Buels Gore, Vermont facts for kids
Buels Gore is a unique piece of land in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. It's known as a "gore" because it's an unincorporated area. This means it's not officially part of any town and has very limited self-government. Think of it as a small, separate patch of land within a county. In 2020, only 29 people lived there.
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Geography of Buels Gore
Buels Gore is located at the southern tip of Chittenden County. It shares borders with the town of Huntington to the north, Fayston to the east, and Starksboro to the west.
The tall Green Mountains run through the eastern part of the gore. The famous Long Trail hiking path also follows these mountains. Vermont Route 17 crosses Buels Gore from east to west, going over the mountains at a spot called Appalachian Gap. The total area of Buels Gore is about 12.9 square kilometers (about 5 square miles). Only a tiny part of this area is water.
How Buels Gore Got Its Name
The land for Buels Gore was first set aside by the Vermont General Assembly way back on November 4, 1780. It's named after a man named Major Elias Buel. He moved to Vermont from a place called Coventry, Connecticut.
Major Buel and some friends, including a famous Vermonter named Ira Allen, asked the government for a piece of land. They wanted to create a new town called "Coventry." But there was a mistake in the land survey, and almost no land was left for them.
So, they went back to the government and received a special "flying grant." This was like a license to find and claim uncharted land. Since much of Vermont was already organized, they ended up with three separate pieces of land. The largest became the town of Coventry in Orleans County. A smaller piece was called "Coventry Leg" and later joined the town of Newport.
The third and final small piece of land was next to Huntington. It was first called "Huntington Gore." Even though Major Buel wanted to name it "Montzoar," it was eventually renamed "Buels Gore" after him. All these land grants were officially given in October 1788, but they were dated back to the original request in 1780. Major Buel even had to pay taxes for the land from that earlier date! This debt eventually forced him to sell all his land, and he moved away to New York.
Who Lives in Buels Gore
Buels Gore is a very small community. According to the 2020 census, only 29 people live there. This is a slight decrease from 30 people in 2010. Back in 2000, there were only 12 people living in 6 households. Most of the people living there are white. The community is made up of a mix of ages, with some younger people, but also a good number of adults over 45.
Bicycle Racing in Buels Gore
Buels Gore and the top of Appalachian Gap are famous for bicycle racing! They are the finish line for the Mad River Road Race. This race is part of a bigger event called the Green Mountain Stage Race.
The final climb up to Appalachian Gap is known as one of the most beautiful and challenging parts of the race. Near the top, the road gets super steep, with slopes of almost 18%. The Mad River Road Race started in 1994 and became part of the Green Mountain Stage Race in 2000. Every year, between 700 and 900 cyclists come to Buels Gore to compete in this exciting event.
See also
In Spanish: Buels (Vermont) para niños
