Poultney (town), Vermont
Encyclopedia
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont 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...
. New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
state is on its western border. Castleton, Vermont
Castleton, Vermont
Castleton is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. Castleton is about to the west of Rutland, and about east of the New York/Vermont state border. The town had a population of 4,717 at the 2010 census. Castleton State College is located there, with roots dating to 1787...
, is on its northern border. Poultney is home to Green Mountain College
Green Mountain College
Green Mountain College is a coeducational private environmental liberal arts college located in Poultney, Vermont, in the USA.Green Mountain is located in the Vermont countryside, at the foot of the Taconic Mountains between the Green Mountains and Adirondacks.The College has a core set of courses...
, a private liberal arts college
Liberal arts college
A liberal arts college is one with a primary emphasis on undergraduate study in the liberal arts and sciences.Students in the liberal arts generally major in a particular discipline while receiving exposure to a wide range of academic subjects, including sciences as well as the traditional...
with about 820 students. The Village of Poultney is entirely within the town. The town population was 3,432 at the 2010 census.
History
One of the New Hampshire GrantsNew Hampshire Grants
The New Hampshire Grants or Benning Wentworth Grants were land grants made between 1749 and 1764 by the provincial governor of New Hampshire, Benning Wentworth. The land grants, totaling about 135 , were made on land claimed by New Hampshire west of the Connecticut River, territory that was also...
, Poultney was charted on September 21, 1761, by Benning Wentworth
Benning Wentworth
Benning Wentworth was the colonial governor of New Hampshire from 1741 to 1766.-Biography:The eldest child of the John Wentworth who had been Lieutenant Governor, he was born and died in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Wentworth graduated from Harvard College in 1715...
, Royal Governor of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, and named for William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath
William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath
William Pulteney, 1st Earl of Bath, PC was an English politician, a Whig, created the first Earl of Bath in 1742 by King George II; he is sometimes stated to have been Prime Minister, for the shortest term ever , though most modern sources reckon that he cannot be considered to have held the...
, a British politician and orator.
Poultney was first settled by Thomas Ashley and Ebenezer Allen
Ebenezer Allen
Ebenezer Allen was an American soldier, pioneer, and member of the Vermont General Assembly. He was born in Northampton, Massachusetts on 17 October 1743. His parents were Samuel Allen and Hannah Miller ....
. Ashley married Zeruiah Richards, and Allen married Lydia Richards, both daughters of Zebulon Richards of Windham County
Windham County, Connecticut
Windham County is a county located in the northeastern corner of the U.S. state of Connecticut. As of 2010, the population was 118,428.The entire county is within the Quinebaug and Shetucket Rivers Valley National Heritage Corridor, as designated by the National Park Service.-History:Windham...
, Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
. Ashley and Allen established themselves in a cabin near the Poultney River
Poultney River
The Poultney River goes through Vermont and New York, and ends in Lake Champlain....
on February 15, 1771. Allen brought his family with him, and a son born to his wife Lydia in 1772 was the first white child born in Poultney. Ashley built a shanty and planted corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
before bringing his family to Poultney—he returned with his family in the fall of 1771. Six of Ashley’s brothers followed him to Poultney during the next two years, and several members of the Richards family were also early settlers.
The town grew slowly at first because of the unresolved conflict between New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and New Hampshire over land ownership in Vermont. The Great List of Freemen in Poultney in 1781 contains the names of only 88 men. Most of the early settlers of the town came from Connecticut and Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The 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...
.
All the males in Poultney were supporters of the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
(with one exception), and most served in the army at various times during the Revolutionary War. In 1777, Poultney was threatened with invasion by the British
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
, and the men of Poultney left to answer the call to arms. The women and children of Poultney fled the town on July 8, 1777, in the face of Gen. John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
’s army which was advancing from the north. Most families returned to their former Massachusetts and Connecticut houses during this period of unrest. After Burgoyne’s defeat, the villagers returned to Poultney during spring of the following year.
Ebenezer Allen left Poultney in March 1783 for South Hero
South Hero, Vermont
South Hero is a town in Grand Isle County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,696 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 47.5 square miles , of which 15.1 square miles is land and 32.4 square miles is...
where he once again was the first settler in wilderness. Thomas Ashley remained in the house he built in Poultney until his death in 1810. He was a justice of the peace
Justice of the Peace
A justice of the peace is a puisne judicial officer elected or appointed by means of a commission to keep the peace. Depending on the jurisdiction, they might dispense summary justice or merely deal with local administrative applications in common law jurisdictions...
and a representative to the Vermont General Assembly
Vermont General Assembly
The Vermont General Assembly is the legislative body of the U.S. state of Vermont. The Legislature is formally known as the "General Assembly," but the style of "Legislature" is commonly used, including by the body itself...
six times between 1787 and 1801.
Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
House.
East Poultney was the original home of Heman Allen
Heman Allen (of Colchester)
Heman Allen was a U.S. Representative from Colchester, Vermont.Born in Poultney, Vermont, Allen attended the common schools. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1795, studied law, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Colchester...
, brother of Ebenezer Allen and cousin of Revolutionary War hero Ethan Allen
Ethan Allen
Ethan Allen was a farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, and American Revolutionary War patriot, hero, and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of the U.S...
. Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
, founder of the New York Tribune
New York Tribune
The New York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841, which was long considered one of the leading newspapers in the United States...
, and George Jones
George Jones (publisher)
George Jones was an American journalist who co-founded with Henry Jarvis Raymond the New-York Daily Times, now the New York Times, publishing its first issue on September 18, 1851....
, co-founder of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, both lived in East Poultney in the late 1820s. Greeley served an apprenticeship at the Northern Spectator newspaper owned by Amos Bliss from 1826 to 1830. The green and nearby streets look very similar to the way they were in the 1800s.
The East Poultney Historic District and the Poultney Village Historic District are both listed in the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, with many historical buildings. Among these are the Union Academy dating to 1791, the Melodeon Factory built in 1840, and the 1896 Victorian school house.
Poultney shares Lake St. Catherine
Lake Saint Catherine (Vermont)
Lake Saint Catherine is an body of water located in Rutland County, Vermont in the towns of Wells and Poultney. Lake St. Catherine State Park is located along its eastern shore.-History Of Lake St. Catherine:History of Lake St. Catherine...
(about 800 acres (323.7 ha)) with the town of Wells
Wells, Vermont
Wells is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 1,150.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 3.42%, is water....
. Poultney is the center of the world's rare slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
belt, where slate roofing, tiles, and building blocks are mined and milled.
Geography
Poultney is located at 43°32'N 73°12′W (43.5284,-73.1932).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The 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 town has a total area of 44.8 square miles (116 km²), of which 43.9 square miles (113.7 km²) is land and 0.9 square miles (2.3 km²), or 1.94%, is water. Situated to the west of the Taconic Mountains
Taconic Mountains
The Taconic Mountains or Taconic Range are a physiographic section of the larger New England province and part of the Appalachian Mountains, running along the eastern border of New York State and adjacent New England from northwest Connecticut to western Massachusetts, north to central western...
, Poultney is drained by the Poultney River
Poultney River
The Poultney River goes through Vermont and New York, and ends in Lake Champlain....
, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
.
The town is crossed by Vermont Route 30
Vermont Route 30
Vermont Route 30 is a north–south state highway in Vermont, United States. Considered one of Vermont's most scenic roadways, it runs from Brattleboro, Vermont in the south to Middlebury, Vermont in the north...
, Vermont Route 31
Vermont Route 31
Vermont Route 31 is a short state highway in Vermont, United States. Located entirely in Rutland County, it runs from the New York state line in Wells to Furnace Street in Poultney.-Route description:...
, and Vermont Route 140. The village of Poultney is located entirely within the town.
Neighboring cities and towns
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A 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 3,633 people, 1,287 households, and 845 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 82.7 people per square mile (31.9/km2). There were 1,673 housing units at an average density of 38.1 per square mile (14.7/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.16% White, 0.69% Black or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race 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...
, 0.47% Native American, 0.88% Asian, 0.25% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race 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 0.55% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population.
There were 1,287 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage 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, 9.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.3% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.92.
In the town the population was spread out with 21.1% under the age of 18, 17.6% from 18 to 24, 25.0% from 25 to 44, 20.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $31,711, and the median income for a family was $40,556. Males had a median income of $31,148 versus $25,303 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per 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 town was $14,963. About 6.3% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.7% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
Sites of interest
Notable people
- Ebenezer AllenEbenezer AllenEbenezer Allen was an American soldier, pioneer, and member of the Vermont General Assembly. He was born in Northampton, Massachusetts on 17 October 1743. His parents were Samuel Allen and Hannah Miller ....
, pioneer - Heman AllenHeman Allen (of Colchester)Heman Allen was a U.S. Representative from Colchester, Vermont.Born in Poultney, Vermont, Allen attended the common schools. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1795, studied law, was admitted to the bar, and commenced practice in Colchester...
, congressman - Jeffrey BraceJeffrey BraceA former slave taken from West Africa around 1750 and a veteran of the American Revolution, Jeffrey Brace became the first African-American citizen of Poultney, Vermont.. He became blind in his later years and published his memoirs under the title,...
, the first African-American citizen of Poultney - Oliver CowderyOliver CowderyOliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, Jr., an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836, becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, and the Second Elder of...
, leader in the Latter Day Saint movementLatter Day Saint movementThe Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members... - Horace GreeleyHorace GreeleyHorace Greeley was an American newspaper editor, a founder of the Liberal Republican Party, a reformer, a politician, and an outspoken opponent of slavery...
, newspaper editor, reformer and politician - David G. HookerDavid G. Hooker-Biography:Hooker was born on August 4, 1830 in Poultney, Vermont. He graduated from Middlebury College and moved to Milwaukee in 1856. In 1869, he married Sarah P. Harris. They had three children before she died. In 1872, he married Julia Ashley. They also had three children. He would later become...
, mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin - George JonesGeorge Jones (publisher)George Jones was an American journalist who co-founded with Henry Jarvis Raymond the New-York Daily Times, now the New York Times, publishing its first issue on September 18, 1851....
, co-founder of The New York TimesThe New York TimesThe New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization... - Marcellus JonesMarcellus JonesMarcellus Ephraim Jones is widely regarded as the soldier who fired the first shot at the Battle of Gettysburg .-Early life:...
, soldier - William MillerWilliam Miller (preacher)William Miller was an American Baptist preacher who is credited with beginning the mid-nineteenth century North American religious movement now known as Adventism. Among his direct spiritual heirs are several major religious denominations, including Seventh-day Adventists and Advent Christians...
, preacher - Ethan Smith, Congregationalist clergyman and author