DOVER — Whereas, the first permanent settler in the area that today encompasses the town of Dover was Captain Abner Perry who migrated north from Holliston, Massachusetts in 1770, and
Whereas, in 1780, the general assembly granted a charter to William Ward of Newfane for a 26,464-acre parcel that was incorporated as the town of Wardsborough (Wardsboro), and
Whereas, in response to a local petition, and in accordance with Chapter 59 of the Laws of 1810 that became effective on October 30, the general assembly divided the town of Wardsboro into two municipalities separated by a mountain, and Whereas, despite the request of local residents to name the new southern town Palmyra, the legislature designated it as Dover, and
Whereas, even before Dover was born, residents of an adjoining section of the town of Somerset, known as the handle, were petitioning to join what would become the town of Dover, and
Whereas, after over one-half century of pleading, in 1851, the general assembly adopted Act 72, providing that portions of Somerset be annexed respectively to Dover and Wardsboro, subject to each town's approval, but despite Dover's official vote of acceptance, many Dover residents remained opposed, and the handle was annexed to Wilmington, and
Whereas, in 1868, the legislature, through Act 195, offered Dover another chance to accept the handle, more formally described as “that part of the town of Wilmington lying west of the town of Dover, and north of the north line of Wilmington,” subject to voter approval in each town, and in 1869, after Dover ended its resistance, the general assembly passed one last measure, Act 156, that finally merged the handle into Dover on March 1, 1870, and
Whereas, a community of subsistence farmers and 10 school districts in the 19th century, Dover in the first half of the 20th century consolidated its school districts and transformed itself into a major summer tourist destination, and
Whereas, an entirely new era was started in 1953 when Walter Schoenknecht purchased the Reuben Snow farm and turned it into the Mount Snow Ski Area, and in the following decades, Mount Snow became a four-season resort and Dover one of Vermont's major vacation hubs, and
Whereas, as the resort industry was developing in Dover, the town developed one of the best public works departments in the state, modernized its school system, and shaped town government to meet the municipality's specific needs, and
Whereas, unlike in 1910, when the centennial passed quietly, on Friday–Sunday, Oct, 1–3, 2010, Dover will mark its bicentennial with a weekend of celebratory events, including fireworks; a street fair; dramatic, musical, and educational presentations; a church service; and a harvest brunch, now therefore be it
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives:
That the General Assembly is pleased to commemorate the bicentennial anniversary of the town of Dover, and be it further
Resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send a copy of this resolution to the Dover town clerk.