Baldwin, Maine
Encyclopedia
Baldwin is a town
in Cumberland County
, Maine
, United States
. The population was 1,290 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland
–South Portland
–Biddeford
, Maine, metropolitan statistical area
.
to survivors of the Concord
, Massachusetts
, company commanded by Captain John Flint. It replaced a grant of about 1735 which gave them Township No. 3, because when state borders were adjusted in 1741, the town turned out to be in New Hampshire
-- present-day Walpole
. On June 23, 1802, Flintstown was incorporated as Baldwin, named for Colonel Loammi Baldwin
, for whom the Baldwin apple
was named. Sebago
was set off and incorporated in 1826.
The surface of the town is broken, but with soil favorable to grain
and hay
. Baldwin would be noted for its orchard
s, and a factory was established in East Baldwin for drying apple
s. There was also a corn
factory. Brooks provided water power for various mills
which produced board lumber
, barrel staves
and shooks. During times of drought
, the Saco Water Power Company could regulate water at Great Falls to run mills down the Saco River
in Saco
and in Biddeford
. The Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad followed the Saco River valley for the length of Baldwin.
, the town has a total area of 36.3 square miles (94 km²), of which, 35.3 square miles (91.4 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it (2.84%) is water. Baldwin is drained by Breakneck Brook and the Saco River
.
The town is crossed by state routes 5
, 107, 113 and 117, and is bordered by Sebago
on the north; Standish
on the east; Hiram
on the west; and Cornish
and Limington
on the south.
of 2000, there were 1,290 people, 493 households, and 385 families residing in the town. The population density
was 36.5 people per square mile (14.1/km²). There were 577 housing units at an average density of 16.3 per square mile (6.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.91% White, 0.31% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, and 0.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.
There were 493 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.1% were married couples
living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% 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 2.89.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,500, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $31,667 versus $21,563 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $15,689. About 8.2% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 9.5% 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 Cumberland County
Cumberland County, Maine
Cumberland County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 281,674. Its county seat is Portland, and is the most populous of the sixteen Maine counties, as well as the most affluent. Cumberland County has the deepest and second largest body of water in the...
, 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 1,290 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in Maine and is the county seat of Cumberland County. The 2010 city population was 66,194, growing 3 percent since the census of 2000...
–South Portland
South Portland, Maine
South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, and is the fourth-largest city in the state. Founded in 1895, as of the 2010 census, the city population was 25,002. Known for its working waterfront, South Portland is situated on Portland Harbor and overlooks the skyline of...
–Biddeford
Biddeford, Maine
Biddeford is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is the largest town in the county, and is the sixth-largest in the state. It is the most southerly incorporated town in the state and the principal commercial center of York County. The population was 21,277 at the 2010 census...
, Maine, metropolitan statistical area
Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area
The Portland–South Portland–Biddeford Metropolitan Statistical Area, also known as Greater Portland, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in Maine, anchored by the city of Portland and the smaller cities of South Portland and Biddeford...
.
History
First called Flintstown Plantation, it was granted in 1774 by the Massachusetts General CourtMassachusetts General Court
The Massachusetts General Court is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The name "General Court" is a hold-over from the Colonial Era, when this body also sat in judgment of judicial appeals cases...
to survivors of the Concord
Concord, Massachusetts
Concord is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the town population was 17,668. Although a small town, Concord is noted for its leading roles in American history and literature.-History:...
, 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...
, company commanded by Captain John Flint. It replaced a grant of about 1735 which gave them Township No. 3, because when state borders were adjusted in 1741, the town turned out to be in New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
-- present-day Walpole
Walpole, New Hampshire
Walpole is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,734 at the 2010 census.The town's central settlement, where 605 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Walpole census-designated place , and is east of New Hampshire Route 12...
. On June 23, 1802, Flintstown was incorporated as Baldwin, named for Colonel Loammi Baldwin
Loammi Baldwin
Colonel Loammi Baldwin was a noted American engineer, politician, and a soldier in the American Revolutionary War....
, for whom the Baldwin apple
Baldwin (apple)
The Baldwin apple is a bright red winter apple, very good in quality, and easily shipped. It was for many years the most popular apple in New England, New York, and for export from America.-History:...
was named. Sebago
Sebago, Maine
Sebago is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,433 at the 2000 census, although it swells during summer months to approximately 5,000...
was set off and incorporated in 1826.
The surface of the town is broken, but with soil favorable to 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...
and hay
Hay
Hay is grass, legumes or other herbaceous plants that have been cut, dried, and stored for use as animal fodder, particularly for grazing livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep. Hay is also fed to pets such as rabbits and guinea pigs...
. Baldwin would be noted for its orchard
Orchard
An orchard is an intentional planting of trees or shrubs that is maintained for food production. Orchards comprise fruit or nut-producing trees which are grown for commercial production. Orchards are also sometimes a feature of large gardens, where they serve an aesthetic as well as a productive...
s, and a factory was established in East Baldwin for drying apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
s. There was also a corn
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
factory. Brooks provided water power for various mills
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
which produced board lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
, barrel staves
Barrel
A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container, traditionally made of vertical wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. Traditionally, the barrel was a standard size of measure referring to a set capacity or weight of a given commodity. A small barrel is called a keg.For example, a...
and shooks. During times of drought
Drought
A drought is an extended period of months or years when a region notes a deficiency in its water supply. Generally, this occurs when a region receives consistently below average precipitation. It can have a substantial impact on the ecosystem and agriculture of the affected region...
, the Saco Water Power Company could regulate water at Great Falls to run mills down the Saco River
Saco River
The Saco River is a river in northeastern New Hampshire and southwestern Maine in the United States. It drains a rural area of of forests and farmlands west and southwest of Portland, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Saco Bay, from its source. It supplies drinking water to roughly 250,000...
in Saco
Saco, Maine
Saco is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 18,482 at the 2010 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as General Dynamics Armament Systems , a subsidiary of the defense contractor General Dynamics...
and in Biddeford
Biddeford, Maine
Biddeford is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is the largest town in the county, and is the sixth-largest in the state. It is the most southerly incorporated town in the state and the principal commercial center of York County. The population was 21,277 at the 2010 census...
. The Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad followed the Saco River valley for the length of Baldwin.
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 36.3 square miles (94 km²), of which, 35.3 square miles (91.4 km²) of it is land and 1 square miles (2.6 km²) of it (2.84%) is water. Baldwin is drained by Breakneck Brook and the Saco River
Saco River
The Saco River is a river in northeastern New Hampshire and southwestern Maine in the United States. It drains a rural area of of forests and farmlands west and southwest of Portland, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Saco Bay, from its source. It supplies drinking water to roughly 250,000...
.
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....
, 107, 113 and 117, and is bordered by Sebago
Sebago, Maine
Sebago is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,433 at the 2000 census, although it swells during summer months to approximately 5,000...
on the north; Standish
Standish, Maine
Standish is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 9,874 at the 2010 census. It includes the villages of Standish Corner, Sebago Lake Village and Steep Falls, and the localities known as Richville, Standish Neck and Two Trails...
on the east; Hiram
Hiram, Maine
Hiram is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,423 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of Hiram, East Hiram, South Hiram and Durgintown...
on the west; and Cornish
Cornish, Maine
Cornish is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,269 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area...
and Limington
Limington, Maine
Limington is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,403 at the 2000 census. Limington is a tourist destination with historic architecture. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.-History:In 1668, Francis Small...
on 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 1,290 people, 493 households, and 385 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 36.5 people per square mile (14.1/km²). There were 577 housing units at an average density of 16.3 per square mile (6.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.91% White, 0.31% African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, and 0.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.47% of the population.
There were 493 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.1% 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, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.9% were non-families. 16.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% 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 2.89.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.2% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 30.8% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,500, and the median income for a family was $38,750. Males had a median income of $31,667 versus $21,563 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 $15,689. About 8.2% of families and 11.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.9% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
Residents
- Isaac W. DyerIsaac W. DyerIsaac Watson Dyer was a Maine lawyer and politician. Dyer was born in Baldwin, rural Cumberland County, Maine to Isaac and Martha Osgood . He earned his B.A. from Bowdoin College in 1878 and also graduated from Harvard Law School. He married in 1887 and practiced law in Portland, Maine. He served...
, US District Attorney - Josiah Pierce, President of Maine Senate