Randolph is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

Orange County Orange County most commonly refers to: *Orange County, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area Orange County may also refer to: U.S. counties *Orange County, Florida, containing Orlando *Orange County, Indiana *Orange County, New ...

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

, United States. The population was 4,774 at the 2020 census, making Randolph the largest town in Orange County. The town is a commercial center for many of the smaller, rural farming communities that surround it. When the area was originally settled there were three villages— Randolph Center, East Randolph and West Randolph—the current locations of the three fire departments. What is now Randolph, the primary village of the town, had previously been the village of West Randolph.

History

Vermont granted the town on November 2, 1780, when the

New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

settlers could not locate the original grantees, whose patents were issued by

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. It was chartered on June 29, 1781 to Aaron Storrs and 70 others, and was originally named "Middlesex".Randolph, Vermont, New England, USA
Virtualvermont.com (2013-05-25). Retrieved on 2014-04-12. The town was first settled , when Vermont was an unrecognized state whose government existed in defiance of the government of New York, which claimed Vermont was a part of New York. To encourage recognition of the state by the United States, the town was renamed in honor of

Edmund Randolph Edmund Jennings Randolph (August 10, 1753 September 12, 1813) was a Founding Father of the United States, attorney, and the 7th Governor of Virginia. As a delegate from Virginia, he attended the Constitutional Convention and helped to create ...

. With productive soil for cultivation,

farming Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...

became an intensive industry. By 1830, when the population reached 2,743, between twelve and thirteen thousand

sheep Sheep or domestic sheep (''Ovis aries'') are domesticated, ruminant mammals typically kept as livestock. Although the term ''sheep'' can apply to other species in the genus ''Ovis'', in everyday usage it almost always refers to domesticated s ...

grazed its

pasture Pasture (from the Latin ''pastus'', past participle of ''pascere'', "to feed") is land used for grazing. Pasture lands in the narrow sense are enclosed tracts of farmland, grazed by domesticated livestock, such as horses, cattle, sheep, or swine ...

s. Randolph was noted for its good

butter Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condiment ...

cheese Cheese is a dairy product produced in wide ranges of flavors, textures, and forms by coagulation of the milk protein casein. It comprises proteins and fat from milk, usually the milk of cows, buffalo, goats, or sheep. During production, ...

and

mutton Lamb, hogget, and mutton, generically sheep meat, are the meat of domestic sheep, ''Ovis aries''. A sheep in its first year is a lamb and its meat is also lamb. The meat from sheep in their second year is hogget. Older sheep meat is mutton. Gen ...

. Two branches of the White River provided

water power Hydropower (from el, ὕδωρ, "water"), also known as water power, is the use of falling or fast-running water to produce electricity or to power machines. This is achieved by converting the gravitational potential or kinetic energy of a wa ...

for

watermill A watermill or water mill is a mill that uses hydropower. It is a structure that uses a water wheel or water turbine to drive a mechanical process such as milling (grinding), rolling, or hammering. Such processes are needed in the production of ...

s. By 1859, the town had three

gristmill A gristmill (also: grist mill, corn mill, flour mill, feed mill or feedmill) grinds cereal grain into flour and Wheat middlings, middlings. The term can refer to either the Mill (grinding), grinding mechanism or the building that holds it. Grist i ...

s, one oil mill, and one

carding Carding is a mechanical process that disentangles, cleans and intermixes fibres to produce a continuous web or sliver (textiles), sliver suitable for subsequent processing. This is achieved by passing the fibres between differentially moving su ...

mill. In 1848, the

Vermont Central Railroad The Central Vermont Railway was a railroad that operated in the U.S. states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Vermont, as well as the Canadian province of Quebec. It connected Montreal, Quebec, with New London, Conne ...

opened service through the town. Randolph's prosperity during the

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

endowed it with some fine

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

, including the

Second Empire Second Empire may refer to: * Second British Empire, used by some historians to describe the British Empire after 1783 * Second Bulgarian Empire (1185–1396) * Second French Empire (1852–1870) ** Second Empire architecture, an architectural styl ...

Randolph Railroad Depot and

Renaissance Revival Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...

Kimball Public Library. In 1921, Randolph was the setting for, and provided some of the cast of, a

silent movie ''Silent Movie'' is a 1976 American satirical comedy film co-written, directed by and starring Mel Brooks, released by 20th Century Fox in the summer of 1976. The ensemble cast includes Dom DeLuise, Marty Feldman, Bernadette Peters, and Sid Cae ...

called '' The Offenders.'' In 1922 the same was true for the film ''

Insinuation An innuendo is a wikt:hint, hint, wikt:insinuation, insinuation or wikt:intimation, intimation about a person or thing, especially of a denigrating or derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called in ...

.'' Today, Randolph is a thriving meeting-spot and shopping center for the surrounding area. The town is home to attractions such as the Porter Music Box Museum and the Chandler Music Hall. Also located in Randolph are the Gifford Medical Center, a hospital; Dubois & King, a civil and structural engineering firm; and Randolph Union High School, which also serves students from the neighboring towns of Braintree and Brookfield. Downtown Randolph hosts the Amtrak station, shops, restaurants, a movie theater, and several gas stations. Image:Union Block, Randolph, VT.jpg, Union Block in 1912 Image:Kimball Public Library, Randolph, VT.jpg, Kimball Library Image:Corner Main & Pleasant Sts., Randolph, VT.jpg, North Main Street in 1913

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of 47.9 square miles (124.1 km²), of which 47.9 square miles (124.0 km²) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km²) (0.08%) is water. Randolph is drained by the second and third branches of the White River.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 4,853 people, 1,769 households, and 1,144 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 101.4 people per square mile (39.2/km²). There were 1,905 housing units at an average density of 39.8 per square mile (15.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.77%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.21%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.14% Native American, 0.60%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.08%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe the original p ...

, 0.02% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.17% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.54% of the population. There were 1,769 households, out of which 31.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were couples living together and joined in either

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

civil union A civil union (also known as a civil partnership) is a legally recognized arrangement similar to marriage, created primarily as a means to provide recognition in law for same-sex couples. Civil unions grant some or all of the rights of marriage ...

, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 3.00. In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.3% under the age of 18, 15.9% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $41,283, and the median income for a family was $50,756. Males had a median income of $31,353 versus $25,160 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $20,591. About 5.3% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

The main campus of

Vermont Technical College Vermont Technical College, commonly shortened to Vermont Tech, is a public technical college in Vermont with its main campuses in Randolph Center, Williston and Norwich. In addition, there are regional campuses in Brattleboro and Bennington, ...

is located in Randolph Center. Two public schools operated by th
Orange Southwest Supervisory Union
serve Randolph. *Randolph Elementary School K–6 *Randolph Union Jr. High School, grades 7–12

Transportation

Roads and highways

Randolph is served by five state-maintained routes.

Interstate 89 Interstate 89 (I-89) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States traveling from Bow, New Hampshire, to the Canadian border between Highgate Springs, Vermont, and Saint-Armand, Quebec. As with all odd-numbered ...

passes through Randolph and has one exit near the center of town. Paralleling the Interstate are

Vermont Route 12 Vermont Route 12 (VT 12) is a north-south state highway in Vermont that runs from Weathersfield to Morrisville. Moose are most often encountered on four roads in Vermont, of which this is one. They are seen from Worcester to Elmore. Rou ...

, which passes through downtown Randolph and the western half of town, and

Vermont Route 14 Vermont Route 14 (VT 14) is a north–south state highway in northeastern Vermont, United States. It extends from U.S. Route 4 (US 4) and US 5 in White River Junction to VT 100 in Newport. Between White River Junction an ...

, which passes through the eastern half of town. East-west Vermont Route 66, which is located entirely within Randolph, connects all three of those north-south routes.

Vermont Route 12A Vermont Route 12 (VT 12) is a north-south state highway in Vermont that runs from Weathersfield to Morrisville. Moose are most often encountered on four roads in Vermont, of which this is one. They are seen from Worcester to Elmore. Ro ...

splits from Vermont Route 12 just north of downtown Randolph and heads to the northwest to enter Braintree.

Public transportation

Amtrak The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, Trade name, doing business as Amtrak () , is the national Passenger train, passenger railroad company of the United States. It operates inter-city rail service in 46 of the 48 contiguous United Stat ...

, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service to Randolph, operating its

Vermonter Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the n ...

between

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

and St. Albans, Vermont. Stagecoach Transportation Services provides local bus transportation across town,

and to and from the

White River Junction White River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,528 at the 2020 census, up from 2,286 in 2010, making it the largest co ...

and

Lebanon, New Hampshire Lebanon is a city in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,282 at the 2020 census, up from 13,151 at the 2010 census. Lebanon is in western New Hampshire, south of Hanover, near the Connecticut River. It is the home ...

areas.

Media

Weekly newspaper

''The Herald of Randolph''

Radio

WWFY WWFY (100.9 FM, "Froggy 104.3 & 100.9") is a radio station licensed to serve Berlin, Vermont. The station is owned by Great Eastern Radio. It airs a country music format. The station has been assigned these call letters by the Federal Communi ...

– 100.9 FM (Froggy 100.9 FM – Today's BIG Country) * WRFK – 107.1 FM (107.1 Frank FM – Classic Rock) *

WCVR WCVR (1320 AM) is a radio station broadcasting a hybrid country music format to Randolph, Vermont, United States. Established in 1968, the station is owned by Robert and John Landry, through licensee Sugar River Media. History WCVR was signed ...

– 1320 AM (Real Country 1320 – country) *

WVXR WVXR (102.1 FM) is a radio station licensed to serve Randolph, Vermont. The station is owned by Vermont Public (VPR). It is currently a classical music station, serving as the central Vermont outlet for VPR Classical. History The station sig ...

– 102.1 FM (VPR Classical) *

WVTC WVTC is the radio station of Vermont Technical College, operating on a 90.7 MHz FM carrier (channel 214) with an effective radiated power (ERP) of 300 watts. The station is located in Morey Hall on the Randolph Center campus. WVTC is operate ...

– 90.7 FM (Vermont Tech Radio – various music)

Sites of interest

File:RHS Museum.jpg, Randolph Historical Society Museum

Notable people

George W. Barker George W. Barker (February 22, 1804 - April 7, 1873) was an American businessman and public official in Vermont and Wisconsin. He was notable for his service as United States Marshal for the District of Vermont (1835-1837), Sheriff of Washingto ...

, U.S. Marshal for Vermont, Judge of Maniwitoc County, Wisconsin *

Jedediah Berry Jedediah Berry (born 1977) is an American writer. He is the author of a novel, ''The Manual of Detection'' (2009). Background and education Berry was born in Randolph, Vermont, and spent his childhood in Catskill, New York. He attended Bard Coll ...

, author * Dudley Blodget, Wisconsin politician * Calvin H. Blodgett, mayor of Burlington, Vermont *

Albert Brown Chandler Albert Brown Chandler (August 20, 1840 – February 23, 1923) was an American corporate executive. He was notable for his association with Abraham Lincoln during Chandler's service as a War Department telegraph operator during the American C ...

, president of the

Postal Telegraph Company Postal Telegraph Company (Postal Telegraph & Cable Corporation) was a major operator of telegraph networks in the United States prior to its consolidation with Western Union in 1943.Nonnenmacher, TomasHistory of the U.S. Telegraph Industry/ref> Po ...

Dudley Chase Dudley Chase (December 30, 1771February 23, 1846) was a U.S. Senator from Vermont who served from 1813 to 1817 and again from 1825 to 1831. He was born in Cornish, New Hampshire. Career After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1791, he st ...

United States Senator The United States Senate is the Upper house, upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States House of Representatives, House of Representatives being the Lower house, lower chamber. Together they compose the national Bica ...

Harry H. Cooley Harry H. Cooley (November 13, 1893 – October 21, 1986) was a Vermont teacher, farmer and public official who served in the Vermont House of Representatives and as Secretary of State. Biography Harry Hale Cooley was born in Georgia, Vermont on ...

Secretary of State of Vermont The secretary of state of Vermont is one of five cabinet-level constitutional officers in the U.S. state of Vermont which are elected every two years. The secretary of state is fourth (behind the lieutenant governor, speaker of the House of Repres ...

William H. Dubois William Henry Dubois (March 24, 1835 – May 14, 1907) was a Vermont businessman and political figure who served for eight years as Vermont State Treasurer. Early life William Henry Dubois was born in Randolph, Vermont, on Match 24, 1835, the son ...

Vermont State Treasurer The State Treasurer's Office is responsible for several administrative and service duties, in accordance with Vermont Statutes. These include: investing state funds; issuing state bonds; serving as the central bank for state agencies; managing the ...

Joseph Edson Joseph Edson (March 3, 1782 - March 7, 1832) was a farmer, military leader, and government official in Vermont. Among the offices in which he served were United States Marshal for the District of Vermont (1823-1829), Sheriff of Orange County (1 ...

, U.S. Marshal for Vermont *

Lebbeus Egerton ''Lebbeus'' is a genus of shrimp in the family Thoridae. It includes a species whose name was auctioned in 2009 to raise funds for conservation; Luc Longley Lucien James Longley (born 19 January 1969) is an Australian professional basketbal ...

Lieutenant Governor of Vermont The lieutenant governor of Vermont is elected for a two-year term and chosen separately from the governor. The Vermont Lieutenant Governor's main responsibilities include acting as governor when the governor is out of state or incapacitated, presi ...

Martin Flint Martin Flint (January 12, 1782 – February 27, 1855) was a Vermont political and military figure who served in the Vermont House of Representatives and as Adjutant General of the Vermont Militia. Early life Martin Flint was born in Hampton, ...

Anti-Masonic Party The Anti-Masonic Party was the earliest third party in the United States. Formally a single-issue party, it strongly opposed Freemasonry, but later aspired to become a major party by expanding its platform to take positions on other issues. After ...

leader who served as

Adjutant General An adjutant general is a military chief administrative officer. France In Revolutionary France, the was a senior staff officer, effectively an assistant to a general officer. It was a special position for lieutenant-colonels and colonels in staf ...

of the Vermont Militia *

Henrik Galeen Henrik Galeen (7 January 1881 – 30 July 1949) was an Austrian-born actor, screenwriter and film director considered an influential figure in the development of German Expressionism, German Expressionist cinema during the silent era. Early years ...

, actor, director *

William Hebard William Hebard (November 29, 1800October 20, 1875) was an American attorney and politician from Vermont. He served in several elected offices, and was most notable for representing Vermont in the United States House of Representatives for two te ...

, US congressman * Carroll Ketchum, Vermont state legislator *

Zosia Mamet Zosia Russell MametAccording to Vermont Births, 1981–2001, and Vermont Birth Records, 1909–2008, at Ancestry.com. (; born February 2, 1988) is an American actress and musician who has appeared in television series including ''Mad Men'', ' ...

, singer, actress *

Jean Merrill Jean Merrill (January 27, 1923August 2, 2012) was an American writer of children's books and editor, known best for ''The Pushcart War'', a novel published in 1964. She died from cancer at her home in Randolph, Vermont, in 2012, aged 89. Early ...

, writer and editor * Colonel Jonathan Miller, Freedom fighter, abolitionist and women's rightsJonathan P.Miller
Appletons Encyclopedia, Retrieved 4 August 2015 *

Justin Morgan Justin Morgan (February 28, 1747 – March 22, 1798) was a U.S. horse breeder and composer. He was born in West Springfield, Massachusetts, and by 1788 had settled in Vermont. In addition to being a horse breeder and farmer, he was a teacher of ...

, horse breeder and composer * Sherman R. Moulton, Chief Justice of the

Vermont Supreme Court The Vermont Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority of the U.S. state of Vermont. Unlike most other states, the Vermont Supreme Court hears appeals directly from the trial courts, as Vermont has no intermediate appeals court. The Court ...

Buster Olney Robert "Buster" Olney (born ) is an American sports journalist for ESPN, ''ESPN: The Magazine'', and ESPN.com. He previously covered the New York Giants and New York Yankees for ''The New York Times''. He is also a regular analyst for the ES ...

, columnist for

ESPN The Magazine ''ESPN The Magazine'' was an American monthly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998. Initially published every other week, it scaled back to 24 issues a year i ...

John K. Parish John Kimball Parish (November 18, 1848 – June 1, 1932) was an American jurist and politician. Born in Randolph, Vermont, Parish moved to Waupaca, Wisconsin in 1867. He graduated from University of Wisconsin in 1872, studied law, and was adm ...

. Wisconsin state legislator and jurist * John W. Rowell, Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court *

John C. Sherburne John C. Sherburne (August 31, 1883 – June 30, 1959) was a Vermont attorney and judge. His career was most notable for his service as an associate justice of the Vermont Supreme Court from 1934 to 1949, and the court's Chief Justice from 1949 to ...

, Vermont's first

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford, in the United Kingdom. Established in 1902, it is the oldest graduate scholarship in the world. It is considered among the world' ...

and Chief Justice of the

* Milan H. Sessions, politician * Ronni Solbert, children’s book illustrator *

Larry Townsend Larry Townsend (27 October 1930 – 29 July 2008) was the American author of dozens of books including ''Run, Little Leather Boy'' (1970) and ''The Leatherman's Handbook'' (1972), published by pioneer erotic presses such as Greenleaf Classics a ...

, Vermont legislator *

Levi Baker Vilas Levi Baker Vilas (February 25, 1811February 6, 1879) was an American lawyer and politician. He was the 4th Mayor of Madison, Wisconsin, and served three non-consecutive years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Dane County. Before movin ...

, Vermont and Wisconsin politician * Stephen W. Webster, Vermont state legislator who served as

President pro tempore of the Vermont Senate The President ''pro tempore'' of the Vermont Senate presides over the Senate of the U.S. state of Vermont in the absence of the Lieutenant Governor. The President ''pro tempore'' also sets the policy priorities and legislative agenda for the Senat ...

Vermont Secretary of State
Vermont Legislative Directory, 1989, page 514 * Jessamyn West, librarian

International relations

Randolph is twinned with: *

Myrhorod Myrhorod ( uk, Ми́ргород, ) is a city in the Poltava Oblast (province) of central Ukraine. Serving as the administrative center of the Myrhorod Raion (district), the city itself is administratively incorporated as a city of oblast s ...

References

External links

Kimball Public Library

''Randolph Herald''
– local newspaper
Randolph Historical Society
– local history museum {{authority control Towns in Vermont Towns in Orange County, Vermont