Since its charter in 1763, Colchester has been known for its remarkable early settlers, among them Ira Allen, founder of the state of Vermont, and for its picturesque setting on the shores of Lake Champlain. Author Inge Schaefer, well known locally as the founder of the "Colchester Chronicle," combines interviews, historical documents and personal research in this series of articles on Colchester's past. Schaefer traces the stories of the town's oldest families, like the Munsons and the Porters, from summer evenings dancing at Bayside Pavilion to the keeping of the Colchester Reef Lighthouse. With a fresh perspective on twice-told tales of school days at Colchester Point, summers at the Brown Ledge Camp and the heyday of Fort Ethan Allen, where the celebrated Buffalo Soldiers briefly resided, "Chronicles of Colchester" captures the hearty spirit of this Lake Champlain community.