Mont Vernon, New Hampshire
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Mont Vernon is a town located in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. As of the 2000 census, it had a population of 2,034.
It is not entirely clear why it is spelled differently than the many other towns in the United States named after Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington. Some say the "u" in "Mount" was accidentally dropped by a town clerk filling out official papers, and others say the change was made deliberately to distinguish the town as a tourist destination. As late as the early 1900s, there was some dispute about how to spell the name.
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History
Origins
Mont Vernon broke away from neighboring Amherst in 1803, following a dispute over the town parish. It later added a small portion of neighboring Lyndeborough.
Mont Vernon's general history follows that of many towns in this region: Originally settled for agriculture, its farms were hard hit after the Civil War when railroads opened up better farming land in the Midwest. Population peaked in 1870 and began to decline.
The Hotels
By the late 1890s it had become a tourist town, drawing summer visitors from points south, notably Boston, who escaped the heat in Mont Vernon's hills. At one point it had five large summer hotels, including the Grand Hotel, located on top of Grand Hill.
The hotel business began to wither with the development of the automobile, which allowed tourists to reaches further places like the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and it was killed by the Great Depression. The town's population bottomed out at barely 300 in 1930, at which time the Grand Hotel was destroyed in a terrible fire. The rest were torn down before World War II.
Becoming a Suburb & the Decline of Agriculture
Since the war, Mont Vernon has slowly become a suburban community, but it wasn't until the 1970 census that its official population passed mid-19th century highs.
Agriculture, including a 1940s and 1950s boom in chicken and egg farming, has all but disappeared. As of 2005, the town had just one dairy farm.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 43.3 km² (16.7 mi²). 43.0 km² (16.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.48% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 2,034 people, 693 households, and 575 families residing in the town. The population density is 47.3/km² (122.4/mi²). There are 720 housing units at an average density of 16.7/km² (43.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 98.57% White, 0.15% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 0.54% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 693 households out of which 43.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.7% are married couples living together, 5.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 16.9% are non-families. 12.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.90 and the average family size is 3.17.
In the town the population is spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 104.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 103.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $71,250, and the median income for a family is $77,869. Males have a median income of $50,353 versus $32,500 for females. The per capita income for the town is $30,772. 2.0% of the population and 1.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.3% of those under the age of 18 and 5.7% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Traditions & Celebrations
Every year in October, the town hosts "Lamson Farm Day" to celebrate its agrictultural past. This day consists of games, hay rides, a traditional blacksmith, and a chicken barbeque, with a showing of well over 500 people at the event.
In late April/early May, the town has a celebration of spring, called the "Mont Vernon Spring Gala." Like Lamson Farm Day, the Spring Gala features games, but also features a parade, music, and a pie contest. Well over 500 people show up at the event.
Schools
There is only one school in Mont Vernon, the Mont Vernon Village School. It is an elementary school, with grades kindergarten to sixth. For 7th and 8th grade, Mont Vernon sends it's students to the Amherst Middle School. For 9th through 12th grade, the students are sent to Souhegan High School, also in Amherst, New Hampshire.