Cavendish, Vermont

Captain John Coffeen, the town's first permanent settler, brought his family and possessions into the wilderness of Cavendish in June 1769. They built a dwelling in the northern part of town on what is now E. I. Heald's farm, on the lot still called the "Coffeen pasture". The Coffeens remained the only family in Cavendish for two years. In the early 1780s, Leonard Proctor and Salmon Dutton came from Massachusetts and gave their names to the two major settlements on the Black River, Proctorsville and Duttonsville. In 1782, the first recorded town meeting occurred and Dutton was elected town clerk. He is credited with having conducted a 1784 survey for the first road from Duttonsville along the Black River to Ludlow (now Vermont routes 103 and 131). In 1786 he became the town's first justice of the peace. He also served as moderator of the town meeting, as selectman, and as town treasurer. The marriage of Redfield Proctor and Emily Dutton in 1858 joined the leading families of the two villages and promised to put an end to the former rivalry.{{cite web|url=http://cavendishhistory.org/history.html |title=History of Cavendish |publisher=Cavendish Historical Society |access-date=March 25, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713201728/http://www.cavendishhistory.org/history.html |archive-date=July 13, 2011 }}{{cite web| url=http://www.virtualvermont.com/towns/cavendish.html| title=Cavendish 05142| publisher=Virtual Vermont| access-date=March 25, 2011}}{{cite web| url=http://cavendishhistoricalsocietynews.blogspot.com/2011/02/cavendish-semiquincentennial-first.html| title=Cavendish Semiquincentennial: First Settlers |publisher=Cavendish Historical Society| access-date=March 25, 2011}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|102.8|sqkm|disp=flip}}, of which {{convert|102.2|sqkm|disp=flip}} are land and {{convert|0.6|sqkm|disp=flip}}, or 0.59%, is water.{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |title=Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Cavendish town, Windsor County, Vermont |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=July 30, 2012 }}

Cavendish was one of thirteen Vermont towns isolated by flooding caused by Hurricane Irene in 2011.[https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/31/us/31floods.html Floodwaters From Storm Isolate 13 Vermont Towns], The New York Times

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Cavendish has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=342134&cityname=Cavendish,+Vermont,+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Cavendish, Vermont Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase}}

{{Weather box

|location = Cavendish, Vermont, 1991–2020 normals, 1903-2020 extremes: 842ft (257m)

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 65

|Feb record high F = 63

|Mar record high F = 82

|Apr record high F = 93

|May record high F = 96

|Jun record high F = 100

|Jul record high F = 102

|Aug record high F = 99

|Sep record high F = 97

|Oct record high F = 89

|Nov record high F = 78

|Dec record high F = 71

|year record high F =

|Jan avg record high F = 47

|Feb avg record high F = 49

|Mar avg record high F = 61

|Apr avg record high F = 77

|May avg record high F = 86

|Jun avg record high F = 91

|Jul avg record high F = 92

|Aug avg record high F = 90

|Sep avg record high F = 86

|Oct avg record high F = 77

|Nov avg record high F = 64

|Dec avg record high F = 50

|year avg record high F = 93

|Jan high F = 29.8

|Feb high F = 33.3

|Mar high F = 41.6

|Apr high F = 55.1

|May high F = 68.4

|Jun high F = 77.1

|Jul high F = 82.1

|Aug high F = 80.5

|Sep high F = 72.9

|Oct high F = 59.3

|Nov high F = 46.4

|Dec high F = 35.1

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 18.7

|Feb mean F = 20.7

|Mar mean F = 29.3

|Apr mean F = 42.2

|May mean F = 54.9

|Jun mean F = 64.1

|Jul mean F = 69.0

|Aug mean F = 67.1

|Sep mean F = 59.3

|Oct mean F = 46.8

|Nov mean F = 35.9

|Dec mean F = 25.5

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 7.6

|Feb low F = 8.0

|Mar low F = 17.1

|Apr low F = 29.3

|May low F = 41.3

|Jun low F = 51.0

|Jul low F = 55.9

|Aug low F = 53.7

|Sep low F = 45.7

|Oct low F = 34.3

|Nov low F = 25.4

|Dec low F = 15.8

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F= -18

|Feb avg record low F= -18

|Mar avg record low F= -6

|Apr avg record low F = 15

|May avg record low F = 26

|Jun avg record low F = 34

|Jul avg record low F = 41

|Aug avg record low F = 38

|Sep avg record low F = 28

|Oct avg record low F = 19

|Nov avg record low F = 7

|Dec avg record low F = −10

|year avg record low F = −23

|Jan record low F = −38

|Feb record low F = −40

|Mar record low F = −27

|Apr record low F = -2

|May record low F = 17

|Jun record low F = 20

|Jul record low F = 33

|Aug record low F = 28

|Sep record low F = 17

|Oct record low F = 9

|Nov record low F = -17

|Dec record low F = −42

|year record low F =

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.76

|Feb precipitation inch = 2.73

|Mar precipitation inch = 3.50

|Apr precipitation inch = 3.75

|May precipitation inch = 3.89

|Jun precipitation inch = 4.57

|Jul precipitation inch = 4.04

|Aug precipitation inch = 3.94

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.82

|Oct precipitation inch = 4.86

|Nov precipitation inch = 3.63

|Dec precipitation inch = 4.05

|year precipitation inch =

|Jan snow inch = 21.20

|Feb snow inch = 18.70

|Mar snow inch = 17.10

|Apr snow inch = 4.10

|May snow inch = 0.10

|Jun snow inch = 0.00

|Jul snow inch = 0.00

|Aug snow inch = 0.00

|Sep snow inch = 0.00

|Oct snow inch = 0.80

|Nov snow inch = 4.50

|Dec snow inch = 16.80

|year snow inch =

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00431243&format=pdf

|title = Cavendish, Vermont 1991-2020 Monthly Normals

|access-date = October 28, 2023

}}

|source 2 = XMACIS (records & monthly max/mins)

{{cite web

|url = https://xmacis.rcc-acis.org/

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = xmACIS

|access-date = October 28, 2023

}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1790= 491

|1800= 922

|1810= 1295

|1820= 1551

|1830= 1498

|1840= 1427

|1850= 1576

|1860= 1539

|1870= 1823

|1880= 1276

|1890= 1172

|1900= 1352

|1910= 1208

|1920= 1319

|1930= 1418

|1940= 1398

|1950= 1374

|1960= 1223

|1970= 1264

|1980= 1355

|1990= 1323

|2000= 1470

|2010= 1367

|2020= 1392

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title=U.S. Decennial Census |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=May 16, 2015 }}

}}

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,470 people, 617 households, and 420 families residing in the town. The population density was 37.1 people per square mile (14.3/km²). There were 860 housing units at an average density of 21.7 per square mile (8.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.82% White, 0.07% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.82% Asian, 0.14% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.95% of the population.

There were 617 households, out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.7% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 28.1% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,727, and the median income for a family was $41,591. Males had a median income of $30,223 versus $22,206 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,420. About 2.4% of families and 6.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 7.1% of those age 65 or over.

{{div col}}

• Lizzie Aiken (1817–1906), a nurse in the American Civil War, who was widely known as “Aunt Lizzie”
• Harriett Ellen Grannis Arey (1819–1901), educator, author, editor, and publisher
• Henry B. Atherton, a soldier in the American Civil War from Vermont, a lawyer and state legislator for New Hampshire during the late 19th century
• Richard Fletcher, Member of the US House of Representatives from Massachusetts
• Ryland Fletcher, 24th Governor of Vermont
• Phineas Gage, working near Cavendish in 1848, survived an accident in which a large iron rod was driven through his head
• John Martyn Harlow, physician; who attended Phineas Gage during his recovery
• Redfield Proctor, United States senator, Secretary of War, and 37th governor of Vermont
• William H. Proctor, Wisconsin State Assemblyman and farmer'Wisconsin Blue Book 1882,' Biographical Sketch of William Henry Proctor, pg. 542
• Colonel Thomas O. Seaver, Civil War era Medal of Honor recipient
• Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Russian writer and historian, Nobel prize winner
• Nettie Maria Stevens, American geneticist

{{div col end}}

File:Cavendish VT Post Office.jpg|Post office

File:Cavendish, VT Architecture.JPG|House in Cavendish

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Cavendish, Vermont}}

• [http://www.cavendishconnects.com Cavendish Connects Community Website ]
• [http://www.cavendishccca.org Cavendish Community & Conservation Association ]
• [http://www.virtualvermont.com/towns/cavendish.html Information] at VirtualVermont.com
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20140827074943/http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=25102 Cavendish Community Profile]; with an old postcard

{{Windsor County, Vermont}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Towns in Vermont

Category:Towns in Windsor County, Vermont