Abenaki Indians Exhibit
The front of the hall contains a professionally mounted exhibit on the native population of Abenaki Indians. It features artifacts - a birchbark canoe, beaded boots, and utensils - and a small collection of arrowheads found in the St Albans area.
At the end of the hall is the Sterling Weed Room. Born in 1903, Mr. Weed has dedicated his life to music. One of the first "gigs" of his Imperial Dance Orchestra was in 1934 at the Lapland Casino in Fairfield. All his family was musical, and he taught children at school to play in marching bands and dance bands. This exhibit was designed and put together by Mr. Weed with help from Meredith Gillilan, a member of his orchestra.
The Southwest room, designated the Home and Hearth room, has a collection of household items from the days before electricity. Means of cottage manufacturing are features, including two spinning wheels of different size. Vintage sewing machines and a 19th century dress form as well as a collection of reticules, bags and some fans, and exquisite baby clothes take the visitor back one hundred years. A "Fisk" loom, used in the cottage weaving industry on South Main Street from 1920 to about 1950, was recently acquired by the Museum. This activity was started by Mrs Edward C Smith, wife of Governor Smith, with her friend Elizabeth Fisk who was a weaver of some note in the American Arts and Crafts movement. Examples from the quilt collection are rotated each year.
The Northeast room is designated the Children's Room. Here are displays of antique toys, dolls, and furniture. An interesting feature of this room is the exhibit of winter sports equipment, including a rare traverse sled. A new feature in this room is the Barber Shop, which was given by a local barber upon his retirement. The Dr Russell office, recorded in an illustration in the 1950s by Norman Rockwell, is in one comer -the furniture and books given to the Museum by his daughter.
This room tells the history of medicine in general. The history
of medical support in St. Albans is displayed in a most unique manner that is guaranteed to leave one with a lasting impression. The presentation starts with early medicine, blood letting, mental illness, and much more. There are life size figures depicting Dr. William Beaumont's discovery of how the digestive system works with Mr. St. Martin who was wounded in 1825. Also, Phineas Gage who worked for the Railroad in 1848 and suffered an accident in which a 5 foot rod went through his head and survived. There are stories of early pharmacology, and a life sized display of the brain demonstrating how it functions. There's history of all the different doctors and staff that worked in St. Albans hospitals. Doctors and medical staff from all fields are represented and much more. This is truly a display that is worth the visit in itself. A collection of early X-ray tubes and equipment is housed in a restored room in the basement. The collection, which is the property of the University of Vermont, is of special interest, and unique.