Avon, Maine
Encyclopedia
Avon is a town
in Franklin County
, Maine
, United States. The population was 461 at the 2010 census. Avon is home to Mount Blue, part of Mount Blue State Park
.
, with Perkins Allen from Martha's Vineyard. The town was incorporated on February 22, 1802, named for the River Avon in England. One of the Worcestershire
villages through which River Avon flows is Eckington
, birthplace of Capt. Soule's ancestor, George Soule
, a Mayflower Pilgrim. Capt. Soule's son, Bishop Joshua Soule
, was raised in Avon.
Fertile soil on either side of the Sandy River yielded grain
, fruit
and vegetable
s. When the population was 767 in 1837, the town produced 3,220 bushel
s of wheat
. By 1875, two sawmill
s operated on a small stream. In the easterly part of town developed the only village, where some trade
was conducted. The Sandy River Railroad
opened in 1879, transporting freight and tourists between Farmington, Avon, Strong
and Phillips
. The narrow gauge
line became part of the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad
in 1908, but was discontinued in 1935 during the Great Depression
.
, the town has a total area of 41.5 square miles (107.5 km²), of which 41.3 square miles (107 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) (0.58%) is water. Avon is drained by the Sandy River, a tributary of the Kennebec River
. Mount Blue, elevation 3,192 feet (973 meters) above sea level (and part of Mount Blue State Park
), is located in the southwest corner of Avon.
The town is crossed by state routes 4
and 149. It borders the towns of Phillips
to the north, Strong
to the east, Weld
to the west, and Temple
to the south.
of 2000, there were 504 people, 202 households, and 144 families residing in the town. The population density
was 12.2 people per square mile (4.7/km²). There were 302 housing units at an average density of 7.3 per square mile (2.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.40% White, 0.40% African American, 0.20% from other races
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.
There were 202 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% were married couples
living together, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,722, and the median income for a family was $32,250. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $16,696 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $15,573. About 18.4% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 25.0% 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 Franklin County
Franklin County, Maine
Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 30,768. Its county seat is Farmington.Franklin County was established on 9 May 1838.-Geography:...
, 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. The population was 461 at the 2010 census. Avon is home to Mount Blue, part of Mount Blue State Park
Mount Blue State Park
Mount Blue State Park is a popular recreation, camping, and swimming area run by the state of Maine located in Franklin County. Its facilities are situated on the shores of Webb Lake in Weld, near mountains Mount Blue, Little Jackson, and Tumbledown Mountain...
.
History
First known as Township 2 Abbott's Purchase, or Upper Town, it was settled in 1781 by a pair of sea captains -- Joshua Soule, originally from Duxbury, Massachusetts and later Bremen, MaineBremen, Maine
Bremen is a small town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 782 at the 2000 census. Located on Muscongus Bay and the Gulf of Maine, it includes the villages of Broad Cove, Turners Corner, Bremen, Medomak and Muscongus...
, with Perkins Allen from Martha's Vineyard. The town was incorporated on February 22, 1802, named for the River Avon in England. One of the Worcestershire
Worcestershire
Worcestershire is a non-metropolitan county, established in antiquity, located in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire" NUTS 2 region...
villages through which River Avon flows is Eckington
Eckington, Worcestershire
Eckington is a small village near to the southern border of the English county of Worcestershire, according to the 2001 census it had a population of 1,202....
, birthplace of Capt. Soule's ancestor, George Soule
George Soule
George Soule was a signer of the Mayflower Compact, and one of the original 102 Pilgrims who arrived on the Mayflower to Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620.-Biography:...
, a Mayflower Pilgrim. Capt. Soule's son, Bishop Joshua Soule
Joshua Soule
Joshua Soule was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church , and then of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.-Birth and rebirth:...
, was raised in Avon.
Fertile soil on either side of the Sandy River yielded grain
GRAIN
GRAIN is a small international non-profit organisation that works to support small farmers and social movements in their struggles for community-controlled and biodiversity-based food systems. Our support takes the form of independent research and analysis, networking at local, regional and...
, fruit
Fruit
In broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
and vegetable
Vegetable
The noun vegetable usually means an edible plant or part of a plant other than a sweet fruit or seed. This typically means the leaf, stem, or root of a plant....
s. When the population was 767 in 1837, the town produced 3,220 bushel
Bushel
A bushel is an imperial and U.S. customary unit of dry volume, equivalent in each of these systems to 4 pecks or 8 gallons. It is used for volumes of dry commodities , most often in agriculture...
s of wheat
Wheat
Wheat is a cereal grain, originally from the Levant region of the Near East, but now cultivated worldwide. In 2007 world production of wheat was 607 million tons, making it the third most-produced cereal after maize and rice...
. By 1875, two sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
s operated on a small stream. In the easterly part of town developed the only village, where some trade
Trade
Trade is the transfer of ownership of goods and services from one person or entity to another. Trade is sometimes loosely called commerce or financial transaction or barter. A network that allows trade is called a market. The original form of trade was barter, the direct exchange of goods and...
was conducted. The Sandy River Railroad
Sandy River Railroad
The Sandy River Railroad was built to serve the towns of Strong and Phillips in the Sandy River valley upstream of Farmington. The Sandy River Railroad was the first narrow gauge common carrier railroad built in the State of Maine.- History :...
opened in 1879, transporting freight and tourists between Farmington, Avon, Strong
Strong, Maine
Strong is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,259 at the 2000 census. Strong is home to the annual Sandy River Festival.-History:...
and Phillips
Phillips, Maine
Phillips is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 990 at the 2000 census. It is home to the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad, a heritage railroad.-History:...
. The narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
line became part of the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad
Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad
The Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad was a narrow gauge common carrier railroad that operated approximately of gauge railroad in Franklin County, Maine.-History:Josiah L...
in 1908, but was discontinued in 1935 during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
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 41.5 square miles (107.5 km²), of which 41.3 square miles (107 km²) is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) (0.58%) is water. Avon is drained by the Sandy River, a tributary of the Kennebec River
Kennebec River
The Kennebec River is a river that is entirely within the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Moosehead Lake in west-central Maine. The East and West Outlets join at Indian Pond and the river then flows southward...
. Mount Blue, elevation 3,192 feet (973 meters) above sea level (and part of Mount Blue State Park
Mount Blue State Park
Mount Blue State Park is a popular recreation, camping, and swimming area run by the state of Maine located in Franklin County. Its facilities are situated on the shores of Webb Lake in Weld, near mountains Mount Blue, Little Jackson, and Tumbledown Mountain...
), is located in the southwest corner of Avon.
The town is crossed by state routes 4
Maine State Route 4
State Route 4 is part of Maine's system of numbered state highways, running from the New Hampshire border in South Berwick to Haines Landing on Mooselookmeguntic Lake in the town of Rangeley...
and 149. It borders the towns of Phillips
Phillips, Maine
Phillips is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 990 at the 2000 census. It is home to the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad, a heritage railroad.-History:...
to the north, Strong
Strong, Maine
Strong is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,259 at the 2000 census. Strong is home to the annual Sandy River Festival.-History:...
to the east, Weld
Weld, Maine
Weld is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 402 at the 2000 census. Set beside Webb Lake and almost surrounded by mountains, Weld is noted for its scenic beauty. It is home to Mount Blue State Park and Camp Kawanhee for Boys....
to the west, and Temple
Temple, Maine
Temple is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The town was named after Temple, New Hampshire. It is located at the end of Maine State Route 43 , and is said to be one of only two towns in Maine to be situated at the end of a public highway...
to the south.
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 504 people, 202 households, and 144 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 12.2 people per square mile (4.7/km²). There were 302 housing units at an average density of 7.3 per square mile (2.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.40% White, 0.40% African American, 0.20% 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...
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.
There were 202 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.5% 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, 14.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.4% under the age of 18, 6.2% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 12.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $29,722, and the median income for a family was $32,250. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $16,696 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 $15,573. About 18.4% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.4% of those under age 18 and 25.0% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- Joshua SouleJoshua SouleJoshua Soule was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church , and then of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.-Birth and rebirth:...
, bishop for the Methodist Episcopal ChurchMethodist Episcopal ChurchThe Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of... - Zebulon YorkZebulon YorkZebulon York was a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. He was among a small group of Northern-born Confederate generals.-Early life:York was a native of Avon, Maine...
, Civil War era general