South Thomaston, Maine
Encyclopedia
South Thomaston is a town
in Knox County
, Maine
, United States
. The population was 1,416 at the 2000 census. A fishing
and resort
area, the town includes the village of Spruce Head.
called it Wessaweskeag, meaning "tidal creek" or "salt creek," a reference to what is now known as the Weskeag River
. Thomas Lefebvre from Quebec
, Canada
owned a huge tract of land at the Weskeag River, where his stay began in 1704. He built a large gristmill
, with a house on the shoreline. Although he would eventually return to Quebec, the area retained his name — Thomas' Town. But the adjacent St. George River
was the uneasy dividing line between land controlled by New England
and New France
. Permanent settlement would be delayed by the French and Indian Wars
, which ended with the 1763 Treaty of Paris
.
In 1767, Wessaweskeag was settled by Elisha Snow, who built a sawmill
operated by tide power. In 1773, Joseph Coombs arrived and built another sawmill nearby, and together they built a gristmill. The village of South Thomaston grew around the mills, which would include three granite
polishing machines to process stone cut from the town's numerous quarries
. On July 28, 1848, South Thomaston was set off from Thomaston
and incorporated as a separate town. Owl's Head
would be set off from South Thomaston on July 9, 1921. South Thomaston is the childhood home of Dale C. Roberson, Connecticut trial lawyer and public education advocate.
, the town has a total area of 17.5 square miles (45.3 km²), of which, 10.9 square miles (28.3 km²) of it is land and 6.6 square miles (17.0 km²) of it (37.45%) is water. South Thomaston is located on the Weskeag River
inlet.
of 2000, there were 1,416 people, 594 households, and 421 families residing in the town. The population density
was 129.4 people per square mile (50.0/km²). There were 804 housing units at an average density of 73.5 per square mile (28.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.02% White, 0.35% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.35% Asian, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.28% of the population. 26.7% were of English
, 12.4% Irish
, 11.6% American
, 6.9% Finnish, 6.5% German
and 5.2% Scottish
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 594 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were married couples
living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.78.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $43,594, and the median income for a family was $50,294. Males had a median income of $35,208 versus $25,213 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $21,303. About 5.0% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 1.7% 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 Knox County
Knox County, Maine
Knox County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 39,736. Its county seat is Rockland. The county is named for American Revolutionary War general and Secretary of War Henry Knox, who lived in the county from 1795 until his death in 1806. The county was...
, 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 1,416 at the 2000 census. A fishing
Fishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
and resort
Resort
A resort is a place used for relaxation or recreation, attracting visitors for holidays or vacations. Resorts are places, towns or sometimes commercial establishment operated by a single company....
area, the town includes the village of Spruce Head.
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...
called it Wessaweskeag, meaning "tidal creek" or "salt creek," a reference to what is now known as the Weskeag River
Weskeag River
The Weskeag River is a short tidal river in Knox County, Maine. The Abenaki Indians called it Wessaweskeag, meaning "tidal creek" or "salt creek". From its source in South Thomaston, the river runs northeast and southeast to its confluence with Marsh Creek, then southeast through its estuary to...
. Thomas Lefebvre from 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....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
owned a huge tract of land at the Weskeag River, where his stay began in 1704. He built a large gristmill
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 :...
, with a house on the shoreline. Although he would eventually return to Quebec, the area retained his name — Thomas' Town. But the adjacent St. George River
Saint George River
The Saint George River is a river in Maine with a watershed of in a unique and historic area of mountains, sea coast, lakes, tidal streams and inlets. The origin of the Saint George River is the outflow of Saint George Lake in Liberty...
was the uneasy dividing line between land controlled by 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...
and New France
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...
. Permanent settlement would be delayed by the French and Indian Wars
French and Indian Wars
The French and Indian Wars is a name used in the United States for a series of conflicts lasting 74 years in North America that represented colonial events related to the European dynastic wars...
, which ended with the 1763 Treaty of Paris
Treaty of Paris (1763)
The Treaty of Paris, often called the Peace of Paris, or the Treaty of 1763, was signed on 10 February 1763, by the kingdoms of Great Britain, France and Spain, with Portugal in agreement. It ended the French and Indian War/Seven Years' War...
.
In 1767, Wessaweskeag was settled by Elisha Snow, who built a 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....
operated by tide power. In 1773, Joseph Coombs arrived and built another sawmill nearby, and together they built a gristmill. The village of South Thomaston grew around the mills, which would include three 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...
polishing machines to process stone cut from the town's numerous 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...
. On July 28, 1848, South Thomaston was set off from Thomaston
Thomaston, Maine
Thomaston, Maine is a town on the coast of Maine the United States. The name may also refer to:*Thomaston , Maine, a census-designated place comprising the center of the town*South Thomaston, Maine, an adjacent town...
and incorporated as a separate town. Owl's Head
Owls Head, Maine
Owls Head is a town in Knox County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,601 at the 2000 census. A resort and fishing area, the community is home to the Knox County Regional Airport...
would be set off from South Thomaston on July 9, 1921. South Thomaston is the childhood home of Dale C. Roberson, Connecticut trial lawyer and public education advocate.
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 17.5 square miles (45.3 km²), of which, 10.9 square miles (28.3 km²) of it is land and 6.6 square miles (17.0 km²) of it (37.45%) is water. South Thomaston is located on the Weskeag River
Weskeag River
The Weskeag River is a short tidal river in Knox County, Maine. The Abenaki Indians called it Wessaweskeag, meaning "tidal creek" or "salt creek". From its source in South Thomaston, the river runs northeast and southeast to its confluence with Marsh Creek, then southeast through its estuary to...
inlet.
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 1,416 people, 594 households, and 421 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 129.4 people per square mile (50.0/km²). There were 804 housing units at an average density of 73.5 per square mile (28.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.02% White, 0.35% African American, 0.14% Native American, 0.35% Asian, and 1.13% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.28% of the population. 26.7% were of English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 12.4% 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...
, 11.6% American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 6.9% Finnish, 6.5% German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
and 5.2% Scottish
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 594 households out of which 26.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% 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, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.0% were non-families. 22.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.78.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.0% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 92.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $43,594, and the median income for a family was $50,294. Males had a median income of $35,208 versus $25,213 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 $21,303. About 5.0% of families and 7.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.2% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.