Tremont, Maine
Encyclopedia
Tremont is a town in Hancock County
, Maine
, United States
. It is located on the southwestern side of Mount Desert Island
, known to locals as "the quietside."
Tremont includes the villages of Bass Harbor (or McKinley), Bernard, Gotts Island, Seal Cove and West Tremont. Part of Acadia National Park
lies within the town. Bass Harbor is the terminal for the Swan's Island
ferry
and the Frenchboro
ferry. The population was 1,529 at the 2000 census.
's company of emigrants to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
in 1630. Two months later, on August 8 it was renamed Tremont, which means "three mountains" in French
. By 1880, when the population was 2,011, the town had a sawmill
, shipyard
, gristmill
, shingle mill
and brickyard. Fishing
and fish curing were the principal industries. Today, tourism is important to the economy.
, the town has a total area of 52.4 square miles (135.7 km²), of which, 16.9 square miles (43.8 km²) of it is land and 35.5 square miles (91.9 km²) of it (67.84%) is water. Located on southwestern Mount Desert Island
, Tremont is beside Blue Hill Bay and the Atlantic Ocean
.
The town is crossed by state routes 102
and 102A. It borders the towns of Mount Desert
to the north and Southwest Harbor
to the east.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 1,529 people, 662 households, and 436 families residing in the town. The population density
was 90.7 people per square mile (35.0/km²). There were 1,075 housing units at an average density of 63.8 per square mile (24.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.04% White, 0.33% African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.07% from other races
, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.33% of the population.
There were 662 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples
living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,750, and the median income for a family was $43,472. Males had a median income of $28,026 versus $21,835 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $19,420. About 5.0% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.
.
Hancock County, Maine
Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 54,418. Its county seat is Ellsworth. It was incorporated on June 25, 1789...
, 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...
. It is located on the southwestern side of Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island , in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the 6th largest island in the contiguous United States. Though it is often claimed to be the third largest island on the eastern seaboard of the United States, it is actually second...
, known to locals as "the quietside."
Tremont includes the villages of Bass Harbor (or McKinley), Bernard, Gotts Island, Seal Cove and West Tremont. Part of Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park
Acadia National Park is a National Park located in the U.S. state of Maine. It reserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast...
lies within the town. Bass Harbor is the terminal for the Swan's Island
Swan's Island, Maine
Swan's Island is an island town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. It is named after Colonel James Swan of Fife, Scotland, who purchased this island and some surrounding areas and organized their colonization in the 18th century. The population was 327 at the 2000 census. The town is...
ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
and the Frenchboro
Frenchboro, Maine
Frenchboro is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States, and a village within this town located on Long Island in Blue Hill Bay. The population was 38 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
ferry. The population was 1,529 at the 2000 census.
History
Settled in 1762, it was incorporated on June 3, 1848 as Mansel, the name given the island by John WinthropJohn Winthrop
John Winthrop was a wealthy English Puritan lawyer, and one of the leading figures in the founding of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the first major settlement in New England after Plymouth Colony. Winthrop led the first large wave of migrants from England in 1630, and served as governor for 12 of...
's company of emigrants to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
Massachusetts Bay Colony
The Massachusetts Bay Colony was an English settlement on the east coast of North America in the 17th century, in New England, situated around the present-day cities of Salem and Boston. The territory administered by the colony included much of present-day central New England, including portions...
in 1630. Two months later, on August 8 it was renamed Tremont, which means "three mountains" in French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. By 1880, when the population was 2,011, the town had 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....
, shipyard
Shipyard
Shipyards and dockyards are places which repair and build ships. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance and basing activities than shipyards, which are sometimes associated more with initial...
, 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 :...
, shingle mill
Roof shingle
Roof shingles are a roof covering consisting of individual overlapping elements. These elements are typically flat rectangular shapes laid in rows from the bottom edge of the roof up, with each successive higher row overlapping the joints in the row below...
and brickyard. 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 fish curing were the principal industries. Today, tourism is important to the economy.
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 52.4 square miles (135.7 km²), of which, 16.9 square miles (43.8 km²) of it is land and 35.5 square miles (91.9 km²) of it (67.84%) is water. Located on southwestern Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island
Mount Desert Island , in Hancock County, Maine, is the largest island off the coast of Maine. With an area of it is the 6th largest island in the contiguous United States. Though it is often claimed to be the third largest island on the eastern seaboard of the United States, it is actually second...
, Tremont is beside Blue Hill Bay and 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...
.
The town is crossed by state routes 102
Maine State Route 102
State Route 102 is a north-south state highway located on Mount Desert Island in eastern Maine. As of 2007, its southern terminus is located at an intersection with State Route 102A in Tremont on the southern part of the island...
and 102A. It borders the towns of Mount Desert
Mount Desert, Maine
Mount Desert is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,109 at the 2000 census. Incorporated in 1789, the town currently encompasses the villages of Otter Creek, Seal Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Somesville, Hall Quarry, and Pretty...
to the north and Southwest Harbor
Southwest Harbor, Maine
Southwest Harbor is a town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. Located on Mount Desert Island, the population was 1,966 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
to the east.
Demographics
Census
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 1,529 people, 662 households, and 436 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 90.7 people per square mile (35.0/km²). There were 1,075 housing units at an average density of 63.8 per square mile (24.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.04% White, 0.33% African American, 0.65% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.07% 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 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.33% of the population.
There were 662 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% 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, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.0% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.76.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.8% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,750, and the median income for a family was $43,472. Males had a median income of $28,026 versus $21,835 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 $19,420. About 5.0% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Tremont has one school, Tremont Consolidated School, located in Bass Harbor. The school educates students in kindergarten through eighth grade. High school students attend Mount Desert Island High School in the town of Mount DesertMount Desert, Maine
Mount Desert is a town on Mount Desert Island in Hancock County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,109 at the 2000 census. Incorporated in 1789, the town currently encompasses the villages of Otter Creek, Seal Harbor, Northeast Harbor, Somesville, Hall Quarry, and Pretty...
.
Sites of interest
- Acadia National ParkAcadia National ParkAcadia National Park is a National Park located in the U.S. state of Maine. It reserves much of Mount Desert Island, and associated smaller islands, off the Atlantic coast...
- Bass Harbor Head LightBass Harbor Head LightBass Harbor Head Light is a lighthouse located within Acadia National Park on the southeast corner of Mount Desert Island, Maine, marking the entrance to Bass Harbor and Blue Hill Bay.-History:...
- Ketterlinus Nature Preserve
- Seal Cove Auto Museum
- Ship Island Group Preserve
- Tremont Historical Society & Museum
Notable people
- John F. BickfordJohn F. BickfordJohn F. Bickford received the Medal of Honor in the American Civil War. Bickford was born in Tremont, Maine.-Biography:...
, Civil War-era Medal of Honor recipient - Elaine Guthrie LorillardElaine LorillardElaine Guthrie Lorillard was an American socialite who was a founder of the Newport Jazz Festival. -Early years:...
, musician - Eleanor MayoEleanor MayoEleanor Mayo was an American novelist of the mid twentieth century. She lived most of her life on Mount Desert Island, Maine. She was raised in Southwest Harbor, Maine. She was the life companion of the well known Maine novelist Ruth Moore. Mayo was introduced to Moore in the summer of 1940 by...
, writer, politician - Ruth MooreRuth MooreRuth Moore was an important Maine author of the twentieth century. She is best known for her honest portrayals of Maine people and evocative descriptions of the state. Now primarily thought of as a regional writer, Moore was a significant literary figure on the national stage during her career...
, author