Editing Essex County, Vermont (section)

==History==
Prior to the arrival of colonists of European descent, the area was populated by the [[Abenakis]]. They used the Connecticut and Nulhegan rivers as primary means of travel through the area along with many subsidiary rivers and streams. The culture was mostly hunter-gatherer with a combination of agriculture, hunting and fishing. While the rivers provided good fishing the primary food animal was moose.<ref name="c111019"/>

Vermont was divided into two counties in March 1778. In 1781 the legislature divided the northernmost county, Cumberland, into three counties: Windham and Windsor, in approximately the modern location for those counties. The northern remainder was called Orange County. This latter tract nearly corresponded with the [[Gloucester County, New York|old New York county of Gloucester]], organized by that province March 16, 1770, with Newbury as the shire town.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite book |title=Gazetteer of Lamoille and Orleans Counties, VT.; 1883–1884 |publisher=Hamilton Child |date=May 1887}}</ref>

On September 3, 1783, as a result of the signing of the [[Treaty of Paris (1783)|Treaty of Paris]], the Revolutionary War ended with Great Britain recognizing the independence of the United States. Vermont's border with Quebec was established at [[45th parallel north|45 degrees north latitude]].<ref>Van Zandt, Franklin K. ''Boundaries of the United States and the Several States.'' Geological Survey Professional Paper 909. Washington, DC; Government Printing Office, 1976. The Standard Compilation for its subject. P. 12.</ref><ref>Parry, Clive, ed. ''[[Consolidated Treaty Series]].'' 231 Volumes. [[Dobbs Ferry, New York|Dobbs Ferry]], New York; Oceana Publications, 1969–1981. Volume 48; pp. 481; 487; 491–492.</ref>

On November 5, 1792, the legislature divided Chittenden and Orange counties into six separate counties, as follows: Chittenden, Orange, Franklin, Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans.<ref name="autogenerated1" />  No reason is given for the county being named after the county of [[Essex]] in England.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20110928212917/http://www.e-referencedesk.com/resources/counties/vermont/orleans.html Orleans County, Vermont: History and Information]}}. E-referencedesk.com. Retrieved on April 12, 2014.</ref>

In 1999, a group of investors bought {{convert|86212|acre}} from [[Champion International Paper]] for $7.5 million, covering parts of fourteen towns in the county. The state of Vermont and the Freeman Foundation purchased easements for $8.5 million to guarantee traditional uses of the land for logging and recreation. In 2008, [[Plum Creek Timber]] company announced plans to purchase this property.<ref>{{cite book | author=Sutkowski, Matt |title = 86,212 acre land sale in works | publisher=Burlington Free Press | date = September 16, 2008}}</ref>

The last murder trial held at the county courthouse took place in 1923. In 1973, a non-resident murdered another non-resident.<ref>{{cite book | author=Ring, Wilson |title = Slaying a novelty for county | publisher=Burlington Free Press | date = September 15, 2008}}</ref> In 2008, two residents died by homicide – the first in 85 years – when police said a young woman was shot by her boyfriend and a 59-year-old man shot his mother.<ref>{{cite book | author=Silverman, Adam |title = Vermont killings jumped | publisher=Burlington Free Press | date = January 1, 2009}}</ref>

In 2012, a study indicated that county residents, overall, were the least healthy in the state. The rating was based on premature death, low birth weight, smoking, obesity, inactivity, excessive drinking, car crashes, sexually transmitted diseases, graduation rates, poverty, violent crime rates, air pollution, limited access to healthy food, unemployment, and the number of single parent households.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Tena | last=Starr | title=Essex is least healthy county in Vermont | newspaper=the Chronicle | location=Barton, Vermont | page= 1 | date=April 11, 2012 }}</ref>