Essex, Vermont
Encyclopedia
Essex 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 (after Burlington
).
(a semi independent village within the town), and Chittenden Districts 6-1 & 6-3 together compose the town outside the village. The Town and Village each operate their own fire department, library, parks department, and municipal services, and contain separate school districts for grades K–8. The governments operate a unified police department and the unified Essex High School
.
, the town has a total area of 39.32 square miles (101.8 km²), of which, 39.01 square miles (101 km²) is land and 0.31 square mile (0.8028963141 km²) (0.79%) is water.
The village
of Essex Junction
is located in the southwestern part of the town.
of 2000, there were 18,626 people, 7,013 households, and 5,014 families residing in the town. The population density
was 477.5 people per square mile (184.4/km2). There were 7,170 housing units at an average density of 183.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.37% White, 0.88% African American, 0.19% Native American, 2.25% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races
, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.85% of the population.
There were 7,013 households out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples
living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $58,441, and the median income for a family was $65,794. Males had a median income of $45,428 versus $27,426 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $25,854. About 1.8% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
The Village of Essex Junction
was formed—within the Town of Essex—on November 15, 1892. 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, they gradually added similar services for themselves, and 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. (which was required by the state legislature for them to sign off on the merger)
This temporarily changed on November 7, 2006 when merger passed in the town as a whole, and in the village. The Town as a whole (including the village) got to vote once on the merger, and the Village, separately, got to vote in a second ballot to accept the merger if it passed the townwide vote. This was confusing enough that the regional paper 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 December 6, 2006 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 January 23, 2007 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 the Town of Essex and the Village of Essex Junction.
The Essex Junction School District funds and supervises: Essex High School
, Summit Street School, Fleming School, Albert D. Lawton School, the Hiawatha School, and the Center for Technology.
The Town of Essex School District funds and supervises: Essex Elementary, Founder's School and Essex Middle School. The middle school contains a "school within a school". In 2009, 87 students from 4th grade to 8th grade began to study in an alternative environment, called the "Edge Academy" that allows them a say in how and what they study.
Essex High School (EHS) Is run, along with the Essex Junction and Westford Schools, by www.ccsuvt.org. Bussing is for those who live in Essex Town, Westford, or North Hero (Not for Essex Junction, South Hero, Grand Isle, Isle la Motte, or Georgia students).
Bus service is provided by Chittenden County Transportation Authority.
, the national rail passenger system, provides daily service from Essex, operating the Vermonter
between St. Albans, Vermont
and Washington, D.C.
. In 2008, a study indicated that the cheapest method for one person to get to NYC from "Burlington" (Essex Junction), was by train at $48 one way. It was also the longest, taking an estimated 9 hours and 25 minutes.
New England town
The 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...
in Chittenden County
Chittenden County, Vermont
Chittenden 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...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 19,587 at the 2010 census.
By population, Essex is the largest town in Vermont, and the second-largest municipality (after Burlington
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington 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....
).
Government
Essex comprises three Vermont Legislature districts (seats): Chittenden District 6-2, which is also the Village of Essex JunctionEssex Junction, Vermont
Essex Junction is a village in the town of Essex in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The population was 8,591 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated on November 15, 1892....
(a semi independent village within the town), and Chittenden Districts 6-1 & 6-3 together compose the town outside the village. The Town and Village each operate their own fire department, library, parks department, and municipal services, and contain separate school districts for grades K–8. The governments operate a unified police department and the unified Essex High School
Essex High School
Essex 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...
.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 39.32 square miles (101.8 km²), of which, 39.01 square miles (101 km²) is land and 0.31 square mile (0.8028963141 km²) (0.79%) is water.
The village
Village (Vermont)
In the U.S. state of Vermont, villages are named communities located within the boundaries of an incorporated town. Villages may be incorporated or unincorporated....
of Essex Junction
Essex Junction, Vermont
Essex Junction is a village in the town of Essex in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The population was 8,591 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated on November 15, 1892....
is located in the southwestern part of the town.
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 18,626 people, 7,013 households, and 5,014 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 477.5 people per square mile (184.4/km2). There were 7,170 housing units at an average density of 183.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.37% White, 0.88% African American, 0.19% Native American, 2.25% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.21% 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 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.85% of the population.
There were 7,013 households out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% 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, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.5% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $58,441, and the median income for a family was $65,794. Males had a median income of $45,428 versus $27,426 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 $25,854. About 1.8% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
History
| 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
Essex Junction, Vermont
Essex Junction is a village in the town of Essex in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The population was 8,591 at the 2000 census. It was incorporated on November 15, 1892....
was formed—within the Town of Essex—on November 15, 1892. 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, they gradually added similar services for themselves, and 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. (which was required by the state legislature for them to sign off on the merger)
This temporarily changed on November 7, 2006 when merger passed in the town as a whole, and in the village. The Town as a whole (including the village) got to vote once on the merger, and the Village, separately, got to vote in a second ballot to accept the merger if it passed the townwide vote. This was confusing enough that the regional paper 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 December 6, 2006 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 January 23, 2007 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 the Town of Essex and the Village of Essex Junction.
Education
There are two school districts in the Town of Essex educating 3,500 students in 2009: The Essex Junction School District and the Town of Essex School District.The Essex Junction School District funds and supervises: Essex High School
Essex High School
Essex 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.
The Town of Essex School District funds and supervises: Essex Elementary, Founder's School and Essex Middle School. The middle school contains a "school within a school". In 2009, 87 students from 4th grade to 8th grade began to study in an alternative environment, called the "Edge Academy" that allows them a say in how and what they study.
Essex High School (EHS) Is run, along with the Essex Junction and Westford Schools, by www.ccsuvt.org. Bussing is for those who live in Essex Town, Westford, or North Hero (Not for Essex Junction, South Hero, Grand Isle, Isle la Motte, or Georgia students).
Transportation
Vermont's Circumferential Highway (I-289 or "Circ") courses through Essex, and the section within Essex's jurisdiction has been completed. However Circ construction has been halted in surrounding communities by court action from environmental protesters.Bus service is provided by Chittenden County Transportation Authority.
Rail
AmtrakAmtrak
The 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 rail passenger system, provides daily service from Essex, operating the Vermonter
Vermonter
Amtrak'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 St. Albans, Vermont
St. Albans (town), Vermont
St. 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...
and Washington, D.C.
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....
. In 2008, a study indicated that the cheapest method for one person to get to NYC from "Burlington" (Essex Junction), was by train at $48 one way. It was also the longest, taking an estimated 9 hours and 25 minutes.
Notable people
- William B. CastleWilliam B. CastleWilliam Bainbridge Castle was an American politician of the Whig Party who served as the 11th and final mayor of Ohio City from 1853 to 1854 and the 14th mayor of Cleveland, Ohio from 1855 and 1856....
, mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. - Jon FishmanJon FishmanJon Fishman is an American drummer best known for his work with the band Phish. He is credited with co-writing 19 Phish originals, 8 of them as a solo credit....
, drummer for the band PhishPhishPhish 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...
. - Bert AbbeyBert AbbeyBert Wood Abbey was a Major League baseball pitcher. He was born in Essex, VT.-Baseball debut:Abbey first began playing baseball as a freshman in college when he recruited fellow students to form the University of Vermont's Catamounts team...
(1869–1962); Major League baseball pitcher}