Rutland County Archives - Happy Vermont

Rutland County

  • An Outdoor Recreation Renaissance in Poultney
    An Outdoor Recreation Renaissance in Poultney

    Main Street in Poultney features everything you could hope for in a small Vermont town: a book shop, a local pub, a post office, a hardware store and a library. There's also James Johnson's bike shop, Analog Cycles, which sits on the corner of Main and...

  • Vermont Observatories in Small Towns
    Vermont Observatories in Small Towns

    Bill Vinton taught high school physics and astronomy in St. Johnsbury for 40 years. These days, he’s secretary and treasurer of the Northeast Kingdom Astronomy Foundation, home to the Northern Skies Observatory—one of at least nine working Vermont observatories across the state. Its origin story is...

  • Summer Music at Vermont Farms and Vineyards
    Summer Music at Vermont Farms and Vineyards

    Vermont summer music festivals and performances are in every corner of the state. If you’re looking for a new way to experience live music, enjoy a variety of locations to soak up summer music at Vermont farms and vineyards. -courtesy Pittsford Village Farm  Pittsford Village Farm Pittsford Village...

  • The Wonder of Old Trees at Gifford Woods State Park
    The Wonder of Old Trees at Gifford Woods State Park

    It’s hard to imagine, but most of Vermont’s forests and hillsides were clear-cut in the 19th-century. Still, while 80 percent of the state had been deforested, a handful of Vermont’s old forests miraculously survived. Some of those old trees—more than 300 years old—can be seen...

  • Vermont Town Halls Showcase History, Community & Civic Life
    Vermont Town Halls Showcase History, Community & Civic Life

    Meander through the center of just about any small Vermont town and you'll likely come across a town hall. Not every Vermont town hall is the go-to place on Town Meeting Day—the first Tuesday in March—but many are gathering places for democracy in action that...

  • Volunteers Take Pride in Preserving and Restoring Vermont’s Old Cemeteries
    Volunteers Take Pride in Preserving and Restoring Vermont’s Old Cemeteries

    When vandals damaged 200 gravestones at the historic Village Cemetery in Bennington last weekend, Tom Giffin immediately reached out to the town about how he could help. Giffin, of Rutland, is president of Vermont Old Cemetery Association (VOCA), a volunteer organization founded in 1958 to restore...

  • Where to Go and Things to Do in the Green Mountain National Forest
    Where to Go and Things to Do in the Green Mountain National Forest

    It’s hard to imagine Vermont without the Green Mountain National Forest. Exploring sections of the forest’s 400,000-acres is a must for anyone who loves the outdoors. If you’re interested in finding things to do in the Green Mountain National Forest, options include hiking, paddling, fishing,...

  • Visit Mount Holly for Historic Charm and Outdoor Fun
    Visit Mount Holly for Historic Charm and Outdoor Fun

    The 20-mile stretch between North Clarendon and Ludlow on Route 103 winds along the rocky Mill River and meanders through the tiny unincorporated village of Cuttingsville before curving to the southeast. If not for a yellow blinking light and a couple of signs, the town...

  • Braintree Couple Stays Connected Walking Vermont Dirt Roads
    Braintree Couple Stays Connected Walking Vermont Dirt Roads

    More than 8,500-hundred miles of dirt roads zig-zag across Vermont, and that’s a lot of ground to cover by car, foot, or bike.  Paulette Staats and her husband, Paul Shriver, take it one road and one step at a time. The retired couple, married for 43...

  • A Vision to Revive Main Street with Danby Village Shops
    A Vision to Revive Main Street with Danby Village Shops

    Danby is home to the largest underground marble quarry in the world, stretching more than a mile into Dorset Mountain. Its marble, used in many famous buildings and monuments, including the U.S. Supreme Court building and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial, is known for its durability...