Two outstanding events which have occurred in Medburyville history include the "Hoot Toot and Whistle Railroad," and the building of the Harriman Dam which created Lake Whitingham.

The Hoot Toot and Whistle Railroad was built for the purpose of logging in 1891, and the HTWR in the name officially stands for Hoosic Tunnel and Wilmington Railroad.  Although the railroad tracks were removed in the 1940s, today this trail is an excellent place for horseback riding, cross-country skiing, mountain biking, and snowmobiliing.

The Harriman Dam was built in 1928, and at the time was the largest earthen dam in the world.  Around 1500 men worked on creating this dam for approximately one year, and served as a basis to create hydroelectric power for the northeast.  This dam created the largest lake contained solely within the State of Vermont.

And as for the farm, the picture shown above depicts a time even before the present barn.  From research, all we can gather is that in 1899 a new barn was built on this site.  The following is a newspaper clipping from "The Deerfield Valley Times" which talks about the barn being built:

About seventy-five men, mostly from the village and the Mountain Mills neighborhood, attended the big barn-raising party at W.C. Wheeler's Tuesday and there was none too many to do the work effectively.  Mr. Wheeler will have the largest barn in town by all odds and probably the largest in the county this side of Brattleboro.  It is 125 feet long and 50 feet wide.  It has a 7-foot basement and measures 16-feet above the basement.  Mr. Wheeler proposes to go into the business of raising lambs for mutton on a very extensive scale.  He bought 200 first-class sheep recently for a starter.  He is planning to raise from 600 to 1000 lambs each winter and have them ready for market about the first of March.  We see no reason why Mr. Wheeler's plan is not a good one and no doubt he will be able to carry it through successfully.  It is always refreshing to see our thrifty farmers branching out in new lines of enterprise and the results will be watched with keen interest by all those interested in agricultural subjects.

This is an area with a rich past, that has certainly touched our hearts since we moved here.