Jericho

Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, born in Jericho in 1865, became the first person to photograph individual snowflakes, developing techniques of photomicrography that revealed the astonishing complexity of ice crystals. His work, conducted over decades from his family farm, demonstrated that no two snowflakes are alike — a finding that made both Bentley and Jericho internationally famous. The Old Red Mill in Jericho Center now houses a museum dedicated to his work.

Jericho has a population just over 5,000 and sits in Chittenden County at the base of Mount Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak. The town includes the villages of Jericho Center and Jericho Corners, and its landscape transitions from the Champlain Valley lowlands to the forested slopes of the Green Mountains. The Browns River flows through town, and the surrounding hills offer extensive trail networks for hiking and cross-country skiing.

Governance follows the selectboard and town meeting model. Jericho has grown steadily while maintaining its rural character — a balancing act that requires active civic engagement and the kind of thoughtful land-use planning that plays out at town meeting each March.