The Town of Essex Junction:

Only 4.6 square miles, Essex Junction became a municipality unto itself in 1892, when residents asked for sewers, water mains and other amenities for the businesses that had sprouted around the downtown railroad station (now an Amtrak depot). Residents of rural Essex did not want to pay for this construction, so the two entities split. In 1967, the village hit the jackpot when International Business Machines Corp. opened a semiconductor manufacturing plant within its borders; with a work force of 7,000, it is the largest private employer in the state. Over the decades, several proposals for reuniting with the town of Essex have met defeat. Although the communities do share a police force, they maintain separate fire departments and school systems. The Champlain Valley Exposition, which offers an annual county fair, a balloon festival and country music concerts, is in Essex Junction.