text:
Stow, Maine

Stow is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 393 at the 2020 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.34 sqmi, of which 24.21 sqmi is land and 0.13 sqmi is water. The Bickford Slides waterfall is located on Bickford Brook within the town.

2010 census
At the 2010 census, there were 385 people, 149 households and 109 families living in the town. The population density was 15.9 PD/sqmi. There were 232 housing units at an average density of 9.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.7% White, 0.8% African American, 0.3% Native American, and 1.3% from two or more races.

There were 149 households, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.1% were married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 26.8% were non-families. 21.5% 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 2.47 and the average family size was 2.82.

The median age was 44 years. 22.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.2% were from 25 to 44; 34.6% were from 45 to 64; and 14.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 52.2% male and 47.8% female.

2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 288 people, 115 households and 80 families living in the town. The population density was 11.8 per square mile (4.6/km$2$). There were 181 housing units at an average density of 7.4 per square mile (2.9/km$2$). The racial makeup of the town was 97.22% White, 0.35% African American, 1.04% Native American, 0.69% Asian, and 0.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population.

There were 115 households, of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 3.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.4% were non-families. 25.2% 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 2.50 and the average family size was 3.03.

25.0% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 30.6% from 25 to 44, 27.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.

The median household income was $27,125 and the median family income was $35,417. Males had a median income of $28,750 and females $18,750. The per capita income was $15,122. About 2.8% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under the age of eighteen and 15.8% of those 65 or over.

title: Stow, Maine


text:
Sumner, Maine

Sumner is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Sumner is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 994 at the 2020 census. The town includes the villages of West Sumner and East Sumner.

History
Originally called West Butterfield Plantation, it was first settled in 1783 by Noah Bosworth from Plympton, Massachusetts. Most of the early settlers were Revolutionary soldiers from Plymouth County, Massachusetts. The town was incorporated by the General Court on June 13, 1798, and named for Increase Sumner, who was then the governor of Massachusetts.

Despite an uneven and somewhat broken surface, the town's principal occupation became agriculture. The two branches of the Nezinscot River provided water power for mills. By 1859, when the population was 1,151, Sumner had three sawmills, two gristmills, two shingle mills, a starch factory, a clover mill (to clean clover seeds, food for cattle), and a powder mill. The Rumford Falls and Buckfield Railroad opened a station near East Sumner in 1878.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 44.87 sqmi, of which 44.27 sqmi is land and 0.60 sqmi is water. It is drained by the east and west branches of the Nezinscot River. The town is bordered by Peru to the north, Hartford to the east, Buckfield to the south, and Paris and Woodstock to the west.

Sumner is served by state routes 140 and 219.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 939 people, 383 households, and 266 families living in the town. The population density was 21.2 PD/sqmi. There were 565 housing units at an average density of 12.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.4% White, 0.4% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.0% of the population.

There were 383 households, of which 26.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.3% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.5% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% 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 2.85.

The median age in the town was 45.5 years. 20.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.4% were from 25 to 44; 36.5% were from 45 to 64; and 14.7% 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 854 people, 330 households, and 248 families living in the town. The population density was 19.3 people per square mile (7.5/km$2$). There were 488 housing units at an average density of 11.0 per square mile (4.3/km$2$). The racial makeup of the town was 98.59% White, 0.12% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.23% from other races, and 0.59% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.

There were 330 households, out of which 28.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.2% were married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 18.2% of all households 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 2.59 and the average family size was 2.87.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 31.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 101.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $39,196, and the median income for a family was $41,786. Males had a median income of $31,806 versus $23,500 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,370. About 7.7% of families and 11.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.1% of those under age 18 and 2.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable person

 * Samuel F. Hersey, US congressman; lumber baron

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

title: Sumner, Maine


text:
Sweden, Maine

Sweden is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 406 at the 2020 census. Set among hills, forests and ponds, Sweden includes the village of East Sweden.

History
This was once territory of the Abenaki tribe, whose main village was at Pequawket (now Fryeburg). Pequawket was attacked during Dummer's War on May 8, 1725, by Captain John Lovewell and his company of soldiers. Lovewell was killed in the battle, after which the tribe fled to Canada for safety. Called New Suncook Plantation, it was granted by the Massachusetts General Court in 1774 to the officers and soldiers (or heirs) for their services to the state. In 1800, the town was incorporated as Lovell after Captain Lovewell.

The southeast portion of Lovell (which would become Sweden) was first settled in 1794 by Colonel Samuel Nevers from Burlington, Massachusetts. He was followed in 1795–1796 by Benjamin Webber from Bedford, Jacob Stevens from Rowley, Andrew Woodbury and Micah Trull from Tewksbury, and Peter Holden from Malden. On the plan which accompanied the petition for incorporation of the southeast portion, it was labeled Southland. It was set off as "Sweden" on February 26, 1813. The surface of the town is somewhat broken, but had good soil for farming, particularly the cultivation of grains. Other industries included a sawmill that produced short and long lumber, in addition to shooks. The town also had a carriage factory.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 29.74 sqmi, of which 28.82 sqmi is land and 0.92 sqmi is water. It is drained by Plummer Brook and the Kezar River.

The town is crossed by state route 93. It borders the towns of Waterford to the northeast, Lovell to the northwest, Fryeburg to the southwest, and Bridgton to the southeast.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 391 people, 178 households, and 122 families living in the town. The population density was 13.6 PD/sqmi. There were 331 housing units at an average density of 11.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 95.9% White, 0.3% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.

There were 178 households, of which 24.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.7% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.5% were non-families. 26.4% 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 2.20 and the average family size was 2.61.

The median age in the town was 50.9 years. 17.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 17.4% were from 25 to 44; 38.9% were from 45 to 64; and 22% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 324 people, 132 households, and 97 families living in the town. The population density was 11.3 people per square mile (4.4/km$2$). There were 266 housing units at an average density of 9.3 per square mile (3.6/km$2$). The racial makeup of the town was 98.77% White, and 1.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.31% of the population.

There were 132 households, out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% were non-families. 19.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% 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 2.79.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.4% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,781, and the median income for a family was $40,625. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $24,375 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,991. About 12.9% of families and 19.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.6% of those under age 18 and 35.0% of those age 65 or over.

Site of interest

 * Sweden Historical Society

title: Sweden, Maine


text:
Upton, Maine

Upton is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 69 at the 2020 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 41.83 sqmi, of which 39.51 sqmi is land and 2.32 sqmi is water.

2010 census
At the 2010 census there were 113 people, 61 households, and 30 families living in the town. The population density was 2.9 PD/sqmi. There were 199 housing units at an average density of 5.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.2% White and 1.8% Native American. Of the 61 households 13.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.9% were married couples living together, 1.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 1.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 50.8% were non-families. 36.1% of households were one person and 18% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.85 and the average family size was 2.40.

The median age in the town was 57.1 years. 10.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 1.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 9.8% were from 25 to 44; 48.6% were from 45 to 64; and 29.2% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the town was 53.1% male and 46.9% female.

2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there were 62 people, 33 households, and 20 families living in the town. The population density was 1.6 people per square mile (0.6/km$2$). There were 173 housing units at an average density of 4.3 per square mile (1.7/km$2$). The racial makeup of the town was 98.39% White and 1.61% Asian.

Of the 33 households 9.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.4% were non-families. 24.2% of households were one person and 3.0% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 1.88 and the average family size was 2.14.

The age distribution was 6.5% under the age of 18, 1.6% from 18 to 24, 17.7% from 25 to 44, 51.6% from 45 to 64, and 22.6% 65 or older. The median age was 56 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.8 males.

The median household income was $35,000 and the median family income was $55,625. Males had a median income of $26,250 versus $0 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,320. There were 19.0% of families and 27.3% of the population living below the poverty line, including no under eighteens and none of those over 64.

title: Upton, Maine


text:
Waterford, Maine

Waterford is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Waterford is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 1,570 at the 2020 census. It is a recreation area noted for historic architecture and scenery.

History
The township was granted on February 24, 1774, by the Massachusetts General Court to Captain Andrew Gardner and his company of soldiers for services under Sir William Phipps during the 1690 expedition against Canada. It replaced a 1735 grant called Toddstown or Township No. 6 (now Henniker, New Hampshire), which was ruled invalid when the state line was redrawn between Massachusetts and New Hampshire in 1741.

The land was surveyed in 1774; in spring of 1775, David McWain of Bolton, Massachusetts arrived with his dog at a lot he bought for $40. He cleared land and built a log cabin, returning to Bolton for two winters until he settled permanently at Waterford in spring of 1777. McWain preferred solitude, and was deeply annoyed when he first saw smoke rising about 12 mi away at Paris Hill. "Humph," he said, "I would like to know who is settling over there right under my nose!" Other grantees arrived nevertheless, most from the Massachusetts towns of Bolton, Harvard, Stow, Northborough and Rowley. Indeed, the northwestern part of the plantation was once known as Rowley after the inhabitants' former hometown.

On March 2, 1797, Waterford was incorporated, with land annexed from Albany in 1811. The surface of the town is uneven and somewhat mountainous. It was well-suited for pasturage and orchards, and agriculture became a principal occupation. Sawmills were built at streams to manufacture the region's abundant timber into lumber. Wood products included window sashes, barrel staves, salt boxes and buckets. There was also a gristmill, carriage factory and tannery. Today, Waterford Flat is a resort area, and home to The Lake House, a 1797 inn set among antique buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 52.92 sqmi, of which 50.24 sqmi is land and 2.68 sqmi is water. Waterford is drained by the Crooked River. It contains a number of small lakes including Keoka Lake, McWain Pond, Bear Pond, as well as Mount Tire'm.

The town is traversed by state routes 35, 37 and 118. It is bordered by the towns of Norway to the northeast, Albany and Stoneham to the northwest, Sweden and Lovell to the southwest, and Harrison and Bridgton to the southeast.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,553 people, 667 households, and 471 families living in the town. The population density was 30.9 PD/sqmi. There were 1,084 housing units at an average density of 21.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.9% White, 0.1% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.1% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.

There were 667 households, of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.3% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.4% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.68.

The median age in the town was 45.9 years. 20.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.4% were from 25 to 44; 33.7% were from 45 to 64; and 17.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.5% male and 50.5% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,455 people, 590 households, and 437 families living in the town. The population density was 28.8 PD/sqmi. There were 895 housing units at an average density of 17.7 PD/sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.83% White, 0.27% Native American, 0.07% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, and 0.76% from two or more races.

There were 590 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 21.0% of all households 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 2.46 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $31,458, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $25,560 versus $22,188 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,416. About 9.5% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.0% of those under age 18 and 7.3% of those age 65 or over.

Site of interest

 * Waterford Historical Society & Museum
 * Birch Rock Camp
 * Camp Waziyatah, site of the Disney Channel shows Bug Juice and its follow up Bug Juice: My Adventures at Camp.
 * Camp Wigwam for Boys, summer camp of JD Salinger

Notable people

 * Charles Farrar Browne (a.k.a. Artemus Ward), writer
 * Mary Moody Emerson, Transcendentalist
 * Elbridge Gerry, US congressman
 * Cyrus Hamlin, missionary, educator
 * Charlotte Elizabeth McKay, Union Army field nurse, editor, anti-suffragist
 * Sawin Millett, Maine state representative
 * Thomas Treadwell Stone, Unitarian minister, abolitionist

title: Waterford, Maine


text:
West Paris, Maine

West Paris is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Originally settled in 1771 for land that what was deemed "superior for pasturage, hay crops, and orchards", West Paris became a center of Finnish (suomalaiset, ) immigrant settlement in the 19th century, with many if the town's current residents being descendants of the original Finnish settlers. Once part of the neighboring town of Paris, Maine, West Paris seceded from Paris and was incorporated in September 1957. The population was 1,766 at the 2020 census.

History
It began as part of Paris, granted by the Massachusetts General Court in 1771 to Captain Joshua Fuller and his company of 64 soldiers as payment for their service to the colony. First settled in 1779, the land was considered superior for pasturage and hay crops, and orchards were large and productive. Mills were built along the Little Androscoggin River. The Paris Manufacturing Company, which was started modestly by Henry Franklin Morton in 1861 at West Sumner, grew into an important manufacturer. Near the Grand Trunk Railway depot in West Paris, it built a factory to make products including sleds, skis, wagons, step ladders, wheelbarrows, ironing boards, children's rolltop desks and other furniture.

On November 4, 1773 when the Proprietors were lotting out the township, they held a meeting at Coolidge Tavern in Watertown, Massachusetts and they voted that there be reserved for the use of the proprietors their heirs and assigns forever two rods in width on the eastward side of every range line through the length of the township for the conveniency of ways if it shall be needed, establishing rangeways to prevent landlocking and segregation in the township of Paris and West Paris.

In September 1957, West Paris was set off and incorporated as a town.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.40 sqmi, of which 24.24 sqmi is land and 0.16 sqmi is water. Parts of West Paris act as a drainage basin for the Little Androscoggin River.

West Paris is home to Snow Falls, a 40 foot waterfall that drops into a gorge created by the Little Androscoggin River.

The town is crossed by state routes 26 and 219.

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, West Paris has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States decennial census and their demographics survey program, the American Community Survey, there were 1,766 people in West Paris, with an estimated median age of 44.4 years.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,812 people, 700 households, and 478 families living in the town. The population density was 74.8 PD/sqmi. There were 812 housing units at an average density of 33.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.4% White, 0.2% African American, 0.6% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.8% of the population. There were 700 households, of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.0% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.7% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.2% 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 41.6 years. 23.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 26.7% were from 45 to 64; and 18.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.4% male and 50.6% female.

Notable people

 * Joe Perham, comedian and humorist
 * DeForest H. Perkins, educator and political activist, Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan in Maine
 * Francis Slattery, United States Navy commander

title: West Paris, Maine


text:
Woodstock, Maine

Woodstock is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Woodstock is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area. The population was 1,352 at the 2020 census. The village of Bryant Pond, on State Route 26 in the northern part of Woodstock, is the town's urban center and largest settlement.

History
Woodstock was first settled in about 1808 as Plantation Number Three. In 1814, a petition was sent to the Massachusetts General Court of Boston that requested the plantation be incorporated into a town called Sparta. Massachusetts Governor Caleb Strong approved the petition on February 7, 1815, to establish the town of Woodstock. It is unclear why the name Woodstock was chosen.

Geography
The area within the town limits of Woodstock is forested and mountainous. The town includes most of Lake Christopher (Bryant Pond). According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 46.88 sqmi, of which 45.70 sqmi is land and 1.18 sqmi is water.

Adjacent municipalities

 * Milton (north)
 * Peru (northeast)
 * Sumner (east)
 * West Paris (southeast)
 * Greenwood (west)
 * Bethel (northwest)

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,277 people, 546 households, and 377 families living in the town. The population density was 27.9 PD/sqmi. There were 974 housing units at an average density of 21.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.4% White, 0.1% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.1% Asian, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population.

There were 546 households, of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.1% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.0% were non-families. 24.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.71.

The median age in the town was 46.2 years. 19.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.2% were from 25 to 44; 33.6% were from 45 to 64; and 18.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,307 people, 525 households, and 371 families living in the town. The population density was 28.6 PD/sqmi. There were 842 housing units at an average density of 18.4 per square mile (7.1/km$2$). The racial makeup of the town was 98.85% White, 0.15% Native American, 0.08% Asian, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.54% of the population.

There were 525 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.0% were married couples living together, 7.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.3% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 26.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,642, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $28,889 versus $22,273 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,698. About 5.5% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.3% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Woodstock is in the "Oxford Unorganized Territory" school district.

title: Woodstock, Maine


text:
Alton, Maine

Alton is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Bangor Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 829 at the 2020 census. The community is named after an Alton in England.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.55 sqmi, of which 42.31 sqmi is land and 0.24 sqmi is water.

Alton is located on State Highway 16, approximately 18 miles north of Bangor and adjacent to Old Town. It is west of Interstate 95.

Although Alton is an independent municipality, it does not have its own ZIP code or post office. Alton mailing addresses are assigned to Old Town's ZIP code, while the nearest post offices by road are in Old Town and Hudson.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 890 people, 347 households, and 240 families living in the town. The population density was 21.0 PD/sqmi. There were 385 housing units at an average density of 9.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.5% White, 0.3% African American, 1.3% Native American, 0.3% Asian, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.4% of the population.

There were 347 households, of which 32.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.8% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.96.

The median age in the town was 39.3 years. 21.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.6% were from 25 to 44; 32.2% were from 45 to 64; and 11.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.3% male and 50.7% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 816 people, 309 households, and 241 families living in the town. The population density was 19.3 PD/sqmi. There were 347 housing units at an average density of 8.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 99.26% White, 0.12% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.12% Asian, and 0.25% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.49% of the population.

There were 309 households, out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.1% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.0% were non-families. 16.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.64 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.5% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 34.8% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,263, and the median income for a family was $35,809. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $22,868 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,204. About 12.4% of families and 12.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.9% of those under age 18 and 14.6% of those age 65 or over.

title: Alton, Maine


text:
Bangor, Maine

Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's third-most populous city, behind Portland (68,408) and Lewiston (37,121). Bangor is known as the "Queen City."

Modern Bangor was established in the mid-19th century with the lumber and shipbuilding industries. Lying on the Penobscot River, logs could be floated downstream from the Maine North Woods and processed at the city's water-powered sawmills, then shipped from Bangor's port to the Atlantic Ocean 30 mi downstream, and from there to any port in the world. Evidence of this is still visible in the lumber barons' elaborate Greek Revival and Victorian mansions and the 31-foot-high (9.4 m) statue of Paul Bunyan. Today, Bangor's economy is based on services and retail, healthcare, and education.

Bangor has a port of entry at Bangor International Airport, also home to the Bangor Air National Guard Base. Historically Bangor was an important stopover on the Great Circle Air Route between the U.S. East Coast and Europe.

Name and pronunciation
Founded as Kenduskeag Plantation in 1791, Bangor was incorporated as a town in 1834. The name Bangor is said to have been taken from a Welsh tune. it is also the name of Bangor, Gwynedd, the oldest city in Wales.

The final syllable is pronounced gor. In 2015, local celebrities and business owners recorded the YouTube video "How to Say Bangor", which was sung to the tune of "We Are the World".

European settlement
The Penobscot people have inhabited the area around present-day Bangor for at least 11,000 years and still occupy tribal land on the nearby Penobscot Indian Island Reservation. They practised some agriculture, but less than peoples in southern New England where the climate is milder, and subsisted on what they could hunt and gather. Contact with Europeans was not uncommon during the 1500s because the fur trade was lucrative and the Penobscot were willing to trade pelts for European goods. The first European known to have explored the area in 1524 was Estêvão Gomes, a Portuguese navigator who sailed in the service of Spain in the 1520s. The Spaniards, led by Gómez, were the first Europeans to make landfall in what is now Maine, followed by the Frenchman Samuel de Champlain in 1605. The Jesuits established a mission on Penobscot Bay in 1609, which was then part of the French colony of Acadia, and the valley remained contested between France and Britain into the 1750s, making it one of the last regions to become part of New England.

In 1769, Jacob Buswell founded a settlement at the site. By 1772, there were 12 families, along with a sawmill, store, and school. By 1787, the population was 567. It was known as Sunbury or Kenduskeag Plantation until incorporation as Bangor in 1791.

Wars of Independence, 1812, and Civil War
In 1779, the rebel Penobscot Expedition fled up the Penobscot River and ten of its ships were scuttled by the British fleet at Bangor. The ships remained there until the late 1950s, when construction of the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge disturbed the site. Six cannons were removed from the riverbed, five of which are on display throughout the region (one was thrown back into the river by area residents angered that the archeological site was destroyed for the bridge's construction).

During the War of 1812, Bangor was briefly occupied in 1814 by British forces under Robert Barrie after the Battle of Hampden.

Maine was part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts until 1820 when it voted to secede from Massachusetts and was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state under the Missouri Compromise.

In 1861, a mob ransacked the offices of the Democratic newspaper the Bangor Daily Union, threw the presses and other materials into the street and burned them. Editor Marcellus Emery, who was sympathetic to the South, escaped unharmed but only resumed publishing after the war.

During the American Civil War the locally mustered 2nd Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment was the first to march out of Maine in 1861, and played a prominent part in the First Battle of Bull Run. The 1st Maine Heavy Artillery Regiment, mustered in Bangor and commanded by a local merchant, lost more men than any other Union regiment in the war (especially in the Second Battle of Petersburg, 1864). The 20th Maine Infantry Regiment held Little Round Top in the Battle of Gettysburg. A bridge connecting Bangor with Brewer is named for Joshua Chamberlain, the regiment's leader and one of eight Civil War soldiers from Penobscot County towns to receive the Medal of Honor. Bangor's Charles A. Boutelle accepted the surrender of the Confederate fleet after the Battle of Mobile Bay. A Bangor residential street is named for him. The Confederate States Navy captured several Bangor ships during the Civil War.

Bangor was near the lands disputed during the Aroostook War, a boundary dispute with Britain in 1838–1839. The passion of the Aroostook War signaled the increasing role lumbering and logging played in the Maine economy, particularly in the state's central and eastern sections. Bangor arose as a lumbering boom-town in the 1830s, and a potential demographic and political rival to Portland. Bangor became for a time the largest lumber port in the world, and the site of furious land speculation that extended up the Penobscot River valley and beyond.

Industrialization: lumbering, shipping, and manufacturing
The Penobscot River drainage basin above Bangor was unattractive to settlement for farming, but well suited to lumbering. Winter snow allowed logs to be dragged from the woods by horse-teams. Carried to the Penobscot or its tributaries, log driving in the snowmelt brought them to waterfall-powered sawmills upriver from Bangor. The sawed lumber was then shipped from the city's docks, Bangor being at the head-of-tide (between the rapids and the ocean) to points anywhere in the world. Shipbuilding was also developed. Bangor capitalists also owned most of the forests. The main markets for Bangor lumber were the East Coast cities. Much was also shipped to the Caribbean and to California during the Gold Rush, via Cape Horn, before sawmills could be established in the west. Bangorians later helped transplant the Maine culture of lumbering to the Pacific Northwest, and participated directly in the Gold Rush. Bangor, Washington; Bangor, California; and Little Bangor, Nevada, are legacies of this contact.

By 1860, Bangor was the world's largest lumber port, with 150 sawmills operating along the river. The city shipped over 150 million boardfeet of lumber a year, much of it in Bangor-built and Bangor-owned ships. In the year 1860, 3,300 lumbering ships passed by the docks.

Many of the lumber barons built elaborate Greek Revival and Victorian houses that still stand in the Broadway Historic District. Bangor has many substantial old churches, and shade trees. The city was so beautiful it was called "The Queen City of the East". The shorter Queen City appellation is still used by some local clubs, organizations, events and businesses.

In addition to shipping lumber, 19th-century Bangor was the leading producer of moccasins, shipping over 100,000 pairs a year by the 1880s. Exports also included bricks, leather, and even ice (which was cut and stored in winter, then shipped to Boston, and even China, the West Indies and South America).

Bangor had certain disadvantages compared to other East Coast ports, including its rival Portland, Maine. Being on a northern river, its port froze during the winter, and it could not take the largest ocean-going ships. The comparative lack of settlement in the forested hinterland also gave it a comparatively small home market.

In 1844 the first ocean-going iron-hulled steamship in the U.S. was named The Bangor. She was built by the Harlan and Hollingsworth firm of Wilmington, Delaware in 1844, and was intended to take passengers between Bangor and Boston. On her second voyage, however, in 1845, she burned to the waterline off Castine. She was rebuilt at Bath, returned briefly to her earlier route, but was soon purchased by the U.S. government for use in the Mexican–American War.

Modern era

Bangor continued to prosper as the pulp and paper industry replaced lumbering, and railroads replaced shipping. Local capitalists also invested in a train route to Aroostook County in northern Maine (the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad), opening that area to settlement.

Bangor's Hinkley & Egery Ironworks (later Union Ironworks) was a local center for invention in the 19th and early 20th centuries. A new type of steam engine built there, named the "Endeavor", won a gold medal at the New York Crystal Palace Exhibition of the American Institute in 1856. The firm won a diploma for a shingle-making machine the following year. In the 1920s, Union Iron Works engineer Don A. Sargent invented the first automotive snow plow. Sargent patented the device and the firm manufactured it for a national market.

Geography
Bangor is located at 44.8°N, -68.8°W. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 34.59 sqmi, of which 34.26 sqmi is land and 0.33 sqmi is water.

A potential advantage that has always eluded exploitation is the city's location between the port city of Halifax, Nova Scotia, and the rest of Canada (as well as New York). As early as the 1870s, the city promoted a Halifax-to-New York railroad, via Bangor, as the quickest connection between North America and Europe (when combined with steamship service between Britain and Halifax). A European and North American Railway opened through Bangor, with President Ulysses S. Grant officiating at the inauguration, but commerce never lived up to the potential. More recent attempts to capture traffic between Halifax and Montreal by constructing an East–West Highway through Maine have also come to naught. Most overland traffic between the two parts of Canada continues to travel north of Maine rather than across it.

Fires
Major fires struck the downtown in 1856, 1869, and 1872, the last resulting in the erection of the Adams-Pickering Block. In the Great Fire of 1911 Bangor lost its high school, post office & custom house, public library, telephone and telegraph companies, banks, two fire stations, nearly a hundred businesses, six churches, and synagogue and 285 private residences over a total of 55 acres (23 ha.) The area was rebuilt, and in the process became a showplace for a diverse range of architectural styles, including the Mansard style, Beaux Arts, Greek Revival and Colonial Revival, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as the Great Fire of 1911 Historic District.

Urban renewal
The destruction of downtown landmarks such as the old city hall and train station in the late 1960s urban renewal program is now considered to have been a mistake. It ushered in a decline of the city center that was accelerated by the construction of the Bangor Mall in 1978 and subsequent big-box stores on the city's outskirts. Downtown Bangor began to recover in the 1990s, with bookstores, café/restaurants, galleries, and museums filling once-vacant storefronts. The recent re-development of the city's waterfront has also helped re-focus cultural life in the historic center.

Hydrology
Bangor is on the banks of the Penobscot River, close enough to the Atlantic Ocean to be influenced by tides. Upstream, the Penobscot River drainage basin occupies 8570 sqmi in northeastern Maine. Flooding is most often caused by a combination of precipitation and snowmelt. Ice jams can exacerbate high flow conditions and cause acute localized flooding. Conditions favorable for flooding typically occur during the spring months.

In 1807 an ice jam formed below Bangor Village, raising the water 10 to 12 feet (3 to 3.7 m) above the normal highwater mark and in 1887 the freshet caused the Maine Central Railroad Company rails between Bangor and Vanceboro to be covered to a depth of several feet. Bangor's worst ice jam floods occurred in 1846 and 1902. Both resulted from mid-December freshets that cleared the upper river of ice, followed by cold that produced large volumes of frazil ice or slush which was carried by high flows forming a major ice jam in the lower river. In March of both years, a dynamic breakup of ice ran into the jam and flooded downtown Bangor. Though no people died and the city recovered quickly, the 1846 and 1902 ice jam floods were economically devastating, according to the Army Corps analysis. Both floods occurred with multiple dams in place and little to no ice-breaking in the lower river. The United States Coast Guard began icebreaker operations on the Penobscot in the 1940s, preventing the formation of frozen ice jams during the winter and providing an unobstructed path for ice-out in the spring. Long-term temperature records show a gradual warming since 1894, which may have reduced the ice jam flood potential at Bangor.

In the Groundhog Day gale of 1976, a storm surge went up the Penobscot, flooding Bangor for three hours. At 11:15 am, waters began rising on the river and within 15 minutes had risen a total of 3.7 m, flooding downtown. About 200 cars were submerged and office workers were stranded until waters receded. There were no reported deaths during this unusual flash flood.

Climate
Bangor has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb), with cold, snowy winters, and warm summers, and is in USDA hardiness zone 5a. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 18.5 °F in January to 69.5 °F in July. On average, there are 20 nights annually that drop to 0 °F or below, and 55 days where the temperature stays below freezing, including 49 days from December through February. There is an average of 6.1 days annually with highs at or above 90 °F, with the last year to have not seen such temperatures being 2014. Extreme temperatures range from −32 °F on February 10, 1948, up to 104 °F on August 19, 1935.

The average first freeze of the season occurs on October 7, and the last May 7, resulting in a freeze-free season of 152 days; the corresponding dates for measurable snowfall, i.e. at least 0.1 in, are November 23 and April 4. The average annual snowfall for Bangor is approximately 74.6 in, while snowfall has ranged from 22.2 in in 1979–80 to 181.9 in in 1962−63; the record snowiest month was February 1969 with 58.0 in, while the most snow in one calendar day was 30.0 in on December 14, 1927. A snow depth of at least 3 in is on average seen 66 days per winter, including 54 days from January to March, when the snow pack is typically most reliable.

Demographics
As of 2008, Bangor is the third most populous city in Maine, as it has been for more than a century. As of 2012, the estimated population of the Bangor Metropolitan Area (which includes Penobscot County) is 153,746, indicating a slight growth rate since 2000, almost all of it accounted for by Bangor.

Historically Bangor received many immigrants as it industrialized. Irish-Catholic and later Jewish immigrants eventually became established members of the community, along with many migrants from Atlantic Canada. Of the 205 Black citizens who lived in Bangor in 1910, over a third were originally from Canada.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 33,039 people, 14,475 households, and 7,182 families residing in the city. The population density was 964.4 PD/sqmi. There were 15,674 housing units at an average density of 457.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 93.1% White, 1.7% African American, 1.2% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population.

There were 14,475 households, of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.8% were married couples living together, 12.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 50.4% were non-families. 37.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.76.

The median age in the city was 36.7 years. 17.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 16% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26% were from 25 to 44; 25.8% were from 45 to 64; and 14.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.2% male and 51.8% female.

2020 census
As of the census of 2020, there were 31,753 people and 13,887 households residing in the city. The population density was 926.9 PD/sqmi. There were 15,900 housing units at an average density of 464.1 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 88.0% White, 2.3% African American, 1.0% Native American, 2.2% Asian, 0.9% from other races, and 5.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.

The median age in the city was 39.0 years. 18.0% of residents were under the age of 18.

Economy
Major employers in the region include:
 * Services and retail: Hannaford Supermarkets, Shaw's and Star Market, Bangor Savings Bank, Walmart.
 * Finance: The Bangor Savings Bank, founded in 1852, is Maine's largest independent bank; as of 2013, it had more than $2.8 billion in assets and the largest share of the 13-bank Bangor market.
 * Healthcare: Eastern Maine Medical Center (now Northern Light Healthcare), Acadia Hospital, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Community Health & Counseling Services.
 * Education: University of Maine, Beal University, Husson University, Eastern Maine Community College
 * Manufacturing: General Electric.

Bangor is the largest market town, distribution center, transportation hub, and media center in a five-county area whose population tops 330,000 and which includes Penobscot, Piscataquis, Hancock, Aroostook, and Washington counties.

Bangor's city council has approved a resolution opposing the sale of sweat-shop-produced clothing in local stores.

Tourism
Outdoor activities in the Bangor City Forest and other nearby parks, forests, and waterways include hiking, sailing, canoeing, hunting, fishing, skiing, and snowmobiling.

Bangor Raceway at the Bass Park Civic Center and Auditorium offers live, pari-mutuel harness racing from May through July and then briefly in the fall. Hollywood Casino, operated by Penn National Gaming, originally opened as a slot machine only facility. In 2007, construction began on a $131-million casino complex in Bangor that houses, among other things, a gaming floor with about 1,000 slot machines, an off-track betting center, a seven-story hotel, and a four-level parking garage. In 2011, it was authorized to add table games.

Military installations
Bangor Air National Guard Base is a United States Air National Guard base. Created in 1927 as a commercial field, it was taken over by the U.S. Army just before World War II. In 1968, the base was sold to the city of Bangor, Maine, to become Bangor International Airport but has since continued to host the 101st Air Refueling Wing, Maine Air National Guard, part of the Northeast Tanker Task Force.

In 1990, the USAF East Coast Radar System (ECRS) Operation Center was activated in Bangor with over 400 personnel. The center controlled the over-the-horizon radar's transmitter in Moscow, Maine, and receiver in Columbia Falls, Maine. With the end of the Cold War, the facility's mission of guarding against a Soviet air attack became superfluous, and though it briefly turned its attention toward drug interdiction, the system was decommissioned in 1997 as the SSPARS system installation—the successor to the PAVE PAWS installation—in Massachusetts' Cape Cod Air Force Station reservation fully took over.

Events

 * One of the country's oldest fairs, the Bangor State fair has occurred annually for more than 150 years. Beginning on the last Friday of July, it features agricultural exhibits, rides, and live performances.
 * The annual KahBang Music and Art Festival (now defunct).
 * The annual American Folk Festival (now defunct).

Venues

 * The Cross Insurance Center (which replaced the Bangor Auditorium in 2013)
 * Darling's Waterfront Pavilion

Cultural institutions

 * The University of Maine Museum of Art and the Maine Discovery Museum, a major children's museum was founded in 2001 in the former Freese's Department Store.
 * The Bangor Symphony Orchestra.
 * The Penobscot Theatre Company
 * The Collins Center for the Arts

Architecture
Many buildings and monuments are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The city has also had a municipal Historic Preservation Commission since the early 1980s. Bangor has many Greek Revival. Victorian, and Colonial Revival houses. Some notable architecture:
 * The Thomas Hill Standpipe, a shingle style structure.
 * The Hammond Street Congregation Church.
 * The St. John's Catholic Church.
 * The Bangor House Hotel, now converted to apartments, is the only survivor among a series of "Palace Hotels" designed by Boston architect Isaiah Rogers, which were the first of their kind in the United States.
 * The country's second oldest garden cemetery is the Mount Hope Cemetery, designed by Charles G. Bryant.
 * Richard Upjohn, British-born architect and early promoter of the Gothic Revival style, received some of his first commissions in Bangor, including the Isaac Farrar House (1833), Samuel Farrar House (1836), Thomas A. Hill House (presently owned by the Bangor Historical Society), and St. John's Church (Episcopal, 1836–1839).
 * Bangor Public Library by Peabody and Stearns.
 * The Eastern Maine Insane Hospital, now Dorothea Dix Psychiatric Center, by John Calvin Stevens.
 * The William Arnold House of 1856, an Italianate style mansion and home to author Stephen King. Its wrought-iron fence with bat and spider web motif is King's own addition.

Public art and monuments
The bow-plate of the battleship USS Maine, whose destruction in Havana, Cuba, presaged the start of the Spanish–American War, survives on a granite memorial by Charles Eugene Tefft in Davenport Park.

Bangor has a large fiberglass-over-metal statue of mythical lumberman Paul Bunyan by Normand Martin (1959).

There are three large bronze statues in downtown Bangor by sculptor Charles Eugene Tefft of Brewer, including the Luther H. Peirce Memorial, commemorating the Penobscot River Log-Drivers; a statue of Hannibal Hamlin at Kenduskeag Mall; and an image of "Lady Victory" at Norumbega Parkway.

The abstract aluminum sculpture "Continuity of Community" (1969) on the Bangor Waterfront, formerly in West Market Square, is by the Castine sculptor Clark Battle Fitz-Gerald.

The U.S. Post Office in Bangor contains Yvonne Jacquette's 1980 three-part mural "Autumn Expansion".

A 1962 bronze commemorating the 2nd Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment by Wisconsin sculptor Owen Vernon Shaffer stands at the entrance to Mount Hope Cemetery.

A memorial has been placed by Bangor City Council and members of the LGBT community along the Kenduskeag Stream honoring the memory of Charlie Howard as the victim of a hate crime. In 1984 he was beaten and thrown off Bangor's State Street Bridge by three young men in a what would become a high-profile example of violence against LGBT people. The murder of Charlie Howard inspired the formation of The Maine Lesbian/Gay Political Alliance, which later became EqualityMaine. In May 2011, vandals spray-painted graffiti and an anti-gay slur on the memorial. Family and friends cleaned it up and rededicated it.

Sports
From 2002 to 2017, Bangor had been home to Little League International's Senior League World Series.

Bangor was home to two minor league baseball teams affiliated with the 1995–1998 Northeast League: the Bangor Blue Ox (1996–1997) and the Bangor Lumberjacks (2003–2004). Even earlier the Bangor Millionaires (1894–1896) played in the New England League.

Vince McMahon promoted his first professional wrestling event in Bangor in 1979. In 1985, the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship changed hands for the first time outside of Puerto Rico at an IWCCW show in Bangor.

The Penobscot is a salmon-fishing river; the Penobscot Salmon Club traditionally sent the first fish caught to the President of the United States. From 1999 to 2006, low fish stocks resulted in a ban on salmon fishing. Today, the wild salmon population (and the sport) is slowly recovering. The Penobscot River Restoration Project is working to help the fish population by removing some dams north of Bangor.

The Kenduskeag Stream Canoe Race, a white-water event which begins just north of Bangor in Kenduskeag, has been held since 1965.

Government
Bangor is the county seat of Penobscot County.

Since 1931, Bangor has had a council–manager form of government. The nine-member city council is a nonpartisan body, with three city councilors elected to three-year terms each year. The nine council members elect the chair of the city council, who is referred to informally as the mayor, and plays the role when there is a ceremonial need. As of 2023-2024, the council members are Susan Deane, Carolyn Fish, Rick Fournier, Susan Hawes, Joseph Leonard, Cara Pelletier (Chair), Gretchen Schaefer, Dan Tremble and Dina Yacoubagha.

In 2007, Bangor was the first city in the U.S. to ban smoking in vehicles carrying passengers under the age of 18.

In 2012, Bangor's city council passed an order in support of same-sex marriage in Maine. In 2013, the City of Bangor also signed an amicus brief to the United States Supreme Court calling for the federal Defense of Marriage Act to be struck down.

In the United States House of Representatives, Bangor is included in Maine's 2nd congressional district and is currently represented by Democrat Jared F. Golden.

Law and order
In 2008 Bangor's crime rate was the second-lowest among American metropolitan areas of comparable size. As of 2014 Bangor had the third highest rate of property crime in Maine.

The arrival of Irish immigrants from nearby Canada beginning in the 1830s, and their competition with locals for jobs, sparked a deadly sectarian riot in 1833 that lasted for days and had to be put down by militia. Realizing the need for a police force, the town incorporated as The City of Bangor in 1834. In the 1800s, sailors and loggers gave the city a reputation for roughness; their stomping grounds were known as the "Devil's Half Acre". The same name was also applied, at roughly the same time, to The Devil's Half-Acre, Pennsylvania.

Although Maine was the first "dry" state (i.e. the first to prohibit the sale of alcohol, with the passage of the "Maine law" in 1851), Bangor managed to remain "wet". The city had 142 saloons in 1890. A look-the-other-way attitude by local police and politicians (sustained by a system of bribery in the form of ritualized fine-payments known as "The Bangor Plan") allowed Bangor to flout the nation's most long-standing state prohibition law. In 1913, the war of the "drys" (prohibitionists) on "wet" Bangor escalated when the Penobscot County Sheriff was impeached and removed by the Maine Legislature for not enforcing anti-liquor laws. His successor was asked to resign by the governor the following year for the same reason, but refused. A third sheriff was removed by the governor in 1918, but promptly re-nominated by the Democratic Party. Prohibitionist Carrie Nation had been forcibly expelled from the Bangor House hotel in 1902 after causing a disturbance.

In October 1937, "public enemy" Al Brady and another member of his "Brady Gang" (Clarence Shaffer) were killed in the bloodiest shootout in Maine's history. FBI agents ambushed Brady, Shaffer, and James Dalhover on Bangor's Central Street after they had attempted to purchase a Thompson submachine gun from Dakin's Sporting Goods downtown. Brady is buried in the public section of Mount Hope Cemetery, on the north side of Mount Hope Avenue. Until recently, Brady's grave was unmarked. A group of schoolchildren erected a wooden marker over his grave in the 1990s, which was replaced by a more permanent stone in 2007.

Education

 * Universities and colleges
 * The University of Maine (originally The Maine State College) was founded in Orono in 1868. It is part of the University of Maine System.
 * The Bangor campus of the University of Maine at Augusta.
 * Husson University enrolls about 3,500 students a year in a variety of undergraduate and graduate programs.
 * Beal University was founded in 1891 and offers degrees in nursing, healthcare, business and more.
 * The Bangor Theological Seminary, founded in 1814, was the only accredited graduate school of religion in northern New England. Closed in 2013.

Bangor School Department operates public schools, including Bangor High School, the only public high school in the municipality.

Private schools include:
 * The private John Bapst Memorial High School. In 2012 it was ranked in the top 20% nationally by the Washington Post High School Challenge.
 * The private Bangor Christian Schools
 * All Saints Catholic School, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, is in Bangor.

Media
The Bangor region has a large number of media outlets for an area its size. The city has an unbroken history of newspaper publishing extending from 1815. Almost thirty dailies, weeklies, and monthlies had been launched there by the end of the Civil War.

The Bangor Daily News was founded in the late 19th century, and is one of the few remaining family-owned newspapers left in the United States. The Maine Edge is published from Bangor.

Bangor has more than a dozen radio stations and seven television stations, including WLBZ 2 (NBC), WABI 5 (CBS; CW on DT2), WVII 7 (ABC), WBGR-LD 33 (MeTV), and WFVX-LD 22 (Fox/MyNetworkTV). Maine Public Broadcasting Network outlet WMEB 12, licensed to nearby Orono, is the area's PBS member station. Radio stations in the city include WKIT and WZON, owned by Zone Radio Corporation, a company owned by Bangor resident novelist Stephen King. WHSN is a non-commercial alternative rock station licensed to Bangor and run and operated by staff and students at the New England School of Communications on the campus of Husson University. Several other stations in the market are owned by Blueberry Broadcasting and Townsquare Media.

Road
Bangor sits along interstates I-95 and I-395; U.S. highways US 1A, US 2, US Route 2A, US 202; and state routes SR 9, SR 15, SR 15 Business, SR 100, and SR 222. Three major bridges connect the city to neighboring Brewer: Joshua Chamberlain Bridge (carrying US 1A), Penobscot River Bridge (carrying SR 15), and the Veterans Remembrance Bridge (carrying I-395).

Daily intercity bus service from Bangor proper is provided by two companies. Concord Coach Lines connects Bangor with Augusta, Portland, several towns in Maine's midcoast region, and Boston, Massachusetts. Cyr Bus Lines provides daily service to Caribou and several northern Maine towns along I-95 and Route 1. The area is also served by Greyhound, which operates out of the Park and Ride lot at 360 Odlin Road. West's Bus Service provides service between Bangor and Calais.

In 2011, Acadian Lines ended bus service to Saint John, New Brunswick, because of low ticket sales.

The Community Connector system offers public transportation within Bangor and to adjacent towns such as Orono. There is also a seasonal (summer) shuttle between Bangor and Bar Harbor.

Rail
Freight service is provided by Pan Am Railways and Central Maine and Quebec Railway, the latter being a successor to locally based Bangor and Aroostook Railroad and Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway.

Passenger rail service was provided most recently by the New Brunswick Southern Railway, which in 1994 discontinued its route to Saint John, New Brunswick.

For historic Bangor trolley service see Bangor Railway and Electric Company.

Rail accidents

 * 1869: The Black Island Railroad Bridge north of Old Town, Maine collapsed under the weight of a Bangor and Piscataquis Railroad train, killing 3 crew and injuring 7–8 others.
 * 1871: A bridge in Hampden collapsed under the weight of a Maine Central Railroad train approaching Bangor, killing 2 and injuring 50.
 * 1898: A Maine Central Railroad train crashed near Orono killing 2 and fatally injuring 4. The president of the railroad and his wife were also on board in a private car, but escaped injury. Train Wrecked in Maine
 * 1899: The collapse of a gangway between a train and a waiting ferry at Mount Desert sent 200 members of a Bangor excursion party into the water, drowning 20.
 * 1911: A head-on collision of two trains north of Bangor, in Grindstone, killed 15, including 5 members of the Presque Isle Brass Band.

Air
Bangor International Airport is a joint civil-military public airport 3 mi west of the city. It has a single runway measuring 11439 by. Bangor is the last (or first) American airport along the great circle route between the U.S. East Coast and Europe, and in the 1970s and '80s it was a refuelling stop, until the development of longer-range jets in the 1990s.

Hospitals
Bangor is home to two large hospitals, the Eastern Maine Medical Center and the Catholic-affiliated St. Joseph Hospital.

Pandemics
In 1832, a cholera epidemic in Saint John, New Brunswick, (part of the Second cholera pandemic) sent as many as eight hundred poor Irish immigrants walking to Bangor. This was the beginning of Maine's first substantial Irish-Catholic community. Competition with Americans for jobs caused a riot and resulting fire in 1833. In 1849–50, the Second cholera pandemic reached Bangor itself, killing 20–30 within the first week, 112 had died by October 1849. The final death toll was 161. A late outbreak of the disease in 1854 killed seventeen others. The victims in most cases were poor Irish immigrants. In 1872, a smallpox epidemic closed local schools. The Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, which was global in scope, struck over a thousand Bangoreans and killed more than a hundred. This was the worst 'natural disaster' in the city's history since the cholera epidemic of 1849.

Popular culture
Bangor is mentioned in the songs King of the Road, I've Been Everywhere, How 'Bout Them Cowgirls, and What the Cowgirls Do.

In 1977, tourist Erwin Kreuz mistook the city for San Francisco.

Marvel Comics villain MODOK is from Bangor, Maine.

Julie "The Cat" Gaffney from The Mighty Ducks film franchise is from Bangor, Maine.

Bangor International Airport is the main set for the TV series The Langoliers.

Stephen King's novels mention Bangor many times, and some of his movie adaptations have been filmed there. See his bibliography.

The 1960s television gothic soap opera Dark Shadows has some scenes set in Bangor, which was the nearest city to the mythical Collinsport.

Sister cities

 * Harbin, Heilongjiang, China
 * 🇨🇦 Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

Notable people

 * List of people from Bangor, Maine

title: Bangor, Maine


text:
Bradford, Maine

Bradford is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Bangor, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,184 at the 2020 census.

History
According to some early documents, Bradford was said to be first settled between 1803 and 1805 by James White and Robert Marshall of Thomaston however early settler Cornelius Bradford was among the first to live in the settlement and died there in 1790. Cornelius Bradford is a lineal descendant of Governor William Bradford of the Plymouth Colony. He was the eldest child of Joshua and Hannah Bradford, who were killed during the Raid on Meduncook. Bradford was organized as Blakesburg Plantation in 1820 and was incorporated as a town on March 12, 1831. By the mid-1850s its population had peaked at 1,500, which is about 200 more people than it has today.

A tornado passed through Bradford in 1872, destroying two houses. Buildings in the nearby towns of Parkman and Dover were also demolished.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 41.18 sqmi, all land.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,290 people, 493 households, and 338 families living in the town. The population density was 31.3 PD/sqmi. There were 583 housing units at an average density of 14.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.4% White, 0.8% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population.

There were 493 households, of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 31.4% were non-families. 22.1% 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 2.62 and the average family size was 3.01.

The median age in the town was 40.4 years. 24% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.2% were from 25 to 44; 31.5% were from 45 to 64; and 11.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.5% male and 48.5% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,186 people, 434 households, and 322 families living in the town. The population density was 28.7 PD/sqmi. There were 502 housing units at an average density of 12.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.39% White, 0.34% African American, 0.25% Native American, 0.84% from other races, and 1.18% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.93% of the population.

There were 434 households, out of which 38.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.7% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% were non-families. 18.2% of all households 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 2.73 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 32.5% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,216, and the median income for a family was $36,786. Males had a median income of $28,427 versus $23,000 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,853. About 11.6% of families and 14.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.7% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

title: Bradford, Maine


text:
Bradley, Maine

Bradley is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Bangor Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,532 at the 2020 census. The village of Bradley is in the northwestern corner of the town.

History
Bradley was incorporated as a town in 1834, with lumbering and sawmilling as the principal industries. It was named for Bradley Blackman, an early settler. By the 1850s the town had 14 single-saw mills, three gang-saw (multiple-saw) mills, four clapboard mills, four lath mills, and three shingle mills. The only village was at Greatworks. The Maine Forest & Logging Museum, located at Leonard's Mills, was established in 1960 to preserve the logging history of Maine.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 50.65 sqmi, of which 49.52 sqmi is land and 1.13 sqmi is water.

2010 census
At the 2010 census there were 1,492 people, 625 households, and 411 families living in the town. The population density was 30.1 PD/sqmi. There were 719 housing units at an average density of 14.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.3% White, 0.1% African American, 1.5% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 0.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.3%.

Of the 625 households 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.2% were non-families. 25.1% of households were one person and 9.5% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.82.

The median age in the town was 40 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.8% were from 25 to 44; 28.3% were from 45 to 64; and 14.7% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.9% male and 51.1% female.

2000 census
At the 2000 census there were 1,242 people, 514 households, and 363 families living in the town. The population density was 25.1 people per square mile (9.7/km$2$). There were 614 housing units at an average density of 12.4 per square mile (4.8/km$2$). The racial makeup of the town was 98.47% White, 0.16% African American, 0.40% Native American, 0.08% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.40% from other races, and 0.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.64%.

Of the 514 households 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% were non-families. 22.0% of households were one person and 7.2% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.81.

The age distribution was 21.9% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 23.6% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% 65 or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.

The median household income was $37,163 and the median family income was $41,417. Males had a median income of $30,647 versus $21,359 for females. The per capita income for the town was $18,009. About 5.8% of families and 9.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

title: Bradley, Maine


text:
Brewer, Maine

Brewer is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Bangor, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is named after its first settler, Colonel John Brewer. The population was 9,672 at the 2020 census.

Brewer is the sister city of Bangor. The two are at the head of navigation on opposite sides of the Penobscot River estuary and are connected by three bridges. Brewer and Bangor were originally both part of Condeskeag Plantation, though the Brewer part was also called "New Worcester" after John Brewer's birthplace. In 1788, Orrington, Maine was incorporated with Brewer/New Worcester as its major village. The other half of Kenduskeag incorporated in 1791 as Bangor. Finally, in 1812, Brewer broke away from Orrington and incorporated as a separate town.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 15.68 sqmi, of which 15.23 sqmi is land and 0.45 sqmi is water.

The villages of South Brewer and North Brewer are both within city limits. South Brewer was formerly the city's major industrial area.

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, Brewer has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Education

 * Brewer Community School

Historic buildings
The Victorian-style Daniel Sargent House (1847 and later) in South Brewer is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sargent was the owner of a large South Brewer sawmill. During the Civil War, he commanded the company of "Tigers" (Penobscot River Drivers) in the 2nd Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment, also called "The Bangor Regiment". This was the first unit to march out of the state in 1861, and participated in 11 battles over two years. Sargent was eventually promoted to Lt. Col., or second in-command of the regiment.

The city's most imposing architectural landmark is the shingle style First Congregational Church, which stands on a bluff above the river overlooking Bangor.

Historic industries
Brewer was as famous for brick-making in the 19th century as Bangor was for lumber. By the 1850s, there were 12–15 brickyards in Brewer making 12 million bricks annually. Most of these were shipped to Boston and vicinity. It is said that most of the Back Bay and South End neighborhoods of Boston are built of Brewer brick. Frank O. Farrington of Brewer patented a machine for edging and turning bricks in 1859.

Ship-building was also a major Brewer industry, as was saw-milling. Brewer's sawmills tended to be steam-powered, unlike those farther up the Penobscot River, which were powered by waterfalls. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the city also had a significant ice industry, which survives today in the form of the Getchell Brothers company.

The Eastern Manufacturing Company opened a pulp and paper mill in South Brewer in 1889 that became the city's largest employer. The mill closed in 2004, and the site has now been re-developed by the Cianbro Corporation. The Eastern began as a sawmill owned by Fred W. Ayer, who in the late 1880s began experimenting with paper-making (using the newly developed sulfite process) in order to utilize his left-over slab lumber. In 1899, Ayer patented a new method of sulfite digestion which subsequently became the basis for operations at the Eastern, as well as the Great Northern mill in Millinocket, Maine, thus circumventing an important patent owned by the competing International Paper Corporation. "The Eastern", as the mill was known locally, began specializing in fine grades of paper around 1905 (such as their trademark "Atlantic Bond"), and the company was eventually renamed Eastern Fine Paper, Inc..

Notable events
In 1900, Dione Polliot, a 17-year-old French-Canadian girl, won $10 (over $200 today) for being the first person to climb to the top of the 173-foot chimney of the Eastern Manufacturing Company. The company had a standing offer of $5 to the first boy who made it to the top, but all had turned back half-way. The bet was spontaneously doubled when Polliot took the dare. The feat was reported in The New York Times, which called Polliot "not only the prettiest girl in South Brewer, but the pluckiest".

In the early hours of August 29, 1903, bank robbers broke into the Brewer Savings Bank using dynamite. They took $300 from the vault (most of the money having been removed beforehand) and retreated across the bridge to Bangor firing their guns at people in Brewer and police on the Bangor side. Despite mobilizing the entire Bangor police force in pursuit, they escaped capture.

On June 12, 1906, four Brewer High School students drowned while sailing at Brewer Lake. On hearing the news, a woman in nearby Old Town went into a trance and reportedly identified the location of the bodies with some accuracy, though they were recovered before her information arrived at the lake. The incident was later reported in the Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research. Graduation ceremonies were canceled and 1,000 people attended the funeral.

In January 2019, a photographer conducting a First Amendment Audit was criminally trespassed from City Hall after video recording the public lobby. This prompted calls from across the country to various city offices inquiring into the event.

Notable people

 * Gen. John Blake, U.S. Army officer, led militia in the Battle of Hampden (1814) during the War of 1812
 * Joseph E. Brooks, member of the Maine House of Representatives and journalist
 * Maj. Gen. Joshua Chamberlain, educator, Civil War hero and 32nd Governor of Maine
 * Sean Danielsen, lead vocalist and guitarist of the band Smile Empty Soul
 * Howie Day, singer-musician, raised in Brewer, graduated from Brewer High School (1999)
 * Charles Fletcher Dole, influential Unitarian minister, speaker and writer
 * Fannie Hardy Eckstorm, author, ornithologist, folklorist and researcher on psychic phenomena
 * Oliver C. Farrington, noted geologist and meteorite expert at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago
 * Kenneth P. MacLeod, President of the Maine Senate
 * Stephanie Lynne Niznik, was an American film, television, and theatre actress.
 * William E. Quinby, editor of the Detroit Free Press, United States Ambassador to the Netherlands
 * Ambureen Rana, maine state representative

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 9,482 people, 4,163 households, and 2,448 families living in the city. The population density was 622.6 PD/sqmi. There were 4,457 housing units at an average density of 292.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 95.4% White, 0.7% African American, 0.8% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.2% of the population.

There were 4,163 households, of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.3% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.2% were non-families. 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.81.

The median age in the city was 41.1 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.2% were from 25 to 44; 27.6% were from 45 to 64; and 17.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.1% male and 52.9% female.

2000 census
At the 2000 census, there were 8,987 people, 3,842 households and 2,401 families living in the city. The population density was 595.3 PD/sqmi. There were 4,064 housing units at an average density of 269.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 97.63% White, 0.33% African American, 0.63% Native American, 0.55% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.23% from other races, and 0.60% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.

There were 3,842 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.5% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 29.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.86.

22.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 23.0% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.

The median household income was $36,949 and the median family income was $46,632. Males had a median income of $35,016 compared with $26,850 for females. The per capita income for the city was $20,158. About 8.6% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.3% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

title: Brewer, Maine


text:
Burlington, Maine

Burlington is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Bangor Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 373 at the 2020 census.

History
The area was originally known as "Hurd's Ridge," named after the first non-native settler, Tristram Hurd, who arrived in 1824. The town of Burlington was incorporated March 8, 1832.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 56.25 sqmi, of which 54.01 sqmi is land and 2.24 sqmi is water.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 363 people, 166 households, and 106 families living in the town. The population density was 6.7 PD/sqmi. There were 410 housing units at an average density of 7.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 99.4% White, 0.3% Asian, and 0.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.3% of the population.

There were 166 households, of which 19.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.1% were non-families. 28.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.61.

The median age in the town was 50 years. 17.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.7% were from 25 to 44; 37.3% were from 45 to 64; and 19.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.4% male and 49.6% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 351 people, 140 households, and 100 families living in the town. The population density was 6.5 PD/sqmi. There were 308 housing units at an average density of 5.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 100.00% White. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.57% of the population.

There were 140 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.6% were married couples living together, 5.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.9% were non-families. 21.4% 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 2.51 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.1% under the age of 18, 10.0% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 108.3 males.

The median income for a household for females. The per capita income for the town was $11,573. About 6.5% of families and 10.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 3.1% of those age 65 or over.

title: Burlington, Maine


text:
Carmel, Maine

Carmel is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Bangor Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,867 at the 2020 census.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.90 sqmi, of which 36.53 sqmi is land and 0.37 sqmi is water. The center of town is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 2 and Maine State Route 100 with Maine State Route 69. Interstate 95 passes east–west through the southern portion of town, with access via exits 167 and 174, both outside the town boundary.

Souadabscook Stream is the main waterway through the town, flowing east to the Penobscot River in Hampden.

History
Martin Kinsley of Hampden bought this township in 1795 and began selling lots. The first settlers were Abel Ruggles and the Rev. Paul Ruggles, who named the place to honor the prophet Elijah's experience on Mount Carmel. It was incorporated as a town in 1811.

Notable people

 * Myrna Fahey (1933–1973), actress
 * Amory Nelson Hardy, photographer
 * Emory A. Hebard, Member of the Vermont House of Representatives from 1961 to 1977, Vermont State Treasurer from 1977 to 1989
 * James E. Thorne, state legislator

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,794 people, 1,097 households, and 818 families living in the town. The population density was 76.5 PD/sqmi. There were 1,182 housing units at an average density of 32.4 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.6% White, 0.5% African American, 0.5% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.

There were 1,097 households, of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.5% were married couples living together, 9.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.4% were non-families. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 2.90.

The median age in the town was 40.5 years. 23% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.3% were from 25 to 44; 30.6% were from 45 to 64; and 13% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.3% male and 49.7% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,416 people, 932 households, and 707 families living in the town. The population density was 66.1 PD/sqmi. There were 995 housing units at an average density of 27.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.18% White, 0.17% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.33% of the population.

There were 932 households, out of which 37.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.1% were non-families. 16.4% 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 2.59 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 24.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,645, and the median income for a family was $41,474. Males had a median income of $31,354 versus $21,176 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,597. About 9.8% of families and 11.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 16.2% of those age 65 or over.

title: Carmel, Maine


text:
Carroll Plantation, Maine

Carroll Plantation is a plantation in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The plantation was named for Daniel Carroll, a signatory of the United States Constitution. It is located along Maine State Route 6 (Main Road) near its intersection with State Route 170. The population was 138 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Bangor Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the plantation has a total area of 114.3 km2, of which 113.8 km2 is land and 0.5 km2, or 0.39%, is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 144 people in 59 households, including 44 families, in the plantation. The population density was 3.3 PD/sqmi. There were 96 housing units at an average density of 2.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the plantation was 92.36% White, 2.08% Native American, and 5.56% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.08% of the population.

Of the 59 households 16.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.8% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.4% were non-families. 16.9% of households were one person and 11.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.70.

The age distribution was 16.0% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 19.4% from 25 to 44, 35.4% from 45 to 64, and 22.9% 65 or older. The median age was 49 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.2 males.

The median household income was $21,786 and the median family income was $22,500. Males had a median income of $23,125 versus $29,375 for females. The per capita income for the plantation was $14,294. There were 17.4% of families and 23.6% of the population living below the poverty line, including 38.5% of under eighteens and 19.0% of those over 64.

title: Carroll Plantation, Maine


text:
Charleston, Maine

Charleston is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Bangor Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,558 at the 2020 census. Charleston includes the village of West Charleston and is home to the Higgins Classical Institute, a Christian school.

History
Charleston was first settled as early as 1795 by Charles Vaughan. The land was granted on July 14, 1802, by the Massachusetts General Court to John Lowell. Known as T2 R5 NWP, or Township 2, Range 4, North of the Waldo Patent, it was incorporated on February 16, 1811, as New Charlestown, to distinguish it from Charlestown, Massachusetts, when that state included the province of Maine. But in 1820, Maine achieved statehood, so any confusion between the two ceased. Consequently, in 1827 the name was shortened to Charleston.

Sawmills were established to operate by water power at the streams. But Charleston was primarily an agricultural town. Its large farms were noted for raising horses and cattle. In 1837, the Higgins Classical Institute was founded. By 1870, the community had a population of 1,191. Between 1901 and 1930, the Bangor Railway & Electric Company operated trolleys on an electric railway between Bangor and Charleston.

In late 1950, construction began on the Charleston Air Force Station, part of the Aerospace Defense Command. Known as Bull Hill for its location in the town, the station was completed in early 1951, and fully staffed and operational in 1952. After the base closed, it was transformed into the Charleston Correctional Facility, which opened in 1980.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 40.56 sqmi, of which 40.55 sqmi is land and 10.01 sqmi is the Weymouths land. Charleston is drained by Rollins Brook and South Gate Brook.

The town is located near the intersection of Charleston Road and South Stagecoach Road-Atkinson Road, between Route 15 (Bangor Road) and Route 221, and halfway between Schoodic Lake and Sebasticook Lake.

2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,409 people, 481 households, and 347 families living in the town. The population density was 34.7 PD/sqmi. There were 546 housing units at an average density of 13.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.6% White, 0.6% African American, 0.7% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 0.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.

There were 481 households, of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.5% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 27.9% were non-families. 20.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% 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 2.95.

The median age in the town was 38.7 years. 24.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.7% were from 25 to 44; 29.9% were from 45 to 64; and 10.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 56.2% male and 43.8% female.

2000 census
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,397 people, 431 households, and 334 families living in the town. The population density was 34.7 PD/sqmi. There were 470 housing units at an average density of 11.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.28% White, 0.72% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.21% Asian, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.21% of the population.

There were 431 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.6% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.3% were non-families. 18.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 2.92.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.1% under the age of 18, 10.1% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 115.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,053, and the median income for a family was $39,625. Males had a median income of $31,250 versus $20,735 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,832. About 6.7% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

title: Charleston, Maine