Jericho, Vermont

For the village by the same name and in the same county, see Jericho (village), Vermont.

Jericho, Vermont
Town
Jericho town hall (2012)
Location within Chittenden County and Vermont
Jericho, Vermont Location in the United States
Coordinates: 44°28′53″N72°57′54″W / 44.48139°N 72.96500°W / 44.48139; -72.96500
Country	United States
State	Vermont
County	Chittenden
Communities	Jericho Jericho Center Nashville Riverside Underhill Flats  (part)
Area
• Total	35.6 sq mi (92.1 km2)
• Land	35.4 sq mi (91.7 km2)
• Water	0.2 sq mi (0.4 km2)
Elevation [1]	702 ft (214 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	5,104
• Density	140/sq mi (55/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code	05465
Area code	802
FIPS code	50-36700 [2]
GNIS feature ID	1462128 [3]
Website	www.jerichovt.org

Jericho is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 5,104. ^[4] The town was named after the ancient city of Jericho. ^[5]

History

Ira Allen and Remember Baker began surveying the town of Jericho in 1773 for the Onion River Land Company. ^[6] The Browns were the first European family to settle in Jericho, in 1774, building a cabin near the Browns River. ^[7]

In 1776, a detachment of the Continental Army was sent to garrison a blockhouse in Jericho along the Onion (Winooski) River. The garrison soon retreated back to Fort Ticonderoga within weeks of their arrival due to fears of British advance south from Canada. The officers involved, including Matthew Lyon, were tried and convicted by court-martial for cowardice and disobeying orders to maintain the post. ^[8] The location of the Jericho blockhouse is believed to have been along River Road near the intersection with Skunk Hollow. ^[9]

In 1780 the Brown family was taken captive by a war party of British-allied Mohawks returning to Canada following the Royalton Raid. ^[7]

Geography

Lee River in Jericho (2008)

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 35.6 square miles (92.1 km²), of which 35.4 square miles (91.7 km²) is land and 0.15 square miles (0.4 km²), or 0.45%, is water. ^[4]

The town of Jericho has a connection with the neighboring town of Underhill. The area has four distinct village areas. The historic Old Red Mill, home of the Jericho Historical Society, ^[10] stands in Jericho village (also known as Jericho Corners) on Route 15 in the northwest part of the town, an area that extends from the Browns River crossing eastward to the post office and the Jericho Elementary School. Jericho Corners is the location of the Galusha House, home of Truman Galusha, a brick Federal-style house built in 1790 and like Jericho's Old Red Mill, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. ^[11]

Jericho's second village, Jericho Center, on Browns Trace, is home to several historic buildings, churches, and Jericho Center Country Store, Vermont's oldest continuously running general store. The Jericho Center Village has a village green, or "Common", a typical park-like center of a Vermont village, surrounded by historic buildings.

Half of the Underhill Flats area on Route 15 is within Jericho. This area features the multi-use Mills Riverside Park and two general stores (Jolley & Jacob's).

Underhill Center in the town of Underhill has one general store, as well as St. Thomas Catholic Church, a small postal office, and access to Underhill State Park.

Jericho is home to the Chittenden East Wolverines of the Northern Vermont Youth Football League, Cub Scout Pack 620, and one of Vermont's oldest and largest Boy Scout troops, Troop 627.

The two towns share the Underhill-Jericho Fire Department. ^[12]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1790	381		—
1800	728		91.1%
1810	1,185		62.8%
1820	1,219		2.9%
1830	1,654		35.7%
1840	1,684		1.8%
1850	1,837		9.1%
1860	1,669		−9.1%
1870	1,757		5.3%
1880	1,687		−4.0%
1890	1,461		−13.4%
1900	1,373		−6.0%
1910	1,307		−4.8%
1920	1,138		−12.9%
1930	1,091		−4.1%
1940	1,077		−1.3%
1950	1,135		5.4%
1960	1,425		25.6%
1970	2,343		64.4%
1980	3,575		52.6%
1990	4,302		20.3%
2000	5,015		16.6%
2010	5,009		−0.1%
2020	5,104		1.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [13]

As of the census ^[2] of 2000, there were 5,015 people, 1,751 households, and 1,402 families residing in the town. The population density was 141.7 people per square mile (54.7/km²). There were 1,774 housing units at an average density of 50.1 per square mile (19.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.45% White, 0.68% Black or African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.56% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.12% of the population.

There were 1,751 households, out of which 45.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.4% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.9% were non-families. 14.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.86 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.9% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 26.4% from 45 to 64, and 6.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $65,375, and the median income for a family was $72,500. Males had a median income of $49,375 versus $30,488 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,941. About 3.6% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 3.7% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Schools fall under the umbrella of the Mount Mansfield Modified Union School District. Local school includes Jericho Elementary School serving from kindergarten through fourth grade. Browns River Middle School teaches grades five through eight. There is one high school in Jericho—Mount Mansfield Union High School—which serves students from Jericho, Underhill, Richmond, Huntington, Bolton, Jonesville, and Westford.

Students from Mount Mansfield Union High School are allowed to apply to a vocational school for their junior and senior years. They can apply to either The Center for Technology, Essex (CTE), or the Burlington Technical Center (BTC). CTE is located in Essex Junction and is part of the larger Essex High School (EHS).

MMU has 814 students enrolled as of 2018, making it the eighth most enrolled school in Vermont. ^[14]

On November 4, 2014, the communities of Bolton, Jericho, Richmond, Underhill ID and Underhill Town voted to form the Mount Mansfield Modified Union School District also known as the MMMUSD. ^[15] On June 6, 2019, MMUUSD voted to also include the town of Huntington. This school district serves and governs the current town school districts of Bolton (Smilie Memorial School), Huntington (Brewster Pierce Memorial Elementary), Jericho (Jericho Elementary), Richmond (Richmond Elementary), and Underhill (Underhill Central School), Mt Mansfield Union School District (Browns River Middle, Camels Hump Middle and Mt. Mansfield Union High Schools) in grades Pre-K through 12.

Notable people

• Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley (1865–1931), farmer who photographed over five thousand snow crystals ^[16]
• Lea Davison, Olympic athlete ^[17]
• Mary Fletcher, philanthropist who founded the future University of Vermont Medical Center ^[18]
• William B. Gray, United States attorney for Vermont ^[19]
• Heman Lowry, U.S. marshal for Vermont ^[20]
• Anson Rood (1827–1898), Wisconsin State assemblyman and businessman ^[21]

In popular culture

A fictitious version of Jericho is the setting of the 2022 TV series Wednesday based on the character from The Addams Family. ^[22]

References

1. "Town of Jericho". Geographic Names Information System . United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior . Retrieved April 4, 2024.
2. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
3. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. "Census - Geographic Profile - Jericho town, Chittenden County, Vermont". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
5. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. p. 169.
6. Wilbur, James Benjamin. Ira Allen: Founder of Vermont, 1751-1814. United States: Houghton Mifflin, 1928. p. 20-1.
7. The History of Jericho, Vermont. United States: Free Press printing Company, printers, 1916. p. 90-4.
8. Hayden, Chauncey (1916). The History of Jericho, Vermont. Burlington, VT: The Free Press Printing Company. p. 46.
9. Hathaway, Allen. "Mutiny, Matthew Lyon, and a Missing Fort: Archaeological Identification Studies of Fort Jericho" (PDF). The Journal of Vermont Archaeology: 52–60.
10. "Jericho Historical Society". Jericho Historical Society.
11. "National Register of Historic Places - VERMONT (VT), Chittenden County". National Register of Historic Places . Retrieved October 27, 2014.
12. "Home | Underhill Jericho Fire Department". Home | Underhill Jericho Fire Department.
13. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
14. "2018 Largest Public High Schools in Vermont". Niche. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
15. Niles, Hilary (November 5, 2014). "Chittenden East approves voluntary school merger". VTDigger. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
16. Hughes, Victoria. "Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley - Vermont Historical Society". vermonthistory.org. Retrieved March 30, 2018.
17. Adam, White. "Jericho mountain biker has eyes on medal in Rio". The Burlington Free Press . Burlington, VT. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
18. Carlisle, Lilian Baker (Summer 1982). "Humanities' Needs Deserve Our Fortune: Mary Martha Fletcher and the Fletcher Family Benevolences" (PDF). Vermont History. 50 (3): 129–142.
19. "Obituary, William B. Gray". Bradford Journal-Opinion . Bradford, VT. March 30, 1994. p. 6 – via Small Town Papers, Inc.
20. Carleton, Hiram (1903). Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont. Vol. II. New York, NY: The Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 15–16 – via Internet Archive.
21. "Marathon County, Wisconsin Historical Society". Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved October 16, 2014.
22. Vitale, Micaela Pérez (December 15, 2022). "Wednesday: Is Jericho a Real Town?". MovieWeb . Las Vegas, NV: Watchr Media. Retrieved December 25, 2022.

External links

• Jericho (Vermont) travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Town of Jericho official website