Lowell, Vermont
Encyclopedia
Lowell is the westernmost town
in Orleans County
, Vermont
, United States
. The population was 738 at the 2000 census.
Lowell Graded School offers Pre-K - 8. There are 119 students. 56 students from Lowell attend North Country Union High School
.
, the town has a total area of 56.1 square miles (145.2 km2), of which 56.0 square miles (145.1 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km2) (0.11%) is water.
, grows there which can tolerate the high nickel content of serpentine. Serpentine also contains iron, so much so that some rocks can be magnetized. This affects where cell towers can be placed in town. The iron oxide gives the color brown to "Brown's Ledges."
The major Baie Verte
fault line runs through Lowell. The Burgess branch of the river follows the fault with serpentine rocks on one side and nonserpentine rocks on the other.
The Lowell (chrysotile
) quarry
on Belvidere Mountain was the last asbestos
mine to operate in the Eastern U.S. It closed in 1993.
of 2000, there were 738 people, 270 households, and 204 families residing in the town. The population density
was 13.2 people per square mile (5.1/km2). There were 403 housing units at an average density of 7.2 per square mile (2.8/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.97% White, 1.22% African American, 0.68% Native American, and 0.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population.
There were 270 households out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples
living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $27,969, and the median income for a family was $29,408. Males had a median income of $25,446 versus $21,083 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $12,404. About 18.8% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.
to John Kelley in 1787, for whom it was named Kellyvale. The first people other than the native Americans to come to Lowell was in 1778 when the area was surveyed preparatory to Col. John Hazen constructing a road to Canada for military purposes
. This road was abandoned at what is now named Hazen’s Notch on Route 58
.
The first settler was Major Caldwell and family from Barre
, Massachusetts
in 1806. The town was formally organized in 1812, the same year the first school began with twelve students.
In 1831 the name was changed to Lowell. Where this name comes from remains uncertain.
People came and started families and the town quickly grew, going from 144 people in 1820 with an average age of 17 to 413 in 1840 with an average age of 12. By 1840 Churches had been built and Methodist, Congregational, Baptist and Roman Catholic
services were being held.
During the first half of the nineteenth century the population inflow was predominately from other states of the US. In the second half the new arrivals were more often foreign born - from Ireland and from French speaking Canada. By 1870 the population was 944 and it reached its peak in 1890 when it stood at 1,178. Farming and lumber were its main economic base. Dairy products and hardwood were both exported to other states. Lumber exports stopped by 1930. Farming has suffered a slow but steady decline since 1930 or so. Consistent with all of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom
, Lowell lost population throughout the twentieth century, only reversing the trend in the mid 1980’s.
The asbestos
mine in Lowell was of economic importance from the 1940s to the mid 80’s. In the mid-1940s, the Belvidere mines produced more than 90% of all U.S. asbestos. It closed in 1992.
The Shortsleve Mink Farm was located here.
Today Lowell has a stable, slowly expanding population. A small number of the residents are still in agriculture but most commute to work. A few are engaged in home based occupations.
In 2008, the town supported the Democratic candidate for president 225 to 151, yet voted for the local Republican challenger for the Vermont Legislature 229 to 79 to 71 (three parties), giving him the victory.
In 2008, the state warned residents of the town and nearby towns that there was a "health risk" for people living within a ten mile (16 km) radius of the asbestos mine on Belvidere Mountain. Above ground mill tailings were estimated at 16000000 cubic yards (12,232,877.7 m³). In April 2009 the Vermont Department of health released a revised study which found that all of deaths related to the asbestos mine were caused by occupational exposure. The report also concluded that people living near the mines had no increased risk of asbestos related illness than people living anywhere else in Vermont. However, the site will still need to be cleaned up. In 2009, the expected cost of cleanup was $300 million.
Vermont municipality
A Vermont municipality is a particular type of New England municipality. It is the basic unit of local government.-Background:Vermont contains 246 incorporated towns and cities. Nine are cities and 237 are towns. Collectively, these 246 municipalities cover the vast majority of, but not all of,...
in Orleans County
Orleans County, Vermont
Orleans County is one of the four northernmost counties in the U.S. state of Vermont. It borders Canada. In 2010, the population was 27,231. Its county seat is Newport. As in the rest of New England, few governmental powers have been granted to the 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 738 at the 2000 census.
School District
- Budget - $1,199,600
- Principal - Scott Boskind
- School Board Members - Steven Mason, Chair - Tammy Blanchard, Member - Ray Ostiguy, Member
Lowell Graded School offers Pre-K - 8. There are 119 students. 56 students from Lowell attend North Country Union High School
North Country Union High School
North Country Union High School , commonly known as North Country or NCU, is a secondary school located in Newport, Vermont. The school is operated by the North Country Supervisory Union school district ....
.
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 56.1 square miles (145.2 km2), of which 56.0 square miles (145.1 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km2) (0.11%) is water.
Geology
Circa 400 million years ago, large and slow moving upheavals formed the serpentine rock and the asbestos fiber which sometimes accompanies serpentine. This serpentine comprises Brown's Ledges at the Lowell-Westfield border. Today, a rare fern species, Adiantum viridimontanumAdiantum viridimontanum
Green Mountain maidenhair fern is a rare fern limited to outcrops of serpentine rock in New England and Canada. A hybrid between Adiantum pedatum and Adiantum aleuticum , it closely resembles its parent species...
, grows there which can tolerate the high nickel content of serpentine. Serpentine also contains iron, so much so that some rocks can be magnetized. This affects where cell towers can be placed in town. The iron oxide gives the color brown to "Brown's Ledges."
The major Baie Verte
Baie Verte, Newfoundland and Labrador
Baie Verte is a town located on the northeast coast of the island portion of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador on the Baie Verte Peninsula.-Geography:...
fault line runs through Lowell. The Burgess branch of the river follows the fault with serpentine rocks on one side and nonserpentine rocks on the other.
The Lowell (chrysotile
Chrysotile
Chrysotile or white asbestos is the most commonly encountered form of asbestos, accounting for approximately 95% of the asbestos in place in the United States and a similar proportion in other countries. It is a soft, fibrous silicate mineral in the serpentine group of phyllosilicates; as such, it...
) quarry
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
on Belvidere Mountain was the last asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
mine to operate in the Eastern U.S. It closed in 1993.
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 738 people, 270 households, and 204 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 13.2 people per square mile (5.1/km2). There were 403 housing units at an average density of 7.2 per square mile (2.8/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.97% White, 1.22% African American, 0.68% Native American, and 0.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population.
There were 270 households out of which 38.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% 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, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.12.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.4% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $27,969, and the median income for a family was $29,408. Males had a median income of $25,446 versus $21,083 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 $12,404. About 18.8% of families and 17.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over.
History
Lowell was chartered in 1787 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...
to John Kelley in 1787, for whom it was named Kellyvale. The first people other than the native Americans to come to Lowell was in 1778 when the area was surveyed preparatory to Col. John Hazen constructing a road to Canada for military purposes
Bayley Hazen Military Road
The Bayley–Hazen Military Road was a military road that was originally planned to run from Newbury, Vermont to St. John's, Quebec, not far from Montreal. , running from Newbury to Hazens Notch near the Canadian border, were constructed between 1776 and 1779 during the American Revolutionary War...
. This road was abandoned at what is now named Hazen’s Notch on Route 58
Vermont Route 58
Vermont Route 58 is an east–west state highway in northern Vermont, United States. The western terminus of the route is at VT 118 in Montgomery. The eastern terminus of VT 58 is at VT 5A north of Westmore and Lake Willoughby. In Orleans, VT 58 runs concurrent to U.S...
.
The first settler was Major Caldwell and family from Barre
Barre, Massachusetts
Barre is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,398 at the 2010 census.-History:Originally called the Northwest District of Rutland, it was first settled in 1720. The town was incorporated on June 17, 1774, as Hutchinson after Thomas Hutchinson, colonial...
, 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...
in 1806. The town was formally organized in 1812, the same year the first school began with twelve students.
In 1831 the name was changed to Lowell. Where this name comes from remains uncertain.
People came and started families and the town quickly grew, going from 144 people in 1820 with an average age of 17 to 413 in 1840 with an average age of 12. By 1840 Churches had been built and Methodist, Congregational, Baptist and Roman Catholic
services were being held.
During the first half of the nineteenth century the population inflow was predominately from other states of the US. In the second half the new arrivals were more often foreign born - from Ireland and from French speaking Canada. By 1870 the population was 944 and it reached its peak in 1890 when it stood at 1,178. Farming and lumber were its main economic base. Dairy products and hardwood were both exported to other states. Lumber exports stopped by 1930. Farming has suffered a slow but steady decline since 1930 or so. Consistent with all of Vermont’s 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...
, Lowell lost population throughout the twentieth century, only reversing the trend in the mid 1980’s.
The asbestos
Asbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
mine in Lowell was of economic importance from the 1940s to the mid 80’s. In the mid-1940s, the Belvidere mines produced more than 90% of all U.S. asbestos. It closed in 1992.
The Shortsleve Mink Farm was located here.
Today Lowell has a stable, slowly expanding population. A small number of the residents are still in agriculture but most commute to work. A few are engaged in home based occupations.
In 2008, the town supported the Democratic candidate for president 225 to 151, yet voted for the local Republican challenger for the Vermont Legislature 229 to 79 to 71 (three parties), giving him the victory.
In 2008, the state warned residents of the town and nearby towns that there was a "health risk" for people living within a ten mile (16 km) radius of the asbestos mine on Belvidere Mountain. Above ground mill tailings were estimated at 16000000 cubic yards (12,232,877.7 m³). In April 2009 the Vermont Department of health released a revised study which found that all of deaths related to the asbestos mine were caused by occupational exposure. The report also concluded that people living near the mines had no increased risk of asbestos related illness than people living anywhere else in Vermont. However, the site will still need to be cleaned up. In 2009, the expected cost of cleanup was $300 million.