Orleans County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2020 census, the population was 27,393.[1] Its shire town (county seat) is the city of Newport.[2] The county was created in 1792 and organized in 1799.[3] As in the rest of New England, few governmental powers have been granted to the county. The county is an expedient way of grouping and distributing state-controlled governmental services.
The county shares the same pre-Columbian history with the Northeast Kingdom.
In 1753, the Abenakis brought the ransomed John Stark down Lake Memphremagog and came ashore where Newport is now. They then traveled southeast to his home in New Hampshire.
Rogers' Rangers were forced to retreat through the county following their attack on Saint-Francis, Quebec in 1759. To confound their avenging pursuers, they split up on the east shore of Lake Memphremagog. One group followed the Clyde River. Another followed the Barton River south to the falls at the outlet of Crystal Lake where they were able to catch fish. From there, they continued south over the summit into the Passumpsic River Valley.[4]
The British Crown sent out surveyors to mark the border between its two colonies of Canada and America in accordance with the Quebec Act of 1774. This was supposed to be on the 45th parallel north. The result, however was a crooked line up to .75 miles (1.21km) north of this intended border. This was resolved in favor of the crooked line by the Webster–Ashburton Treaty of 1842. This affected Orleans County, particularly Derby Line, which would have otherwise reverted to Canada.[5]
In 1779 or 1780, General Moses Hazen constructed the Bayley-Hazen Military Road from Newbury, Vermont through Hardwick, Greensboro, Craftsbury, and Albany to Hazen's Notch in northern Vermont. This purpose of this road was to invade Canada. It was never used for that purpose, but was instrumental in the settlement of this area.[6] However, it was five or more years before the wilderness was inhabited by other than a few Abenaki Indians, and that during the summer.
Vermont was divided into two counties in March 1778. In 1781 the legislature divided the northernmost county, Cumberland, into three counties: Windham and Windsor, located about where they are now. The northern remainder was called Orange county. This latter tract nearly corresponded with the old New York county of Gloucester, organized by that province March 16, 1770, with Newbury as the shire town.[7]
The state granted a town to Ebenezer Crafts, and sixty-three associates, on November 6, 1780. The town name was changed to Craftsbury, in honor of Ebenezer Crafts on October 27, 1790. Crafts was the first settler in the county.[8]
On September 3, 1783, as a result of the signing of the Treaty of Paris the Revolutionary War ended with Great Britain recognizing the independence of the United States. Vermont's border with Quebec was established at 45 degrees north latitude.[9][10]
On November 5, 1792, the legislature divided Chittenden and Orange counties into six separate counties, as follows: Chittenden, Orange, Franklin, Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans.[7] No reason is given for the county being named after Orléans, France.[12]
Orleans lost territory when the new Jefferson county[13] was created in 1797.[7]
In 1810, Runaway Pond suddenly flooded the Barton River Valley with 1,988,000,000 US gallons (7.53×109L; 1.655×109impgal)[14] of water in the greatest natural catastrophe in Orleans County post-Columbian history. Incredibly, there were no deaths.
On December 27, 1813, the county was invaded by British militia from nearby Stanstead, Quebec, during the War of 1812 in order to destroy an undefended barracks at Derby and to forage for supplies. No one was injured. Until the invasion, local inhabitants, like most New Englanders, opposed the war. A number had smuggled supplies to the British. After the invasion, their enthusiasm for their neighbors diminished substantially.[15][16]
June 1816 brought 1 foot (0.30m) of snow to the county followed by agricultural devastation. 1816 became known as the Year without a summer.[17]
When Lamoille county was formed in October 1835, Orleans lost the towns of Eden, Hyde Park, Morristown, and Wolcott.[7]
In 1858, Barton (and Orleans County) obtained a triangular piece of land from Sheffield (and Caledonia County) which included all of May Pond, the entire area south of Crystal Lake, and the village of South Barton.[18]
By 1860, the state was a leading producer of hops in the nation. Orleans and Windsor Counties led the state. This crop conveniently arrived as a replacement for the disappearance of the Merino sheep trade. Hops, too, disappeared. A number of factors were involved: plant disease in 1909,[19] migration of planting to California from 1853 to 1910, where growing was performed more efficiently, and Prohibition both at the state and national level.[20]
Volunteers from the county joined the Union Army in response to a call from the government. In September 1861, they joined the Vermont 6th Vermont Infantry, and helped fill out Company D. The regiment ultimately became part of the First Vermont Brigade.[22]
In 1864, 267 men from the 11th Vermont Infantry were captured at the Battle of the Weldon Railroad in the Overland campaign. today better known as the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road. It was a considerable source of local concern when it was learned that these prisoners had been taken to Andersonville prison, a place known, even then, for its poor living conditions. 54 of these prisoners were from Orleans County. Many of them died in prison.[23]
French immigration into the county started before the Civil War.[24] It continued afterwards.
Like the rest of the state, Orleans County sent up to one-quarter of its eligible men to the Civil War. Ten percent of these died. Others came back too maimed to continue working their farms, which most volunteers had left.[25] The sudden offering of many farms for sale in the mid-1860s resulted in a precipitous drop in farm prices. Nearby French-Canadians took advantage of this.[26] As a result of this and loss of native farm labor to other states, Vermont, particularly the northern part, saw many immigrants then and through the turn of the twentieth century.
After increasing in population since its founding, the county began losing population starting in 1900. It reached a twentieth-century low in population in 1960 at 20,143. The population has risen ever since.
In 1903, the county purchased a jail, mail order. It housed about 350 people annually. It once held 140 people at one time, a fallout from a widely attended 1973 rock concert. The jail closed in 1995. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[27]
In 1903, a state law allowed each town to decide whether to permit the sale of liquor within their boundaries. By 1905, no town in the county allowed the sale of alcoholic beverages. The change was not that dramatic since state law had theoretically forbidden alcohol prior to 1903, but this law was unevenly enforced.[18] Currently in 2017, the towns of Derby, Jay, and Westmore, the village of Orleans, and the city of Newport permit liquor sales through retail outlets supervised by the Vermont Department of Liquor Control.[28]
In 1910, there were 2,800 farms in the county, containing 27,000 cows. They produced 15,000,000 pounds (6,800,000kg) of milk annually.[29]
In 1967, researcher and scientist Gerald Bull constructed a laboratory for hisSpace Research Corporation in Highwater, just north of the adjacent Canada–US border. The property overlapped into the county in North Troy. His intent was to fire research packages into orbit using heavy artillery.
In 2004, what was then billed as the final concert of the band Phish was held in Coventry on August 14–15. The concert was the single largest gathering of people in the town's history. With 70,000 tickets sold, Coventry's augmented population was one of the largest in the state's history.
In 2008, the state notified residents of Albany, Craftsbury, Irasburg, Lowell, Newport Town, Troy, Westfield and six towns in the adjacent counties of Lamoille and Franklin, that a review of health records from 1995 to 2006 had revealed that residents within 10 miles (16km) of the former asbestos mine on Belvidere Mountain had higher than normal rates of contracting asbestosis. The state and federal government continues to study this problem.[30][31] A critic replied that the entire basis of the study were three unidentified people who died from asbestosis 1995-2005 out of a total population of 16,700.[32] In April 2009 the Vermont Department of health released a revised study which found that all of deaths related to the asbestos mine were caused by occupational exposure. The report also concluded that people living near the mines had no increased risk of asbestos related illness than people living anywhere else in Vermont.[33] However, the site will still need to be cleaned. In 2009, the expected cost of cleanup was $300 million.[34]
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has an area of 721 square miles (1,870km2), of which 693 square miles (1,790km2) is land and 28 square miles (73km2) (3.9%) is water.[35] It has the largest area of the three counties comprising the Northeast Kingdom.
The county lies between the eastern and western ranges of the Green Mountains.
The highest point in the county is Jay Peak in the town of Jay, at 3,858 feet (1,176m). The lowest is the surface of Lake Memphremagog at 682 feet (208m).[36]
The county is mainly drained by four river systems: the Barton, the Black, the Clyde, and the Missisquoi River. The first three run north.[37] The last meanders west through Canada and the U.S. An exception is found at the southern end of the county: Greensboro, Craftsbury, and southern Glover are largely drained south and west by the Lamoille River. The county is unique in eastern Vermont for mostly draining north as a part of the St. Lawrence River basin. All Vermont counties directly to the south (and east of the Green Mountains) drain into the Connecticut River, as does much of Essex county, to the east.
The Barton River drains Crystal Lake, runs north through Barton, Brownington, Coventry and drains through Newport into Lake Memphremagog. The Barton River watershed also includes the towns of Derby, Irasburg, Westmore, and the water bodies of Lake Willoughby, Crystal Lake, and Shadow and Parker ponds.[38]
The Black River is about 30 miles (48km) in length. It rises in some ponds in Craftsbury, and passes through Albany, Irasburg, and Coventry. It reaches Lake Memphremagog at Salem. The watershed also includes Albany, Lake Eligo and the Hosmer Ponds.[38]
The Clyde River has four hydroelectric dams before reaching Lake Memphremagog. The watershed includes Brighton (Essex County), Charleston, Morgan, Derby, Seymour Pond, Echo Lakes, and Island, Clyde and Pensioner ponds.[38]
Additionally, the Canadian rivers of Coaticook and Tomifobia watersheds include Derby, Holland, and Norton Pond, Holland Pond, and Great and Little Averill Ponds.[38]
The county contains more ponds than any other in the state.[39]
The county contains three state forests: Hazen's Notch, Jay, and Willoughby.
The average growing season is about 130 frost-free days in the Newport area.[44] As this is the lowest point in the county, the growing season for other places in the county which are more elevated, is typically shorter.
Tornadoes have struck the county four times from 1950 to 1995, all rated F1, with one causing an injury.[45] This level is 2.7 times below the national average.[46]
On February 5, 1995, Jay Peak received 42.0 inches (107cm) of snow, the greatest daily snowfall recorded for any location in Vermont.[47]
Climate change
In the 20th century, the county was designated in hardiness as a Zone Three. Most plants that would normally be tolerant up to Zone Four, do well there in 2014; even some that are Zone Five. Growing seasons have been increasing by 3.7 days a decade since 1974.[48]
U.S. Decennial Census[49] 1790–1960[50] 1900–1990[51] 1990–2000[52] 2010–2018[1]
An estimated 2,500 military veterans reside in the county.[53]
2010 census
As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 27,231 people, 11,320 households, and 7,298 families residing in the county.[54] The population density was 39.3 inhabitants per square mile (15.2/km2). There were 16,162 housing units at an average density of 23.3 per square mile (9.0/km2).[55] Of the 11,320households, 27.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.5% were non-families, and 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.81. The median age was 43.7 years.[54]
The median income for a household in the county was $40,202 and the median income for a family was $48,845. Males had a median income of $33,979 versus $29,559 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,652. About 9.8% of families and 14.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.6% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over.[56]
Government
As in all Vermont counties, there is a small executive function that is mostly consolidated at the state level. Remaining county government is judicial. There are no "county taxes."
In 2007, median property taxes in the county were $1,940, placing it 265 out of 1,817 counties in the nation with populations over 20,000.[57]
The budget for 2006 was $428,612.51. Town taxes accounted for over 65% of this money. The budget was all fulfilled by the state. Almost 32% of the money was spent on courthouse personnel. Over 22% of the money was spent on the Sheriff Department's expenses.[58]
Assistant Judge (elected) - Benjamin M. Batchelder
Road commissioners (appointed for one-year terms by the Superior Court)[59] Citizens may appeal to this commission when they believe that a town has failed to properly maintain a road or a bridge.
Shawn Austin
Thomas Berrier
Dale Carpenter, Jr.
Judicial
The Superior, Family and Probate courts are all located at 247 Main Street, Newport Vermont. The court system is part of the Northern Division.
The judge of the District Court is rotated to another county periodically. The state Supreme Court must approve assignments.[60]
With one judge, the District Court can hear up to three jury-empaneled trials per month. In 2017, there were 40 people, pleading innocent, and awaiting trial.[61]
The District Court is located at 217 Main Street, Newport, Vermont, as is the State Attorney.[64] The District court presiding judge is Howard E. VanBenthuysen.[65] The Court Manager is Gaye Paquette. The State's Attorney (elected) is Farzana Leyva.
The sheriff's office is located at 5578 US Rte 5, Newport, Vermont. The sheriff (elected) is Jennifer Harlow. She was appointed originally by governor Phil Scott to fill the remaining vacancy from Kirk Martin, who retired.[66]
The sheriff's department made national news in 2012, when a driver of a large tractor deliberately drove over and wrecked at least six cruisers, out of a fleet of 11. The driver was apparently annoyed at having been previously arrested by the city of Newport police, and not the sheriff.[67][68][69]
In 1964, Orleans County was won by Democratic Party incumbent President Lyndon B. Johnson, who became not only the first Democratic presidential candidate to win Orleans County, but to win the state of Vermont entirely.
Following the Democrats victory in 1964, the county returned to voting for Republican candidates for another 20 years, starting with Richard Nixon in 1968 and ending with George H. W. Bush in 1988.
The county voted for Bill Clinton in both the 1992 and 1996 presidential elections.
George W. Bush won Orleans County in 2000 and was the last time a Republican presidential candidate carried the county.
John Kerry won the county in 2004 and it has been won by Democratic candidates ever since, although Donald Trump came within just 26 votes of winning it in 2016.
Normally voting among the most conservative counties in Vermont, the county overwhelmingly supported the Democratic presidential candidate in 2008 with nearly 63% of the vote. No town supported the Republican opponent. Nevertheless, the county elected only Republicans to the state senate and legislature and voted overwhelmingly for a Republican governor and lieutenant governor, yet Democratic for all other state offices.[70] With one exception in the legislature for one district, the vote was not close for any office.
A record seventy-three percent of the voters turned out for the general election in 2000.[71]
United States presidential election results for Orleans County, Vermont[72]
In 2008, one-third of residential housing were used as second homes.[73]
Personal income
The poverty rate for Orleans County was highest in Vermont for 2003.[74] Median wages were the second lowest in the state.[75] In 2011, 23.1% of residents received food stamps. This compares with 15.2% for Vermont, and 14.8% nationally.[76]
In March 2008, the unemployment rate was 9.1% seasonally uncorrected, the highest in the state, which averaged 5.3%.[77]
Business and industry
There were 838 private non-farm establishments, employing 7,392 people. In 2002, there was $238 million manufacturer's shipments. That year, the county had $240 million in retail sales. Retail sales per capita were $9,000. 24% of firms were owned by women.
In 2003, there were 194 dairy farms in the county.[78] This was the third largest number in the state. In March 2010, the number of dairy farms had declined to 139.[79] In March 2007 county farms produced 29,585,000 pounds (13,420,000kg) of milk.[80] The total number of farms increased between 1992 and 2007. Total area farmed decreased from 149,503 acres (60,502ha) in 1992 to 130,308 acres (52,734ha) in 2007.[81]
For forest products, from 1988 to 2004, Orleans County showed the greatest employment increase in the state.[82]
Retail
Many of the county's retail shops are concentrated both in downtown Newport and along the Newport-Derby Road (U.S. Route 5 and Vermont Route 105), one of the two state-maintained roads connecting Newport city to Interstate 91. The villages of Barton and Orleans also have a smaller concentration of stores.
There are seven pharmacies in the county, all but one of which is a regional or national chain.
There are two regional chain supermarkets in the county and there are locally owned grocery stores in several other towns as well.
Many of the smaller towns still feature a general store in the center of town.
Tourism
The county is tied for first place in Vermont with the highest percentage of second home ownership.[83][84]
Education
78.2% of residents had at least a high school education. 16.1% had at least an undergraduate degree.
There are three public high schools in the county: North Country Union High School (1063 students), Lake Region Union High School (396), and Craftsbury Academy (59).[85] Wheeler Mountain Academy, grades 7–12, aids students who have emotional, behavioral or learning challenges. 15 are enrolled.[86] United Christian Academy is a private religious school K-12, enrolling 108 students.[87]
In 2007, the juniors in three public secondary schools in three different schools districts, North Country, Lake Region, and Craftsbury, scored lower than the state averages on standardized tests with one exception. North Country scored better than average in reading.[88] Areas tested were math, reading and writing.
In 2008, there was no correlation between the performance of students on the standardized New England Common Assessment Program tests and poverty (free lunch). The five wealthiest schools were among the ten worst performers; of the five poorest schools, three were among the top ten performers in the county. Schools in the Orleans Central Supervisory Union(the top four) appeared to outperform the North Country Supervisory Union (eight out of ten worst performing).[89]
The Northeast Kingdom Learning Services is a non-profit agency that provides a central clearing house for learning services. It is located in the village of Orleans.[90][91]
The Central Orleans Family Education Center was establishined in 2002 to offer childcare, pre-K programs, after-school programs, and migrant education classes in the village of Orleans.[90]
There are thirteen libraries in the county,[94] all of them 501(c) corporations. This includes two full-time libraries the famous Haskell Free Library in Derby Line and the one in the city of Newport. The rest often have one part-time paid librarian. Much of the staff are volunteers. One is endowed. The rest depend upon fundraising and municipal contributions.
With the French immigrants came their religion, Catholicism, which is the plurality religion in the county today.[95] Formal dance included the galop.
Health and public safety
About 75% of local adults in the county and nearby areas, are overweight or obese.[96] Orleans is next-to-last in health in the state, the result of obesity, alcohol abuse, and smoking. There is a smaller opportunity to find a dentist or primary physician.[97]
In 2007, AT&T bought out Unicel in Orleans County, and in the next year replaced Unicel.[103]
Verizon Wireless covers Newport city and the south Derby-I-91 area. Mount Owls Head in Canada may provide "roaming" service of Canadian carriers in the North part of the county.
The opening of Interstate 91 north from Barton on November 9, 1972, and opening south from the county in 1978 affected the county in a similar way to the opening of the railway a century earlier. In 1980, the county registered its first population gain in a century.[18]
The interstate has its northernmost five exits in the county. Two of them are in the town of Barton, servicing the villages of Barton (exit 25) and Orleans (26). The other three are in the town of Derby: the southernmost of those (exit 27) actually leads to Newport city a mile away, while exit 28 services the village of Derby Center and the shopping areas along Derby Road. The last exit, 29, which is located less than ¼ mile from the Canada–US border, leads to the village of Derby Line and the town of Holland.
The county has 1,041 miles (1,675km) of state highway and class 1, 2 and 3 roads. 606 miles (975km) of these are dirt roads (class 3). 141 miles (227km) are unmaintained roads (Class 4). As in most of New England, the county government does not build nor maintain any roads.
Derby has the most road mileage, 102; Westfield the least with 31.[106]
The county has ten traffic lights, six of which are in the city of Newport with the remaining four in Derby. All but one of them are along the concurrency of US Route 5 and Vermont Route 105.
The RCT (Rural Community Transportation), a non-profit organization, runs out of Saint Johnsbury and services Caledonia, Essex, Lamoille and Orleans Counties. For general use, there are four buses north and south during the week from west Newport city to Derby Center, and two buses each way on Saturday. The fare is US 25 cents.[107]
Railroads
Washington County Railroad (The Vermont Railway System) - WACR has just recently been awarded a 30-year contract to operate the track running from White River Junction North through St. Johnsbury and Newport. Users ship freight on this route.
There are no stops in the county. A line once ran up the east side of Lake Memphremagog, but this line has been abandoned and in some cases, torn up for use as hiking trails. This crossed the line near Beebe. The line still in operation goes northwest to Canada through North Troy.
Airport
The county is served by the Newport State Airport. It contains two runways of 4,000 feet (1,200m) each 05–23, and 18–36.
Ecological concerns
The Nature Conservancy has acted to protect areas against development. Specific areas in the county include: May Pond, Barton, Wheeler Mountain, the north beach at Willoughby Lake, the Westmore Town Forest, the Willoughby Falls Wildlife Management Area, and the South Bay Wildlife Management Area (Memphremagog).[108]
John Gunther, author and part-time resident of Greensboro
Henry M. Leland, machinist, inventor, engineer and automotive entrepreneur. Created and named both the original Cadillac and the original Lincoln. At one time he was president or Chief Executive of both divisions or companies. Born in Barton.
Gilbert C. Lucier - last surviving Civil War veteran in Vermont. Died 1944 in Jay.[110]
Howard Frank Mosher, author of many books set in the Northeast Kingdom. Lived in Irasburg.
Alexander Twilight, first African American to serve on a state legislature, and first African American to receive a degree from an American University. Lived in Brownington.
↑ Farfan, Matthew (August 2007). "The Crooked Border". Vermont's Northland Journal: 17.
↑ "RootsWeb". The Hazen Military Road. Retrieved January 3, 2007.
1 2 3 4 Child, Hamilton. (May 1887). Gazetteer of Lamoille and Orleans Counties, VT.; 1883-1884. Hamilton Child.
↑ Gazetteer of Lamoille and Orleans Counties, VT.; 1883-1884, Compiled and Published by Hamilton Child; May 1887
↑ Van Zandt, Franklin K. Boundaries of the United States and the Several States. Geological Survey Professional Paper 909. Washington, DC; Government Printing Office, 1976. The Standard Compilation for its subject. P. 12.
↑ "Vermont History"(PDF). The Checkered Career of Timothy Hinman. Archived from the original on November 30, 2012. Retrieved December 27, 2006.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
↑ Gresser, Joseph (April 23, 2014). "A history of Vermont through architecture (review of Buildings of Vermont by Glenn M. Andres and Curtis B. Johnson)". The Chronicle. Barton, Vermont. pp.1B.
↑ Rathke, Lisa (December 12, 2008). Neighbors worry about mine's impact on health. Burlington Free Press.
↑ Avery, Don (January 7, 2009). Letter to the editor:The Vermont Department of Health has done a great disservice to the people of Eden and Lowell. the Chronicle.
↑ "Vermont 1-Day Snowfall Extremes". National Centers for Environmental Information. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
↑ Starr, Tena (June 19, 2014). "Climate change has arrived in Vermont". The Chronicle. Barton, Vermont. pp.1A.
Brighton is a town in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,157 at the 2020 census. The town was named "Gilead" in its original grant in 1780. The town was sold to a group consisting primarily of soldiers commanded by Colonel Joseph Nightingale and subsequently named "Random". The town's name was finally changed by the legislature to "Brighton" in 1832. The Brighton village of Island Pond gets its name from the Abenaki word Menanbawk, which literally means island pond.
Brownington is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,042 as of the 2020 census.
Craftsbury is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,343 at the 2020 census. The town includes the unincorporated villages of Craftsbury, Craftsbury Common, Mill Village, and East Craftsbury.
Derby is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,579 at the 2020 census, making it the most populous community in Orleans County. The town contains four unincorporated villages: Beebe Plain, Clyde Pond, Lake Salem, and North Derby, and two incorporated villages: Derby Center and Derby Line.
Glover is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 1,114. It contains two unincorporated villages, Glover and West Glover.
Irasburg is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. Irasburg was established in 1781 when the land was granted to Ira Allen, Roger Enos, Jerusha Enos, Jerusha Enos, Jr., Roger Enos, Jr. and others by the Vermont General Assembly. Ira Allen later obtained the rights of the other proprietors, and he deeded the town to Jerusha Enos, Jr. as a wedding gift.
Orleans is a village in the northwestern corner of Barton, Orleans County, Vermont, United States. With a population of 788 at the 2020 census, it is the largest village in the county.
Barton is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,872 at the 2020 census. The town includes two incorporated villages, 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.
Newport is the only city in, and the shire town of, Orleans County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 4,455. The city contains the second-largest population of any municipality in the county, and has the smallest geographic area. It is the second-smallest city by population in Vermont. Newport is also the name of neighboring Newport Town.
The Northeast Kingdom is the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Vermont, approximately comprising Essex, Orleans, and Caledonia counties and with a population of 64,764 at the 2010 census. The term "Northeast Kingdom" is attributed to George D. Aiken, former Governor of Vermont and a U.S. senator, who first used the term in a 1949 speech.
Vermont Route 14 (VT 14) is a 108.946-mile-long (175.332 km) north–south state highway in northeastern Vermont, United States. It extends from U.S. Route 4 (US 4) and US 5 in White River Junction to VT 100 in Newport. Between White River Junction and the city of Barre, the route parallels Interstate 89 (I-89). VT 14 was originally designated in 1922 as part of the New England road marking system. Its north end was truncated in 1926 as a result of the designation of US 2 but was extended north along an old alignment of VT 12 in the 1960s.
Vermont Route 16 (VT 16) is a 27.890-mile-long (44.885 km) state highway in northern Vermont, United States. It begins at VT 15 in Hardwick and heads northward to U.S. Route 5 (US 5) in Barton. From Barton, it heads eastward to VT 5A in Westmore. The portion of VT 16 east of US 5 is town-maintained and signed east–west. The remainder of the route is signed north–south.
Lake Willoughby is located in the town of Westmore in Orleans County in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, United States.
The Barton River is a tributary of Lake Memphremagog, over 22 miles (35 km) long, in northern Vermont in the United States.
The Clyde River is a tributary of Lake Memphremagog, over 33.5 miles (54 km) long, in northern Vermont in the United States. It is the easternmost of the four major rivers in Orleans County. It is the most powerful of the four within Orleans County, powering several turbines at damsites. It is part of the Northern Forest Canoe Trail.
The Black River is a tributary of Lake Memphremagog, over 30 miles (48 km) long, in northern Vermont in the United States. It is one of the four major rivers in Orleans County. It is the longer but least powerful of the two rivers contained solely within the county. There are no longer any damsites.
The Vermont Electric Cooperative (VEC) is a consumer-owned electric distribution cooperative headquartered in Johnson, Vermont.
Irasburg is the primary village and a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Irasburg, Orleans County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, it had a population of 159, out of 1,233 in the entire town of Irasburg.
The Essex-Orleans district was one of 13 Vermont Senate districts included in the redistricting and reapportionment plan developed by the Vermont General Assembly following the 2010 U.S. census. The plan applies to legislatures elected in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020. Following the 2020 U.S. census the district was divided into two for Essex County and Orleans County.
The Orleans district is one of 16 districts of the Vermont Senate. The current district plan is included in the redistricting and reapportionment plan developed by the Vermont General Assembly following the 2020 U.S. census, which applies to legislatures elected in 2022, 2024, 2026, 2028, and 2030.
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