Canton, Maine

Canton, Maine
Town
Main Street in 1909
Canton, Maine Location within the state of Maine
Coordinates: 44°27′26″N 70°18′15″W / 44.45722°N 70.30417°W / 44.45722; -70.30417
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Oxford
Incorporated	1821
Area^[1]
• Total	30.50 sq mi (78.99 km²)
• Land	29.12 sq mi (75.42 km²)
• Water	1.38 sq mi (3.57 km²)
Elevation	400 ft (122 m)
Population (2010)^[2]
• Total	990
• Estimate (2012^[3])	981
• Density	34.0/sq mi (13.1/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	04221
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-10005
GNIS feature ID	0582386
Website	www.cantonmaine.org

Canton is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. The population was 990 at the 2010 census. Located beside Lake Anasagunticook, Canton is a summer recreational area.

History

Canton Point was the site of Rockemeka, village of the Anasagunticook (or Androscoggin) Abenaki Indians. It is said the tribe had 500 acres (2.0 km²) cleared to raise corn. By 1757 the tribe population was devastated by smallpox.

The land became part of a grant the Massachusetts General Court awarded to Captain Joseph Phipps and 63 other soldiers for their services during the French and Indian War. Called Phipps-Canada, it would be incorporated in 1795 as Jay in honor of John Jay, the first chief justice of the U. S. Supreme Court. On February 5, 1821, Canton was set off from Jay and incorporated, named after Canton, Massachusetts.^[4]

Settlement began in the early 1790s when William Livermore, William French, Joseph Coolidge and Alexander Shepherd arrived. Others followed, principally from Massachusetts. The surface of the town is uneven in the outskirts, but smooth and level at Canton Point, where the soil was considered unsurpassed in the state for agriculture. The outlet of Lake Anasagunticook provided water power for industry. Gustavus Hayford settled here in 1814. In addition to a log cabin, he built a sawmill and gristmill. First called Hayford Mills, it would be renamed Canton Mills, and now Canton. In the 19th century, it had a machine shop to manufacture farm implements, a tinware factory and an iron foundry.^[5] It remains the business center. The Rumford Branch of the Maine Central Railroad passed through the town in the late 1850s, carrying freight but also tourists. The community developed as a resort area for camping.^[6]

In December 2005 the town began a project to relocate the town center and about 60 homes on the floodplains surrounding the Androscoggin River due to frequent spring flooding. Proposals have been floated to replace the vacated lots with parkland or nature trails.

Geography

Lake Anasagunticook in 1911

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 30.50 square miles (78.99 km²), of which, 29.12 square miles (75.42 km²) of it is land and 1.38 square miles (3.57 km²) is water.^[1] Situated beside Lake Anasagunticook, Canton is drained by Whitney Brook and the Androscoggin River.

The town is crossed by state routes 108 and 140. It borders the towns of Jay to the northeast, Hartford to the south, Peru to the west, and Dixfield to the northwest.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1830	746		—
1840	919		23.2%
1850	926		0.8%
1860	1,025		10.7%
1870	984		−4.0%
1880	1,029		4.6%
1890	1,303		26.6%
1900	946		−27.4%
1910	1,013		7.1%
1920	750		−26.0%
1930	767		2.3%
1940	706		−8.0%
1950	746		5.7%
1960	728		−2.4%
1970	742		1.9%
1980	831		12.0%
1990	951		14.4%
2000	1,121		17.9%
2010	990		−11.7%
Est. 2014	977	^[7]	−1.3%
U.S. Decennial Census^[8]

Canton Historical Society

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 990 people, 410 households, and 239 families residing in the town. The population density was 34.0 inhabitants per square mile (13.1/km²). There were 473 housing units at an average density of 16.2 per square mile (6.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.3% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 410 households of which 22.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.1% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.83.

The median age in the town was 48 years. 17.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.2% were from 25 to 44; 33.7% were from 45 to 64; and 21.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[9] of 2000, there were 1,121 people, 400 households, and 273 families residing in the town. The population density was 38.7 people per square mile (15.0/km²). There were 476 housing units at an average density of 16.4 per square mile (6.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.11% White, 0.09% African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.54% Asian, and 0.09% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population.

There were 400 households out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.0% were married couples living together, 12.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.8% were non-families. 25.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.06.

In the town the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 92.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $32,625, and the median income for a family was $40,469. Males had a median income of $31,607 versus $21,094 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,065. About 14.0% of families and 19.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.9% of those under age 18 and 22.5% of those age 65 or over.

Site of interest

Canton Historical Society

People

Cornelius Holland, US congressman
Scott Kolk, US actor
Stephany Stanley, Miss Maine (1998)
John P. Swasey, US congressman

References

1 2 "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-16.
1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-16.
↑ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 17, 2013. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
↑ Coolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859). A History and Description of New England. Boston, Massachusetts. pp. 84–85.
↑ Varney, George J. (1886), Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Canton, Boston: Russell
↑ Historical Sketch of Canton, Maine (1889)
↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Canton, Maine.

Municipalities and communities of Oxford County, Maine, United States

County seat: Paris

Towns	Andover Bethel Brownfield Buckfield Byron Canton Denmark Dixfield Fryeburg Gilead Greenwood Hanover Hartford Hebron Hiram Lovell Mexico Newry Norway Otisfield Oxford Paris Peru Porter Roxbury Rumford Stoneham Stow Sumner Sweden Upton Waterford West Paris Woodstock

Plantations	Lincoln Plantation Magalloway Plantation

Unorganized territories	Milton North Oxford South Oxford

CDPs	Dixfield Fryeburg Mexico Norway Oxford Rumford South Paris

Other villages	Center Lovell Dickvale Kezar Falls North Waterford Waterford Flat

Androscoggin River watershed

Tributaries	Alder River Bear River Cathance River Chickwolnepy Stream Clear Stream Concord River Cupsuptic River Dead Cambridge River Dead Diamond River Dead River (ME) Dead River (NH) Dead River (Sabattus) East Branch Cupsuptic River East Branch Dead Diamond River East Branch Nezinscot River East Branch Pleasant River East Branch Swift River Ellis River First East Branch Magalloway River Kennebago River Little Androscoggin River Little Dead Diamond River Little East Branch Cupsuptic River Little Magalloway River Little River Magalloway River Middle Branch Dead Diamond River Middle Branch Little Magalloway River Mollidgewock Brook Moose Brook Moose River Muddy River Nezinscot River Peabody River Pleasant River Rangeley River Rapid River Rattle River Sabattus River Sanborn River Second East Branch Magalloway River South Branch Little Dead Diamond River South Branch Sunday River Sunday River Swift Cambridge River Swift Diamond River Swift River Third East Branch Magalloway River Webb River West Branch Dead Diamond River West Branch Ellis River West Branch Little Dead Diamond River West Branch Little Magalloway River West Branch Magalloway River West Branch Nezinscot River West Branch Peabody River West Branch Pleasant River West Branch Swift River Wild River

Lakes	Akers Pond Androscoggin Lake Lake Auburn Aziscohos Lake Echo Lake Greenough Pond Kennebago Lake Mooselookmeguntic Lake Parker Pond Parmachenee Lake Pontook Reservoir Range Ponds Rangeley Lake Richardson Lakes Sabattus Pond Thompson Lake Tripp Pond Success Pond Umbagog Lake Webb Lake

Towns	Albany Andover Auburn Berlin Bethel Bowdoin Brunswick Buckfield Byron Cambridge Canton Carthage Chesterville Dixfield Dummer Durham Errol Fayette Gilead Gorham Greene Greenwood Hanover Hartford Hebron Jay Leeds Lewiston Lisbon Livermore Livermore Falls Mechanic Falls Mexico Minot Monmouth Mount Vernon Newry Norway Otisfield Oxford Paris Peru Pittsburg Poland Randolph Rangeley Readfield Roxbury Rumford Sabattus Shelburne Stewartstown Sumner Topsham Turner Upton Vienna Wales Wayne Weld Wentworth's Location West Paris Woodstock

Landmarks	Brown Company Maine Central Railroad Old Speck Mountain Range Ponds State Park Rumford Mill St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad White Mountains

Coordinates: 44°26′26″N 70°18′55″W / 44.44056°N 70.31528°W / 44.44056; -70.31528

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