Lyman, Maine
Encyclopedia
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
. Lyman, together with Alfred
, is home to Massabesic Experimental Forest.
Sosowen and his son Fluellin what is now the township of Lyman. First called Swanfield, it was settled in 1767. While the original settlers are not known for certain, early records and deeds mention the following: William and Jacob Waterhouse (of Kennebunk
), Love Roberts, Alexander Grant, Thomas Lord, Jacob Rhoades, Benjamin and Mark Goodwin (brothers who built one of the first mills at Goodwin's Mills), John Low (who served as town moderator and treasurer), John Burbank, Joseph Witten, James and William Brock, Mark Ricker, Robert Cousens, Valentine Hill, and Gershom Downs.
Swanfield would be incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court
on April 24, 1780 as Coxhall, probably after Coggeshall
in Essex
, England. On February 25, 1803, the name was changed to Lyman in honor of Theodore Lyman, a wealthy merchant who established a successful shipping
firm in the 1790s at York
before moving to Boston.
Farmers found the surface of the town moderately uneven, with fair soil that yielded good crops of grain
, hay
and apple
s. Watermill
s were established at the outlets of the larger ponds, with two sawmill
s at Swan Pond and another at Kennebunk Pond. Lumber
ing was a considerable source of income for many inhabitants. In 1782, a sawmill and gristmill were erected at Goodwin's Mills, which developed into the town's only business and trade center, despite the fact that some of the village is actually located in Dayton
. The Great Fires of 1947 devastated part of Lyman. Today, the town is largely a bedroom community.
, the town has a total area of 40.4 square miles (104.6 km²), of which, 38.9 square miles (100.8 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it (3.69%) is water. Lyman is drained by the Kennebunk River
.
The town is crossed by U.S. Route 202
and State Routes 5
, 35
and 111. It is bordered by the towns of Hollis
and Dayton
to the northeast, Arundel
and Kennebunk
to the southeast, Alfred
to the southwest, and Waterboro
to the northwest.
of 2000, there were 3,795 people, 1,366 households, and 1,087 families residing in the town. The population density
was 97.5 people per square mile (37.6/km²). There were 1,749 housing units at an average density of 44.9 per square mile (17.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.45% White, 0.29% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.11% from other races
, and 0.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.32% of the population.
There were 1,366 households out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.6% were married couples
living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.4% were non-families. 12.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,860, and the median income for a family was $53,140. Males had a median income of $37,917 versus $25,192 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $20,203. About 4.8% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 5.7% 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 York County
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. The population was 3,795 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...
. Lyman, together with Alfred
Alfred, Maine
Alfred is a town in York County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,497. Alfred is the county seat of York County and home to part of the Massabesic Experimental Forest...
, is home to Massabesic Experimental Forest.
History
In 1660, John Sanders, John Bush and Peter Turbat purchased from the Abenaki sachemSachem
A sachem[p] or sagamore is a paramount chief among the Algonquians or other northeast American tribes. The two words are anglicizations of cognate terms from different Eastern Algonquian languages...
Sosowen and his son Fluellin what is now the township of Lyman. First called Swanfield, it was settled in 1767. While the original settlers are not known for certain, early records and deeds mention the following: William and Jacob Waterhouse (of Kennebunk
Kennebunk, Maine
Kennebunk is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,075 people at the 2000 census. Including Kennebunkport , the population totals 14,196 people...
), Love Roberts, Alexander Grant, Thomas Lord, Jacob Rhoades, Benjamin and Mark Goodwin (brothers who built one of the first mills at Goodwin's Mills), John Low (who served as town moderator and treasurer), John Burbank, Joseph Witten, James and William Brock, Mark Ricker, Robert Cousens, Valentine Hill, and Gershom Downs.
Swanfield would be 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...
on April 24, 1780 as Coxhall, probably after Coggeshall
Coggeshall
Coggeshall is a small market town of 3,919 residents in Essex, England, situated between Colchester and Braintree on the Roman road of Stane Street , and intersected by the River Blackwater. It is known for its almost 300 listed buildings and formerly extensive antique trade...
in Essex
Essex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England. On February 25, 1803, the name was changed to Lyman in honor of Theodore Lyman, a wealthy merchant who established a successful shipping
Shipping
Shipping has multiple meanings. It can be a physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo, by land, air, and sea. It also can describe the movement of objects by ship.Land or "ground" shipping can be by train or by truck...
firm in the 1790s at York
York, Maine
York is a town in York County, Maine, United States at the southwest corner of the state. The population in the 2000 census was 12,854. Situated beside the Atlantic Ocean on the Gulf of Maine, York is a well-known summer resort. It is home to three 18-hole golf clubs, three sandy beaches, and...
before moving to Boston.
Farmers found the surface of the town moderately uneven, with fair soil that yielded good crops of 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...
, 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...
and 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. Watermill
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 :...
s were established at the outlets of the larger ponds, with 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 at Swan Pond and another at Kennebunk Pond. 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....
ing was a considerable source of income for many inhabitants. In 1782, a sawmill and gristmill were erected at Goodwin's Mills, which developed into the town's only business and trade center, despite the fact that some of the village is actually located in 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....
. The Great Fires of 1947 devastated part of Lyman. Today, the town is largely a bedroom community.
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 40.4 square miles (104.6 km²), of which, 38.9 square miles (100.8 km²) of it is land and 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) of it (3.69%) is water. Lyman is drained by the Kennebunk River
Kennebunk River
The Kennebunk River is a river in southern Maine in the United States. It drains a settled rural area southwest of Portland, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean....
.
The town is crossed by U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202
U.S. Route 202 is a highway stretching from Delaware to Maine, also passing through the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire....
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....
, 35
Maine State Route 35
Maine State Route 35 runs the course of western Maine, from Bethel to Kennebunk. It passes through Oxford, Cumberland and York Counties. It is known in its lower sections for both its unusually windy course as well as its notoriously poor paving, as a result of winter frost heaves. Its northern...
and 111. It is bordered by the towns of Hollis
Hollis, Maine
Hollis is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,281 at the 2010 census. Hollis is a rural bedroom community of Portland and is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
and 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....
to the northeast, 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:...
and Kennebunk
Kennebunk, Maine
Kennebunk is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,075 people at the 2000 census. Including Kennebunkport , the population totals 14,196 people...
to the southeast, Alfred
Alfred, Maine
Alfred is a town in York County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,497. Alfred is the county seat of York County and home to part of the Massabesic Experimental Forest...
to the southwest, and Waterboro
Waterboro, Maine
Waterboro is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,214 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area....
to the northwest.
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 3,795 people, 1,366 households, and 1,087 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 97.5 people per square mile (37.6/km²). There were 1,749 housing units at an average density of 44.9 per square mile (17.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.45% White, 0.29% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.24% Asian, 0.11% 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 0.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.32% of the population.
There were 1,366 households out of which 37.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.6% 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, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.4% were non-families. 12.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.78 and the average family size was 3.04.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $47,860, and the median income for a family was $53,140. Males had a median income of $37,917 versus $25,192 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 $20,203. About 4.8% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
General information
- ZIP codeZIP CodeZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
: 04002 (AlfredAlfred, MaineAlfred is a town in York County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,497. Alfred is the county seat of York County and home to part of the Massabesic Experimental Forest...
) - Area code: 207
- Local phone code: 499, 247
Adjacent towns
- AlfredAlfred, MaineAlfred is a town in York County, Maine, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 2,497. Alfred is the county seat of York County and home to part of the Massabesic Experimental Forest...
- ArundelArundel, MaineArundel 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:...
- DaytonDayton, MaineDayton 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....
- HollisHollis, MaineHollis is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,281 at the 2010 census. Hollis is a rural bedroom community of Portland and is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.-History:...
- KennebunkKennebunk, MaineKennebunk is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,075 people at the 2000 census. Including Kennebunkport , the population totals 14,196 people...
- WaterboroWaterboro, MaineWaterboro is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,214 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area....
Further reading
- History of York County Maine. Compiled by W. W. Clayton. Philadelphia: Evarts & Pick, 1880, Lippincott Press
- The Bicentennial book "200 years of Lyman…Southern Maine's Country Home Town " It was produced by the Lyman Bicentennial Committee in June 1980 for the celebration of the Lyman Bicentennial 1780-1980