Ryegate, Vermont
Encyclopedia
Ryegate is a town in Caledonia County
, Vermont
, United States. The population was 1,150 at the 2000 census. The town contains the villages of South Ryegate, East Ryegate, and Ryegate Corner.
, it was chartered by Governor Benning Wentworth
on September 8, 1763. Granted to Richard Jenness and 93 others, it was named Ryegate, a variant spelling of Reigate
in Surrey
, England. The first settlers were Aaron Hosmer and his family. Sold to John Witherspoon
and others, the southern half of town was purchased in 1773 by two agents for the Scotch American Company of Farmers from Renfrew
and Lanark
, Scotland
, whose members began settlement in 1774.
The town had excellent soil for the cultivation
of grain
s, vegetable
s and orchard
s. Streams teemed with salmon
and trout
. Hills and valleys provided pasturage for grazing sheep and cattle
. Connected in 1847 to the Connecticut & Passumpsic Rivers Railroad, the town by 1859 was noted for producing butter
and leather
. Wells River
supplied water power for one gristmill
and five sawmill
s. In 1873, the Montpelier & Wells River Railroad was completed. In 1890, a big brickyard opened; then in 1906, the Ryegate Paper Company began operation. But the town's dominant industry was six granite
quarries
at Blue Mountain.
, the town has a total area of 36.8 square miles (95.3 km2), of which 36.6 square miles (94.7 km2) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.6 km2) (0.60%) is water. Bounded on the east by the Connecticut River
, Ryegate is drained by the Wells River
. Blue Mountain has an elevation of 2,192 feet (668 meters) above sea level.
The town is crossed by
Interstate 91
,
U.S. Route 5
, and
U.S. Route 302
. It borders the towns of Newbury
to the south, Groton
to the west, and Barnet
to the north. To the east, across the Connecticut River lies Bath, New Hampshire
.
of 2000, there were 1,150 people, 435 households, and 324 families residing in the town. The population density
was 31.4 people per square mile (12.1/km2). There were 564 housing units at an average density of 15.4 per square mile (6.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.35% White, 0.09% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.35% Asian, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.
There were 435 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were married couples
living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.3% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 107.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,761, and the median income for a family was $41,607. Males had a median income of $26,875 versus $21,705 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $17,880. About 3.3% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.
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. The population was 1,150 at the 2000 census. The town contains the villages of South Ryegate, East Ryegate, and Ryegate Corner.
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...
, it was chartered by Governor 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...
on September 8, 1763. Granted to Richard Jenness and 93 others, it was named Ryegate, a variant spelling of Reigate
Reigate
Reigate is a historic market town in Surrey, England, at the foot of the North Downs, and in the London commuter belt. It is one of the main constituents of the Borough of Reigate and Banstead...
in Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England. The first settlers were Aaron Hosmer and his family. Sold to John Witherspoon
John Witherspoon
John Witherspoon was a signatory of the United States Declaration of Independence as a representative of New Jersey. As president of the College of New Jersey , he trained many leaders of the early nation and was the only active clergyman and the only college president to sign the Declaration...
and others, the southern half of town was purchased in 1773 by two agents for the Scotch American Company of Farmers from Renfrew
Renfrew
-Local government:The town of Renfrew gave its name to a number of local government areas used at various times:*Renfrew a town to the west of Glasgow*Renfrewshire, the present unitary local council area in which Renfrew is situatated....
and Lanark
Lanark
Lanark is a small town in the central belt of Scotland. Its population of 8,253 makes it the 100th largest settlement in Scotland. The name is believed to come from the Cumbric Lanerc meaning "clear space, glade"....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, whose members began settlement in 1774.
The town had excellent soil for the cultivation
Tillage
Tillage is the agricultural preparation of the soil by mechanical agitation of various types, such as digging, stirring, and overturning. Examples of human-powered tilling methods using hand tools include shovelling, picking, mattock work, hoeing, and raking...
of grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
s, vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s and orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s. Streams teemed with salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
. Hills and valleys provided pasturage for grazing sheep and cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
. Connected in 1847 to the Connecticut & Passumpsic Rivers Railroad, the town by 1859 was noted for producing butter
Butter
Butter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
and leather
Leather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
. Wells River
Wells River (Vermont)
The Wells River is a river, approximately long, in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River.The Wells River begins at the outlet of Ricker Pond at the southern boundary of Groton State Forest in the town of Groton. The river flows generally southeast through the...
supplied water power for one gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
and five sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s. In 1873, the Montpelier & Wells River Railroad was completed. In 1890, a big brickyard opened; then in 1906, the Ryegate Paper Company began operation. But the town's dominant industry was six granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
quarries
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...
at Blue Mountain.
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 36.8 square miles (95.3 km2), of which 36.6 square miles (94.7 km2) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.6 km2) (0.60%) is water. Bounded on the east by the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
, Ryegate is drained by the Wells River
Wells River (Vermont)
The Wells River is a river, approximately long, in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River.The Wells River begins at the outlet of Ricker Pond at the southern boundary of Groton State Forest in the town of Groton. The river flows generally southeast through the...
. Blue Mountain has an elevation of 2,192 feet (668 meters) above sea level.
The town is crossed by
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...
,
U.S. Route 5U.S. Route 5
U.S. Route 5 is a north–south United States highway running through the New England states of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Significant cities along the route include New Haven, Connecticut; Hartford, Connecticut; and Springfield, Massachusetts. From Hartford northward to St...
, and
U.S. Route 302U.S. Route 302
U.S. Route 302 is a spur of U.S. Route 2. It currently runs 171 miles north from Portland, Maine, at U.S. Route 1, to Montpelier, Vermont, at US 2...
. It borders the towns of Newbury
Newbury (town), Vermont
Newbury is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,955 at the 2000 census. Newbury includes the villages of Newbury, Center Newbury, West Newbury, South Newbury, Boltonville, Peach Four Corners, and Wells River.-History:...
to the south, Groton
Groton, Vermont
Groton is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 876 at the 2000 census. It contains the places Groton Pond, Rickers Mills, Rickers and West Groton.-Geography:...
to the west, and Barnet
Barnet, Vermont
Barnet is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,690 at the 2000 census. Barnet contains the locations of Barnet Center, East Barnet, McIndoe Falls, Mosquitoville, Passumpsic and West Barnet.-Geography:...
to the north. To the east, across the Connecticut River lies Bath, New Hampshire
Bath, New Hampshire
Bath is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,077 at the 2010 census. Now a tourist destination and bedroom community for Littleton, the town is noted for its historic architecture, including the Brick Store and three covered bridges...
.
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 1,150 people, 435 households, and 324 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 31.4 people per square mile (12.1/km2). There were 564 housing units at an average density of 15.4 per square mile (6.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.35% White, 0.09% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.35% Asian, and 0.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.
There were 435 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% 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 25.3% were non-families. 19.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.2% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 107.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,761, and the median income for a family was $41,607. Males had a median income of $26,875 versus $21,705 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 $17,880. About 3.3% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.