You’ll find Victory, Vermont tucked away in Essex County’s Northeast Kingdom, where this near-ghost town maintains a population of just 62 residents. The remote community, which didn’t receive electricity until 1963, is split between Victory Hill and Gallup Mills, divided by 20,000 acres of state forest and bogs. Once a thriving lumber settlement with seven villages, Victory’s abandoned carriage roads and the historic Story House now hold tales of both prosperous times and paranormal encounters.
Key Takeaways
- Victory, Vermont is a remote town with only 62 residents, down from its prosperous past as a lumber industry hub.
- The town contains numerous abandoned structures, including historic homesteads, carriage roads, and stone walls from its 19th-century peak.
- The Story House and former Steven’s Mills train station are prominent abandoned structures associated with local paranormal activity.
- Dense forests and bogs have reclaimed much of Victory’s built environment, creating an eerie atmosphere around abandoned foundations.
- The town’s ghost town reputation stems from its dramatic population decline, isolated location, and reports of unexplained phenomena.
The Last Frontier of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom
Nestled in Essex County within Vermont’s rugged Northeast Kingdom, Victory stands as one of the state’s most remote and sparsely populated communities.
You’ll find yourself in a place where community resilience was tested by isolation – the town didn’t receive electricity until 1963, making it one of Vermont’s final frontiers for modern infrastructure.
Though once bustling with seven distinct villages, multiple schools, and a thriving lumber industry, today’s Victory reflects the challenges of rural sustainability.
From thriving historic hub to rural outpost, Victory embodies the complex story of Vermont’s changing countryside.
The population has dwindled to just 62 residents, yet the area’s untamed beauty draws visitors seeking authentic wilderness experiences.
You’re surrounded by pristine forests where historic homesteads and abandoned mills tell stories of a bygone era, while modern outdoor enthusiasts discover new purposes in this untamed corner of Vermont.
Today, the area has gained recognition from National Geographic for its commitment to sustainable tourism practices.
The region’s extreme climate, with 100 frost-free days annually, has historically shaped both settlement patterns and daily life in this remote community.
A Town Divided by Time and Territory
Victory’s stark division between Victory Hill and Gallup Mills, separated by 20,000 acres of state forest and bogs, reflects both geographical barriers and deep-rooted social tensions that have evolved over generations.
You’ll find modest homes with White Mountain views dotting Victory Hill’s dirt roads, while six miles away, Gallup Mills presents a mix of well-kept and deteriorating trailer homes in the valley below.
Among the historical structures dotting the landscape, the Story House stands as a testament to the town’s more prosperous past, though its deteriorating condition mirrors the community’s current divisions.
The town’s longstanding interpersonal feuds, now spanning two decades with forgotten origins, have cemented these physical divisions into cultural battle lines, leading many residents to embrace Victory precisely for its profound isolation.
Like many of Vermont’s ghost towns and ruins, Victory’s abandoned buildings tell silent stories of a once-thriving community that has slowly faded into history.
Historical Roots of Discord
Though its pastoral charm once drew post-Civil War settlers like Charles A. Story, who built his homestead with an apiary and swan-filled farm, Victory’s seemingly idyllic beginnings masked deeper territorial disputes that would shape generations of conflict.
You’ll find the town’s historical grievances rooted in its resource-driven past, where timber and charcoal operations established lasting claims that still influence modern feuds. Similar to the logging industry that once thrived in nearby Glastenbury, these operations shaped the region’s development.
Today, you can see how 20,000 acres of state forest physically divide Victory Hill’s modest homes from Gallup Mills’ trailer community, a geographical split that mirrors long-standing social divisions. The community of just 62 residents continues to struggle with maintaining basic services and infrastructure.
The town’s extreme isolation – marked by delayed electrification and slow emergency response times – has allowed these historical wounds to fester unchecked, creating an environment where neighbors avoid each other and ancient feuds define daily life.
Modern Battle Lines Drawn
When you look at Victory today, a stark 20,000-acre expanse of state forest and bog physically divides the community into two distinct territories – Victory Hill’s modest homes and Gallup Mills’ scattered trailer community in the valley below.
This geographical split mirrors a deep-rooted social isolation that’s defined Victory for two decades. Much like the abandoned graveyard ruins found in other Vermont ghost towns, the area serves as a stark reminder of communities torn apart. The region’s isolation echoes the desolate remains of the North Concord Station that once vigilantly watched over Vermont’s skies.
You’ll find the community division runs deeper than just dirt roads and challenging terrain. Key figures like Patricia and Walter Mitchell stand on one side of a bitter, ongoing feud whose origins even locals can’t recall.
The conflict has spilled into every aspect of town life, from governance to neighborly relations. With limited interaction between the two areas and emergency services taking up to 45 minutes to arrive, the territorial divide has created a town where mistrust and isolation have become the norm.
Tales From the Abandoned Carriage Roads
Deep within Essex County’s forested terrain, the abandoned carriage roads of Victory tell stories of a bygone era.
You’ll find these 19th-century pathways winding through hills and hollows, once serving as essential lifelines for settlers, farmers, and timber workers seeking fortune in Vermont’s rugged landscape. Similar to the old turnpike system routes, travelers would pay tolls to traverse these vital roads.
These historic thoroughfares reveal Victory’s vibrant past through:
- Weathered stone walls and foundations marking former homesteads and taverns where stagecoaches once stopped
- Second-floor ballrooms in roadside inns that hosted community gatherings and social events
- Natural adaptations in the road design, following gentler grades to accommodate carriages through challenging terrain
Today, you’re walking through living history as these overgrown paths, though silent, stand as evidence of Victory’s transformation from a bustling community to a ghost town.
Living on the Edge: Modern-Day Victory
Modern Victory stands in stark contrast to its historic past, with just 72 residents calling this remote Essex County town home in 2025.
You’ll find a tight-knit community where the median age hovers around 66 years, reflecting remarkable community resilience despite challenging circumstances.
While you won’t encounter traditional town amenities, Victory’s residents have adapted to their edge-of-civilization lifestyle.
The town’s elder adaptation needs shape its development, as most inhabitants are retirement age. The demographics show that White residents dominate at 93.3% of the population.
With median household incomes ranging from $31,250 to $38,476, you’ll discover a population that’s learned to thrive with limited resources.
The unemployment rate sits at zero, though this reflects the unique dynamics of a micro-community rather than economic prosperity.
Despite its ghost town reputation, Victory endures as Vermont’s smallest incorporated community.
Haunting Whispers of the Past
As you explore Victory’s historic Story House and the 19th-century train station-turned-horse-barn, you’ll encounter stark reminders of the town’s more prosperous past.
Walking the abandoned carriage roads that wind through Victory Hill, you’re likely to notice the unexplained cold spots and eerie atmospheres that have fueled local ghost stories.
Reports of paranormal activity, particularly in the town’s older structures, include persistent rapping sounds and unexplained temperature drops in specific areas like sewing rooms and mudrooms.
Historic Buildings Speak Volumes
Time-weathered buildings scattered across Victory’s landscape tell compelling stories of Vermont’s rural past.
You’ll find architectural significance in the Greek Revival Story House, built by Civil War veteran Charles A. Story, with its steep wall dormers and once-thriving 46-swan farm. The town’s social decline becomes evident through its abandoned structures, now housing less than 100 residents.
Here’s what you’ll discover in Victory’s remaining structures:
- A unique blacksmith shop completely covered in license plates, showcasing local ingenuity
- The repurposed Steven’s Mills train station, now serving as a horse barn
- Historic hunting camps and hill farms that reveal the community’s timber and agricultural roots
These silent sentinels stand as monuments to Victory’s transformation from a bustling rural community to a haunting ghost town.
Cold Spots After Dark
Deep within Victory’s abandoned landscape, visitors regularly encounter unexplained cold spots and whispered echoes once darkness falls.
You’ll notice these chilling experiences intensify as dusk transforms into night, particularly near derelict homesteads and forgotten foundations. The cold sensations contrast sharply with surrounding temperatures, creating distinct pockets of icy air that defy explanation.
The dense forests and bogs surrounding Victory’s ruins amplify these phenomena. You might catch faint, indistinct whispers carried on the wind – sounds that seem to fade when approached and evade recording devices.
These enigmatic occurrences often cluster around historic sites where the town’s social tensions once peaked. While natural factors like wind channels and forest acoustics contribute to the unsettling atmosphere, Victory’s isolation and dark history leave many questions unanswered.
Abandoned Carriage Road Mysteries
Through Victory’s network of abandoned carriage roads, you’ll discover haunting remnants of a once-thriving rural community.
These forgotten pathways, now shrouded by dense maple forests, tell stories of Vermont’s rural exodus and the transformation of a bustling agricultural society into a ghost town of barely 100 residents.
Local legends speak of ghostly encounters along these historic routes, where you might experience:
- Phantom whispers echoing near rusted iron gates and stone abutments of former grand estates
- Mysterious sounds of horse-drawn carriages along overgrown switchbacks, particularly near the Charles A. Story House
- Unexplained phenomena around cryptic castles and abandoned homesteads, where post-Civil War architecture stands as a proof of Victory’s prosperous past
Today, these deteriorating roadbeds serve as silent witnesses to Vermont’s changing landscape, where nature steadily reclaims the paths of human history.
The Battle for Victory’s Soul
While Victory, Vermont’s pastoral landscape suggests tranquility, the town’s handful of residents have waged bitter feuds that reflect deeper struggles over its identity and future.
You’ll find the conflict embodied in disputes between the “Mitchell Mafia” faction and their opponents over zoning exemptions and land use, highlighting the fragile nature of community identity in this remote settlement.
The town’s economic resilience has been severely tested since its heyday, when the Story family’s diverse farming operations and bustling industries kept Victory alive.
Victory’s fall from prosperity mirrors the Story family’s decline, as their once-thriving farms and businesses gave way to economic stagnation.
Today, you’re witnessing the painful results of prolonged isolation – emergency services take up to 45 minutes to arrive, while historic structures crumble amid 20,000 acres of forest and bog.
The social fabric has frayed as deeply as the dirt roads connecting Victory Hill to Gallup Mills, leaving residents divided and distrustful.
Nature’s Reclamation of History
As decades of abandonment take their toll on Victory’s remnants, nature steadily reclaims the Vermont ghost town’s built environment.
You’ll witness nature’s resilience in the Story House, where missing windows and failing porches accelerate urban decay, while moss and vegetation consume its weathered surfaces.
The ghost town’s transformation is evident in three striking ways:
- Dense forests and bogs now engulf formerly cleared farmland, obscuring man-made structures.
- Native wildlife has returned to reclaim territories around abandoned homesteads and apiaries.
- Victory’s extensive bog system steadily expands, with peat accumulation enriching soil quality.
The carriage road from Main Street winds through this living museum of natural succession, where minimal maintenance allows vegetation to steadily erase human passages through time.
Surviving in Isolation
Living in Victory demands exceptional resilience from its scattered inhabitants, who face both geographic and social isolation across 20,000 acres of rugged Vermont terrain.
You’ll find community resilience tested daily, as emergency services can take up to 45 minutes to arrive on dirt roads scratched into Victory Hill.
To survive here, you must embrace self-sufficiency strategies: maintaining diverse livestock from alpacas to rabbits, adapting old buildings like train stations into homes, and mastering traditional skills like beekeeping and timber harvesting.
The harsh reality of isolation manifests in both practical and social challenges – feuding factions divide the town, while homes weather harsh elements without proper maintenance.
You’re largely on your own here, where conventional economics give way to bartering and subsistence living.
Legacy of the Lost Community
Though its population has dwindled to near abandonment, Victory’s legacy endures through its remarkable historic structures and deeply rooted social tensions.
Community memories live on through documented landmarks you’ll still find today:
- The Civil War-era Story House, complete with its historic apiary and former swan flock
- A unique blacksmith shop crafted from license plates, symbolizing local ingenuity
- A repurposed 19th-century train station that now serves as a horse barn
Preservation efforts, including the Vermont Historic Sites and Structures Survey of 1979, have captured the town’s physical heritage.
Yet Victory’s legacy isn’t just in its buildings – it’s woven into tales of decades-long feuds, paranormal encounters, and the stark reality of isolation that’s shaped this Northeast Kingdom community.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Much Does Property Typically Cost in Victory, Vermont Today?
You’ll find property values in Victory range from $89,900 to $379,000, with only three active listings. Real estate trends show these prices stay well below Vermont’s typical $500,000 median home costs.
Are There Any Annual Events or Festivals Still Held in Victory?
You won’t find any annual gatherings or seasonal celebrations in Victory – it’s a ghost town where the only festivities are held by wind whistling through abandoned buildings and nature reclaiming the land.
What Wildlife Species Are Commonly Encountered in Victory’s State Forests?
You’ll encounter remarkable wildlife diversity in Victory’s forest ecosystems, from moose and black bears to boreal birds like gray jays, plus diverse amphibians including salamanders, frogs and rare mudpuppies.
Can Tourists Legally Explore Abandoned Buildings and Properties in Victory?
You can’t legally explore abandoned buildings in ghost towns without permission, as property rights and regulations protect these structures. Even in Victory, you’ll need explicit owner authorization before entering.
Does Victory Have a Town Hall or Any Functioning Municipal Buildings?
Did you know town governance exists without walls? You won’t find a dedicated town hall or municipal buildings in Victory – local administration happens informally, reflecting the area’s minimalist, independent character.
References
- https://www.sevendaysvt.com/news/an-ongoing-feud-illustrates-the-dark-side-of-small-town-life-2539615
- https://www.instagram.com/reel/DBqvoTHO7Ck/
- https://www.vermonter.com/ghost-haunting-northeast-kingdom-vermont/
- https://cdn.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=d9305c7461d74befa37d05c747956433
- https://preservationinpink.wordpress.com/tag/victory-vermont/
- https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Victory
- https://obscurevermont.com/tag/northeast-kingdom/
- https://vermont.com/cities/victory/
- https://thecuriousadventuresofkat.wordpress.com/2017/11/09/haunted-vermont/
- http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~gtusa/history/usa/vt.htm
