Buels Gore, Vermont, New England USA

About Buels Gore, Vermont

Chittenden County
Chartered: November 4, 1780 (Vermont Charter)
Area: 3,202 Acres = 5 Square Miles [ Size Rank: 248* ]
Coordinates (Geographic Center): N 44° 12′ W 72°57′
Population (US Census, 2010): 30 [ Population Rank: 249* ]
Population Density (persons per square mile): 6 [ Density Rank: 245* ]
Census Info: County State

*Area, Population and Density rankings refer to Buels Gore’s relative position among Vermont’s 255 civic entities (9 cities, 242 towns, 4 gores and grants). Complete rankings are here.

When it was determined that there was no room for a town to match the grant issued on November 4, 1780 to Major Elias Buel (a latecomer to the land speculation business), five other Buels and Ira Allen, the Major was given a “flying grant” to locate an unowned town-sized piece of land wherever he could. They finally had to settle for three separate tracts to make up the equivalent of one town.

A smallish piece in modern Orleans County would be known as Coventry. Near it, Coventry Leg, so named for its odd shape (now part of Newport). At the southern tip of Huntington, a triangular piece known then as Huntington Gore, to be renamed Buels Gore over the Major’s objections (he argued for “Montzoar”).

Charters for all three tracts were issued October 22, 1788, retroactive to the date of the original grant; Buel and his associates were promptly presented a thumping back tax bill covering eight-plus years they had not actually owned the land. Buel eventually lost his share to the tax debt, gave up land speculating and moved to New York.

Buels Gore had its big year in 1840 when the population totalled 18, with 3,500 more sheep than people. There has never been a recognizable village, no post office, and no representative in the Legislature. Like the state’s other gores, grants and unorganized towns, business affairs are administered by a State-appointed supervisor.

The greater part of Buels Gore is taken up by Camels Hump State Forest and other mountains.

The photo above was taken where Route 17 passes between Stark and Baby Stark Mountains, a cleft known as “Appalachian Gap”. The Long Trail crosses Route 17 here, at just under 2,400 feet.

The view is well worth the trip, but I don’t recommend driving anything large or towing anything at all. On the west side (coming from Route 116 just above Bristol), Route 17 starts off gently enough but gets in a couple of extreme hairpins and becomes VERY steep near the top (climbing over 1,000 feet in about 1.5 miles, as the crow flies). On the east side (coming from Route 100 below Waitsfield), it’s a tad easier, but not by much. On the other hand, I have followed full log trucks up and down in both directions, so it definitely can be done, but I did not envy the drivers.

Points of Interest

Chittenden County Historical Society

Contact Info

Emergency Services (Statewide): 911
Hospital: University of Vermont Medical Center (Burlington) 802-847-0000

Supervisor: Garret Mott 129 Old County Road Buels Gore, VT 05487
802-238-0003

Neighboring Towns

This is a basic geographic reference, intended to show relative location of adjacent towns. Directional accuracy is limited to 16 compass points. There isn’t even the slightest suggestion that one can necessarily travel directly from one town to the next (as in “You can’t get there from here”).

Huntington

Starksboro

Buels Gore

Fayston

Lincoln

Utilities

Notes about utilities:

  • One electric or phone company indicates that company serves the entire town. More than one of either indicates each serves different areas of town.
  • A listed cable company MIGHT mean the entire town is covered, but not necessarily. More than one listed indicates each serves different areas of town.
  • Unless your area is one served by Vermont’s only gas utility, your only option is bottled gas (any dealer).
    Electric Green Mountain Power 888-835-4672
    Telephone Waitsfield & Champlain Valley Telecom 802-496-3391

1866 Nevada Reese River Mining Country Buel's Mill Midas Mill  illustrated picture

1866 Nevada Reese River Mining Country Buel's Mill Midas Mill illustrated

$27.99



Muskegon Mi Walgreens~Buel's Florsheim Shoes~1947 Nash~1947 Mercury Woodie1950s picture

Muskegon Mi Walgreens~Buel's Florsheim Shoes~1947 Nash~1947 Mercury Woodie1950s

$11.00



10 Issues 1840 The Cultivator Buel's Genesee Farmer Agriculture Albany NY picture

10 Issues 1840 The Cultivator Buel's Genesee Farmer Agriculture Albany NY

$19.95



Matchbook Cover - Florsheim Shoes Monrovia CA Buel's 30 Stick picture

Matchbook Cover - Florsheim Shoes Monrovia CA Buel's 30 Stick

$2.99



Photo:Rev. D.H. Buel 1 picture

Photo:Rev. D.H. Buel 1

$9.99



Photo:Rev. D.H. Buel picture

Photo:Rev. D.H. Buel

$9.99



1843 CULTIVATOR BUEL'S & GENESEE FARMER FULL YEAR NEWSPAPER ORIGINAL NY picture

1843 CULTIVATOR BUEL'S & GENESEE FARMER FULL YEAR NEWSPAPER ORIGINAL NY

$275.00



1930 PAPER AD Fishing Lure Jamison Frog Coaxer Buel's Twin Spinner Pflueger  picture

1930 PAPER AD Fishing Lure Jamison Frog Coaxer Buel's Twin Spinner Pflueger

$19.99



Matchcover USA Monrovia California Buel's Shoes Monrovia Myrtle Lemon Florsheim picture

Matchcover USA Monrovia California Buel's Shoes Monrovia Myrtle Lemon Florsheim

$10.00