Barton is a town in Orleans County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,872 at the 2020 census. The town includes two incorporated villages, Barton and Orleans. Approximately a quarter of the town's population lives in each of the villages, and approximately half lives outside the villages. Only four other towns in the state contain two incorporated villages.

The Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe, a state-recognized tribe, is headquartered here.

History

thumb|left|200px|[[William Barton (soldier)|William Barton, after whom the town is named]]

The Abenaki and their ancestors had been in this area for 12,000 years. They were part of the large Wabanaki confederacy of related Algonguian-speaking peoples that extended into what is now Canada. In 2011 and 2012 the state of Vermont officially recognized four Abenaki tribes. The Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe has its headquarters in Barton.

After the American Revolutionary War and independence, Barton was chartered on October 20, 1789. The land was granted in lieu of pay to 60 Revolutionary War veterans, mainly from Rhode Island. They included Admiral John Paul Jones, General William Barton after whom the town was named, and Ira Allen.

From 1791 to 1793 Timothy Hinman built what is now called the Hinman Settler Road, linking Barton south to Greensboro and north through Brownington to Derby and Canada. The early Anglo-American settlers of Barton found wigwams, in a decayed condition, quite numerous in the vicinity of the outlet of Barton pond. They realized that this had been a favorite camping ground of the Abenaki. They noted that Foosah, an Abenaki, said that he had killed 27 moose, besides large numbers of beaver and otter, near this pond in the winter of 1783–1784. The first train arrived in 1863.<!---yet another reference in the Chronicle says first train reached Barton October 21, 1857, but this could be to S. Barton and mainly for supplies to continue the rail construction---> As each new railroad terminus was built, the stagecoaches used them as well. The stage ran north from Barton, from what is now the junction of State Road 58 and US 5, to connect with the Hinman Settler Road. It came from Glover and ran up Barton Hill, over what is now Maple Hill Road, and on to what is now the Orleans Country Club; from there it went to Brownington.

Fred Kimball opposed slavery and became an agent on the Underground Railroad before the Civil War, assisting refugee slaves from the South to reach freedom in Vermont or pass into Canada. Some of the refugees wanted to get as far as possible from slave catchers, who became more aggressive as bounties were increased after the 1850 Fugitive Slave Act.

Some 182 men from the town volunteered to fight in the Civil War. By 1863, enthusiasm for the war had waned, and Congress passed legislation to start a draft of soldiers. Individuals were allowed to buy their way out of the draft for $300, a steep sum for many men at the time, or find a substitute, usually paying a bounty of $100. Barton's quota was 14. Of the 14 men originally drafted, seven bought their way out, and six obtained a substitute. One served.

thumb|Illustration of Barton, VT, from 1889

The town had a total of seven granite quarries, which were a mainstay of the economy. Around 1900, a granite quarry was located on the east side of Crystal Lake. Steamboats carried stone by barges across the lake. In winter, barges were slid across on the ice.

Increasing steadily, Barton's population reached a peak of 3,506 people in 1920. In 1921, the town put on a large pageant celebrating its 125th anniversary. A professional choreographer and playwright was hired. 300 townspeople performed, and they were watched by 4,500 paying spectators, a record audience for the county at the time. The investment of $1,000 was recouped. The festival area was afterwards known as Pageant Park, which is now owned by the Barton village.

The last one-room schools stopped operation in the late 1950s.

In 1967, the school districts found that their high schools, Barton Academy and Orleans High School, were too small to accommodate current needs. They converted them to elementary school use and built a new facility, Lake Region Union High School.

On February 14, 2016, the temperature dropped to . The high for the day was . There had been insufficient snow to insulate homes against the cold, and a life-threatening emergency developed after electric power failed. It was off for 12 hours, jeopardizing the lives of many residents, particularly the elderly, among those who depended on electrical fired furnaces. Exterior electrical generators could not be started due to the cold. Plumbing froze and burst in many houses.

South Barton

The unincorporated village of South Barton, sometimes called Kimball Station, no longer exists. It was located near the Wheeler Mountain Road south of Crystal Lake on present-day Route 5.

In 1858, Barton (and Orleans County) obtained a triangular piece of land from Sheffield which included all of May Pond, the entire area south of Crystal Lake, and the village of South Barton.

The highest peak in Barton is Barton Mountain – ASL. May Hill is high.

Rivers include the Barton, and Willoughby; Hogtrough Brook, Lord Brook, Annis Brook, May Pond Brook, Willoughby Brook, and Roaring Brook. Each spring, the migrating rainbow trout swim up the Willoughby River to spawn in Lake Willoughby.

Crystal Lake State Park is located in Barton.

Government

Town

  • Moderator: William Boyd Davies
  • Selectman: Jim Greenwood
  • Selectman: Robert Croteau
  • Selectmen: Mike Pion
  • Town Clerk: Kristin Atwood

The Selectmen's Budget was $310,100 in 2008; the Highway Budget was $441,900.

Legislature

The Essex-Orleans Senate district includes the town of Barton, as well as parts or all of Essex County, Orleans County, Franklin County and Lamoille County. It is represented in the Vermont Senate by John S. Rodgers (D) and Robert A. Starr (D).

In the Vermont House of Representatives, Barton forms part of the Orleans-Caledonia-1 district. Its representatives are Vicki Strong (R) and Sam Young (D).

Education

The town is a key member of the Orleans Central Supervisory Union. Spending per pupil in 2007 was $10,364, slightly below the state average of $11,095.

Demographics

As of the census

Industry

Ethan Allen Manufacturing, in the village of Orleans, employs about 400 workers locally.

A nursing home with 71 beds employs 70 people.

Utilities and communication

Landline

Consolidated Communications of Northern New England.

Cellphone

Barton is served by Verizon and AT&T.

Electricity

The Barton side of Barton town is served by Barton Electric, which generates some of its power hydroelectrically to 2100 customers (households).

The Orleans side of Barton town is served by The Village of Orleans Electric with 665 customers (households).

Solid waste

Barton generated about of waste annually in 2013.

Transportation

Major routes

The opening of the Interstate north on November 9, 1972, and opening south in 1978, stimulated connections with other communities; it resulted in increased trade and attracted new residents. This was similar to the effects of the opening of the railway a century earlier. In 1980, Barton registered its first population gain in a century.

  • 20px Interstate 91 – Barton to Derby
  • 20px U.S. Route 5 – Barton to Derby
  • 20px Vermont Route 16 – Barton to Westmore east and north, to Glover south
  • 20px Vermont Route 58 – Barton to Lowell west and Barton to Westmore east

Local community public and private transportation

Rural Community Transportation provides on-demand rides for medicaid and medicare patients, disabled individuals, and older adults.

Railroads

While the Washington County Railroad (The Vermont Railway System) runs through Barton about twice a day, it does not make scheduled stops. The railroad created a transload facility in town in 2015. This is operated by a hauler headquartered in Troy.

Media

  • The Chronicle – published weekly in Barton
  • The Orleans County Monitor was published here from January 8, 1872, to 1953 as a weekly newspaper.

Culture

Barton has two libraries, one in Barton village, and one in Orleans. Barton village contains three areas listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<!---needs to be broken out into its own article. ? Not sure that there is enough for an article--->

The Orleans County Fair has been held in the town nearly every August since 1867. It was first held at the site later developed as the Orleans Country Club. It moved to the Barton Fairgrounds, separately owned, in 1868. The fourteenth fair was held in 1903, suggesting skipped years. One year Lowell Thomas, a noted explorer, was the master of ceremonies. In 1912, Theodore Roosevelt campaigned for President here.

For many years, the fair featured harness racing, which was popular in New England. In 2009, a state record for the mile was broken at 1:56.2.

Edward Hoagland wrote an essay, "Americana, etc.", a paean to the Fair of 1969. His praise of girlie shows aroused an uproar among some residents, and resulted in these being shut down as part of the attractions.

The fair continues in the 21st century. In 2011, a Guinness World Record was set when 301 Cadillacs were in the same parade on the opening day of the Fair; they far surpassed the 103 needed to beat the prior record. The Cadillac developer was born in Barton. In 2013, the paid attendance was 18,000.

Notable people

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  • Frederick W. Baldwin, practiced law with William Grout; president pro tempore of the Vermont Senate (1900)
  • Mary Baker Eddy resided with student after the death of her husband in 1882
  • Lee E. Emerson, 69th governor of Vermont
  • Josiah Grout, 46th governor of Vermont
  • William W. Grout, US congressman 1881–1883
  • Emory A. Hebard, Vermont State Treasurer (1977–1989)
  • Henry M. Leland, engineer and automotive entrepreneur, created both the Cadillac and Lincoln brands
  • Orrin Wiley Locke, state senator from Orleans County
  • Willard W. Miles, associate judge on the Vermont Supreme Court
  • Major General Francis W. Nye, commander of the Defense Atomic Support Agency, Sandia
  • Henry Alexander Stafford, professional baseball player for the New York Giants
  • Frank D. Thompson, Associate Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court

See also

  • List of municipalities in Vermont
  • Conversion of St. Paul Church (Vermont)

References

  • Barton Chronicle – local newspaper
  • Orleans County Fair
  • Local history from the Orleans County Historical Society
  • Official website