JOHN PETERSON "The stories people tell have a way of taking care of them. If stories come to you, care for them. And learn to give them away where they are needed. Sometimes a person needs a story more than food to stay alive. That is why we put these stories in each other's memory. This is how people care for themselves." Badger, in Crow and Weasel by Barry Lopez

ME AND MY FAMILY NORTHEAST OPEN ALTATL CHAMPIONSHIP 2003 HOW (NOT?) TO BUILD A BANJO ... GROUND HOG DAY, 2001 DONALD JOHANSON DRESS-ALIKE DAY AT RHS AP U.S. HISTORY CLASS, 2001 NORTHEAST OPEN ATLATL CHAMPIONSHIP, 2000 RUTLAND ETHNIC FESTIVAL 2000 WHERE THE RIVER FLOWS NORTH, YES PLAN 2002 WORLD WAR I CARTOONS ARTHUR SZYK CARTOONS (WW II) A REMINDER ... RECYCLED WORLD WAR II  POSTERS

Welcome! I was born in Rhode Island Island in 1957,  home of Rocky Point clamcakes and New York System weiners - gaggers! I attended Lincoln High School and graduated from Brown University in 1979 with a B.A. in American Civilization. After working several years as a living history interpreter at Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts, I completed a masters in history at Rhode Island College with a teaching certification for secondary level social studies. I eventually found myself employed in Vermont at Rutland High School as a social studies teacher. I have also been an adjunct instructor at the College of St. Joseph. Laura and I purchased a one hundred and seventy year old house (the "old Shambo place") in the town of Brandon which we have been rebuilding stick by stick. Luckily we had the assistance of three young gentlemen (Brandon, Rowan and Colter). They cut their teeth on demoliton - tearing out all the plaster going up the stairs one morning when they were small - but now we can count on them helping with all sorts of projects: plumbing, stonewall building, painting, etc. In addition to being with my family and teaching history, my interests include: cool old stuff (some folks say "antiques", my wife says "junk"), historic costuming, Civil War reenacting, tinsmithing and blacksmithing, historic costuming, playing the bagpipes and lately building and trying to learn how to play the fretless banjo. Thanks for taking the time to visit!  EMAIL JOHN PETERSON