Putney

Book excerpt: Putney, Vermont owes much to its early farming settlers who established the town's spirit of hard work and ingenuity, and to its mill workers whose labor sustained the town's economy for over 200 years. Agricultural advances, social experiments, and a devout commitment to education and artistry helped this community earn world renown with such institutions as the Putney School, America's first co-ed boarding school; Landmark College, the only U.S. two-year college devoted to students with learning differences; the Yellow Barn, an international music school with a famous annual music festival; and the Experiment in International Living. Putney celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2003, marking a tradition of overcoming internal strife and economic hardship to prosper through innovation and industry.