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Cumberland, Maine

Cumberland is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,473 at the time of the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland metropolitan area, Maine. Cumberland is one of the wealthiest municipalities in the state.

History

Cumberland, Maine (also known as Cumberland Center), became independent in March 1821 after it split from North Yarmouth. The town was officially named by Ephraim Sturdivant when the new town government elected him to do the task.

The Cumberland Fair, and annual agricultural fair, has been held yearly in Cumberland during the month of September since 1868. This Portland suburb has a rich farming history, but only a small number of working farms remain, such as Sweetser's Apple Barrel & Orchards, Spring Brook Farms, and Double T Orchards. Chebeague Island, long a part of Cumberland, formed its own town in 2007.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 26.25 sqmi, of which 22.88 sqmi is land and 3.37 sqmi is water. The town stretches inland from Cumberland Foreside, on Casco Bay, to West Cumberland, which borders Windham.

Near the center of the town, there is a small recreational park called Twin Brook. Run and maintained by the town, it is open to cross-country skiers, walkers, and sports practices. Local ballfields at Drowne Road School host the local Little League teams. Knight's Pond Preserve, on the border with North Yarmouth, is home to a pond and a large nature preserve used for recreation year round.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 7,211 people, 2,697 households, and 2,079 families living in the town. The population density was 315.2 PD/sqmi. There were 2,902 housing units at an average density of 126.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.2% White, 0.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.8% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.

There were 2,697 households, of which 37.9% had men under the age of 18 living with them, 67.4% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 22.9% were non-families. 18.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.06.

The median age in the town was 45 years. 26.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.2% were from 25 to 44; 35.6% were from 45 to 64; and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 7,159 people, 2,548 households, and 2,046 families living in the town. The population density was 274.6 PD/sqmi. There were 2,945 housing units at an average density of 112.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.76% White, 0.14% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 0.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.66% of the population.

There were 2,548 households, of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them; 71.0% were married couples living together; 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present; and 19.7% were non-families. 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone 65 or older living alone. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.4% under the age of 18; 3.6% from 18 to 24; 27.7% from 25 to 44; 27.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $67,556, and the median income for a family was $76,571. Males had a median income of $49,538 versus $37,367 for females. The per capita income for the town was $33,644. About 2.4% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.8% of those under age 18 and 6.2% of those age 65 or over.

Government and Politics
Cumberland is an incorporated town governed by a council–manager government.

Education
The school system that serves Cumberland is known as Maine School Administrative District 51 or MSAD 51. There are 3 schools in the district—which also serves North Yarmouth, Maine: the Mabel I. Wilson School, Greely Middle School, and Greely High School. In June 2014, the district closed the North Yarmouth Memorial School and moved into the expanded the Greely Middle School. The Drowne Road School was closed in 2010 due to budget cuts, and the Greely Middle School replaced the Greely Junior High School in 2005. Jeff Porter is the superintendent of the district. The Friends School of Portland, serves grades Pre-K through 8.

Notable people

 * Matt Apuzzo, 2012 Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist
 * Peter Askim, composer of modern classical music, conductor, music educator
 * Joseph Brackett, American songwriter and elder of the Shakers; author of "Simple Gifts"
 * Robert G. Dillenback, state legislator
 * Toni Fiore, celebrity chef
 * William J. Garsoe, state legislator and Maine House Minority Leader
 * Hoddy Hildreth, state legislator and conservationist
 * Captain Reuben Merrill, sea captain
 * Stephen Moriarty, state legislator and attorney
 * D. P. B. Pride, politician and attorney in Idaho
 * Captain Ephraim Sturdivant, namer of and treasurer for Cumberland
 * Karl Turner, state legislator
 * Oliver Wahlstrom, Professional hockey player, raised in Cumberland

title: Cumberland, Maine


text:
Cumberland Center, Maine

Cumberland Center is a census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Cumberland in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,499 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland – South Portland – Biddeford, Maine, Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
Cumberland Center is located at 43.79667°N, -70.24972°W (43.796786, -70.249713).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.2 sqmi, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,596 people, 891 households, and 744 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 612.2 PD/sqmi. There were 904 housing units at an average density of 213.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 99.00% White, 0.15% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.12% from other races, and 0.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.42% of the population.

There were 891 households, out of which 49.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.1% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.4% were non-families. 14.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.22.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 33.9% under the age of 18, 2.7% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.8 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $66,950, and the median income for a family was $72,632. Males had a median income of $47,975 versus $40,125 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $32,043. About 2.3% of families and 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.0% of those under age 18 and 4.2% of those age 65 or over.

School system
The Greely school system comprises five schools which teach grades K–12. Greely High School has a student body composed of 2001 students in grades 9–12.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Cumberland Center, Maine


text:
Falmouth, Maine

Falmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 12,444 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.

A northern suburb of Portland, Falmouth borders Casco Bay and offers one of the largest anchorages in Maine. The town is home to three private golf clubs and the Portland Yacht Club.

Native Americans
Native Americans followed receding glaciers into Maine around 11,000 BCE. At the time of European contact in the sixteenth century, people speaking a western dialect of the Wabanaki language inhabited present-day Falmouth. Captain John Smith observed a semi-autonomous band known as the Aucocisco living in Casco Bay. English explorer Christopher Levett met with the Aucocisco Sagamore Skittery Gusset at his summer village at the Presumpscot Falls in 1623.

A combination of warfare and disease decimated Native peoples in the years before English colonization, creating a shatter zone of devastation and political instability in what would become southern Maine. The introduction of European wares in the 1500s reoriented long-standing Native trade relationships in the Gulf of Maine. Warfare soon broke out among groups such as the Mi'kmaq and Penobscot who sought to subjugate their neighbors by monopolizing access to European goods. The arrival of foreign pathogens only served to compound the upheaval in the region. A particularly notorious epidemic between 1614 and 1620 ravaged the population of coastal New England with mortality rates at upwards of 90 percent. Native peoples were not totally destroyed however, maintaining a visible presence in the Casco Bay area until King George's War in the 1740s. French military defeat and increasing English settler migration to the area from primarily southern New England impelled most Native Americans to assimilate into European society, migrate toward the protection of New France or further up the coast where they remain today.

New Casco (1630–1765)
Falmouth's original bounds encompassed the present day cities of Portland, South Portland, Westbrook and Cape Elizabeth. Today’s town was known as New Casco, and was only a neighborhood within the larger collection of communities around Casco Bay centered in what is downtown Portland. Falmouth’s early years were marked by extreme violence as it lay on a borderland zone between Europeans and Native Americans. Casco Bay represented the northernmost point of English settlement on the east coast until 1713. Numerous wars between 1675–1763 among the English, French, and Native Americans rarely left Falmouth unscathed from the violence. The English twice abandoned Casco Bay altogether under pressure from French and Indian attacks in 1676 and 1690. The first European resident was Arthur Mackworth, who lived on the east bank of the Presumpscot River as early as 1630. When the Massachusetts Bay Colony took political control of Maine in 1658 from the heirs of Sir Ferdinando Gorges, they renamed the area Falmouth after an important Parliamentary victory in the English Civil War. Colloquially known as "Falmouth in Casco Bay" to distinguish it from Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod, it was the 7th town in the recently formed Province of Maine, later being formally incorporated on November 12, 1718.

One of the earliest structures in the town of Falmouth was a palisaded fort and trading post named Fort Casco built in 1698 at the conclusion of King William's War. The location of the fort can be found today opposite Pine Grove Cemetery on Route 88. Massachusetts built the fort at the behest of local Abenaki desiring a convenient place to trade and repair tools and weapons. A 1701 meeting between the Wabanaki leaders and Massachusetts officials cemented an alliance between the two. A pair of stone cairns were then erected to symbolize the new partnership. The nearby Two Brothers Islands later received their name from this now long-forgotten monument.

Unfortunately this peace would last less than three years, with the inauguration of Queen Anne's War in 1702. Governor Joseph Dudley held a conference at New Casco with representatives of the Abenaki tribes on June 20, 1703, trying to convince them not to ally with the French. His efforts were unsuccessful, as the fort was besieged only two months later by Abenaki Sagamores Moxus, Wanungonet, Assacombuit and their French Allies during the Northeast Coast Campaign. The arrival of the Massachusetts ship Province Galley relieved the fort by dispersing the Wabanaki and the some 500 French with its guns. Peace returned in 1713 with the Treaty of Portsmouth. When the resettlement of present-day Portland began in 1716, the Province of Massachusetts ordered that the fort at New Casco be demolished rather than maintain it.

New Casco could not be safely settled by the English until the fall of Quebec in 1759 permanently removed the threat of French and Indian attack. Living so far away from Portland was dangerous: only one family lived in the town in 1725. An Indian raid in 1745 and the murder of Job Burnal in 1751 represented the risks colonists undertook to live in the area. The majority of the first permanent European inhabitants to the town came after 1740, quickly growing to "62 families" and forming their own parish in 1753 (currently the Falmouth Congregational Church). The population of Falmouth would hover between 1,000 and 2,000 residents for the next two centuries. These residents engaged in farming, fishing, and harvesting masts. Mills on the Presumpscot River, Piscataqua River in West Falmouth, and Mussel Cove powered sawmills, processed agricultural products, and manufactured finished goods by the 1800s.

Modern Falmouth
In 1765 Cape Elizabeth (then including South Portland) seceded from Falmouth. In 1786, Portland broke away, followed in 1814 by Westbrook, although boundaries between it and Falmouth were readjusted throughout the nineteenth century. Logistics were the reason these separations. Population had grown by the 1760s to the extent that separate church parishes had formed, creating rival communities more attuned to local concerns. People also complained about the distance between outer areas and the center of the town in present-day Portland. By 1859, fishing and farming were principal trades. Other industries included three shipbuilders, three brickmakers, a sawmill, gristmill and tannery. In 1886, the town also produced boots, shoes, tinware and carriage stock.

The extension of trolley service from Portland to the Falmouth Foreside in 1898 initiated the town's transformation from a rural community to an urban consumer society. Trolleys cemented Falmouth’s economic connection to Portland and transformed the Foreside neighborhood into a relaxation spot for nearby city dwellers. Portland’s Yankee elites relocated the Portland Yacht Club and Portland Country Club to Falmouth in 1885 and 1913 respectively, where they have remained ever since. To promote its line, the Portland and Yarmouth Electric Railway Company opened Underwood Spring Park north of Town Landing in 1899. The park’s attractions included a casino, hotel, and outdoor theater. Fire destroyed Underwood Spring Park in 1907 and was not rebuilt. The Portland–Lewiston Interurban also ran up today’s Route 100 in West Falmouth. People’s growing preference for the automobile spelled the end for trolleys, which ended service in 1933.

In 1943, Percival Proctor Baxter donated Mackworth Island to the state as a wildlife refuge; today it is site of the state school for the deaf and hard of hearing.

The advent of the automobile accelerated Falmouth's transition toward becoming a residential suburb of Portland. Military personnel who moved to the town while Casco Bay was base Sail for America’s destroyer fleet from 1941 to 1944 bolstered much of this growth. Like many urban areas in the United States during the mid-twentieth century, the automobile, cheaper residential taxes, and the desire for open space channeled an urban exodus away from cities like Portland into neighboring towns such as Falmouth. In the span of fifty years the town’s population has skyrocketed from five thousand to over ten thousand residents today. Falmouth’s location on the ocean, along with its respected public school system, has made it one of the more attractive communities in Greater Portland. This demand consequently led developers to construct two additional country clubs in 1986 and 1988. The nature of such enclosed neighborhoods and other high-scale subdivisions like it has only recently turned the town into one of the most affluent in Maine.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.34 sqmi, of which 29.38 sqmi is land and 6.96 sqmi is water. Located beside Casco Bay, the Gulf of Maine and Atlantic Ocean, Falmouth is drained by the Presumpscot River.

The town is crossed by Interstate 95 and 295, U. S. Route 1 and state routes 9, 26, 88 and 100. It borders the towns of Cumberland to the northeast, Westbrook and Portland to the southwest, and Windham to the northwest. There are two census-designated places occupying the eastern portion of the town: Falmouth CDP to the south, and Falmouth Foreside to the north.

Demographics
As of 2000 the median income for a household in the town was $66,855, and the median income for a family was $87,304. Males had a median income of $54,545 versus $35,258 for females. The per capita income for the town was $36,716. About 1.8% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 4.7% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 11,185 people, 4,334 households, and 3,063 families residing in the town. The population density was 380.7 PD/sqmi. There were 4,751 housing units at an average density of 161.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.4% White, 0.5% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.3% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 4,334 households, of which 36.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% were married couples living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.3% were non-families. 24.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.05.

The median age in the town was 45.3 years. 25.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19.2% were from 25 to 44; 33.6% were from 45 to 64; and 16.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

Sites of interest

 * Falmouth Historical Society & Museum
 * Falmouth Memorial Library
 * Falmouth Nature Preserve
 * Gilsland Farm Audubon Center
 * Mackworth Island Public Reserved Land
 * Maine State Ballet Theatre
 * Governor Baxter School for the Deaf
 * Falmouth High School

Education
Until June 2011, the town had a K–12 school system that included four individual school buildings. Lunt School included grades K–2 followed by Plummer-Motz which contained grades 3–4. Falmouth Middle School incorporated grades 5–8 and Falmouth High School contained grades 9–12. A new building, Falmouth Elementary School, opened in the fall of 2011. It was dedicated on September 17, 2011. The new elementary school contains grades K–5, replacing both Lunt School and Plummer-Motz. Falmouth Middle School now contains grades 6–8. The School Department is under the jurisdiction of the Falmouth School Board with participation of the Leadership Council and Superintendent of the Schools.

The Falmouth School Department is considered well above average by Maine state standards. Falmouth was named the "Top City to Live and Learn" by Forbes in 2011.

Public amenities
Mackworth Island was donated by former Governor Percival Baxter. The Baxter School for the Deaf occupies the center of the island and the remainder is a State park accessible to the public, with an oceanside walking trail around the perimeter. Clapboard Island, located a mile off Falmouth Town Land and accessible by kayak and canoe, includes a nature preserve administered by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. The Family Ice Center, a nonprofit ice skating facility, is "Southern Maine’s premier year round ice skating and community center," according to its website.

Notable people

 * Mary Cunningham Agee, business executive
 * William Cranch Bond, astronomer
 * Cathy Breen, Maine state legislator
 * Joseph Cummings, president of Wesleyan University (1857–1875), president of Northwestern University (1881–1890)
 * Gerald Davis, state legislator
 * Rob Derhak, musician
 * Frank Fixaris, sportscaster
 * G Hannelius, actress
 * Roger Levesque, retired soccer player for the Seattle Sounders FC
 * Mercy Lewis, accuser during the Salem witch trials
 * Helen Longley, former First Lady of Maine
 * Amy Kuhn, state legislator and resident of Falmouth
 * Bob Marley, comedian
 * John R. McKernan Jr., US congressman, 71st governor of Maine
 * John Menario, Portland city manager and candidate for Governor of Maine
 * Gary Merrill, actor
 * Stanley C. Norton, U.S. Navy Rear Admiral and Navy Cross recipient
 * Joan Whitney Payson, philanthropist, noted art collector
 * David D. Pearce, US ambassador to Algeria
 * Richard Rockefeller, physician, great-grandson of John D. Rockefeller Jr.
 * Olympia Snowe, US senator
 * Scott Wilson, appellate judge

Popular culture
Falmouth has been featured in several short stories and novels by author Stephen King, including "One for the Road", "Jerusalem's Lot", and most notably in 'Salem's Lot.

title: Falmouth, Maine


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Falmouth Foreside

Falmouth Foreside is a census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Falmouth in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, the CDP population was 1,511. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
Falmouth Foreside is located at 43.72752°N, -70.21452°W.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 4.3 km2, of which 3.9 km2 is land and 0.4 km2, or 8.69%, is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,964 people, 746 households, and 511 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 829.8 PD/sqmi. There were 794 housing units at an average density of 335.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 99.13% White, 0.41% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.25% of the population.

There were 746 households, out of which 31.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.4% were non-families. 26.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the CDP, the population was spread out, with 22.9% under the age of 18, 2.5% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 27.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 80.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.0 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $67,750, and the median income for a family was $87,382. Males had a median income of $50,441 versus $37,708 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $36,602. About 1.2% of families and 2.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 2.0% of those age 65 or over.

title: Falmouth Foreside


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Frye Island, Maine

Frye Island is an island town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. Located in Sebago Lake, the island is accessed via a public car ferry from Raymond Neck, or by private boat. All residents of the resort town are seasonal. The majority of property owners hail from New England area states (Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire) however there are many other states also represented on the island. Frye Island is vacant from November through April, and the ferry does not operate during that time due to thick ice blocking its route during the winter. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. The town had a population of 32 at the 2020 census.

History

It was included in the 1750 grant made by the Massachusetts General Court to Captain Moses Pearson, Captain Humphrey Hobbs and their respective companies of soldiers for services during the French and Indian Wars. Pearsontown Plantation was first settled in the 1750s, then incorporated as the town of Standish on November 30, 1785. Frye Island, named for Captain Joseph Frye, seceded to become a separate town on July 1, 1998.

A popular legend on Frye Island tells of Captain Frye and his escape from a tribe of Native Americans in Portland. While being chased, Captain Frye came upon a large rock, now known as Frye's Leap, and had no way of going around it. Captain Frye made the decision to jump and swim across the channel to Frye Island. Long afterwards, Frye's Leap became a popular spot for people to recreate the famous jump. At one point, the sharp and dangerous cliffs became so popular for jumping that numerous, often serious injuries were being reported each summer. And in 2012, a man even died while attempting to dive off the rockface. This in turn caused local law enforcement and the leap's landowners to take action, and multiple No Trespassing signs were placed along the cliff edge. On hot summer days, the area is often patrolled by the Maine Warden Service, in order to ward off potential jumpers.

Frye Island is composed of approximately 1,000 mostly wooded acres interlaced with 22 mi of dirt roads. The speed limit is 20 mi/h and the most popular way of transportation on the island is by golf cart rather than car. Many of the homes are built on waterfront property overlooking Sebago Lake. Real estate on Frye Island has skyrocketed over the past decade or so, and many of the waterfront homes assess at extremely high values. On the island, there are two marinas, various athletic and recreational facilities, several public beaches, a convenience store, an ice cream stand, a restaurant with a bar, and a golf club with a lounge that is open to the public.

The island is accessed by twin 65 ft single-deck car ferries that are owned and operated by the town. They run every half-hour from early in the morning until late in the evening during July and August, reduced somewhat in off-season. The trip takes about 7 minutes. Walk-on passengers are permitted, but there is no passenger parking at the ferry landings.

Traditions
Independence Day is the most celebrated holiday on the island, signified by its well known golf cart parade and fireworks display. People from all around Sebago gather to view the fireworks, either by boat or from the beach. Each year a walk and run is held among many other festivities as well.

Geography
Frye Island is approximately 1.5 mi wide (at the widest point) and 2.5 mi long. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 1.60 sqmi, of which 1.34 sqmi is land and 0.26 sqmi is water. Frye Island is situated in Sebago Lake.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were five people, two households, and two families residing in the town. The population density was 3.7 PD/sqmi. There were 481 housing units at an average density of 359.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 100.0% White.

There were two households, of which 50.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 100.0% were married couples living together. Of all households 0.0% were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.50.

The median age in the town was 30.8 years. Of residents, 20% were under the age of 18; 0.0% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 40% were from 25 to 44; 0.0% were from 45 to 64; and 40% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 60.0% male and 40.0% female.

title: Frye Island, Maine


text:
Gray, Maine

Gray is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 8,269 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. and included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. Gray is located at the intersection of state Routes 4, 26, 100, 115, 202 and the Maine Turnpike exit 63 midway between the state's two largest cities, Portland and Lewiston. The town includes frontage on Little Sebago Lake, Crystal Lake, and Forest Lake.

Gray is home to regional headquarters for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, which maintains a fish hatchery and wildlife park. It is also home to the Gray/Portland Weather Forecast Office of the NOAA's National Weather Service, which issues forecasts and weather warnings for New Hampshire and western Maine.

History
The area was granted on March 27, 1736, by the Massachusetts General Court to a group from Boston. In 1737, the township was laid out and roads cleared, with the first settlers arriving in the spring of 1738. But during the ongoing French and Indian Wars, the settlement was attacked in the spring of 1745 by Indians, who killed cattle and burned the meetinghouse and all dwellings. Inhabitants fled to other towns. In 1751, the village was resettled, but wiped out again in May 1755.

Consequently, Fort Gray was built in 1755. It featured a blockhouse measuring 50 ft long by 25 ft wide, set within a garrison palisade 100 ft long by 75 ft wide. The town had been without a name until about 1756, when it began to be called, Boston, then New Boston and eventually, New Town. On June 19, 1778, New Boston Plantation would be incorporated as Gray after Thomas Gray, a proprietor.

Gray had many farms and some quarries. Other industries included a gristmill, 12 sawmills, a tannery, granite and marble works, carriage and sleigh manufacturer, and shuttle maker. Along Collyer Brook, Samuel Mayall established in 1791 the first successful water-powered woolen mill in North America. British woolen guilds had prohibited the production of goods in the colonies and tried to prevent British technology from being put to use in competition against them. Mayall smuggled out of England plans for machinery hidden in bales of cloth meant for trade with the Indians. When the guilds learned of his deception, they tried at least twice to kill him. They sent him a hat in which were hidden pins laced with poison, and then a box with loaded pistols rigged to fire when opened. Suspicious of the packages, Mayall avoided an untimely death. His daughters Mary and Phanela took over the mills when he died in 1831, and built the Lower Mill in 1834. The Mayalls retained ownership until about 1879. The business closed in 1902. The ruins of the mill and associated structures are still visible to this day and are open to the public.

In the 1970s, Gray was chosen as the site of one of ten Decision Information Distribution System radio stations, designed to alert the public of an enemy attack. The system was never implemented and the station was not built.

"The Stranger"
During the Civil War, a Confederate soldier's body was accidentally sent to Gray. Instead of sending the body away, the "Ladies of Gray" gave the rebel soldier a proper burial and funded a gravestone marked simply, "Stranger". A statue dedicated to the "Unknown Soldier" was later erected in Gray Village Center, and every Memorial Day, the Unknown Soldier is respected with a Confederate flag marking the grave. (The Civil War was especially painful for the small town, as they had proportionately sent more men to conflict than any other town in Maine.) Today, there are more than 178 Union soldiers—and one Confederate—buried in the Gray Village Cemetery.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 45.99 sqmi, of which 43.27 sqmi is land and 2.72 sqmi is water. Gray, which includes most of Little Sebago Lake and Crystal Lake, is drained by Collyer Brook. Little Sebago Lake has been experiencing problems with milfoil for years.

Gray has five towns surrounding it: Windham to the southwest, Cumberland to the southeast, North Yarmouth to the northeast, New Gloucester to the north-northeast and Raymond to the northwest and west. On a north-up map, Gray is the shape of a crooked square.

Gray has long been interconnected with its neighbor to the north, New Gloucester, both sharing similar demographics, culture and economy. They are two of the last rural towns in Southern Maine, with the Portland area to the south and Lewiston–Auburn to the north. Both towns share the same school district, Maine School Administrative District 15. Being in the vicinity these towns are in, there has been ever-increasing suburban development since the early nineties. Subdivisions and commercial developments have been built at an ever-increasing frequency, leading to the possibility of Gray being swallowed up into the surrounding urban and sub-urban areas in the future. These developments have drawn much protest from residents, many of whom live on the same property as their ancestors many generations ago.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 7,761 people, 3,156 households, and 2,187 families residing in the town. The population density was 179.4 PD/sqmi. There were 3,841 housing units at an average density of 88.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.2% White, 0.7% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 3,156 households, of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.0% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.7% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.85.

The median age in the town was 40.6 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.2% were from 25 to 44; 32.2% were from 45 to 64; and 10.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.7% male and 50.3% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 6,820 people, 2,637 households, and 1,890 families residing in the town. The population density was 157.7 PD/sqmi. There were 3,202 housing units at an average density of 74.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.89% White, 0.43% African American, 0.15% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.59% of the population.

There were 2,637 households, out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.9% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 34.6% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $50,107, and the median income for a family was $55,806. Males had a median income of $36,342 versus $26,433 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,050. About 1.3% of families and 2.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

Education

 * Maine School Administrative District 15

Notable people

 * Wendell Abraham Anderson, politician
 * Susan Austin, politician
 * Cuke Barrows, professional baseball outfielder
 * Todd Chretien, activist
 * Walter B. Gibson, author & magician
 * Simon Greenleaf, jurist
 * Samuel Mayall, U.S. congressman
 * Reuben Ruby, entrepreneur and abolitionist
 * Warren H. Vinton, state legislator

Sites of interest

 * Town of Gray official website
 * Gray Historical Society
 * Gray Public Library
 * Mayall Mills State Historic Site

title: Gray, Maine


text:
Harpswell, Maine

Harpswell is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, within Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine. The population was 5,031 at the 2020 census. Harpswell is composed of land contiguous with the rest of Cumberland County, called Harpswell Neck, as well as three large islands connected by bridges: Sebascodegan Island (locally known as Great Island), Orr's Island, and Bailey Island and over 200 smaller islands. Harpswell is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History
The Native Americans who originally inhabited Harpswell were part of the Abenaki. The Abenaki name for Harpswell Neck, then called West Harpswell, was Merriconeag or "quick carrying place", a reference to the narrow peninsula's easy portage. The Abenaki name for Great Island was Erascohegan or Sebascodiggin, which became by the late 1800s Sebascodegan Island. About 1659 Major Nicholas Shapleigh of Kittery, Maine, bought Merriconeag and Sebascodegan Island from the Abenaki, but because of Indian defense, attempts to settle the area were abandoned until after Dummer's War. The Treaty of 1725 brought a truce, and by 1731 many settlers had returned.

Formerly a part of North Yarmouth, in 1758 the town was incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court and named for Harpswell in Lincolnshire, England. Industries included farming and some shipbuilding, but fishing brought considerable profit, and lobstering still contributes to the local economy. The Bailey Island Bridge is a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 127.69 sqmi, of which 24.18 sqmi is land and 103.51 sqmi is water. The town is situated on Casco Bay in the Gulf of Maine, part of the Atlantic Ocean. Harpswell has about 216 mi of coastline.

The town is crossed by state routes 24 and 123. It is bordered by the town of Brunswick to the north, and is separated by the New Meadows River from West Bath to the northeast and Phippsburg to the east.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 4,740 people, 2,218 households, and 1,450 families living in the town. The population density was 196.0 PD/sqmi. There were 4,208 housing units at an average density of 174.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.7% White, 0.1% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.

There were 2,218 households, of which 19.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.3% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.6% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.53.

The median age in the town was 52.9 years. 15% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 16.9% were from 25 to 44; 37.5% were from 45 to 64; and 25.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 5,239 people, 2,340 households, and 1,532 families living in the town. The population density was 216.7 PD/sqmi. There were 3,701 housing units at an average density of 153.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.94% White, 0.25% African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.23% from other races, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.32% of the population.

There were 2,340 households, out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.1% were married couples living together, 6.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.69.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.6% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 18.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,611, and the median income for a family was $45,119. Males had a median income of $34,167 versus $30,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $30,433. About 3.3% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.8% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Fire, EMS, police
Fire protection services are provided in Harpswell by three unique and nonrelated volunteer fire departments. All three departments provide EMS services and operate ambulances. A town contracted paramedic is stationed 24/7 at the town hall.
 * Harpswell Neck Fire Department
 * Orr's and Bailey Island Fire Department
 * Cundy's Harbor Fire Department

Law enforcement services are provided by the Cumberland County Sheriff's Office.

Notable people

 * John Chryssavgis, author, theologian
 * Patrick Dempsey, actor
 * Stephen M. Etnier, artist
 * Cheryl Golek, politician
 * Richard Jacques, military officer
 * Elijah Kellogg, minister, lecturer, author
 * Hilton Kramer, art critic, essayist
 * Samuel Merritt, physician, businessman, mayor, regent
 * Edna St. Vincent Millay, poet
 * James L. Nelson, novelist
 * Robert Peary, explorer
 * Alexander Petrunkevitch, Yale professor and arachnologist

Education
Public schools in the area are operated by Maine School Administrative District 75. During the 2010–2011 school year, Harpswell residents voted to close the West Harpswell School, one of the town's two K–5 elementary schools. Beginning in 2011–2012, West Harpswell students began being bused to the Harpswell Islands School. It was due to save approximately $200,000 a year. In September 2013, Harpswell Coastal Academy, a charter school serving grades 6–12 opened in the old West Harpswell School. There is a private preschool, the Harpswell Nature School, residing within the Elijah Kellogg Church (not religiously affiliated) that was established in 2003 under the name Harpswell Community Nursery School, with four teachers and twenty-four students ages 3–5.

In popular culture
The fictional murder mystery Blow the Man Down was filmed in Harpswell in 2018. The name of the town in the film is changed to Easter Cove, Maine.

The Marvel Comics superhero Carol Danvers has a family home in Harpswell.

Sites of interest

 * Eagle Island State Historic Site, summer home of Admiral Robert Peary
 * Harpswell Historical Society Museum and the adjacent Harpswell Cattle Pound
 * Ragged Island – Summer home of Edna St. Vincent Millay
 * Bailey Island Cribstone Bridge

title: Harpswell, Maine


text:
Harrison, Maine

Harrison is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. Harrison is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 2,447 at the 2020 census. A historic resort area, Harrison straddles Long Lake and Crystal Lake. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.

History
The Massachusetts General Court granted Otis Field Plantation in 1771 to James Otis and other heirs of Captain John Gorham and his company for their service in the 1690 Battle of Quebec. It replaced a 1736 grant which had been ruled invalid. In 1797, the plantation was incorporated as Otisfield. On March 8, 1805, Harrison was set off and incorporated from portions of Otisfield and Bridgton. It was named after a principal landowner, Harrison Gray Otis of Boston, the heir of James Otis.

In the autumn of 1792, two brothers from Gorham, John and Nathan Carsley, built a camp and cleared land in Harrison. During the winter they returned to Gorham, coming back in March 1793 with their wives. Because John Carsley and his wife remained in Harrison when Nathan Carsley and his wife resumed living in Gorham until 1796, he is considered the town's first permanent settler. More pioneers arrived, living in log houses chinked with moss. The outlet of Crystal Lake into Long Lake provided water power for industry, and James Sampson erected at Harrison village the first sawmill and gristmill. Over the years other industries followed, including a wire-making business, blacksmithy, shingle mill, harness-maker, foundry, carriage maker, clothing maker and shoe shop. Scribner's Mill (now a museum) was built in 1847 on the Crooked River. On the Bear River, in 1867 the Harrison Water Power Company established the Bear River Woolen Mill, destroyed by fire in 1872.

In 1832, the Cumberland and Oxford Canal opened, connecting Portland with Sebago Lake. A series of 27 locks lifted vessels from sea level at Casco Bay to Sebago Lake, 270 ft above sea level. From there they traveled up the Songo River to Brandy Pond, then continued along the Chute River to Long Lake. As the company name indicates, the canal was originally planned to reach Oxford County, but instead terminated at Harrison. The town became a center for trade and transportation, with wharves and warehouses lining the shore.

In 1847, the Sebago & Long Pond Steam Navigation Company built Fawn, the first steamboat to ply the lakes and waterways. It had a shallow draft to navigate the winding Songo River, with passengers asked to shift sides as ballast to keep both paddlewheels in the water around sharp curves. The lakes became a popular summer tourist destination, with The Elm House (later called The Elms Inn) opening in 1860. When the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad commenced service to Sebago Lake Station in 1870, the canal was abandoned as obsolete. Beginning in 1898, the Bridgton and Saco River Railroad, a narrow gauge line, delivered freight and passengers directly to Harrison.

In 1906, the Harrison Hotel opened. Camp Kineo operated beside Long Lake as a camp for boys. Today, Harrison remains a recreational area. Harrison is also home to Fernwood Cove, a half-season summer camp for girls on the same spot as Camp Chickawah was. It is located on Island Pond.

In 1936 the Historic Deertrees Theatre was built by Enrica Clay Dillon and is still home to countless theatre, opera and music performances, including the Sebago Long Lake Music Festival.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.81 sqmi, of which 33.19 sqmi is land and 3.62 sqmi is water. Harrison is drained by the Bear River and Crooked River.

The Maine state routes that cross through Harrison are 35 and 117. Harrison is bordered by the town of Bridgton to its west, Waterford and Norway to its north, Otisfield to its east, and Naples to its south.

Crystal Lake
Crystal Lake (formerly Anonymous Pond) is north of Long Lake, and overflows into Long Lake through downtown Harrison. Smallmouth bass thrive in the lake, with a few lake trout.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,730 people, 1,113 households, and 779 families living in the town. The population density was 82.3 PD/sqmi. There were 1,761 housing units at an average density of 53.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.4% White, 0.3% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 1,113 households, of which 29.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.6% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.0% were non-families. 23.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.84.

The median age in the town was 45.3 years. 21.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 35% were from 45 to 64; and 15.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.3% male and 48.7% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,315 people, 920 households, and 662 families living in the town. The population density was 70.1 PD/sqmi. There were 1,430 housing units at an average density of 43.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.79% White, 0.52% African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.52% of the population.

There were 920 households, out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.0% were non-families. 22.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.4% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 28.6% from 25 to 44, 27.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,478, and the median income for a family was $42,159. Males had a median income of $30,726 versus $22,311 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,898. About 6.9% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Horace A. Barrows, a 19th-century physician, maker of plant-based medicines and advocate of vegetarian diet who invested in the building of the Barrows-Scribner's Mills sawmill and Scribner Homestead
 * Edward H. Hill, founder of Central Maine Medical Center
 * Melville E. Ingalls, Massachusetts state legislator and railroad president
 * George Lakin, US senator from Wisconsin and United States District Attorney

title: Harrison, Maine


text:
Little Falls-South Windham, Maine

Little Falls-South Windham was a census-designated place (CDP) in Cumberland County, Maine, United States defined for the 2000 census. The population of the CDP was 1,792 at the time. Because of new CDP guidelines for 2010, the CDP has been split into two CDPs: Little Falls and South Windham.

It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
Little Falls-South Windham is located at 43.73167°N, -70.42028°W (43.731790, -70.420378).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP had a total area of 2.5 sqmi, of which 2.4 sqmi was land and 0.1 sqmi, or 5.18%, was water.

It was divided between the towns of Gorham (the Little Falls side) and Windham (the South Windham side), and straddles the Presumpscot River.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,792 people, 491 households, and 341 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 754.9 PD/sqmi. There were 521 housing units at an average density of 219.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 95.93% White, 1.67% African American, 0.84% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.06% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.78% of the population.

There were 491 households, out of which 35.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.3% were married couples living together, 14.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the CDP the population was spread out, with 18.3% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 43.1% from 25 to 44, 17.6% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 163.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 183.2 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $42,639, and the median income for a family was $50,500. Males had a median income of $32,000 versus $21,983 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $14,377. About 2.6% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.3% of those under age 18 and none of those age 65 or over.

title: Little Falls-South Windham, Maine


text:
Long Island, Maine

Long Island is an island town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, which seceded from the city of Portland in 1993. The population was 234 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 33.52 sqmi, of which 1.42 sqmi is land and 32.10 sqmi is water.

Demographics
The total population of 202 only includes year-round residents. A significant number of seasonal residents causes the population to swell to over 700 during the summer. There are 175 registered voters on Long Island.

Long Island maintains its own elementary school from grades K–5, but sends students to Portland for schooling from grades 6 through 12.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 230 people, 99 households, and 70 families living in the town. The population density was 162.0 PD/sqmi. There were 381 housing units at an average density of 268.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 93.5% White, 2.2% African American, 0.4% Native American, 2.6% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population.

There were 99 households, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.3% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.80.

The median age in the town was 52 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.2% were from 25 to 44; 30.5% were from 45 to 64; and 28.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 202 people, 93 households, and 61 families living in the town. The population density was 141.2 PD/sqmi. There were 353 housing units at an average density of 246.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.03% White, 0.99% Asian, and 1.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.50% of the population.

There were 93 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.2% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.4% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.70.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.2% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 22.8% from 25 to 44, 30.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,833, and the median income for a family was $43,214. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $28,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,278. About 10.0% of families and 10.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.6% of those under the age of eighteen and 11.1% of those 65 or over.

History
Long Island, like other Casco Bay islands, was originally inhabited in the warm months by Native Americans until European settlers first arrived in the 17th century. Col. Ezekiel Cushing purchased the island in 1732 and is credited with being the first European to settle and build a house on the island. He died in 1765, and willed the island to his nine surviving children. Soon after, other settlers arrived to make a livelihood out of farming, fishing, and catching lobsters.

During World War II, Casco Bay became United States Navy base Sail for destroyers escorting HX, SC, and ON convoys of the Battle of the Atlantic. Facilities constructed on the island included the Torpedo Control Officers School of the Portland Naval Training Center, a navy supply pier with a naval fuel annex often cited as a source of contamination for both the island's marsh and Casco Bay, and the Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Casco Bay seaplane base operated as part of Naval Air Station Brunswick from 14 May 1943 to 15 December 1946. The United States Army Coast Artillery Corps built two batteries of 90 mm dual-purpose guns on the island as the Long Island Military Reservation, part of the Harbor Defenses of Portland.

After the war, tourism became the most popular industry, and several small stores, a fire station, and a K–5 school (1953) were built. In the summer, several hundred or even thousands of tourists travel from places such as Massachusetts and New York to vacation in their summer cottages.

The island was originally part of the city of Portland, which re-evaluated property taxes in 1990. Due in part to high real estate prices paid by out-of-state residents and property aesthetic values, property taxes increased substantially. Many residents felt this move created an unfair discrepancy between the money paid to the City of Portland and the services they received in return. The island voted to secede from Portland, and on July 1, 1993, the island was declared the Town of Long Island. The Long Island Historical Society now houses every news article that was printed about the secession movement as well as video and film footage of the secession ceremonies. These archives also include copies of the local and national news coverage given to the community during its "rebellion".

title: Long Island, Maine


text:
Naples, Maine

Naples is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The population was 3,925 at the 2020 census, and it is home to part of Sebago Lake State Park. Naples is a resort area.

History
The area was settled in 1790. Farming was limited by the soil, which consisted of gravelly loam, its surface strewn with glacial erratic boulders. The uplands, however, provided good grazing for livestock, and hay became the principal crop.

Named for Naples, Italy, the town was incorporated on March 4, 1834, from parts of Otisfield, Harrison, Raymond and Bridgton. Between 1845 and 1856, it annexed more land from Sebago, Otisfield and Bridgton. The Songo Lock, completed two years before town incorporation, linked Long Lake and Brandy Pond with Sebago Lake, allowing passage of boats from Harrison to Portland through the Cumberland and Oxford Canal in Standish. A canning factory and cooperage were established at Naples village. The community also produced carriages, men's and boy's clothing, boots and shoes.

The scenery of the lakes, however, would make tourism the dominant industry. Visitors in the 19th century included Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Nathaniel Hawthorne. To accommodate his passengers, Charles L. Goodridge of the Sebago Lake, Songo River & Bay of Naples Steamship Company built a hostelry on a knoll at the southern end of Long Lake. On July 26, 1899, the Bay of Naples Inn opened with 80 bedrooms. It was designed by John Calvin Stevens, who reduced by two-fifths a plan originally created for the ill-fated Metallak Hotel in Colebrook, New Hampshire. While under construction, the Metallak was destroyed in April 1893 during a violent windstorm, and its investors abandoned the project. The Bay of Naples Inn, which faced Mount Washington and the east side of the White Mountains, was a popular resort during the early 20th century. Automobile tourists began arriving after designation of the Theodore Roosevelt International Highway in 1919 (identified as United States Route 302 since 1935). The Bay of Naples Inn remained open through the 1951 season, but in 1964 was deemed unprofitable and razed.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 37.25 sqmi, of which 31.82 sqmi is land and 5.43 sqmi is water. Naples is drained by the Songo River.

Water bodies that are adjacent to, or within Naples include:
 * Sebago Lake
 * Chute River
 * Long Lake
 * Brandy Pond
 * Trickey Pond

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 3,872 people, 1,579 households, and 1,094 families living in the town. The population density was 121.7 PD/sqmi. There were 3,004 housing units at an average density of 94.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.4% White, 0.3% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.

There were 1,579 households, of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.8% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.7% were non-families. 23.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.83.

The median age in the town was 42.9 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.4% were from 25 to 44; 33% were from 45 to 64; and 13.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.2% male and 48.8% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,274 people, 1,297 households, and 931 families living in the town. The population density was 102.9 PD/sqmi. There were 2,381 housing units at an average density of 74.9 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.20% White, 0.15% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.21% of the population.

There were 1,297 households, out of which 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.6% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.6% from 18 to 24, 29.8% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $38,141, and the median income for a family was $40,825. Males had a median income of $31,458 versus $24,596 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,176. About 6.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.

Site of interest

 * Naples Historical Society Museum

Notable people

 * Augustus Bove, state legislator
 * Richard Cebra, state legislator with the Maine Republican Party (2004–2012) and (2016–present) and state Republican Party chairman (2012–2013)
 * Major Knight, state legislator with the Greenback Party (1880)
 * Daniel Merriam, watercolorist
 * Christine Powers, state legislator
 * Richard Thompson, state legislator
 * Mark Walker, state legislator

title: Naples, Maine


text:
New Gloucester, Maine

New Gloucester is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. New Gloucester is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. It is home to the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village, the last active Shaker village in the U.S. The town's population was 5,676 at the 2020 census.

New Gloucester is part of Maine's Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, metropolitan statistical area.

History
New Gloucester was established in 1736 under a Massachusetts Bay Colony grant of a 6 sqmi tract of land in the Maine Territory to sixty inhabitants of the Gloucester fishing village on Cape Ann. The first settlers followed the road newly bushed out from North Yarmouth and built cabins on Harris Hill between 1739 and 1742. The settlement was abandoned from 1744–1751 due to the heightened native tribe attacks during King George's War.

Settlers returned and in 1753 commenced work on a two-story, fifty-foot square blockhouse with a palisade stockade 110 ft on a side. This was home to twelve families for six years. The men worked at clearing the surrounding 60 acre of common land under the protection of two swivel guns manned by a garrison of six soldiers. One attack was made upon the fort, resulting in one scalping and two men captured. As the Native Americans gradually withdrew to Canada, the settlers moved out into their own newly built homes. The blockhouse continued to serve for worship and town affairs until the first meetinghouse was built in 1773. In 1788, the blockhouse was sold at auction for seven bushels of corn and moved to a farm in the Intervale, where it was rebuilt as a hog house.

New Gloucester was incorporated on March 8, 1774, and was named after Gloucester, Massachusetts, the native home of a large share of the early settlers.

New Gloucester became a half shire town with Portland, and the courts met here from 1791 until the organization of Oxford County in 1805, when they returned to Portland. With good soil for agriculture, the town developed as a prosperous farming community. In 1858, when the population was 1,848, other industries included six sawmills, two gristmills and two tanneries.

Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village was founded in 1783 by the United Society of True Believers at what was then called Thompson's Pond Plantation. It was formally organized on April 19, 1794. Today, the village is the last of some over two-dozen religious societies, stretching from Maine to Florida, to be operated by the Shakers themselves. It comprises 18 buildings on 1800 acre of land.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 47.80 sqmi, of which 47.12 sqmi is land and 0.68 sqmi is water. New Gloucester is drained by the Royal River.

The town is served by Interstate 95, U.S. Route 202 and state routes 4, 26 and 231. It is bordered by the town of Raymond to the west, Poland to the northwest, the city of Auburn to the northeast, Durham to the east, Pownal and North Yarmouth to the southeast, and Gray to the southwest.

Amenities
The privately owned, unattended Cliff Dow Airport is located on Highview Drive, two miles southwest of New Gloucester, to the east of Interstate 95. Its FAA identifier is 54ME, and it was activated in 2006. Its unpaved runway headings are 5 (for landings) and 23 (for takeoffs) with an AMSL elevation of 415 feet. Its area control center is Boston Center, while its flight service station is Bangor.

Climate
This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, New Gloucester has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 5,542 people, 2,092 households, and 1,534 families living in the town. The population density was 117.6 PD/sqmi. There were 2,295 housing units at an average density of 48.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.5% White, 0.3% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.

There were 2,092 households, of which 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% were married couples living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 26.7% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 2.99.

The median age in the town was 39.5 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.6% were from 25 to 44; 31.7% were from 45 to 64; and 8.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.9% male and 49.1% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,803 people, 1,761 households, and 1,313 families living in the town. The population density was 102.0 PD/sqmi. There were 1,889 housing units at an average density of 40.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.17% White, 0.23% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.40% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.56% of the population.

There were 1,761 households, out of which 39.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 8.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 18.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.8% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 35.0% from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.1 males.

As of a 2008 estimate, the median income for a household in the town was $60,664 and the per capita income for the town was $24,958. As of the 2000 census and the median income for a family was $57,727. Males had a median income of $35,699 versus $26,358 for females. About 4.0% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.

Sites of interest

 * New Gloucester Historical Society & Museum
 * Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village & Museum
 * Royal River Conservation Trust Intervale & Pisgah Hill Preserves
 * New Gloucester Veterans Monument

Education

 * Maine School Administrative District 15
 * Merriconeag High School
 * Collaborative School
 * Wayfinder Schools

Notable people

 * Mildred Barker, musician, scholar, and Shaker Eldress
 * Joseph Brackett, American songwriter and Shaker Elder
 * Peleg Chandler, lawyer, journalist, and politician in Boston, Massachusetts
 * Todd Chretien, activist
 * Jonathan Greenleaf Eveleth, oil company founder
 * Samuel Fessenden, abolitionist, legislator
 * Samuel C. Fessenden, US congressman
 * William Pitt Fessenden, US congressman, Secretary of the Treasury
 * Benjamin F. Hayes, professor at Bates College
 * Sara Plummer Lemmon, botanist of Western USA, namesake of Mt. Lemmon, near Tucson

 * Ezekiel Whitman, US congressman

title: New Gloucester, Maine


text:
North Windham, Maine

North Windham is a census-designated place (CDP) within the town of Windham in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,904 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
North Windham is located at 43.83424°N, -70.43839°W., in between Sebago Lake's Jordan Bay to the West, and Little Sebago Lake to the East.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the CDP has a total area of 17.5 km2, of which 16.9 km2 is land and 0.6 km2, or 3.22%, is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,568 people, 1,773 households, and 1,297 families residing in the CDP. The population density was 657.5 PD/sqmi. There were 1,890 housing units at an average density of 272.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the CDP was 98.14% White, 0.55% African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.02% from other races, and 0.61% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.33% of the population.

There were 1,773 households, out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.8% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 2.97.

In the CDP, the age distribution of the population shows 26.7% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.8% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.

The median income for a household in the CDP was $44,395, and the median income for a family was $51,111. Males had a median income of $32,417 versus $25,635 for females. The per capita income for the CDP was $19,566. About 4.4% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.9% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.

Camp
Center Day Camp, a day camp run by the Jewish Community Alliance of Southern Maine, is located in North Windham.

Notable person

 * Willard Mains, pitcher for the Chicago White Stockings, Cincinnati Kelly's Killers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Boston Beaneaters; born in North Windham

title: North Windham, Maine


text:
North Yarmouth, Maine

North Yarmouth, officially the Town of North Yarmouth, is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. North Yarmouth is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 4,072 at the 2020 United States Census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.41 sqmi, of which 21.22 sqmi is land and 0.19 sqmi is water.

History
The area embracing North Yarmouth, first settled in 1636, was abandoned twice before successful final settlement in 1713. In 1646, William Royall (c. 1595–1676) purchased a farm on the river that, since, has borne his name. John Cousins (c. 1596–1682), a few years previous, occupied a neck of land between branches of a stream and owned an island, both now bearing his name. These settlements were established in the vicinity, called by the Wabanakis, as "Wescustogo". Yarmouth originally constituted the eastern portion of North Yarmouth; the "North" in the name intended to differentiate it from Yarmouth, Massachusetts, on Cape Cod (Maine then being a part of Massachusetts). North Yarmouth was chartered on September 22, 1680, encompassing the area of the present Town of North Yarmouth and the future towns of Harpswell (until 1750), Freeport (until 1789), Pownal (until 1808, from Freeport), Cumberland (until 1821), and Yarmouth (until 1849).

In 1980, to coincide with the tricentennial celebration of the incorporation of the Town of North Yarmouth, a new printing of the William Hutchinson Rowe original 1937 book Ancient North Yarmouth and Yarmouth, Maine 1636–1936: A History was made.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 3,210 people, 1,118 households, and 924 families living in the town. The population density was 151.9 PD/sqmi. There were 1,142 housing units at an average density of 54.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.66% White, 0.09% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.12% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.

There were 1,118 households, out of which 45.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 72.2% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.3% were non-families. 12.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 3.6% from 18 to 24, 33.5% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $60,850, and the median income for a family was $65,000. Males had a median income of $42,986 versus $29,179 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,180. About 0.6% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.2% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 3,565 people, 1,297 households, and 1,036 families living in the town. The population density was 168.0 PD/sqmi. There were 1,354 housing units at an average density of 63.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.4% White, 0.2% African American, 0.1% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 1,297 households, of which 42.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 20.1% were non-families. 14.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.05.

The median age in the town was 42.5 years. 26.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.7% were from 25 to 44; 34.7% were from 45 to 64; and 10.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

Amenities
In 2021, the Old Town House was moved approximately 2 mi to the southwest, to the village green in the center of town, on the site of the former Westcustogo Hall. The project, including its renovation, cost over $850,000. The building was constructed on Memorial Highway in 1853. It was closed in 2012 due to structural problems.

The privately owned, unattended Eagle Field airstrip is located between Walnut Hill Road and Prince Well Road, just north of Toots Ice Cream. Its FAA identifier is 15ME, and it was activated in 2006. Its (unpaved) runway headings are 7 and 25 and its height above sea level is 150 feet. Its area control center is Boston Center, while its flight service station is Bangor.

Toddy Brook Golf Course (18 holes, par 71) is located at the corner of Sligo Road and Memorial Highway (State Route 9).

Notable people

 * Rufus Anderson, author, missionary
 * Sylvanus Blanchard, sea captain
 * Edward Brooks, minister
 * Dr. Eleazer Burbank, physician and state legislator
 * Augustus W. Corliss, writer and historian
 * John Cousins, early settler
 * Samuel Drinkwater, sea captain
 * Tristram Gilman, minister
 * Anne P. Graham, politician
 * Jonathan Greeley, sea captain
 * Elijah Dix Green, merchant
 * William Hawes, mill owner and state legislator
 * Gad Hitchcock, physician
 * Levi Marston, sea captain
 * Ammi Ruhamah Mitchell, physician and state legislator
 * Jacob Mitchell, deacon
 * James Parker, innkeeper
 * Cushing Prince, politician
 * Cushing Prince Jr., sea captain
 * Harlan Prince, sea captain
 * Paul Prince, patriot
 * Reuben Prince, sea captain
 * William Royall, early settler
 * Edward Russell, Maine secretary of state, brigadier general
 * Zeruiah Standish, grand-daughter of Myles Standish
 * Lyman Fessenden Walker, shipbuilder

title: North Yarmouth, Maine


text:
Pownal, Maine

Pownal is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. Pownal was included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 1,566 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. Pownal is home to Bradbury Mountain State Park.

History
Originally the northwest portion of Freeport, it was first settled in 1680. The town was set off and incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court on March 3, 1808, named in honor of former Governor Thomas Pownall, who had died three years before. It swapped land with the town of North Yarmouth in 1813 and 1816. With an undulating surface of generally productive soil, agriculture became the principal occupation. By 1859, when the population was 1,074, other industries included a gristmill and a carriage factory.

Pownal was chosen by author Stephen King as the hometown of schoolteacher Johnny Smith, protagonist of his 1979 novel The Dead Zone, and of Ray Garraty, protagonist of his 1979 novel The Long Walk. King grew up in neighboring Durham.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 22.88 sqmi, of which 22.86 sqmi is land and 0.02 sqmi is water. Pownal is drained by the eastern branches of the Royal River.

The town is served by Maine State Route 9.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,474 people, 590 households, and 422 families living in the town. The population density was 64.5 PD/sqmi. There were 613 housing units at an average density of 26.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.7% White, 0.1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.

There were 590 households, of which 29.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.7% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.5% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.88.

The median age in the town was 44.6 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.8% were from 25 to 44; 36.3% were from 45 to 64; and 13.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,491 people, 560 households, and 437 families living in the town. The population density was 65.0 PD/sqmi. There were 567 housing units at an average density of 24.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.85% White, 0.47% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.27% Pacific Islander, 0.13% from other races, and 1.07% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.67% of the population.

There were 560 households, out of which 34.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.4% were married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.8% were non-families. 15.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 31.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $54,219, and the median income for a family was $60,000. Males had a median income of $38,000 versus $26,188 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,691. About 2.6% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 1.5% of those age 65 or over.

Site of interest

 * Bradbury Mountain State Park

Notable person

 * Frank Knight, arborist

title: Pownal, Maine


text:
Raymond, Maine

Raymond is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. Raymond is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 4,536 at the 2020 census. It is a summer recreation area and is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. Raymond Neck is the landing for the ferry to the town of Frye Island in Sebago Lake. The Raymond school system is currently affiliated with the Windham school system in a district known as RSU 14.

History
Raymondtown Plantation was granted in 1767 by the Massachusetts General Court to the descendants of Captain William Raymond of Beverly, Massachusetts, and his militia. It was the second attempt to repay the troop (or heirs) for service under Governor Sir William Phipps during the Battle of Quebec in 1690. A township had been awarded them in 1735 called Beverly-Canada (now Weare, New Hampshire), but in 1741 descendants of John Mason proved a prior claim.

The township at Sebago Lake was given to the Beverly Proprietors as compensation. It was first settled in 1770 by Captain Joseph Dingley and Dominicus Jordan of Cape Elizabeth, although most families arrived after the Revolutionary War. It was on the stage route to Bridgton. On June 21, 1803, the Raymondtown Plantation was incorporated as Raymond, named in honor of Captain Raymond. In 1829, land was annexed to help form the new town of Naples, and in 1841, Casco was set off and incorporated as a town.

The town provided agriculture and lumber products for Portland and other cities. Panther Run, which drains Panther Pond, provided water power for industry. Raymond village grew near the mills, which included a gristmill, sawmill, plaster mill, a stave factory and a children's sled factory. From about 1812 until 1825, Nathaniel Hawthorne lived in Raymond with his siblings and widowed mother. His later writings would reminisce about his boyhood hiking in the woods or fishing in the lake.

Automobile tourists discovered Raymond after designation of the Theodore Roosevelt International Highway in 1919 (identified as United States Route 302 since 1935).

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 44.75 sqmi, of which 33.18 sqmi is land and 11.57 sqmi is water. Raymond village is located at the head of Jordan Bay on Sebago Lake.

The town is served by U.S. Route 302 and state routes 85 and 121. It is bordered by Gray and Windham to the southeast, Casco to the northwest, and New Gloucester and Poland to the northeast. Frye Island is to the south in Sebago Lake.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 4,436 people, 1,773 households, and 1,289 families living in the town. The population density was 133.7 PD/sqmi. There were 2,852 housing units at an average density of 86.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.2% White, 0.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.9% of the population.

There were 1,773 households, of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.2% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.3% were non-families. 19.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.87.

The median age in the town was 44.6 years. 22% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.9% were from 25 to 44; 36% were from 45 to 64; and 13.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 4,299 people, 1,616 households, and 1,255 families living in the town. The population density was 129.3 people per square mile (49.9/km2>). There were 2,534 housing units at an average density of 76.2 per square mile (29.4/km2>). The racial makeup of the town was 98.39% White, 0.40% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.07% from other races, and 0.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.

There were 1,616 households, of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.7% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 15.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.4% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.5% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $52,224, and the median income for a family was $56,118. Males had a median income of $35,962 versus $30,662 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,193. About 3.4% of families and 4.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

Sites of interest

 * Friends' Schoolhouse Museum, Raymond-Casco Historical Society
 * Hawthorne House, Hawthorne Community Association
 * WGME-TV transmitter & WGME News 13 Skycam location
 * Clough's Corner Store

Notable people

 * Joseph Bruno, state legislator
 * Jessica Fay, state legislator
 * Nathaniel Hawthorne, author
 * Bonnie Titcomb Lewis, state legislator
 * John Robinson, state legislator
 * Kirsten Clark, US Olympic skier

title: Raymond, Maine


text:
Sebago, Maine

Sebago is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,911 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.

History
Originally called Flintstown, it was granted in 1774 by the Massachusetts General Court to survivors of Captain John Flint's company of soldiers from Concord, Massachusetts. It replaced a grant of 1735 that awarded them Township No. 3 (now Walpole, New Hampshire), but which was ruled invalid when the border between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was redrawn to satisfy prior claims by the descendants of John Mason. On June 23, 1802, Flintstown was incorporated as Baldwin. Then on February 10, 1826, Sebago was set off from Baldwin and incorporated as a separate town. It took the name of Sebago Lake. Land was annexed from Denmark in 1830, and taken in 1834 to help form Naples.

Lumberjacks and woodsmen were the first European inhabitants of the area, but they left as soon as the first growth of pine was cut. It 1790, Joseph Lakin from Groton, Massachusetts, built a cabin, then returned with his family and possessions. The surface of the town is very uneven and generally rocky, so it was hard work to clear a farm for cultivation. But the soil was good and yielded abundant crops. Mills were built at water power sites, and products included long and short lumber, shooks, and boots and shoes. In 1832, the Cumberland and Oxford Canal opened, increasing trade between Sebago Lake and Portland. In the early 1870s, the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad carried tourists and freight to Sebago Lake Station in Standish, where steamboats took them to various landings around the lake. Inns, hotels and summer camps opened, and the town became a recreation area, which it remains today.

In 1906, the Order of Sir Galahad, an Episcopal youth organization, established Camp O-AT-KA in East Sebago.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 48.93 sqmi, of which 32.76 sqmi is land and 16.17 sqmi is water. Situated beside Sebago Lake, Sebago is drained by the Northwest River and Mill Brook. Douglas Mountain has an elevation of 1416 ft above sea level, the highest point in both the town and southwestern Maine.

The town is crossed by state routes 11, 107 and 114. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgton to the north, Naples to the northeast, Baldwin and Standish to the south, and Denmark and Hiram to the west.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,719 people, 724 households, and 484 families living in the town. The population density was 52.5 PD/sqmi. There were 1,464 housing units at an average density of 44.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.1% White, 0.3% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.3% of the population.

There were 724 households, of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.1% were non-families. Of all households 25.8% were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.80.

The median age in the town was 44.7 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 33.7% were from 45 to 64; and 15.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.2% male and 48.8% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,433 people, 584 households, and 412 families living in the town. The population density was 43.7 PD/sqmi. There were 1,240 housing units at an average density of 37.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.33% White, 0.35% African American, 0.07% Native American, 0.14% Asian, 0.07% from other races, and 1.05% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population.

There were 584 households, out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.3% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. Of all households 22.4% were made up of individuals, and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,391, and the median income for a family was $43,512. Males had a median income of $33,083 versus $25,139 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,995. About 4.0% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.6% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over.

Sites of interest

 * Douglas Mountain
 * Sebago Historical Society & Museum

Notable people

 * George Herbert Babb, state legislator
 * Vinal G. Good, state legislator and insurance agent

title: Sebago, Maine