Barre (town), Vermont

Barre /ˈbæri/ is a town in Washington County, Vermont, United States. The population was 7,924 at the 2010 census. Popularly referred to as "Barre Town", the town almost completely surrounds "Barre City", which is a separate municipality.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 30.7 square miles (79.5 km2), of which 30.6 square miles (79.4 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.1 km2) (0.16%) is water. Barre is known for its granite quarries.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 7,602 people, 2,951 households, and 2,216 families residing in the town. The population density was 248.1 people per square mile (95.8/km2). There were 3,046 housing units at an average density of 99.4 per square mile (38.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.47% White, 0.18% Black or African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.18% from other races, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.51% of the population.

There were 2,951 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.0% were couples living together and joined in either marriage or civil union, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.95.

Windsor, Vermont

Windsor is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As the "Birthplace of Vermont", the town is where the Constitution of Vermont was adopted in 1777, thus marking the founding of the Vermont Republic—a sovereign state until 1791 when Vermont joined the United States. Over much of its history, Windsor was home to a variety of manufacturing enterprises. The population was 3,553 at the 2010 census.[4]

One of the New Hampshire grants, Windsor was chartered as a town on July 6, 1761, by colonial governor Benning Wentworth. It was first settled in August 1764 by Captain Steele Smith and his family from Farmington, Connecticut. In 1777, the signers of the Constitution of the Vermont Republic met at Old Constitution House, a tavern at the time, to declare independence from the British Empire (the Vermont Republic would not become a state until 1791). In 1820, it was the state's largest town, a thriving center for trade and agriculture. In 1835, the first dam was built across Mill Brook to provide water power. Factories made guns, machinery, tinware, furniture and harnesses. The community is named for Windsor, Connecticut.[1]

In 1846, Robbins and Lawerence received a government contract to manufacture firearms. Using advanced machine tools to produce interchangeable parts, they and their associates established factories in the Connecticut River valley and throughout New England. Two factories, now both closed, sustained the economy of Windsor: Cone Automatic Machine Company and a Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company plant.

Windsor village began development at the end of the 18th century and achieved importance in Vermont history as the location of the framing of the constitution of Vermont. It is known as the birthplace of Vermont, where the state constitution was signed, and acted as the first capital until 1805 when Montpelier became the official state capital.[1]

Wells River, Vermont

Wells River is a village in the town of Newbury in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 325 at the 2000 census. The village center is located at the junction of U.S. Routes 5 and 302.

The village center (the portion near the confluence of the Wells River and the Connecticut River) was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 as Wells River Village Historic District. The district covers 84 contributing properties over an area of 390 acres (1.6 km2). It includes examples of Classical Revival, Federal, and Late Victorian styles.[4] The architectural character of the district represents the building traditions of nineteenth-century Vermont, showcasing a wide array of building styles.

The area was first called Governor's Right because 500 acres (200 hectares) were granted to Governor Benning Wentworth of New Hampshire. It was purchased by Er Chamberlin, who built a gristmill on the Wells River.[5] Located at the head of navigation for the Connecticut River, Wells River developed as a center for trade. Canal boats guided by long poles floated downriver laden with lumber, clapboards and shingles, returning with goods such as iron, salt, rum and molasses.[5]

On November 6, 1848, the Connecticut & Passumpsic Rivers Railroad opened to Wells River, rendering obsolete the river's barge traffic. In 1853-1854, the Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad reached Woodsville, New Hampshire across the Connecticut River. It built division offices and repair facilities, transforming that village into a booming railway town. The line replaced the 1805 bridge over the narrows to Wells River with a two-level wooden span which combined a toll highway deck at the bottom of the truss, with railroad tracks on the roof. In 1903, a steel bridge of similar configuration replaced it. In 1873, the Montpelier & Wells River Railroad was completed, enhancing the region's position as a railroad junction.[6]

Winooski, Vermont

Winooski /wɪˈnuːski/ is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. Located on the Winooski River, as of the 2010 U.S. Census the municipal population was 7,267.[3] The city is the most densely populated municipality in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is the smallest in area of Vermont's nine incorporated cities. As part of the Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area, it is bordered by Burlington, Colchester, and South Burlington.

As early as 750 AD, the Abenaki tribe lived along the shores of a cascading waterfall in a fertile river valley they called "winoskitegw," meaning “land of the wild onion.”[4][5] Winooski's southern border is formed by the Winooski River, which is alternatively known as the Onion River.[4]

Five thousand years ago a single family of paleolithic Native Americans came to what is now the city. The prehistoric campground for this transient group is one of Vermont's significant archaeological sites. Other native people came to Winooski in the years that followed.[6]

Situated on a main road, Winooski most likely started as a rest stop for travelers. With a set of waterfalls to assist the growth of industry, however, it soon also became a center for wool processing.[6]

West Dover, Vermont

West Dover is a village in the central part of Dover, Vermont. The village center, located on Vermont Route 100 at Cross Town and Valley View Roads, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 as the West Dover Historic District. The village is a major service point for the nearby Mount Snow ski area.

West Dover is actually located in south-central Dover, and extends along Vermont Route 100, as it follows the North Branch Deerfield River.[2] The central portion of the village is strung along VT 100 between Cross Town Road in the northwest and Dorr Fitch Road to the southeast, shortly before VT 100 cross the river and turns south toward Wilmington.

West Dover was settled in 1796, when the area was part of Wardsboro, and was incorporated into Dover when that town was chartered in 1810. The village grew economically in the 19th century due to the construction of mills along the river. The first mill, a sawmill, was built in 1796, and was expanded to process wool through the first half of the 19th century. The mill complex was destroyed by fire in 1901, bringing an end to that source of economic activity. Only traces of the mill complex survive today, but the village has a fine assortment of Federal and Greek Revival buildings that give it its character. In the 20th century the village benefitted from the state's promotion of the out-of-state purchase of farms for recreational purposes, and the growth of the nearby ski areas.[2]

Wolcott, Vermont

Wolcott is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The town was named for General Oliver Wolcott, a signer of the Declaration of Independence.[4] The population was 1,676 at the 2010 census.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.2 square miles (101.5 km2), of which 39.0 square miles (101.1 km2) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.4 km2) (0.38%) is water.

The Essex-Orleans Senate district includes the town of Wolcott, as well as parts or all of Essex County, Orleans County, Franklin County and Lamoille County. It is represented in the Vermont Senate by Linda J. Martin (D) and Mark Woodward (D).[5]

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 1,456 people, 552 households, and 401 families residing in the town. The population density was 37.3 people per square mile (14.4/km2). There were 646 housing units at an average density of 16.6 per square mile (6.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.83% White, 0.07% Black or African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, and 0.62% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.34% of the population.

Brattleboro, Vermont

Brattleboro (/ˈbrætəlˌbəroʊ/),[4] originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States. The most populous municipality abutting Vermont's eastern border (the Connecticut River), Brattleboro is located about 10 miles north of the Massachusetts state line, at the confluence of Vermont's West River and the Connecticut. In 2014, Brattleboro's population was estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau to be 11,765.[5]

Marlboro College Center for Graduate and Professional Studies[6] and SIT Graduate Institute[7] are located in the town. There are satellite campuses of three colleges as well: Community College of Vermont,[8]Union Institute and University,[9] and Vermont Technical College.[10] The town is home to the New England Center for Circus Arts[11] and the Vermont Jazz Center.[12]

Because Native Americans in the region tended to name places and regions after their rivers or watersheds, the site of today's Brattleboro, the confluence of the West River and the Connecticut River, was called 'Wantastiquet'[13] by the Abenaki people, a name meaning, according to various translations, "lost river", "river that leads to the west", or "river of the lonely way". Today known mostly by its English-translated name, the West River remains demarcated by New Hampshire's towering Mount Wantastiquet, rising 1,000 feet above water level directly opposite its mouth, and Lake Wantastiquet, near where it rises at its source. The Abenaki would transit this area annually between Missisquoi (their summer hunting grounds near the current-day town of Swanton) in northwestern Vermont, and Squakheag (their winter settlement or camps) near what is now Northfield, Massachusetts. The specific Abenaki band who lived here and traversed this place were called Sokoki, meaning "people who go their own way" or "people of the lonely way". The Abenaki's inclusive name for what is now Vermont was "Ndakinna" ("our land"), and in the 17th and 18th centuries, as more Europeans moved into the region, their often vigorous measures of self-defense culminated in Dummer's War (also known variously as Greylock's War, Three Years War, Lovewell's War, the 4th Indian War, and in Maine as Father Rasle's War). Most Abenaki allied with the French during this period, and following what is now known as the French and Indian War (1754–1763), they were largely driven north or fled into Quebec, further opening the way for English – and later United States – settlements in the area.[citation needed]

To defend the Massachusetts Bay Colony against Chief Gray Lock and others during Dummer's War, the Massachusetts General Court voted on December 27, 1723 to build a blockhouse and stockade on the Connecticut River near the site of what would later become known as Brattleboro. Lieutenant-governor William Dummer signed the measure, and construction of Fort Dummer began on February 3, 1724. It was completed before summer. On October 11 of that year, the French attacked the fort and killed some soldiers.[14] In 1725, Dummer's War ended.

Woodstock, Vermont

Woodstock is the shire town (county seat[3][4]) of Windsor County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 3,048.[5] It includes the villages of South Woodstock, Taftsville, and Woodstock.

Chartered by New Hampshire Governor Benning Wentworth on July 10, 1761, the town was a New Hampshire grant to David Page and 61 others. It was named after Woodstock in Oxfordshire, England, as a homage to both Blenheim Palace and its owner, George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough. The town was first settled in 1768 by James Sanderson and his family.[6] In 1776, Major Joab Hoisington built a gristmill, followed by a sawmill, on the south branch of the Ottauquechee River.[7] The town was incorporated in 1837.[8]

Although the Revolution slowed settlement, Woodstock developed rapidly once the war ended in 1783. The Vermont General Assembly met here in 1807 before moving the next year to the new capital at Montpelier. Waterfalls in the Ottauquechee River provided water power to operate mills. Factories made scythes and axes, carding machines, and woolens. There was a machine shop and gunsmith shop. Manufacturers also produced furniture, wooden wares, window sashes and blinds. Carriages, horse harnesses, saddles, luggage trunks and leather goods were also manufactured. By 1859, the population was 3,041.[7] The Woodstock Railroad opened to White River Junction on September 29, 1875, carrying freight and tourists. The Woodstock Inn opened in 1892.[9]

The Industrial Revolution helped the town grow prosperous. The economy is now largely driven by tourism. Woodstock has the 20th highest per-capita income of Vermont towns as reported by the United States Census, and a high percentage of homes owned by non-residents. The town's central square, called the Green, is bordered by restored late Georgian, Federal Style, and Greek Revival houses. The cost of real estate in the district adjoining the Green is among the highest in the state.[citation needed] The seasonal presence of wealthy second-home owners from cities such as Boston and New York has contributed to the town's economic vitality and livelihood, while at the same time diminished its accessibility to native Vermonters.[citation needed]

Townshend, Vermont

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.8 square miles (110.8 km2), of which 42.7 square miles (110.6 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km2) (0.14%) is water. The West River flows through the town.[4]

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,149 people, 469 households, and 319 families residing in the town. The population density was 26.9 people per square mile (10.4/km2). There were 668 housing units at an average density of 15.6 per square mile (6.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.82% White, 0.26% African American, 0.17% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.78% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.70% of the population.

There were 469 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the town, the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 89.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males.

Pawlet, Vermont

Pawlet was one of the New Hampshire Grants, chartered from Benning Wentworth, Governor of colonial New Hampshire. The charter was granted on August 26, 1761 to Jonathan Willard and 61 other shareholders.[4] The town was named for the Mettawee River, which was called "Paulet" or "Paulette" on the earliest maps of the area that later became Vermont.[5] It was part of Bennington County until Rutland County was created in 1781.[6]

Pawlet is located in the Taconic Mountains. The town is located on Vermont’s western boundary with New York, and adjacent towns include Wells to the north, Danby to the east, Rupert to the south, and Granville and Hebron, New York to the west.

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,394 people, 575 households, and 396 families residing in the town. The population density was 32.5 people per square mile (12.5/km2). There were 707 housing units at an average density of 16.5 per square mile (6.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.85% White, 0.29% African American, 0.65% Native American, and 0.22% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.79% of the population.

There were 575 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.5% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.0% were non-families. 26.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.92.