I always love it when I get to a campground and my site is next to another Airstream! What an adorable Bambi!
Mel and Wanda were next to me for only one night, but we had a pleasant chat.
I had booked a week at Onion River Campground, on the bank of the scenic Winooski River. The river used to be called Onion River, so that is where the campground got its name.
Actually, the river was originally called some variation of Winooski, which was an Abenaki word that means onion or leak. It got the name Onion River as part of an 18th century land marketing ploy by Ethan Allen and his brothers. They formed the Onion River Land Company, thinking that it would make the region sound safer and more settled. Around 1850, Winooski was once again in favor. One theory was that people were referring to the capital as Montpelier-on-the-Onion. I guess that seemed less than dignified.
Speaking of Montpelier, one reason I picked this campground was for its proximity to the state capital.
When I drove over to see the capital, I happened upon a special event. After circling for a while, I found a parking spot that was just a block away. When I walked up, I noticed a woman filming a news story. I struck up a conversation with her, and it turns out that not only was she reporting the story, she had to do the video work. And, when she got back to the station, she had to edit it herself. Things sure have changed!
This poster was really appropriate for the location. The statue on top of the dome is Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture.
On my way up to the capitol, I eyeballed the wonderful items they had for sale. I don’t think I had ever seen yellow tomatoes before.
I entered and found out that I was just in time for a free tour of what they call the Vermont State House. Actually, this is the the third State House. It was built to replace the second house that burned down in 1857.
They were able to reuse the portico from the second State House for the current one. It underwent a complete renovation in the 1990s and the chambers look much the same as they did when the third State House re-opened in 1859.
Under the portico was a Revolutionary War gun that was captured during the Battle of Bennington. It was mounted on Civil War gun carriage with a limber for carrying ammunition or supplies behind.
On the other side of the entrance is native son, Ethan Allen – patriot and real estate developer. Actually, the guide told us that is was a fictionalized image of him, as no portraits were made of him during his lifetime.
Our guide, Mike, gave us a spirited tour of the building. He brought us to the Senate chamber and we got to sit at the desks. 
I sat at desk number 12.
Our next stop was the House Chamber. It is much larger than the Senate Chamber for a couple of reasons. One reason the room is larger is that is is where they hold joint sessions. The Senators sit in chairs that ring the room. The other reason is that when the state established the government, each town got a representative, so the room needed to be larger.
Mike also explained how Vermont went from a very conservative state to a liberal one. One factor was improved transportation. The Interstate highway system brought new people into the state. The other factor was that the Supreme Court made a decision sometime in the 1960s that made it necessary to have the legislature reflect the population. I may not remember this correctly, but it seems to me that they made it so that there were legislative districts rather than having each town have a legislator. Since there was an influx of more liberal ideas and a change in how the people that made the laws were selected, the political climate of Vermont changed.
We stopped in to a room that is called the Governor’s Office. It is a largely ceremonial room – he does day-to-day work in another building. The chair that he is displaying was made from wood from the USS Constitution.
The last room we visited was the Cedar Creek Room, which is a space used for receptions. The name “Cedar Creek Room” comes from the October 1864 Battle of Cedar Creek in Virginia. This is a significant historical event to the people of Vermont because their troops took part in the battle. The battle is significant in American history because this was the battle that effectively ended the Confederate invasion of the North. This victory aided Abraham Lincoln’s reelection effort.
The mural was painted by Julian Scott in 1874.
After that stop, we were dismissed. I decided to take the elevator down. Outside the elevator, I found a plaque honoring the Vermont Mothers of the Year.
It’s kind of tucked away, but it could be worse. They could have decided to display it in the Ladies’ Room.
I made my way out of the State House. The view of the market from the portico made me want to go explore.
There were all sorts of stands – vegetables, fruits, dairy, wine and even wool.
This cow was there interacting with the passers-by.
I got my lunch at the pierogi stand. It was a tasty treat.
On my way to explore the town, I think I may have spotted the quintessential Vermont scene.
A yoga class on the lawn next to a farmers’ market in front of the State house, with a big dog watching.
I strolled a couple of blocks, but the weather was so gloomy that I decided to return another day. After all, I booked my site at Onion River Campground for a whole week.
More Montpelier later!