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Orleans County, Vermont
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==History== The county shares the same pre-Columbian history with the [[Northeast Kingdom#History|Northeast Kingdom]]. In 1753, the [[Abenaki]]s brought the ransomed [[John Stark]] down Lake Memphremagog and came ashore where Newport is now. They then traveled southeast to his home in New Hampshire. [[Rogers' Rangers]] were forced to retreat through the county following their attack on [[Saint-François-du-Lac, Quebec|Saint-Francis, Quebec]] in 1759. To confound their avenging pursuers, they split up on the east shore of [[Lake Memphremagog]]. One group followed the Clyde River. Another followed the Barton River south to the falls at the outlet of Crystal Lake where they were able to catch fish. From there, they continued south over the summit into the [[Passumpsic River]] Valley.<ref>{{cite book | title=Sketches of Orleans, Vermont |year=1985 |isbn=0-9610860-2-5 |publisher=Mempremagog Press |author=Darrell Hoyt}}, page 1</ref> The British Crown sent out surveyors to mark the border between its two colonies of Canada and America in accordance with the [[Quebec Act]] of 1774. This was supposed to be on the [[45th parallel north]]. The result, however was a crooked line up to {{convert|.75|mi}} north of this intended border. This was resolved in favor of the crooked line by the [[Webster–Ashburton Treaty]] of 1842. This affected Orleans County, particularly Derby Line, which would have otherwise reverted to Canada.<ref>{{Cite journal |first=Matthew |last=Farfan |date=August 2007 |title=The Crooked Border |journal=Vermont's Northland Journal |page=17 }}</ref> In 1779 or 1780, General [[Moses Hazen]] constructed the [[Bayley-Hazen Military Road]] from Newbury, Vermont through Hardwick, Greensboro, Craftsbury, and Albany to Hazen's Notch in northern Vermont. This purpose of this road was to invade Canada. It was never used for that purpose, but was instrumental in the settlement of this area.<ref>{{cite web | title=RootsWeb |work=The Hazen Military Road | url=http://www.rootsweb.com/~vermont/HistoryHazenMilitaryRoad.html | access-date=January 3, 2007}}</ref> However, it was five or more years before the wilderness was inhabited by other than a few Abenaki Indians, and that during the summer. Vermont was divided into two counties in March 1778. In 1781 the legislature divided the northernmost county, Cumberland, into three counties: Windham and Windsor, located about where they are now. The northern remainder was called Orange county. This latter tract nearly corresponded with the old New York county of Gloucester, organized by that province March 16, 1770, with Newbury as the shire town.<ref name="autogenerated1">{{cite book | author = Child, Hamilton. |title = Gazetteer of Lamoille and Orleans Counties, VT.; 1883-1884 | publisher = Hamilton Child |date=May 1887}}</ref> The state granted a town to [[Ebenezer Crafts]], and sixty-three associates, on November 6, 1780. The town name was changed to Craftsbury, in honor of Ebenezer Crafts on October 27, 1790. Crafts was the first settler in the county.<ref name=Child>Gazetteer of Lamoille and Orleans Counties, VT.; 1883-1884, Compiled and Published by Hamilton Child; 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 City|New York]]; Oceana Publications, 1969-1981. Volume 48; pp. 481; 487; 491-492.</ref> From 1791 to 1793, [[Timothy Hinman]] built what is now called the "[[Hinman Settler Road]]" linking Greensboro north to Derby and Canada.<ref>{{cite web|title=Vermont History |work=The Checkered Career of Timothy Hinman |url=http://www.vermonthistory.org/journal/70/vt703_403.pdf |access-date=December 27, 2006 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121130014305/http://www.vermonthistory.org/journal/70/vt703_403.pdf |archive-date=November 30, 2012 }}</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 [[Orléans]], [[France]].<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> Orleans lost territory when the new Jefferson county<ref>later called [[Washington County, Vermont]] November 8, 1814</ref> was created in 1797.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> <!---note that Washington County history does not agree with this---> In 1810, [[Runaway Pond]] suddenly flooded the Barton River Valley with {{convert|1,988,000,000|USgal}}<ref name="KH200307">{{cite book | author = Boisvert, Jacques |title = Long Pond Lost! | publisher = The Kingdom Historical| date = July 2003}}</ref> of water in the greatest natural catastrophe in Orleans County post-Columbian history. Incredibly, there were no deaths. On December 27, 1813, the county was invaded by British militia from nearby [[Stanstead (city), Quebec|Stanstead, Quebec]], during the [[War of 1812]] in order to destroy an undefended barracks at Derby and to forage for supplies. No one was injured. Until the invasion, local inhabitants, like most New Englanders, opposed the war. A number had smuggled supplies to the British. After the invasion, their enthusiasm for their neighbors diminished substantially.<ref>{{cite book |title = Derby Attacked! The War of 1812 Comes to Vermont | publisher = Kingdom Historical |date=July 2003}}</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=NccgAAAAMAAJ&dq=%22extensive+barracks+for+1,200+men+lately%22&pg=PA491 Vermont: Records of the Governor and Council of the State of Vermont ... - Google Books]. Books.google.com. Retrieved on April 12, 2014.</ref> June 1816 brought {{convert|1|ft}} of snow to the county followed by agricultural devastation. 1816 became known as the [[Year without a summer]].<ref>[http://www.oldstonehousemuseum.org/orleanscounty_history.html Orleans County History] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100612080243/http://www.oldstonehousemuseum.org/orleanscounty_history.html |date=June 12, 2010 }}. Old Stone House Museum. Retrieved on April 12, 2014.</ref> When Lamoille county was formed in October 1835, Orleans lost the towns of Eden, Hyde Park, Morristown, and Wolcott.<ref name="autogenerated1" /> In 1858, Barton (and Orleans County) obtained a triangular piece of land from Sheffield (and Caledonia County) which included all of May Pond, the entire area south of Crystal Lake, and the village of South Barton.<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite book | author = Young, Darlene |title = A history of Barton Vermont | publisher = Crystal Lake Falls Historical Association|year = 1998}}</ref> By 1860, the state was a leading producer of [[hops]] in the nation. Orleans and Windsor Counties led the state. This crop conveniently arrived as a replacement for the disappearance of the Merino sheep trade. Hops, too, disappeared. A number of factors were involved: plant disease in 1909,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vang |first=Richard |date=1996 |title=The Past, Present, and Yes, Future of the Hops Industry |url=http://www.upstatechunk.com/beer/hops/nyhistory.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105104307/http://www.upstatechunk.com/beer/hops/nyhistory.htm |archive-date=January 5, 2021 |access-date=June 19, 2023 |website=upstatechunk |publisher=Upstate Alive Magazine}}</ref> migration of planting to California from 1853 to 1910, where growing was performed more efficiently, and Prohibition both at the state and national level.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.sevendaysvt.com/vermont/resurrecting-hops/Content?oid=2144031 | title=Resurrecting Hops }}</ref> During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Company D, [[4th Vermont Infantry]] was recruited largely from Orleans County.<ref>{{Cite journal |date=September 2011 |title=Revised Roster Vermont Volunteers 1892 |journal=Northeast Kingdom Civil War Roundtable |page=4 }}</ref><!---note that this info quotes the same company as in the 6th Vt. could be dupe or misunderstanding...or correct!--> Volunteers from the county joined the Union Army in response to a call from the government. In September 1861, they joined the Vermont [[6th Vermont Infantry]], and helped fill out Company D. The regiment ultimately became part of the [[First Vermont Brigade]].<ref>{{Cite journal |first=Joan |last=Hueguenin |date=November 2011 |journal=Northeast Kingdom Civil War Roundtable |pages=4, 5 }}</ref> In 1864, 267 men from the [[11th Vermont Infantry]] were captured at the Battle of the Weldon Railroad in the Overland campaign. <!--the original had 401 men total--> today better known as the [[Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road]]. It was a considerable source of local concern when it was learned that these prisoners had been taken to [[Andersonville National Historic Site|Andersonville prison]], a place known, even then, for its poor living conditions. 54 of these prisoners were from Orleans County. Many of them died in prison.<ref>{{Cite journal |first=Dan |last=Taylor |date=August 2010 |title=Ellery Webster, Union POW - Part Three |journal=Vermont's Northland Journal |volume=9 |issue=5 |page=13 }}</ref> French immigration into the county started before the Civil War.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.flowofhistory.org/themes/movement_settlement/french.php |title=The French Settlement Of Vermont: 1609-1929<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=June 27, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151210222057/http://www.flowofhistory.org/themes/movement_settlement/french.php |archive-date=December 10, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It continued afterwards. Like the rest of the state, Orleans County sent up to one-quarter of its eligible men to the Civil War. Ten percent of these died. Others came back too maimed to continue working their farms, which most volunteers had left.<ref>[http://vermont.50ustates.net/ vermont<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110422000820/http://vermont.50ustates.net/ |date=April 22, 2011 }}</ref> The sudden offering of many farms for sale in the mid-1860s resulted in a precipitous drop in farm prices. Nearby French-Canadians took advantage of this.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://faculty.marianopolis.edu/c.belanger/quebechistory/readings/leaving.htm|title=Quebec History|first=Claude|last=Bélanger|website=faculty.marianopolis.edu}}</ref> As a result of this and loss of native farm labor to other states, Vermont, particularly the northern part, saw many immigrants then and through the turn of the twentieth century. After increasing in population since its founding, the county began losing population starting in 1900. It reached a twentieth-century low in population in 1960 at 20,143. The population has risen ever since. In 1903, the county purchased a jail, [[mail order]]. It housed about 350 people annually. It once held 140 people at one time, a fallout from a widely attended 1973 rock concert. The jail closed in 1995. It is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref>{{Cite news | first=Joseph | last=Gresser | title=County jail awaits fresh customers | newspaper=the chronicle | location=Barton, Vermont | pages= 1, 14–15 | date=December 19, 2012 }}</ref> In 1903, a state law allowed each town to decide whether to permit the sale of liquor within their boundaries. By 1905, no town in the county allowed the sale of alcoholic beverages. The change was not that dramatic since state law had theoretically forbidden alcohol prior to 1903, but this law was unevenly enforced.<ref name="autogenerated2" /> Currently in 2017, the towns of Derby, Jay, and Westmore, the village of Orleans, and the city of Newport permit liquor sales through retail outlets supervised by the Vermont Department of Liquor Control.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://802spirits.com/agencies | title=Retail Liquor Agencies | Liquor Retail Division }}</ref> In 1910, there were 2,800 farms in the county, containing 27,000 cows. They produced {{convert|15000000|lb}} of milk annually.<ref>{{Cite news | first=Joseph | last=Gresser | title=A history of Vermont through architecture (review of ''Buildings of Vermont'' by Glenn M. Andres and Curtis B. Johnson) | newspaper=The Chronicle | location=Barton, Vermont | pages= 1B | date=April 23, 2014 }}</ref> In 1967, researcher and scientist [[Gerald Bull]] constructed a laboratory for his[[Space Research Corporation]] in Highwater, just north of the adjacent Canada–US border. The property overlapped into the county in [[North Troy, Vermont|North Troy]]. His intent was to fire research packages into orbit using heavy artillery. In 2004, what was then billed as the final concert of the band [[Phish]] was held in Coventry on August 14–15. The concert was the single largest gathering of people in the town's history. With 70,000 tickets sold, Coventry's augmented population was one of the largest in the state's history.<!---Highgate's 1995 Grateful Dead- Bob Dylan concert was the largest at 100,000---> The county has twenty-three places on the [[List of Registered Historic Places in Orleans County, Vermont|National Register of Historic Places]]. In 2008, the state notified residents of Albany, Craftsbury, Irasburg, Lowell, Newport Town, Troy, Westfield and six towns in the adjacent counties of Lamoille and Franklin, that a review of health records from 1995 to 2006 had revealed that residents within {{convert|10|mi}} of the former asbestos mine on Belvidere Mountain had higher than normal rates of contracting [[asbestosis]]. The state and federal government continues to study this problem.<ref>{{cite book | author = Rathke, Lisa |title = Neighbors worry about mine's impact on health | publisher = Burlington Free Press | date = December 12, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://healthvermont.gov/enviro/asbestos/documents/VAG-Mine-Report120908.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=January 15, 2009 |archive-date=May 27, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527130600/http://www.healthvermont.gov/enviro/asbestos/documents/VAG-Mine-Report120908.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> A critic replied that the entire basis of the study were three unidentified people who died from asbestosis 1995-2005 out of a total population of 16,700.<ref>{{cite book | author = Avery, Don |title = Letter to the editor:The Vermont Department of Health has done a great disservice to the people of Eden and Lowell | publisher = the Chronicle | date = January 7, 2009}}</ref> 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.<ref>[http://healthvermont.gov/enviro/asbestos/vagm-healthstudy.aspx asbestosgroupminesite]. Healthvermont.gov. Retrieved on April 12, 2014.</ref> However, the site will still need to be cleaned. In 2009, the expected cost of cleanup was $300 million.<ref>{{cite news | first=Chris | last=Braithwaite | title=Feds to recover a fraction of mine cleanup costs | publisher=the Chronicle | location=Barton, Vermont | page= 22 | date=July 8, 2009 }}</ref>
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