VERMONT FACTS
Vermont is considered the most rural of the United States because a large percentage of its residents live in communities of less than 2,500 people. But the Green Mountain State is hardly a backwater area. Known for its quaint villages and pastoral landscape, Vermont is also a destination for outdoor recreation and a fertile environment for entrepreneurs, including sophisticated electronics manufacturers.
As a people, Vermonters are rooted in a tradition of political and economic independence, ingenuity, and hard work. As a state, Vermont has been consistently in the forefront of efforts to balance the conservation of a quality environment with a diverse and healthy business climate.
History
The Native American inhabitants of the area now known as Vermont were the Abenaki, a tribe of the Algonquin nation. Archaeologists have discovered evidence of Abenaki villages along the shores of Lake Champlain near the mouth of the Winooski River. "Winooski" is an Abenaki term for "wild onion." Abenaki villages were also located along the Connecticut River.
Samuel de Champlain, an early French explorer of North America, was the first European to discover the Green Mountains. In the summer of 1609, Champlain left his encampment on the St. Lawrence in Quebec and joined the Algonquians in an expedition against their enemies, the Iroquois. The journey up the river brought Champlain onto the lake that now carries his name on July 4, 1609.
The name "Vermont" is itself derived from the French, les monts verts, "the green mountains."
The first permanent English settlement was established along the Connecticut River in 1724 at Fort Dummer, near what is now Brattleboro. The fort was maintained by the colonial governments of Massachusetts and New Hampshire as a defensive outpost throughout the French and Indian Wars.
When peace was made with the French in 1760, the Green Mountains were quickly opened to settlement, and to considerable squabbling between the colonies of New Hampshire and New York as to which had the proper claim to the territory, then called the New Hampshire Grants. Most of the new settlers were from Connecticut or Massachusetts and persistently resisted the claims of authority by New York. Resistance to the "Yorkers" brought the organization of the Green Mountain Boys under the leadership of Col. Ethan Allen in 1775; this small but experienced army came to play a significant role during the American Revolution at the battles of Hubbardton and Bennington in 1777.
On January 17 1777, Vermont was declared an independent republic in a meeting held at Westminster. This independent course, with the little republic minting its own coin and providing postal service, was followed until 1791 when Vermont was admitted to the union, the first state to join the original thirteen. The first governor was Thomas Chittenden.
Government
Vermont government is distinctive for its local tradition of Town Meeting Day, held the first Tuesday in March. In many towns and villages municipal and school budgets are voted from the floor as they have been for nearly 200 years.
State government consists of two houses: 30 senators and 150 representatives are selected from designated electoral districts on the basis of population. Legislative and Gubernatorial elections are held every two years.
Vermont has two senators and one representative in the U.S. Congress.
Historic Sites
The Hyde Log Cabin of Grand isle, built in 1783, is considered the nation's oldest log cabin still standing in its original condition. The 306 foot high Revolutionary War monument at Bennington, the 1777 Battlefield at Hubbardton, the President Arthur birthplace at Fairfield, and the President Coolidge homestead at Plymouth are among the state's best known sites of historic interest.
Many of Vermont's villages and towns are a treasure of historical and architecturally significant buildings. As of 1998, 117 historic districts have been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Most of the buildings in these districts were constructed during the late 18th century or the 19th century.
Vermont has more than 100 wooden covered bridges. Most of these are still in service, including a railroad bridge at Wolcott, the only railroad covered bridge still used in the country. The 1820 Pulp Mill Bridge in Middlebury is the oldest in the state; the newest was built in Woodstock in 1969.
Famous Vermonters & Events
*Calvin Coolidge, 30th President, was sworn in by lamplight in his Vermont home at 2:47 a.m. August 3, 1923, following the death of President Warren G. Harding.
*Chester A. Arthur, 21st President, was born at Fairfield.
*Warren R. Austin was the first U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
*Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, early Mormon leaders, were born in Sharon and Whitingham, respectively.
*Stephen A. Douglas, debating opponent to Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential election, was born in Brandon in 1813.
*Admiral George Dewey, naval hero in the Spanish American War, was a Montpelier native.
*The first U.S. patent was granted to a Vermonter in 1790.
*The first U.S. canal was built at Bellows Falls in 1802.
*Thomas Davenport invented the electric motor at Brandon in 1837.
*The first U.S. ski tow was built at Woodstock in 1934.
*The first globe made in America(1810) was by James Wilson in Bradford.
*In 1777 the Vermont Constitution abolished slavery...the first ever to do this.
*Vermont elected the first woman Lt. Governor in the nation in 1954.
*In 1902 a Burlington doctor was the first person to cross the entire U.S. by car.
Firsts In The Nation
The first...
*State admitted to the Union after the ratification of the Constitution was Vermont on March 4, 1791.
*Constitution to outlaw slavery was Vermont's in 1777.
*Constitution to abolish the requirement that voters must be property owners was Vermont's in 1777.
*Postage stamp used in America was made in Brattleboro in 1846.
*American medal in Olympic nordic skiing event was won by Bill Koch of Guilford in 1976.
*Revolutionary soldier to shed British blood at the Battle of Lexington, April 19, 1775 was Solomon Brown of New Haven, who thus fired the first effective shot in the Revolutionary War.
*State to offer troops in the Civil War was Vermont.
*Electric railway, printing press, piano, and motor were built by Thomas Davenport of Brandon. He was also the editor of the first electrical journal.
*Head Start Program, used to prepare disadvantaged preschool children for elementary school, was started in East Fairfield with 12 children.
*Marble quarry was started at East Dorset in 1785 by Issac Underhill.
*Chairlift was used on Mt. Mansfield in 1940.
Industry
Vermont's highly skilled workers are employed primarily in producing electronic components and equipment, machine tools, specialty consumer products, wood products, quarried and finished stone, and printing.
Manufacturing is major employer and the second largest sector of the state's economy (after services), producing $2.2 billion in goods ranging from computer chips to canoes, tombstones to teddy bears.
In the past 30 years, a thriving electronics industry has developed in the Burlington and Rutland areas, the state's most populous regions. The world's largest quarries are found in Barre, and marble is quarried and finished in Proctor. Large and small wood products companies are found throughout the state.
Vermont has a high percentage of its non-agricultural labor force employed in high technology industries. The dollar value added by manufacturing employee for each dollar of production is among the highest in the nation.
Employment (1996) in approximately 275,000 non-farm jobs is divided as follows: manufacturing 17%, construction 5%, transportation 3%, public utilities 2%, trade 23%, finance, insurance, and real estate 4%, government 16%, services 30%.
Agriculture
Vermont's agriculture is very diverse. Approximately 6,000 farms in Vermont produce everything from emus to sheep's milk cheese. Nearly a million and a half acres of Vermont land are in agriculture, sustaining the pastoral landscape that has made Vermont famous.
Dairying is the primary farm industry in Vermont, producing more than two billion pounds of milk annually. Approximately half the milk consumed in New England is produced on Vermont farms. Milk, cheese, ice cream, butter, yogurt, and other popular dairy foods are produced from Vermont's rich milk.
Vermont is America's largest producer of maple syrup and also produces substantial crops of Macintosh apples, potatoes, eggs, honey, vegetables, Christmas trees, lumber, pulp wood, and green house nursery products. Aquaculture, sheep, goat, turkey and horse raising, especially of the famous Morgan horse, have been steadily increasing during recent years.
Vermont has hundreds of roadside farm stands, and dozens of farmers markets. The farms in our rural communities provide a sense of place, an identity, and a connection to land and heritage that is invaluable to Vermonters. As one farmer put it, "Vermont without farms could still be a good place, but it could never be Vermont."
Vermont Colleges and Universities
Higher education is a significant industry in Vermont, employing an estimated 8,500 people. In 1996, more than 45,000 students were enrolled in public and private universities and colleges in Vermont.
The largest and oldest institution, the University of Vermont in Burlington, was founded in 1791. Norwich University at Northfield, established in 1819, is the oldest private military college in the United States.
Vermont's 376 public elementary and secondary schools include 16 area vocational centers and several one-room schoolhouses in small communities. There are also more than 40 approved private schools.
Emma Willard, a crusader for women's rights in education, was a Vermonter, as was John Dewey, who is regarded as the father of modern progressive education in America.
Recently, Vermont schools have received national acclaim for innovating programs that include multi-grade classes in elementary schools, student writing projects, and use of student "portfolios" to measure learning progress rather than traditional grade cards.
A Travel Destination
After manufacturing, travel is the state's second largest industry and provides diversity and stability to the economy. The year-round recreation facilities created by travel are readily accessible from any part of the state.
Vermont's scenic landscape is a backdrop for activities and events that bring millions of visitors to the Green Mountain State in every season. These visitors enjoy accommodations in historic country inns, quiet lakeside cottages, and luxurious condominium villages. Excellent restaurants and retail shopping have added new dimensions to Vermont traditions of antiquing and craftsmanship.
Of the half-dozen places in the world where climate and vegetation provide spectacular autumn colors, Vermont's fall season is the most famous and most photographed.
During the winter months, 20 alpine ski resorts and nearly 50 cross country ski touring centers make Vermont the premiere state for winter recreation in the East. Major resort areas typically offer indoor recreational facilities and health spas in addition to traditional outdoor activities.
The maple syrup harvest with its "sugar on snow" celebrations is the hallmark of spring. With the advent of extensive snow-making, several of the larger ski resorts will continue operation through April and May, with the last usually closing in early June.
In the summer, Vermont's villages, towns, and resorts are a festival of music, crafts, theater, antiques, and family activities, while the mountains and lakes welcome hikers and cyclists, sailors and swimmers, as well as golfers, tennis players, and horseback riders.
Throughout the year, Vermont's historic sites, 19th century villages, covered bridges, and country inns attract those for whom travel is and exploration, and opportunity to experience places and traditions that have been bypassed elsewhere in America.
Population
Total Population: 588,654 (1996 est., VT Health Dept.)
Population in major cities and towns:
Burlington: 39,391
Rutland: 18,083
Essex: 18,044
Colchester: 16,696
Bennington: 16,132
South Burlington: 14,427
Brattleboro: 12,396
Barre: 9,529
Hartford: 9,508
Springfield: 9,342
Milton: 9,007
Middlebury: 8,548
Montpelier: 8,432
St. Johnsbury: 7,775
St. Albans: 7,631
Barre Town: 7,622
Winooski: 6,861
Geography
In comparison with most states, Vermont is small in total area. Still, with 9,609 square miles, Vermont is the second largest state in New England after Maine, and just a few hundred square miles larger than New Hampshire.
The Green Mountain State is bordered by Canada, New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire. It is 157.4 miles in length, 90.3 miles wide at the Canadian border*, and 41.6 miles along the Massachusetts border. The Connecticut River forms the eastern boundary, while the western boundary runs down the middle of Lake Champlain for more than half of its length. Among the major rivers are the Missisquoi, Lamoille, Winooski, White, Otter Creek, West and Battenkill.
The state has 223 mountains over 2,000 ft. elevation. The mountainous areas of the state are primarily forested. In fact, although Vermont was virtually clear-cut of timber during the late 19th century, more than 75 percent of the state's total area is now forested. Beneath the mountains and rolling hills are the fertile valleys that support and extensive dairy industry.
As mountain ranges go, the Green Mountains are very old, and have been sculpted to their present form during several ice ages. Granite, marble, slate asbestos and talc have all been mined from the range.
Highest Elevation: Mt. Mansfield, 4,395.3 ft.**
Lowest Elevation: Lake Champlain shoreline, 95 ft.
Other Major Mountains: Killington, 4229 ft.; Mt. Ellen, 4083 ft.; Camel's Hump, 4083 ft.; Mt. Abraham, 4017 ft.**
* From the International Boundary Commission
**From the National Geodetic Survey: 1998
Climate
Vermont has four distinct seasons with daytime temperatures averaging in the mid-70s during the summer months and in the low 20's during winter. Annual rainfall is approximately 36 inches: of that precipitation, an average of 100 inches to more than 250 inches of snow falls during the winter, depending on elevation.
Avg. Summer High Temperature: 76-80 F.
Avg. Winter High Temperature: 25-30 F.
Avg. Annual Rainfall: 36 inches (90 centimeters)
Annual Snowfall: 100-250 inches (254-635 centimeters)
The Vermont Statehouse
In 1805, Montpelier was made the permanent seat of government by the Legislature.. The first State House was a three-story, 10 sided wooden building. The legislators had plank seats with wooden back. It deteriorated and became overcrowded and was torn down in 1836.
The Second State House was modeled after the temple of Theseus in Greece and served until 1857 when it was destroyed by fire.
The third and present State House has been occupied since 1859. Its exterior walls are made of granite from nearby Barre; the portico and pillars with Doric capitals were saved from the second State House. The building is topped with a dome of about 57 feet high and a 14-foot wooden statue of Ceres, the Roman goddess of Agriculture, is mounted on a 6-foot base. The dome is wood, sheathed in copper and covered with gold leaf.
The Vermont Senate occupies the east wing and the House of Representatives is located in the center. The executive Chambers are in the front west wing of the building. A recent addition to the rear houses other legislative offices.
Among the highlights contained in the building are 65 flags used by Vermont units in the Civil War and 14 from other wars. The Governor's Reception Room is dominated by a 20 by 10 foot painting of the Civil War battle of Cedar Creek. The halls also contain painting of former governors and other statesmen from Vermont past.
For more information visit the Vermont Legislature's Official State House Page
Other Facts:
State Flora, Fauna, Mineral and Rocks
State Cold Water Fish - Brook Trout
State Warm Water Fish - Walleye Pike
State Insect - Honeybee
State Rocks - Marble, Granite and Slate
State Mineral - Talc
State Gem - Grossular Garnet
Motto - Freedom and Unity
State Song - "These Green Mountains" by Diane B. Martin and Rita Buglass Gluck