Stockbridge

Chartered in 1761, Stockbridge lies in the narrow valley of the White River's Tweed River tributary in Windsor County. The town's early economy depended on farming the river bottomland and logging the surrounding hills. A devastating flood in 1927 swept through the valley, destroying bridges and buildings — a disaster that still shapes how Vermonters think about river management.

With a population of about 710, Stockbridge remains a small, quiet community. Route 100 runs through town, connecting it to Rochester to the north and Killington to the south. The Green Mountain National Forest borders the town, and the surrounding landscape of wooded mountains and river meadows draws hikers, anglers, and those seeking solitude. Town meeting in March is the annual exercise in direct democracy where residents gather to set the budget, maintain the roads, and govern their community as Vermonters have done for over two centuries.