Wheelock, Vermont
Encyclopedia
Wheelock is a town in Caledonia County
, Vermont
, United States
. The population was 621 at the 2000 census.
, the town has a total area of 39.8 square miles (103.1 km2), of which 39.6 square miles (102.5 km2) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.6 km2) (0.63%) is water.
of 2000, there were 621 people, 238 households, and 178 families residing in the town. The population density
was 15.7 people per square mile (6.1/km2). There were 321 housing units at an average density of 8.1 per square mile (3.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.58% White, 0.32% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 1.29% from other races
, and 0.64% from two or more races.
There were 238 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples
living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,750, and the median income for a family was $40,625. Males had a median income of $30,417 versus $21,667 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $15,440. About 4.9% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over.
, founder of Dartmouth College
in Hanover
, New Hampshire
. Through an old provision of the college, any full-time resident of Wheelock who is accepted as an undergraduate at Dartmouth may attend the school free of tuition.
Standing in the center of the village for many years was the old brick hotel, known as the Caledonia Spring House. In 1893, Myron D. Park, who served four years as a Wheelock selectman, sold the Caledonia Spring House to Marshall Way. The hotel was the site of a notorious murder on May 20, 1896, when owner Marshall Way killed his 44-year-old wife, Ellen Sheldon Way, in the dooryard. According to the St. Johnsbury Caledonian of May 22, 1896, "The little town of Wheelock was thrown into a state of wild excitement last Wednesday evening when the cry went around that Marshall Way had killed his wife. It was a terrible shock to the people of the quiet town, and it may be many days before they recover sufficiently to converse to any length upon another subject."
After the murder, the Caledonia Spring House was sold to Alden J. Rennie, owner of several mills in Sutton
, Sheffield
, and Wheelock. The building was dismantled during the 1990s after falling into disrepair.
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 621 at the 2000 census.
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 39.6 square miles (102.5 km2) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.6 km2) (0.63%) is water.
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 621 people, 238 households, and 178 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 15.7 people per square mile (6.1/km2). There were 321 housing units at an average density of 8.1 per square mile (3.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.58% White, 0.32% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 1.29% 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 0.64% from two or more races.
There were 238 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% 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, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $35,750, and the median income for a family was $40,625. Males had a median income of $30,417 versus $21,667 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 $15,440. About 4.9% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over.
History
The town is named for Eleazar WheelockEleazar Wheelock
Eleazar Wheelock was an American Congregational minister, orator, educator, and founder of Dartmouth College....
, founder of Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in Hanover
Hanover, New Hampshire
Hanover is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2010 census. CNN and Money magazine rated Hanover the sixth best place to live in America in 2011, and the second best in 2007....
, 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...
. Through an old provision of the college, any full-time resident of Wheelock who is accepted as an undergraduate at Dartmouth may attend the school free of tuition.
Standing in the center of the village for many years was the old brick hotel, known as the Caledonia Spring House. In 1893, Myron D. Park, who served four years as a Wheelock selectman, sold the Caledonia Spring House to Marshall Way. The hotel was the site of a notorious murder on May 20, 1896, when owner Marshall Way killed his 44-year-old wife, Ellen Sheldon Way, in the dooryard. According to the St. Johnsbury Caledonian of May 22, 1896, "The little town of Wheelock was thrown into a state of wild excitement last Wednesday evening when the cry went around that Marshall Way had killed his wife. It was a terrible shock to the people of the quiet town, and it may be many days before they recover sufficiently to converse to any length upon another subject."
After the murder, the Caledonia Spring House was sold to Alden J. Rennie, owner of several mills in Sutton
Sutton, Vermont
Sutton is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,001 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 38.4 square miles , of which 38.3 square miles is land and 0.1 square mile is...
, Sheffield
Sheffield, Vermont
Not to be confused with the city of Sheffield in the UK, or Sheffield, Massachusetts.Sheffield is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States...
, and Wheelock. The building was dismantled during the 1990s after falling into disrepair.