bid a fond farewell to our organization by spending the last of our treasury. Money went to the Putney Food … Read more

The Washburns in Putney, Chapter 1

The opening chapter of a narrative by William B. Darrow tracing the story of the Putney Washburn family. The Washburn brothers were grandchildren of Asa and Sally (Upham) Washburn, early Putney settlers present for the first United States Census in 1790. For four or five generations members of the family did extraordinary things. It is … Read more

Location Identifications Needed

Help Us Update Putney’s History It’s now been nearly 70 years since the Fortnightly Club published a history of Putney for its Bicentennial. In 1953 there was no official way to name a location other than by the name of the property owner. As there are fewer and fewer people around who knew those residents … Read more