Searsmont, Maine
Encyclopedia
Searsmont is a town
in Waldo County
, Maine
, United States
. The population was 1,174 at the 2000 census
.
trails, it was called Quantabacook. The town was a part of the Waldo Patent
purchased by a consortium
of wealthy Boston
investors which included David Sears. First settled in 1804 and called Fraternity Village by Ben Ames Williams, it was incorporated on February 5, 1814 as Searsmont, named after its proprietor.
The town was noted for its productive soil, water power and abundant forests of white pine
. By 1859, when the population was 1,693, it had fifteen sawmill
s and two gristmill
s. In 1886, it had five lumber mills, three cooperages, a sash, blind
and pump
factory, four carriage
factories, a tannery
, a boot
and shoe
factory, and a coffin
and bedstead factory.
Today, Searsmont continues its lumbering heritage with two mills in town.
, the town has a total area of 39.2 square miles (101.5 km²), of which, 37.8 square miles (97.9 km²) of it is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) of it (3.60%) is water. Adjacent to Quantabacook Lake, Searsmont is drained by the St. George River.
The town is served by state routes 3
, 131 and 173.
of 2000, there were 1,174 people, 478 households, and 319 families residing in the town. The population density
was 31.1 people per square mile (12.0/km²). There were 617 housing units at an average density of 16.3 per square mile (6.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.55% White, 0.77% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.09% from other races
, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.68% of the population.
There were 478 households out of which 29.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples
living together, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,708, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $28,088 versus $24,750 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $18,118. About 7.0% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 14.5% 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 Waldo County
Waldo County, Maine
Waldo County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 38,786. Its county seat is Belfast.Waldo County was founded on 7 February 1827 from a portion of Hancock County...
, 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 1,174 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
History
Located at the junction of several well-marked IndianIndigenous 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...
trails, it was called Quantabacook. The town was a part of the Waldo Patent
Waldo Patent
The Waldo Patent, a letters patent also known as the Muscongus Patent or the Lincolnshire Patent, was an area of land 36 miles square in what is now the U.S...
purchased by a consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
of wealthy Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
investors which included David Sears. First settled in 1804 and called Fraternity Village by Ben Ames Williams, it was incorporated on February 5, 1814 as Searsmont, named after its proprietor.
The town was noted for its productive soil, water power and abundant forests of white pine
Eastern White Pine
Pinus strobus, commonly known as the eastern white pine, is a large pine native to eastern North America, occurring from Newfoundland west to Minnesota and southeastern Manitoba, and south along the Appalachian Mountains to the northern edge of Georgia.It is occasionally known as simply white pine,...
. By 1859, when the population was 1,693, it had fifteen 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 and two 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 :...
s. In 1886, it had five lumber mills, three cooperages, a sash, blind
Window blind
A window blind is a type of window coverings. There are many different kinds of window blinds, using different systems and materials. A typical window blind is made with slats of fabric, wood, plastic or metal that adjust by rotating from an open position to a closed position by allowing slats to...
and pump
Pump
A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries.A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action. Pumps fall into three major groups: direct lift, displacement, and gravity pumps...
factory, four carriage
Carriage
A carriage is a wheeled vehicle for people, usually horse-drawn; litters and sedan chairs are excluded, since they are wheelless vehicles. The carriage is especially designed for private passenger use and for comfort or elegance, though some are also used to transport goods. It may be light,...
factories, a tannery
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...
, a boot
Boot
A boot is a type of footwear but they are not shoes. Most boots mainly cover the foot and the ankle and extend up the leg, sometimes as far as the knee or even the hip. Most boots have a heel that is clearly distinguishable from the rest of the sole, even if the two are made of one piece....
and shoe
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...
factory, and a coffin
Coffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
and bedstead factory.
Today, Searsmont continues its lumbering heritage with two mills in town.
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 39.2 square miles (101.5 km²), of which, 37.8 square miles (97.9 km²) of it is land and 1.4 square miles (3.6 km²) of it (3.60%) is water. Adjacent to Quantabacook Lake, Searsmont is drained by the St. George River.
The town is served by state routes 3
Maine State Route 3
State Route 3 is part of Maine's system of numbered state highways, running from Interstate 95 exit 113 in Augusta to an intersection with Route 102 in the village of Somesville in the town of Mount Desert, on Mount Desert Island...
, 131 and 173.
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 1,174 people, 478 households, and 319 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 31.1 people per square mile (12.0/km²). There were 617 housing units at an average density of 16.3 per square mile (6.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.55% White, 0.77% Native American, 0.09% Asian, 0.09% 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 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.68% of the population.
There were 478 households out of which 29.9% 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, 8.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.1% were non-families. 23.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 31.9% from 25 to 44, 26.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,708, and the median income for a family was $40,000. Males had a median income of $28,088 versus $24,750 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 $18,118. About 7.0% of families and 8.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.
Notable people
- Edwin DenbyEdwin Denby (poet)Edwin Orr Denby was one of the most important and influential American dance critics of the 20th century, as well as a poet and novelist. His dance reviews and essays were collected in Looking at the Dance , Dancers, Buildings, and People in the Streets and Dance Writings...
, poet, dance critic, novelist - Charles West KendallCharles West KendallCharles West Kendall was an American politician, lawyer, librarian, editor, proprietor and miner in California, Nevada and Colorado.Born in Searsmont, Maine, Kendall attended Phillips Academy and Yale College...
, lawyer, editor, congressman - Victoria Pratt, fictional character from the NBC drama HeroesHeroes (TV series)Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
.