Sharon, Vermont
Encyclopedia
Sharon is a town in Windsor County, Vermont
, United States
. It had a population of 1,411 at the 2000 census. The town is home to The Sharon Academy
.
, the township was created on August 17, 1761 by a royal charter
which King George III of England issued to Governor Benning Wentworth
. It was granted to John Taylor and 61 others, many from Sharon, Connecticut
. The town was first settled about 1765 by Robert Havens and family. In 1780 during the Revolution
, the village was attacked in the Royalton Raid
, when a combined force of British
soldiers and Indians
burned houses and killed livestock
.
Although the surface of the town is very broken, the intervales contain fertile soil, and farming became an important industry. On June 26, 1848, the Vermont Central Railroad opened from White River Junction
to Bethel
, traversing Sharon and accelerating its development. The White River
and its tributaries
provided water power for mills. By 1859, when the population reached 1,240, Sharon had one gristmill
, 12 sawmill
s and one bobbin
factory.
, the town has a total area of 40.1 square miles (103.9 km2), of which 39.6 square miles (102.6 km2) is land and 0.5 square mile (1.2 km2) (1.20%) is water. Sharon is drained by the White River
and its tributaries.
The town is crossed by Interstate 89
, Vermont Route 14
and Vermont Route 132
.
of 2000, there were 1,411 people, 553 households, and 378 families residing in the town. The population density
was 35.6 people per square mile (13.8/km2). There were 663 housing units at an average density of 16.7 per square mile (6.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.17% White, 0.57% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.64% Asian, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population.
There were 553 households out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples
living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $40,952, and the median income for a family was $47,500. Males had a median income of $32,112 versus $28,472 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $20,824. About 5.3% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
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...
. It had a population of 1,411 at the 2000 census. The town is home to The Sharon Academy
The Sharon Academy
The Sharon Academy, often abbreviated as TSA , is a middle and high school located in southeast Vermont.-History:...
.
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...
, the township was created on August 17, 1761 by a royal charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
which King George III of England issued to 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...
. It was granted to John Taylor and 61 others, many from Sharon, Connecticut
Sharon, Connecticut
Sharon is a town located in Litchfield County, Connecticut, in the northwest corner of the state. It is bounded on the north by Salisbury, on the east by the Housatonic River, on the south by Kent, and on the west by Dutchess County, New York...
. The town was first settled about 1765 by Robert Havens and family. In 1780 during the Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, the village was attacked in the Royalton Raid
Royalton Raid
The Royalton Raid was a British-led Indian raid in 1780 against various towns along the White River Valley in the Vermont Republic, and was part of the American Revolutionary War...
, when a combined force of British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
soldiers and Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
burned houses and killed livestock
Livestock
Livestock refers to one or more domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to produce commodities such as food, fiber and labor. The term "livestock" as used in this article does not include poultry or farmed fish; however the inclusion of these, especially poultry, within the meaning...
.
Although the surface of the town is very broken, the intervales contain fertile soil, and farming became an important industry. On June 26, 1848, the Vermont Central Railroad opened from White River Junction
White River Junction, Vermont
White River Junction is an unincorporated village and census-designated place in the town of Hartford in Windsor County, Vermont, United States...
to Bethel
Bethel, Vermont
Bethel is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 1,968 at the 2000 census. The town includes the locations of Bethel-Gilead, East Bethel, Lilliesville, Lympus , and West Bethel...
, traversing Sharon and accelerating its development. The White River
White River (Vermont)
The White River is a river in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River.The White River rises at Skylight Pond south of Bread Loaf Mountain near the crest of the Green Mountains. The river flows east to the town of Granville, where it receives the outflow from the...
and its tributaries
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
provided water power for mills. By 1859, when the population reached 1,240, Sharon had 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 :...
, 12 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 and one bobbin
Bobbin
A bobbin is a spindle or cylinder, with or without flanges, on which wire, yarn, thread or film is wound. Bobbins are typically found in sewing machines, cameras, and within electronic equipment....
factory.
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 40.1 square miles (103.9 km2), of which 39.6 square miles (102.6 km2) is land and 0.5 square mile (1.2 km2) (1.20%) is water. Sharon is drained by the White River
White River (Vermont)
The White River is a river in the U.S. state of Vermont. It is a tributary of the Connecticut River.The White River rises at Skylight Pond south of Bread Loaf Mountain near the crest of the Green Mountains. The river flows east to the town of Granville, where it receives the outflow from the...
and its tributaries.
The town is crossed by Interstate 89
Interstate 89
Interstate 89 is an interstate highway in the New England region of the United States travelling between Bow, New Hampshire and Highgate Springs, Vermont. As with all odd-numbered primary interstates, I-89 is signed as a north–south highway...
, Vermont Route 14
Vermont Route 14
Vermont Route 14 is a north–south state highway in northeastern Vermont, United States. It is long and extends from U.S. Route 4 and U.S. Route 5 in White River Junction to Vermont Route 100 in Newport. Between White River Junction and the city of Barre, the route parallels Interstate 89. Vermont...
and Vermont Route 132
Vermont Route 132
Vermont Route 132 is a state highway in eastern Vermont, United States. It runs east to west from VT 14 in Sharon in the west to U.S. Route 5 in Norwich from the New Hampshire border in the east. The route interchanges with Interstate 89 at exit 2, an interchange situated ...
.
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 1,411 people, 553 households, and 378 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 35.6 people per square mile (13.8/km2). There were 663 housing units at an average density of 16.7 per square mile (6.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.17% White, 0.57% African American, 0.43% Native American, 0.64% Asian, and 1.20% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.99% of the population.
There were 553 households out of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% 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 31.5% were non-families. 24.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.06.
In the town the population was spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 102.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $40,952, and the median income for a family was $47,500. Males had a median income of $32,112 versus $28,472 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 $20,824. About 5.3% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.5% of those under age 18 and 9.4% of those age 65 or over.
Sites of interest
- Joseph Smith Birthplace MemorialJoseph Smith Birthplace MemorialJoseph Smith Birthplace Memorial is a granite obelisk on a hill in the White River Valley near Sharon and South Royalton, Vermont that marks the spot where Joseph Smith, Jr. was born on 23 December 1805. The monument was erected by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , which recognizes...
- Sharon Historical Society & Museum
- The Sharon AcademyThe Sharon AcademyThe Sharon Academy, often abbreviated as TSA , is a middle and high school located in southeast Vermont.-History:...
Notable people
- Jason DownerJason Downer-Biography:Downer was born on September 9, 1813 in Sharon, Vermont. He graduated from Dartmouth College in 1838. Downer moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1842. He would briefly serve as editor of the Milwaukee Sentinel. Downer passed away on September 1, 1883. He left the bulk of his estate to the...
, Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme CourtWisconsin Supreme CourtThe Wisconsin Supreme Court is the highest appellate court in the state of Wisconsin. The Supreme Court has jurisdiction over original actions, appeals from lower courts, and regulation or administration of the practice of law in Wisconsin.-Location:... - Joseph Smith, Jr., founder of, and prophet for, the Latter Day Saint movementLatter Day Saint movementThe Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...