Grand Isle County, Vermont

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Grand Isle County, Vermont
Grand Isle County Courthouse 01.JPG
Grand Isle County Courthouse in North Hero
Map of Vermont highlighting Grand Isle County
Location in the U.S. state of Vermont
Map of the United States highlighting Vermont
Vermont's location in the U.S.
Founded 1805
Shire Town North Hero
Largest town Grand Isle
Area
 • Total 195 sq mi (505 km2)
 • Land 82 sq mi (212 km2)
 • Water 113 sq mi (293 km2), 58%
Population
 • (2014) 6,994
 • Density 35.8/sq mi (14/km²)
Congressional district At-large
Time zone Eastern: UTC-5/-4

Grand Isle County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of the 2010 census, the population was 6,970,[1] making it the second-least populous county in Vermont. Its shire town is North Hero.[2] The county was created in 1802 and organized in 1805.[3][4]

Grand Isle County is part of the Burlington-South Burlington, VT Metropolitan Statistical Area. The county does not have a high school; students choose from a number of high schools in neighboring counties.

History

Grand Isle County is one of several Vermont counties created from land ceded by the state of New York on January 15, 1777 when Vermont declared itself to be a distinct state from New York.[5][6][7] The land originally was contested by Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New France and New Netherland, but it remained undelineated until July 20, 1764 when King George III established the boundary between New Hampshire and New York along the west bank of the Connecticut River, north of Massachusetts and south of the parallel of 45 degrees north latitude. New York assigned the land gained to Albany County.[8][9] On March 12, 1772 Albany County was partitioned to create Charlotte County,[10] and this situation remained until Vermont's independence from New York and Britain, which, however, did not end the contest.

On September 3, 1783, as a result of the signing of the Treaty of Paris, the Revolutionary War ended with Great Britain recognizing the independence of the United States. Vermont's border with Quebec was established at 45 degrees north latitude,[11][12] which explains why this county has no dry-land connection to the rest of the United States.

Massachusetts did not formally withdraw its claim to the region, first made in 1629, until December 16, 1786.[13] New York, still not satisfied with the relinquishment of its land to Vermont, asked the U.S. Congress to arbitrate the matter. Congress ruled against New York on March 7, 1788.[14]

Subsequently, when Vermont petitioned for statehood, Congress ordered a joint commission to settle the border between New York and Vermont. This commission ruled prior to Vermont's admission, which took place on March 4, 1791, but a small change they permitted has never been acted upon.[15][16][17] Grand Isle County was created in 1802 from parts of Franklin and Chittenden Counties.[4]

In the late nineteenth century the Rutland Railroad ran service from northern New York State by the Canadian border, along the west side of Vermont to Rutland, Vermont and further south to Chatham, New York. From 1899 a series of causeways provided continuous train service north-south through the Lake Champlain islands, making a direct connection to Burlington. The last service from Alburgh was in 1948.[18]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 195 square miles (510 km2), of which 82 square miles (210 km2) is land and 113 square miles (290 km2) (58%) is water.[19] It has the highest proportion of water coverage of any county in the state. It is the smallest county in Vermont by area, and the second-smallest by population (behind Essex County). Four of its five towns (North Hero, South Hero, Grand Isle and Isle La Motte) are situated entirely on islands in Lake Champlain, while Alburgh is on a peninsula (an exclave known as the Alburgh Tongue) extending south into the lake from Quebec .

Adjacent counties

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop. %±
1810 3,445 —
1820 3,527 2.4%
1830 3,696 4.8%
1840 3,883 5.1%
1850 4,145 6.7%
1860 4,276 3.2%
1870 4,082 −4.5%
1880 4,124 1.0%
1890 3,843 −6.8%
1900 4,462 16.1%
1910 3,761 −15.7%
1920 3,784 0.6%
1930 3,944 4.2%
1940 3,802 −3.6%
1950 3,406 −10.4%
1960 2,927 −14.1%
1970 3,574 22.1%
1980 4,613 29.1%
1990 5,318 15.3%
2000 6,901 29.8%
2010 6,970 1.0%
Est. 2014 6,994 [20] 0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[21]
1790–1960[22] 1900–1990[23]
1990–2000[24] 2010–2014[1]

As of the census[25] of 2000, there were 6,901 people, 2,761 households, and 1,954 families residing in the county. The population density was 84 people per square mile (32/km²). There were 4,663 housing units at an average density of 56 per square mile (22/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.41% White, 0.14% Black or African American, 0.87% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.03% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. 0.42% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 18.8% were of French, 14.6% French Canadian, 14.3% English, 10.6% American, 8.9% Irish and 7.4% German ancestry according to Census 2000. 95.0% spoke English and 3.8% French as their first language.

There were 2,761 households out of which 31.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.10% were married couples living together, 7.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.20% were non-families. 22.20% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the county, the population was spread out with 24.80% under the age of 18, 5.60% from 18 to 24, 28.70% from 25 to 44, 28.50% from 45 to 64, and 12.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 99.90 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.90 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $43,033, and the median income for a family was $48,878. Males had a median income of $35,539 versus $26,278 for females. The per capita income for the county was $22,207. About 5.90% of families and 7.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.20% of those under age 18 and 7.90% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Presidential election results[26]
Year Democrat Republican
2012 62.1% 2,531 36.1% 1,471
2008 63.1% 2,694 34.9% 1,490
2004 55.1% 2,246 43.0% 1,754
2000 50.4% 1,835 42.6% 1,550

In the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election, Grand Isle County chose John Kerry over George W. Bush by 12 points, with Kerry carrying all six municipalities.[27]

In 2008, Barack Obama carried the county by a 28.2% margin over John McCain, with Obama winning by 37% statewide.[28]

Communities

Towns

Village

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Slade, William, Jr., comp. Vermont State Papers: Being a collection of Records and Documents Connected with the Assumption and Establishment of Government by the People of Vermont, Together with the Journal of the Council of Safety, the First Constitution, the Early Journals of the General Assembly, and the Laws from the Year 1779 to 1786, Inclusive. Middlebury, 1823. pp. 70–73.
  6. ↑ Van Zandt, Franklin K. Boundaries of the United States and the Several States. Geological Survey Professional Paper 909. Washington, DC; Government Printing Office, 1976. The Standard Compilation for its subject. P. 64.
  7. ↑ Williamson, Chilton. Vermont in Quandary: 1763–1825. Growth of Vermont series, Number 4.Montperler: Vermont Historical Series, 1949. PP. 82–84; map facing 95, 100–102, 112–113.
  8. ↑ Slade, William, Jr., comp. Vermont State Papers: Being a collection of Records and Documents Connected with the Assumption and Establishment of Government by the People of Vermont, Together with the Journal of the Council of Safety, the First Constitution, the Early Journals of the General Assembly, and the Laws from the Year 1779 to 1786, Inclusive. Middlebury, 1823. pp. 13–19.
  9. ↑ Van Zandt, Franklin K. Boundaries of the United States and the Several States. Geological Survey Professional Paper 909. Washington, DC; Government Printing Office, 1976. The Standard Compilation for its subject. P. 63.
  10. ↑ New York Colonial Laws, Chapter 1534; Section 5; Paragraph 321)
  11. ↑ Van Zandt, Franklin K. Boundaries of the United States and the Several States. Geological Survey Professional Paper 909. Washington, DC; Government Printing Office, 1976. The Standard Compilation for its subject. P. 12.
  12. ↑ Parry, Clive, ed. Consolidated Treaty Series. 231 Volumes. Dobbs Ferry, New York; Oceana Publications, 1969–1981. Volume 48; pp. 481; 487; 491–492.
  13. ↑ Van Zandt, Franklin K. Boundaries of the United States and the Several States. Geological Survey Professional Paper 909. Washington, DC; Government Printing Office, 1976. The Standard Compilation for its subject. P. 75.
  14. ↑ New York Laws, 1788, 11th Session, Chapter 63, pp. 746–747.
  15. ↑ United States. Statutes at Large of the United States of America, 1789–1873. volume 1, Chapter 7 (1791); Page 191.
  16. ↑ Slade, William, Jr., comp. Vermont State Papers: Being a collection of Records and Documents Connected with the Assumption and Establishment of Government by the People of Vermont, Together with the Journal of the Council of Safety, the First Constitution, the Early Journals of the General Assembly, and the Laws from the Year 1779 to 1786, Inclusive. Middlebury, 1823. P. 193.
  17. ↑ Thorne, Kathryn Ford, Compiler & Long, John H., Editor: New York Atlas of Historical County Boundaries; The Newbury Library; 1993.
  18. ↑ "Rutland Railroad" http://www.r2parks.net/RUT.html
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/statesub.php?year=2004&fips=50013&f=0&off=0&elect=0
  28. ↑ http://www.uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/state.php?year=2008&fips=50&f=0&off=0&elect=0

External links

 Le Haut-Richelieu Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada
Clinton County, New York Franklin County
  Grand Isle County, Vermont  
Chittenden County

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