Stowe 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 ...

Lamoille County, Vermont Lamoille County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,945, and it is the third-least populous county in Vermont. Its shire town (county seat) is the town of Hyde Park, while Morri ...

, United States. The population was 5,223 at the 2020 census. The town lies on Vermont Routes 108 and 100. It is nicknamed "The Ski Capital of the East" and is home to Stowe Mountain Resort, a ski facility with terrain on

Mount Mansfield Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont, reaching an elevation of above sea level. Located in the northwest of the state, it is also the highest peak in the Green Mountains. Its summit is located within the town of Underhill, Vermon ...

, the highest peak in Vermont, and Spruce Peak. 2004-02-25 - 07 - Stowe Town Hall

History

The indigenous people who lived in the area now called Vermont were primarily

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 ...

, who spoke Algonquian. They were forced aside by strategies of displacement after primarily British settlers flooded into the area after 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 ...

. There are no surviving names from the original language, which was most likely

Mahican The Mohicans ( or ) are an Eastern Algonquian Native American tribe that historically spoke an Algonquian language. As part of the Eastern Algonquian family of tribes, they are related to the neighboring Lenape, whose indigenous territory was ...

, an Algonquian dialect akin to Abenaki. Stowe was chartered on June 8, 1763, by Royal Governor

Benning Wentworth Benning Wentworth (July 24, 1696 – October 14, 1770) was an American merchant, landowner and colonial administrator who served as the List of colonial governors of New Hampshire, governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766. He is best known ...

of the

Province of New Hampshire The Province of New Hampshire was an English colony and later a British province in New England. It corresponds to the territory between the Merrimack and Piscataqua rivers on the eastern coast of North America. It was named after the Englis ...

. Vermont became a U.S. state in 1791. Two years later more settlers arrived in Stowe. By the turn of the nineteenth century, the majority of the town's property had been sold, and its population had risen to 316. Stowe's early years were dominated by the farm and lumber industries. Over 75 percent of the land in Stowe and most of Vermont used to be open terrain cleared by lumber production and used for agriculture, particularly

sheep farming Sheep farming or sheep husbandry is the raising and breeding of domestic sheep. It is a branch of animal husbandry. Sheep are raised principally for their meat (lamb and mutton), milk (sheep's milk), and fiber (wool). They also yield sheepskin ...

. In those days, up to 8000 sheep grazed the Stowe hills and valleys. Stowe's agricultural fortunes changed alongside those of the rest of

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

. Most of Vermont eventually switched from sheep to dairy farms, with more than 100 farms in Stowe alone. Only nine of these farms are still operational today. This move allowed 75 percent of the cleared area to reforest over time. Unlike much of the rest of Vermont, Stowe's past was not centered solely on agriculture. It had become a well-known summer resort by the mid-nineteenth century, thanks to its mountain scenery. The Summit House atop Mt. Mansfield was constructed just before the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

broke out. The Toll Road to reach it followed by 1870. At that time the 300-room Mansfield House occupied the majority of the settlement. The latter, often known as the "Big Hotel," burned down in 1889. Behind it lay a vast stable with over 100 horses, equipment, carriages, and stable hands. In 1953, the barn was demolished over fire concern, and several of the original beams were repurposed in the construction of The Whip Bar & Grill. The Depot Building located next to the Green Mountain Inn was erected in 1897 for the Mt. Mansfield Electric Railway. Running the 11 miles between Waterbury and Stowe, it carried both passengers and freight until 1932. Through the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, summer tourism remained crucial to Stowe's economy. Stowe had its inaugural Winter Carnival in 1921, including ski jumping, skating, and a variety of other enjoyable activities. The

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...

erected camps and began clearing ski tracks on Mt. Mansfield during the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

, leading to Stowe becoming an early mecca for downhill skiing in the United States. The Bruce Trail, which ran from the current site of the Octagon to Ranch Camp, was the first built in 1933. The Mt. Mansfield Ski Touring trail system now includes this trail as well. The Nose Dive, the next ski trail, was created in 1934. Skiers used to trek the 2.5 miles to the summit in the early days. Chairlifts, which began with a single chair in 1940, overtook rope tows as the more convenient way. The chair was in service until 1986, when it was replaced with a high-speed detachable quad. The Vermont Ski Museum was founded in 1988, and relocated to Stowe in 2000. It contains information and artifacts on the history of skiing and snowboarding in Vermont. Stowe remains a premier Eastern resort town, summer and winter.

Geography

Stowe is in southern Lamoille County, lying in a broad, fertile valley between

and other peaks of the

Green Mountains The Green Mountains are a mountain range in the U.S. state of Vermont and are a subrange of the Appalachian Mountains. The range runs primarily south to north and extends approximately from the border with Massachusetts to the border with Que ...

to the west, and the Worcester Range to the east. The town is bordered by Chittenden County to the west and Washington County to the south and east. The village of Stowe sits in the east-central part of the town, along the Little River where it is joined by its West Branch. The Little River, a tributary of the Winooski, flows southward past the village of

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

and into Waterbury Reservoir, a large reservoir created by a flood control dam in

Waterbury Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Waterbury had a population of 114,403 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census. The city is southwest of Hartford, Connecticut, Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury i ...

but which extends north into the Stowe town limits.

Transportation

Vermont Route 100 crosses the town from north to south, passing through the village of Stowe. VT 100 leads north to Morrisville and south to

. Vermont Route 108 has its southern terminus in Stowe village and leads northwest through Smugglers Notch to Jeffersonville in the

Lamoille River The Lamoille River is a river which runs through northern Vermont and drains into Lake Champlain. It is about in length, and has a drainage area of around . The river generally flows southwest, and then northwest, from the water divide of the ...

valley. 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 , of which are land and , or 0.23%, are water. By area, it is the second-largest town in the state of Vermont after Chittenden in Rutland County.

Climate

According to the

Trewartha climate classification The Trewartha climate classification (TCC), or the Köppen–Trewartha climate classification (KTC), is a climate classification system first published by American geographer Glenn Thomas Trewartha in 1966. It is a modified version of the Köp ...

system:

Mount Mansfield

Mount Mansfield has a temperate

continental climate Continental climates often have a significant annual variation in temperature (warm to hot summers and cold winters). They tend to occur in central and eastern parts of the three northern-tier continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), typi ...

(''Dc'') with mild summers (''l''), very cold winters (''c'') and year-around precipitation (''Dclc''). ''Dclc'' climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ , four to seven months with an average mean temperature ≥ , all months with an average mean temperature < and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Although most summer days are humid on Mount Mansfield, episodes of warmth and high humidity can occur with

heat index The heat index (HI) is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity, in shade (shadow), shaded areas, to posit a human-perceived equivalent temperature, as how hot it would feel if the humidity were some other value in the Shade (s ...

values > . Since 1981, the highest air temperature was on 07/08/1988, and the highest daily average mean

dew point The dew point is the temperature the air needs to be cooled to (at constant pressure) in order to produce a relative humidity of 100%. This temperature depends on the pressure and water content of the air. When the air at a temperature above the ...

was on 08/01/2006. July is the peak month for

thunderstorm A thunderstorm, also known as an electrical storm or a lightning storm, is a storm characterized by the presence of lightning and its acoustics, acoustic effect on the Earth's atmosphere, known as thunder. Relatively weak thunderstorm ...

activity which correlates with the average warmest month of the year. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was on 09/16/1999. During the winter months, the

plant hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

is 4a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of . Since 1981, the coldest air temperature was on 01/27/1994. Episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with

wind chill Wind chill (popularly wind chill factor) is the sensation of cold produced by the wind for a given ambient air temperature on exposed skin as the air motion accelerates the rate of heat transfer from the body to the surrounding atmosphere. Its va ...

values below .

Ice storm An ice storm, also known as a glaze event or a silver storm, is a type of winter storm characterized by freezing rain. The National Weather Service, U.S. National Weather Service defines an ice storm as a storm which results in the accumulatio ...

s and large snowstorms depositing ≥ of snow are frequent from late-fall to early-spring.

The Lodge at Spruce Peak

The Lodge at Spruce Peak has a temperate

(''Dc'') with warm summers (''b''), cold winters (''o'') and year-around precipitation (''Dcbo''). ''Dcbo'' climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ , four to seven months with an average mean temperature ≥ , all months with an average mean temperature < and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Although most summer days are humid at The Lodge at Spruce Peak, episodes of warmth and high humidity can occur with

values > . Since 1981, the highest air temperature was on 07/08/1988, and the highest daily average mean

was on 08/01/2006. July is the peak month for

activity which correlates with the average warmest month of the year. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was on 09/16/1999. During the winter months, the

is 4b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of . Since 1981, the coldest air temperature was on 01/27/1994. Episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with

values < .

s and large snowstorms depositing ≥ of snow are somewhat frequent from December through March.

Stowe village

Stowe village has a temperate

(''Dc'') with warm summers (''b''), cold winters (''o'') and year-around precipitation (''Dcbo''). ''Dcbo'' climates are characterized by at least one month having an average mean temperature ≤ , four to seven months with an average mean temperature ≥ , all months with an average mean temperature < and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. Although most summer days are comfortably humid at Stowe village, episodes of heat and high humidity can occur with

values > . Since 1981, the highest air temperature was on 07/09/1988, and the highest daily average mean

was on 07/01/2018. July is the peak month for

activity which correlates with the average warmest month of the year. Since 1981, the wettest calendar day was on 08/28/2011. During the winter months, the

is 4a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of . Since 1981, the coldest air temperature was on 01/27/1994. Episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with

values < .

s and large snowstorms depositing ≥ of snow occur once or twice per winter.

Ecology

According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types:

Mount Mansfield

Mount Mansfield has a dominant vegetation type of Northeast

Spruce A spruce is a tree of the genus ''Picea'' ( ), a genus of about 40 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal (taiga) regions of the Northern hemisphere. ''Picea'' ...

Fir Firs are evergreen coniferous trees belonging to the genus ''Abies'' () in the family Pinaceae. There are approximately 48–65 extant species, found on mountains throughout much of North and Central America, Eurasia, and North Africa. The genu ...

(''96'') with a dominant vegetation form of Northern Conifer forest (''22''). The peak spring bloom typically occurs in late-May and peak fall color usually occurs in late-September. The

is 4a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of .

The Lodge at Spruce Peak

The Lodge at Spruce Peak has a dominant vegetation type of Northeast

(''96'') with a dominant vegetation form of Northern Conifer forest (''22''). The peak spring bloom typically occurs in mid-May and peak fall color usually occurs in late-September. The

is 4b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of .

Stowe village

Stowe village has a dominant vegetation type of Northern ardwood/ pruce(''108'') with a dominant vegetation form of Northern

Hardwood Hardwood is wood from Flowering plant, angiosperm trees. These are usually found in broad-leaved temperate and tropical forests. In temperate and boreal ecosystem, boreal latitudes they are mostly deciduous, but in tropics and subtropics mostl ...

s (''23''). The peak spring bloom typically occurs in early-May and peak fall color usually occurs in late-September. The

is 4a with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of .

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 4339 people, 1905 households, and 1129 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 59.7 people per square mile (23.1/km²). There were 2,728 housing units at an average density of 37.5 per square mile (14.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.51%

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 ...

, 0.28%

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 ...

, 0.37% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 1.18% 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 1.06% of the population. There were 1,905 households, out of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were

married couples 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 ...

living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.7% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.83. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.

Economy

There has been some manufacturing in Stowe, such as the Tubbs Snowshoe factory, but it closed in 2009 and moved its manufacturing overseas. The median income for a household in the town was $52,378, and the median income for a family was $64,700. Males had a median income of $37,788 versus $31,689 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 $35,474. About 3.7% of families and 6.8% 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 6.8% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over. The median house value was $412,183 in 2012.

Points of interest

* Trapp Family Lodge * Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum * Stowe Mountain Resort – Stowe, "The Ski Capital of the East", has long been known for its winter recreation. Its ski area was purchased by Vail Resorts in 2017 for $41 million. It has 117 ski runs spread over Mount Mansfield and Spruce Peak, and boasts 13 lifts. * Stowe Recreation Path – a recreation trail that runs , and was completed in 1989 at a total cost of . The path stretches from the Village downtown all the way to the TopNotch Lodge. It has received several awards and honors. * Cady Hill Forest on the western edge of Stowe village was conserved by the Stowe Land Trust in 2012 and transferred to the town of Stowe. It offers more than of hiking and mountain bike trails, with an access point off Route 108 (Mountain Road). The Stowe Mountain Bike Club is currently responsible for maintaining the trail network.

Education

There are three public schools in town: Stowe Elementary School, Stowe Middle School, and Stowe High School. The Mount Mansfield Winter Academy is located in Stowe, which has a focus on snow sport athletes.

Stowe Land Trust

Stowe Land Trust is a local land conservation nonprofit that was founded in 1987 and has conserved 35 properties and over , many of which are available to the public. One is Wiessner Woods, conserved by the trust in 1992 through a donation from the Wiessner family.

Media

The ''Stowe Reporter'', covering local politics, business, arts, and personalities, has been the weekly newspaper of record for the town of Stowe since its founding in 1958. The

Vermont Community Newspaper Group The Vermont Community Newspaper Group is a media company and publisher of five weekly newspapers and multiple magazines in the U.S. state of Vermont. History After owning the Stowe Reporter for 17 years, publisher Biddle Duke sold a majority ...

, owner of the ''Stowe Reporter'' and four other community weekly newspapers in Vermont, is based in Stowe. Radio station

WCVT WCVT (101.7 FM) is a radio station broadcasting a classic hits format, branded as "101.7 WCVT Classic Hits Vermont". Licensed to Stowe, Vermont, United States, the station serves Northern Vermont including the Burlington metro area, along wit ...

is licensed to Stowe, and programs a classic hits format.

Notable people

* Walter J. Bigelow, mayor of Burlington *

Jake Burton Carpenter Jake Burton Carpenter (April 29, 1954 – November 20, 2019), occasionally also known as Jake Burton or Jakie, was an American snowboarder, founder of Burton Snowboards, and one of the inventors of the modern day snowboard. A native of New ...

, CEO of

Burton Snowboards Burton Snowboards is a privately-owned snowboard manufacturing company that was founded by Jake Burton Carpenter in 1977. The company specializes in products aimed at snowboarders, such as snowboards, bindings, boots, outerwear, and accessor ...

* Rusty DeWees, comedian, actor, and writer * Noah Dines, skier * Joseph Dutton, worked as a missionary with

Father Damien Damien De Veuster , popularly known as Father Damien or Saint Damien of Molokai ( or '; born Jozef De Veuster; 3 January 1840 – 15 April 1889), was a Catholic Church in Belgium, Belgian Catholic priest in the Congregation of the Sacred Hearts ...

* William "Billy" Kidd, first American man to earn an Olympic medal in alpine skiing * Joe Kirkwood Sr., golfer * Fr. Emmanuel Lemelson, activist investor and Greek Orthodox Priest * Graham Mink, former right wing for the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The Capitals compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NH ...

, now playing for Dornbirner EC of the

Austrian Hockey League The ICE Hockey League (International Central European Hockey League, ICEHL), known as the win2day ICE Hockey League for sponsorship reasons, is a Central European hockey league that also serves as the top-tier ice hockey league in Austria. It c ...

(EBEL) * Tiger Shaw, Olympics alpine ski racer and President of U.S.S.A. * Joseph Skinger, artisan * Ken Squier, Lap-by-Lap commentator for

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

Maria von Trapp Maria Augusta von Trapp Order of the Holy Sepulchre (Catholic), DHS (; 26 January 1905 – 28 March 1987), often styled as "Baroness", was the stepmother and matriarch of the Trapp Family, Trapp Family Singers. She wrote ''The Story of the ...

, matriarch of the Trapp Family Singers * Ty Walker, youngest member of the 2014 US Olympic Slopestyle Snowboard team * Fritz Wiessner, pioneer of free climbing

Gallery

File:Stowe_Community_Church_2022.jpg, Stowe Community Church File:2004-02-25 - 05 - Main Street, Stowe.jpg, Shaw's general store lies opposite the Town Hall File:Mount mansfield 20040926.jpg,

is the highest point in the state of Vermont, and home to the Stowe Mountain Resort File:Trapp Family Lodge 2014.jpg, Trapp Family Lodge

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1763 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Populated places established in 1763 Towns in Lamoille County, Vermont Towns in Vermont