If you love candles as I do, I’d love to introduce you to Icy Palmer Vermont Candle Co. I love supporting local businesses here at Dabbling & Decorating and Melissa over at Icy Palmer Co. is no exception. First, who is Icy Palmer and why is there a Vermont candle co. named after her?
Icy Palmer: A Manchester legend brought to life ~ VTDIGGER
Icy Palmer is a name many in the local area of Vermont have heard before, though the history of this iconic figure remains murky. For Melissa Klick, owner of Icy Palmer Candle Co, uncovering the woman behind the legend has become a mission of sorts. As a lifelong resident of Manchester, VT with French Canadian and Abenaki heritage, Klick became interested in Icy Palmer at a young age. “I grew up in the house across from Dellwood Cemetery, and it was very different then — overgrown and difficult to find things,” said Klick. “We stumbled upon this little grave that read ‘Icy Palmer’ and found out that she was this legend in town.”
Melissa fostered this fascination for many years and went on to enjoy a long career in the arts. In her retirement, however, Melissa soon became restless and decided to reconnect with the legend of her childhood. Thus, the Icy Palmer Candle Co. was born. “Every night Icy Palmer would light two candles at dusk, and they would burn until dawn for enchantment and protection,” said Melissa. “I found that fascinating, and just loved it. I know that she made candles, and she burnt candles, so I think it’s the perfect union.”
Born in 1824, Palmer was a Tuscarora Indian said to have been abandoned in what was then a sugar house at the current location of the Equinox Valley Nursery. “There was an article that says that she had a twin sister, and they were born in a sugar house in September. The Tuscarora really moved separately, so it was probably just the mother and father staring down winter,” said Melissa, who concedes that this aspect of Palmer’s story will likely remain conjecture. “My feeling is that they probably took the healthiest of the twins. God forbid you have two girl babies to walk into the winter with.” Palmer was taken in by several local families as a child, including the G.S. Purdy and W.P. Black families, according to documents provided by the Manchester Historical Society. “She was actually named Louisa, and she changed it to Icy,” said Melissa. “She worked in different houses and families. She was very beloved, but she was also very mysterious.” Some years later the Ladies Benevolent Society of Manchester’s Congregational Church provided a small home for Palmer, though she continued to wander. “One of her mysteries is that she walked all of the time collecting kindling and butternuts,” said Melissa. “It doesn’t seem like her nomadic roots ever left her.” “The weather held no terrors for Icy,” read Palmer’s 1911 obituary in the Manchester Journal. “Neither the summer’s heat or the winter’s blasts could keep her in when she wanted to be out.” In adulthood, Palmer was primarily supported by benefactors in the Manchester community though she also derived income from selling maple-sugared butternuts and candles. Though she lived independently until 1909, Palmer was “over eighty and losing her mind,” according to an excerpt from “Manchester, Vermont: A Pleasant Land Among the Mountains, 1761-1961.” “They found her wandering around during the winter in her summer clothes,” said Melissa. “The community sent her to the Brattleboro Retreat.” “Her condition became such, on account of her extreme age, that it was considered advisable by those who had only her best interests at heart, to have her placed in the retreat at Brattleboro for the remainder of her days,” read the obituary. “Reports from there from time to time have only proved the wisdom of the move, for she has been quietly and serenely happy and well.” Two years after her move to the Brattleboro Retreat, Palmer died peacefully in her sleep. “Indeed, one of the landmarks of the town as fallen,” read Palmer’s obituary in the Journal. Click here to read more…
Melissa of Icy Palmer Co. and I connected instantly here in Vermont when she fell in luv with Ella, our Bernese Mountain dog. We were both very excited to collaborate on an exclusive candle line featuring Ella and Dabbling & Decorating. That’s when a brisk walk in the “Morning Woods” was created with my favorite scent Eucalyptus, along with Minted Fig & Blond Wood scents.
Ella, our Bernese Mountain dog was also more than thrilled to pose for this beautifully scented Vermont candle in our backyard in the Vermont Green Mountains.
PIN THESE IDEAS FOR LATER!
The scent of these candles is so striking we enjoy them outdoors as well as inside. Each candle made by Icy Palmer Vermont Candle is an exclusively all-natural, hand-poured, custom soy candle sustainably handcrafted in Vermont and are phthalate-free!!
Melissa, the creator of Icy Palmer Co. Vermont candles was so thrilled with Ella’s candle that we decided to collaborate on a premier candle line that represents Dabbling & Decorating. The first one Melissa designed is named VINTAGE with a beautiful summer scent created with English Oak & Red Currant.
The label photo was taken by myself last Fall when I decorated our Vermont sunroom with vintage tennis racquets, soft pastel colors, and thrifted needlepoint pillows.
Melissa sells the Dabbling & Decorating candle collection along with her entire Icy Palmer Co candle line through Facebook only. Join her over on Facebook and drop her a DM if you are interested in purchasing her candles. You may also find Melissa and the Icy Palmer Co over on Instagram too!
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