Editing Wardsboro, Vermont

{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Wardsboro, Vermont
|settlement_type          = [[New England town|Town]]
|image_skyline            = US Post Office, 05355 - Wardsboro, Vermont - DSC08397.JPG
|imagesize                =
|image_caption            = US Post Office Wardsboro
|image_flag               =
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|nickname                 =
|motto                    =

<!-- Images -->
|image_map                = wardsboro_vt_highlight.png
|mapsize                  = 200px
|map_caption              = Wardsboro, Vermont
|image_map1               =
|mapsize1                 =
|map_caption1             =
|pushpin_map              = USA
|pushpin_map_caption      = Location in the United States

<!-- Location -->
|coordinates              = {{coord|43|2|7|N|72|48|46|W|region:US-VT|display=inline,title}}
|subdivision_type         = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
|subdivision_name         = United States
|subdivision_type1        = [[U.S. state|State]]
|subdivision_type2        = [[List of counties in Vermont|County]]
|subdivision_name1        = [[Vermont]]
|subdivision_name2        = [[Windham County, Vermont|Windham]]
|parts_type               = Communities
|parts                    = {{ubl|[[Wardsboro (CDP), Vermont|Wardsboro]]|Podunk|South Wardsboro|Wardsboro Center|[[West Wardsboro, Vermont|West Wardsboro]]}}

<!-- Government -->
|established_title        = Chartered
|established_date         = 1780

<!-- Area -->
|government_footnotes     =
|government_type          =
|leader_title             =
|leader_name              =
|leader_title1            =
|leader_name1             =
|unit_pref  =  Imperial
|area_footnotes           =
|area_magnitude           =
|area_total_km2           = 75.8
|area_total_sq_mi         = 29.3
|area_land_km2            = 75.8
|area_land_sq_mi          = 29.3
|area_water_km2           = 0.0
|area_water_sq_mi         = 0.0

<!-- Population -->
|elevation_footnotes      =
|elevation_m              = 424
|elevation_ft             = 1391
|population_total         = 869
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
|population_footnotes     =
|population_density_km2   = 11.5
|population_density_sq_mi =

<!-- General information -->
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP Code]]s
|postal_code              = 05355 (Wardsboro)<br/>05360 ([[West Wardsboro, Vermont|West Wardsboro]])
|area_code                = [[Area code 802|802]]
|website                  =
|footnotes                =
|timezone                 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 50-76225<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              = 1462241<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>
}}
'''Wardsboro''' is a [[New England town|town]] in [[Windham County, Vermont|Windham County]], [[Vermont]], United States. The population was 869 at the [[2020 United States Census|2020 census]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US5002576225|title=Census - Geography Profile: Wardsboro town, Windham County, Vermont|access-date=January 7, 2022}}</ref> The town includes the villages of [[Wardsboro (CDP), Vermont|Wardsboro]], Wardsboro Center, West Wardsboro and South Wardsboro.

==History==

[[Image:Main Street, Wardsboro, VT.jpg|thumb|left|Main Street {{circa|1915}}]]
The town was settled circa 1779 by Samuel Davis and his wife from [[Milford, Massachusetts|Milford]], [[Massachusetts]].<ref>[http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~vtwindha/vhg5/vt_gazetteer-wardsboro.htm John P. Warren, MD, ''Vermont Historical Gazetteer -- Wardsboro;'' Brandon, Vermont 1891]</ref> It was granted and chartered on November 7, 1780, to William Ward of [[Newfane, Vermont|Newfane]], for whom the town was named Wardsborough, together with 62 others. In 1788, it was divided into north and south districts, the latter set off and incorporated in 1810 as [[Dover, Vermont|Dover]]. Although the terrain is very uneven and in parts rocky, farmers worked the soil into productivity.<ref>[http://newenglandtowns.org/vermont/wardsborough Hayward's ''New England Gazetteer of 1839'']</ref>

[[Water mill|Mills]] were built along the brook, a [[tributary]] of the [[West River (Vermont)|West River]]. In 1859, industries included three [[gristmill]]s, six sawmills, one [[Tanning (leather)|tannery]], and a [[Rawhide (textile)|rawhide]] whip factory.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=OcoMAAAAYAAJ&dq=coolidge%20mansfield%20history%20description%20new%20england%201859&pg=PA931 Austin J. Coolidge & John B. Mansfield, ''A History and Description of New England;'' Boston, Massachusetts 1859]</ref> During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], Wardsborough Center was called Unionville because of its strong Federal sentiment. In the 1880s, Jebediah Estabrook's tub, bucket and pail factory at Wardsborough Center was the area's principal employer.<ref>[http://www.virtualvermont.com/towns/wardsboro.html Virtual Vermont -- Wardsboro, Vermont]</ref> In 1894, the [[United States Postal Service|U.S. Post Office]] dropped the "ugh" from town names ending in "borough," so Wardsborough was thereafter known as Wardsboro.{{Citation needed|date=December 2021}}

Wardsboro was one of thirteen Vermont towns isolated by flooding caused by [[Hurricane Irene (2011)|Hurricane Irene]] in 2011, and it was the last of those towns to be released from its isolation.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/us/31floods.html Floodwaters From Storm Isolate 13 Vermont Towns], ''The New York Times''</ref>

In April 2016, the Vermont State Legislature voted to make the Gilfeather Turnip the Official Vermont State Vegetable. This unusual hybrid, dating back to the early 1900s, is credited to Farmer John Gilfeather of the Gilfeather Farm in Wardsboro.

==Community Events==
The two largest community events annually are the 4th of July Street Fair and Parade, always held on the 4th of July regardless of what day of the week the holiday falls on, and the Gilfeather Turnip Festival at the end of October.<ref name="turnips">{{cite web|last1=Kleppner|first1=Amy|title=The Gilfeather Turnip Festival: Celebrating the Lowly Tuber in Wardsboro, Vermont|url=http://www.theheartofnewengland.com/travel/vt/turnip-festival.html|website=The Heart of New England|access-date=January 28, 2018}}</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 29.3&nbsp;square miles (75.8&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), all  land. It is drained by Wardsboro Brook, a [[tributary]] of the [[West River (Vermont)|West River]].

Set in the [[Green Mountains]], much of Wardsboro is included in the [[Green Mountain National Forest]]. The town is approximately six miles north of [[Mount Snow]] ski area and less than 10 miles south of [[Stratton Mountain Resort|Stratton]] ski area. Somerset Reservoir and Grout Pond are only a few minutes away, and the [[Vermont Association of Snow Travelers]] [[Snowmobile]] trails run through the town.

Wardsboro is crossed by [[Vermont Route 100]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1790= 753
|1800= 1484
|1810= 1159
|1820= 1016
|1830= 1148
|1840= 1102
|1850= 1125
|1860= 1004
|1870= 866
|1880= 766
|1890= 704
|1900= 637
|1910= 559
|1920= 380
|1930= 355
|1940= 401
|1950= 377
|1960= 322
|1970= 391
|1980= 505
|1990= 654
|2000= 854
|2010= 900
|2020= 869
|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 of 2010,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> there were 900 people, 374 households, and 242 families living in the town. The population density was 30.7 people per square mile (11.8/km<sup>2</sup>). The racial makeup of the town was 97.5% [[White Americans|White]] (97% [[Non-Hispanic whites|Non-Hispanic White]]), 1.2% [[African Americans|African American]], .1% [[Native Hawaiians|Hawaiian]] and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were .5% of the population.

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2" /> of 2000, there were 854 people, 358 households, and 234 families living in the town.  The [[population density]] was 29.2 people per square mile (11.3/km<sup>2</sup>).  There were 766 housing units at an average density of 26.2 per square mile (10.1/km<sup>2</sup>).  The racial makeup of the town was 98.48% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.35% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.47% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.12% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 0.59% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.59% of the population.

There were 358 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 30.1% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.3 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 107.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,000, and the median income for a family was $43,333. Males had a median income of $28,083 versus $22,656 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $17,165.  About 4.1% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 6.2% of those under age 18 and 16.2% of those age 65 or over.

== Notable people ==
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· The article must mention how they are associated with Wardsboro, whether born, raised, or residing.
· The fact of their association should have a reliable source cited.
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· All others will be deleted.
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* [[Augustus F. Allen]], US congressman from [[New York (state)|New York]]
* [[Herbert G. Barber]], [[Vermont Attorney General]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Fifield |first=James Clark |date=1918 |title=The American Bar: Contemporary Lawyers of the United States and Canada |url=https://archive.org/details/americanbar00fifigoog |location=Minneapolis, MN |publisher=James C. Fifield Company |page=[https://archive.org/details/americanbar00fifigoog/page/n672 670]}}</ref>
* [[Clarke C. Fitts]], [[Vermont Attorney General]]
* [[Abner Hazeltine]], US congressman
* [[Marshall Otis Howe]], Vermont state legislator
* [[Mary Eddy Kidder]], missionary and educator in [[Japan]]
* [[Latitude 43 Motorsports|Bill Jenkins]], former NASCAR team owner and environmental essentials businessman
* [[Miles Justice Knowlton]], clergyman and missionary

==Climate==
This [[climate|climatic]] region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters.  According to the [[Köppen Climate Classification]] system, Wardsboro has a [[humid continental climate]], abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.<ref>[http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=747834&cityname=Wardsboro%2C+Vermont%2C+United+States+of+America&units= Climate Summary for Wardsboro, Vermont]</ref>

==References==
<references />

==External links==
{{Commons category}}

* [http://www.wardsboropubliclibrary.org/ Wardsboro Public Library]
* [https://www.gilfeatherturnip.org/ https://www]<nowiki/>[https://www.gilfeatherturnip.org/ .gilfeatherturnip.org]
* https://www.wardsborovt.gov/

{{Windham County, Vermont}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:Wardsboro, Vermont| ]]
[[Category:Towns in Vermont]]
[[Category:Towns in Windham County, Vermont]]