The fifties and early sixties can be best summed up as the end of the milk can, the demise of the short line railroads (the Montpelier and Wells River in 55′, the Rutland Railroad in 62′) and the twilight of the nearly hundred year run of the “Grand old Party”. The state that never voted for Roosevelt and told him where he could stick his “Green Mountain Parkway” was in a process of transition.
What happened was the perfect storm for the coming “flatlander” invasion of the sixties.
Dairy farmers no longer took milk cans to the railroad station. The tracks were torn up or abandoned. Now refrigerated tank trucks came to the farm to pick up the milk. But , the farmer was now required to have a refrigerated bulk tank of his own. Many farms on the edge couldn’t afford it. A lot of their kids didn’t want to carry on. Consequently a lot of land went up for sale. “Vermont, the beckoning country” became the motto for real estate agents in the early sixties.
With the arrival of the Interstate highways Vermont was within 4 hours drive of all the major metropolitan cities. Many moved here and more then a few discovered that unlike where they were from, here they could be the big fish in a little pond.They became teachers, journalist, and politicians (hey Bernie), and over the course of four decades turned the State of Vermont from red to purple to the deep blue it is today.
1 thought on “The fifties, the sixties. Vermont at the crossroads.”
Mannix
Your statement regarding how game changing the milk bulk tank was is lost on most historians. My father in law often describes the invasion of VT. by those south of us as “Big Fish in a small pond.” I sometimes think that VT has a “False economy” due to the people who own property here, and visit most week-ends. “Playground of the Rich” is also descriptive.
Your statement regarding how game changing the milk bulk tank was is lost on most historians. My father in law often describes the invasion of VT. by those south of us as “Big Fish in a small pond.” I sometimes think that VT has a “False economy” due to the people who own property here, and visit most week-ends. “Playground of the Rich” is also descriptive.