Rutland County
Rutland County, just south of Addison County on Vermont’s western side, is Vermont’s second-largest county. Otter Creek, the county’s primary stream, runs through the county from south to north, eventually emptying into Lake Champlain at Vergennes in Addison County. Population statistics of 2005 indicate 63,743 residents in Rutland County, of whom about 17,300 live in the city of Rutland, the county shire. The 2000 U.S. Census indicates 25,678 households, of which 29.80% included children under age 18. The median household income in the county was $36,743, and the median family income $44,742.
Rutland’s early development stems from the discovery in the early 1800’s of small high-quality marble deposits, and in the 1830s from the discovery of a large deposit of nearly solid high-quality marble in what is now West Rutland. Several small firms began operations at that time, but the marble quarries became profitable only when the railroads came to Rutland in 1851. Coincidentally, the famous Carrara quarries in Tuscany, Italy, became largely unworkable because of their extreme depth, and Rutland quickly became a leading world producer of marble.
The center of Rutland County in 1866 was incorporated as Rutland village, and most of the town was divided off into West Rutland and Proctor, which contained the bulk of the marble quarries. Rutland City was incorporated as Vermont’s third city in November 1892. Since then Rutland has grown into southern Vermont’s major urban center, featuring shopping, dining, and entertainment. Work can be found in Rutland, and its industries support many southern Vermonters. Many jobs in the county were lost with the closing of the marble quarries in the 1980s and 1990s, but Rutland has remained a vibrant and small city. Its major employers include General Electric, OMYA, an international producer of fine white metals, and Experian, a global leader in information services to corporations and consumers.
The county includes several elementary and high schools. The College of St. Joseph is in Rutland City, and Castleton State College in neighboring Castleton, and Rutland City also hosts a campus of the Community College of Vermont. The popular Killington ski area is just a few miles west of Rutland City on U.S. Route 4.
For information on specific communities in Rutland County, we suggest that you log on to wikipedia.com and search for these:
With information from WIkipedia.org
