Thursday, Sept. 19 at 7 p.m.—CASTLETON—The “Ethan Allen in Castleton” Committee will host Dick Smith, author of Ethan Allen and the Capture of Ticonderoga, to present a free PowerPoint program about the May 1775 local history on Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Castleton Community Center. The wheelchair-accessible venue is one block east of the Castleton Corners stoplight intersection along Route 30. The street address is: 2108 Main St., Castleton.
Dick Smith of Manchester has written three books on Vermont and local history: “The Revolutionary War in Bennington County,” “Ethan Allen and the Capture of Fort Ticonderoga: America’s First Victory,” and “Vermont Firsts and Other Claims to Fame.”
Recently Smith completed his third three-year term as a trustee of the Vermont Historical Society and previously was president of the Manchester Historical Society. Smith’s acclaimed public television history series, “History Where it Happened” was filmed throughout Vermont.
Starting one hour before Dick Smith’s presentation will be the monthly meeting of the Ethan Allen in Castleton planning committee. They usually meet in Buel block, next to the Castleton post office, but on Sept. 19 will meet at the Castleton Community Center.
Castleton citizens have proposed a free public celebration of Castleton’s greatest historical event, the multi-faceted launch of the patriot capture of artillery from the nearby British-held forts on Lake Champlain: Ticonderoga and Crown Point. Friday, May 9, 2025 will be the 250th anniversary of Castleton’s crucial role in American history, at the start of the War for American Independence. It was in Castleton on May 9, 1775 that Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain Boys militia finalized their plans to seize cannon from the enemy.
On Aug. 12, 2024, the Castleton Select Board passed a resolution to join with the Vermont 250th Anniversary Commission to recognize the 2025-2027 time period of the Vermont and national 250th anniversaries. The Castleton Select Board also appointed historian Tom Hughes to serve as the liaison between the Ethan Allen in Castleton event planning committee and the Select Board.
The local committee seeks more members and partners.
