There were lots of numbers in the news 50 years ago. Here are some of the top stories that appeared in the June 11, 1970, edition of the Independent:
• The 1970 census report showed Addison County had a population of 24,001 people. Of all the towns, Middlebury had the highest population (6,842 residents) and Goshen had the smallest (114). Today, Addison County’s population is around 37,000 and the most- and least-populated towns are still Middlebury (8,500) and Goshen (160), respectively.
• James E. Callahan of Chelmsford, Mass., was appointed the new principal of Mary Hogan Elementary School in Middlebury.
• The names of 58 people involved in divorce proceedings were printed on the front page. The 30 cases were due to be heard during the June term of the Addison County Court.
• Three hundred people attended an open house for the new Co-operative Fire Insurance Association building in Middlebury. The highlight of the tour was the new computer, which had its own room in the building.
• Mount Abraham Union High School senior Elizabeth Shattuck of Monkton, Addison County’s “Dairy Princess,” was elevated to Vermont Dairy Princess at the Vermont Dairy Festival in Enosburg Falls.
• Graduation ceremonies were held or scheduled for high school students all around the county. There were 145 students set to graduate from Middlebury Union High School, 116 from Otter Valley, 98 from Vergennes, and 79 from Mt. Abe.
— Emma Pope McCright