Panton

One of the smallest towns in Addison County by population, Panton occupies a peninsula of fertile farmland jutting into Lake Champlain between Dead Creek and Otter Creek. The town was chartered in 1761 and has been agricultural from the start — the flat, clay-rich soils here are among the most productive in Vermont.

Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area, partly within Panton's borders, is one of the premier birding sites in the state. Each fall, thousands of snow geese stop here during migration, creating a spectacle that draws birders from across New England. The wetlands and cornfields of Panton provide critical habitat for waterfowl year-round.

With about 649 residents, Panton has no village center, no store, and no school of its own — students attend school in nearby Vergennes. But the town maintains its own government, and the annual town meeting is where Panton's farmers, landowners, and newcomers come together to manage the community's affairs in the direct-democracy tradition Vermont is known for.