NORTH BENNINGTON – In 1771, six years before the Battle of Bennington, the Green Mountain Boys made some history here, and the entity that later became Vermont was born in Bennington.
On Sunday, July 18, the 250th anniversary of the historic Breakenridge Stand-off will be publicly celebrated in and around the Henry Bridge and McWaters Park in North Bennington.
On hand will be local and regional volunteers offering history tours and presentations. There will be re-enactors and a grand ceremony.
The colonial era standoff was years in the making, said organizers of the anniversary celebration. Spokesman Tom Hughes said the decisive moment of the confrontation occurred on July 19, 1771, at James Breakenridge’s farm in North Bennington, when a New York sheriff’s posse, which included the mayor of Albany, lawyers, magistrates, and militia, were confronted by the emerging Green Mountain Boys militia at Henry Bridge, which crosses the Walloomsac.
Members of the Green Mountain Boys stopped the serving of land claim papers and blocked New York surveyors, as those known as the Hampshire Grants settlers resisted New York land claims to land in what eventually became Vermont.
In turn, July 19, 1771, is considered the birth of the famous Green Mountain Boys, and in a sense, the confrontation marked the birth of Vermont as an entity conceived as separate from the existing British colonies, Hughes said.
For the most part, the 250th celebration event will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Public parking is located entirely in a side yard of Henry House on Orebed Road. Admission is free, and a custom T-shirt will be available for purchase.
During the anniversary celebration, there will be several public information tables to explore, representatives of several regional living history re-enactor organizations; interactive demonstrations and presentations, and self-guided history tours.
At 2 p.m., there will be a commemoration to honor the birth of Vermont and of the Green Mountain Boys; a proclamation read by state Rep. Mary Morrissey, R-Bennington, and brief remarks from Chief Master Sgt. Adrianne Schulz, the mission group superintendent for the 158th Fighter Wing of the Vermont Air National Guard.
The Vermont Army National Guard and the Vermont Air National Guard are known as today’s “Green Mountain Boys.”
At 3 p.m., historian Robert Hoar will lead a public history walking tour from McWaters Park to the Breakenridge farm property.
EVENTS, RE-ENACTORS
A variety of activities for all ages will be offered between 1 and 4 p.m. at McWaters Park, in the area next to the covered bridge and under the trees.
Phyllis Chapman, the founder of Vintage Ladies Presentations, will share with children some traditional games such as hoops and graces, quoits, and tabletop ninepins.
She will also give informal presentations about medical care in the 1770s, through displays and demonstrations of typical medicines and procedures used in the treatment of illness and injuries. And she will explain the method used for smallpox inoculation and simple surgical procedures.
Benjamin Whitcomb’s Rangers, a Vermont-based living history unit, will offer Jim Casco doing and showing the work of an armorer; Pam Monder leading game and toy play, and Michael Barbieri showing how to start a fire with flint and steel.
Several of the various re-enactors will be available to demonstrate the workings of firelock muskets, the type of weapon brandished but not fired during the Breakenridge Stand-off.
For adults, Village Garage Distillery, of Bennington, which produces handcrafted spirits in the Vermont tradition, will host tastings at the corn crib barn on the Henry House property from 1 until 4 p.m.
The original Green Mountain Boys frequented the historic Catamount Tavern, the site of which is marked today by the catamount statue on Monument Avenue near the Bennington Battle Monument.
The July 18 event is the result of the cooperation of many individuals and organizations. The organizers acknowledged the assistance of Bennington Area Arts Council, Bennington Boy Scout Troop 353; Bennington Historical Society/Bennington Museum, Bennington Sherriff’s Department; Crown Point Road Association, Descendants of the Green Mountain Boys; Friends of Bennington Battlefield, GVH Studios, Hawkins House, Henry House; Vermont Air and Army National Guards, and the Village of North Bennington.
The public may park in a designated mown area on the grounds of the Henry House, just southwest of the south end of the covered bridge.
From there it is a short walk across the bridge to McWaters park, where there will be plenty to see even before the public ceremony that will begin at 2 p.m.
After the ceremony, Hoar will lead a tour from McWaters Park to the Seth Warner house, ending near the site of the Breakenridge farmhouse.
For updates regarding this event, the public may leave a brief voicemail message at 802-388-2967 or check the Facebook page.
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