Frankfort, Maine
Encyclopedia
Frankfort is a town
in Waldo County
, Maine
, United States
. The population was 1,041 at the 2000 census
.
, first settled in the 1760s by Massachusetts
soldiers from nearby Fort Pownall. With the end of the French and Indian War
, the Penobscot Valley became part of New England
, and more specifically Massachusetts, leading to the first cautious encrochments by English-speaking settlers on the lands of the Penobscot Indians. This process, which would begin in Frankfort, would end with the founding of Bangor
, Brewer
, Orono
, Old Town
and other inland settlements, and the eventual restriction of the Penobscot people to their major village at "Indian Old Town", or the present Penobscot Indian Reservation.
Today's Frankfort is just a small portion of the original town, which contained the present-day towns of Frankfort, Winterport
, Stockton Springs
, and Prospect
. Ft. Pownall was thus in Frankfort, and the town's major village was what is now Winterport. Frankfort was a logical place for settlement not only because Verona Island commanded the approach up the river, but because the river above the town froze during the winter, making this the last ice-free port as one ascended — hence the name "Winterport".
One of the first settlers was Lt. Joshua Treat (1729-1802), the armorer at Ft. Pownall, whose brother became one of the first settlers of Bangor.
A British fleet anchored off Frankfort in 1814 on its way to sack Bangor and Hampden. The British confiscated provisions from the town and took one ship. The town suffered greatly during the War of 1812
as the British blockade destroyed the coasting trade on which it depended.
In the 19th century an important granite
quarry
was opened in Frankfort, and the ship-building industry also flourished. The village of Winterport eventually split off to form its own town, however.
, the town has a total area of 25.9 square miles (67.1 km²), of which, 24.6 square miles (63.7 km²) of it is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²) of it (4.94%) is water.
Frankfort's two highest points are Mt. Waldo and Mosquito Mountain. Mt. Waldo was so-named around 1815. Prior to that it had been called "Mt. Misery" because two young local men who had attempted to climb it had been overtaken by a blizzard and killed.
of 2000, there were 1,041 people, 400 households, and 301 families residing in the town. The population density
was 42.3 people per square mile (16.3/km²). There were 469 housing units at an average density of 19.0 per square mile (7.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.69% White, 0.10% African American, 1.15% Native American, 0.29% Asian, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.29% of the population.
There were 400 households out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.0% were married couples
living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $33,333, and the median income for a family was $35,924. Males had a median income of $29,342 versus $19,375 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $14,524. About 13.6% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 12.5% 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 1,041 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
Frankfort is the oldest town on the Penobscot RiverPenobscot River
The Penobscot River is a river in the U.S. state of Maine. Including the river's West Branch and South Branch increases the Penobscot's length to , making it the second longest river system in Maine and the longest entirely in the state. Its drainage basin contains .It arises from four branches...
, first settled in the 1760s by Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
soldiers from nearby Fort Pownall. With the end of 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...
, the Penobscot Valley became part of 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 more specifically Massachusetts, leading to the first cautious encrochments by English-speaking settlers on the lands of the Penobscot Indians. This process, which would begin in Frankfort, would end with the founding of Bangor
Bangor, Maine
Bangor is a city in and the county seat of Penobscot County, Maine, United States, and the major commercial and cultural center for eastern and northern Maine...
, Brewer
Brewer, Maine
Brewer is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It is part of the Bangor, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is named after its first settler, Colonel John Brewer. The population was 9,482 at the 2010 census....
, Orono
Orono, Maine
Orono is a town in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. It was first settled in 1774 and named in honor of Chief Joseph Orono of the Penobscot Nation. It is home to The University of Maine. The population was 10,362 at the 2010 census.- Geography :...
, Old Town
Old Town, Maine
Old Town is a city in Penobscot County, Maine, United States. The population was 7,840 at the 2010 census. The city's developed area is chiefly located on a relatively large island, though its boundaries extend beyond that...
and other inland settlements, and the eventual restriction of the Penobscot people to their major village at "Indian Old Town", or the present Penobscot Indian Reservation.
Today's Frankfort is just a small portion of the original town, which contained the present-day towns of Frankfort, Winterport
Winterport, Maine
Winterport is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,602 at the 2000 census. Each August the town hosts the Winterport Music Festival.-History:...
, Stockton Springs
Stockton Springs, Maine
Stockton Springs is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,481 at the 2000 census. Stockton Springs is home to Fort Point State Park and Fort Point Light, both located on Fort Point, a peninsula on Cape Jellison.-History:...
, and Prospect
Prospect, Maine
Prospect is a town in Waldo County, Maine, United States. The population was 642 at the 2000 census.The most prominent landmark in Prospect is Fort Knox, a large 19th-century fort...
. Ft. Pownall was thus in Frankfort, and the town's major village was what is now Winterport. Frankfort was a logical place for settlement not only because Verona Island commanded the approach up the river, but because the river above the town froze during the winter, making this the last ice-free port as one ascended — hence the name "Winterport".
One of the first settlers was Lt. Joshua Treat (1729-1802), the armorer at Ft. Pownall, whose brother became one of the first settlers of Bangor.
A British fleet anchored off Frankfort in 1814 on its way to sack Bangor and Hampden. The British confiscated provisions from the town and took one ship. The town suffered greatly during the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
as the British blockade destroyed the coasting trade on which it depended.
In the 19th century an important 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...
quarry
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...
was opened in Frankfort, and the ship-building industry also flourished. The village of Winterport eventually split off to form its own town, however.
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 25.9 square miles (67.1 km²), of which, 24.6 square miles (63.7 km²) of it is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²) of it (4.94%) is water.
Frankfort's two highest points are Mt. Waldo and Mosquito Mountain. Mt. Waldo was so-named around 1815. Prior to that it had been called "Mt. Misery" because two young local men who had attempted to climb it had been overtaken by a blizzard and killed.
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 1,041 people, 400 households, and 301 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 42.3 people per square mile (16.3/km²). There were 469 housing units at an average density of 19.0 per square mile (7.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.69% White, 0.10% African American, 1.15% Native American, 0.29% Asian, and 0.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.29% of the population.
There were 400 households out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.0% 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, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 17.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.7% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 32.6% from 25 to 44, 23.7% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $33,333, and the median income for a family was $35,924. Males had a median income of $29,342 versus $19,375 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 $14,524. About 13.6% of families and 13.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.2% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.