Madison, Maine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Madison, Maine
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| Motto(s):
"A great place to live, work & play!"
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 Madison, Maine
Location in Maine
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| Country | United States |
| State | Maine |
| County | Somerset |
| Area | |
| • Total | 54.82 sq mi (141.98 km2) |
| • Land | 51.88 sq mi (134.37 km2) |
| • Water | 2.94 sq mi (7.61 km2) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 4,726 |
| • Density | 91/sq mi (35.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
04950
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| Area code(s) | 207 |
| Website | Town of Madison, Maine |
Madison is a friendly town in Somerset County, Maine, USA. It used to be called Norridgewock. In 2020, about 4,726 people lived here.
Contents
History of Madison
Early Days and Native Americans
Long ago, the area where Madison is now was home to the Norridgewock Indians. They were a group from the Abenaki nation. These Native Americans had large fields where they grew crops. They also fished in the Kennebec River.
French Jesuit missionaries came to the village. One missionary, Father Sebastien Rale, arrived in 1694. Some people thought he was helping the tribe attack English settlements. Because of this, British soldiers attacked the village several times. In 1724, during a conflict known as Father Rale's War, soldiers attacked the village. Many warriors were killed, and Father Rale also died.
Becoming a Town
English settlers arrived around 1773. The land was officially surveyed in 1791. In 1775, Benedict Arnold and his soldiers marched through this area. They were on their way to the Battle of Quebec.
The town was first called "Norridgewock Falls." Later, it was named "Bernardstown" after a family who owned a lot of land. Finally, on March 7, 1804, it became an official town. It was named Madison after United States president James Madison.
Industries and Growth
Farming was an important early industry. Farmers mostly grew hay and raised cattle. The area also had a lot of slate rock, so a quarry was started to dig it out.
Because there were many forests, lumbering became a big business. Four sawmills used the power of the Kennebec River to cut wood. The Norridgewock Falls drop about 27 meters (90 feet) over a mile. This powerful water also attracted other factories. In the 1800s, Madison had factories that made carriages, window sashes, window blinds, doors, and even coffins.
When the railroad came to Madison in 1875, bigger mills were built. The first Madison Woolen Mill opened in 1881. Another one was built nearby in 1887. In 1890, a company built a mill to make sulfite. Later, in 1899, the Great Northern Paper Company took over. They rebuilt the factory to make wood pulp and paper.
Over time, like many textile factories in New England, Madison's woolen mills closed. The paper mill, called Madison Paper Industries, kept working until May 2016. It closed because there wasn't enough demand for its paper, and there was competition from Canada.
Fun Places and New Businesses
In 1901, the Lakewood Summer Theatre opened. It is on the western side of Lake Wesserunsett. Since 1967, it has been Maine's official summer theater. It is the oldest summer theater in America that has been open continuously. Famous actors like John Travolta, Carol Channing, and Phyllis Diller have performed there.
In 2007, a very large greenhouse was finished in Madison. It belongs to Backyard Farms and covers about 24 acres (9.7 hectares). It is the largest building by volume in Maine.
Geography of Madison
Madison covers about 141.98 square kilometers (54.82 square miles). Most of this area, about 134.37 square kilometers (51.88 square miles), is land. The rest, about 7.61 square kilometers (2.94 square miles), is water. The Kennebec River flows through and drains the town.
Climate in Madison
Madison has a climate with warm summers and cold, snowy winters. Here is some information about the weather:
| Climate data for Madison, Maine (1991–2020 normals, extremes Feb 1894-Aug 1895, 1904-present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 64 (18) |
61 (16) |
82 (28) |
89 (32) |
97 (36) |
99 (37) |
102 (39) |
102 (39) |
95 (35) |
89 (32) |
75 (24) |
62 (17) |
102 (39) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 47.5 (8.6) |
48.0 (8.9) |
56.6 (13.7) |
71.6 (22.0) |
83.6 (28.7) |
88.5 (31.4) |
89.5 (31.9) |
88.7 (31.5) |
84.8 (29.3) |
74.6 (23.7) |
62.9 (17.2) |
51.1 (10.6) |
92.1 (33.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 26.9 (−2.8) |
29.7 (−1.3) |
38.5 (3.6) |
51.1 (10.6) |
64.2 (17.9) |
73.2 (22.9) |
78.9 (26.1) |
77.8 (25.4) |
70.2 (21.2) |
57.0 (13.9) |
44.0 (6.7) |
33.0 (0.6) |
53.7 (12.1) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 16.2 (−8.8) |
17.8 (−7.9) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
40.7 (4.8) |
53.0 (11.7) |
62.5 (16.9) |
68.1 (20.1) |
66.6 (19.2) |
58.8 (14.9) |
46.7 (8.2) |
35.3 (1.8) |
24.1 (−4.4) |
43.1 (6.2) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 5.5 (−14.7) |
5.9 (−14.5) |
17.3 (−8.2) |
30.4 (−0.9) |
41.7 (5.4) |
51.8 (11.0) |
57.4 (14.1) |
55.4 (13.0) |
47.3 (8.5) |
36.5 (2.5) |
26.6 (−3.0) |
15.2 (−9.3) |
32.6 (0.3) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −15.6 (−26.4) |
−14.2 (−25.7) |
−5.9 (−21.1) |
19.7 (−6.8) |
30.1 (−1.1) |
40.4 (4.7) |
48.1 (8.9) |
45.1 (7.3) |
33.9 (1.1) |
24.4 (−4.2) |
11.6 (−11.3) |
−3.8 (−19.9) |
−19.3 (−28.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −39 (−39) |
−39 (−39) |
−25 (−32) |
1 (−17) |
20 (−7) |
24 (−4) |
35 (2) |
29 (−2) |
23 (−5) |
14 (−10) |
−9 (−23) |
−40 (−40) |
−40 (−40) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 2.92 (74) |
2.29 (58) |
2.87 (73) |
3.54 (90) |
3.28 (83) |
4.19 (106) |
3.61 (92) |
3.39 (86) |
3.26 (83) |
4.81 (122) |
3.78 (96) |
3.77 (96) |
41.71 (1,059) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 18.6 (47) |
19.2 (49) |
12.6 (32) |
4.1 (10) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.51) |
3.4 (8.6) |
15.9 (40) |
74.0 (188) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.8 | 7.9 | 8.9 | 10.1 | 11.4 | 12.2 | 11.4 | 10.9 | 9.1 | 11.1 | 9.8 | 11.2 | 123.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 6.8 | 5.9 | 4.1 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 2.0 | 5.6 | 25.6 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
People of Madison
Population Changes Over Time
Here's how Madison's population has changed through the years:
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1810 | 686 | — | |
| 1820 | 881 | 28.4% | |
| 1830 | 1,272 | 44.4% | |
| 1840 | 1,701 | 33.7% | |
| 1850 | 1,769 | 4.0% | |
| 1860 | 1,615 | −8.7% | |
| 1870 | 1,401 | −13.3% | |
| 1880 | 1,315 | −6.1% | |
| 1890 | 1,815 | 38.0% | |
| 1900 | 2,764 | 52.3% | |
| 1910 | 3,379 | 22.3% | |
| 1920 | 3,700 | 9.5% | |
| 1930 | 3,956 | 6.9% | |
| 1940 | 3,836 | −3.0% | |
| 1950 | 3,639 | −5.1% | |
| 1960 | 3,935 | 8.1% | |
| 1970 | 4,278 | 8.7% | |
| 1980 | 4,367 | 2.1% | |
| 1990 | 4,725 | 8.2% | |
| 2000 | 4,523 | −4.3% | |
| 2010 | 4,855 | 7.3% | |
| 2020 | 4,726 | −2.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
Facts from the 2010 Census
In 2010, there were 4,855 people living in Madison. There were 1,976 homes, and 1,271 of these were families. The town had about 36 people per square kilometer (93.6 people per square mile).
Most people in Madison (97.5%) were White. A small number were African American (0.4%), Native American (0.6%), or Asian (0.4%). About 1.1% of people were from two or more races. About 0.9% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.
In the homes, 27.7% had children under 18. About 49.1% were married couples. About 9.9% were homes with a female head of household and no husband. About 5.3% were homes with a male head of household and no wife.
The average age in Madison was 44 years old. About 20.8% of people were under 18. About 18.2% were 65 or older. The town had slightly more males (50.6%) than females (49.4%).
Education in Madison
Madison is part of Maine School Administrative District 59. The schools in this district include Madison Elementary School, Madison Jr. High School, and Madison High School.
The Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture is also located in Madison. It's a special place where artists can live and learn, just outside of Skowhegan.
Notable People from Madison
- Carrie G. Stevens – She invented the famous Grey Ghost fishing lure.
- Bobby Wilder – He is a football head coach for the Old Dominion team.
- Robert A. Rushworth – A Major General in the U.S. Air Force and a test pilot for the X-15 rocket plane.
Images for kids
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Main Street in 1911
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Bridge and mill around 1912
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The Public library around 1912
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The Weston Hotel around 1912
See also
In Spanish: Madison (Maine) para niños
