Mildred Ellen Orton
Encyclopedia
Mildred Ellen Orton was an American
businesswoman and author who co-founded the Vermont Country Store
with her husband, Vrest Orton, in Weston, Vermont
, in 1946.
Orton was born Mildred Ellen Wilcox at a farm near Manchester, New Hampshire
, on February 9, 1911. She was the youngest of three siblings born to her parents, Erwin and Maria Hamilton Wilcox. Wlicox graduated in 1930 from Rutland Business College.
She married her husband, Vrest Orton, in 1936. The Ortons launched the original Vermont Country Store catalog business in Fall 1945. The couple opened the Vermont Country Store
in 1946. The store was a republica of an original store that Vrest Orton's father had owned and operated in North Calais, Vermont. Mildred Orton co-ran the business until her retirement in 1978.
In 1947, Mildred Ellen Orton authored a cookbook
, Cooking with Wholegrains, featuring wholegrains instead of white flour. Orton developed her recipes utilizing stone ground grains from a gristmill
in Weston, Vermont
. Stone-ground grains were then introduced as a prominent product at the Vermont Country Store and catalogue.
Mildred Ellen Orton died at her home in Weston, Vermont
, on May 6, 2010, at the age of 99. She was survived by her son, Lyman Orton, who now runs Vermont Country Store; stepson, Geoffrey; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Her husband, Vrest, died in 1986.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
businesswoman and author who co-founded the Vermont Country Store
Vermont Country Store
The Vermont Country Store, Inc. is an American catalogue, retail, and e-commerce business based in Vermont, with stores in Weston and Rockingham, company headquarters in Manchester, and a distribution facility and customer service center in North Clarendon, near Rutland...
with her husband, Vrest Orton, in Weston, Vermont
Weston, Vermont
Weston is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 630 at the 2000 census. Home to the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, it includes the villages of Weston and the Island.-History:...
, in 1946.
Orton was born Mildred Ellen Wilcox at a farm near Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester, New Hampshire
Manchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
, on February 9, 1911. She was the youngest of three siblings born to her parents, Erwin and Maria Hamilton Wilcox. Wlicox graduated in 1930 from Rutland Business College.
She married her husband, Vrest Orton, in 1936. The Ortons launched the original Vermont Country Store catalog business in Fall 1945. The couple opened the Vermont Country Store
Vermont Country Store
The Vermont Country Store, Inc. is an American catalogue, retail, and e-commerce business based in Vermont, with stores in Weston and Rockingham, company headquarters in Manchester, and a distribution facility and customer service center in North Clarendon, near Rutland...
in 1946. The store was a republica of an original store that Vrest Orton's father had owned and operated in North Calais, Vermont. Mildred Orton co-ran the business until her retirement in 1978.
In 1947, Mildred Ellen Orton authored a cookbook
Cookbook
A cookbook is a kitchen reference that typically contains a collection of recipes. Modern versions may also include colorful illustrations and advice on purchasing quality ingredients or making substitutions...
, Cooking with Wholegrains, featuring wholegrains instead of white flour. Orton developed her recipes utilizing stone ground grains from a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
in Weston, Vermont
Weston, Vermont
Weston is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 630 at the 2000 census. Home to the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, it includes the villages of Weston and the Island.-History:...
. Stone-ground grains were then introduced as a prominent product at the Vermont Country Store and catalogue.
Mildred Ellen Orton died at her home in Weston, Vermont
Weston, Vermont
Weston is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 630 at the 2000 census. Home to the Weston Playhouse Theatre Company, it includes the villages of Weston and the Island.-History:...
, on May 6, 2010, at the age of 99. She was survived by her son, Lyman Orton, who now runs Vermont Country Store; stepson, Geoffrey; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. Her husband, Vrest, died in 1986.