Lyndon, Vermont
Encyclopedia
Lyndon is a town in Caledonia County
, Vermont
, United States
. The population was 5,448 at the 2000 census. Lyndon is the home of Lyndon State College
. The town contains one incorporated village, Lyndonville
and three unincorporated villages: Lyndon, Lyndon Center, and East Lyndon.
Lyndon is the second-most populous town in the Northeast Kingdom
; only neighboring St. Johnsbury
is larger.
, the town has a total area of 39.8 square miles (103.1 km2), of which 39.8 square miles (103.0 km2) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km2) (0.10%) is water.
. This may have once extended across the valley to form the end of a basin. Its lower strata are clayey, and are folded and curved. West of this terrace the level is lower. There is the course of a former river bed which ran towards the east. At the upper village of Lyndon the first terrace is about 1 miles (1.6 km) wide. There is a lot of sand and fine gravel adjoining.
Every stream from either side of the valley has its large terraces to correspond with those of the Passumpsic River
. It is a characteristic of these terraces that they are large while their quantity is small. The count never exceeds five which is unusual.
in 1780.
It seems likely that the name Lyndon was chosen to honor Josias Lyndon
, (1704–1778) a former governor of Rhode Island and friend of many of the proprietors. Many of these men served with the 2nd Rhode Island regiment, 1st division including Israel Angell
. The original proprietors secured the grant as a business venture and had no intention of settling it. Some of the men held high positions of rank including Jonathan Arnold
, William Greene (Rhode Island governor)
and the President of Rhode Island College later Brown University, James Manning (minister). They needed men in search of free land, who would clear each proprietor’s grant in return for a portion of it. The town was surveyed in 1781 by Jonathan Arnold, Daniel Cahoon and Daniel Owen. Settlement began in 1789. By the 1790 census, twelve families with 59 residents made their home In Lyndon. These families installed roads, mills, homes, barns, fields, crops, churches, and schools.
The village of Lyndon Corner was incorporated in 1792; Lyndon Center in 1794. Lyndonville was incorporated in 1866. The village of Lyndon Corner was about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Lyndonville. Hotel Lyndon was built there in 1807. It became a tavern and burned in 1897. About 1867, the Connecticut & Passumpsic Rivers Railroad bypassed Lyndon Corner and Lyndon Center. This resulted in business moving to Lyndonville. The bypassed villages became residential and are no longer distinguished by a separate name. They both gave up their incorporated village status in 1962.
During a centennial celebration in 1891 an iron box was buried as a time capsule
but could not be found during a 1991 ceremony.
The Lyndon Outing Club held an annual winter festival in the late 1930 to early 1940s. The festival consisted of dog sled races, cross country and ski jumping competitions, and sulky
races on cleared streets.
of 2000, there were 5,448 people, 2,031 households, and 1,326 families residing in the town. The population density
was 137.0 people per square mile (52.9/km2). There were 2,190 housing units at an average density of 55.1 per square mile (21.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.76% White, 0.26% African American, 0.50% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races
, and 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.44% of the population.
There were 2,031 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were couples living together and joined in either marriage
or civil union
, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 17.0% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,946, and the median income for a family was $42,633. Males had a median income of $30,525 versus $23,237 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $16,245. About 7.3% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
Interstate 91
and
US Route 5 both pass through Lyndon from north to south. I-91 has two exits within town. 
Vermont Route 114
meets U.S. 5 in the village of Lyndonville and runs to the northeast.
Caledonia County, Vermont
Caledonia County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2010, the population was 31,227. Its shire town is St. Johnsbury.The county was given the Latin name for Scotland, in honor of the many settlers who claimed ancestry there....
, 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 5,448 at the 2000 census. Lyndon is the home of Lyndon State College
Lyndon State College
Lyndon State College is a public liberal arts college located at Lyndon Center in Lyndon, Caledonia County in the U.S. state of Vermont. In addition to a range of Bachelor's Degree programs, the college offers a Master's Degree program in Education...
. The town contains one incorporated village, Lyndonville
Lyndonville, Vermont
Lyndonville is a village in the town of Lyndon, in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. Lyndonville's population was 1,227 at the 2000 census.-History:...
and three unincorporated villages: Lyndon, Lyndon Center, and East Lyndon.
Lyndon is the second-most populous town in the Northeast Kingdom
Northeast Kingdom
The Northeast Kingdom is a term used to describe the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Vermont, comprising Essex, Orleans and Caledonia Counties and having a population of 62,438. In Vermont, the written term "NEK" is often used. The term is attributed to the late George D. Aiken, former...
; only neighboring St. Johnsbury
St. Johnsbury, Vermont
St. Johnsbury is the shire town of Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 7,571 at the 2000 census. St. Johnsbury is located approximately northwest of the Connecticut River and south of the Canadian border.St...
is larger.
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 39.8 square miles (103.1 km2), of which 39.8 square miles (103.0 km2) is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1 km2) (0.10%) is water.
Geology
Lyndonville has a high Kame terraceKame
A kame is a geological feature, an irregularly shaped hill or mound composed of sand, gravel and till that accumulates in a depression on a retreating glacier, and is then deposited on the land surface with further melting of the glacier...
. This may have once extended across the valley to form the end of a basin. Its lower strata are clayey, and are folded and curved. West of this terrace the level is lower. There is the course of a former river bed which ran towards the east. At the upper village of Lyndon the first terrace is about 1 miles (1.6 km) wide. There is a lot of sand and fine gravel adjoining.
Every stream from either side of the valley has its large terraces to correspond with those of the Passumpsic River
Passumpsic River
The Passumpsic River is a tributary of the Connecticut River, in Vermont. Though primarily a Caledonia County river, it is the only river to flow through all three counties of the Northeast Kingdom.- Course :...
. It is a characteristic of these terraces that they are large while their quantity is small. The count never exceeds five which is unusual.
History
When Rhode Island proprietors secured the original Lyndon township grant, the area was covered in forests and woodlands with the Passumpsic River providing needed drainage for the flood plain and waterfalls for potential power for grist and saw mills. The charter of the town of Lyndon was signed by Governor Thomas ChittendenThomas Chittenden
Thomas Chittenden was an important figure in the founding of Vermont.Chittenden was born in East Guilford, Connecticut and moved to Vermont in 1774, where he founded the town of Williston. During the American Revolution, Chittenden was a member of a committee empowered to negotiate with the...
in 1780.
It seems likely that the name Lyndon was chosen to honor Josias Lyndon
Josias Lyndon
Josias Lyndon was a governor of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, serving for a single one-year term. He was the son of Samuel and Priscilla Lyndon of Newport, the grandson of Josias Lyndon of Newport, and the great grandson of Augustin Lyndon, a shipwright in Boston in the...
, (1704–1778) a former governor of Rhode Island and friend of many of the proprietors. Many of these men served with the 2nd Rhode Island regiment, 1st division including Israel Angell
Israel Angell
Israel Angell was a soldier of the American Revolutionary War.He was born to Oliver and Naomi Angell in Providence, Rhode Island. He was a descendant of one of the original settlers in Rhode Island. He had a good education and developed an early interest in scientific matters...
. The original proprietors secured the grant as a business venture and had no intention of settling it. Some of the men held high positions of rank including Jonathan Arnold
Jonathan Arnold
Jonathan Arnold was an American physician and statesman from New England. He was born in Providence, Rhode Island. Arnold served in the Continental Army as a surgeon, and directed the army hospital at Providence. He represented Rhode Island as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1782 and...
, William Greene (Rhode Island governor)
William Greene (Rhode Island governor)
William Greene was the second Governor of Rhode Island after it became a state. His father, William Greene, had served as governor when Rhode Island was still a British colony....
and the President of Rhode Island College later Brown University, James Manning (minister). They needed men in search of free land, who would clear each proprietor’s grant in return for a portion of it. The town was surveyed in 1781 by Jonathan Arnold, Daniel Cahoon and Daniel Owen. Settlement began in 1789. By the 1790 census, twelve families with 59 residents made their home In Lyndon. These families installed roads, mills, homes, barns, fields, crops, churches, and schools.
The village of Lyndon Corner was incorporated in 1792; Lyndon Center in 1794. Lyndonville was incorporated in 1866. The village of Lyndon Corner was about 2 miles (3.2 km) south of Lyndonville. Hotel Lyndon was built there in 1807. It became a tavern and burned in 1897. About 1867, the Connecticut & Passumpsic Rivers Railroad bypassed Lyndon Corner and Lyndon Center. This resulted in business moving to Lyndonville. The bypassed villages became residential and are no longer distinguished by a separate name. They both gave up their incorporated village status in 1962.
During a centennial celebration in 1891 an iron box was buried as a time capsule
Time capsule
A time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
but could not be found during a 1991 ceremony.
The Lyndon Outing Club held an annual winter festival in the late 1930 to early 1940s. The festival consisted of dog sled races, cross country and ski jumping competitions, and sulky
Sulky
A sulky is a lightweight cart having two wheels and a seat for the driver only but usually without a body, generally pulled by horses or dogs, and is used for harness races...
races on cleared streets.
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 5,448 people, 2,031 households, and 1,326 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 137.0 people per square mile (52.9/km2). There were 2,190 housing units at an average density of 55.1 per square mile (21.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.76% White, 0.26% African American, 0.50% Native American, 0.62% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.17% 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 0.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.44% of the population.
There were 2,031 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.2% were couples living together and joined in either marriage
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...
or civil union
Civil union
A 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,...
, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.7% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 17.0% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $32,946, and the median income for a family was $42,633. Males had a median income of $30,525 versus $23,237 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 $16,245. About 7.3% of families and 12.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.8% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.
Fire department
In 2010 the town had a part-time chief and 33 on-call firefighters. The budget was $150,000.Education
- Lyndon Town School - public elementary school
- Lyndon InstituteLyndon InstituteLyndon Institute is an independent high school and boarding school located in the village of Lyndon Center, in the town of Lyndon, Vermont. It provides education for grades 9 through 12 for both commuting local students and students resident on campus....
- private high school - Lyndon State CollegeLyndon State CollegeLyndon State College is a public liberal arts college located at Lyndon Center in Lyndon, Caledonia County in the U.S. state of Vermont. In addition to a range of Bachelor's Degree programs, the college offers a Master's Degree program in Education...
- a Vermont State CollegeVermont State CollegesThe Vermont State Colleges is the U.S. state of Vermont's system of public colleges. It functions as a governance organization, and was created by act of the Vermont General Assembly in 1961...
Infrastructure
Interstate 91Interstate 91
Interstate 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...
and
US Route 5 both pass through Lyndon from north to south. I-91 has two exits within town. Vermont Route 114Vermont Route 114
Vermont Route 114 is a state highway in northeastern Vermont in the United States. It runs northward from U.S. Route 5 in Lyndon until nearing the Canadian border in the town of Norton; thereafter, the road continues east to the New Hampshire state line in Canaan...
meets U.S. 5 in the village of Lyndonville and runs to the northeast.