Dayton, Maine
Encyclopedia
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.
, who hunted and fished along the Saco River
. The old Sokokis Trail is now Route 5
, which passes through Dayton. In 1664, Major William Phillips purchased from the sagamore the land which would become Little Falls Plantation—today the towns of Hollis
, Dayton and part of Limington
. In 1728, a stockade
d fort which contained a trading post
was built a half mile below Union Falls. Called the Saco Truck House or Saco Block House, the garrison
was maintained throughout the French and Indian War
until the fall of Quebec in 1759.
Settlers arrived in 1753, and lumber
ing became a principal industry. Logs were rolled down the banks of the Saco River and floated to sawmill
s at Saco
. Nathaniel Goodwin established the first local mill in 1782 at Goodwin's Mill, where falls
in Swan Brook drop 33 feet (10.1 m). A sawmill and gristmill
were erected at Union Falls (then called Hopkinson's Mill) in 1806. Tanneries
were built, and land was cleared for farms. In 1798, Little Falls Plantation was incorporated as Phillipsburg, in honor of Major William Phillips—but only until 1810. Considered difficult to pronounce and write, the Phillipsburg was changed to Hollis. Then, in 1854, the southern part of Hollis petitioned the state legislature to become a separate town. Permission was granted, and the community was named Dayton after Thomas Day, who submitted the petition.
In 1860, Dayton voted to build at Union Falls a covered bridge
, 112 feet (34.1 m) long and 18 feet (5.5 m) wide, connecting to Buxton
. The span was blown up in 1921 by the Clark Power Company, an event filmed as part of a melodrama
by the Pine Tree Moving Picture Corporation of Portland
. The Great Fires of 1947 destroyed two-thirds of Dayton, including 27 homes, 4 barns and the town hall. In 1951, the Central Maine Power Company built a hydroelectric dam
between Salmon Falls and Union Falls, submerging the scenic gorge. Once a community of dairy
farms, Dayton is now primarily residential.
, the town has a total area of 18.4 square miles (47.7 km²), of which, 17.9 square miles (46.4 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (2.82%) is water. Dayton is drained by the Saco River
.
Maine-State routes 5
and 35
intersect through Dayton. The town borders Lyman
, Hollis
, and Buxton
, as well as the cities of Saco
and Biddeford
.
of 2000, there were 1,805 people, 638 households, and 509 families residing in the town. The population density
was 100.9 people per square mile (39.0/km²). There were 663 housing units at an average density of 37.1 per square mile (14.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.50% White, 0.17% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.22% from other races
, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.39% of the population.
There were 638 households out of which 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.6% were married couples
living together, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $53,056, and the median income for a family was $57,692. Males had a median income of $38,150 versus $25,956 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $20,629. About 2.9% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 8.1% 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 1,805 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...
. Dayton is one of the smallest towns in York County.
History
The area was once inhabited by the Sokokis (or Saco) 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...
, who hunted and fished along 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 old Sokokis Trail is now Route 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....
, which passes through Dayton. In 1664, Major William Phillips purchased from the sagamore the land which would become Little Falls Plantation—today 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:...
, Dayton and part of Limington
Limington, Maine
Limington is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,403 at the 2000 census. Limington is a tourist destination with historic architecture. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.-History:In 1668, Francis Small...
. In 1728, a stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
d fort which contained a trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
was built a half mile below Union Falls. Called the Saco Truck House or Saco Block House, the 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....
was maintained throughout the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
until the fall of Quebec in 1759.
Settlers arrived in 1753, and 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 became a principal industry. Logs were rolled down the banks of the Saco River and floated to 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 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...
. Nathaniel Goodwin established the first local mill in 1782 at Goodwin's Mill, where falls
Falls
Falls may refer to:* Waterfalls* Falls, North Carolina* Belfast Falls ** Falls Road, Belfast in Belfast, Northern Ireland** Belfast Falls ** Belfast Falls...
in Swan Brook drop 33 feet (10.1 m). A sawmill and 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 :...
were erected at Union Falls (then called Hopkinson's Mill) in 1806. Tanneries
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
were built, and land was cleared for farms. In 1798, Little Falls Plantation was incorporated as Phillipsburg, in honor of Major William Phillips—but only until 1810. Considered difficult to pronounce and write, the Phillipsburg was changed to Hollis. Then, in 1854, the southern part of Hollis petitioned the state legislature to become a separate town. Permission was granted, and the community was named Dayton after Thomas Day, who submitted the petition.
In 1860, Dayton voted to build at Union Falls a covered bridge
Covered bridge
A covered bridge is a bridge with enclosed sides and a roof, often accommodating only a single lane of traffic. Most covered bridges are wooden; some newer ones are concrete or metal with glass sides...
, 112 feet (34.1 m) long and 18 feet (5.5 m) wide, connecting to Buxton
Buxton, Maine
Buxton is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 7,452...
. The span was blown up in 1921 by the Clark Power Company, an event filmed as part of a melodrama
Melodrama
The term melodrama refers to a dramatic work that exaggerates plot and characters in order to appeal to the emotions. It may also refer to the genre which includes such works, or to language, behavior, or events which resemble them...
by the Pine Tree Moving Picture Corporation of 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...
. The Great Fires of 1947 destroyed two-thirds of Dayton, including 27 homes, 4 barns and the town hall. In 1951, the Central Maine Power Company built a hydroelectric dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
between Salmon Falls and Union Falls, submerging the scenic gorge. Once a community of dairy
Dairy
A dairy is a business enterprise established for the harvesting of animal milk—mostly from cows or goats, but also from buffalo, sheep, horses or camels —for human consumption. A dairy is typically located on a dedicated dairy farm or section of a multi-purpose farm that is concerned...
farms, Dayton is now primarily residential.
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 18.4 square miles (47.7 km²), of which, 17.9 square miles (46.4 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) of it (2.82%) is water. Dayton is drained by 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...
.
Maine-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....
and 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...
intersect through Dayton. The town borders 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...
, 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 Buxton
Buxton, Maine
Buxton is a town in York County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 7,452...
, as well as the cities 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...
and 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...
.
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 1,805 people, 638 households, and 509 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 100.9 people per square mile (39.0/km²). There were 663 housing units at an average density of 37.1 per square mile (14.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.50% White, 0.17% Native American, 0.28% Asian, 0.22% 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 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.39% of the population.
There were 638 households out of which 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 69.6% 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, 6.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.1% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 4.1% from 18 to 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 104.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $53,056, and the median income for a family was $57,692. Males had a median income of $38,150 versus $25,956 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 $20,629. About 2.9% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Dayton children in grades K-5 attend the Dayton Consolidated School which is part of Regional School Union #23. Students from grades 6-8 attend Saco Middle School, and students in grades 9-12 attend Thornton AcademyThornton Academy
Thornton Academy is a private school serving grades 6–12 located in Saco, Maine.-History:Thornton Academy was first established in 1811, under the name "Saco Academy" in response to a petition by citizens of southern Maine, most of them from Saco, to the Massachusetts legislature, which passed, in...
.