Cavendish Update 5/23/25: War Dead/Hearing/News/Events
/
CAVENDISH CONNECTS LINKS: CAVENDISH VT FACEBOOK PAGE
cavendishconnects.bsky.social or www.cavendishconnects.com
The Cavendish Historical Society plant sale, starts this evening with the early bird special from 5-7 in front of the Museum and continues tomorrow, Saturday, May 24 from 9-noon. Please see the Cavendish VT Facebook page for any changes due to weather.
5/23/25
1. Remembering Cavendish’s War Dead
2. Subdivision Regulation Hearing
3. Cavendish Community Fund Awards Grants
4. Summer Youth Camps
5. Cavendish Related News
6. Events Calendar
1. REMEMBERING CAVENDISH’S WAR DEAD: Memorial Day (Monday, May 26) is when we remember those who died while in service to their country. Started as a Civil War remembrance, James A. Garfield, when he was an Ohio Congressman and a former Civil War Union General, stated at the commemoration of Arlington National Cemetery, We do not know one promise these men made, one pledge they gave, one word they spoke; but we do know they summed up and perfected, by one supreme act, the highest virtues of men and citizens. For love of country they accepted death, and thus resolved all doubts, and made immortal their patriotism and their virtue.”
Revolutionary War: Soldiers who died in and around Cavendish, particularly on the Crown Point Road, were buried in the Coffeen and Revolutionary cemeteries and in private graves.
Civil War: More soldiers died of disease during the Civil War than were killed in battle. Intestinal disorders such as diarrhea, typhoid fever, and dysentery were rampant in the camps, along with various types of fevers, measles, chicken pox, mumps, whooping cough, and small pox. Men who left their home towns for the first time were exposed to new diseases that they had no immunities against. A lack of sanitation and close quarters contributed to the spread of disease, and poor food, lack of shelter, and a lack of proper clothing increased their severity. In the field, a common cold could quickly become pneumonia. Army War College.
Of the 173 names appearing on the Cavendish civil war memorial: 14 died in battle/wounds, 1 in prison, 13 while in the service from disease; two were lost at sea; one was drown and one was missing in action.
Died from disease: Jesse Adams; Sylvanus S. Barnard; Thomas W. Demary; Henry C. Fletcher; Nathan Graves; Myron Hicks; Chancellor Paige; Otto Rimley; Michael Shannon; Charles Spaulding; George Taylor; William Webster; Henry P White
Died in Battle or from wounds: Joseph Ashley (Gettysburg); Zaccheus Blood (Winchester); Henry G. Fillebrown (Petersburg); John Quincy French (Wilderness); John L. Hemenway; Horace Needham (Petersburg); Wesley Sheldon (Cedar Creek); John Smith (Petersburg); Nicholas Smith (Spotsylvania); Matthew Stewart; George Wallis; James Webster (Cold Harbor); Luther Graves (Lee’s Mills); Merritt White
Lost on steamer “North America” off Cape Hatteras Hial W. Holden and Lowell B. Paine.
Other: George Smith: Drowned in Rio Grande River and Henry Spaulding died in Andersonville Prison; Charles Stockdale Missing in Action Crampton’s Gap
Spanish American War: Six men served with one, Ernest Grout, dying
World War I: Fifty seven men and one woman enlisted. Four men died, George Dixon, Winthrop Hoyle, Truman McNulty and Francis Wallace. Winthrop Hoyle was 16 and died from nephritis in Rhode Island. The American Legion Wallace Mcnulty Holye Post was named in honor of these veterans.
World War II: 168 men and one woman served with seven men dying during the course of the war. Ted Berg, Harold Davy, Duane Hodge , Kenneth Hodge, Morris Percy, Edward Sherer Jr and H. Allen Spaulding.
WWII was the last war in which a person from Cavendish died in service.
Cavendish’s Memorial Day activities take place on Friday, May 30, starting at 10 am at the Cavendish Town Elementary School. The public is invited to attend.
Ludlow’s parade starts at 9 am on Monday, May 26.
2. SUBDIVISION REGULATION HEARING: The Cavendish Planning Commission will hold a public hearing regarding the Proposed Draft Subdivision Regulations on June 4, 2025 at 6:00 PM at the Cavendish Town Hall. Copies of the final draft are available at the Town Office or on the Town Website.
3. CAVENDISH COMMUNITY FUND AWARDS: The Cavendish Community Fund has announced that it awarded four grants to organizations for different programs that will directly benefit Cavendish residents.
The first award was granted to Create Together at Fletcher Farm, the newly formed studio space for people to engage in new pursuits. The grant will help defray the cost to Cavendish residents to attend programs. The second grant will help the Cavendish Fletcher Community Library expand their collection of Spanish language books. The third award will help pay for the beautification of Proctorsville by Cavendish Streetscapes. In 2021 the Community Fund helped pay for flower boxes on the side rails of the new bridge on Depot Street. Those boxes were destroyed by vandals recently, so the Fund is helping to replace
the boxes. This grant will have lasting effects since these boxes will hold colorful flower displays for years to come. Finally, the Fund is helping the Walk and Talk committee of the CCCA for a presentation by The Mushroom Foragers, experienced wild mushroom guides to take us on a walk in the Cavendish woods to identify and learn about edible and medicinal mushrooms.
The Cavendish Community Fund has awarded grants since 2007 to local groups and individuals for programs of an educational, artistic or cultural nature. The next round of grants will be awarded in the fall and applications will be accepted at any time. For more information on the Fund or about applying for a grant, please visit their Facebook page or you can email cavendishcommunityfund@gmail.com.
4. YOUNG ARTIST SUMMER CAMPS: Create Together, formerly Fletcher Farm, is offering youth camps. Week I June 23-27 and Week 2 July 28-Aug. 2 are STEAM weeks. This camp integrates mathematics and scientific principles with artistic expression to help children discover the beauty of STEM through hands-on creative projects. Shakespeare Camp, August 11-16 and 18-22 is two weeks long for campers age 8-14. For Cavendish and Ludlow residents, thanks to the Fletcher Foundation, one workshop a year is 50% off. To learn more about both youth and adult programs, check out their website. Note there are youth scholarship funds on an as needed basis. If you have questions, e-mail kathryn@createtogethervt.org
5. CAVENDISH RELATED NEWS
• Rescheduled Audbon Walk: The Cavendish Branch of the Mount Ascutney Audubon Society has rescheduled its popular annual Bird Walk to June 8 (Sunday) at 8 am 731 Stevens Road off Greenbush in Cavendish. Register for the event by e-mailing cavendishcommunityconservation@gmail.com. FMI: 802 417-5324.
• News Analysis: More questions than answers to fill a school board seat: Chester Telegraph
• Editorial: Two boards too weak to make the right decisions Chester Telegraph
• Vermont’s largest provider of Section 8 housing subsidies will stop issuing new vouchers: Facing a reduction in federal funding, the Vermont State Housing Authority will stop issuing new rental assistance vouchers to low-income households on its lengthy waitlist, and has begun rescinding vouchers from about 50 Vermonters currently searching for an apartment to use them. VT Digger
6. EVENTS
MAY 23 (FRIDAY): Cavendish Historical Society Plant Sale (CHS)-early bird special 5-7 pm in front of the Museum
MAY 24 (SATURDAY): CHS Plant Sale 9-noon.
MAY 30-31 (FRIDAY-SATURDAY): BRGNS Annual Rummage Sale at Fletcher Farms off 103 10-3 each day.
MAY 31 (SATURDAY): Glacial History Walk at the Cavendish Gorge. Meet up is at 10 a.m. at the picnic area by the GMP Transfer station on Power Plant Road just off Route 131 in Cavendish. Starting at the sand and gravel pits we will view the Gorge from below, then walk up to the dam at the top of the Gorge. FMI: cavendishcommunityconservation@gmail.com or 802-417-5324
JUNE 1 (SUNDAY): The Cavendish Historical Society Museum opens 2-4 pm
JUNE 4 (WEDNESDAY): Living with Bears Talk at the Cavendish Library, 6 pm Free and Open to the Public. FMI: cavendishcommunityconservation@gmail.com or 802-417-5324
JUNE 6 (FRIDAY): Proctorsville Market, village green 4-7 pm. Website
JUNE 8 (SUNDAY): Rescheduled Audbon Bird Walk, 8 am 731 Stevens Road off Greenbush in Cavendish. Register at cavendishcommunityconservation@gmail.com. FMI Robin at 802 417-5324
JUNE 13 (FRIDAY): Proctorsville Market, village green 4-7 pm. Website
JUNE 20 (FRIDAY): Proctorsville Market, village green 4-7 pm. Website
JUNE 21 (SATURDAY): Birds N Blooms, Proctorsville Green 10-2
JUNE 27 (FRIDAY): Proctorsville Market, village green 4-7 pm. Website
JULY 26 (SATURDAY): CAVENDISH TOWN WIDE TAGE SALE 9-2 pm. Website