The biannual meeting of the Foote Family Education Conference was held September 16-18, 1999 at the Holiday Inn in Rutland, Vermont.
Vermont is an unusual state which was claimed by New York and New Hampshire when the United States of America was founded and refused to be taken over by either colony. They found their own independent entity and remained that way until they were accepted into the union in 1791.
The schedule of events included:
- Thursday, 16 September, 1999 – Arrival and Registration.
- Friday, 17 September, 1999,
- Bus trip to Manchester, Vermont (Left Rutland at 9:00 AM)
- Friday evening an informal get-together called “Lets Get Acquainted”
- Saturday, 18 September, 1999
- Day trips – There are a variety of outings available with destinations ranging from the historic Fort Ticoneroga to the scenic Queechee Gorge and to the cultural Shelburn Museum to shopping and sports opportunities.
- Saturday night banquet – (with a keynote speaker) at the Governor’s Room, Holiday Inn, Rutland, Vermont.
The Bus Trip:
Those who went on the bus tour Friday, September 17, enjoyed the first stop at Hildene where they saw a slide presentation in the old carriage barn. Hildene was the former home of Robert Todd Lincoln.
This was followed by a tour of the 24 room Georgian Revival mansion. The home has been preserved intact with original furnishing and personal family effects.
Following the tour of Hildene the bus traveled to “Ye Olde Tavern” for a delightful lunch in this over 200 year old tavern. It was built in 1790 and known as the Stagecoach Inn. Choices for the lunheon were:
Grilled Duck Sandwich
Pot Roast Sandwich
Baked Scrod
The luncheon included all but dessert or alcoholic drinks.
After lunch the bus traveled to the “Jelly Mill” for shopping. There is variety enough to satisfy everyone’s taste. There are 4 floors of shops, with everything from jewelry, Christmas villages, a Kitchen shop, gourmet foods, Vermont products and much much more.
The building is a 100 year old barn, shelter for hundreds of cows and played in by generations of children. Why is it called “The Jelly Mill”? The name springs from the original building – an abandoned cider jelly mill in West Dummerston, Vermont. The mill burned in 1959 and this barn, once the property of the Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, was discovered and turned into the many Independently owned shops you see today.
The Saturday Night Banquet:
The banquet (with a keynote speaker) was held Saturday night in the “Governor’s Room, Holiday Inn, Rutland, Vermont.