Romaine Tenney (1900 - September 12, 1964) was an American farmer. His Vermont farm was seized by eminent domain in order to build Interstate 91. Instead of watching bulldozers tear down his home and farm buildings, Tenney decided to burn them down himself. Tenney nailed himself shut in his bedroom and died by suicide, his body burning with his house.[1]
Early life
Tenney was born in 1900 to his parents Myron and Rosa, he was the fourth born of nine total children. His father died when he was 14, leaving his mother to raise the family and run the farm. He left the family farm only once for military service.[2]
Death
In the early morning hours of September 12, 1964, Tenney released his animals, set fire to his barns and shed, and ultimately barricaded himself inside his burning farmhouse. It was later determined he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound before the flames claimed him.[3]
Romaine Tenney Memorial Park
The Romaine Tenney Memorial Park is located at the I-91 Exit 8 park-and-ride in Ascutney, Vermont. The park features a picnic pavilion and the stump of the last large maple tree from Tenney's farm, which was cut down on March 17, 2021, due to its poor health.[4][5] The park was built with a $30,000 grant from the Vermont Agency of Transportation.[6]
Inspiration
Tenney's life has been the inspiration for songs, books, and poetry.
"The Ballad of Romaine Tenney" by Sean Kelly Murray[7]
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