Windsor, Vermont

Windsor is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 3,756 at the 2000 census.

History


One of the New Hampshire grants, Windsor was chartered as a town on July 6, 1761 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. It was first settled in August 1764 by Captain Steele Smith and his family from Farmington, Connecticut. In 1777, the signers of the Constitution of the Vermont Republic met at Old Constitution House, a tavern at the time, to declare independence from the British Empire (the Vermont Republic would not become a state until 1791). In 1820, it was the state's largest town, a thriving center for trade and agriculture. In 1835, the first dam was built across Mill Brook to provide water power. Factories made guns, machinery, tinware, furniture and harness.

In 1846, Robbins and Lawerence received a government contract to manufacture firearms. Using advanced machine tools to produce interchangeable parts, they and their associates established factories in the Connecticut River valley and throughout New England. Two factories, now both closed, sustained the economy of Windsor: Cone Automatic Machine Company and a Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company plant.

Windsor village began development at the end of the 18th century and achieved importance in Vermont history as the location of the framing of the constitution of Vermont. It is known as the birthplace of Vermont, where the state constitution was signed, and acted as the first capital and meeting place of the Vermont General Assembly until 1805 when Montpelier became the official capital.

Commerce prospered due to the village's location on the banks of the Connecticut River where several smaller streams run into it. The economy improved in the mid-19th century when Windsor became the first town in the state to break ground for the railroad with the construction of a rail depot. Windsor Station connected the town to out of state markets. It was after the railroad went through that the area was discovered by tourists.

Since 1866, Windsor has been connected to Cornish, New Hampshire by the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge, the second-longest covered bridge in the United States.The bridge was also a point in the movie Funny Farm with Chevy Chase where movers couldn't make their way over it, creating a situation.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 19.8 square miles (51.2 km2), of which, 19.5 square miles (50.6 km2) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km2) of it (1.06%) is water. Home to part of Mount Ascutney, Windsor is situated beside the Connecticut River.

The town is crossed by Interstate 91,  US Route 5,  Vermont Route 12,  Vermont Route 44, and  Vermont Route 44A. It borders the towns of Weathersfield to the south, West Windsor to the west, and Hartland to the north. Windsor is across the Connecticut River from Cornish, New Hampshire.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,756 people, 1,520 households, and 945 families residing in the town. The population density was 192.1 people per square mile (74.2/km2). There were 1,611 housing units at an average density of 82.4 per square mile (31.8/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.74% White, 0.24% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.06% of the population.

There were 1,520 households out of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.3% were couples living together and joined in either marriage or civil union, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.83.

In the town the population was spread out with 22.2% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $33,815, and the median income for a family was $43,551. Males had a median income of $29,897 versus $23,313 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,640. About 6.4% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service through Windsor, operating its Vermonter between Washington, DC and St. Albans, VT.

Notable people



 * Asher Benjamin, architect, author, educator.
 * Carlos Coolidge, politician.
 * Edward Curtis, politician.
 * A. E. Douglass, astronomer.
 * William M. Evarts, attorney general, secretary of state, and senator.
 * Horace Everett, congressman.
 * William Laurel Harris, educator and arts organizer.
 * Valentine B. Horton, congressman.
 * Gurdon Saltonstall Hubbard, fur trader and developer of Chicago.
 * Jonathan Hatch Hubbard, congressman.
 * William Hunter, congressman.
 * Bob Keeshan, actor and television producer.
 * Maxwell Perkins, editor.
 * Matt Salinger, actor.
 * Stephen William Shaw, artist.
 * Mark Shepard, state senator.
 * Nathaniel Simonds, politician.
 * William H.H. Stowell, congressman, merchant and industrialist.
 * Henry D. Washburn, congressman and general.