Wheelock, Vermont

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Wheelock, Vermont
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
motto =

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mapsize = 250px
map_caption = Wheelock, Vermont


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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Vermont
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Caledonia

government_footnotes =
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leader_title =
leader_name =
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unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 103.1
area_land_km2 = 102.5
area_water_km2 = 0.7
area_total_sq_mi = 39.8
area_land_sq_mi = 39.6
area_water_sq_mi = 0.3

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 621
population_density_km2 = 6.1
population_density_sq_mi = 15.7

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 482
elevation_ft = 1581
latd = 44 |latm = 34 |lats = 6 |latNS = N
longd = 72 |longm = 6 |longs = 22 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 05851
area_code = 802
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 50-83500GR|2
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 1462259GR|3
website =
footnotes =

Wheelock is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 621 at the 2000 census.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 39.8 square miles (103.1 km²), of which, 39.6 square miles (102.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.6 km²) of it (0.63%) is water.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 621 people, 238 households, and 178 families residing in the town. The population density was 15.7 people per square mile (6.1/km²). There were 321 housing units at an average density of 8.1/sq mi (3.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.58% White, 0.32% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 1.29% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races.

There were 238 households out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.3% were married couples living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the town the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 30.4% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 98.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,750, and the median income for a family was $40,625. Males had a median income of $30,417 versus $21,667 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,440. About 4.9% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.4% of those under age 18 and 18.3% of those age 65 or over.

History

The town is named for Eleazar Wheelock, founder of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. Through an esoteric and old provision of the college, any full-time resident of Wheelock who is accepted as an undergraduate at Dartmouth may attend the school free of tuition.

Standing in the center of the village for many years was the old brick hotel, known as the Caledonia Spring House. In 1893, Myron D. Park, who served four years as a Wheelock selectman, sold the Caledonia Spring House to Marshall Way. The hotel was the site of a notorious murder on May 20, 1896, when owner Marshall Way killed his 44-year-old wife, Ellen Sheldon Way, in the dooryard. According to the St. Johnsbury Caledonian of May 22, 1896, "The little town of Wheelock was thrown into a state of wild excitement last Wednesday evening when the cry went around that Marshall Way had killed his wife. It was a terrible shock to the people of the quiet town, and it may be many days before they recover sufficiently to converse to any length upon another subject." After the murder, the Caledonia Spring House was sold to Alden J. Rennie, owner of several mills in Sutton, Sheffield, and Wheelock. The building was dismantled during the 1990s after falling into disrepair.

References

External links

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