Editing Lincoln, Vermont

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Lincoln, Vermont
|settlement_type          = [[New England town|Town]]
|nickname                 =
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_skyline            = Lincoln, Vermont (6146877958).jpg
|imagesize                =
|image_caption            =
|image_flag               =
|image_seal               = LincolnVTseal.jpg

<!-- Maps -->
|image_map                = Addison County Vermont incorporated and unincorporated areas Lincoln highlighted.svg
|mapsize                  = 250px
|map_caption              = Location in [[Addison County, Vermont|Addison County]] and the state of [[Vermont]].

<!-- Location -->
|subdivision_type         = Country
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = State
|subdivision_name1        = [[Vermont]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Vermont|County]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Addison County, Vermont|Addison]]
|parts_type               = Communities
|parts                    = Lincoln<br>Downingville<br>South&nbsp;Lincoln<br>West&nbsp;Lincoln

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes     =
|government_type          =
|leader_title             =
|leader_name              =
|leader_title1            =
|leader_name1             =
|established_title        = Chartered
|established_date         = 1780
|established_title2        = Settled
|established_date2         = 1790
|established_title3        = Organized
|established_date3         = 1798

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           =
|area_magnitude           =
|area_total_km2           = 115.5
|area_land_km2            = 115.0
|area_water_km2           = 0.5
|area_total_sq_mi         = 
|area_land_sq_mi          = 
|area_water_sq_mi         =

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     =
|population_total         = 1323
|population_density_km2   = 11.5
|population_density_sq_mi =

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      =
|elevation_m              = 385
|elevation_ft             = 1263
|coordinates              = {{coord|44|5|31|N|72|58|53|W|region:US-VT|display=inline,title}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 05443
|area_code                = [[Area code 802|802]] 
|area_code_type           = [[North American Numbering Plan|Area code]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 50-40075<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 1462135<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]]|date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
|website                  = {{URL|www.lincolnvermont.org}}
|footnotes                =
}}
'''Lincoln''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Addison County, Vermont]], United States. Lincoln is at the base of Mount Abraham in the Green Mountains. It was settled by Quakers in the late 18th century. The population was 1,323 at the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]].<ref name="Census 2020">{{cite web| url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US5000140075| title=Census - Geography Profile: Lincoln town, Addison County, Vermont| publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]| access-date=December 31, 2021}}</ref> Lincoln is known for its rural beauty and its proximity to two Vermont ski areas, [[Mad River Glen]] and [[Sugarbush Resort|Sugarbush]].

==Geography==
Lincoln is in northeastern Addison County in the [[Green Mountains]]. The [[Long Trail]] runs along the crest of the Green Mountains near the town's eastern border, with elevations ranging from {{convert|2430|ft}} at [[Lincoln Gap (Vermont)|Lincoln Gap]] to {{convert|4006|ft}} at the summit of [[Mount Abraham (Vermont)|Mount Abraham]]. The lowest elevation in town is {{convert|840|ft}} above sea level near West Lincoln, where the New Haven River exits the town.

The Lincoln Gap Road crosses the Green Mountains at Lincoln Gap, connecting the [[Lincoln (CDP), Vermont|village of Lincoln]] on the west with the town of [[Warren, Vermont|Warren]] to the east. But it is only open in the summer, so the town is principally accessed via [[Bristol, Vermont|Bristol]]. The village of [[South Lincoln, Vermont|South Lincoln]] is in the southern part of the town, along the New Haven River. There are no numbered state highways in Lincoln.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has an area of {{convert|115.5|sqkm|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|115.0|sqkm|disp=flip}} are land and {{convert|0.5|sqkm|disp=flip}}, or 0.43%, are water.<ref name="Census 2010">{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US5000140075| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212164435/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/G001/0600000US5000140075| url-status=dead| archive-date=February 12, 2020| title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Lincoln town, Addison County, Vermont| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=August 29, 2013}}</ref>

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1800= 97
|1810= 255
|1820= 278
|1830= 639
|1840= 770
|1850= 1057
|1860= 1070
|1870= 1174
|1880= 1368
|1890= 1255
|1900= 1152
|1910= 980
|1920= 841
|1930= 800
|1940= 745
|1950= 577
|1960= 481
|1970= 599
|1980= 870
|1990= 974
|2000= 1214
|2010= 1271
|2020= 1323
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=May 16, 2015}}</ref>
}}
As of the census<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 1,214 people, 462 households, and 339 families residing in the town.  The population density was 27.6 people per square mile (10.7/km<sup>2</sup>).  There were 566 housing units at an average density of 12.9 per square mile (5.0/km<sup>2</sup>).  The racial makeup of the town was 97.53% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.16% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.33% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.66% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.08% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], and 1.24% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.24% of the population.

There were 462 households, out of which 37.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 27.1% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.3 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $45,750, and the median income for a family was $51,369. Males had a median income of $30,455 versus $25,125 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $21,092.  About 4.3% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over.

==History==
Lincoln was chartered to Colonel [[Benjamin Simonds]] and 64 associates on November 9, 1780. As commander of the [[Massachusetts]] militia, Simonds fought at the [[Battle of Bennington]] in 1777. He named the new town in honor of his commanding officer, [[Benjamin Lincoln|Major General Benjamin Lincoln]], who played a vital role in getting the militia to Vermont. General Lincoln was respected and well liked by his contemporaries.<ref name="history">{{cite web |title=History of Lincoln |url=http://lincolnvermont.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/HISTORY-OF-LINCOLN-updated_2015-1.pdf |website=lincolnvermont.org |access-date=March 21, 2020}}</ref>

Like [[Ferrisburgh, Vermont|Ferrisburgh]] and several other Addison County towns, Lincoln was settled by members of the Society of Friends, or [[Quakers]]. The first Quakers settled in an area known as Mud Flat about 1795. As other Quakers joined the original group, the area became known as Quaker Stand. The meeting house is gone and the Society has dispersed, but one part of Lincoln village is still called Quaker Street.<ref name="history" /> Lincoln's town government was officially organized in 1798, when the first town meeting was held in the log cabin of early settler Jedediah Durfee.<ref name="History2">{{cite book|last1=Reed|first1=Richard|title=Lincoln: History of a Mountain Town|date=1980|publisher=Town of Lincoln, Vermont|pages=105|edition=1st}}</ref>

[[File:Lincoln General Store.jpg|thumb|left|The Lincoln General Store in Lincoln Center, a main community hub.]]

Until the latter part of the 20th century, Lincoln's economy centered around [[smallholding|smallholder]] agriculture, ironworks, and mills. The earliest export products were potash and timber, sold by homesteading farmers after clearing their land. The town's population and economy peaked in the 1880s, when 15 lumber mills in town made [[shingles]] and [[clapboard]], employing around 100 men. Dairies and potato farming comprised much of the rest of the town's industry. Lincoln also grew to comprise the settlements of Downingsville and West, South, and Center Lincoln, bringing it to its present area of 44 square miles. The town's proximity to the New Haven River has caused destructive floods in its history, in 1830, 1869, 1938, 1976, and 1998.<ref name="history"/>

In 1919, Lincoln-born businessman Walter S. Burnham left a significant endowment to the town in his will, resulting in the creation of the Burnham Trust, a fund intended to "be expended for educational, charitable, and musical purposes." The Trust provided funding for the construction of Burnham Hall, a community meeting place and formerly the town library, as well as establishing a scholarship fund for future Lincoln students. Burnham Hall remains the site of Lincoln's [[town meeting]].<ref name="History2" />

[[File:BurnhamHall.jpg|thumb|right|Burnham Hall in Lincoln, the town's central meeting place.]]

Lincoln underwent a significant contraction in the mid-20th century, as its resource-based livelihoods dried up and families moved away. Dairy farms were unable to compete with larger, centralized enterprises elsewhere in the state and country. For Lincoln, the industry's death knell came in the 1980s, when the federal government offered to buy out smaller farms in an attempt to raise the price of milk and thereby make the industry more profitable; Lincoln's last dairy closed in 1992. Most of the mills and other industry also closed by the end of the century, though one pallet mill remains in operation. In 1968 Lincoln lost its post office (and thus its ZIP code) when postal services were transferred to Bristol.<ref name="History3">{{cite book|title=Lincoln - Entering the 21st Century|date=2007|publisher=The Lincoln Historical Society|location=Rutland, Vermont|edition=1st}}</ref>

In the 21st century, Lincoln's population has rebounded almost to its peak. Its proximity to the Green Mountains, tranquility, and well-supported community services have made it attractive as a residential community. Most working-age adults commute to jobs in neighboring towns, but Lincoln still has a general store, hotel, and multiple small-batch [[maple syrup]] producers, with some larger producers (the largest has 35,000 trees tapped).<ref name="history" />

On September 11, 2010, the first [[Tibet]]an [[Buddhist]] [[nunnery]] in North America was consecrated in Lincoln.<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=September 15, 2010 |title=Buddhist monastery for women opens in Bristol |url=https://suncommunitynews.com/news/57511/buddhist-monastery-for-women-opens-in-bristol/ |work=The Sun |location=Ticonderoga, NY |access-date=March 5, 2024 |quote="The first Tibetan Buddhist nunnery in North America was consecrated in Lincoln on Sept. 11."}}</ref>

==Community==
Lincoln is home to a community church, the United Church of Lincoln, which is in the center of town at the bottom of Quaker Street.<ref name="United Church of Lincoln Website">{{cite web| url=https://sites.google.com/site/ucol4280/| title=United Church of Lincoln Website| publisher=United Church of Lincoln| access-date=September 26, 2023}}</ref> The Lincoln General Store serves as a main community hub, as there is no post office or gas station in town.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://frontporchforum.com/lincoln/forum/archive/3472#post_3252368| title=The Lincoln General Store Sale| publisher=Vaneasa Stearns, Front Porch Forum| access-date= January 8, 2024}}</ref><ref name="Thank You, Vaneasa: Lincoln applauds a key citizen">{{cite web| url=https://www.addisonindependent.com/2023/08/17/thank-you-vaneasa-lincoln-a-key-citizen| title=Thank You, Vaneasa: Lincoln applauds a key citizen| publisher=The Addison Independent| access-date=September 26, 2023}}</ref>

==Notable people==
* [[Chris Bohjalian]], author, resident of Lincoln<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Boaz |first=Amy |date=January 4, 1999 |title=Chris Bohjalian: On the Fringes of Modern Life |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/19990104/28847-chris-bohjalian-on-the-fringes-of-modern-life.html |magazine=[[Publishers Weekly]] |location=New York, NY |publisher=PWxyz, LLC |access-date=March 6, 2024}}</ref>
* [[Frederick Howard Bryant]], federal judge, born in Lincoln<ref>{{cite book |editor-last=Holmes |editor-first=Frank R. |date=1924 |title=Who's Who In New York City and State |edition=Eighth |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xzHTAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA189 |location=New York, NY |publisher=Who's Who Publications, Inc. |page=189 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>
* [[Abram Hatch]], Mormon church leader and Utah government official, born in Lincoln<ref>{{cite book |date=1898 |title=The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography |volume=VIII |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1uI-AAAAYAAJ&pg=PA376 |location=New York, NY |publisher=James T. White & Company |page=376 |via=[[Google Books]]}}</ref>
* [[William Eldridge Odom]], U.S. Army lieutenant general, maintained a vacation home in Lincoln<ref>{{cite news |last=Kirkpatrick |first=David D. |date=June 5, 2008 |title=William Odom, 75, National Security Director, Dies |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/05/us/05odom.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |location=New York, NY}}</ref>
* [[Elizabeth M. Ready]], member of the [[Vermont Senate]] and [[Vermont Auditor of Accounts]], resident of Lincoln<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ted.com/tedx/events/16396 |title=Speaker's Biography, Elizabeth Ready |last= |first= |date=November 8, 2015 |website=TEDxMiddlebury |publisher=Middlebury College |location=Middlebury, VT |access-date=March 6, 2024}}</ref>
* [[Ronald Rood]], naturalist, author, radio commentator, resided in Lincoln<ref>{{cite news |last=Pollak |first=Sally |date=July 17, 2001 |title=Lincoln naturalist, writer Rood dies at 81  |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-burlington-free-press-2001721-ron/28608158/ |work=[[The Burlington Free Press]] |location=Burlington, VT |page=3B |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>
* [[Roger Shattuck]], author and scholar, resident of Lincoln<ref>{{cite news |last=Martin |first=Douglas |date=December 10, 2005 |title=Roger Shattuck, Scholar, Is Dead at 82 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/10/arts/roger-shattuck-scholar-is-dead-at-82.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |location=New York, NY}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.lincolnvermont.org Town of Lincoln official website]

{{Addison County, Vermont}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Lincoln, Vermont| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Vermont]]
[[Category:Towns in Addison County, Vermont]]