MIDDLEBURY — The Henry Sheldon Museum presents two Lake Champlain Twilight History Cruises aboard the Carillon on Tuesday, July 23, and Thursday, July 25, on the historic waters of Lake Champlain. The guest speaker will be Jim Bullard, owner of the Fort Ticonderoga Ferry for 22 years and the ninth person to own and operate it since 1789. Bullard will be joined by Susan MacIntire, Shoreham town historian, who will add historical perspective on the area. Together they will present a fascinating talk, titled “Busy Times in the South Lake.”
The speakers will point out the land features associated with Ticonderoga and Mt. Independence regarding the Burgoyne Campaign. The possibility that Samuel de Champlain’s Thunder Meadow may be located on Fort Ticonderoga property will be discussed, and as the boat proceeds toward Crown Point, Ethan Allen’s Hand’s Cove, the Hessian Landing site at Five Mile Point, and other interesting commercial sites such as Watch Point will be highlighted. Also noted will be the various ferry landings and their commercial ties with Middlebury via the Market Road. The history of the summer resorts located in this part of the lake and the black marble quarry (where the six fireplace mantels at the Sheldon Museum came from) will also be told.
The two-hour cruise is comfortable and informal, with passengers enjoying hors d’oeuvres and beverages. Guests are welcome to bring cameras and binoculars aboard — eagle sightings are possible. The Carillon departs promptly at 5:30 p.m. from Larrabee’s Point in Shoreham, adjacent to the Fort Ticonderoga ferry at the end of Route 74 in Shoreham. The cost of the cruise is $35 per person ($30 for museum members). Advance reservations are required and may be made by contacting the Henry Sheldon Museum in Middlebury at 802-388-2117 or online at www.henrysheldonmuseum.org.