Bellows Falls is an incorporated
villageIn the U.S. state of Vermont, villages are named communities located within the boundaries of an incorporated town. Villages may be incorporated or unincorporated....
located in the town of
RockinghamRockingham is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, along the Connecticut River. The population was 5,309 at the 2000 census. Rockingham includes the incorporated villages of Bellows Falls and Saxtons River, as well as a large rural area west of Interstate 91.Rockingham has no formal...
in
Windham CountyWindham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2010, the population was 44,513. Its shire town is Newfane.-Geography:According to the U.S...
,
VermontVermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 3,165 at the 2000 census. Bellows Falls is home to the
Green Mountain RailroadThe Green Mountain Railroad is a class III railroad operating in Vermont.GMRC operates on tracks that had been owned by the Rutland Railroad and Boston and Maine Railroad. The railroad operates on a rail line between North Walpole, New Hampshire and Rutland, Vermont. Corporate colors are green...
, a heritage railroad, and to the annual
Roots on the River Festival.
History
The
fallsA waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
were once a
fishingFishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
place for the historic, nomadic Abenaki tribes, who were part of the
Algonquian languageThe Algonquian languages also Algonkian) are a subfamily of Native American languages which includes most of the languages in the Algic language family. The name of the Algonquian language family is distinguished from the orthographically similar Algonquin dialect of the Ojibwe language, which is a...
family. They caught plentiful
salmonSalmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and
shadThe shads or river herrings comprise the genus Alosa, fish related to herring in the family Clupeidae. They are distinct from others in that family by having a deeper body and spawning in rivers. The several species frequent different areas on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea....
.
Indigenous peoplesIndigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
had fished at the falls and inhabited the area for thousands of years before European arrival.
The community was settled in 1753 by colonists of
EnglishThe English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
descent, who called it Great Falls. Later the settlers named the town for Colonel Benjamin Bellows, a landowner. In 1785, Colonel
Enoch HaleEnoch Hale was born in Rowley, Massachusetts on November 28, 1733. He and his brother Nathan Hale would move to Rindge, New Hampshire as young men. During the French and Indian War Enoch Hale served in the New Hampshire Provincial Regiment in 1755 and 1757-1758...
built at the falls the first bridge over the
Connecticut RiverThe Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
. It was the only bridge across the river for more than 10 years, until 1796, when another was built at
SpringfieldSpringfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
,
MassachusettsThe Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. The bridge was later replaced. The Bellows Fall-Vilas Bridge connects Vermont and New Hampshire.
The Bellows Falls Canal, built in 1791-1802, lifted boats 52 feet (16 m) in eight
locksA lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
around the gorge. It tapped the water power of the falls for industry. This created the industrialization of the town.
In 1802, entrepreneurs built the first
paper millA paper mill is a factory devoted to making paper from vegetable fibres such as wood pulp, old rags and other ingredients using a Fourdrinier machine or other type of paper machine.- History :...
. Two railroads converged in 1849 at Bellows Falls, helping it develop into a major
mill townA mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...
. By 1859, a
woolenWoolen or woollen is a type of yarn made from carded wool. Woolen yarn is soft, light, stretchy, and full of air. It is thus a good insulator, and makes a good knitting yarn...
textileA textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
mill was operating, in addition to factories that produced
furnitureFurniture is the mass noun for the movable objects intended to support various human activities such as seating and sleeping in beds, to hold objects at a convenient height for work using horizontal surfaces above the ground, or to store things...
,
marbleMarble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
, sashes and
blindsA window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
,
ironIron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
castings,
carriageA carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s, cabinet ware,
rifleA rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
s,
harnessA horse harness is a type of horse tack that allows a horse or other equine to pull various horse-drawn vehicles such as a carriage, wagon or sleigh. Harnesses may also be used to hitch animals to other loads such as a plow or canal boat....
, shoe pegs and
organThe pipe organ is a musical instrument that produces sound by driving pressurized air through pipes selected via a keyboard. Because each organ pipe produces a single pitch, the pipes are provided in sets called ranks, each of which has a common timbre and volume throughout the keyboard compass...
s. The principal products, however, were
paperPapermaking is the process of making paper, a substance which is used universally today for writing and packaging.In papermaking a dilute suspension of fibres in water is drained through a screen, so that a mat of randomly interwoven fibres is laid down. Water is removed from this mat of fibres by...
and farm machinery. Bellows Falls was incorporated as a village in 1909.
The years of industry created wealth in the town, and substantial Victorian houses and mercantile buildings were constructed. Bellows Falls today attracts visitors through
heritage tourismCultural heritage tourism is a branch of tourism oriented towards the cultural heritage of the location where tourism is occurring...
based on its historic
Victorian architectureThe term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
.
Geography
The village is located within the town of
Rockingham, VermontRockingham is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, along the Connecticut River. The population was 5,309 at the 2000 census. Rockingham includes the incorporated villages of Bellows Falls and Saxtons River, as well as a large rural area west of Interstate 91.Rockingham has no formal...
. According to the
United States Census BureauThe United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 1.4 square miles (3.6 km
2), all land. Bellows Falls is bounded on the east by the
Connecticut RiverThe Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
.
The village is crossed by
Interstate 91Interstate 91 is an Interstate Highway in the New England region of the United States. It provides the primary north–south thoroughfare in the western part of New England...
,
U.S. Route 5U.S. Route 5 is a north–south United States highway running through the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Significant cities along the route include New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut; and Springfield, Massachusetts. From Hartford northward to St...
and Vermont Route 121.
Demographics
As of the
censusA census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 3,165 people, 1,329 households, and 782 families residing in the village. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,286.1 people per square mile (885.5/km
2). There were 1,443 housing units at an average density of 1,042.3/sq mi (403.7/km
2). The racial makeup of the village was 97.28% White, 0.35% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.
There were 1,329 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.0% were couples living together and joined in either
marriageMarriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
or
civil unionA civil union, also referred to as a civil partnership, is a legally recognized form of partnership similar to marriage. Beginning with Denmark in 1989, civil unions under one name or another have been established by law in many developed countries in order to provide same-sex couples rights,...
, 14.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.1% were non-families. 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the village the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.6 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $29,608, and the median income for a family was $45,688. Males had a median income of $29,137 versus $22,340 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $15,276. About 5.6% of families and 12.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 15.9% of those age 65 or over.
Transportation
AmtrakThe National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service through Bellows Falls, operating its
VermonterAmtrak's Vermonter is a 611-mile passenger train service between St. Albans , New York City and Washington, D.C. One trip runs in each direction per day....
between
Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and
St. Albans, VermontSt. Albans is a town in Franklin County, Vermont. The population was 6,392 at the 2010 census. The town completely surrounds the city of St. Albans, which was separated from the town and incorporated in 1902. References to "St. Albans" prior to this date generally refer to the town center, which...
. The Bellows Falls Station, on Depot St, also serves as the headquarters for the
Green Mountain RailroadThe Green Mountain Railroad is a class III railroad operating in Vermont.GMRC operates on tracks that had been owned by the Rutland Railroad and Boston and Maine Railroad. The railroad operates on a rail line between North Walpole, New Hampshire and Rutland, Vermont. Corporate colors are green...
.
Connecticut River TransitConnecticut River Transit is the public transit provider for Vermont's southern Windsor County and Windham County.-History:A private 501 non-profit public transportation company, CRT was established in November, 2003. In 2003, it provided nearly 60,000 trips a year. In 2008, it provided about...
, a private, non-profit personal mobility specialist, provides scheduled bus service linking Bellows Falls,
BrattleboroBrattleboro, originally Brattleborough, is a town in Windham County, Vermont, United States, located in the southeast corner of the state, along the state line with New Hampshire. The population was 12,046 at the 2010 census...
,
SpringfieldSpringfield is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 9,373 at the 2010 census.-History:One of the New Hampshire grants, the township was chartered on August 20, 1761 by Governor Benning Wentworth and awarded to Gideon Lyman and 61 others...
and other local communities as needed by private arrangement.
Green Mountain RailroadThe Green Mountain Railroad is a class III railroad operating in Vermont.GMRC operates on tracks that had been owned by the Rutland Railroad and Boston and Maine Railroad. The railroad operates on a rail line between North Walpole, New Hampshire and Rutland, Vermont. Corporate colors are green...
, a part of the Vermont Rail System, operates seasonal and holiday scenic train excursions between Bellows Falls and
ChesterChester is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,044 at the 2000 census. The town was originally chartered by New Hampshire Governor Benning Wentworth as Flamstead in 1754. The terms of the charter were not met and the town was re-chartered as New Flamstead in 1761...
.
Listed on National Register of Historic Places
- Adams Gristmill Warehouse — Bridge St. (added February 22, 1990)
- Bellows Falls Co-operative Creamery Complex — Island St. (added February 22, 1990)
- Bellows Falls Neighborhood Historic District — Atkinson, Westminster, School, Hapgood Sts, Hapgood Pl., Burt St., Henry St., South St., Hadley St., Temple Pl. (added February 17, 2002)
- Bellows Falls Times Building — Bridge and Island Sts. (added February 22, 1990)
- Bellows Falls Downtown Historic District — Depot, Canal, Rockingham, Bridge, Mill and Westminster Sts. (added September 16, 1982)
- Bellows Falls Petroglyph Site (VT-WD-8) (added February 22, 1990)
- Hall Covered Bridge — W of Bellows Falls Across Saxtons River, off VT 121 (added September 28, 1973)
- Howard Hardware Storehouse — Bridge St. (added February 22, 1990)
- Miss Bellows Falls Diner
Miss Bellows Falls Diner is a historic diner at 90 Rockingham Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont.The diner was constructed in the 1920s by the Worcester Lunch Car Company. The diner was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.-External links:...
— 90 Rockingham St. (added March 15, 1983)
- Moore and Thompson Paper Mill Complex — Bridge St. (added April 16, 1984)
- Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel
Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel is a historic chapel off Pleasant Street in Bellows Falls, Vermont.It was built in 1885 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991....
— Off Pleasant St. (added December 14, 1991)
- Robertson Paper Company Complex — Island St. (added February 22, 1990)
- William A. Hall House — 1 Hapgood St. (added June 5, 1999)
Sites of interest
Notable residents
- Donald H. Balch
Donald H. Balch was a Brigadier General in the United States Air Force.-Biography:Balch was born on August 19, 1931 in Bellows Falls, Vermont. He later attended the University of Vermont and the New England School of Law and would marry and have two children. His son, Gareth, would also serve in...
, U.S. Air Force general
- Colleen Barrett
Colleen Barrett is the President Emerita and Corporate Secretary of Southwest Airlines. She joined Southwest in 1978, having previously worked for several years as founder Herb Kelleher's executive assistant at his law firm. She has served as Secretary of the Corporation, as Vice President...
, president of Southwest AirlinesSouthwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
- Arthur Chase
Arthur Chase was the co-founder of Theta Chi Fraternity. He was born in Bellows Falls, Vermont and entered Norwich University in 1852 where he roomed with a young cadet named George Dewey who later became famous as an Admiral. Chase was 20 years old when he assisted his distant cousin Frederick...
, co-founder of Theta Chi Fraternity
- Carlton Fisk
Carlton Ernest Fisk , nicknamed "Pudge" or "The Commander", is a former Major League Baseball catcher. During a 24-year baseball career, he played for both the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox .Fisk was known by the nickname "Pudge" due to his 6'2", 220 lb frame...
, baseball player
- Jay H. Gordon
Jay H. Gordon was a Vermont Democratic politician who served as Auditor of Accounts from 1965 until 1969....
, politician and auditor of accounts
- Hetty Green
Hetty Green , nicknamed "The Witch of Wall Street" , was an American businesswoman, remarkable for her frugality during the Gilded Age, as well as for being the first American woman to make a substantial impact on Wall Street.-Birth and early years:She was born Henrietta Howland Robinson in New...
, businesswoman
- Henry Alfred Hosking
Henry Alfred Hosking was a Liberal party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was born in Bellows Falls, Vermont, United States and moved with his family to Canada, at Rockwood, Ontario later in his birth year....
, politician
- James F. Howard, Jr.
James Francis Howard, Jr. is a Professor of Neurology and Medicine at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.-Early life and education:Howard was born 1948-05-03 in Bellows Falls, Vermont, U.S.. He received a BA in 1970 and a M.D...
, professor of neurology and medicine
- Michael Palma
-Life:He lives with his wife in Bellows Falls, Vermont. He is on the board of the Italian Poetry Society of America. He read at the Italian Cultural Institute.-Awards:* 1997 Raiziss/de Palchi Book Prize from the Academy of American Poets...
, poet and translator
- Roger Robb
Roger Robb was a United States federal judge and trial attorney, who prosecuted J. Robert Oppenheimer in a celebrated Atomic Energy Commission hearing in 1954....
, judge
- Thomas P. Salmon
Thomas Paul Salmon , U.S. Democratic Party politician, served as the 75th Governor of the U.S. state of Vermont from 1973 to 1977....
, governor of VermontThe Governor of Vermont is the governor of the U.S. state of Vermont. The governor is elected in even numbered years by direct voting for a term of two years; Vermont and bordering New Hampshire are the only states to hold gubernatorial elections every two years, instead of every four...
- Gary Smith
Gary Smith is an entrepreneur, record producer, and artist's manager known for his work recording albums by alternative rock musicians since the mid-1980s at Fort Apache Studios...
, record producer
- Ernest Thompson, playwright and actor
- Melissa Leo
Melissa Chessington Leo , is an American actress. After appearing on several television shows and films in the late '80s, her breakthrough role came in 1993 as Det. Sgt. Kay Howard on the television series Homicide: Life on the Street for the show's first five seasons from 1993 – 1997...
, Actress
External links