Vanceboro, Maine
Encyclopedia
Vanceboro is a town
in Washington County
, Maine
, United States
. The town was named after landowner William Vance. The town is located at the eastern terminus of Maine State Route 6
. Vanceboro is across the St. Croix River
from St. Croix, New Brunswick
, Canada
, to which it is connected by the Saint Croix-Vanceboro Bridge
. The crossing has a 24-hour customs station managing the border. Vanceboro is also connected to St. Croix by the Saint Croix-Vanceboro Railway Bridge
which is used by the New Brunswick Southern Railway
.
The population was 147 at the 2000 census.
(E&NA) between Bangor
, Maine and Saint John
, New Brunswick during surveys in the 1860s.
This line was opened by U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant
and Governor General of Canada
Lord Lisgar
during a ceremony at the border in October 1871. In 1882, the E&NA's rail line from Vanceboro to Bangor was leased by the Maine Central Railroad
. In 1889, the MEC's rail line through Vanceboro became part of the transcontinental network of the Canadian Pacific Railway
following construction of the International Railway of Maine. In 1955 the MEC purchased the entire line from the E&NA shareholders and in 1974 the CPR purchased the line through Vanceboro from the MEC. On January 1, 1995 CPR sold the line through Vanceboro to New Brunswick Southern Railway
which operates as the Eastern Maine Railway in the United States.
On February 2, 1915, Lt. Werner Horn, a German army reservist, bombed the international railway bridge
crossing the St. Croix River from Vanceboro into Canada in an unsuccessful attempt to sabotage the CPR line across Maine; it was alleged that the railway was being used to transport war material across the then-neutral United States territory.
, the town has a total area of 22.6 square miles (58.5 km²), of which, 20.4 square miles (52.8 km²) of it is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it (9.64%) is water.
of 2000, there were 147 people, 68 households, and 42 families residing in the town. The population density
was 7.2 people per square mile (2.8/km²). There were 159 housing units at an average density of 7.8 per square mile (3.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.28% White, 0.68% African American and 2.04% Native American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.68% of the population.
There were 68 households out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples
living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.69.
In the town the population was spread out with 17.0% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 36.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 119.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $17,386, and the median income for a family was $24,063. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $15,625 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $13,580. There were 19.5% of families and 18.4% of the population living below the poverty line, including 8.0% of under eighteens and 14.3% of those over 64.
which controls the Vanceboro port of entry for Maine State Route 6 and the New Brunswick Southern Railway
line. The town is also home to the Vanceboro Elementary School, Holly's General Store and the New Brunswick Southern Railway yard. Statistics show that there are over 50% of people in Vanceboro receiving state funding.
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 Washington County
Washington County, Maine
Washington County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, its population was 32,856. Its county seat is Machias.Sometimes referred to as "Sunrise County" because it is the easternmost county in the United States, and it is often where the rising sun first shines on the 48...
, 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 town was named after landowner William Vance. The town is located at the eastern terminus of Maine State Route 6
Maine State Route 6
State Route 6 is part of Maine's system of numbered state highways, running from the Quebec border in Sandy Bay Township, to the New Brunswick border in Vanceboro. Route 6 is long and is the only highway in the state to both begin and end at the Canadian border.Most of Route 6 runs concurrently...
. Vanceboro is across the St. Croix River
St. Croix River (Maine-New Brunswick)
The St. Croix River is a river in northeastern North America, in length, that forms part of the Canada – United States border between Maine and New Brunswick . The river rises in the Chiputneticook Lakes and flows south and southeast, between Calais and St. Stephen...
from St. Croix, New Brunswick
New Brunswick
New Brunswick is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the only province in the federation that is constitutionally bilingual . The provincial capital is Fredericton and Saint John is the most populous city. Greater Moncton is the largest Census Metropolitan Area...
, 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...
, to which it is connected by the Saint Croix-Vanceboro Bridge
Saint Croix-Vanceboro Bridge
The Saint Croix – Vanceboro Bridge is an international bridge, which connects the communities of Saint Croix, New Brunswick in Canada and Vanceboro, Maine in the United States, across the St. Croix River...
. The crossing has a 24-hour customs station managing the border. Vanceboro is also connected to St. Croix by the Saint Croix-Vanceboro Railway Bridge
Saint Croix-Vanceboro Railway Bridge
The Saint Croix-Vanceboro Railway Bridge is a long railway bridge crossing the St. Croix River from St. Croix, New Brunswick, Canada to Vanceboro, Maine, United States. A deck truss design, it is owned and operated by the New Brunswick Southern Railway....
which is used by the New Brunswick Southern Railway
New Brunswick Southern Railway
The New Brunswick Southern Railway and Eastern Maine Railway form a 189-mile railway system operating a former Canadian Pacific Railway mainline between Saint John, New Brunswick and Brownville Junction, Maine....
.
The population was 147 at the 2000 census.
History
Vanceboro was selected as the border crossing for the European and North American RailwayEuropean and North American Railway
The European and North American Railway is the name for three historic Canadian and American railways which were built in New Brunswick and Maine....
(E&NA) between 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...
, Maine and Saint John
Saint John, New Brunswick
City of Saint John , or commonly Saint John, is the largest city in the province of New Brunswick, and the first incorporated city in Canada. The city is situated along the north shore of the Bay of Fundy at the mouth of the Saint John River. In 2006 the city proper had a population of 74,043...
, New Brunswick during surveys in the 1860s.
This line was opened by U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was the 18th President of the United States as well as military commander during the Civil War and post-war Reconstruction periods. Under Grant's command, the Union Army defeated the Confederate military and ended the Confederate States of America...
and Governor General of Canada
Governor General of Canada
The Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
Lord Lisgar
John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar
John Young, 1st Baron Lisgar, Bt, GCB, GCMG, PC was the second Governor General of Canada, in office from 1869 to 1872.-Biography:...
during a ceremony at the border in October 1871. In 1882, the E&NA's rail line from Vanceboro to Bangor was leased by the Maine Central Railroad
Maine Central Railroad
The Maine Central Railroad Company was a railroad in central and southern Maine. It was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. It operated a mainline between South Portland, Maine, east to the Canada-U.S...
. In 1889, the MEC's rail line through Vanceboro became part of the transcontinental network of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
following construction of the International Railway of Maine. In 1955 the MEC purchased the entire line from the E&NA shareholders and in 1974 the CPR purchased the line through Vanceboro from the MEC. On January 1, 1995 CPR sold the line through Vanceboro to New Brunswick Southern Railway
New Brunswick Southern Railway
The New Brunswick Southern Railway and Eastern Maine Railway form a 189-mile railway system operating a former Canadian Pacific Railway mainline between Saint John, New Brunswick and Brownville Junction, Maine....
which operates as the Eastern Maine Railway in the United States.
On February 2, 1915, Lt. Werner Horn, a German army reservist, bombed the international railway bridge
Saint Croix-Vanceboro Railway Bridge
The Saint Croix-Vanceboro Railway Bridge is a long railway bridge crossing the St. Croix River from St. Croix, New Brunswick, Canada to Vanceboro, Maine, United States. A deck truss design, it is owned and operated by the New Brunswick Southern Railway....
crossing the St. Croix River from Vanceboro into Canada in an unsuccessful attempt to sabotage the CPR line across Maine; it was alleged that the railway was being used to transport war material across the then-neutral United States territory.
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 22.6 square miles (58.5 km²), of which, 20.4 square miles (52.8 km²) of it is land and 2.2 square miles (5.7 km²) of it (9.64%) is water.
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 147 people, 68 households, and 42 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 7.2 people per square mile (2.8/km²). There were 159 housing units at an average density of 7.8 per square mile (3.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.28% White, 0.68% African American and 2.04% Native American. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.68% of the population.
There were 68 households out of which 23.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% 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, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.2% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.69.
In the town the population was spread out with 17.0% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 36.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females there were 119.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.0 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $17,386, and the median income for a family was $24,063. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $15,625 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 $13,580. There were 19.5% of families and 18.4% of the population living below the poverty line, including 8.0% of under eighteens and 14.3% of those over 64.
Economy
Vanceboro is home to a border postU.S. Customs and Border Protection
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a federal law enforcement agency of the United States Department of Homeland Security charged with regulating and facilitating international trade, collecting import duties, and enforcing U.S. regulations, including trade, customs and immigration. CBP is the...
which controls the Vanceboro port of entry for Maine State Route 6 and the New Brunswick Southern Railway
New Brunswick Southern Railway
The New Brunswick Southern Railway and Eastern Maine Railway form a 189-mile railway system operating a former Canadian Pacific Railway mainline between Saint John, New Brunswick and Brownville Junction, Maine....
line. The town is also home to the Vanceboro Elementary School, Holly's General Store and the New Brunswick Southern Railway yard. Statistics show that there are over 50% of people in Vanceboro receiving state funding.