The Fire, the Shotgun, and the Dogs in the Truck: The Dog Team Tavern (Vermont)

For generations of Vermonters, the Dog Team Tavern was the kind of restaurant people remembered for the rest of their lives: enormous prime rib, a spinning “relish wheel,” rationed sticky buns, and a history that began with an Arctic medical mission. Then, early on September 1, 2006, the restaurant burned to the ground. Owner Christopher Hesslink's pickup was found behind the building with his two dogs safely inside. Hesslink himself was later discovered dead in the ruins beside a shotgun. His death was ruled a suicide—but investigators classified the fire as suspicious, and its cause was never publicly reconciled with that ruling.

Tonight, we explore the strange history, devastating final night, unanswered questions, and eventual ghost stories of Vermont's Dog Team Tavern.