Bradford

Where the Waits River meets the Connecticut River, Bradford has served as a commercial and civic center for eastern Orange County since the town was chartered in 1770. The village's position at this confluence made it a natural gathering place, and by the early 1800s Bradford had developed into a thriving market town with mills, stores, and professional offices serving the surrounding hill towns.

Bradford's annual Wild Game Supper, held since 1957, draws hundreds of diners each November to sample bear, venison, moose, and other game prepared by local volunteers. It is one of Vermont's most distinctive community traditions and a reminder that hunting and foraging remain part of the cultural fabric. The town also hosts the Bradford Academy building, a handsome structure from the 1820s that once housed one of Vermont's early secondary schools.

With about 2,790 residents, Bradford is the largest town in Orange County and serves as a service hub for the region. The selectboard and town meeting system governs local affairs, and the annual meeting reliably draws engaged citizens who understand that the decisions made in that room -- about bridges, fire trucks, and school budgets -- directly shape their daily lives.