You’ll discover Lanesboro nestled in Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest, a ghost town with roots in the 1740s colonial land grants. The settlement flourished in the 1880s when the Lane brothers established a prosperous sawmill, producing two million board feet of lumber annually. After the mid-20th century decline, only remnants remain, including stone foundations and dilapidated structures. The town’s connection to the mysterious Bennington Triangle adds an intriguing layer to its forgotten story.
Key Takeaways
- Lanesboro is an abandoned Vermont settlement within the Green Mountain National Forest, known for its sawmill operations and mysterious disappearances.
- At its peak in the 1880s, the Lane brothers’ timber operation produced two million board feet annually and employed 50 workers.
- The ghost town features remnants of 19th-century structures, including sawmill ruins, abandoned boarding houses, and a former railway station.
- Located in the Bennington Triangle, Lanesboro is associated with paranormal activity, UFO sightings, and unexplained disappearances.
- Visitors can access the site via old carriage roads, but should prepare thoroughly as there are no facilities in this remote location.
The Lost Settlement in Vermont’s Wilderness
Nestled deep within Vermont’s Green Mountain National Forest, the ghost town of Lanesboro stands as a tribute to the challenges early settlers faced in taming the wilderness.
You’ll find this forgotten settlement two miles above modern-day Starksboro, where dense forest and old carriage roads mark the remains of a once-hopeful community.
In the early 19th century, about 62 residents called Lanesboro home, carving out a living from the rugged terrain.
But the wilderness isolation proved too formidable, and the settlement gradually succumbed to nature’s dominance. Some residents like Milton Elliot, a dairy farmer and World War I veteran, later relocated to neighboring areas.
The area’s connection to Glastenbury Mountain, steeped in Lanesboro folklore and mysterious tales of supernatural occurrences, only deepens its allure.
Today, the ghost town rests in one of Vermont’s largest undeveloped regions, surrounded by mountainous terrain and thick woodland that reclaimed the land. Local residents still share stories of human-eating rock legends passed down from indigenous peoples who inhabited the region long before settlers arrived.
Colonial Origins and Early Challenges
While land grants in the 1740s promised new opportunities for colonial expansion, Lanesboro’s early settlement faced immediate and devastating challenges.
You’d find yourself confronting hostile Native American raids, particularly during King George’s War, which forced settlers to abandon their claims twice. These colonial struggles weren’t just about conflict – you’d have to battle the harsh wilderness itself. Much like Glastenbury Mountain’s wilderness, the untamed landscape posed significant dangers to early settlers. The area was first explored when Fort Ste. Anne established French presence in Vermont during 1666.
The settlement failures stemmed from a perfect storm of obstacles. You’d be clearing dense forests in rugged terrain while dealing with short growing seasons and brutal winters.
The mountainous landscape cut you off from essential markets and resources. With French-allied Native groups launching attacks and the broader French and Indian War creating regional instability, you’d discover that maintaining a permanent settlement was nearly impossible despite the formal land grants.
Rise and Fall of a Mountain Community
If you’d visited Lanesboro in the 1880s, you’d have found a bustling timber town established by the Lane brothers, who transformed the mountainous terrain into a thriving industrial hub.
The settlement grew rapidly around their sawmill operation, which produced two million board feet of lumber annually and employed up to 50 men at its peak. While the name Lanesboro appears in several places across different regions, this particular place name disambiguation helps distinguish the Vermont ghost town from other similarly named locations.
Yet by the mid-20th century, the once-prosperous community had vanished, leaving behind only remnants of its sawmill, boarding houses, and railway station – victims of depleted timber resources and changing economic forces. The town’s history stands in stark contrast to Minnesota’s Lanesboro, which successfully transformed into a cultural arts destination through focused revitalization efforts.
Early Settlement Challenges
As settlers ventured into Lanesboro’s mountainous terrain during the late 18th century, they encountered a formidable array of geographic and infrastructural challenges that would shape the community’s destiny.
You’d find these pioneer families battling harsh winters and limited farmland while facing numerous settler hardships in their quest for independence. Early settlers made their way to the region via oxen-driven wagons, facing treacherous conditions as they sought to establish their homesteads. The French and Indian War halted settlement growth throughout the region, adding another layer of difficulty for these early pioneers.
The most pressing challenges included:
- Acquiring clear land titles amid complex colonial regulations and land disputes with speculators
- Building essential infrastructure without established roads or easy access to construction materials
- Creating sustainable farms on rocky slopes with short growing seasons
You couldn’t easily overcome the isolation that came with mountain living.
The South Branch of the Root River provided power for mills, but you’d struggle to transport goods beyond local markets, especially during winter’s grip on the landscape.
Abandoned Industry Legacy
The rise of Lanesboro’s industrial might began with the Lane brothers’ ambitious sawmill venture in 1882. You’ll find their legacy in the Lane Manufacturing Company, which employed up to 50 men and produced an impressive two million board feet of lumber annually across 2,600 acres of timberland. Similar to Pine Street’s industry, they employed child labor workers in their lumber operations.
The town’s industrial prosperity wouldn’t last forever. By mid-20th century, you can trace the beginning of decline as timber resources depleted and market demands shifted. These abandoned structures now stand with thick brick walls that shield them from modern connectivity, isolating them in time.
The 1980s brought devastating fires that destroyed key facilities, and by 1984, you’d see abandoned factories dotting the landscape. The industrial decline left a toxic legacy, with PCBs and other hazardous materials contaminating former manufacturing sites.
Today, these brownfield locations stand as stark reminders of Lanesboro’s once-thriving industrial past, awaiting costly cleanup efforts.
The Bennington Triangle Connection
You’ll find Lanesboro’s remote location places it squarely within the mysterious Bennington Triangle, where six people vanished without explanation between 1945-1950.
The area’s unsettling reputation stems from centuries of paranormal activity reports, including UFO sightings, strange lights, and unexplained sounds that seem to validate ancient Algonquin warnings about a malevolent presence in these mountains.
Your chances of experiencing something unusual increase around Glastenbury Mountain, where Native American legends of a “man-eating stone” parallel modern accounts of hikers and hunters who’ve encountered unexplained phenomena or disappeared entirely.
Strange Disappearances Over Time
Mysterious disappearances have plagued Vermont’s Bennington Triangle region since 1945, when experienced hunting guide Middie Rivers vanished without a trace while leading a group through Glastenbury Mountain.
Following Rivers’ disappearance, several others went missing in this desolate area, fueling both local speculation and mysterious legends.
You’ll find three primary disappearance theories that dominate discussions about the Bennington Triangle:
- Native American warnings of a “man-eating stone” that swallows unwary travelers
- Supernatural forces linked to the mountain’s reputation as a meeting place of four winds
- Natural causes stemming from the dense forest’s disorienting effects and harsh conditions
The area’s abandoned status and vast wilderness have only deepened the mystery, as search efforts rarely yield concrete evidence or remains of those who’ve vanished.
Paranormal Activity Reports
Since Lanesboro’s abandonment, paranormal activity reports have intensified throughout this remote section of the Bennington Triangle, creating an unsettling tapestry of unexplained phenomena.
You’ll encounter reports of thunderous sounds like rolling boulders, accompanied by unexplainable atmospheric changes and temperature drops. Witnesses describe shadowy figures lurking in abandoned buildings and forested areas, often preceded by an eerie silence that heightens the tension.
Many visitors experience disorientation and time distortions while exploring the ruins. The area’s connection to indigenous warnings and mysterious disappearances strengthens its supernatural reputation.
You might notice your electronic devices failing mysteriously, and cold spots appearing without explanation. These occurrences parallel other paranormal events documented throughout the Bennington Triangle region.
Indigenous Warnings Prove True
Long before modern investigations into the Bennington Triangle’s mysteries, Native American tribes, particularly the Algonquin, issued stark warnings about the treacherous nature of the Glastenbury Mountain region.
Their Indigenous warnings centered around a “malevolent stone” that would devour anyone who dared to step on it, marking the area as spiritually dangerous territory.
The cultural significance of these warnings became hauntingly apparent when:
- Six people vanished without a trace between 1945-1950
- Search parties failed to locate any bodies, echoing the ancient tales of people being “devoured”
- The disappearances occurred in the exact regions the Algonquin had warned about
You’ll find these Indigenous cautions weren’t mere superstition – they likely encoded essential knowledge about genuine hazards in this remote, rugged wilderness that still poses risks today.
Tales of the Unexplained
Through the mists of time, Lanesboro’s reputation as a nexus of unexplained phenomena has captured the imagination of locals and visitors alike. Mysterious echoes of disappearances, like that of guide Middie Rivers, have woven haunting legends into the fabric of this Vermont wilderness.
You’ll find centuries of inexplicable events here, from the Abenaki tales of a human-eating rock to modern accounts of objects moving on their own in century-old homes.
Paranormal investigators flock to the area’s cemeteries and abandoned settlements, drawn by reports of apparitions and unexplained sounds. The surrounding Bennington Triangle has become synonymous with vanishings and supernatural occurrences, while strange lights and eerie noises continue to puzzle those who venture into these woods, suggesting that some mysteries of Lanesboro remain beyond rational explanation.
Exploring the Ghost Town Today
Today’s visitors to Lanesboro Ghost Town encounter a hauntingly preserved slice of Vermont’s past, accessible via weathered carriage roads that wind through dense forest and rugged hills.
Your ghost town exploration reveals dilapidated buildings and stone foundations, telling stories of 19th-century settlers who once called this place home.
Time-worn stone walls and crumbling structures whisper tales of Vermont pioneers who built their lives in Lanesboro.
For the most rewarding experience, you’ll want to:
- Visit between late spring and early fall when visibility and access are ideal
- Bring navigation tools, as limited signage makes finding specific structures challenging
- Pack essential supplies, since there aren’t any facilities on site
As you explore, you’ll discover historical artifacts like rusting farm tools and domestic items scattered among the ruins.
Remember to document rather than disturb these remnants, preserving Lanesboro’s historical integrity for future adventurers.
Legacy in Vermont’s Forgotten Places
While numerous Vermont ghost towns fade into obscurity, Lanesboro’s legacy endures as a poignant reminder of the state’s industrial heritage.
You’ll find in its story a reflection of Vermont’s economic changes, from thriving timber-based communities to abandoned settlements that mark dramatic shifts in rural economies.
Through local archives and historical societies, you can trace Lanesboro’s impact on regional development, from the Lane brothers’ entrepreneurial spirit to the village’s role in the Montpelier & Wells River Railroad network.
The town’s remains stand as evidence to larger patterns of industrial rise and decline that shaped Vermont’s cultural heritage.
When you explore Lanesboro’s history, you’re connecting with a broader narrative of resource-based communities that once defined the state’s economic landscape.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are There Any Remaining Structures or Foundations Still Visible in Lanesboro Today?
You’ll find visible stone foundations and cellar holes of historical significance scattered throughout the preserve, though no intact buildings remain standing. Forest growth has reclaimed most remaining structures.
What Is the Best Season or Time to Safely Visit Lanesboro?
Freely find fall’s finest days when September slides into October, with ideal conditions around 57°F. You’ll enjoy crisp weather, peak foliage viewing, and safer exploration of historic sites.
Has Anyone Attempted to Resettle or Rebuild in Lanesboro Recently?
You won’t find any recent developments or community interest in resettlement, as conservation laws and preservation status protect the area. Modern visits focus on historical exploration rather than rebuilding attempts.
Are Special Permits Required to Explore the Lanesboro Area?
Keep your eyes peeled – there aren’t specific exploration regulations or permit requirements for exploring the area. You’ll just need landowner permission if you’re venturing onto private property.
What Animals or Wildlife Are Commonly Encountered Around Lanesboro’s Ruins?
You’ll likely spot black bears, white-tailed deer, and moose through wildlife sightings and animal tracks. Bobcats prowl the area, while ruffed grouse and songbirds inhabit the dense forest canopy.
References
- https://vermontcountry.com/2023/10/26/the-haunting-of-glastenbury-mountain/
- https://happyvermont.com/2014/10/23/glastenbury-ghost-town/
- https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBqvoTHO7Ck/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ScW-H7A8yL8
- https://archive.org/download/historyoftownofl01palm/historyoftownofl01palm.pdf
- https://www.sevendaysvt.com/arts-culture/catch-the-spirit-2135531
- https://obscurevermont.com/category/weird-travels/page/2/
- https://vermonthistory.org/journal/misc/ConquestOfVermont.pdf
- http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~gtusa/history/usa/vt.htm
- https://obscurevermont.com/ghost-hollow/
