Sheldon 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 ...

in Franklin County,

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 2,136 at the 2020 census. It contains the unincorporated community of Sheldon Springs.

Geography

Sheldon, named for Revolutionary War colonel Elisha Sheldon,Colonel Elisha Sheldon - Sheldon
at Waymarking.com. is located in central Franklin County on both sides of the

Missisquoi River The Missisquoi River is a transboundary river of the east shore of Lake Champlain (via Missisquoi Bay), approximately long, in northern Vermont in the United States and southern Quebec in Canada. It drains a rural area of the northern Green Mount ...

, a west-flowing tributary of

Lake Champlain , native_name_lang = , image = Champlainmap.svg , caption = Lake Champlain-River Richelieu watershed , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = New York/Vermont in the United States; and Quebec in Canada , coords = , type = , ...

Vermont Route 105 Vermont Route 105 (VT 105) is a state highway located in northern Vermont in the United States. The route runs from U.S. Route 7 (US 7) in St. Albans in the west to the New Hampshire state line in Bloomfield in the east. The road ...

follows the river for most of its way through the town, leading east into Enosburg Falls and southwest to

St. Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman r ...

, the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Vermont Route 78 Vermont Route 78 (VT 78) is a east–west state highway in northwestern Vermont, United States. It begins at U.S. Route 2 (US 2) in Alburgh near the New York and Canada–US borders, and runs southeast to VT 105 in ...

leads northwest from Sheldon Junction down the Missisquoi to Highgate Center and Swanton.

Vermont Route 120 Vermont Route 120 (VT 120) is a state highway located in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The route begins at an intersection with VT 105 in the town of Sheldon, beginning as a north–south route until the junction ...

leads north from North Sheldon to

Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...

, and

Vermont Route 236 Vermont Route 236 (VT 236) is a state highway located entirely in Franklin County, Vermont, United States. The route begins at an intersection with VT 105 in the town of Sheldon, serving as a road connecting to Lake Carmi State ...

leads north from South Franklin (in the eastern part of Sheldon) to East Franklin. Sheldon Springs is in the west part of Sheldon along Route 105 south of the Missisquoi. 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 , of which is land and , or 1.85%, is water.

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 1,990 people, 672 households, and 544 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 51.5 people per square mile (19.9/km²). There were 691 housing units at an average density of 17.9 per square mile (6.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.38%

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 ...

, 0.15%

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 ...

, 2.31% Native American, 0.10%

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 ...

, and 2.06% 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 0.45% of the population. 39% were of French and French Canadian ancestry, 14% Irish, and 10% English. There were 672 households, out of which 42.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.9% were

married couples 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 t ...

living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.0% were non-families. 12.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.15. In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.0% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $42,179, and the median income for a family was $45,833. Males had a median income of $30,870 versus $23,833 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 $17,134. About 8.2% of families and 10.5% 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 10.5% of those under age 18 and 17.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

* Lorenzo A. Babcock, first Attorney General of

Minnesota Territory The Territory of Minnesota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 3, 1849, until May 11, 1858, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Minnesota and west ...

Elihu Goodsell Elihu Bernard Goodsell (May 11, 1806 – November 17, 1878) was an American farmer, miner, and politician. Born in Sheldon, Vermont, he went to Quincy, Illinois, and then to Mineral Point, Michigan Territory in 1834. He was the first settler ...

, Wisconsin legislator and businessman was born in Sheldon *

Heber C. Kimball Heber Chase Kimball (June 14, 1801 – June 22, 1868) was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He served as one of the original twelve apostles in the early Church of the Latter Day Saints, and as first counselor to Brigham Young ...

, nineteenth-century Mormon apostle, born in Sheldon

Andrew Jenson Andrew Jenson, born Anders Jensen, (December 11, 1850 – November 18, 1941) was a Danish immigrant to the United States who acted as an Assistant Church Historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) for much of the ea ...

,
Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia
' (Salt Lake City: Deseret News, 1901), 1:34. *

Bob Laraba Robert Edward Laraba (May 30, 1933February 16, 1962) was an American professional football player who was a linebacker and quarterback in the American Football League (AFL). He played professionally for the Los Angeles/San Diego Chargers (1960 ...

, professional and collegiate football player

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in Vermont Burlington, Vermont metropolitan area Towns in Franklin County, Vermont