Remember
Canaan Stories: an oral history.
Neighbors telling neighbors how it was, one conversation at a time.
In late 2017 the library won a grant from the Vermont Humanities Council to capture Canaan in its own words. New audio equipment, a quiet chair, and time to talk. Since then the recordings have covered growing up here, the closing of the Beecher Falls factory, World War II, and the Earth People’s Park commune. In 2018 the project turned its focus to the Ethan Allen factory in Beecher Falls. Every recording is kept for the long term.
How the archive grew
- 2017, the grantThe Vermont Humanities Council funds the project and the library buys its first audio kit.
- 2018, the factory yearsRecordings turn toward the Ethan Allen factory in Beecher Falls and the town it shaped.
- Today, the shelfEdited clips below, full recordings kept for the long term, and always room for one more voice.
Voices so far
“I was a Christmas present for my brothers.”
Sue“When I was four years old I had polio.”
Sue and Ron“Don’t pee on my tree. When I went to boot camp. We were starting a brave new world.”
Ed“250 people were going to be laid off.”
Ron“I was in Nuremberg after the war.”
Buddy“We had a lot more snow back then.”
SallyFaces from the archive
Canaan Schools marching band at practice, 1947. The dedication of the Canaan Memorial Schools building in Fletcher Park, 1946.
Your story belongs here
The shelf always has room, especially for life at the Beecher Falls factory. Sit down, talk, and become part of the record.