Rich Frost’s newest book, “Rich in History: A Champlain Valley Reader,” should be read with a pen in hand. There are so many interesting, historic places to visit that readers will need to make a list (I suggest a bucket list!) to keep track of them all. According to the author, the book is comprised mostly of columns previously published in Lake Champlain Week and Northern Home Garden Leisure. Frost states in the preface that this book is the first volume; the second volume will discuss people and places in the Champlain Valley.

Frost discusses four categories: early settlements, the military era, transportation and industry. In the appendices, readers will find several pages of museums and historic places to visit in our area as well as a list of recommended reading to further their knowledge of this beautiful, historic area. Although the book is only 305 pages long, it is packed with information. For the purpose of this review, here are only a few of the items I added to my personal bucket list.

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Forts

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Chimney Point has a long, fascinating cultural and military history. It stands near the Lake Champlain Bridge. Nearby, Crown Point and Fort St. Fredric each have a distinct history of their own but also share a role in historical events. Fort Montgomery, near the Rouses Point Bridge (which is not Fort Blunder, contrary to popular opinion) is another interesting fort but is no longer open to the public.

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Post office murals

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Did you know post office murals were a huge part of our nation’s history? President Franklin D. Roosevelt was responsible for this quirky fact, because of his initiatives to put people back to work in the 1930s during the Great Depression. These works focus on local history and industry or on a snapshot of daily life in the town. Murals were meant to help artists make money, raise citizens’ morale and encourage town pride. Locally, one can see WPA post office murals in Booneville, Dolgeville, Canton and Lake Placid.

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Underground Railroad sites

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The Champlain Valley was an important part of the Underground Railroad. Near AuSable Chasm, New York, the North Star Underground Railroad Museum exhibits describe local debates over slavery and explain the divisions in many churches. A featured display concerns John Thomas, an escaped slave, who accepted a gift of land in North Elba. He prospered, sold his land and moved to Bloomingdale. In Vermont, the Rokeby Museum in Ferrisburgh provides museum guides, audio presentations, interactive stations and timelines of important events.

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Steamboats

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Steamboats on Lake Champlain have a colorful history beginning with Robert Fulton, who was an artist before he invented the steamboat. One could travel one-way between Albany and New York City for seven dollars. Many U.S. presidents travelled on Lake Champlain aboard various steamships including James Monroe, Martin Van Buren, Ulysses S. Grant, William McKinley and William Howard Taft. Scuba divers can explore shipwrecks from the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 along with schooners, canal boats, steamboats, ferries, tugboats and other types of boats. Some ships have been recovered and now sit in museums, but many still rest in the lake, preserved by its cold water.

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Lighthouses

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Lighthouses have always played an important role in maritime and military history, and Lake Champlain played its part. There are at least 10 lighthouses still standing on Lake Champlain. On the Vermont side, the first lighthouse on the lake was built on Juniper Island in 1826; another is at Windmill Point near Alburgh built in 1858. On the New York side, Crown Point and Bluff Point still have lighthouses open to the public.

The author’s stated aim in writing “Rich in History” is to help readers “learn a few things, and get stimulated to do a little more reading and exploring in the region.” Obviously, no book can cover every interesting fact about a region, but I can heartily recommend adding this comprehensive look at the history of the Champlain Valley to your bucket list.