THE EXPO

            The first week of my internship with The Vermont Historical Society (VHS) was spent helping out with the 2016 Vermont History Expo. The Expo is a biennial event organized by VHS and held at the historic Tunbridge Fairgrounds in Tunbridge, Vermont. Tunbridge is a half-hour drive from the VHS center in Barre. The location is ideal for a history fair. Another event, The Tunbridge World’s Fair, has been held here every September since 1867. The entire village center (which includes the fairgrounds) is listed with the National Register of Historic Places as an Historic District. The fairgrounds consist of a series of large barns and grandstands, painted white, surrounding racetracks and outdoor arenas used for livestock shows. Steep, forested, green hills surround the low-lying fairgrounds in all directions. It’s quite stunning. Besides its historic appeal, Tunbridge is a fairly central location in the state. However, it is not in a highly populated place. Tunbridge has just over 1,000 residents. Surrounding towns barely surpass 2,000, and the entire population of Orange County is a mere 28,936. Comparing that with Chittenden County, Vermont’s largest at 156,545, (also home to the states largest city, Burlington) it is understandable why VHS has begun to consider moving the expo to a place like this.   

Thursday is my first day as an intern. The entire VHS staff is sprawled across the grounds preparing for the weekend, each with their own assigned jobs. The curator, librarians, reception, maintenance, education team, everyone is here sweating a lot in the June heat. It takes two days to set up and one to break down, besides a few volunteers there is no extra help. I am immediately aware of the type of office comradery that is formed during this event. One staff member mentions to me that she loves how the hierarchy of the office disappears during the expo. Authoritative positions are flipped on their heads and all the sudden a junior staff member may be giving orders to their superior. I chat with the new director of VHS as we laboriously tack red, white and blue bunting across the outer walls of all the site buildings. Like me, this is his first expo. He tells me that moving the expo to a place such as Chittenden County would most likely bring more visitors, giving VHS better exposure that they can leverage for funding and other purposes. Perhaps they can even create a rotating expo with different locations every two years. The idea seems great to me. I can’t however help but feel a tinge of disappointment. In part it is nostalgia. Tunbridge is a few towns from where I grew up. I remember coming to the expo when I was younger. The first history expo was in 2000 and every since it has been held here; it has become a staple of summer events in the area. Moreover, the expo brings thousands of visitors to Tunbridge and surrounding rural townships and the tourist dollars are sorely needed in this area. It seems unfair that Chittenden County, the richest in the state, could be awarded yet another cultural event! 

My hesitation is not unfounded in history. Throughout 20^th Century rural Vermont counties have had long power struggles with their large, developed neighbor to the northwest. When it comes to politics the tensions are particularly heightened. Perhaps the most emotional episode came in the mid 1960’s when the Supreme Court ruled that the Vermont House’s system of representation was unconstitutional and must be reapportioned. Up to that point Vermont had a one-town one-representative system. This meant that each town had one vote, no matter if the town had 100 or 10,000 residents. This democratic set up created a strong and unique rural power in the state. (Sherman 2004, 508) The Supreme Court ruling created a heated blowout that perhaps some Vermonters have still not entirely digested. During the proceedings, one representative actually chained himself to his seat in protest. (Sherman 2004, 510.) The 1960s saw many other changes that vastly impacted life in the state. These included the election of Philip Hoff, first democratic governor, which ushered in an unhalted era of progressive politics and increase in state control. The construction of Vermont’s interstate system also impacted Vermont’s small towns, bringing droves of new residents, second homers and tourists who now had easy access to their home cities to the south. (Sherman 2004, 523-525) In short, many residents, especially those in rural areas, felt undermined by the structural changes they observed in their lifetimes. Blame is often pointed at Montpelier and the state’s urban centers. As I greeted people at the gate over the weekend I noticed that a large majority of visitors (not to mention volunteers) came from the immediate surround region. Of course to move a large community-centered event such as this out of Tunbridge would not go unnoticed. To relocate to Chittenden County, the sometimes villain, I think may do more than raise eyebrows.

Needless to say relocating the expo makes sense; I believe it is a smart idea for the future of VHS. Likewise, it will provide more Vermonters, that would not otherwise make the drive, with the opportunity to experience their state heritage festival. Orange County has been lucky to play host for almost two decades. My personal vote: a traveling expo. 

References:

National Register of Historic Places, Vermont-Orange County-Historic Districts, http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/vt/orange/districts.html.

United States Census Bureau, Orange County, Vermont, http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/50017,50007.

United States Census Bureau, Chittenden County, Vermont, http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/50007.

Sherman, Michael and Sessions, Gene and Potash, Jeffrey. Freedom and Unity: A History of Vermont Barre, VT: Vermont Historical Society, 2004.