New York and Vermont were both suffering from an unusual weather pattern on this day in 1877. A tornado, starting in Saratoga County, New York, was tearing its way into Bennington County. The tornado left a path of destruction fifty miles long.

Shaftsbury, just north of Bennington, had significant damage and was the Vermont town hardest hit. Associated weather disturbances from the storm system pounded Bennington with hail until it measured five inches deep.

Harsh weather conditions weren’t limited to just the south...portions of Vermont’s northern border, especially near Derby Line, were dealt severe thunderstorms.

Image courtesy the Vermont Historical Society.