Andover

High in the Green Mountains of Windsor County, Andover was chartered in 1761 and settled slowly -- the rugged terrain discouraged all but the most determined families. The town's elevation and rocky soil meant farming was always a struggle here, and the population peaked in the early 1800s before a long, gradual decline as residents moved to more productive land in the valleys below.

Andover is perhaps best known today for the Healdville section of town and its proximity to the Appalachian Trail corridor. Logging sustained the local economy for generations, and stone walls running through deep forest mark the boundaries of farms abandoned a century or more ago. The town's character is defined by its quiet -- no village store, no gas station, no traffic light.

With roughly 570 residents, Andover is one of Windsor County's smaller communities. Town meeting remains the centerpiece of civic life, a gathering where every voter has a voice and decisions about roads, schools, and budgets are made face to face.