St. Johnsbury, VT - Thaddeus Showalter Needs Some Soothing Syrup

Small Town News

Welcome to St. Johnsbury, Vermont, "Gateway to the Northeast Kingdom." The area was originally granted in 1760 and went through several names until 1790 when the current name was adopted. St. Johnsbury is the county seat of Caledonia County and is the largest town in the Northeast Kingdom. The Northeast Kingdom is comprised of Essex, Orleans, and Calendonia counties in Northeast Vermont. A former governor coined the phrase for the area proclaiming that the area was so beautiful it ought to be a kingdom, The Northeast Kingdom. In the mid 19th century, a local inventor, Thaddeus Fairbanks, built the first platform scale, transforming the town into a minor manufacturing center. Fairbanks also founded St. Johnsbury Academy, a private high school. Interestingly, because the town doesn't have it's own public high school, Vermont law requires the town to pay tuition for the grades they do not offer. Most of the area high school students attend the academy at the town's expense. We hope you enjoy our trip to St. Johnsbury!

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