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Rejection of the Green Mountain Parkway - 1937

The idea for the Green Mountain Parkway came in 1931 from Col. William Wilgus, former chief engineer of the New York Central Railroad. He envisioned the 250-mile parkway, which would run the length of the state, as a sister to the Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia and North Carolina. It was in essence a public works project that would stimulate the state economy and be a gift to future generations.

The parkway was backed by President Roosevelt and Gov. Stanley Wilson, the state chamber of commerce, author Dorothy Canfield Fisher, and The Burlington Free Press. It was opposed by the Green Mountain Club, the speaker of the House, and the Rutland Herald.

In the 1935 Legislature the parkway proposal failed in the House, 126-111, but passed the Senate. A statewide referendum was held on Town Meeting Day 1936 and the parkway went down to defeat, 42,873 opposed and 30,895 in favor.