Barton is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Orleans County,

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. The population was 2,872 at the 2020 census. The town includes two incorporated

villages A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban village ...

, Barton and Orleans. Approximately a quarter of the town's population lives in each of the villages, and approximately half lives outside the villages. Only four other towns in the state contain two incorporated villages. The Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe, a state-recognized tribe, is headquartered here.Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe official website
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History

The

Abenaki The Abenaki ( Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was pred ...

and their ancestors had been in this area for 12,000 years. They were part of the large

Wabanaki confederacy The Wabanaki Confederacy (''Wabenaki, Wobanaki'', translated to "People of the Dawn" or "Easterner"; also: Wabanakia, "Dawnland") is a North American First Nations and Native American confederation of five principal Eastern Algonquian nations ...

of related Algonguian-speaking peoples that extended into what is now Canada. In 2011 and 2012 the state of Vermont officially recognized four Abenaki tribes. The Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe has its headquarters in Barton. Early European traders and colonists were French. Anglo-Americans began to enter the area later in the 18th century. Both groups pushed the Abenaki aside when they wanted the land, and the natives suffered high mortality due to new infectious diseases. France and England continued their European competition in North America, including in wars of the early 18th century. There was frequent raiding by each group of colonists and their Native American allies between their settlements, leading to a brisk trade in ransomed captives. The

French and Indian War The French and Indian War, 1754 to 1763, was a colonial conflict in North America between Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of France, France, along with their respective Native Americans in the United States, Native American ...

was the North American front of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

later in the century. In the latter warfare, Rogers' Rangers attacked Saint-Francis, Quebec in 1759, but were forced to retreat. They came through this area, splitting their forces before reaching Barton. One group followed the Barton River south to the falls at the outlet of Crystal Lake, where they caught fish to eat. They continued south over the summit into the Passumpsic River Valley. After the American Revolutionary War and independence, Barton was chartered on October 20, 1789. The land was granted in lieu of pay to 60 Revolutionary War veterans, mainly from Rhode Island. They included Admiral

John Paul Jones John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 – July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-born naval officer who served in the Continental Navy during the American Revolutionary War. Often referred to as the "Father of the American Navy", Jones is regard ...

, General William Barton after whom the town was named, and Ira Allen. Prior to formal chartering, the town had been known as "Providence." 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. The early Anglo-American settlers of Barton found wigwams, in a decayed condition, quite numerous in the vicinity of the outlet of Barton pond. They realized that this had been a favorite camping ground of the Abenaki. They noted that Foosah, an Abenaki, said that he had killed 27

moose The moose (: 'moose'; used in North America) or elk (: 'elk' or 'elks'; used in Eurasia) (''Alces alces'') is the world's tallest, largest and heaviest extant species of deer and the only species in the genus ''Alces''. It is also the tal ...

, besides large numbers of beaver and otter, near this pond in the winter of 1783–1784. On June 6, 1810, the body of water known today as Runaway Pond flooded the Barton River Valley, resulting in widespread destruction. Its effects can still be seen today. In 1824, voters decided to fund education for all children, establishing public schools. A private academy started operating in 1852 with 107 students. This was the forerunner of Barton Academy. Railroad construction reached Barton in 1858. The first train arrived in 1863. As each new railroad terminus was built, the stagecoaches used them as well. The stage ran north from Barton, from what is now the junction of State Road 58 and US 5, to connect with the Hinman Settler Road. It came from Glover and ran up Barton Hill, over what is now Maple Hill Road, and on to what is now the Orleans Country Club; from there it went to Brownington. Fred Kimball opposed slavery and became an agent on the

Underground Railroad The Underground Railroad was an organized network of secret routes and safe houses used by freedom seekers to escape to the abolitionist Northern United States and Eastern Canada. Enslaved Africans and African Americans escaped from slavery ...

before the Civil War, assisting refugee slaves from the South to reach freedom in Vermont or pass into Canada. Some of the refugees wanted to get as far as possible from slave catchers, who became more aggressive as bounties were increased after the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act. Some 182 men from the town volunteered to fight in the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

. By 1863, enthusiasm for the war had waned, and Congress passed legislation to start a

draft Draft, the draft, or draught may refer to: Watercraft dimensions * Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel * Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail * Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a v ...

of soldiers. Individuals were allowed to buy their way out of the draft for $300, a steep sum for many men at the time, or find a substitute, usually paying a bounty of $100. Barton's quota was 14. Of the 14 men originally drafted, seven bought their way out, and six obtained a substitute. One served. The town had a total of seven granite quarries, which were a mainstay of the economy. Around 1900, a granite quarry was located on the east side of Crystal Lake. Steamboats carried stone by barges across the lake. In winter, barges were slid across on the ice. In 1907 excavation for the new Barton Academy revealed an Abenaki burying ground. There is no record of what happened to the artifacts that were discovered in the graves. Increasing steadily, Barton's population reached a peak of 3,506 people in 1920. In 1921, the town put on a large pageant celebrating its 125th anniversary. A professional choreographer and playwright was hired. 300 townspeople performed, and they were watched by 4,500 paying spectators, a record audience for the county at the time. The investment of $1,000 was recouped. The festival area was afterwards known as Pageant Park, which is now owned by the Barton village. Following the outbreak of World War II, the Portland Pipeline company built a crude oil pipeline to

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

, Canada from

Portland, Maine Portland is the List of municipalities in Maine, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat, seat of Cumberland County, Maine, Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 at the 2020 census. The Portland metropolit ...

in 1941. It wanted to avoid the risk of U-Boat attacks that resulted from shipping by sea. In 2005, the portion of the line that passes through Barton town was evaluated and taxed at $2,277,000. The last one-room schools stopped operation in the late 1950s. In 1964, a

candlepin Candlepin bowling is a variation of bowling that is played primarily in the Canadian Maritime provinces and the New England region of the United States. It is played with a handheld-sized ball and tall, narrow pins that resemble candles, hence ...

bowling alley was opened. Up to ten community leagues used the facility. It closed in 2000 after some legal problems. In 1967, the school districts found that their high schools, Barton Academy and Orleans High School, were too small to accommodate current needs. They converted them to elementary school use and built a new facility, Lake Region Union High School. On February 14, 2016, the temperature dropped to . The high for the day was . There had been insufficient snow to insulate homes against the cold, and a life-threatening emergency developed after electric power failed. It was off for 12 hours, jeopardizing the lives of many residents, particularly the elderly, among those who depended on electrical fired furnaces. Exterior electrical generators could not be started due to the cold. Plumbing froze and burst in many houses.

South Barton

The unincorporated village of South Barton, sometimes called Kimball Station, no longer exists. It was located near the Wheeler Mountain Road south of Crystal Lake on present-day Route 5. In 1858, Barton (and Orleans County) obtained a triangular piece of land from Sheffield which included all of May Pond, the entire area south of Crystal Lake, and the village of South Barton. In 1861, the village of South Barton had its own post office, and, in 1874, its own railroad depot. In the early 1930s, 30 students attended its one-room schoolhouse. Its main industry was logging. The village foundered because it lacked electric power, which the other two villages in town had aggressively pursued getting installed. South Barton tried to rely on steam power, but by the early 1940s, the village was no longer viable. Its post office closed in 1947. Three industries operated successively in the same location: the Orleans and Caledonia Steam Mill Company, Willoughby Wood and Lumber Company, and US Bobbin and Shuttle Company. Eventually the relocation of the latter to New York state took enough jobs that remaining residents left the village.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of 44.9 square miles (116.3 km²), of which 43.7 square miles (113.1 km²) is land and 1.3 square miles (3.3 km²) (2.81%) is water. Barton averages above sea level (ASL). The principal rock is calciferous mica

schist Schist ( ) is a medium-grained metamorphic rock generally derived from fine-grained sedimentary rock, like shale. It shows pronounced ''schistosity'' (named for the rock). This means that the rock is composed of mineral grains easily seen with a l ...

. About two miles (3 km) from the Irasburg line, and parallel with it, there is a narrow vein of hornblende schist the whole length of the town. In the eastern corner, covering an area of several square miles, the rocks are a mixture of

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

, syenite, and protogine.

Iron Iron is a chemical element; it has symbol Fe () and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, forming much of Earth's o ...

has been found in small quantities, and some traces of

gold Gold is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol Au (from Latin ) and atomic number 79. In its pure form, it is a brightness, bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile metal. Chemically, gold is a transition metal ...

.''Gazetteer of Lamoille and Orleans Counties, VT.; 1883-1884'', Compiled and Published by Hamilton Child; May 1887 The highest peak in Barton is Barton Mountain – ASL. May Hill is high. Rivers include the Barton, and Willoughby; Hogtrough Brook, Lord Brook, Annis Brook, May Pond Brook, Willoughby Brook, and Roaring Brook. Each spring, the migrating

rainbow trout The rainbow trout (''Oncorhynchus mykiss'') is a species of trout native to cold-water tributary, tributaries of the Pacific Ocean in North America and Asia. The steelhead (sometimes called steelhead trout) is an Fish migration#Classification, ...

swim up the Willoughby River to spawn in Lake Willoughby. Crystal Lake State Park is located in Barton.

Government

Town

* Moderator: William Boyd Davies * Selectman: Jim Greenwood * Selectman: Robert Croteau * Selectmen: Mike Pion *

Town Clerk A clerk (pronounced "clark" /klɑːk/ in British and Australian English) is a senior official of many municipal governments in the English-speaking world. In some communities, including most in the United States, the position is elected, but in ma ...

: Kristin Atwood The Selectmen's Budget was $310,100 in 2008; the Highway Budget was $441,900.

Legislature

The Essex-Orleans Senate district includes the town of Barton, as well as parts or all of Essex County, Orleans County, Franklin County and Lamoille County. It is represented in the

Vermont Senate The Vermont Senate is the upper house of the Vermont General Assembly, the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The senate consists of 30 members elected from multi-member districts. Each senator repre ...

by John S. Rodgers ( D) and Robert A. Starr ( D). In the

Vermont House of Representatives The Vermont House of Representatives is the lower house of the Vermont General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Vermont. The House comprises 150 members, with each member representing around 4,100 citizens. Representatives a ...

, Barton forms part of the Orleans-Caledonia-1 district. Its representatives are Vicki Strong ( R) and Sam Young ( D).

Education

The town is a key member of the Orleans Central Supervisory Union. Spending per pupil in 2007 was $10,364, slightly below the state average of $11,095.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 2,780 people, 1,153 households, and 748 families residing in the town. The population density was 63.7/sq mi(24.6/km²). There were 1,438 housing units at an average density of 32.9 per square mile (12.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.37%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.32%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.40% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 1.65% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.29% of the population. 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. Of all households, 30.4% 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 age distribution of the population shows 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 Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $14,636. About 12.2% of families and 15.8% 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 ...

, including 21.7% of those under age 18 and 17.0% of those age 65 or over.

Tourism

Prior to 2010, a study was taken which showed that second home ownership in town was 30%; this was similar to other locations across the county. Most seasonal residents come in the summer, and tourism is important to the economy.

Industry

Ethan Allen Manufacturing, in the village of Orleans, employs about 400 workers locally. A nursing home with 71 beds employs 70 people.

Utilities and communication

Landline

Consolidated Communications of Northern New England.

Cellphone

Barton is served by Verizon and AT&T.

Electricity

The Barton side of Barton town is served by Barton Electric, which generates some of its power hydroelectrically to 2100 customers (households).Electric Utilities List : Electric : Vermont Department of Public Service
"Customers" refers to number of hookups, not individuals The Orleans side of Barton town is served by The Village of Orleans Electric with 665 customers (households).

Water and sewage

Water is separately distributed to local village residents in Barton and Orleans. Barton charges $59.50 per ; Orleans charges $24. Sewage is charged by the same water meter usage, $172.60 per 5000 in Barton; $59 in Orleans.

Solid waste

Barton generated about of waste annually in 2013.

Transportation

Major routes

The opening of the Interstate north on November 9, 1972, and opening south in 1978, stimulated connections with other communities; it resulted in increased trade and attracted new residents. This was similar to the effects of the opening of the railway a century earlier. In 1980, Barton registered its first population gain in a century. Barton has of state road and class 1, 2 and 3 roads, of which are class 3 (dirt) roads and are state roads. *

Interstate 91 Interstate 91 (I-91) is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It is the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of the region. Its southern terminus is in New Haven, Connecticut, at I-95, whi ...

– Barton to Derby *

U.S. Route 5 U.S. Route 5 (US 5) is a north–south United States Numbered Highway running through the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Significant cities along the route include New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Conn ...

– Barton to Derby * Vermont Route 16 – Barton to Westmore east and north, to Glover south * Vermont Route 58 – Barton to Lowell west and Barton to Westmore east

Local community public and private transportation

Rural Community Transportation provides on-demand rides for medicaid and medicare patients, disabled individuals, and older adults.

Railroads

While the Washington County Railroad (The Vermont Railway System) runs through Barton about twice a day, it does not make scheduled stops. The railroad created a transload facility in town in 2015. This is operated by a hauler headquartered in Troy.

Media

* '' The Chronicle'' – published weekly in Barton * ''The Orleans County Monitor'' was published here from January 8, 1872, to 1953 as a weekly newspaper.

Culture

Barton has two libraries, one in Barton village, and one in Orleans. Barton village contains three areas listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. The Orleans County Fair has been held in the town nearly every August since 1867. It was first held at the site later developed as the Orleans Country Club. It moved to the Barton Fairgrounds, separately owned, in 1868. The fourteenth fair was held in 1903, suggesting skipped years. One year

Lowell Thomas Lowell Jackson Thomas (April 6, 1892 – August 29, 1981) was an American writer, Television presenter, broadcaster, and documentary filmmaker. He authored more than fifty non-fiction books, mostly travel narratives and popular biographies of ex ...

, a noted explorer, was the master of ceremonies. In 1912,

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

campaigned for President here. For many years, the fair featured

harness racing Harness racing is a form of horse racing in which the horses race at a specific gait (a trot or a pace). They usually pull a two-wheeled cart called a sulky, spider, or chariot occupied by a driver. In Europe, and less frequently in Australia ...

, which was popular in New England. In 2009, a state record for the mile was broken at 1:56.2.

Edward Hoagland Edward Hoagland (born December 21, 1932) is an American author best known for his nature and travel writing. Life Hoagland was born in New York, New York and attended Harvard University. He joined the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus i ...

wrote an essay, "Americana, etc.", a paean to the Fair of 1969. His praise of girlie shows aroused an uproar among some residents, and resulted in these being shut down as part of the attractions. The fair continues in the 21st century. In 2011, a

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

was set when 301

Cadillac Cadillac Motor Car Division, or simply Cadillac (), is the luxury vehicle division (business), division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Its major markets are the United States, Canada and China; Cadillac models are ...

s were in the same parade on the opening day of the Fair; they far surpassed the 103 needed to beat the prior record. The Cadillac developer was born in Barton. In 2013, the paid attendance was 18,000.

Notable people

* Frederick W. Baldwin, practiced law with William Grout; president pro tempore of the

(1900) * Colonel William Barton, Revolutionary War officer, founder of the town * Susan Dunklee, biathlete, raised in Barton *

Mary Baker Eddy Mary Baker Eddy (née Baker; July 16, 1821 – December 3, 1910) was an American religious leader and author, who in 1879 founded The Church of Christ, Scientist, the ''Mother Church'' of the Christian Science movement. She also founded ''The C ...

resided with student after the death of her husband in 1882 * Lee E. Emerson, 69th

governor of Vermont The governor of Vermont is the head of government of the U.S. state of Vermont. The officeholder is elected in even-numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years. Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold guberna ...

* Josiah Grout, 46th

* William W. Grout, US congressman 1881–1883 * Emory A. Hebard,

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 th ...

(1977–1989) * Stephen Perry Jocelyn, US Army brigadier general, raised and educated in Barton * Henry M. Leland, engineer and automotive entrepreneur, created both the

and Lincoln brands * Orrin Wiley Locke, state senator from Orleans County * Willard W. Miles, associate judge on 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 ...

* Major General Francis W. Nye, commander of the Defense Atomic Support Agency, Sandia * Henry Alexander Stafford, professional baseball player for the

New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...

* Frank D. Thompson, Associate Justice of the

References

External links

Barton Chronicle
– local newspaper
Orleans County Fair
*

Official website
{{Authority control Towns in Orleans County, Vermont Towns in Vermont