Orange 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 Orange 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 population was 1,048 at the 2020 census.

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 39.0 square miles (101.0 km²), of which 38.8 square miles (100.4 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.6 km²) (0.59%) is water. The Waits River flows through the northeastern part of Orange. Orange is also the site of the Dix Reservoir, the major water supply for adjoining Barre, along with its associated water processing facilities.

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 965 people, 362 households, and 278 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was 24.9 people per square mile (9.6/km²). There were 422 housing units at an average density of 10.9 per square mile (4.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.55%

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 ...

, 0.10% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.52% from other races, and 0.62% 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 1.55% of the population. There were 362 households, out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.9% were couples living together and joined in either

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

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

, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.03. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 27.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $40,300, and the median income for a family was $44,375. Males had a median income of $32,500 versus $22,614 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 $16,356. About 6.7% of families and 7.1% 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 3.5% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

History

In 1780, the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

-era government of Vermont granted the town of Orange to Captain Ebenezer Green, Amos Robinson, and 63 other shareholders. At the time,

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

, and

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

were fighting for control of Vermont, including the right to award town charters—a fight eventually won by Vermont. During the Revolution, New York unsuccessfully attempted to award a charter for the town of Kempton, which would have encompassed the same territory as Orange. The first settlement in Orange took place in 1793, when Joseph Williams and his family built a house in the southern portion of the town. Orange was officially organized in 1796 in a meeting which took place at Williams's home, and its first government consisted of: Joseph Thayer as town meeting moderator; John Sloane, town clerk; Thomas Storrs Paine, Fairbanks Bush, and Gould Camp as

selectmen The select board or board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms. Three is the most common numb ...

(Camp was also town treasurer); Ezra Paine, constable; listers Fairbanks Bush, Ezra Goodale, and Humphrey Hunt; and grand juror Joseph Williams. In 1798, Orange was represented 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 ...

for the first time, following the election of Ezra Goodale.

Notable people

Edna Beard Edna Louisa Beard (July 25, 1877 – September 18, 1928) was the first woman legislator in Vermont; she was the first woman elected to the Vermont House of Representatives, and the first woman elected to the Vermont Senate. A native of Illinois, ...

, the first woman to serve in the

(1921–1923), and the first to serve 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 ...

(1923–1925) * Benjamin F. Fifield, lawyer who served as

United States Attorney United States attorneys are officials of the U.S. Department of Justice who serve as the chief federal law enforcement officers in each of the 94 U.S. federal judicial districts. Each U.S. attorney serves as the United States' chief federal ...

for the District of Vermont from 1869 to 1880 * Alexander Kennedy Miller, aviator and antique car collector * Frank P. Sargent, Railroad union leader, U.S. Commissioner General of Immigration * Stanley C. Wilson, Governor of Vermont (1931–1935)

References

External links

Town of Orange Official Website
{{authority control Towns in Vermont Towns in Orange County, Vermont