Readsboro

Down in the southwest corner of Bennington County, Readsboro sits along the Deerfield River near the Massachusetts border. The town was chartered in 1764 and developed around water power — the river's steep gradient made it ideal for mills, and a series of dams eventually supported hydroelectric generation that continues today.

Readsboro's history includes a period as a company town when the O.J. Grout Company operated a large timber and woodworking operation here in the late 1800s. The company built housing, a store, and community facilities for its workers. That era ended, but the town's identity remains tied to the river and the forests that surround it. About 700 people live here.

The Harriman Reservoir (also called Lake Whitingham), one of the largest bodies of water in Vermont, extends into Readsboro's territory and provides recreation. Town meeting continues each March, where residents gather to manage the affairs of a community that has adapted to economic change more than once and maintained its independence throughout.