Addison

Chartered in 1761 by Governor Benning Wentworth, Addison sits on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain in Addison County. The town's flat, fertile farmland made it one of the region's earliest agricultural centers, and dairy farming remains a defining feature of the landscape today. Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area, located partly within town boundaries, draws birders from across New England each autumn to witness the migration of snow geese -- sometimes numbering in the thousands.

The town also holds a significant piece of Revolutionary War history. Chimney Point, at the narrow crossing where Lake Champlain meets Otter Creek, served as a strategic military position long before Vermont existed as a state. The Chimney Point State Historic Site preserves thousands of years of human habitation at this spot, from Abenaki settlement through French colonial occupation.

With a population around 1,350, Addison governs itself through the traditional town meeting form of government. Residents gather annually to debate budgets, elect officers, and shape the direction of their community -- a practice nearly as old as the town charter itself.