Fort Dummer was established in 1724 by Lt Governor William Dummer of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The wooden fort stood as a northern outpost along the Connecticut River and was one of the first permanent European settlements in what would become Vermont. Built to defend the colony against Abenaki and French attacks, it also served as a trading post from 1728 to 1750 while troops continued to man it against skirmishes. It remained garrisoned through the French & Indian War, but was abandoned in 1763 and dismantled by 1771. A granite monument later marked the original site in 1901, but was moved seven years later to the intersection of Vernon St and Cotton Mill Hill Rd before the 1909 completion of the Vernon Dam on the Connecticut River flooded the area.

Photo: Alan M. Perrie

West Brattleboro, Vermont · USA