Exploring local family connection to Helen Keller

Emerson, an artist and former grant writer, didn’t grow up in Newbury, but her family’s connection to the community spans across generations to 1762 when her ancestors were among the town’s founding families. Growing up in Cleveland, her interest in her Vermont roots led to an unpredictable journey.  About 25 years ago, Emerson innocently asked her father about family lore related to Helen Keller and her great-great-grandfather, Joseph Edgar Chamberlin. Her curiosity was piqued when her father confirmed that the stories were, indeed, true.