- Manchester (town), Vermont
Image Court house Manchester Vermont.jpg thumb 250px Bennington County Courthouse Image manchester vt highlight.png thumb 250px Manchester, Vermont Manchester is a New England town town in, and one of two shire towns ref http www.leg.state.vt.us statutes fullsection.cfm?Title 24&Chapter 001&Section 00003 Title 24, Part I, Chapter 1, 3 , Vermont Statutes. Accessed 2007 11 01. ref county seat s GR 6 of, Bennington County, Vermont Bennington County , Vermont , United States . The population was 4,180 at the 2000 United States Census 2000 census . Manchester village , Vermont Manchester Village , an incorporated village, and Manchester Center, Vermont Manchester Center are settlement centers within the town. Manchester has become a tourist destination, especially for those from New York State New York and Connecticut , offering visitors factory outlet stores of national chain retailers such as Brooks Brothers and Ralph Lauren , as well as many locally owned businesses, including the Northshire Bookstore, one of America s leading independent bookstore s. History Image View of Manchester, VT.jpg thumb left View of Manchester in 1913 Unreferenced section date May 2010 The town was one of several chartered in 1761 by Benning Wentworth , colonial governor of New Hampshire . It was his custom to name new towns after prominent England English aristocrats of the day, hoping they might adopt a patronly interest in their namesake s. Wentworth named Manchester for Robert Montagu, 3rd Duke of Manchester . First settled in 1764, the town was laid out in 1784. The land was better suited for grazing than tillage , so by 1839 about 6000 sheep roamed the pasturage and hillsides. Other industries came to include iron mine s, marble quarry quarries and mills, and lumber companies. The arrival of the railroad from industrialized centers like New York City brought tourists, drawn by Manchester s historic architecture and beautiful setting among mountains. Following the American Civil War Ci ... more details
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