Description
Fred Tuttle was born and died on his family᾽s 1832 farm in Tunbridge, Vermont, where he lived all his life, except for the years he served in the U.S. Army during World War II. A fourth-generation dairy farmer with a thick Vermont accent, “ahyep.” He wore farmer’s overalls, a baseball cap that said Fred and he became one of the most widely recognized figures in Vermont. After retiring from farming, he appeared in several movies directed by Vermont filmmaker John O’Brien including Nosey Parker and Man with a Plan in which he played the part of a retired farmer, who decides to run for the U.S. House of Representatives.
After appearing in a fictional movie about a retired farmer becoming a political candidate, Fred ran in the 1998 Republican U.S. Senate primary. He raised $251, one dollar for each of Vermont’s 251 towns. Fred soundly beat his opponent, multi-millionaire Jack McMullen, who had recently moved to Vermont and spent $475,000. In a now famous debate with McMullen, Fred asked “how many teats a Holstein got?” and McMullan answered ‟Six” instead of the correct “Four.” After winning the primary, Tuttle promptly endorsed the incumbent Democrat, Patrick Leahy.
This Fred Tuttle History Mug is part of our Vermont series which includes many unique individuals who played an important part in molding Vermont’s history.
The biographical History Mugs were created to teach and inspire individuals to learn about our diverse and interesting history. The biographies were researched and written by history enthusiast, Robert Compton. He colorized most of the historic photos and images used on the mugs, which were originally black and white or sepia tone. The images and biographies are imprinted on mugs at his studio in rural Vermont.
- Mugs are food and microwave safe.
- To preserve photographic quality we recommend hand washing.
- Mugs are usually shipped within 3-5 days.
