Hidden History of Lake Champlain - Paperback

by Jason Barney (Author), Christine Eldred (Author)

Lake Champlain is one of America's most historic waterways, but much of its history has remained hidden. With the arrival of Europeans, the lake became a vital route between the English in New England and the French in Quebec.

Its isolated beauty contrasted sharply with the bloody military campaigns that unfolded there. While enormous forts were erected, colonial villages blossomed, and 18th century naturalist Peter Kalm spread the word of its bucolic charm. William Miller attracted large audiences as he preached that the world would end in the 1840s. Valcour Island developed its own commune, and when Prohibition took effect, the towns near the Canadian border became a hotbed of bootlegging.

From presidential visits to shipwrecks, local authors Jason Barney and Christine Eldred chronicle some of the lake's lesser-known contributions to American history.

Author Biography

Jason Barney has published three books: Northern Vermont and the War of 1812, The Hidden History of Franklin County and Northern Vermont and the Revolutionary War, all with The History Press. He has been working at Missisquoi Valley Union High School for twenty-one years. Christine Eldred is a librarian, genealogist and writer. She has a bachelor's degree in English literature from Middlebury College, an MLIS from Syracuse University and a certificate in genealogical research from Boston University. Christine has published several articles, chapters and guides to preserving and defending intellectual freedom in school libraries.