When you tell a story, you spark a connection.
Enjoy these stories of Strafford’s people, places and past.
The Hand That Did Not Let Go At Town Meeting
In the Strafford Town House, there is a sounding board with a carved hand clasping a ring connected to a decorative rod attached to the ceiling. If you look up at the ceiling the next time you are in the Strafford Town House, BEWARE!
Justin Morrill’s Strafford
Eulogy by the Rev. William Sloane Coffin Jr. at a Justin Morrill symposium in 1998. Coffin speaks about the standards set by Senator Morrill and his faith in the basic goodness he sensed in the citizens of the United States.
Ocean Liners Coming to Strafford
Justin Morrill once included a provision in a bill to make the Ompompanoosuc River navigable for ocean liners. Unfortunately, many of the senators did not get his Vermont sense of humor and were willing to vote for the bill.
Strafford's Civil War and Reconciliation
This reconciliation, after a period of bitter civil strife, and the resulting belief in inclusion and respect for differences, has set the tone in Strafford up until this day. It is an example that, in these troubled times, we might want to replicate on a broader scale. Reprinted from Vermont Digger Feb 20 2022