Newbury (town), Vermont

Town in Vermont, United States

Newbury, Vermont

Town

Town office and post office

Located in Orange County, Vermont

Location of Vermont with the U.S.A.

Coordinates: 44°06′14″N 72°07′18″W﻿ / ﻿44.1039533°N 72.1217587°W﻿ / 44.1039533; -72.1217587.[1]
Country| United States
State| Vermont
County| Orange
Chartered| 1763
Communities| Newbury
Wells River
Area

• Total

| 64.4 sq mi (166.9 km2)
• Land| 64.2 sq mi (166.2 km2)
• Water| 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2)
Elevation

[2]

| 774 ft (236 m)
Population

(2020)

• Total

| 2,293
• Density| 36/sq mi (14/km2)
Time zone| UTC-5 (EST)
• Summer (DST)| UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP Codes|

05051 (Newbury)
05081 (Wells River)
05069 (South Ryegate)
05040 (East Corinth)
05033 (Bradford)

Area code| 802
FIPS code| 50-48175[3]
GNIS feature ID| 1462158[2]
Website| www.newburyvt.org

Newbury is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,293 at the 2020 census.[4] Newbury includes the villages of Newbury, Center Newbury, West Newbury, South Newbury, Boltonville, Peach Four Corners, and Wells River.

## History

[edit]

Connecticut River from Newbury

Located at the Great Oxbow of the Connecticut River, with vast tracts of beautiful and fertile intervale, the area was a favorite of the Indians. Rivers teemed with salmon and brooks with trout.[5] Prior to European settlement, the Newbury area was the location of a village called Cowass or Cowassuck of the Pennacook tribe.[6] Cowass in Abenaki is "Coo-ash-auke," meaning "place of pine trees," and was a general name these people gave to the upper Connecticut River Valley and Lakes region.[7] In 1704 the Pennacook at Cowass kept several captives from the Deerfield Raid in the village, including Stephen Williams who was kept with Sachem George Tahanto[8][9][10] The area was first settled by English colonists in 1762 by Samuel Sleeper and family. One of the New Hampshire grants, Newbury was chartered by Governor Benning Wentworth on March 18, 1763, to Jacob Bayley and 74 others, some from Newbury, Massachusetts.[5]

The town served as the southern terminus of the Bayley Hazen Military Road, begun by Bayley in 1760 and then continued until 1779 by Colonel Moses Hazen. Meanwhile, pioneer farmers had to carry their grain 60 miles (97 kilometers) by canoe to Charlestown, New Hampshire to get it ground into flour. By 1859, when the population was 2,984, Newbury had two gristmills, in addition to a paper mill and steam mill to manufacture mackerel kits. The principal industry, however, along the alluvial meadows was raising beef cattle and sheep, and the production of wool and dairy goods.[11] The Connecticut & Passumpsic Rivers Railroad opened on November 6, 1848, to the village of Wells River. It developed as an adjunct of the railway town across the Connecticut River at Woodsville, the once bustling village within Haverhill, New Hampshire.

In the summer of 1913 a large fire destroyed 21 buildings in Newbury, including a church, the public school, the hotel and a number of businesses and residences. Only a change of the wind saved the balance of the town since there was no fire department at that time.

In 1958, Newbury gained widespread notoriety after an unpopular farmer disappeared. The discovery of his bound body in the river three months later led to his death being described as a "lynching" by newspapers along the East Coast. Two suspects were acquitted, and the crime was never solved.[12]

Boston University, one of New England's largest universities, traces its roots to the establishment of the Newbury Biblical Institute, a Methodist school founded in Newbury, Vermont in 1839.[13]

## Geography

[edit]

The town of Newbury is located in the northeast corner of Orange County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 64.4 square miles (166.9 km2), of which 64.2 square miles (166.2 km2) is land and 0.3 square mile (0.7 km2) (0.40%) is water. Bounded on the east by the Connecticut River, which forms the Vermont–New Hampshire border, Newbury is drained by the Wells River, Halls Brook and Peach Brook.

The town is crossed by  Interstate 91,  U.S. Route 5, and  U.S. Route 302.

## Demographics

[edit]

Historical population Census| Pop.| Note| %±

|
|
|

1790| 872| | —
1800| 1,304| | 49.5%
1810| 1,363| | 4.5%
1820| 1,623| | 19.1%
1830| 2,252| | 38.8%
1840| 2,579| | 14.5%
1850| 2,984| | 15.7%
1860| 2,549| | −14.6%
1870| 2,241| | −12.1%
1880| 2,316| | 3.3%
1890| 2,080| | −10.2%
1900| 2,125| | 2.2%
1910| 2,035| | −4.2%
1920| 1,908| | −6.2%
1930| 1,744| | −8.6%
1940| 1,723| | −1.2%
1950| 1,667| | −3.3%
1960| 1,452| | −12.9%
1970| 1,440| | −0.8%
1980| 1,699| | 18.0%
1990| 1,985| | 16.8%
2000| 1,955| | −1.5%
2010| 2,216| | 13.4%
2020| 2,293| | 3.5%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]

As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 1,955 people, 816 households, and 553 families residing in the town. The population density was 30.5 people per square mile (11.8/km2). There were 1,153 housing units at an average density of 18.0/sq mi (6.9/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.44% White, 0.31% Black or African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.20% Asian, and 1.38% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.15% of the population.

There were 816 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.2% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $32,721, and the median income for a family was $42,262. Males had a median income of $30,169 versus $21,780 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,659. About 8.6% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.3% of those under age 18 and 10.6% of those age 65 or over.

## Sites of interest

[edit]

* Bayley Historic District[15]
* Bedell Covered Bridge site
* Camp Farwell, founded in 1889, and reported to be the longest running girls summer camp in the United States.[16][17]
* Newbury Historical Society & Museum[18]
* Newbury Town House (1839)[19]
* Oxbow Historic District[20]
* Newbury Village Store, c. 1840[21]

## Notable people

[edit]

* Horace W. Bailey, US Marshal for Vermont[22]
* Jacob Bayley, general during the American Revolution
* Frank M. Bryan, political scientist
* Molly Gray, politician
* Ernest N. Harmon, major general
* Diana Mara Henry, photographer
* Joab Hoisington, militia leader on the Patriot side in the American Revolution. Died in Newbury while on duty and was buried at Oxbow Cemetery in Newbury[23][24]
* Jeremiah Ingalls, early American folk composer
* Jacob Kent Jr., U.S. Marshal for Vermont[25]
* Henry Keyes, politician and railroad president
* Henry W. Keyes, US senator and 56th governor of New Hampshire
* Sydney Lea, Poet Laureate from Vermont
* William T. Porter, journalist
* Abel Underwood, U.S. Attorney for Vermont and state circuit court judge, practiced law in Wells River[26]
* George W. Webber, US congressman

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Town of Newbury". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
2. ^ a b "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
3. ^ a b "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
4. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Newbury town, Orange County, Vermont". Retrieved January 3, 2022.
5. ^ a b Coolidge, Austin Jacobs; Mansfield, John Brainard (March 23, 1859). "A History and Description of New England, General and Local: Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont". A.J. Coolidge - via Google Books.
6. ^ Haefeli and Sweeney, Captors and Captives: The 1704 French and Indian Raid on Deerfield, (UMass Press, 2003) pp. 79, 92
7. ^ Johnson, Arthur (November 2007). "Indian Joe". Ne-Do-Ba (Friends). Retrieved January 31, 2015.
8. ^ Evan Haefeli, Kevin Sweeney, Captive Histories: English, French, and Native Narratives of the 1704 Deerfield Raid (2006), p. 160
9. ^ John Williams, The Redeemed Captive Returning to Zion: Or, The Captivity ..." (1908), p.50
10. ^ "Revisiting The Redeemed Captive: New Perspectives on the 1704 Attack on Deerfield," Evan Haefeli and Kevin Sweeney, The William and Mary Quarterly, Vol. 52, No. 1 (Jan. 1995), pp. 3-46 (44 pages)
11. ^ "TownNewbury".
12. ^ Wilson Ring, "In Vermont, blotting an old stain on a town's reputation", Associated Press in Yahoo! News; accessed 2015.03.09.
13. ^ Boston University | Visitor Center | About the University |History, retrieved May 6, 2006 Archived February 16, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
14. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved May 16, 2015.
15. ^ "Bayley Historic District". www.crjc.org.
16. ^ "Julia H. Farwell Dies: Educator Was a Founder of Summer Camps for Girls", The New York Times, November 23, 1925.
17. ^ Jessica Turner, "Q&A with Summer Camp Owners Charyl and Bob Hanson" Archived October 12, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Vermont Life, Summer 2008.
18. ^ "View Museum Info". www.museumsusa.org.
19. ^ "Newbury Town House". www.crjc.org.
20. ^ "Oxbow Historic District". www.crjc.org.
21. ^ "Newbury Village Store". Newbury Village Store. Retrieved December 21, 2023.
22. ^ Carleton, Hiram (1903). Genealogical and Family History of the State of Vermont. Vol. I. New York, NY: Lewis Publishing Company. pp. 642–643\. ISBN 9780806347943 - via Google Books. `{{cite book}}`: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
23. ^ Register of the California Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. San Francisco, CA: California Society, Sons of the American Revolution. 1901. p. 90 - via Google Books.
24. ^ Dana, Henry Swan (1889). History of Woodstock, Vermont. Boston, MA: Houghton, Mifflin and Company. pp. 17–19 - via Google Books.
25. ^ Wells, Frederic Palmer (1902). History of Newbury, Vermont. St. Johnsbury, VT: The Caledonian Company. pp. 605–606 - via Google Books.
26. ^ Underwood, Lucien Marcus (1913). The Underwood Families of America. Vol. 1\. Lancaster, PA: New Era Printing Company. pp. 91–93.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Frederic P. Wells, History of Newbury, Vermont; The Caledonian Company, St. Johnsbury, Vermont 1902
* Site on General Jacob Bayley, founder of Newbury, Vermont

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Newbury (town), Vermont.

* Town of Newbury official website
* Tenney Memorial Library

* v
* t
* e

Places adjacent to Newbury (town), Vermont

| Groton | Ryegate | Bath, New Hampshire

|
|

|  |
Topsham |

Newbury

| Haverhill, New Hampshire
|  |
Corinth | Bradford | Piermont, New Hampshire

* v
* t
* e

Municipalities and communities of Orange County, Vermont, United States

Shire town: Chelsea

Towns|

* Bradford
* Braintree
* Brookfield
* Chelsea
* Corinth
* Fairlee
* Newbury
* Orange
* Randolph
* Strafford
* Thetford
* Topsham
* Tunbridge
* Vershire
* Washington
* West Fairlee
* Williamstown

Map of Vermont highlighting Orange County

Villages|

* Newbury
* Wells River

CDPs|

* Bradford
* Chelsea
* Fairlee
* Randolph
* Williamstown

Other
communities|

* North Thetford
* Post Mills
* South Strafford
* West Newbury

* Vermont portal
* United States portal

* v
* t
* e

Connecticut River watershed

Tributaries|

| Connecticut|

* Blackledge River
* Coginchaug River
* Connecticut River
* Duck River
* Eightmile River
* Falls River
* Farmington River
* Hockanum River
* Hubbard River
* Jeremy River
* Lieutenant River
* Mattabesset River
* Nepaug River
* Pameacha Creek
* Park River
* Pequabuck River
* Salmon River
* Scantic River

|

Massachusetts|

* Burnshirt River
* Chapel Brook
* Chicopee River
* Connecticut River
* Cranberry River
* Deerfield River
* East Brookfield River
* Farmington River
* Fall River
* Five Mile River
* Green River
* Hubbard River
* Manhan River
* Mill River (Northampton)
* Mill River (Springfield)
* Millers River
* Mirey Brook
* North Branch Millers River
* North Branch Westfield River
* North River
* Otter River
* Quaboag River
* Scantic River
* Seven Mile River
* Tarbell Brook
* Ware River
* Westfield River

New Hampshire|

* Ammonoosuc River
* Ashuelot River
* Blow-me-down Brook
* The Branch
* Cold River
* Connecticut River
* East Branch Mohawk River
* Gale River
* Great Brook
* Halls Stream
* Ham Branch
* Indian River
* Indian Stream
* Israel River
* Johns River
* Knox River
* Little River
* Little Sugar River
* Mascoma River
* Millers River
* Mink Brook
* Mirey Brook
* Mohawk River
* Nash Stream
* North Branch Gale River
* North Branch Millers River
* North Branch Sugar River
* North Branch Upper Ammonoosuc River
* Oliverian Brook
* Otter Brook
* Partridge Brook
* Perry Stream
* Phillips Brook
* Simms Stream
* South Branch Ashuelot River
* South Branch Gale River
* South Branch Israel River
* South Branch Sugar River
* Stocker Brook
* Sugar River
* Tarbell Brook
* Upper Ammonoosuc River
* West Branch Mohawk River
* West Branch Upper Ammonoosuc River
* Wild Ammonoosuc River
* Zealand River

Vermont|

* Black River
* Connecticut River
* Deerfield River
* Fall River
* Green River
* Halls Stream
* Leach Creek
* Moose River
* Nulhegan River
* Ompompanoosuc River
* Ottauquechee River
* Passumpsic River
* Rock River
* Saxtons River
* Utley Brook
* Waits River
* Wells River
* West River
* Whetstone Brook
* White River
* Williams River
* Winhall River

Lakes|

| Connecticut|

* Barkhamsted Reservoir
* Lake Beseck
* Lake Hayward
* Lake Pocotopaug

|

Massachusetts|

* Brooks Pond
* Browning Pond
* Lake Monomonac
* Quabbin Reservoir
* Lake Wyola

New Hampshire|

* Ashuelot Pond
* Back Lake
* Canaan Street Lake
* Cedar Pond
* Christine Lake
* Comerford Reservoir
* Connecticut Lakes
* Crystal Lake
* Dublin Pond
* Eastman Pond
* Echo Lake
* Lake Francis (Murphy Dam)
* Goose Pond
* Grafton Pond
* Granite Lake
* Lakes of the Clouds
* Little Sunapee Lake
* Mascoma Lake
* McIndoes Reservoir
* Lake Monomonac
* Moore Reservoir
* Pearly Lake
* Silver Lake
* Spofford Lake
* Lake Sunapee
* Surry Mountain Lake
* Lake Tarleton

Vermont|

* Ball Mountain Lake
* Comerford Reservoir
* Harriman Reservoir
* Harvey's Lake
* McIndoes Reservoir
* Moore Reservoir
* North Hartland Lake
* Lake Rescue
* Townshend Lake

Towns|

| Connecticut|

* Chester
* Cromwell
* Deep River
* East Haddam
* East Hampton
* East Hartford
* East Windsor
* Enfield
* Essex
* Glastonbury
* Haddam
* Hartford
* Higganum
* Lyme
* Middletown
* Moodus
* Old Lyme
* Old Saybrook
* Portland
* Rocky Hill
* South Windsor
* Suffield
* Thompsonville
* Wethersfield
* Windsor
* Windsor Locks

|

Massachusetts|

* Agawam
* Chicopee
* Deerfield
* Easthampton
* Gill
* Greenfield
* Hadley
* Hatfield
* Holyoke
* Longmeadow
* Millers Falls
* Montague
* Northampton
* Northfield
* South Hadley
* Springfield
* Sunderland
* Turners Falls
* West Springfield
* Whately

New Hampshire|

* Bath
* Charlestown
* Chesterfield
* Claremont
* Clarksville
* Colebrook
* Columbia
* Cornish
* Dalton
* Groveton
* Hanover
* Haverhill
* Hinsdale
* Lancaster
* Lebanon
* Littleton
* Lyme
* Monroe
* Northumberland
* Orford
* Piermont
* Pittsburg
* Plainfield
* Stewartstown
* Stratford
* Walpole
* West Lebanon
* Westmoreland
* Woodsville

Quebec|

* East Hereford

Vermont|

* Ascutney
* Barnet
* Beecher Falls
* Bellows Falls
* Bloomfield
* Bradford
* Brattleboro
* Brunswick
* Canaan
* Concord
* Dummerston
* Fairlee
* Gilman
* Guildhall
* Hartford
* Hartland
* Lemington
* Lunenburg
* Maidstone
* Newbury
* Norwich
* Putney
* Rockingham
* Ryegate
* Springfield
* Thetford
* Vernon
* Waterford
* Weathersfield
* Wells River
* Westminster
* White River Junction
* Wilder
* Windsor

Crossings|

* Amtrak Old Saybrook – Old Lyme Bridge
* Arch Bridge
* Bulkeley Bridge
* Calvin Coolidge Bridge
* Canalside Rail Trail Bridge
* Cheshire Bridge
* Columbia Bridge
* Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge
* Dexter Coffin Bridge
* French King Bridge
* Gill–Montague Bridge
* Hampden County Memorial Bridge
* Janice Peaslee Bridge
* Joseph E. Muller Bridge
* Ledyard Bridge
* Lyme–East Thetford Bridge
* Morey Memorial Bridge
* Mount Orne Covered Bridge
* Norwottuck Rail Trail Bridge
* Piermont Bridge
* Pittsburg–Clarksville Covered Bridge
* Ranger Bridge
* Raymond E. Baldwin Bridge
* Sunderland Bridge
* Vietnam Memorial Bridge
* Wells River Bridge
* Willimansett Bridge

*[Pop.]: Population
*[%±]: Percent change
*[c.]: circa
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template