Tuesday, Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. — CHITTENDEN — The Chittenden Historical Society is hosting an event on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at 7 p.m. at the North Chittenden Grange Hall. Julia Purdy of Chittenden will talk about the eugenics movement in Vermont, whereby well-meaning reformers tried to “cleanse” the Vermont gene pool by a sterilization program aimed at the hill farmers, the indigent, and the “feebleminded.” While it’s not a pretty story, it’s one worth revisiting. There are some interesting wrinkles the speaker will bring in, for example, the tie-in with the growing, state-sponsored tourism industry of the 1920s-1930s.
The North Chittenden Grange Hall is located at 3 Lower Middle Road in Chittenden. Admission to this program is free and the public is welcome.
For more information, call 802-483-6471.
