Vermont has had the good fortune of being home to many individuals who guided by great foresight have given back tremendously to their homeland. One of these individuals has left a legacy that continues through his son and his grandsons. That man is Vrest Orton. Vrest was a native Vermonter having been born in Hardwick, VT. After traveling extensively and establishing a career in journalism, he returned to his native Vermont in the Town of Weston. There he started the Vermont Country Store which in short order reached out the rest of the country through its folksy catalog, Voice of the Mountains. Through the Vermont Country Store, he strove to preserve and publicise the traditional values of Vermont. Vrest authored several books, was a very strong factor in the restoration and preservation of Weston and  was one of the founders of Vermont Life Magazine, www.vtlife.com. Vermont Country Store, www.vermontcountrystore.com  is a very strong attraction to those coming to Vermont in its two locations, Weston and Rockingham. Vrest’s  son, Lyman, has carried on the family tradition and leadership of the Store along with his three sons. By following the vision and dedication to public service, Lyman and his sons have established the Orton Foundation, www.orton.org. Based in Vermont and Colorado, the foundation is dedicated to helping communities throughout the country plan their future through discovery of what they term the heart and soul of the community. I have been to a couple of seminars that they have conducted and found them to be extremely knowledgable and fiercely dedicated to helping communities understand, develope and nurture their strengths. The Orton family is not only giving back to Vermont but to the entire country through their very generous, unselfish vision of a society built on the strengths of character.

Posted by Wade I. Treadway