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Barton, Vermont

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Template:Infobox Vermont Town Barton is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,780 at the 2000 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 116.3 km² (44.9 mi²). 113.1 km² (43.7 mi²) of it is land and 3.3 km² (1.3 mi²) of it (2.81%) is water. Barton averages 931 feet above sea level (ASL).

The highest peak in Barton is Barton Mountain - 2235 feet ASL. May Hill is 2007 feet high.

Barton rivers include the Barton, Clyde, Willoughby, and Black Rivers; Hogtrough Brook, Lord Brook, Annis Brook, May Pond Brook, Willoughby Brook, and Roaring Brook.

Each spring the rainbow trout battle the swift currents of the Willoughby River as they swim to Willoughby Lake.

Crystal Lake State Park is located in Barton.

Demographics

As of the census2 of 2000, there were 2,780 people, 1,153 households, and 748 families residing in the town, as follows:

  • Outside of Villages - 43%
  • Orleans Village - 30%
  • Barton Village - 27%


The population density was 63.7/mi²(24.6/km²).

There were 1,438 housing units at an average density of 32.9/mi² (12.7/km²).

The racial makeup of the town was:


There were 1,153 households out of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.

Economy

Personal Income

The median income for a household in the town was $28,797, and the median income for a family was $33,872. Males had a median income of $25,922 versus $20,938 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,636. About 12.2% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.7% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.

Industry

Ethan Allen Manufacturing, in the village of Orleans, employees about 400 workers locally.[1]


Utilities and Communication

Cellphone

Barton receives Unicel (TDMA and GSM)

Electricity

The Barton side of Barton town is serviced by Barton Electric which generates some of its power hydroelectrically. It services 2100 customers.[2][3]

The Orleans side of Barton town is serviced by The Village of Orleans Electric which serves 665 customers.[4][5]

History

Barton was chartered on October 20, 1789.[6]. The grant was to sixty Revolutionary War soldiers, mainly from Rhode Island and including Admiral John Paul Jones, Colonel William Barton, and Ira Allen.[7]

From 1791 to 1793 Timothy Hinman built what is now called the "Hinman Settler Road" linking Barton south to Greensboro and north through Brownington to Derby and Canada.[8]

On June 6, 1810, the body of water known today as Runaway Pond flooded the Barton River Valley resulting in destruction, the results of which can still be seen today.

Railroad construction reached Barton in 1858.[9] The first train arrived in 1863.[10]

As each new railroad terminus was built, the stagecoaches used them as terminuses as well. The stage ran north from Barton from what is now the junction of State Road 58 and US 5, north to quickly unite with the Hinman Settler Road which came out of Glover and ran up Barton Hill over what is now Maple Hill Road then straight over to what is now the Orleans Country Club and from there to Brownington.

Around 1900, a granite quarry was located on the east side of Crystal Lake. Steamboats barged stone across the lake.

Notable residents

  • Colonel William Barton, Revolutionary War hero and founder of the town.
  • Lee E. Emerson, 69th Governor of the State of Vermont
  • William Wallace Grout, US Congressional Representative, 3rd District 1881-83, 2nd District 1885-1901
  • Henry M. Leland, machinist, inventor, engineer and automotive entrepreneur. Created and named both the original Cadillac and the original Lincoln. At one time he was President or Chief Executive of both divisions or companies.
  • Major General Francis Walter Nye, commander of the Defence Atomic Support Agency, Sandia, New Mexico

Footnotes

  1. ^ http://vtwoodnet.org/news_articles/ethan_allen_power_plant.htm
  2. ^ http://publicservice.vermont.gov/electric/electric-utilities.html
  3. ^ "Customers" refers to number of hookups, not individuals
  4. ^ http://publicservice.vermont.gov/electric/electric-utilities.html
  5. ^ "Customers" refers to number of hookups, not individuals
  6. ^ "Actual Virtual Vermont Internet Magazine". Barton. Retrieved 2006-12-27.
  7. ^ Gazetteer of Lamoille and Orleans Counties, VT.; 1883-1884, Compiled and Published by Hamilton Child; May 1887
  8. ^ "Vermont History". The Checkered Career of Timothy Hinman. Retrieved 2006-12-27.
  9. ^ Darrell Hoyt (1985). Sketches of Orleans, Vermont. Orleans County Historical Society., page 14
  10. ^ http://www.vermonter.com/nek/barton3.asp

See also