Vermont State Song

"These Green Mountains"

Lyrics: Diane Martin

Music: Diane Martin

Arrangement: Rita Buglass Gluck

Adoption: 2000

HISTORY

"Hail, Vermont!" served as the state song for 62 years. Composer Josephine Hovey Perry of Barre wrote the song describing a Vermonter’s pride in the beauty and history of the state. It was selected by a committee in 1937 and made official on May 12, 1938. The Vermont Arts Council commissioned a competition for the selection of the state song in 1998, and on May 22, 2000, "These Green Mountains" was chosen as the state song from among more than 100 songs submitted.  -World Trade Press

LYRICS

These green hills and silver waters
are my home. They belong to me.
And to all of her sons and daughters
May they be strong and forever free.

Let us live to protect her beauty
And look with pride on the golden dome.
They say home is where the heart is
These green mountains are my home.

These green mountains are my home.

The Vermont Quarter
The Vermont quarter, the fourth quarter in the 2001 series, features Camel's Hump Mountain with an image of maple trees and sap buckets in the forefront. "The Green Mountain State"The design honors the "Green Mountain State," the first state admitted to the Union after the original 13 colonies. Vermont is most famous for its skiing and the production of maple sugar and syrup.  Until the 1800s when cane sugar was introduced, Americans relied on Vermont's maple sugar for much of its sugar supply. Also featured on the quarter is Camel's Hump Mountain in the northern half of Vermont's Green Mountains. Camel's Hump is easily recognized by its unique double-humped profile and is one of the highest peaks in Vermont. Choosing the Design Governor Howard Dean began the design process for the Vermont quarter in 1999, by appointing the Vermont Arts Council as the agency responsible for soliciting concepts from residents throughout the state. The council proposed five concepts, each of which included Camel's Hump. Opinions were solicited by the Governor's Office through an informal radio survey, and the final design was selected by Governor Dean and submitted to the Secretary of the Treasury for final endorsement. The 50 State Quarter ProgramSigned into law in 1997, the 50 States Commemorative Coin Program Act has become the most successful numismatic program in American history, with roughly half of the U.S. population collecting the coins, either in a casual manner or as a serious pursuit. The program produces five different reverse designs each year for ten years—each representing a different state—the order of which is determined by the order states were admitted to the Union. Design concepts are submitted to the Secretary of the Treasury by state governors for final approval. The obverse of each quarter is a slight redesign of the quarter's previous design. The cost to manufacture a quarter is about 5 cents, providing a profit of approximately 20 cents per coin. So far, the federal government has made a profit of $4.6 billion from collectors taking the coins out of circulation. In 2009, the U.S. Mint launched a separate program issuing quarters commemorating the District of Columbia and various U.S. territories.
	Download a Hi-Res Image: Proof Image Uncirculated Image
	PROFILE
	Release Date:	August 6, 2001
	Design:	Maple trees with sap buckets Camel's Hump Mountain
	Captions:	"Freedom and Unity"
	Designer:	T. James Ferrell
	Engraver:	T. James Ferrell
	Mintage:	Denver Mint   - 459,404,000 Philadelphia Mint   - 423,400,000 Total   - 882,804,000
	SPECIFICATIONS
	Denomination:	Quarter Dollar
	Composition:	Copper Nickel alloy 91.67% Cu 8.33% Ni
	Weight:	2.000 oz (5.670 g)
	Diameter:	0.955 in (24.26 mm)
	Thickness:	0.07 in (1.75 mm)
	Edge:	Reeded
	No. of Reeds:	119
	Data Source: The U.S. Mint.

Vermont State Mineral
Talc STATUS Official Description Talc is a hydrous silicate mineral composed of magnesium, silicon, oxygen, and water. Talc is relatively pure in composition but can contain small amounts of aluminum, iron, manganese, and titanium. Talc can be white, apple green, dark green, brown, gray, or colorless, depending on its composition. Talc is the softest mineral, having a Mohs hardness of one, compared to diamond with a hardness of 10. Talc is composed of microscopic platelets, and the bonds holding the platelets together are very weak. This enables the platelets to slide by one another and results in talc’s soft and greasy feel. Talc is also used as a term to describe a rock that contains the mineral talc. Other names for talc-rich rocks are steatite, a high-purity massive ore variety, and soapstone, an impure rock containing talc and other minerals. STATE SYMBOL Large talc deposits are found in Vermont. They were formed in ocean crust that was left after the continents collided. Depending on the year, the Green Mountain state is the second or third largest producer of talc in the United States. Talc and soapstone are associated minerals in the rocks of the Green Mountains. Talc is currently mined in Ludlow, Vermont. The state legislature designated talc the official mineral of Vermont in 1991. NAME ORIGIN The English word talc comes from a Persian word, which comes from the Arabic word talq. FORMATION AND OCCURRENCE Talc is formed by two processes. In the first process, heated waters carrying magnesium and silica in solution react with and replace beds of dolomitic marble. The second process for forming talc involves the alteration of igneous rocks that contain abundant, heavy minerals. A sequence of fluids reacts with these magnesium-rich minerals in the host rocks, ultimately replacing the minerals with talc. These talc deposits form as rinds on the igneous rock bodies or nearly completely replace them. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION Talc is widespread. Some localities for good crystals or pure material are listed here. Austria: Mt. Greiner, Zillertal, Tirol Switzerland: Zermatt, Valais; and St. Gotthard, Ticino Italy: Pfitschtal, Trentino-Alto Adige France: Trimouns talc deposit, northeast of Luzenac, Ariège Germany: Goepfersgruen, Bavaria Norway: Snarum Russia: Onotosk deposit, Irkutsk, Siberia United States: near Fowler, St. Lawrence County, New York; Delta, York County, Pennsylvania; Smithfield, Providence County, Rhode Island; Rochester, Windsor County, Vermont; Holly Springs, Cherokee County, Georgia; and near San Andreas, Calaveras County, California USES Talc has been used by humans for centuries. The ancient Babylonians carved talc. The most commonly known use of talc today is in talcum, or "baby," powder. Soapstone is darker due to chlorite impurities and is used for sculpture as well as in manufacturing countertops and sinks. High-quality pure talc is useful to the agriculture, housing, automotive, and other manufacturing industries for its softness, purity, fragrance retention, whiteness, luster, moisture content, oil and grease adsorption, chemical inertness, low electrical conductivity, high dielectric strength, and high thermal conductivity. U.S. talc is used in the production of ceramics, paint, paper, plastics, roofing, rubber, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, adhesives, flooring, and caulking. Several medical studies have been done in the past several decades on the association of talc and certain kinds of cancers, including cancers of the lung, ovaries, and skin. One study at Harvard Medical School showed that "perineal talc use may modestly increase the risk of invasive serous ovarian cancer." Several organizations have petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to add a warning label to cosmetic talc products. However, since no conclusive study has shown an association between talc and certain cancers, the issue continues to be disputed. Talc remains approved by the FDA for cosmetic use. SYNTHETICS/SUBSTITUTES Pyrophyllite is a similar mineral with nearly identical physical properties to talc. Pyrophyllite is used as a substitute for talc in the manufacturing of ceramics. Kaolin, a clay mineral, and mica can be used in place of talc in many other manufacturing processes.	Talc Specimen Talc Samples Mining Talc Talcum Powder TALC FACTS Group: Pyrophyllite-Talc Chemical Formula: Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 Crystal Structure: Triclinic Hardness (Mohs): 1 Color: Colorless, white, pale green, bright emerald-green to dark green, brown, gray Transparency: Translucent Luster: Greasy, pearly, dull Density: 2.58-2.83 g/cm3 Streak: White Cleavage: Perfect on {001} Fracture: Sub-Conchoidal Tenacity: Sectile
	Some data courtesy of the Mineralogical Society of America Author: World Trade Press

Vermont State Gemstone
Grossular Garnet STATUS Official DESCRIPTION Taken as a whole, the garnet group, comprising several chemically and physically similar members, is one of the more common minerals. Some members, however, are quite rare and are prized by collectors and for use as gems. Garnets are normally deep red to reddish brown, but can also be brown, black, green, yellow, orange, pink, white, or colorless. Several varieties of color-changing garnets also exist. Grossular, also known as grossularite, is the calcium aluminum garnet; it forms in contact with metamorphosed calcareous rocks. Grossular has many color possibilities and is probably the most colorful of the garnets. The orange variety is the most common. The main members of the garnet group are pyrope, almandine, spessartine, grossular, andradite, and uvarovite. Hessonite is the variety name for a fine orange, cinnamon brown, or pinkish variety of grossularite, while tsavorite is the trade name for fine dark green grossularite. Melanite is a black titanium-bearing variety of andradite, and demantoid is a rich green variety. Rhodolite is a purplish-red, pyrope-almandite, solid-solution garnet. All species of garnet occur as gemstone quality. The only color garnet does not occur in is blue. STATE SYMBOL Grossular garnet from the Mt. Belvidere Quarries at Lowell and Eden, Vermont, is thought to be the finest of its kind anywhere. Vermont designated grossular garnet as the official state gem in 1991. NAME ORIGIN The word garnet may come from the Latin words granatus or granum, which mean "grain" or "grainy," and refer to the stone’s formation, wherein crystals resemble grains or seeds embedded in the matrix. The Latin word granatium means "pomegranate." The name of this stone may also come from the Middle English word gernet, meaning "dark red." Grossular garnet forms rounded crystals, and its name comes from the Latin grossularia meaning, "gooseberry." FORMATION AND OCCURRENCE Garnets form under the high temperatures and/or pressures that metamorphic and igneous rocks must endure. Geologists use garnets as a gauge of how much temperature and pressure a rock has experienced. Garnet forms from a whole family of minerals, including aluminum, calcium, chromium, silicon, oxygen, magnesium, manganese, iron, and vanadium, into several classifications of garnet. Grossular is one of the main members of the garnet group, along with pyrope, almandine, spessartine, andradite, and uvarovite. The green variety of grossular garnet is called tsavorite, which is occasionally cut as a gem. Hessonite is the name for an orange, cinnamon brown, red, or pinkish variety of grossularite, while tsavorite is the trade name for fine, dark green grossularite. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION Garnet is found throughout the world. Grossular garnet is found in the following localities: Russia: near Chernyshevsk, at the confluence of the Vilyui and Akhtaragda Rivers, Yakutia Italy: Ala Valley, Piedmont Austria: Zillertal, Tirol Romania: Ocna de Fier Canada: Jerrey mine, Asbestos, Quebec USA: Standish, Cumberland County, Maine; Belvidere Mountain quarries, Lowell, Orleans County, Vermont; Crestmore, Riverside County, California; the Old Cosumnes copper mine, El Dorado County, California; San Carlos mine, Mazourka Canyon, Inyo Range, Inyo County, California; Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California; and Vesper Peak, Sultan Basin, Snohomish County, Washington Mexico, Xalostoc and Morelos, Chihuahua and Sierra de la Cruces, near Lake Jaco, Coahuila Tanzania: Merelani Hills, southeast of Arusha Kenya: Taita Hills, near Voi USES Historical Uses Humans have used and worn garnet for thousands of years. It is said that Noah used a garnet lantern to help him light the way while steering the ark. This may have led explorers and travelers to carry the stone to light their way and protect them from disaster. Early Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used garnet in jewelry. Modern Uses A very small number of garnets are flawless enough to be cut as gemstones. To display the star effect, a garnet must be cut as a cabochon. Star gemstones tend to be opaque rather than transparent due to the presence of the inclusions. The majority of garnet mining is for massive garnet that is crushed and used to make abrasives. Harder garnets are also used to make garnet paper, a type of sandpaper. In 1994, United States production of industrial garnet was valued at about $14 million, while gem garnet production was valued at only about $233,000. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. production of gem-grade garnet will continue to increase and additional deposits will be brought into use in the coming years. Legend/Healing Garnet’s powers are believed to include healing, strength, and protection. It has been said that garnet gifts demonstrate affection for friends and lovers, strengthen bonds and heal broken ones, and help to insure that the pair will meet again. The stone is also believed to regulate the heart and blood flow, relieve inflammation, maintain sleep, and aid in curing depression. BIRTHSTONE Garnet is the traditional and modern birthstone for those born in January. It is also the stone for the Zodiac sign Aquarius, and may be given as a gem on the second and sixth wedding anniversary.	Grossular Garnet Grossular Garnet Gem Close-up of Grossular Garnet GARNET FACTS Group: Nesosilicates Chemical Formula:  (Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+)3(Al3+, Fe3+, Cr3+)2(SiO4)3 Crystal Structure: Cubic Hardness (Mohs): 6.0-7.5 Color: Virtually all colors except blue Transparency: Transparent Luster: Pyrope, almandine, spessartine, and grossular have a vitreous luster. Andradite (including demantoid) and uvarovite have an adamantine luster. Birefringence: None Pleochroism: None Refractive Index: 1.72-1.94 Density: 3.60-3.80 Streak: White Cleavage: Imperfect Fracture: Conchoidal to uneven
	Some data courtesy of the Mineralogical Society of America Author: World Trade Press

Vermont State Stone
Granite STATUS Official DESCRIPTION Granite is a hard, crystalline, plutonic igneous or (possibly) metamorphic rock. Its medium-to-large crystal size gives it a flecked or granular appearance, thus its name, from the Latingranum. Granite varies in composition depending on the parent rock that melts or partially melts to form it; the dominant components are silica and feldspar, which form the lighter-colored parts of the rock. The darker parts may be biotite, hornblende, muscovite, pyroxene, or other minerals. Granite is most often predominantly white, gray, pink, or red. Green and brown granites also occur. So-called "black granites" are really mafic (magnesium/ferric) rocks, not granite, which is felsic (feldspar/siliceous). A STATE SYMBOL In 1992, Vermont named three official state rocks: granite, marble, and slate. Vermont has been quarrying granite for over two centuries and has supplied building material to many U.S. cities. Barre, the center of the quarrying activity, is home to Rock of Ages, the world’s largest granite quarry, which is more than 125 years old. Barre was already quarrying granite in a small way in 1875, when the railway opened in the little town. A great burst of growth followed, generated by 68 granite quarries shipping fine granite far and wide. The industry attracted quarry workers from England and Sweden and carving artisans from Italy and Scotland, shaping the cultural makeup of the area. Another quarrying locale, Woodbury, sold several varieties of granite including Woodbury gray, Bethel (or peerless white), imperial blue, and Vermont white. A museum dedicated to the granite industry is under development in Barre. The museum will feature exhibits on the geology, technology, history, and culture of the granite quarries so vital to the city and the state. The site also includes a stone arts school. FORMATION Granite is plutonic, which means it forms underground, and is at least sometimes igneous, meaning it forms from magma. The underground origin allows slow cooling of the magma or parent rock and accounts for the medium to large crystal size characteristic of the rock. Geologists have searched for a means to explain how so much granite rises from the earth’s lower crust where it originates into the upper crust. Tectonic uplift and surface erosion may lead to granite’s exposure at the surface; however, these forces are not sufficient to account for the emplacement of most granite. Major theories presume that granite moves upward through surface rocks while it is still relatively hot, either pushing the other rocks aside or filling gaps at fault lines. Another disputed question is whether the majority of granite is actually metamorphic (silicified from softer rock). The prevailing theory remains that granite is primarily igneous. GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION Granite is the principal bedrock underlying large parts of northeastern Vermont; it also occurs as intrusions in rocks throughout the eastern half of the state and along the Lake Champlain shoreline. Worldwide, granite is widespread in continental landforms. It is the primary material of numerous mountain ranges formed above tectonic subduction zones; low-relief granite plutons, such as the vast Laurentian Shield of North America, underlie flatter topography as well. By contrast, the ocean floor is primarily made of basalt. USES Granite is one of the most favored stones for building construction because of its load-bearing capacity and resistance to weathering. In rough form, it is also a material of choice for other applications where toughness is essential, such as for breakwaters and riprap (shoreline protection), and for interiors where its hardness and glossy finish are both practical and beautiful. Granite aggregate is used for railroad ballast and as chip seal for road surfaces. PRODUCTION Two quarries in Vermont still produce dimension stone (stone cut for architectural use). A recent project of the Woodbury Quarries has been an addition to the Pennsylvania state capitol (see Famous Examples section below). Granite quarries also produce crushed stone; in 2006, 278,000 tons of crushed stone quarried in Vermont were sold for a total of $2.8 million. FAMOUS EXAMPLES Vermont’s Woodbury gray granite built Chicago’s Cook County Courthouse and City Hall in 1885, and the Carnegie Library in Syracuse, New York in 1907. The most famous building using Vermont granite is the Pennsylvania State Capitol, completed in 1906 and faced with Woodbury gray granite. Granite is used throughout the world in buildings and monuments. Aberdeen, Scotland, and Hyderabad, India, are two cities that have used great quantities of locally quarried granite in their buildings; Aberdeen is nicknamed "the Granite City." Because granite endures weathering better than most rocks, it forms some of the nation’s most impressive stone outcrops. The granite formations of Yosemite National Park are among the most famous.	Granite Up Close Old Building Constructed of Granite Blocks of Marble The Washington Monument Is Built of Marble Shale Rock Shale Roof GRANITE FACTS Name: Granite Chemical Formula: SiO2 Color: White, gray, pink or red MARBLE FACTS Name: Marble Chemical Formula: CaCO3 Color: White or lightly colored, usually with dark streaks SLATE FACTS Group: Slate Chemical Formula: Varies, primarily SiO2 & KAl2(Si3Al)O10(OH,F)2 Color: Gray
	Author: World Trade Press

Vermont State Day, Motto, and Nickname

STATE DAY March 4 STATUS Unofficial DATE OF ADMISSION TO UNITED STATES March 4, 1791 RANKING IN STATE ADMISSION 14th FORMER DESIGNATIONS New France New Hampshire New Connecticut HISTORY The state of Vermont owes its evolution to the single-minded and at times perilous determination of its early colonists. Caught between the expansive efforts of New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and New York, Vermont became the object of political boundary disputes that on several occasions became violent. Finally, on January 18, 1777, the colonists who populated the area organized and created an independent republic, which they named New Connecticut. The republic was eventually renamed Vermont at a later convention, and on July 8, 1777, the Constitution of Vermont was completed. This constitution was the first such document in North America to abolish slavery, provide suffrage for non-landholders, and create the legal basis for public schools. Vermont maintained itself as a sovereign entity until March 4, 1791, when by mutual agreement and due process Vermont became the 14th state of the Union and the first state to join after the 13 original colonies. MOTTO "Freedom and Unity" The motto of Vermont is found on the Great Seal of the State of Vermont. The actual origins are unknown, but it is believed to represent the beliefs of the original settlers who united under adverse conditions, declared their freedom, and stubbornly maintained that freedom against all adversaries. NICKNAME "The Green Mountain State" This nickname is a derivation of the description made by early French explorers of the Green Mountains of Vermont. -World Trade Press

Vermont: A Historical Timeline
PRIOR TO 1600 PRE-EUROPEAN SETTLEMENT 7000– 1000 BCE Native Americans reside in Vermont, moving around the region seasonally to hunt, gather, and fish. 1000 –1600 CE During the Woodland period, Native Americans establish villages and develop trade networks and ceramic and bow-and-arrow technology. The earliest known Native American farm site in Vermont is an Abenaki settlement in Springfield, dating from around 1100 CE. The Algonquian and the Iroquois also inhabit the region that becomes Vermont. The Native population in Vermont is nearly wiped out over the next two centuries due to European diseases and a desire for land among European settlers. 1600–1773 EARLY EUROPEAN EXPLORATION AND SETTLEMENT 1609 French explorer Samuel de Champlain explores the area now known as Vermont and claims it for France. He also names Lake Champlain. 1666 The French begin construction on Forte St. Anne on Isle LaMotte as part of their fortification of Lake Champlain. It is the site of the first European settlement in Vermont as well as the first Catholic mass. 1690 A group of Dutch-British settlers from Albany establish a small fort at Chimney Point to monitor the French on Lake Champlain. 1724 The colonial militia from the Province of Massachusetts Bay establishes the first British settlement in Vermont with the construction of Fort Dummer. It consists of a 180-square-foot wooden stockade with 12 guns manned by 55 men (including 12 Mohawks). 1730 The French arrive in Swanton, and the plague follows. The local Abenaki Native Americans retreat to the woods. 1731 The French build a fort at Chimney Point and begin a settlement, intended to block the lake route from the British colonies to Canada. After British troops close in 1759 the French blow up the fort and set fire to the houses, leaving only the chimneys, which results in the name Chimney Point. 1755 Vermont settlers, including future revolutionary Ethan Allen, join the colonial militia to assist the British in attacking the French during the French and Indian War. 1764 The Province of New York claims Vermont as its territory land granted to the Duke of York (later King James II) in 1664. However, New Hampshire also claims Vermont based on a decree given by George II in 1740. On July 20, George III sets the western boundary of New Hampshire, decreeing that Albany County, New York gain Vermont. 1770 Ethan Allen recruits an informal militia, the Green Mountain Boys, to protect the interests of the New Hampshire settlers (in what is present-day Vermont) from migrants from New York. 1774–1799 REVOLUTIONARY VERMONT 1774 The Scottish-American Land Company, a group interested in resettling Scottish immigrants in America, brings Scottish settlers to Vermont. 1775 (March) The Westminster Massacre. A New York judge arrives in Westminster with New York settlers, leading to a standoff as angry Vermonters seize the courthouse and call a sheriff’s posse. Two men are killed. Without firing a single shot, Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys capture the British-held fort at Ticonderoga, New York, on the western shore of Lake Champlain. This is the first aggressive Patriot act of the War of Independence. 1776 The first convention of freemen meets in Dorset to declare the region a free and independent district. 1777 (January 18) The Westminster Convention. Representatives meet in Westminster and declare their land an independent republic called New Connecticut (also known colloquially as The Republic of the Green Mountains). Vermont becomes a country to itself with its own postal service, money, and elected president. (June 2) A second convention meets in Westminster and delegates adopt the name Vermont after the French les Monts Verts ("the Green Mountains"). The constitution of Vermont is drafted the following month. It is the first written constitution in North America to abolish slavery, provide suffrage to non land-owning men, and create public schools. It is formally adopted July 8. 1779 Vermont grants women the right to own, inherit, and bequeath property. 1791 (January 10) The Vermont Republic ratifies the U.S. Constitution. (March 4) Vermont becomes the 14th state, the first addition to the Union that was not one of the original 13 colonies. (November 3) Vermont becomes the 10th state to ratify the Bill of Rights. 1794 President George Washington approves a measure to add two stars and stripes to the American flag, following the admission of Kentucky and Vermont to the union. The number of stripes is later reduced to the original thirteen. 1800–1849 STATE OF VERMONT 1805 Montpelier is chosen as Vermont’s state capital. It is the nation’s smallest capital city by population. 1812 Because of its close proximity to Canada, Burlington, Vermont becomes a station for 5,000 troops during the War of 1812. Troops outnumber the residents of the town at the time. Merino sheep are introduced to Vermont, leading to a long boom-bust cycle of wool production in the state. Sheep farming collapses by the 1840s due to competition from the Western states. 1819 The Vermont Colonization Society is formed. Its objectives are to remove all Africans in the U.S., both free and enslaved, to Liberia; "introduce civilization" to Africa; and eradicate the slave trade. 1840 The abolitionist Liberty Party is formed in Vermont. It becomes the Free Soil Party in 1848. 1849 The first railroad lines connecting Boston to Montreal are constructed through Vermont with the Central Vermont Railway. 1850–1899 THE CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION ERAS 1850 No Vermont Congressman votes for the Compromise of 1850, a series of laws intended to balance the interests of the slave states in the South and the free states in the North. The Vermont legislature passes an act to impede the carrying out of the Fugitive Slave Act, which declares that all runaway slaves must be returned to their masters. 1853 Vermont prohibits the consumption of alcoholic beverages, an act that passes by a narrow margin and is loosely enforced over the years. 1861–65 The Civil War erupts. More than 28,100 Vermonters serve in volunteer units. 1864 (October 19) The northernmost land action of the Civil War takes place in St. Albans, Vermont. Twenty-five escaped Confederate prisoners of war raid the town Canadian border town with the intent of robbing three banks and burning down the town. Most of the raiders are captured and imprisoned in Canada, then later released after a court rules the robberies an act of war. 1880 (December 18) Women are granted limited suffrage and allowed to vote in town elections and state legislative races. 1883 Vershire copper mines are closed after the price of copper drops. The miners riot and are subsequently arrested by the state militia. 1894 Consisting of 132 cases, the first polio epidemic in the U.S. breaks out in Rutland, Vermont. 1900–1929 EARLY 20TH CENTURY 1902 Vermont approves a law allowing for the local sale of alcoholic beverages, countering the prior law of 1853 that banned them entirely. 1910–30 The 272-mile Long Trail, a hiking trail running the length of Vermont, is created. It is now the oldest surviving long-distance trail in the United States. 1919 Ninety-four farmers establish Vermont dairy cooperative Cabot Creamery in order to better market their products throughout New England. The cost to join at the time is $5 a cow and a cord of wood to fuel the boiler. By 1930 cattle outnumber people in the state. Today Vermont’s dairy industry is the largest in New England. 1921 (February 8) Vermont becomes the 38th state to ratify the 19th Amendment, granting women the right to vote. 1927 Massive flooding results in the deaths of 84 people in Vermont. The state floods from Newport to Bennington, and many of Vermont’s roads and bridges are washed away. 1930–1949 THE GREAT DEPRESSION AND WORLD WAR II 1941 The U.S. enters World War II. The Air Force establishes numerous airfields in Vermont for training fighter and bomber crews and pilots. Several are maintained as front-line bases during the subsequent Cold War. 1950–PRESENT MODERN VERMONT 1968 New billboards are banned in Vermont, and existing billboards must be removed within five years, keeping interstates and back roads clear of outdoor advertising. 1970 The state legislature passes Act 250, known as the Land Use and Development Act. The law creates nine District Environmental Commissions, which review large-scale development projects using 10 criteria designed to safeguard the environment, community life, and aesthetic character of the state. It is a citizen-based response to rapid growth and a represents some of the first major environmental and development law on a state level. 1976 Governor Tom Salmon grants the tribal council of the Abenaki Native Americans recognition. The following year, the recognition of the council is removed for unknown reasons. 1978 (May 5) The first Ben & Jerry’s ice cream store opens in Burlington. The founders combine ice cream-making with social activism, measuring their success by a product mission, economic mission, and social mission. Their desire to consider profits as just one part of their success generates national attention. 1996 Vermont gets a Wal-Mart, ending its claim as the only state in the U.S. without one. Today, Vermont still has the only state capital without a McDonald’s, reflecting Vermonters desire to frequent local businesses and an emphasis on quality of life rather than economic growth. 2000 Vermont’s governor Howard Dean signs the nation’s first bill sanctioning benefits of marriage to gay and lesbian couples in the form of civil unions. 2006 Bernard Sanders from Vermont becomes the first Socialist elected to the U.S. Senate, although he is counted as a Democrat for official purposes. 2007 The Vermont government officially opposes the Iraq War. It suffers the country’s highest rate of war-related deaths due to the number of its volunteers and participation by the Vermont National Guard. 2009 (April 7) Vermont becomes the fourth state to legalize same-sex marriage, overriding Governor Jim Douglas’s veto. 2009 (August) Tropical Storm Irene hits the East Coast of the United States. The Governor Peter Shumlin declares a state of emergency At least three people in Vermont die as a result of the storm and damage in the state is estimated at around $200 million.
	Click to enlarge an image 1609: Statue of Samuel de Champlain, Lake Champlain in the background 1724: Fort Dummer Plaque 1730: Abenaki couple 1775: Engraving depicting Ethan Allen demanding the surrender of Fort Ticonderoga 1777: Flag of the Green Mountain Boys 1812: Merino sheep 1840: Van Buren and Adams campaign banner 1850: Vermont Legislature 1850: Map of the Compromise of 1850 1910: The Long Trail 1919: Cabot Creamery 1976: Governor Thomas Paul Salmon 1978: Vermont's own Ben & Jerry's 1996: Typical Wal-Mart store outside of Vermont 2000: Howard Dean's official Vermont State House portrait 2006: Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders 2009: Jim Douglas, 80th Governor of Vermont