Gorham, Maine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gorham is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 14,141 at the 2000 census. In addition to an urban village center known as "Gorham Village" or "the Village," the town also encompasses a number of smaller, unincorporated villages and hamlets with distinct historical identities, including South Gorham, West Gorham, Little Falls, White Rock, and North Gorham. Gorham is home to one of the three campuses of the University of Southern Maine.
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[edit] History
First called Narragansett No. 7, it was one of seven townships granted by the General Court of Massachusetts to soldiers who had fought in the Narragansett War of 1675, also called King Philip's War, and to their heirs. Settled in 1736, by 1743 the first sawmill was established at Little River by John Gorham. Without window-glass, dwellings were constructed of logs chinked with moss and clay.
Narragansett No. 7 suffered its first Indian attack in 1746, when five colonists were killed, three captured, and the sawmill burned. The town would be called Gorhamtown in honor of Captain John Gorham, the name shortened to Gorham when it incorporated in 1764. It would annex land from Standish in 1831 and 1839, and from Scarborough in 1864.
Good soil benefited agriculture, and falls provided water power which helped the town develop as a manufacturing center, with Portland a nearby market. Products included textiles, lumber, barrels, carriages, wagons and sleighs. The Oxford & Cumberland Canal opened in 1829, although it would be discontinued in 1871, having been rendered obsolete by the York & Cumberland Railroad (later the Portland & Rochester), which entered Gorham in 1851. This railroad is now defunct, and serves as the path of a multi-use recreational trail.
Gorham currently has a much smaller industrial infastructure than it did in the earlier years. The majority of Gorham's industry is based along the border with Westbrook, and many of the mills that formerly existed along the Presumpscot River are now under water, flooded with the construction of the Dundee Dam.
In 1803, Gorham Academy was founded. It would evolve into Western Maine Normal School, later Gorham State Teachers College; and today the Gorham campus of the University of Southern Maine.
In recent decades Gorham has increased in popularity as a "bedroom community" of Portland. Its residents and town officials have been confronted with various issues related to managing suburban growth in a historically rural town.
Historic Sites & Museums:
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 132.8 km² (51.3 mi²). 131.2 km² (50.6 mi²) of it is land and 1.6 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (1.23%) is water. Gorham is drained by the Little and Presumpscot rivers.
[edit] Demographics
This article describes the town of Gorham as a whole. Additional demographic detail is available that describes only the central settlement within the town, although those values are included in the aggregate numbers reported here. See: Gorham (CDP), Maine.
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 14,141 people, 4,875 households, and 3,529 families residing in the town. The population density was 107.8/km² (279.2/mi²). There were 5,051 housing units at an average density of 38.5/km² (99.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.57% White, 0.42% Black or African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.64% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.
There were 4,875 households out of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.2% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.6% were non-families. 20.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.11.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.9% under the age of 18, 13.7% from 18 to 24, 28.9% from 25 to 44, 21.5% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,316, and the median income for a family was $55,434. Males had a median income of $37,828 versus $30,394 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,174. About 5.1% of families and 7.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.7% of those under age 18 and 6.7% of those age 65 or over.
