Town file
Townshend, Vermont
Townshend, Vermont is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 408, "Never Saw That Coming" (22 July 2023). Robert Schriner was born in 1925 and raised in the Bronx, where he attended Bronx High School of Science.
- Town
- Townshend
- State
- Vermont
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 408
- Approximate location
- 43.049, -72.670
Episode 408 / 22 July 2023 / 73 min / express
Never Saw That Coming
"We are going all the way to Vermont this week, Townshend, in southwestern Vermont." about 0:03:48
The case: Murder of Robert Schriner (June 2, 2004). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2023
- Population
- 1,641
- Median household income
- about $52,000
- Median home value
- $288,600
History, in brief
- Named after Charles Townsend, the Secretary of War under King George III. about 0:05:21
- Between 1755 and 1761 plans and occupation of the town were abandoned because of the French and Indian War; the grant had to be settled within five years and had to be re-granted. about 0:05:44
- The land had very fertile soil, but the many trees with deep roots made clearing and farming difficult. about 0:06:03
- During the Civil War the town's population was 1,376, and about 120 men fought, almost 10 per cent of the population. about 0:06:20
- Cash bounties of $500 were paid to men who signed up, a large sum at the time. about 0:06:39
- The population has grown by almost nothing in 150 or 160 years and is still almost the same, within a hundred people. about 0:06:26
- Many men did not return to Vermont after the war, which shrank the population. about 0:06:52
- Townshend is where the town scenes of the film Funny Farm were shot. about 0:05:02
The reviews read out
4 stars
"It is a very tight-knit community, but it would be nice if there were more things to do."about 0:08:09
3 stars
"It is a long commute to the nearest town, so shopping takes a whole day; the schools are only okay, nearby Brattleboro has a better high school, and the pizza place in the town centre always says it is opening but never does; a classic small town with classic small town problems."about 0:08:21
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Newfane, Vermont4.3 miles
- Grafton, Vermont8.9 miles
- Lempster, New Hampshire28 miles
- Greenfield, Massachusetts30 miles
- North Adams, Massachusetts34 miles
- Rutland, Vermont42 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.