Photo courtesy of @ northhillhome
Readsboro
A town of 743 people on the Deerfield River , Readsboro is tucked away in the southeasternmost corner of Bennington County . Water power from the Deerfield River once powered industry , and a sizable immigrant population from northern Italy , from terrain not unlike Vermont ’ s , settled here a hundred years ago to work in Readsboro ’ s thriving furniture factories . The Readsboro General Store still stocks the coarse-grained polenta favored by those hardy Italians .
Modern Readsboro , surrounded by hills and mountains on all sides , is a modest town in a dramatically scenic setting . In summer , kayakers , rafters , and tubers who begin their river adventures in Readsboro or further upstream in Readsboro Falls can end up ( by design ) in Charlemont , Mass .; check conditions before you put in , as there are rapids . Other visitors might be content to take in the scenery from the safety of the porch of the Readsboro Inn . The factories are gone , but the river remains a source of hydropower , generating electricity for the region .
A Fourth of July parade ends in an impressive display of fireworks at the park , and summer ends in a burst of autumn colors . Winter ends too , eventually , and before long the summer people return to camps and summer homes , check for porcupine damage , clear away any fallen branches , and happily relax in a forgotten corner of Vermont .
COME EXPLORETHESHIRES . COM 36 FOR INFO CALL 802.447.3311