In an age where advanced technology seems to be taking over the stone industry, there are still enclaves where raw skill and timeless production methods remain the best way to approach the craft of stoneworking. One of these regions is the slate belt of southern Vermont, where companies like Taran Brothers Slate Co. of Poultney, VT, are in their third generation of slate production.
The company was founded by Joseph Taran in the 1940s, and three of his grandchildren -- Stephen, Joe and Barbara -- all work at the company today. The first quarry was started on the original family homestead in North Poultney, VT, and initial success in the slate industry led Joseph Taran to leave the farming business in 1946. In fact, Stephen Taran said that a local newspaper printed in 1946 was recently discovered, and it contained an advertisement of Joseph Taran leasing his farm.