Alright, so I started digging into this Vermont presidents topic today. Figured it’d be straight forward, you know? Three dudes, list their names, why they mattered, done. Boy, was I wrong. Ended up wrestling with dusty history books and conflicting online junk for hours.
First thing I did was just try to figure out who the Vermont presidents even were. Sounds simple, right? Nope. Vermont hasn’t exactly been pumping them out. Mostly remembered Calvin Coolidge as “Silent Cal”, but honestly, that’s about all I knew going in. Had to scour through old articles and a couple of those historical society websites that look like they haven’t been updated since Coolidge was president.
Started listing them:
- Chester A. Arthur: Okay, born in Fairfield. So he counts, right? Was Vice President and took over after Garfield got shot. Didn’t die great, probably kicked the bucket thinking everyone forgot him.
- Calvin Coolidge: Born in Plymouth Notch. The quiet one. Sworn in by his dad using a kerosene lamp story – that’s the main thing everyone seems to remember. Probably saved the country some cash by barely talking.
- Who’s the third? This is where it got messy. Thought maybe someone else squeezed in. Stumbled upon arguments about whether people counted Benjamin Harrison (VP under Arthur, born in Ohio? Nah). Or someone who just vacationed here? Kept going down rabbit holes. Turns out, it’s really just these two for definite Vermont-born presidents. Felt a bit ripped off honestly.
So the “Top 3” kinda felt like clickbait even to myself! Decided to shift gears. Instead of forcing a third Vermont-born guy, maybe look at the legacies these two actually left in Vermont today. What physically survives?
Grabbed my coat, drove over to the Calvin Coolidge Homestead in Plymouth Notch. Cold out there, but worth it. Place is frozen in time. Saw his dad’s general store, the cheese factory building, the tiny little post office he used to run. Felt incredibly small-scale for a president, you know? Like, the opposite of big memorials in DC. There was this quiet dignity to it. Simple. Very Vermont. His legacy in the state is literally keeping that tiny village preserved. Tour guide emphasized he was frugal – total Vermont trait.
Chester A. Arthur? That was tougher. Went looking around Fairfield. Besides a historical marker saying he was born nearby, NOTHING survives. The actual house is gone. Poof! There’s a replica nearby? Couldn’t find it easily and honestly, got distracted by a sign for maple creemees. His legacy in Vermont feels… like it barely exists. He got out and stayed out.
Got sidetracked researching what Vermonters thought of them back then. Arthur seemed distant after he left. Coolidge, though? Big hero worship at the time. Vermont’s guy made good. Felt that pride even today visiting his place.
The kicker? Driving back home down some twisty, muddy backroad (because, mud season), it hit me. The real Vermont legacy for these presidents isn’t some grand political idea sweeping the nation. It’s that ingrained character: Arthur probably got his no-nonsense style here, Coolidge definitely got his thrift and quiet stubbornness. Those traits are Vermont. Seeing the quiet homestead, it made sense. They took Vermont with them, even if Arthur physically left his house behind. The land shapes the people, shapes the president. Simple as that.
Ended the day realizing the “Top 3” was misleading, but the deeper story about Vermont’s quiet, stubborn influence? That saved it. Filed the photos. Writing this, still smelling faintly of woodsmoke from the Coolidge place. Time for a local craft brew and forgetting politics for the rest of the evening.