Westmore, Vermont
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Westmore is a town located in Orleans County, Vermont. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 306.
Originally named Westford, the town was chartered on August 17, 1781. Since Chittenden County had a town named Westford, after six years the name was changed to Westmore.
Westmore never attracted many settlers. The town's peak population was in the census year of 1880 with only 485 people. The town is best known for the beautiful Lake Willoughby. The lake has a maximum depth of 312 feet making it the deepest lake in the Northeast Kingdom, the deepest lake in Vermont, and one of the deepest lakes in all of New England. The relatively young 12,000-year-old glacier-carved lake is flanked on the east by Mount Pisgah (height: 839 meters, 2,752 feet) and the west by Mount Hor (height: 809 meters, 2,654 feet.) The mountains, which have hundreds of feet of rock cliffs, are located in the Willougby State Forest and the cliffs have been designated a National Natural Landmark. In recent decades, the rocky mountains have hosted several endangered Peregrine Falcons.
The town's lake, ponds, mountains, and forests have made it a destination for outdoor enthusiasts and tourists since its beginnings. The size and depth of Lake Willoughby have made it a favorite for area divers and fishermen. In the winter months, when the lake is covered by ice, dozens of ice shanties are clustered by the north and south beaches and by the state-owned fishing access. Mount Pisgah's and Mount Hor's cliffs have made them favorites for rock climbers in the summer, and in the winter months when much of the cliffs are covered by ice, popular with ice climbers. Both mountains, and nearby Wheeler Mountain and Bald Mountain, have popular and well-marked hiking trails. The town's forests have several snowmobile trails that are maintained by the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers. Other outdoor activities include bicycling, mountain biking, boating, wind surfing, canoeing, swimming, leaf peeping, and cross country skiing. Nearby towns also have downhill skiing.
Westmore's town center has a community church, a town clerk's office, and town hall. The town has several campgrounds and cabin rentals, a general store, three public beaches including one nude beach, and several bed and breakfasts.
In 2001, with financial help from private benefactors, the town of Westmore, and the USDA, the town built a volunteer fire department. The town lacks its own public schools and post office.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 97.0 km² (37.5 mi²). 89.4 km² (34.5 mi²) of it is land and 7.6 km² (2.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 7.85% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 306 people, 133 households, and 90 families residing in the town. The population density is 3.4/km² (8.9/mi²). There are 530 housing units at an average density of 5.9/km² (15.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 97.39% White, 0.00% African American, 1.63% Native American, 0.65% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 0.00% from other races, and 0.33% from two or more races. 0.00% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 133 households out of which 20.3% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% are married couples living together, 6.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% are non-families. 26.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.30 and the average family size is 2.74.
In the town the population is spread out with 16.7% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 22.5% from 25 to 44, 36.3% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 46 years. For every 100 females there are 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 112.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $27,375, and the median income for a family is $38,333. Males have a median income of $26,875 versus $18,958 for females. The per capita income for the town is $14,522. 14.6% of the population and 7.8% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 25.8% of those under the age of 18 and 3.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.