WINDHAM

county, southeastern Vermont, U.S., bounded to the west by the Green Mountains, to the south by Massachusetts, and to the east by New Hampshire (the Connecticut River constitutes the border). It is a hilly upland with elevations generally rising to the west. The principal watercourses are the West, Deerfield, Saxtons, Green, and Rock rivers and the Somerset and Harriman reservoirs. The county mostly comprises a coniferous forest, particularly spruce, fir, and white pine. Parklands include Townshend, Jamaica, Fort Dummer, Molly Stark, and Dutton Pines state parks. Other recreational areas are Green Mountain National Forest and the Stratton Mountain, Mount Snow, and Haystack Mountain ski resorts. The Appalachian National Scenic Trail passes through the western corner of the county. Fort Dummer (built 1724) in Brattleboro was the first permanent British settlement in Vermont. Windham county was created in 1781 and named for either Wyndham, Eng., or Windham county, Conn. John Humphrey Noyes, a native of Brattleboro, established a utopian society in Putney (183646) before reestablishing it at Oneida, N.Y. (1848). Notable landmarks are the Rockingham Meeting House (1787) in Rockingham, the Old Tavern Inn (1801) in Grafton, and Abnaki Indian petroglyphs and the Old Stone Grist Mill (1831), both in Bellows Falls. The county contains about a dozen covered bridges. The Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant (opened 1972) in Vernon supplies about one-third of Vermont's energy. Other communities are Westminster, Wilmington, and Newfane, the county seat. Agriculture, paper milling, printing, and tourism are among the major economic activities. Area 789 square miles (2,043 square km). Pop. (1990) 41,588; (1996 est.) 42,923. county, northeastern Connecticut, U.S. It is bordered to the north by Massachusetts and to the east by Rhode Island and consists of a hilly region forested by hardwoods and pines. The county is drained by the Quinebaug, Natchaug, and Shetucket rivers. Other waterways are Quaddick Reservoir and Alexander and West Thompson lakes. Recreational areas include Natchaug and James L. Goodwin state forests and Mashamoquet Brook and Beaver Brook state parks. Nipmuc Indians inhabited the region in the early 1600s. The county was created in 1726 and probably named for Wyndham, Eng. Israel Putnam was a farmer in Pomfret before becoming a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolution. In the 19th century textile milling joined agriculture as a major economic activity. Landmarks include the Henry C. Bowen House (built 1846) in Woodstock and the Prudence Crandall House in Canterbury, which operated as a school for black women in 183334. Other towns are Windham, Plainfield, Brooklyn, and Thompson. There is no county seat because the state abolished county government in 1960. Principal industries are health care services and the manufacture of glassware, aircraft parts, and primary metals. Area 513 square miles (1,328 square km). Pop. (1990) 102,525; (1996 est.) 104,629. town (township), Windham county, east-central Connecticut, U.S. It is situated in an area drained by the Willimantic and Natchaug rivers, which merge southeast of Willimantic to form the Shetucket. The original Indian land granted by Joshua, son of the Mohegan subchief Uncas, was opened to white settlement about 1686, and the area was incorporated as a town in 1692. It was named for either Wyndham in Sussex or Wymondham in Norfolk, Eng. The town includes the industrial city of Willimantic, with which it was consolidated in 1983, and the industrial villages of North Windham and South Windham. Area 27 square miles (70 square km). Pop. (1990) 22,039; (1996 est.) 21,598.