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'Washington County' is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2000, the population was 58,039. Its shire town is Montpelier^[1]. The center of population of Vermont is located in Washington County, in the town of Warren^[2].

Contents

Geography

Adjacent counties

Demographics

History

Cities, towns, and villages

See also

References

External link

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,801 km² (695 mi²). 1,785 km² (689 mi²) of it is land and 16 km² (6 mi²) of it (0.90%) is water.

Adjacent counties

★ Lamoille County, Vermont - north

★ Caledonia County, Vermont - northeast

★ Orange County, Vermont - southeast

★ Addison County, Vermont - southwest

★ Chittenden County, Vermont - northwest

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 58,039 people, 23,659 households, and 15,047 families residing in the county. The population density was 33/km² (84/mi²). There were 27,644 housing units at an average density of 15/km² (40/mi²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.05% White, 0.47% Black or African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.57% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 1.34% from two or more races. 1.26% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 94.3% spoke English, 2.7% French and 1.1% Spanish as their first language.
There were 23,659 households out of which 31.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.60% were married couples living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.40% were non-families. 28.50% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the county, the population was spread out with 23.50% under the age of 18, 8.90% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 26.00% from 45 to 64, and 12.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 96.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.10 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $40,972, and the median income for a family was $51,075. Males had a median income of $33,181 versus $26,369 for females. The per capita income for the county was $21,113. About 5.50% of families and 8.00% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.10% of those under age 18 and 6.80% of those age 65 or over.

History

Washington County is one of several Vermont counties created from land ceded by the state of New York on January 15, 1777 when Vermont declared itself to be a distinct state from New York^[3][4][5]. The land originally was contested by Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and New Netherlands, but it remained undelineated until July 20, 1764 when King George III established the boundary between New Hampshire and New York along the west bank of the Connecticut River, north of Massachusetts and south of the parallel of 45 degrees north latitude. New York assigned the land gained to Albany County^[6][7]. On March 12, 1772 Albany County was partitioned to create Charlotte County^[8], and this situation remained until Vermont's independence from New York and Britain. However, this did not end the contest.
On September 3, 1783, as a result of the signing of the Treaty of Paris the Revolutionary War ended with Great Britain recognizing the independence of the United States. Vermont's border with Quebec was established at 45 degrees north latitude^[9][10], which explains why this county is not physically connected to the rest of the United States.
Massachusetts did not formally withdraw its claim to the region, first made in 1629, until December 16, 1786^[11]. New York, still not satisfied with the relinquishment of its land to Vermont, asked the U.S. Congress to arbitrate the matter. Congress ruled against New York on March 7, 1788 ^[12]
Subsequently, when Vermont petitioned for Statehood, Congress ordered a joint commission to settle the border between New York and Vermont. This commission ruled prior to Vermont's admission, which took place on March 4, 1791 but a small change they permitted has never been acted upon^[13][14][15].

Cities, towns, and villages

★ Barre (City)

★ Barre (Town)

★
★ East Barre (an unincorporated community of Barre)

★
★ Graniteville (an unincorporated community of Barre)

★
★ South Barre (an unincorporated community of Barre)

★ Berlin

★ Cabot

★
★ Cabot (a village of Cabot)

★ Calais

★ Duxbury

★ East Montpelier

★ Fayston

★ Marshfield

★
★ Marshfield Village

★ Middlesex

★ Montpelier

★ Moretown

★ Northfield

★
★ Northfield Village

★ Plainfield

★ Roxbury

★ Waitsfield

★ Warren

★ Waterbury

★ Woodbury

★
★ Waterbury Village

★ Worcester

See also

★ List of counties in Vermont

★ List of towns in Vermont

References

1. Geographic references
2. [1]
3. 'Slade, William, Jr., comp. ''Vermont State Papers: Being a collection of Records and Documents Connected with the Assumption and Establishment of Government by the People of Vermont, Together with the Journal of the Council of Safety, the First Constitution, the Early Journals of the General Assembly, and the Laws from the Year 1779 to 1786, Inclusive.'' Middlebury, 1823. P. 70-73.'
4. 'Van Zandt, Franklin K. ''Boundaries of the United States and the Several States.'' Geological Survey Professional Paper 909. Washington, DC; Government Printing Office, 1976. The Standard Compilation for its subject. P. 64.'
5. 'Williamson, Chilton. ''Vermont in Quandry: 1763-1825.'' Growth of Vermont series, Number 4.'Montperler: Vermont Historical Series, 1949. PP. 82-84; map facing 95, 100-102, 112-113.
6. 'Slade, William, Jr., comp. ''Vermont State Papers: Being a collection of Records and Documents Connected with the Assumption and Establishment of Government by the People of Vermont, Together with the Journal of the Council of Safety, the First Constitution, the Early Journals of the General Assembly, and the Laws from the Year 1779 to 1786, Inclusive.'' Middlebury, 1823. P. 13-19.'
7. 'Van Zandt, Franklin K. ''Boundaries of the United States and the Several States.'' Geological Survey Professional Paper 909. Washington, DC; Government Printing Office, 1976. The Standard Compilation for its subject. P. 63.'
8. 'New York Colonial Laws, Chapter 1534; Section 5; Paragraph 321)
9. 'Van Zandt, Franklin K. ''Boundaries of the United States and the Several States.'' Geological Survey Professional Paper 909. Washington, DC; Government Printing Office, 1976. The Standard Compilation for its subject. P. 12.'
10. 'Parry, Clive, ed. ''Consolidated Treaty Series.'' 231 Volumes. 'Dobbs Ferry, New York; Oceana Publications, 1969-1981. Volume 48; pp. 481; 487; 491-492.
11. 'Van Zandt, Franklin K. ''Boundaries of the United States and the Several States.'' Geological Survey Professional Paper 909. Washington, DC; Government Printing Office, 1976. The Standard Compilation for its subject. P. 75.'
12. 'New York Laws, 1788, 11th Session, Chapter 63, pp. 746-747.
13. 'United States. ''Statutes at Large of the United States of America, 1789-1873. volume 1, Chapter 7 (1791); Page 191.'''
14. 'Slade, William, Jr., comp. ''Vermont State Papers: Being a collection of Records and Documents Connected with the Assumption and Establishment of Government by the People of Vermont, Together with the Journal of the Council of Safety, the First Constitution, the Early Journals of the General Assembly, and the Laws from the Year 1779 to 1786, Inclusive.'' Middlebury, 1823. P. 193.'
15. 'Thorne, Kathryn Ford, Compiler & Long, John H., Editor: ''New York Atlas of Historical County Boundaries'''; The Newbury Library; 1993.

External link

★ National Register of Historic Places listing for Washington Co., Vermont