Andover, Maine
Encyclopedia
Andover is a town
in Oxford County
, Maine
, United States
. The population was 864 at the 2000 census. Set among mountains
and crossed by the Appalachian Trail
, Andover is home to the Andover Earth Station
and Lovejoy Covered Bridge
.
. It was purchased from Massachusetts
by Samuel Johnson and others from Andover in 1791, the year Colonel Thomas Poor built the first mills at the falls
. The town was incorporated on June 23, 1804 as East Andover, renamed Andover in 1820 when Maine separated from Massachusetts.
Early occupations included agriculture
and lumbering. As the town developed, factories made door
s, sash, blinds
, starch
, cheese
, boot
s and shoes
, edge-tools, carriage
s and harness
. It also had a tannery
. Located on an intervale surrounded by mountains, Andover was noted for "its grand and beautiful scenery," with streams abounding in trout
. After the Civil War
, the town became a popular destination for sportsmen, especially fishermen
attracted by the nearby Richardson Lakes. A hotel was built to accommodate the influx of tourists.
In 1960, Andover was selected to be site of the Andover Earth Station
, completed in 1962. It was the location of the first live transatlantic television signal broadcast by satellite Telstar
1.
, the town has a total area of 57.5 square miles (148.9 km²), of which, 57.4 square miles (148.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.07%) is water. Crossed by the Appalachian Trail, Andover is drained by the Ellis River
, a tributary
of the Androscoggin River
.
The town is crossed by state routes 5
and 120. It borders the towns of Roxbury
and Byron
to the east, Rumford to the south, Newry
to the south and west, Andover West Surplus to the west, and Andover North Surplus to the north.
of 2000, there were 864 people, 359 households, and 257 families residing in the town. The population density
was 15.1 people per square mile (5.8/km²). There were 553 housing units at an average density of 9.6 per square mile (3.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.96% White, 0.46% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.12% from other races
, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population.
There were 359 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were married couples
living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 30.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,058, and the median income for a family was $40,855. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $20,253. About 9.0% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.
New England town
The New England town is the basic unit of local government in each of the six New England states. Without a direct counterpart in most other U.S. states, New England towns are conceptually similar to civil townships in other states, but are incorporated, possessing powers like cities in other...
in Oxford County
Oxford County, Maine
Oxford County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine with a population of 57,833 as of the 2010 U.S. census. Its county seat is Paris.Part of Oxford County is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, metropolitan New England City and Town Area while a different part of Oxford County is...
, Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 864 at the 2000 census. Set among mountains
Western Maine Mountains
The Western Maine Mountains region spans most of Maine's western border with New Hampshire. A small part of the scenic White Mountain National Forest is located in this area. This is essentially all of Oxford County and northern York County and Cumberland Counties. Notable towns include Bethel,...
and crossed by the Appalachian Trail
Appalachian Trail
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the AT, is a marked hiking trail in the eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. It is approximately long...
, Andover is home to the Andover Earth Station
Andover Earth Station
Andover Earth Station is one of the first satellite earth stations, located at Andover in the US state of Maine. It was built by AT&T to communicate with the Telstar 1 satellite, the first direct relay communications satellite. It provided the first experimental satellite telephone and...
and Lovejoy Covered Bridge
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
.
History
Originally called East Andover Plantation, it was first settled in 1789 by Ezekiel Merrill from Andover, MassachusettsAndover, Massachusetts
Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was incorporated in 1646 and as of the 2010 census, the population was 33,201...
. It was purchased from Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
by Samuel Johnson and others from Andover in 1791, the year Colonel Thomas Poor built the first mills at the falls
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
. The town was incorporated on June 23, 1804 as East Andover, renamed Andover in 1820 when Maine separated from Massachusetts.
Early occupations included agriculture
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
and lumbering. As the town developed, factories made door
Door
A door is a movable structure used to open and close off an entrance, typically consisting of a panel that swings on hinges or that slides or rotates inside of a space....
s, sash, blinds
Window shutter
A window shutter is a solid and stable window covering usually consisting of a frame of vertical stiles and horizontal rails...
, starch
Starch
Starch or amylum is a carbohydrate consisting of a large number of glucose units joined together by glycosidic bonds. This polysaccharide is produced by all green plants as an energy store...
, cheese
Cheese
Cheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
, boot
Boot
A boot is a type of footwear but they are not shoes. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle and extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece....
s and shoes
Shoemaking
Shoemaking is the process of making footwear. Originally, shoes were made one at a time by hand. Traditional handicraft shoemaking has now been largely superseded in volume of shoes produced by industrial mass production of footwear, but not necessarily in quality, attention to detail, or...
, edge-tools, carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
s and harness
Horse harness
A horse harness is a type of horse tack that allows a horse or other equine to pull various horse-drawn vehicles such as a carriage, wagon or sleigh. Harnesses may also be used to hitch animals to other loads such as a plow or canal boat....
. It also had a tannery
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
. Located on an intervale surrounded by mountains, Andover was noted for "its grand and beautiful scenery," with streams abounding in trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
. After the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, the town became a popular destination for sportsmen, especially fishermen
Fisherman
A fisherman or fisher is someone who captures fish and other animals from a body of water, or gathers shellfish. Worldwide, there are about 38 million commercial and subsistence fishermen and fish farmers. The term can also be applied to recreational fishermen and may be used to describe both men...
attracted by the nearby Richardson Lakes. A hotel was built to accommodate the influx of tourists.
In 1960, Andover was selected to be site of the Andover Earth Station
Andover Earth Station
Andover Earth Station is one of the first satellite earth stations, located at Andover in the US state of Maine. It was built by AT&T to communicate with the Telstar 1 satellite, the first direct relay communications satellite. It provided the first experimental satellite telephone and...
, completed in 1962. It was the location of the first live transatlantic television signal broadcast by satellite Telstar
Telstar
Telstar is the name of various communications satellites, including the first such satellite to relay television signals.The first two Telstar satellites were experimental and nearly identical. Telstar 1 was launched on top of a Thor-Delta rocket on July 10, 1962...
1.
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the town has a total area of 57.5 square miles (148.9 km²), of which, 57.4 square miles (148.7 km²) of it is land and 0.04 square mile (0.1035995244 km²) of it (0.07%) is water. Crossed by the Appalachian Trail, Andover is drained by the Ellis River
Ellis River (Maine)
The Ellis River is a river in Oxford County in western Maine. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River.The river begins at the outlet of Ellis Pond in the northwest corner of Roxbury and flows southwest via a meandering course into Andover, passing the village of East Andover before turning...
, a tributary
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of the Androscoggin River
Androscoggin River
The Androscoggin River is a river in the U.S. states of Maine and New Hampshire, in northern New England. It is long and joins the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay in Maine before its water empties into the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic Ocean. Its drainage basin is in area...
.
The town is crossed by state routes 5
Maine State Route 5
State Route 5 is part of Maine's system of numbered state highways, running from the an intersection with Route 9 in Old Orchard Beach, to an intersection with Route 120 in Andover. Route 5 is long....
and 120. It borders the towns of Roxbury
Roxbury, Maine
Roxbury is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 384 at the 2000 census. Ellis Pond is popular with recreational fishermen.-History:...
and Byron
Byron, Maine
Byron is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 121 at the 2000 census. Home to Coos Canyon on the Swift River, Byron includes the village of Houghton.-History:...
to the east, Rumford to the south, Newry
Newry, Maine
Newry is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 344 at the 2000 census. Newry is the home of Sunday River Ski Resort and has a proportionately large seasonal population.-History:...
to the south and west, Andover West Surplus to the west, and Andover North Surplus to the north.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 864 people, 359 households, and 257 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 15.1 people per square mile (5.8/km²). There were 553 housing units at an average density of 9.6 per square mile (3.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.96% White, 0.46% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.12% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.35% of the population.
There were 359 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4% were non-families. 23.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.81.
In the town the population was spread out with 23.3% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 30.7% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 99.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,058, and the median income for a family was $40,855. Males had a median income of $32,031 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the town was $20,253. About 9.0% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.3% of those under age 18 and 13.3% of those age 65 or over.
Site of interest
- Lovejoy Covered Bridge
- Andover Hook and Ladder Company BuildingAndover Hook and Ladder Company BuildingAndover Hook and Ladder Company Building, is located in Andover, Maine. The fire station was built in 1904 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on January 11, 2001....
, built in 1904, listed on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational Register of Historic PlacesThe National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2001 - Andover Public LibraryAndover Public Library (Andover, Maine)The Andover Public Library built in 1899 is an historic octagonal-shaped library building located at 46 Church Street in Andover, Maine. On January 27, 1981, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.-References:*...
, founded in 1899, listed on the National Register in 1981 - Merrill-Poor House, listed on the National Register in 1976
Notable people
- Henry Varnum PoorHenry Varnum PoorHenry Varnum Poor was a financial analyst and founder of H.V. and H.W. Poor Co, which later evolved into the financial research and analysis bellwether, Standard & Poor's....
, financial analyst - John A. PoorJohn A. PoorJohn Alfred Poor was an American lawyer, editor, and entrepreneur best remembered for his association with the Grand Trunk Railway and his role in developing the railroad system in Maine. He was the older brother of Henry Varnum Poor of Standard & Poor's, who was his partner in some business...
, lawyer, editor and entrepreneur