Orleans, Vermont facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Orleans, Vermont
Village
Orleans, Vermont Location in Vermont Show map of Vermont Orleans, Vermont Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Vermont
County	Orleans
Area
• Total	0.94 sq mi (2.44 km2)
• Land	0.91 sq mi (2.35 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.08 km2)
Elevation	1,191 ft (363 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	788
• Density	838/sq mi (323.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP code	05860
Area code	802
FIPS code	50-53575
GNIS feature ID	1458854

Orleans is a small village located in the northwestern part of Barton, Orleans County, Vermont, United States. In 2020, about 788 people lived there. It is the biggest village in Orleans County.

History

In 1820, Roger Enos bought land in this area. He was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. He received the land as a grant for his service. This place was first called "Barton Landing." It was important because boats could be loaded here. Goods could then be sent down the Barton River to Lake Memphremagog. This spot was where the Willoughby and Barton rivers met. Native Americans had used this landing for many years.

Enos built the first building, a sawmill, at the river meeting point. In 1830, Jesse Cook bought it. He changed it into a textile mill to make cloth. Later, in 1839, John Little turned it into a grain mill.

Lovinas Chandler bought the building in 1869. He used it as a lumber mill. His son, who started the E. L. Chandler Company, made the business much bigger in the 1890s. Around 1900, the Parker Young Company bought these buildings. A big flood in 1928 destroyed them.

Parker Young then sold the properties back to E.L. Chandler. The owners later created other companies there. These included Sweat-Comings Company and Vermont American Corporation. Finally, the Baumritter Corporation took over. Their furniture business grew a lot. In 1968, it was sold to Ethan Allen Manufacturing.

In 1833, the Valley House was built. It started as a restaurant and tavern. Later, in 1875, twenty rooms were added to make it an inn. Sadly, the building was destroyed by fire in 1998.

The railroad came to the village around 1859–1860. Train accidents sometimes happened. In 1909, a crew member died in a crash near Main Street. In 1913, another crash in the same area killed one more crew member.

The railroad asked the village to change its name. This was to avoid confusion with Barton Village. So, in 1908, the village voted to change its name to Orleans. This was the same name as the county.

In the late 1910s, a group called the Ku Klux Klan became active again. It spread to northern cities. This group presented itself as a social organization. It was mainly against Catholic and Jewish immigrants. A local chapter started in Orleans. A 1918 photo shows children at the old Opera House. Some were dressed in KKK hoods.

In the late 1970s, people wanted to make the water cleaner. The government stopped the village from putting untreated waste into the Barton River. Orleans built a new water treatment plant. It cost $2.8 million. Most of the money came from the state and federal governments. The village also separated its old storm drains from the waste system.

In 1999, the Ethan Allen factory in Orleans had 600 workers. This number went down later. The company moved some of its work to other places.

Geography

The village of Orleans covers about 0.7 square miles (1.8 km²). All of this area is land.

Orleans is located in the northwestern part of the town of Barton. Near the village, you can find the Willoughby River Falls. This is a 200-foot (61 m) long part of the river. It has small waterfalls and a narrow channel. In the spring, rainbow trout swim up the river and falls. They come from Lake Memphremagog to lay their eggs.

Demographics

The village's population grew in 2000. This was the first time it had grown since 1940. In 2000, there were 826 people living in Orleans. There were 364 households. About 30.2% of households had children under 18. The average household had 2.27 people.

Economy

Jobs and Income

The average income for a household in the village was $26,131 in 2000. For families, it was $34,583. About 12.3% of the people lived below the poverty line. This included 13.2% of those under 18.

Local Businesses

Ethan Allen Manufacturing is a big employer here. It provides jobs for about 325 people. In 2005, the factory was worth over $7 million. It sits on 85 acres (34 hectares) of land.

Media and Utilities

Christian Ministries owns a radio station called W243AE. It broadcasts from Orleans on 96.5 FM.

Orleans also has its own Electric Department. It provides power to the village and nearby areas. It serves 665 customers. The department buys electricity in large amounts. Then, it manages the system that delivers power to homes.

Culture

Orleans has a public library. It is open four days a week for 28 hours. The library is a non-profit organization. It has one part-time paid librarian. Other people help out as volunteers. This library is special because it has money given by someone's will. This money also helped build the library building.

Education

The elementary school in Orleans is highly rated. In 2008, it was named one of the ten "most improved" schools in Vermont. It also scored higher than the state average on the NECAP test. It was the only school in the area to do so.

Transportation

Main Roads

The opening of the Interstate highway had a big effect on the town. This was similar to when the railway first opened a century before.

• Interstate 91 – This highway goes south to Barton village. It goes north to Derby.
• U.S. Route 5 – This route goes south to Barton village. It goes north to Coventry.
• Vermont Route 58 – This route goes west to Irasburg. It goes east to Westmore.

Every April during school vacation, the village hires students. They help clean the village streets for one day. This is part of a "spring cleaning" tradition.

Bridges

The Willoughby Falls Bridge needed to be replaced in 2007. The project cost $1.6 million. The village had to pay 10% of this cost, which was $160,000. This was the most expensive state project in Orleans County that year.

Public Transport

Vermont Transit offers bus services in Orleans.

Railroads

The Washington County Railroad (part of the Vermont Railway System) runs through Orleans. However, it does not stop or provide service in the town.

Notable people

• Henry Alexander Stafford – He was a pinch hitter for the New York Giants baseball team. He was born in Orleans.

See also

In Spanish: Orleans (Vermont) para niños