Summary
Early Irish communities flourished in Burlington, Fairfield, Underhill, Moretown, Middlebury and Castleton. As individuals and families became established, they encouraged kin from the Old Country to join them, a phenomenon called "chain emigration" by historians. "Over and over again," [Vincent E. Feeney] writes, "we see that family ties played an important part in bringing the Irish to Vermont."
More importantly, the ease and economy of shipping freight by rail made other industries possible. Western Vermont's extensive marble and slate deposits could now be transported long distances. Certain regions of Ireland had similar resources, and Feeney noticed a fascinating pattern. Clusters of men from Tipperary, where slate was mined, migrated to the slate towns of Castleton, Fairhaven and Poultney. The same held true for Rutland County's marble industry. Its Irish workers got the nickname "stonepeggers," obscure in origin, which "suggested a rough and tough people," Feeney notes.Feeney describes the Civil War as "a defining experience" for the Vermont Irish, "marking a transformation from emigrant greenhorn to red-blooded American." The war also shifted their neighbors' perspective. "Too many Irishmen had fought and died in the Union cause for them to be considered outsiders."See the full content of this document
Extract
Irish Ayes
Irish Ayes
Book review: Finnigans, Slaters and Stonepeggers: A History of the Irish in VermontEthnic diversity is not the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about the history of Vermont. It is, after all, the second whitest state in the union - and Maine edges us out by just a whisker. The Abe...See the full content of this document
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