Biddeford, Maine
Encyclopedia
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. Twin town of Saco
, Biddeford includes the resort community of Biddeford Pool
, Fortunes Rocks
and Granite Point
. The town is home to the University of New England
and the annual La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival
. First visited by Europeans
in 1616, it is the site of one of the earliest European settlements in the United States.
Biddeford is a principal city of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan statistical area
.
, whose main village was upriver at Pequawket (now Fryeburg), once hunted and fished in the area. The first Europe
an to settle at Biddeford was physician Richard Vines in the winter of 1616-1617 at Winter Harbor, as he called Biddeford Pool
. This 1616 landing by a European predates the Mayflower landing in Plymouth, Massachusetts, (located 100 miles to the south) by approximately four years, a fact that is overlooked in much of New England lore. In 1630, the Plymouth Company
granted the land south of the River Swanckadocke
to Dr. Vines and John Oldham. In 1653, the town included both sides of the river, and was incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court
as Saco.
Roger Spencer was granted the right in 1653 to build the first sawmill
. Lumber
and fish
became the community's chief exports. In 1659, Major William Phillips of Boston became a proprietor, and constructed a garrison
and mill
at the falls. During King Philip's War
in 1675, the town was attacked by Indians. Settlers withdrew to Winter Harbor for safety, and their homes and mills upriver at the falls were burned. In 1693, a stone fort was built a short distance below the falls, but it was captured by the Indians in 1703, when 11 colonists were killed and 24 taken captive to Canada
. In 1708, Fort Mary was built near the entrance to Biddeford Pool. The town was reorganized in 1718 as Biddeford, after Bideford
, a town in Devon, England, from which some settlers had emigrated. After the Fall of Quebec in 1759, hostilities with the natives ceased.
In 1762, the land northeast of the river was set off as Pepperellborough, which in 1805 was renamed Saco
. The first bridge to Saco was built in 1767. The river divides into two falls that drop 40 feet (12.2 m), providing water power for mills. Factories were established to make boots and shoes
. The developing mill town
also had granite
quarries
and brickyards, in addition to lumber and grain
mills. Major textile
manufacturing facilities were constructed along the riverbanks, including the Laconia Company in 1845, and the Pepperell Company in 1850. Biddeford was incorporated as a city in 1855.
The mills attracted waves of immigrants, including the Irish
, Albanians
, and French-Canadians from the province of Quebec
. At one time the textile mills employed as many as 12,000 people, but as happened elsewhere, the industry entered a long period of decline. As of 2010, only one textile company, WestPoint Home, remains in the city. The last log drive
down the Saco River was in 1943, with the last log sawn in 1948. Biddeford's name is engraved near the top level of The Pilgrim Monument
, in Provincetown
, Massachusetts
, along with the names of some of the oldest cities and towns in New England.
, a fast-growing school located along the coast which includes Maine's only medical school, the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
. The city also possesses a wide array of community facilities including public beaches, an ice arena, a full-service YMCA
, and one school which has been recently recognized as a "National School of Excellence
."
Anchoring Biddeford's historic downtown are McArthur Public Library and Biddeford's City Theater
. Biddeford has a number of properties and two Historic Districts entered into the National Register of Historic Places. The newest addition is the Main Street Historic District, entered into the National Register on December 24, 2009. Other downtown National Register properties include the Biddeford-Saco Mills Historic District, Biddeford City Hall, Dudley Block and the U.S. Post Office. National Register properties outside of downtown and in the Biddeford Pool area include the John Tarr House, First Parish Meetinghouse, Fletcher's Neck Lifesaving Station and the James Montgomery Flagg House.
Biddeford is one of Maine's fastest-growing commercial centers, due to its close proximity to the Seacoast Region
of New Hampshire and to northern Massachusetts. In recent years, strip malls have developed along the State Route 111 corridor. In late 2006, a 500000 square feet (46,451.5 m²) shopping center known as The Shops at Biddeford Crossing opened, with 20 stores and five restaurants.
Recent interest in revitalizing the downtown area has brought new life to the old mills. The North Dam Mill is one example of this movement offering retail stores, art studios, cultural events, and upscale housing.
The municipality has three post offices within its borders, with ZIP codes of 04005, 04006 and 04007.
Biddeford was the eastern terminus of the now-defunct New England Interstate Route 11
, which ended in Manchester, Vermont. State Route 111, which travels through Biddeford's main commercial corridor, is now numbered in Old Route 11's place. Biddeford Municipal Airport
is located two miles south of the central business district
.
The city has almost 15 miles (24.1 km) of frontage along the Saco River, and an Atlantic coastline on which the seaside neighborhoods of Hills Beach, Biddeford Pool, Fortunes Rocks and Granite Point are located. Biddeford includes Wood Island Light
, a lighthouse
located about a mile offshore from Biddeford Pool.
Cajetan J. B. Baumann O.F.B., AIA
, (1899–1969), the first member of a religious order to be named to the American Institute of Architects earned an honorary degree from St. Francis College in Biddeford, Maine.
, the city has a total area of 34.5 square miles (89.4 km²), of which 30 square miles (77.7 km²) is land and 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²) (13.12%) is water. Situated beside Saco Bay
on the Gulf of Maine
, Biddeford is drained by the Little River
and the Saco River
. The city proper has very diverse geography, from inland rolling hillside, to urban settlement, to coastal sprawl.
The city is crossed by Interstate 95
, U. S. Route 1
, and state routes 5
, 9
, 111 and 208. It is bordered by the city of Saco
to the north, the Atlantic Ocean
to the east, the towns of Dayton
and Lyman
to the west, and the towns of Kennebunkport and Arundel
to the south. The Little River forms a portion of the border between Biddeford and the Goose Rocks
neighborhood of Kennebunkport, in Biddeford's most southerly region (Granite Point). East Point, located on the peninsula of Biddeford Pool, is the easternmost point in York County.
Timber Island, the most southerly point in the City of Biddeford, lies in Goosefare Bay at the mouth of the Little River, and is accessible at low tide from Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport. Title to the peninsula and island shall pass to the Trust for Public Land in 2011 or 2012, thereby ensuring preservation and visitation by the public.
While Maine (as a whole) is politically and colloquially known as part of Northern New England
, Biddeford's geography technically places it more in line with Central New England.
Distances from Biddeford to regional cities:
of 2000, there were 20,942 people, 8,636 households, and 5,259 families residing in the city. The population density
was 697.8 people per square mile (269.4/km²). There were 9,631 housing units at an average density of 320.9 per square mile (123.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.65 percent White, 0.64 percent African American, 0.40 percent Native American, 0.99 percent Asian, 0.03 percent Pacific Islander, 0.18 percent from other races
, and 1.12 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65 percent of the population.
There were 7,636 households out of which 28.4 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4 percent were married couples
living together, 12.2 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1 percent were non-families. 29.7 percent of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.1 percent under the age of 18, 11.1 percent from 18 to 24, 29.5 percent from 25 to 44, 21.8 percent from 45 to 64, and 15.5 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,164 and the median income for a family was $44,109. Males had a median income of $32,008 versus $24,715 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $18,214. About 8.6 percent of families and 13.8 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.8 percent of those under age 18 and 10.3 percent of those age 65 or over.
York County, Maine
York County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, the population was 197,131. Its county seat is Alfred.Founded in 1636, it is the oldest county in Maine and one of the oldest in the United States....
, 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. 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. Twin town of 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...
, Biddeford includes the resort community of Biddeford Pool
Biddeford Pool
Biddeford Pool is the large tidal pool, located off Saco Bay south of the mouth of the Saco River on the south coast of Maine. It is approximately 6 miles southeast of downtown Biddeford, to which it is connected via State Route 208...
, Fortunes Rocks
Fortunes Rocks, Maine
Fortunes Rocks is seaside community in Biddeford, York County, Maine, located approximately north of Boston, Massachusetts. The 1999 novel Fortune's Rocks by Anita Shreve is loosely based on this Maine seaside neighborhood....
and Granite Point
Granite Point, Maine
Granite Point, Maine is a coastal residential neighborhood of Biddeford, Maine located on the border of the town of Kennebunkport...
. The town is home to the University of New England
University of New England, Maine
The University of New England is an independent, coeducational university with two campuses in Maine: the main campus in Biddeford and another in Portland.- History :...
and the annual La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival
La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival
The La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival is a festival in Biddeford, Maine which celebrates the town's French Canadian heritage of the city. It began in 1982. In 1997, the Festival shifted to include all groups in the city. In 2009 and 2010, the Festival faced significant financial difficulties...
. First visited by Europeans
European ethnic groups
The ethnic groups in Europe are the various ethnic groups that reside in the nations of Europe. European ethnology is the field of anthropology focusing on Europe....
in 1616, it is the site of one of the earliest European settlements in the United States.
Biddeford is a principal city of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford 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
Abenaki IndiansIndigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
, whose main village was upriver at Pequawket (now Fryeburg), once hunted and fished in the area. The first Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an to settle at Biddeford was physician Richard Vines in the winter of 1616-1617 at Winter Harbor, as he called Biddeford Pool
Biddeford Pool
Biddeford Pool is the large tidal pool, located off Saco Bay south of the mouth of the Saco River on the south coast of Maine. It is approximately 6 miles southeast of downtown Biddeford, to which it is connected via State Route 208...
. This 1616 landing by a European predates the Mayflower landing in Plymouth, Massachusetts, (located 100 miles to the south) by approximately four years, a fact that is overlooked in much of New England lore. In 1630, the Plymouth Company
Plymouth Company
The Plymouth Company was an English joint stock company founded in 1606 by James I of England with the purpose of establishing settlements on the coast of North America.The Plymouth Company was one of two companies, along with the London Company, chartered with such...
granted the land south of the River Swanckadocke
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...
to Dr. Vines and John Oldham. In 1653, the town included both sides of the river, and was incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court
Massachusetts 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...
as Saco.
Roger Spencer was granted the right in 1653 to build the first 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....
. 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....
and fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
became the community's chief exports. In 1659, Major William Phillips of Boston became a proprietor, and constructed a garrison
Garrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
and mill
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 :...
at the falls. During King Philip's War
King Philip's War
King Philip's War, sometimes called Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, or Metacom's Rebellion, was an armed conflict between Native American inhabitants of present-day southern New England and English colonists and their Native American allies in 1675–76. The war is named after the main leader of the...
in 1675, the town was attacked by Indians. Settlers withdrew to Winter Harbor for safety, and their homes and mills upriver at the falls were burned. In 1693, a stone fort was built a short distance below the falls, but it was captured by the Indians in 1703, when 11 colonists were killed and 24 taken captive to Canada
New France
New France was the area colonized by France in North America during a period beginning with the exploration of the Saint Lawrence River by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763...
. In 1708, Fort Mary was built near the entrance to Biddeford Pool. The town was reorganized in 1718 as Biddeford, after Bideford
Bideford
Bideford is a small port town on the estuary of the River Torridge in north Devon, south-west England. It is also the main town of the Torridge local government district.-History:...
, a town in Devon, England, from which some settlers had emigrated. After the Fall of Quebec in 1759, hostilities with the natives ceased.
In 1762, the land northeast of the river was set off as Pepperellborough, which in 1805 was renamed 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...
. The first bridge to Saco was built in 1767. The river divides into two falls that drop 40 feet (12.2 m), providing water power for mills. Factories were established to make boots 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...
. The developing mill town
Mill town
A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more mills or factories .- United Kingdom:...
also had granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
quarries
Quarry
A quarry is a type of open-pit mine from which rock or minerals are extracted. Quarries are generally used for extracting building materials, such as dimension stone, construction aggregate, riprap, sand, and gravel. They are often collocated with concrete and asphalt plants due to the requirement...
and brickyards, in addition to lumber and grain
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
mills. Major textile
Textile
A textile or cloth is a flexible woven material consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibres often referred to as thread or yarn. Yarn is produced by spinning raw fibres of wool, flax, cotton, or other material to produce long strands...
manufacturing facilities were constructed along the riverbanks, including the Laconia Company in 1845, and the Pepperell Company in 1850. Biddeford was incorporated as a city in 1855.
The mills attracted waves of immigrants, including the Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
, Albanians
History of Albanians in Maine
In the early 20th century, the US mill industry began recruiting weavers from Southern Mediterranean countries skilled in patterns new to American consumers...
, and French-Canadians from the province of Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. At one time the textile mills employed as many as 12,000 people, but as happened elsewhere, the industry entered a long period of decline. As of 2010, only one textile company, WestPoint Home, remains in the city. The last log drive
Log driving
Log driving is a means of log transport which makes use of a river's current to move floating tree trunks downstream to sawmills and pulp mills.It was the main transportation method of the early logging industry in Europe and North America...
down the Saco River was in 1943, with the last log sawn in 1948. Biddeford's name is engraved near the top level of The Pilgrim Monument
Pilgrim Monument
For the monument in Plymouth, Massachusetts formerly known as the Pilgrim Monument see National Monument to the ForefathersThe Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown, Massachusetts was built between 1907 and 1910 to commemorate the first landfall of the Pilgrims in 1620 and the signing in Provincetown...
, in Provincetown
Provincetown, Massachusetts
Provincetown is a New England town located at the extreme tip of Cape Cod in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,431 at the 2000 census, with an estimated 2007 population of 3,174...
, 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...
, along with the names of some of the oldest cities and towns in New England.
General information
Biddeford is home to large institutions including Southern Maine Medical Center and the University of New EnglandUniversity of New England, Maine
The University of New England is an independent, coeducational university with two campuses in Maine: the main campus in Biddeford and another in Portland.- History :...
, a fast-growing school located along the coast which includes Maine's only medical school, the University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine
The University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine is Maine's only medical school. It is located in Biddeford, Maine and grants the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. It is accredited by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation and by the Commission on Institutions of...
. The city also possesses a wide array of community facilities including public beaches, an ice arena, a full-service YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
, and one school which has been recently recognized as a "National School of Excellence
Blue Ribbon Schools Program
The Blue Ribbon Schools Program is a United States government program created in 1981 to honor schools which have achieved high levels of performance or significant improvements with emphasis on schools serving disadvantaged students. The program centers around a self-assessment conducted by the...
."
Anchoring Biddeford's historic downtown are McArthur Public Library and Biddeford's City Theater
Biddeford's City Theater
Biddeford’s City Theater is a fully restored Victorian opera house located in Biddeford, Maine, United States. City Theater produces and hosts theater, dance and music performances year-round and aims to, “foster an appreciation for the performing arts by using creative avenues to increase...
. Biddeford has a number of properties and two Historic Districts entered into the National Register of Historic Places. The newest addition is the Main Street Historic District, entered into the National Register on December 24, 2009. Other downtown National Register properties include the Biddeford-Saco Mills Historic District, Biddeford City Hall, Dudley Block and the U.S. Post Office. National Register properties outside of downtown and in the Biddeford Pool area include the John Tarr House, First Parish Meetinghouse, Fletcher's Neck Lifesaving Station and the James Montgomery Flagg House.
Biddeford is one of Maine's fastest-growing commercial centers, due to its close proximity to the Seacoast Region
Seacoast Region (New Hampshire)
The Seacoast Region is the southeast area of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The region stretches 18 miles along the Atlantic Ocean from New Hampshire's border with Salisbury, Massachusetts to the Piscataqua River and New Hampshire's border with Kittery, Maine. The shoreline is generally very...
of New Hampshire and to northern Massachusetts. In recent years, strip malls have developed along the State Route 111 corridor. In late 2006, a 500000 square feet (46,451.5 m²) shopping center known as The Shops at Biddeford Crossing opened, with 20 stores and five restaurants.
Recent interest in revitalizing the downtown area has brought new life to the old mills. The North Dam Mill is one example of this movement offering retail stores, art studios, cultural events, and upscale housing.
The municipality has three post offices within its borders, with ZIP codes of 04005, 04006 and 04007.
Biddeford was the eastern terminus of the now-defunct New England Interstate Route 11
Route 11 (New England)
New England Interstate Route 11 , also known as the Manchester-Biddeford Route, was a New England Interstate Route running from Manchester, Vermont to Biddeford, Maine via Franklin, New Hampshire...
, which ended in Manchester, Vermont. State Route 111, which travels through Biddeford's main commercial corridor, is now numbered in Old Route 11's place. Biddeford Municipal Airport
Biddeford Municipal Airport
Biddeford Municipal Airport is a public use airport in York County, Maine, United States. It is owned by the City of Biddeford and is located two nautical miles south of the central business district.- Facilities and aircraft :...
is located two miles south of the central business district
Central business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
.
The city has almost 15 miles (24.1 km) of frontage along the Saco River, and an Atlantic coastline on which the seaside neighborhoods of Hills Beach, Biddeford Pool, Fortunes Rocks and Granite Point are located. Biddeford includes Wood Island Light
Wood Island Light
Wood Island Light is an active lighthouse on the eastern edge of Wood Island in Saco Bay, Maine. The light is just outside the entrance to Biddeford Pool and the end of the Saco River. The lighthouse is a tall conical white tower constructed of granite rubble. The light itself sits above mean...
, a lighthouse
Lighthouse
A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways....
located about a mile offshore from Biddeford Pool.
Cajetan J. B. Baumann O.F.B., AIA
American Institute of Architects
The American Institute of Architects is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to support the architecture profession and improve its public image...
, (1899–1969), the first member of a religious order to be named to the American Institute of Architects earned an honorary degree from St. Francis College in Biddeford, Maine.
Geography
Biddeford is located at 43°28′27"N 70°26′46"W (43.474111, -70.446157). 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 city has a total area of 34.5 square miles (89.4 km²), of which 30 square miles (77.7 km²) is land and 4.5 square miles (11.7 km²) (13.12%) is water. Situated beside Saco Bay
Saco Bay (Maine)
Saco Bay is a small arcuate embayment of the Gulf of Maine on the Atlantic coast of Maine in the United States. The name derives "from a map of the coastline made in 1525 by the Spanish explorer Esteban Gómez...
on the Gulf of Maine
Gulf of Maine
The Gulf of Maine is a large gulf of the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of North America.It is delineated by Cape Cod at the eastern tip of Massachusetts in the southwest and Cape Sable at the southern tip of Nova Scotia in the northeast. It includes the entire coastlines of the U.S...
, Biddeford is drained by the Little River
Little River (Goosefare Bay)
The Little River is a tributary of Goosefare Bay in the U.S. state of Maine. It rises in Biddeford and flows southeast, becoming the boundary between Biddeford and Kennebunkport for the final of its course. It empties into Goosefare Bay on the Atlantic Ocean at the east end of Kennebunkport's...
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 city proper has very diverse geography, from inland rolling hillside, to urban settlement, to coastal sprawl.
The city is crossed by Interstate 95
Interstate 95 in Maine
In the U.S. state of Maine, Interstate 95 is a long highway running from the New Hampshire border near Kittery, to the Canadian border near Houlton. It is the only two-digit Interstate Highway in Maine...
, U. S. Route 1
U.S. Route 1 in Maine
In the U.S. state of Maine, U.S. Route 1 is a major north–south state highway serving the eastern part of the state. It parallels the Atlantic Ocean from New Hampshire north through Portland, Brunswick, and Belfast to Calais, and then the St. Croix River and the rest of the Canadian border...
, and 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....
, 9
Maine State Route 9
State Route 9 is a numbered state highway in Maine, running from the New Hampshire border at Berwick in the west to the Canadian border with New Brunswick at Calais in the east. State Route 9 runs a total of .-Route description:...
, 111 and 208. It is bordered by the city of 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...
to the north, the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to the east, the towns of Dayton
Dayton, Maine
Dayton is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,805 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. Dayton is one of the smallest towns in York County....
and Lyman
Lyman, Maine
Lyman is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,795 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area...
to the west, and the towns of Kennebunkport and Arundel
Arundel, Maine
Arundel is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,571 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
to the south. The Little River forms a portion of the border between Biddeford and the Goose Rocks
Goose Rocks
Goose Rocks Beach , is a coastal resort neighborhood located in the town of Kennebunkport, Maine USA, bordered by Cape Porpoise, Maine to the South, and Granite Point to the North...
neighborhood of Kennebunkport, in Biddeford's most southerly region (Granite Point). East Point, located on the peninsula of Biddeford Pool, is the easternmost point in York County.
Timber Island, the most southerly point in the City of Biddeford, lies in Goosefare Bay at the mouth of the Little River, and is accessible at low tide from Goose Rocks Beach in Kennebunkport. Title to the peninsula and island shall pass to the Trust for Public Land in 2011 or 2012, thereby ensuring preservation and visitation by the public.
While Maine (as a whole) is politically and colloquially known as part of Northern New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, Biddeford's geography technically places it more in line with Central New England.
Distances from Biddeford to regional cities:
- Portland, MainePortland, MainePortland 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...
: 15 miles (24 km) - Portsmouth, New HampshirePortsmouth, New HampshirePortsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
: 30 miles (48 km) - Salisbury, MassachusettsSalisbury, MassachusettsSalisbury is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,827 at the 2000 census. The community is a popular summer resort beach town situated on the Atlantic Ocean north of Boston on the New Hampshire border....
: 48 miles (77 km) - Lynn, MassachusettsLynn, MassachusettsLynn is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 89,050 at the 2000 census. An old industrial center, Lynn is home to Lynn Beach and Lynn Heritage State Park and is about north of downtown Boston.-17th century:...
: 76 miles (123 km) - Manchester, New HampshireManchester, New HampshireManchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
: 78 miles (125 km) - Boston, Massachusetts: 85 miles (140 km)
- Worcester, MassachusettsWorcester, MassachusettsWorcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
: 120 miles (200 km) - Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode IslandProvidence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
: 147 miles (237 km) - Bangor, MaineBangor, MaineBangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
: 150 miles (242 km) - Hartford, ConnecticutHartford, ConnecticutHartford is the capital of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The seat of Hartford County until Connecticut disbanded county government in 1960, it is the second most populous city on New England's largest river, the Connecticut River. As of the 2010 Census, Hartford's population was 124,775, making...
: 187 miles (301 km) - Stamford, ConnecticutStamford, ConnecticutStamford is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 census, the population of the city is 122,643, making it the fourth largest city in the state and the eighth largest city in New England...
: 255 miles (410 km) - New York City, New York: 285 miles (459 km)
- Fort Kent, MaineFort Kent, MaineFort Kent is a town in Aroostook County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,097 in the 2010 census. Fort Kent is home to an Olympic biathlete training center, an annual CAN-AM dogsled race, and the Fort Kent Blockhouse, built in reaction to the Aroostook War and in modern times designated...
: 330 miles (531 km) - Montréal, Québec: 335 miles (540 km)
- Baltimore, Maryland: 490 miles (791 km)
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 20,942 people, 8,636 households, and 5,259 families residing in the city. 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 697.8 people per square mile (269.4/km²). There were 9,631 housing units at an average density of 320.9 per square mile (123.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.65 percent White, 0.64 percent African American, 0.40 percent Native American, 0.99 percent Asian, 0.03 percent Pacific Islander, 0.18 percent 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 1.12 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.65 percent of the population.
There were 7,636 households out of which 28.4 percent had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.4 percent 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, 12.2 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.1 percent were non-families. 29.7 percent of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.32 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the city the population was spread out with 22.1 percent under the age of 18, 11.1 percent from 18 to 24, 29.5 percent from 25 to 44, 21.8 percent from 45 to 64, and 15.5 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 88.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $37,164 and the median income for a family was $44,109. Males had a median income of $32,008 versus $24,715 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 city was $18,214. About 8.6 percent of families and 13.8 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.8 percent of those under age 18 and 10.3 percent of those age 65 or over.
Sites of interest
- Biddeford Historical Society
- Franco-American Genealogical Society of York County
- City Theater for the Performing Arts
- La Kermesse Franco-Americaine Festival
- Heart of Biddeford
- Biddeford-Saco Buy Local
- Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce
Notable residents
- Zentatsu Richard BakerZentatsu Richard BakerZentatsu Richard Baker , born Richard Dudley Baker, is an American Soto Zen master , the founder and guiding teacher of Dharma Sangha—which consists of Crestone Mountain Zen Center located in Crestone, Colorado and the Buddhistisches Studienzentrum in Germany's Black Forest...
, zen instructor - Robert Caret, Current President of the University of Massachusetts system
- Ovid DemarisOvid DemarisOvid Demaris was a native of Biddeford, Maine and an author of books and detective stories...
, author - Cor van den HeuvelCor Van Den HeuvelCor van den Heuvel is an American haiku poet, editor, commentator and archivist.-Biography:Van den Heuvel was born in Biddeford, Maine, and grew up in Maine and New Hampshire. He lives in New York City with his wife Leonia Leigh Larrecq....
, poet and editor - Mark Langdon HillMark Langdon HillMark Langdon Hill was United States Representative from Massachusetts and from Maine. He was born in Biddeford on June 30, 1772. He attended the public schools, then became a merchant and shipbuilder in Phippsburg...
, congressman - Linda KasabianLinda KasabianLinda Kasabian is a former member of Charles Manson's "family". She was the key witness in District Attorney Vincent Bugliosi's prosecution of Manson and his followers for the Tate-LaBianca murders, one of the highest-profile murder trials in American history.-Early life:Born as Linda Darlene...
, ex-Manson Family member involved in the Helter Skelter Murders - Louis B. LausierLouis LausierLouis B. "Papa" Lausier was a Maine politician. Lausier was born in 1879 in Biddeford to Antoine and Aurilie Lausier. He studied the Collège de Sainte-Anne-de-la-Pocatière in Quebec before returning to Biddeford to study law under Maine Supreme Court Justice George F. Haley...
, mayor (1941–1955) and candidate for Governor (1948) - Hilary F. Mahaney, football player
- Prentiss MellenPrentiss MellenPrentiss Mellen was a Senator from Massachusetts; born in Sterling, Massachusetts to Rev. John and Rebecca Mellen...
, senator and jurist - Thomas Bird MosherThomas Bird MosherThomas Bird Mosher was an American publisher. He is notable for his contributions to the private press movement in the United States.-Early life:...
, publisher - Wallace H. NuttingWallace H. NuttingWallace Hall Nutting is a retired United States Army four star general who served as Commander in Chief, United States Southern Command from 1979 to 1983 and as Commander in Chief, United States Readiness Command from 1983 to 1985.Nutting's military career began when he served in the Maine...
, general and mayor - Freddy ParentFreddy ParentFrederick Alfred Parent was a professional baseball player. He played all or part of eleven seasons in Major League Baseball, between 1899 and 1911, for the St. Louis Perfectos , Boston Americans and Chicago White Sox , primarily as a shortstop. Parent batted and threw right-handed...
, baseball player - Henry B. QuinbyHenry B. QuinbyHenry Brewer Quinby was an American physician, businessman, and Republican politician from Laconia, New Hampshire. Born in 1846 in Biddeford, Maine, he served in both houses of the New Hampshire legislature and on the Executive Council before being elected Governor in 1908. He died in 1924 in New...
, physician and governor - Daniel E. SomesDaniel E. SomesDaniel E. Somes was a United States Representative from Maine. He was born in Meredith, New Hampshire on May 20, 1815. He received an academic education, then moved to Biddeford, Maine in 1846. He established the Eastern Journal, later known as the Union and Journal.He engaged in the manufacture...
, congressman and mayor - James Sullivan, jurist & governor
- George ThatcherGeorge ThatcherGeorge Thatcher was an American lawyer, jurist, and statesman from the Maine district of Massachusetts. His name sometimes appears as George Thacher. He was a delegate for Massachusetts to the Continental Congress in 1787 and 1788...
, judge & congressman - Joanne TwomeyJoanne TwomeyJoanne T. Twomey is a Maine politician. Twomey, a Democrat, represented part of Biddeford from 1998-2006. She served on the agriculture, conservation and forestry; natural resources; engrossed bills committees, including a stint as chair of the engrossed bills. Twomey was elected Mayor of...
, state representative (1998–2006) and mayor (2006-current) - Joan WasserJoan WasserJoan Wasser is a violinist and singer/songwriter in the indie rock world. She began her career playing violin with the Dambuilders. She has released three albums as a singer songwriter, the 2006 Real Life the 2008 To Survive and the 2011 The Deep Field...
, singer/songwriter - Amos WhitneyAmos WhitneyAmos Whitney was a mechanical engineer and Connecticut inventor.Born in Biddeford, Maine, in 1860 he partnered with Francis Pratt to organize the Pratt & Whitney company to manufacture machine tools, tools for the makers of sewing machines, and gun making machinery for use by the Union Army...
, engineer & inventor
Further reading
- Biddeford History & Heritage Project - A comprehensive history website and exhibit space created by Biddeford's cultural community and hosted by the Maine Memory Network / Maine Historical Society.
- History of Saco and Biddeford by George Folsom. Saco, [Me.] : Printed by A. C. Putnam, 1830. (Courtesy of Google Books)