The first wave of Irish immigrants to Vermont came in the 1820s and 1830s, when many Irish fled a depressed economy for Montreal, and then headed south. Early Irish communities sprung up in places like Burlington, Middlebury, Underhill, Moretown and Castleton. And by 1860, the Irish were Vermont’s largest ethnic group.
UVM History professor and Marshfield resident, Vincent Feeney, has combed through census records and historical accounts to piece together the history of Irish immigrants in the Green Mountain state, and the stories behind their communities and their lasting presence in the state. And now he’s written a book called Finnigans, Slaters, and Stonepeggers: A History of the Irish in Vermont. Listen
Also, we begin a week-long series on the Art Of Action project. Each day we’ll hear from one of the artists who created work that’s part of a year-long traveling exhibit that seeks to reflect our values and hopes for the future in paintings and photographs.
Art of Action: Shaping Vermont’s Future Through Art is showing this month at the Vermont Folklife Center.
We’ll talk with Brent Bjorkman of the Folklife Center and hear from painter Kathleen Kolb. Listen
Art of Action is a collaboration between the Vermont Arts Council, philanthropist Lyman Orton and Janice Izzi.
Check out the Art Of Action Project photo gallery