Wells

Chartered in 1761, Wells is a Rutland County town near the New York border, situated between the Taconic Mountains and the broad valley to the east. The town is home to several ponds — Wells itself is not one, but Lake St. Catherine lies partly within the town's borders and has been a summer resort destination since the nineteenth century.

With a population of about 589, Wells is a quiet community whose character shifts with the seasons. Summer brings visitors to the lake; the rest of the year, the town settles into its agricultural rhythms. The terrain is gentler than much of Vermont — the western valleys and Taconic foothills offer rolling farmland and open views. Town meeting in March is where residents come together to set the budget and elect officers, maintaining the direct democratic tradition that has governed Vermont towns since the colonial era.