VERGENNES — Back in 1907, Vergennes native William Gove Bixby surprised fellow townspeople in his will by leaving much of his estate — the bulk of which he inherited from his sister — for the purpose of building a new public library in his hometown.
Five years later, workers finished building the Bixby Free Memorial Library, and 100 years after that — on Oct. 13, a week from Saturday, to be precise — the Vergennes institution named after Bixby will hold a party to celebrate its 100th birthday.