Vermont’s juvenile reformatory, first called the Reform School, then the Industrial School, and finally the Weeks School, was a dumping ground for delinquent and dependent children from 1865 to 1979. This online documentary history features a diverse collection of primary sources about the institution, including newspaper accounts, investigative reports, photographs, and administrative records. It presents a history of institutional oppression, abuse, and survival on the part of Vermont’s most vulnerable children.
Work on the documentary history is ongoing. Individuals who wish to contribute to or comment on the project are invited to contact Holly Allen, Associate Professor of American Studies at Middlebury College at hallen@middlebury.edu.
Current contributors to the project are Holly Allen and Anna Hohwu-Christensen.
