Wilmington (Images of America)

Tucked against the Deerfield River, Wilmington has long espoused the Vermont traits of rugged self-sufficiency coupled with a strong sense of community. Founded in 1751 by hardy settlers in the Green Mountains, residents held logging bees, barn raisings, and community dinners, with neighbors helping neighbors to construct a town where all could thrive. When new roads connected nearby towns in the early 1800s, Wilmington's residents banded together in 1833 to pick up and move the town to the valley via oxcarts for better economic opportunities afforded by the river and new roads. A variety of social clubs, fairs, and other events filled the community, keeping it close-knit and earning Wilmington a reputation as a place where visitors from the city could escape the hustle and bustle of urban living. That history of community continues today in the vibrant and enduring tradition of Old Home Week, a town-wide reunion held every decade since 1890 where former Wilmington residents the world over return home to celebrate friends, neighbors, community, and fond memories.