Who was Albert Hunter? Albert Hunter was a hired hand who lived on Colchester Point in Colchester, Vermont. He was also a spare lighthouse keeper at the Colchester Reef lighthouse in the middle of Lake Champlain. When the Button's, the official light keepers, wanted time on shore he would fill in for them. Albert kept a Daily Record of his life. He noted the weather, chores he did, the success of fishing trips and goings-on at the farm and about town. The Daily Record of Albert Hunter provides us with the means to step back into the late 1800's and early 1900's and see what life was like for an ordinary person living in the Champlain Valley.

Read the Journal: Click on the months in the left hand column to read the transcribed journal month by month.

Note: The entries from the "Daily Record of Albert Hunter" have been transcribed from a copy of the hand written original. Juniors at Champlain Valley Union High School in Hinesburg, Vermont and 8th grade students at the Shelburne Community School in Shelburne, Vermont have worked hard to transcribe them accurately. They have tried to be true to the original. Therefore spelling, punctuation and formatting may occasionally look odd. This website continues to evolve. Check in to read new segments of the journal and new student created research-based links to related information.

Thanks to the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum for providing us with the original "Daily Record of Albert Hunter".

Key to the Journal:

Active Months: These months have been transcribed and are accessible on-line.

Transcribed Months: These months have been transcribed but are not yet posted on-line.

Months to be Transcribed: These are months that have yet to be transcribed by the students.

Missing Months : These are months where Albert Hunter did not make entries in his Daily Record.

* : Months with an asterix indicates interactive months with links to student research projects.

Related Links:

What is the weather like at Colchester Reef right now? See real time weather data from the Colchester Reef weather station.

Where is the Colchester Reef Lighthouse right now? Visit the Shelburne Museum's Colchester Reef Lighthouse page.

Where can I find out more about the rich heritage of Lake Champlain? Learn about the historic role of Lake Champlain.

Where can I learn about ferry crossings or cruises on Lake Champlain? Come take a boat ride on the lake.

Where can I learn more about the Lake Champlain Basin? Your connection to organizations who care about the lake.

Visit the Lake Champlain Land Trust to learn about their efforts to conserve land and natural areas along the lake.

Student Comments about the Project:

"This glimpse into the past helps me compare my life today to those who lived long ago."

"I think that reading and transcribing is...a way of preserving Vermont history."

“Albert isn’t that different than people today. He has a different lifestyle, but he still does things that I like to do, like going for bike rides and visiting his friends.”

“I really liked the project more than I thought I would."

“Even though he lived 100 years ago, we do the same things, like going into Burlington”

“Publishing the website was cool because now people can use our work.”

“When I pass different locations in Shelburne, I visualize what it was like at the time period that we were studying.”

“Reading his journal kind of made me want to write a journal.”

“I felt I kind of knew him because I was writing what he was feeling.”

"I remember it because I learned about where I live."

Project Information:

Click here to see a .pdf version of a presentation done for the Chittenden County Historical Society

If you have any questions or comments, or would like to start a similar project in your school or community,
please contact Jeff Hindes via e-mail or call him at (802) 482-7100.

Last updated on February 2, 2008