Scott Nearing, a prominent economist, socialist, teacher, writer, and scholar, and his wife Helen Knothe Nearing lived in Winhall from 1932 to 1952 after moving from New York City during the Great Depression to begin a new life in Vermont. At their homestead, named "Forest Farm," they chose to live "the Good Life," the title of one of their many books. They built handcrafted stone houses, created fertile organic gardens, made maple sugar, and were sustained by the land. Pearl Buck was a frequent visitor and eventual neighbor who built her own stone houses in the area. They inspired many followers who shared their philosophy, which was recognized as a centerpiece of America's "Back to the Land" and "Simple Living" movement. Scott was an outspoken radical, an anti-war crusader, an advocate of social and economic justice, and a strict vegetarian. Scott and Helen lived as pioneers in Vermont and later in Maine, where they moved in 1952.