Orleans County

Orleans County is a quiet, rural county in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. In the late 18th and early 19th century, southern New England settlers moved north to the hills and valleys where the Native American Abenaki had long resided. Life in Orleans County was hard and isolated, with travel often curtailed by intense winter weather and deep spring mud. But instead of leaving the beautiful land, the people made their own civilization and settled into country life. Images of America: Orleans County highlights the men and women who farmed the land and took part in the growth of industry. Historic photographs portray the county's evolution as the number of farms decreased and factory work increased, transportation progressed from wagon and sleigh to the automobile and railroad, and agriculture moved from horse-powered equipment to gas-powered tractors.