Northeast Kingdom

The Northeast Kingdom is the northeast corner of the U.S. state of Vermont, comprising Essex, Orleans and Caledonia counties and having a population at the 2010 census of 64,764. In Vermont, the written term "NEK" is often used. The term "Northeast Kingdom" is attributed to George D. Aiken, former Governor of Vermont and a U.S. senator, who first used the term in a 1949 speech. The area is often referred to by Vermonters simply as "The Kingdom".

Geography

The Northeast Kingdom is bisected by Interstate 91 and U.S. Route 5. It is bordered on the east by the Connecticut River and on the west by the Green Mountains. The highest point is Jay Peak, a summit on the main ridge of the Green Mountains, at 3,858 feet (1,176 m).^[1] The highest point outside of the Green Mountains is East Mountain in the town of East Haven, with a summit elevation of 3,439 feet (1,048 m).^[2]

The Kingdom encompasses 55 towns and gores, with a land area of 2,027 square miles (5,250 km²), about 21% of the state of Vermont.^[3] The city of Newport is the single incorporated city in the tri-county area.

As of 1997, 80% of the Northeast Kingdom was covered by forest.^[4] 59% was northern hardwood, 29% spruce or fir.

The Northeast Kingdom has been listed in the North American and international editions of "1,000 Places to See Before You Die", the New York Times best-selling book by Patricia Schultz. In 2006, the National Geographic Society named the Northeast Kingdom as the most desirable place to visit in the country and the ninth most desirable place to visit in the world.^[5]

The largest municipalities in the Northeast Kingdom are the towns of St. Johnsbury (population 7,603), Lyndon (5,981), and Derby (4,621), and the city of Newport (4,589).^[6]

Geology

The presence of kame terraces in the counties are of interest in connection with the glacial drift that gave the Northeast Kingdom its soil and its surface stones and boulders. These terraces have beds of sand and clay from which bricks were once manufactured.^[7]

Two land masses collided at the end of the Ordovician Period about 466 million years ago. This collision first formed what are now the Green Mountains which extend into the westernmost part of the Northeast Kingdom.^[8] It also created great pressure within the earth, resulting in active volcanoes. The resultant eruptions produced igneous rock which became the granite found in many of the region's mountains and in the Connecticut River Valley.^[9]

The remaining geology was created during the Silurian-Devonian Period, about 400 million years ago, and left behind slate, with some granite, schist, and limestone.^[10][11]

An expansion of the polar glaciers resulted in an ice age which greatly affected the geology. A 1-mile-thick (1,600 m) sheet of ice covered the Kingdom several times, over one million years, until 13,500 years ago.^[12] It brought the many boulders seen in the area and created many prominent features, including Lake Memphremagog, Lake Willoughby, and Crystal Lake.^[13]

The retreat of the Laurentide glacier allowed the Green Mountains again to arise, but much eroded.^[14] A saltwater incursion resulting in the Champlain Sea from the Atlantic Ocean covered much of Vermont including what is now Lake Memphremagog. This incursion stopped 11,000 years ago and became fresh water. Forests later appeared after the water receded.

Fauna

In 1996, the moose population totalled 2,000, about 1.75/mi² (0.676/km²). In 2005, the population was 5,000; 3.4/mi² (1.313/km²). State officials determined that the herd had become stressed due to overpopulation, and that the 1996 figure was more desirable. As a result, 1,260 hunting permits were issued in 2008 to cull the herd.^[15] In 2009, state officials aimed for 1 moose per 1 square mile (2.6 km²).^[16]

There are also black bear, deer, bobcat, coyote, fox, fisher cat, loon, wild turkey, and ruffed grouse.

In 2013, Canadian lynxes were spotted. These prey on the snowshoe hare.^[17]

Climate

The average growing season is about 123-130 frost-free days.^[18]

On December 30, 1933, the lowest recorded temperature in the New England states was registered as −50.8 °F (−46.0 °C), at Bloomfield in Essex County.^[19][20]

The 2007 Valentine's Day Blizzard brought 21.1 inches (540 mm) to the area over a two-day period. This was nearly matched on March 6, 2011, when the area received 20.3 inches (520 mm) of snow.^[21]

History

Early human history

The retreating glacier allowed the northern migration of early humans around 9300 BCE, descendants of Asian immigrants during the Ice Age. By 7300 BCE, people and a changing environment had eliminated large game from the area such as caribou and mastodons.^[22]

From 1000 BCE to 1600 CE, Abenakis inhabited the Kingdom.^[22]

Perhaps as many as a thousand Cowasuck Indians lived in Essex County near the Connecticut River in 1500. This tribe included all people from the Cahass, Cohassiac, Coos, Coosuc, and Koes tribes.^[23] The Cowasucks were Abenakis, members of the Wabanaki Confederacy, the Algonquian pact of five tribes which banded together to combat Iroquois aggression perhaps about 1500, though the exact date of the Iroquois pact is unknown.^[24][25]

European diseases, such as typhus, contracted from exposure to traders, killed many of the Cowasucks until only a few hundred were left in the Northeast Kingdom by 1600.^[26]

Modern history

In 2010, Yankee magazine named the NEK the second favorite romantic getaway and the third favorite family getaway in New England.^[27]

Demographics

In all three counties, estimated population dropped between 2010 and 2012 by about 200 people. State population declined slightly as well.^[28]

Government

As in the rest of New England, there is a strong state government. Town government often uses unpaid volunteers for its services. There is a superficial county government, all funded by the state. The three counties each have sheriffs, judges, prosecutors, and other officers, all, except for judges, elected by the county, but funded by the state.

Recognizing the need for services on an intermediate level, state legislation created the Regional Planning Commissions (RPC), to aid the towns in land use issues, and Economic Development Commissions (EDC), tasked with fostering economic development in their jurisdictions. These RPCs and EDCs report to the Vermont Agency of Commerce and Community Development. They must also report to their boards, which are made up of representatives of each town in the commission. As with some state agencies there is provision for these commissions to also organize as nonprofit groups, yet still maintain status as government agencies. This method of organization permits RPCs and EDCs to augment their state and federal funding with other sources of income. This arrangement also allows the EDCs to own properties such as industrial parks and Business Incubator Facilities.

RPCs and EDCs have no taxing or regulatory authority. However, RPCs do write a regional plan (as towns can have town plans). Town plans can not run contrary to the regional plans. RPCs also have automatic party status to any ACT 250 applications. ACT 250 permits are the state's Land Use Permit issued by the Land Use Panel of the Vermont Natural Resources Board. ACT 250 applications must be in compliance with the RPC's Regional Plan. A copy of all ACT 250 permit applications must be submitted (by the applicants) to the RPCs for review.

The Northeast Kingdom is unique, as they have the only agency that is both the Economic Development Commission as well as the Regional Planning Commission, known as the Northeastern Vermont Development Association and Regional Planning Commission (NVDA). Under the legislators' study to lower state government spending, they have been looking to the Northeast Kingdom's RPC/EDC as a model for possible consolidation of agencies throughout the state.

Municipalities are governed by an elected Board of Selectmen and managed by an elected town or city clerk.

Public health

Various organizations are tasked with aiding public health including the Northeast Kingdom Human Services.

Economy

Farming

In 2010 the largest dairy farmer in the state was in Orleans County with 5,000 head and 2,500 milkers, spread over five farms.^[29]

Maple syrup is produced in the region.^[30]

Tourism

The area offers mountain biking,^[31] skiing,^[32][33] and fall foliage viewing.^[34]

NGOs

There are a number of non-profit, non-governmental agencies, that either offer services or promote business or housing. These include the Northern Community Investment Corporation, based in St. Johnsbury, and the Gilman Housing Trust.^[35]

Transportation

In 2008, 74% of the roads were rated in poor or very poor condition. There were 480 bridges with spans of 20 feet (6.1 m) or more. There were a number of bridges deemed structurally deficient. 63 percent of those were municipally owned.^[36]

Railroads

Two railroads traverse the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont:

• Washington County Railroad (part of the Vermont Rail System) - WACR has just recently been awarded a 30-year contract to operate the track running from White River Junction north through St. Johnsbury and Newport.
• The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad - Six trips a day between Island Pond and Maine. Four trips a day between Island Pond and Canada. Lumber is the principal freight.^[37]

Bus

Rural Community Transportation runs out of Saint Johnsbury and serves Caledonia, Essex, Lamoille and Orleans counties.

Airports

There are three state airports: Caledonia County State Airport in Lyndonville; Newport State Airport in Newport/Coventry, and John H. Boylan State Airport in Island Pond. Light private and business aircraft land there.

Media

Author Howard Frank Mosher has written works of fiction set in the Northeast Kingdom, typically in the fictitious Kingdom County.

Archer Mayor's second "Joe Gunther" novel, "Borderlines," is set in the fictitious village of Gannet, in Essex County.

The literary suspense novels of author Don Bredes are set in the fictional Northeast Kingdom village of Tipton, just south of the Quebec border.

Peacham was used as the filming location for the 1993 movie Ethan Frome, based on the novel of the same name.^[38]

Robert Frost wrote a poem with the Kingdom as its topic entitled "A Servant to Servants".^[39]

Newspapers

• The Caledonian-Record, the area's largest newspaper, is published daily in St. Johnsbury.
• the Chronicle - published weekly in Barton
• The Newport Daily Express - published daily except Saturdays and Sundays in Newport. Owned by Horizon Publications out of Marion, IL. Printed in Canada
• The North Star Monthly - published monthly in Danville
• The Hardwick Gazette - published weekly in Hardwick

Radio

^[40]

• WSTJ - 1340 AM; St. Johnsbury, VT - Standards
• WIKE - 1490 AM; Newport, VT - Country
• WVPA - 88.5 FM; St. Johnsbury, VT - Vermont Public Radio
• WCKJ - 90.5 FM; St. Johnsbury, VT - Religious - "The Light"
• WWLR - 91.5 FM; Lyndonville, VT - Lyndon State College - "Impulse 91.5"
• WMOO - 92.1 FM; Derby Center, VT - Hot Adult Contemporary - "Moo 92"^[41]
• WJSY-LP - 96.1 FM; Newport, VT - Religious
• W243AE - 96.5 FM; Orleans, VT - Religious - "The Light"
• WGMT - 97.7 FM; Lyndon, VT - Hot Adult Contemporary - "Magic 97.7"
• WAOT-LP - 98.3 FM; Derby, VT - TIS
• W257AU - 99.3 FM; St. Johnsbury, VT - Rebroadcast of WMOO
• WKXH - 105.5 FM; St. Johnsbury, VT - Country - "Kix 105.5"
• WDOT - 95.7 FM; Danville, VT - Adult Album Alternative - "The Point" (rebroadcasts WNCS/Montpelier)
• WVTI 106.9 FM broadcasts classical music from Island Pond, Vermont.^[42]
• Radio Free Vermont - Online Radio; East St. Johnsbury, VT - [Vermont Independent Music] - "Radio Free Vermont"^[43]

Television

• UHF Channel 20, WVTB (PBS), St. Johnsbury, Vermont Public Television
• Channel 14 W14CK Newport, ion, Rebroadcast of WWBI-LP
• Cable Channel 7, KATV, Kingdom Access Television, Lyndonville, Public-access television cable TV

See also

• Essex–Orleans Vermont Senate District, 2002–2012

References

External links

• Vermont railroads
• Current Weather Conditions from the NEK - Northeast Kingdom Weather

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Coordinates: 44°38′N 72°02′W / 44.64°N 72.04°W / 44.64; -72.04