What’s the Story Behind These Vermont Place Names?
April 12, 2025
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Vermont has no shortage of offbeat place names. What is special about Vermont place names is that they come with a story—either a true one or a mix of myth, folklore and fact.
Esther Monroe Swift wrote Vermont-Place Names: Footprints in History in 1977. She spent 20 years researching her book. She found stories about places like Smutty Corners in Northfield, Lemon Fair in Orwell and Ticklenaked Pond in Ryegate.
Felchville in Reading
Felchville in Reading is named after William Felch, who arrived in town in the 1820s. Felchville was previously called Puddledock because it was a swampy, low-lying place of little value. Felch built a house, opened a store and started a small factory. The village prospered.
But in 1922, despite strong objections from locals, the Felchville Post Office was renamed the Reading Post Office.
The village still identifies with the Felchville name all these years later. There’s a Felchville Cemetery, and the 2024 town report mentioned Felchville 11 times.
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-Lemon Fair is a tributary to the Otter Creek that flows north from Orwell to Weybridge. Courtesy of Special Collections, UVM Bailey/Howe Library
Lemon Fair in Orwell
A small tributary to the Otter Creek, called Lemon Fair, rises in Orwell and flows north to Weybridge. One story says that the body of water was named after an old woman who, when she first saw the river, said it was a “truly lamentable affair,” which eventually was said as Lemon Fair.
Another story is that a child dropped a bag of lemons in the water, which tinted the stream. Swift says the most logical reason for the name is that Lemon Fair is the French name for the river, Limon Faire, which means to make mud.
Jonesville in Richmond
On Route 2, on the outskirts of Richmond, is Jonesville. Richmond Center was the main village for many years, but Jonesville was a close second, according to Swift.
Jonesville is named after Ransom Jones, who was the most prominent merchant in the area during the 1880s. If you’re heading to Bolton Valley or Waterbury from Richmond, you’ll see the Jonesville sign on your right.
Satan’s Kingdom in Leicester
When it comes to place names, Satan’s Kingdom in Leicester is a bit of an unknown.
Swift writes that Satan’s Kingdom might have been named by someone who had expected fertile, rolling acres when they arrived to the area. Instead they found rocks and hills.
Sounds like Vermont.
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