July Snow, a President in Hanover, and Vermont’s First Fourth of July Toast
by Joshua Smith
July 03, 2025
As we light up the sky for Independence Day, it’s worth remembering that history here in northern New England has never been short on surprises. From snowflakes falling on summer crops, to presidential visits, and the very first Fourth of July toast in Caledonia County, the week of July 1 to 7 brings out the heart and humor of local history — with every detail backed by record books, letters, and period newspapers.
July 2, 1816: Snow in Summer Across the Northeast Kingdom
Known as the “Year Without a Summer,” 1816 continues to stand as one of the strangest environmental disasters in Vermont’s recorded history. On July 2, multiple residents in towns like Peacham, Groton, and Ryegate woke to ice in water buckets and reports of "whirling flakes" falling on gardens.
This bizarre weather was a direct result of the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia — the most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded history. Sulfur and ash spewed into the upper atmosphere, cooling global temperatures and triggering crop failures and famine in the Northeast.
A farmer in Peacham wrote in his diary:
"Snow seen in the cow pasture on the second morning of July. My beans are blackened. Corn is stopped in its growing."
Many families had to slaughter livestock early and rely on potatoes and root vegetables, which withstood the chill better than corn. Church records and town selectboard minutes show a spike in poor relief requests and the first documented community-wide crop-sharing programs in Vermont.
July 3, 1901: President William McKinley Visits Hanover,
On the eve of Independence Day 1901, President William McKinley made a rare sitting-presidential visit to Dartmouth College in Hanover, just across the river from Vermont. The visit drew thousands of spectators from Grafton County and Orange County towns like Thetford, Bradford, and Fairlee, as trains were added for the occasion.
McKinley arrived from White River Junction and was greeted by Dartmouth President William Tucker. According to The Boston Daily Globe, he toured the campus, listened to student speeches, and addressed the crowd from the steps of Dartmouth Hall, saying:
“In such quiet corners of the Republic, we find the root of its strength.”
The Dartmouth student newspaper gushed: “No Fourth of July will be as memorable as this one.”
July 4, 1801: The First Documented Independence Toast in Peacham
The town of Peacham didn’t just march and wave flags on the Fourth of July — they raised a glass to liberty.
In 1801, townspeople held one of Vermont’s earliest organized Fourth of July celebrations. After a reading of the Declaration of Independence, a minister gave a patriotic sermon, and then a round of 13 toasts were made “to the Union, the Constitution, and General Washington,” according to Frederick Palmer’s 1867 History of Peacham.
“To the farmers, who raise both bread and liberty!”
“To Vermont, standing small but firm between giants!”
The toasts were drunk with cider, rum, and spruce beer — the latter brewed locally from pine tips and molasses.
July 4, 1853: Fireworks and Fire Risk in St. Johnsbury
In 1853, St. Johnsbury held one of its largest Fourth of July events to date — complete with bonfires, cannon blasts, and a fireworks show launched from Mount Pleasant. But dry weather nearly turned the celebration into a disaster.
Sparks from a misfired rocket landed on the roof of a barn on Main Street. Luckily, townspeople were ready. According to the Caledonian-Record, a local fire brigade armed with leather buckets and wet blankets extinguished the blaze in time.
“Celebration was paused for five minutes and resumed with one cheer louder,” the paper wrote.
St. Johnsbury’s experience helped spark (no pun intended) early town regulations on pyrotechnics and fire-watch volunteers.
July 1, 1862: Income Tax Arrives in Newbury Under the Revenue Act
With the Civil War intensifying, Congress passed the Revenue Act of 1862 on July 1, introducing the first federal income tax and expanding excise taxes. That same week, officials in Newbury, began preparing their lists of taxable properties, occupations, and goods.
According to Orange County tax rolls preserved in the National Archives, the first professions taxed in Newbury included:
Carriage-makers
Apothecaries
Tanners
Attorneys
Tavern owners
The records show a tavern on Newbury’s main road paid $7.50 in federal tax that year — the equivalent of $250 today.
Voices of the Past
“Snow seen in the cow pasture on the second morning of July. My beans are blackened.”
— Peacham farmer diary, 1816
“In such quiet corners of the Republic, we find the root of its strength.”
— President William McKinley, Dartmouth College, July 3, 1901
“To Vermont, standing small but firm between giants.”
— Peacham Fourth of July toast, 1801
July 2, 1816: Snow in Summer Across the Northeast Kingdom
Known as the “Year Without a Summer,” 1816 continues to stand as one of the strangest environmental disasters in Vermont’s recorded history. On July 2, multiple residents in towns like Peacham, Groton, and Ryegate woke to ice in water buckets and reports of "whirling flakes" falling on gardens.
This bizarre weather was a direct result of the 1815 eruption of Mount Tambora in Indonesia — the most powerful volcanic eruption in recorded history. Sulfur and ash spewed into the upper atmosphere, cooling global temperatures and triggering crop failures and famine in the Northeast.
A farmer in Peacham wrote in his diary:
"Snow seen in the cow pasture on the second morning of July. My beans are blackened. Corn is stopped in its growing."
Many families had to slaughter livestock early and rely on potatoes and root vegetables, which withstood the chill better than corn. Church records and town selectboard minutes show a spike in poor relief requests and the first documented community-wide crop-sharing programs in Vermont.
July 3, 1901: President William McKinley Visits Hanover,
On the eve of Independence Day 1901, President William McKinley made a rare sitting-presidential visit to Dartmouth College in Hanover, just across the river from Vermont. The visit drew thousands of spectators from Grafton County and Orange County towns like Thetford, Bradford, and Fairlee, as trains were added for the occasion.
McKinley arrived from White River Junction and was greeted by Dartmouth President William Tucker. According to The Boston Daily Globe, he toured the campus, listened to student speeches, and addressed the crowd from the steps of Dartmouth Hall, saying:
“In such quiet corners of the Republic, we find the root of its strength.”
The Dartmouth student newspaper gushed: “No Fourth of July will be as memorable as this one.”
July 4, 1801: The First Documented Independence Toast in Peacham
The town of Peacham didn’t just march and wave flags on the Fourth of July — they raised a glass to liberty.
In 1801, townspeople held one of Vermont’s earliest organized Fourth of July celebrations. After a reading of the Declaration of Independence, a minister gave a patriotic sermon, and then a round of 13 toasts were made “to the Union, the Constitution, and General Washington,” according to Frederick Palmer’s 1867 History of Peacham.
“To the farmers, who raise both bread and liberty!”
“To Vermont, standing small but firm between giants!”
The toasts were drunk with cider, rum, and spruce beer — the latter brewed locally from pine tips and molasses.
July 4, 1853: Fireworks and Fire Risk in St. Johnsbury
In 1853, St. Johnsbury held one of its largest Fourth of July events to date — complete with bonfires, cannon blasts, and a fireworks show launched from Mount Pleasant. But dry weather nearly turned the celebration into a disaster.
Sparks from a misfired rocket landed on the roof of a barn on Main Street. Luckily, townspeople were ready. According to the Caledonian-Record, a local fire brigade armed with leather buckets and wet blankets extinguished the blaze in time.
“Celebration was paused for five minutes and resumed with one cheer louder,” the paper wrote.
St. Johnsbury’s experience helped spark (no pun intended) early town regulations on pyrotechnics and fire-watch volunteers.
July 1, 1862: Income Tax Arrives in Newbury Under the Revenue Act
With the Civil War intensifying, Congress passed the Revenue Act of 1862 on July 1, introducing the first federal income tax and expanding excise taxes. That same week, officials in Newbury, began preparing their lists of taxable properties, occupations, and goods.
According to Orange County tax rolls preserved in the National Archives, the first professions taxed in Newbury included:
Carriage-makers
Apothecaries
Tanners
Attorneys
Tavern owners
The records show a tavern on Newbury’s main road paid $7.50 in federal tax that year — the equivalent of $250 today.
Voices of the Past
“Snow seen in the cow pasture on the second morning of July. My beans are blackened.”
— Peacham farmer diary, 1816
“In such quiet corners of the Republic, we find the root of its strength.”
— President William McKinley, Dartmouth College, July 3, 1901
“To Vermont, standing small but firm between giants.”
— Peacham Fourth of July toast, 1801
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