"The New England Town Meeting of the 17th century was the genesis of civil government in the United States. The early English colonists inaugurated an original system of local self-government in this country when they organized themselves into separate societies or bodies for maintaining law and order. The "community of interest" idea was apparently the primary motive for organizing these primitive municipal governments. Each one was independent of the other because the wilderness separated them and stockades limited their boundaries. Every settlement was a religious as well as a civil body politic, with a church as its center. The people constituted the law-making power and frequently met to discuss affairs of common interest. These meetings were presided over by a moderator elected for that purpose, and the will of the people was executed by officers annually elected at the town meeting." The above excerpt is the opening paragraph of "The Vermonter, A State Magazine, April 1902." This edition of The Vermonter is devoted to Montpelier, VT. The first article is entitled "Municipal Government in Vermont," and is included in its entirety, along with the photographs which appeared in the article (Including the Mayors of the City of Montpelier from 1895 - 1902). In the days to come, I will be posting the entire magazine on the Vermont web site, along with the advertisements which appeared within the publication. NOTE: This article is heavy with graphics so please allow time for the download. I have kept the format as faithfully to the original as possible. This new addition to the Vermont Web Site is accessible from the main gateway page, by clicking on the "Latest Additions" button (located in the middle of the page): http://www.rootsweb.com/~vermont/VERMONTGATEWAY.html Best wishes and good luck with your search, Karima List Administrator Vermont Discussion List Visit the VERMONT-L Web Site http://www.rootsweb.com/~vermont/