From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lowell, Vermont
Lowell, Vermont
Lowell, Vermont • Total 738
• Density 13.2/sq mi (5.1/km2)
— Town — • Households 270
• Families 204
Time zone EST (UTC-5)
DST)
• Summer (DST) EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code 05847
Area code(s) 802
FIPS code 50-40525[1]
GNIS feature ID 1462137[2]
Lowell is the westernmost town in Orleans County, Ver-
mont, United States. The population was 738 at the 2000
census.
Local government
Town
• Treasurer - Pam Tetreault[3]
• Road Commissioner - Reginald Pion
School District
• Budget - $1,199,600
• Principal - Scott Boskind
Located in Orleans County, Vermont
• School Board Members - Steven Mason, Chair -
Tammy Blanchard, Member - Ray Ostiguy, Member
Lowell Graded School offers Pre-K - 8. There are 119 stu-
dents. 56 students from Lowell attend North Country
Union High School.[4]
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town
Location of Vermont with the U.S.A. has a total area of 56.1 square miles (145.2 km2), of which
Coordinates: 44°47′42″N 72°26′58″W / 44.795°N 72.44944°W 56.0 square miles (145.1 km2) is land and 0.1 square mile
/ 44.795; -72.44944Coordinates: 44°47′42″N 72°26′58″W / (0.2 km2) (0.11%) is water.
44.795°N 72.44944°W / 44.795; -72.44944
Country
State
United States
Vermont
Geology
County Orleans Circa 400 million years ago, large and slow moving up-
Chartered February 7, 1791 heavals formed the serpentine rock and the asbestos
Area
fiber which sometimes accompanies serpentine. This ser-
• Total 56.1 sq mi (145.2 km2) pentine comprises Brown’s Ledges at the Lowell-West-
• Land 56.0 sq mi (145.1 km2) field border. Today, a rare fern species, Adiantum viridi-
• Water 0.1 sq mi (0.1 km2) montanum, grows there which can tolerate the high nick-
el content of serpentine. Serpentine also contains iron, so
Elevation 996 ft (287 m)
much so that some rocks can be magnetized. This affects
Population (2000)
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lowell, Vermont
where cell towers can be placed in town. The iron oxide In 1831 the name was changed to Lowell. Where this
gives the color brown to "Brown’s Ledges."[5] name comes from remains uncertain.
The major Baie Verte fault line runs through Lowell. People came and started families and the town quick-
The Burgess branch of the river follows the fault with ly grew, going from 144 people in 1820 with an average
serpentine rocks on one side and nonserpentine rocks on age of 17 to 413 in 1840 with an average age of 12. By 1840
the other.[5] Churches had been built and Methodist, Congregational,
The Lowell (chrysotile) quarry on Belvidere Moun- Baptist and Roman Catholic services were being held.
tain was the last asbestos mine to operate in the Eastern During the first half of the nineteenth century the
U.S. It closed in 1993.[6] population inflow was predominately from other states
of the US. In the second half the new arrivals were more
Demographics often foreign born - from Ireland and from French speak-
ing Canada. By 1870 the population was 944 and it
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 738 people, 270 reached its peak in 1890 when it stood at 1,178. Farming
households, and 204 families residing in the town. The and lumber were its main economic base. Dairy products
population density was 13.2 people per square mile (5.1/ and hardwood were both exported to other states. Lum-
km2). There were 403 housing units at an average density ber exports stopped by 1930. Farming has suffered a slow
of 7.2 per square mile (2.8/km2). The racial makeup of the but steady decline since 1930 or so. Consistent with all
town was 97.97% White, 1.22% African American, 0.68% of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, Lowell lost population
Native American, and 0.14% from two or more races. His- throughout the twentieth century, only reversing the
panic or Latino of any race were 1.22% of the population. trend in the mid 1980’s.
There were 270 households out of which 38.5% had The asbestos mine in Lowell was of economic impor-
children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were tance from the 1940s to the mid 80’s. In the mid-1940s,
married couples living together, 7.4% had a female the Belvidere mines produced more than 90% of all U.S.
householder with no husband present, and 24.4% were asbestos.[8] It closed in 1992.
non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of in- The Shortsleve Mink Farm was located here.
dividuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 Today Lowell has a stable, slowly expanding popula-
years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 tion. A small number of the residents are still in agricul-
and the average family size was 3.12. ture but most commute to work. A few are engaged in
In the town the population was spread out with 29.4% home based occupations.
under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to In 2008, the town supported the Democratic candi-
44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of date for president 225 to 151, yet voted for the local
age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 Republican challenger for the Vermont Legislature 229 to
females there were 103.3 males. For every 100 females 79 to 71 (three parties), giving him the victory.[9]
age 18 and over, there were 102.7 males. In 2008, the state warned residents of the town and
The median income for a household in the town was nearby towns that there was a "health risk" for people
$27,969, and the median income for a family was $29,408. living within a ten mile (16 km) radius of the asbestos
Males had a median income of $25,446 versus $21,083 for mine on Belvidere Mountain. Above ground mill tailings
females. The per capita income for the town was $12,404. were estimated at 16,000,000 cubic yards (12,000,000
About 18.8% of families and 17.5% of the population were m3).[10] In April 2009 the Vermont Department of health
below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under released a revised study which found that all of deaths re-
age 18 and 15.7% of those age 65 or over. lated to the asbestos mine were caused by occupational
exposure. The report also concluded that people living
History near the mines had no increased risk of asbestos related
illness than people living anywhere else in Vermont.[11]
Lowell was chartered in 1787 by Governor Thomas Chit- However, the site will still need to be cleaned up. In 2009,
tenden to John Kelley in 1787, for whom it was named the expected cost of cleanup was $300 million.[12]
Kellyvale. The first people other than the native Amer-
icans to come to Lowell was in 1778 when the area was
surveyed preparatory to Col. John Hazen[7] constructing Notable people
a road to Canada for military purposes. This road was • John C. Caldwell, teacher, diplomat, and Civil War
abandoned at what is now named Hazen’s Notch on general.
Route 58.
The first settler was Major Caldwell and family from
Barre, Massachusetts in 1806. The town was formally or-
ganized in 1812, the same year the first school began with
twelve students.
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Lowell, Vermont
Footnotes [8] An asbestos timeline. Burlington Free Press. July 29,
2008.
[1] ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census [9] An Obama sweep and a conservative upset. the
Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved Chronicle. November 5, 2008.
2008-01-31. [10] Lefebvre, Paul (December 1, 2008). Residents shrug
[2] "US Board on Geographic Names". United States off asbestos findings. the Chronicle.
Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. [11] http://healthvermont.gov/enviro/asbestos/vagm-
http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. healthstudy.aspx
[3] Pion is re-elected as road commissioner,The [12] Braithwaite, Chris (8 July 2009). "Feds to recover a
Chronicle, March 7, 2007, page 35 fraction of mine cleanup costs". Barton, Vermont:
[4] Spotlight on Lowell. the Chronicle. June 13, 2007. the Chronicle. pp. 22.
[5] ^ The Chronicle, September 8, 2008, page 22,
"Geologist give talk about Lowell’s geologic
history"
References
[6] Plate.ai • Proceedings of the Orleans County (Vermont)
[7] Most likely, the brother of Moses Hazen, and a Historical Society, 1913 U. S. Census
member of the American 2nd Canadian Regiment, • History of the Town of Lowell, Helen Gelo,
Moses’ regiment 1976,Lowell, Vermont
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lowell,_Vermont&oldid=462739482"
Categories:
• Towns in Vermont
• Lowell, Vermont
• Populated places in Orleans County, Vermont
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