Essex Junction is a
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....
in the
townThe New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
of
EssexEssex is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The population was 19,587 at the 2010 census.By population, Essex is the largest town in Vermont, and the second-largest municipality .-Government:...
in
Chittenden CountyChittenden County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2010, the population was 156,545. Its shire town is Burlington. Chittenden is the most populous county in the state, with more than twice as many residents as Vermont's second-most populous county, Rutland.Chittenden County...
,
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 8,591 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated on November 15, 1892.
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 to
Essex JunctionEssex Junction, also known as Essex Junction-Burlington is a train station in Essex Junction, Vermont served by Amtrak, the national railroad passenger system. The station was originally built by the Central Vermont Railway-External links:*...
, which serves as a focal point for rail travel in the greater
BurlingtonBurlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
area, which includes Essex and
WinooskiWinooski is a city in Chittenden County, Vermont, in the United States. Located at the mouth of the Winooski River, as of the 2010 census the city population was 7,267...
. Amtrak operates 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....
from St. Albans, VT to
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....
.
The Village of Essex Junction is also one of three voting districts (District 6-2) in the
Town of EssexEssex is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The population was 19,587 at the 2010 census.By population, Essex is the largest town in Vermont, and the second-largest municipality .-Government:...
, with Districts 6-1 & 6-3 together comprising the town outside the village. The Village and Town each operate their own fire department, library, parks department, and municipal services, and contain separate school districts for grades K–8. Both governments operate a unified police department, and the unified
Essex High SchoolEssex High School is a public secondary school located in Essex Junction, Vermont. The school's sports team is the Hornets and the school's colors are blue and gold. Essex High School is the largest high school and secondary technical school in Vermont. Enrollment in 2004 was 1625.-History:The...
.
Essex Junction is home to
IBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
's Burlington Design Center and 200 mm
wafer fabricationWafer fabrication is a procedure composed of many repeated sequential processes to produce complete electrical or photonic circuits. Examples include production of radio frequency amplifiers, LEDs, optical computer components, and CPUs for computers...
plant. IBM is the state's largest private employer, with approximately 6500 employees.
History
Modern history has been affected in a major way by the presence of
IBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
which chose the village as the site for its facility in 1958.
In 2003, as a result of the nationally publicized suicide of an Essex Junction teenager, Vermont, and other states, passed legislation against
cyber-bullyingCyber-bullying is the use of the Internet and related technologies to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner. As it has become more common in society, particularly among young people, legislation and awareness campaigns have arisen to combat it.-Definition:The term...
.
IBM
In 1958,
IBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
leased a 40000 ft2 facility for its new Data Processing Division. By the end of the year, there were 500 workers. In 1969, the plant expanded to 820000 square feet (7.6 ha).
In 1982, employment reached an all-time high of 8,000. In 2007, the town listers dropped the value of the plant from a high of $147.5 million to $104 million.. The plant's workforce is a little over 5,000 in 2011.
Geography
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 4.85 square miles (12.6 km²), of which, 4.76 square miles (12.3 km²) is land and 0.09 square mile (0.2330989299 km²) (1.86%) is water.
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 8,591 people, 3,409 households, and 2,253 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 1,804.1 people per square mile (696.8/km²). There were 3,501 housing units at an average density of 735.2/sq mi (284.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 95.55% White with a large proportion of those 53% being of Irish descent, 0.69% African American, 0.24% Native American, 2.36% Asian, 0.29% 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 0.86% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.14% of the population.
There were 3,409 households out of which 35.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.4% were
married couplesMarriage 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...
living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.9% were non-families. 26.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the village the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.
Personal income
The median income for a household in the village was $53,444, and the median income for a family was $61,985. Males had a median income of $40,287 versus $26,910 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 $24,142. About 1.8% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of those under age 18 and 7.8% of those age 65 or over.
Industry
The largest industrial facility in Vermont is
IBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
's semiconductor plant in Essex Junction. In 2007, the IBM plant had the largest assessment in the town, $104 million dollars.
The Champlain Valley Expo
Essex Junction is home to the Champlain Valley Expo, a former dirt racetrack that has evolved into a large event field, with stadium seating for concerts, and multiple halls that can host a variety of indoor events.
Champlain Valley Fair
The 10-day Champlain Valley Fair is the most notable event held at the Expo. The state's largest fair consists of five components blended together at the same time:
- A large agricultural exhibit, with a dairy cows, other farm animals, and 4-H
4-H in the United States is a youth organization administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture of the United States Department of Agriculture , with the mission of "engaging youth to reach their fullest potential while advancing the field of youth development." The name represents...
-style events for both livestock and agriculture.
- A commercial exhibit for a variety of local and regional vendors to showcase their products to the public.
- A large area dedicated to a mix of local foods like real maple syrup
Maple syrup is a syrup usually made from the xylem sap of sugar maple, red maple, or black maple trees, although it can also be made from other maple species such as the bigleaf maple. In cold climates, these trees store starch in their trunks and roots before the winter; the starch is then...
, and conventional fair foods such as fried dough.Fried dough is a North American food associated with outdoor food stands in carnivals, amusement parks, fairs, rodeos, and seaside resorts . Fried dough is the specific name for a particular variety of fried bread made of a yeast dough; see the accompanying images for an example of use on...
and cotton candyCotton candy , candy floss or candyfloss or candy buttox , or fairy floss is a form of spun sugar. Since cotton candy is mostly air, a small initial quantity of sugar generates a tremendously greater final volume, causing servings to be physically large and voluminous...
.
- A Midway provided by Reithoffer Shows with rides typical of a large traveling carnival. The 46 rides in 2010 included a Wild Mouse roller coaster
A Wild Mouse roller coaster is a type of roller coaster characterized by small cars that seat four people or fewer and ride on top of the track, taking tight, flat turns at modest speeds, yet producing high lateral G-forces...
, a large Ferris wheelA Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
, and the SpeedSpeed is an amusement ride design produced by the Dutch company KMG. It is commonly referred to as KMG Booster, due to its similarity with the Fabbri Booster ride....
premier ride.
- Nightly concerts, which in 2010 included Lyle Lovett
Lyle Pearce Lovett is an American singer-songwriter and actor. Active since 1980, he has recorded thirteen albums and released 21 singles to date, including his highest entry, the number 10 chart hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart, "Cowboy Man"...
, Keith UrbanKeith Lionel Urban is a New Zealand-born Australian, country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban was born in New Zealand and began his career in Australia at an early age...
, Bill CosbyWilliam Henry "Bill" Cosby, Jr. is an American comedian, actor, author, television producer, educator, musician and activist. A veteran stand-up performer, he got his start at various clubs, then landed a starring role in the 1960s action show, I Spy. He later starred in his own series, the...
, and Justin BieberJustin Drew Bieber is a Canadian pop/R&B singer, songwriter and actor. Bieber was discovered in 2008 by Scooter Braun, who came across Bieber's videos on YouTube and later became his manager...
.
Over the last decade total Fair attendance has been almost 300,000 per year. In 2010, the Fair had 46 carnival rides and almost 200 vendors.
Other Expo events
Other events held at the Champlain Valley Expo include: Antique Car Show,
WOKOWOKO is an American radio station broadcasting a Country music format. Licensed to Burlington, Vermont, USA, the station serves the Burlington-Plattsburgh area...
Giant Flea Market, Vermont International Festival, and the Champlain Valley Balloon Festival.
Government
| Town vote to merge | | Revote |
| District |
2006-11-07 |
2007-01-23 |
| Yes | No |
Yes | No |
| 6-1 (outside village) |
1,283 |
2,319 |
690 |
2,528 |
| 6-3 (outside village) |
365 |
822 |
| 6-2 (within village) |
2,728 |
1,026 |
2,009 |
362 |
| Townwide totals |
4,376 |
4,167 |
2,699 |
2,890 |
| Village vote to accept |
No revote
required,
result was
uncontested. |
| |
2,922 |
1,085 |
The village of Essex Junction was formed within the town of
EssexEssex is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The population was 19,587 at the 2010 census.By population, Essex is the largest town in Vermont, and the second-largest municipality .-Government:...
on 1892-11-15. The village was formed to provide services (such as sidewalks, water, and sewers) to the villagers that the rest of the, mostly rural, town citizens did not want, and did not want to pay for.
As the town outside the village developed, it added similar services. By 1958, the first hints of merger showed up in a voter petition. Since then a series of votes (often contentious) had defeated or passed merger in each community, but never at the same time in both. The state legislature required a positive vote in both.
This temporarily changed on 2006-11-07 when merger passed in the town as a whole, and in the village. Everyone in the town voted on the merger; the Villagers voted in a second ballot on the merger if it passed the townwide vote. The large regional paper initially misreported the results as a defeat of the merger, based solely on the vote results outside the village. The next day the correct results were reported in both the town’s paper, and as a correction in the regional paper.
On 2006-12-06 a petition to reconsider the merger was submitted to the town. The petition contained signatures totaling more than 5 percent of registered voters, which is the threshold required to force a re-vote. The revote was held on 2007-01-23 with a result that overturned merger by 191 votes, rejecting the current merger proposal.
If the results had stood, a multi-year merger process would have resulted in a new town of Essex Junction replacing the current governments of Essex and Essex Junction.
Education
The Essex Junction School District funds and supervises:
Essex High SchoolEssex High School is a public secondary school located in Essex Junction, Vermont. The school's sports team is the Hornets and the school's colors are blue and gold. Essex High School is the largest high school and secondary technical school in Vermont. Enrollment in 2004 was 1625.-History:The...
, Summit Street School, Fleming School, Albert D. Lawton School, the Hiawatha School, and the Center for Technology.
Notable people
- Trey Anastasio
Trey Anastasio is an American guitarist, composer, and vocalist most noted for his work with the rock band Phish...
, member of the band PhishPhish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
- Loung Ung
Loung Ung is a Cambodian American human-rights activist, an internationally-recognized lecturer, and the national spokesperson for the Campaign for a Landmine-Free World...
, author of First They Killed My FatherFirst They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers is a 2000 nonfiction book written by Loung Ung, a Cambodian author and survivor of the Pol Pot regime...
and Lucky ChildLucky Child is a memoir written by a Cambodian woman, Loung Ung. Her previous memoir was First They Killed My Father....
External links