Shaftsbury, Vermont
Encyclopedia
Shaftsbury is a town
in Bennington County, Vermont
, United States
. The population was 3,767 at the 2000 census. The town was chartered on August 20, 1761. It was named after the Earl of Shaftesbury
.
, the town has a total area of 43.2 square miles (111.8 km2), of which 43.1 square miles (111.6 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km2) (0.14%) is water.
.
of 2000, there were 3,767 people, 1,450 households, and 1,078 families residing in the town. The population density
was 87.4 people per square mile (33.7/km2). There were 1,574 housing units at an average density of 36.5 per square mile (14.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.73% White, 0.21% Black, 0.05% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.16% from other races
, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic of any race were 0.90% of the population.
There were 1,450 households out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% were married couples
living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $45,139, and the median income for a family was $52,083. Males had a median income of $36,118 versus $25,776 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $22,035. About 4.0% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
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 Bennington 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 3,767 at the 2000 census. The town was chartered on August 20, 1761. It was named after the Earl of Shaftesbury
Earl of Shaftesbury
Earl of Shaftesbury is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created in 1672 for Anthony Ashley-Cooper, 1st Baron Ashley, a prominent politician in the Cabal then dominating the policies of King Charles II...
.
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 43.2 square miles (111.8 km2), of which 43.1 square miles (111.6 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile (0.2 km2) (0.14%) is water.
History
In June 1843, escaped slaves hid at a Shaftsbury farm, in the first recorded instance in Vermont of the Underground RailroadUnderground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was an informal network of secret routes and safe houses used by 19th-century black slaves in the United States to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies who were sympathetic to their cause. The term is also applied to the abolitionists,...
.
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 3,767 people, 1,450 households, and 1,078 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 87.4 people per square mile (33.7/km2). There were 1,574 housing units at an average density of 36.5 per square mile (14.1/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.73% White, 0.21% Black, 0.05% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.16% 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 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic of any race were 0.90% of the population.
There were 1,450 households out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.2% 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, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.8% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $45,139, and the median income for a family was $52,083. Males had a median income of $36,118 versus $25,776 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 $22,035. About 4.0% of families and 6.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- Irving AdlerIrving AdlerIrving Adler is an author, mathematician, scientist, and educator. He is the author of 56 books about mathematics, science, and education, and the co-author of 30 more, for both children and adults. His books have been published in 31 countries in 19 different languages...
, author, mathematician, scientist, and educator. - Robert FrostRobert FrostRobert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...
, poet. - Jonas GalushaJonas GalushaJonas Galusha was the sixth and eighth Governor of Vermont for two terms in the early 19th century.Galusha was born in Norwich, Connecticut, and migrated to Shaftsbury, Vermont, in 1775. He had a distinguished record in the American Revolution, fighting in the Battle of Bennington in 1777...
, governor of Vermont. - Jacob M. HowardJacob M. HowardJacob Merritt Howard was a U.S. Representative and U.S. Senator from the state of Michigan during and after the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, senator from Michigan. - Norman LearNorman LearNorman Milton Lear is an American television writer and producer who produced such 1970s sitcoms as All in the Family, Sanford and Son, One Day at a Time, The Jeffersons, Good Times and Maude...
, television writer and producer. - Andrew NewellAndrew NewellAndrew "Andy" Newell is an American cross country skier who has been competing on the international level since 2001.- Career :...
, 2010 Olympic Athlete, Cross Country Skiing.