Chester Chatter: The art of stone wall building

By Ruthie Douglas
© 2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC

When early settlers first came to Vermont and began to clear their land, they discovered plenty of rocks and stones. They then built stone walls to show their property lines. Stone walls are Vermont’s land markers as well as our trade mark. Building a stone wall has become a forgotten art.

When driving around the countryside of Vermont I always look for the stone walls that dot the roadsides, some haphazard, others built with a plan. The ones I do not like so much are those carefully built with a plan and often times held together with cement.

Walking in the deep woods one can suddenly come across stone walls that must have a story behind them. Was there once a farm or a house and now has grown up to woods?

I once had a wood lot off the beaten path. Going up to the lot once, I discovered that my stone wall was gone, was stolen.

News and notes from here and there

Cousin Angus Johnson of Sharon stopped by for a visit on Sunday. We had a good time discussing relatives. My ears rang into the next day.

Chester’s American Legion Post 67 invites children under 12 to come to the Christmas party on Dec. 7 at the hall. Santa, Mrs. Claus and an elf will be on hand to give gifts out. There will be lunch, but kids need to sign up so Santa knows if you will attend. So be sure to sign up or give a call. The party will be from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday Dec. 7. Children must be signed up by Dec. 1.

Be sure to get your tickets for Chester’s 3rd Annual Holiday Cookie Tour, which will take place this year in the Stone Village. You’ll get to visit eight homes and the Stone Church, tasting delicious homemade cookies along the way. Your passport for this event, which include a description of each venue and cookie recipes, are $10 each and are on sale at the Southern Pie Company on the Green in Chester.

The annual turkey raffle was held Friday night at American Legion Post 67. Turkeys and many gifts were won. Local merchants donated prizes for the raffle. The S.A.L. boys worked hard on this project.

This Thanksgiving I have much to be thankful for. How can I begin to thank the wonderful care I received from Springfield Health and Rehab? The nurses and L.N.A.s were wonderful.

It is my hope you and your family enjoy a happy Thanksgiving Day.

Watch for Christmas trees that the Chester Fire Department will have for sale on Route 103.

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Answer to last week’s trivia question: The Pizza Stone restaurant first opened for business in the space next to Six Loose Ladies in downtown Chester.

This week’s trivia question: Who are the two Vermont governors who were not born in the United States?

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