Poland, Maine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Poland, Maine
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The Poland Spring House (1876–1975)
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Location of Poland (in yellow) in Androscoggin County and the state of Maine
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 Poland, Maine
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | Maine |
| County | Androscoggin |
| Incorporated | 1795 |
| Villages | Poland East Poland Empire Hackett Mills Moussam Poland Spring South Poland West Poland |
| Area | |
| • Total | 47.19 sq mi (122.22 km2) |
| • Land | 42.23 sq mi (109.38 km2) |
| • Water | 4.96 sq mi (12.85 km2) |
| Elevation | 374 ft (114 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 5,906 |
| • Density | 140/sq mi (54.0/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes |
04274 (Poland)
04230 (East Poland) 04291 (West Poland) |
| Area code(s) | 207 |
| FIPS code | 23-60020 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0582680 |
Poland is a town located in Androscoggin County, Maine, in the United States. In 2020, about 5,906 people lived there.
Poland is known for its beautiful rolling hills and many lakes. It is home to Range Ponds State Park, where you can find hiking trails and a clean freshwater beach. The town has also been a popular vacation spot for a long time.
Contents
History of Poland, Maine
How Poland Got Its Start
In 1765, land was given to soldiers who fought with Sir William Phips in the 1690 Battle of Quebec. This land was called Bakerstown. It included what is now Poland, Minot, Mechanic Falls, and a large part of Auburn.
Nathaniel Bailey and Daniel Lane were the first people to settle in Bakerstown Plantation in 1767. On February 17, 1795, it officially became a town and was named Poland. The town was named after an "ancient melody" (a song) that had the same name.
Farming and Early Industries
At first, Poland was mostly a farming town. A group called the Shakers settled on Poland Hill and farmed about 600 acres of land. This Shaker village was started in 1819 and lasted until 1887.
Later, industries came to Poland because of its good water power sites. By 1859, the town had sawmills, a gristmill (for grinding grain), a tannery (for making leather), and a factory that made carriages. The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad also passed through Poland, which helped the town grow and brought many tourists.
Poland as a Resort Town
By the late 1800s, Poland became a famous resort town. In 1797, the Wentworth Ricker Inn opened in South Poland. It closed for a while, but then Hiram Ricker, a grandson of the original owner, said that the mineral spring on his family's land had helped him feel better.
People started coming to try the special water from the spring. The inn reopened in 1861 and was made bigger, becoming The Mansion House. But even that wasn't big enough for all the visitors!
On July 4, 1876, the grand Poland Spring House opened on Ricker's Hill. This huge hotel was 800 feet (244 meters) above sea level and offered amazing views of the White Mountains. It became a very fancy and private spa. Famous people like Joan Crawford and Jimmy Durante stayed there.
After World War II, big hotels became less popular. The Poland Spring House was sold, and it started to fall apart. In 1975, a large fire destroyed the building. Today, the water from the famous spring is bottled and sold as Poland Spring water by BlueTriton Brands.
1978 Plane Crash in Poland
On September 22, 1978, a United States Navy patrol plane crashed over Poland. This plane, a Lockheed P-3 Orion, broke apart in the air because of a problem with its fuel tank. Pieces of the plane fell over a wide area near Tripp Corner. No houses were hit, but the crash caused a big fire that broke some windows. Sadly, all eight people on the plane died.
Geography of Poland
Poland covers about 47.19 square miles (122.22 square kilometers). About 42.23 square miles (109.38 square kilometers) is land, and 4.96 square miles (12.85 square kilometers) is water. The Little Androscoggin River flows through the town.
Poland is connected by state routes 11, 26, and 122. It shares borders with several other towns, including Mechanic Falls, Minot, Auburn, and New Gloucester.
Tripp Pond
| Tripp Pond | |
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Tripp Pond
Location in Maine
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| Coordinates | 44°03′N 70°26′W / 44.050°N 70.433°W |
| Max. length | 2.6 mi (4.2 km) |
| Surface area | 735 acres (297 ha) |
| Max. depth | 36 feet (11 m) |
| Water volume | 9,237 acre⋅ft (11,394,000 m3) |
| Surface elevation | 305 ft (93 m) |
Tripp Pond is a lake on the west side of State Route 11. You can park on the side of the road to access the east shore. There's also a boat ramp at the south end. The water in summer is too warm for trout, but it's a great place for white perch and largemouth bass.
Poland's Climate
Poland has a climate with big changes in temperature throughout the year. Summers are warm to hot and often humid. Winters are cold, sometimes very cold. This type of climate is called a humid continental climate.
| Climate data for Poland, Maine, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 2000–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 62 (17) |
66 (19) |
83 (28) |
90 (32) |
91 (33) |
95 (35) |
94 (34) |
96 (36) |
95 (35) |
82 (28) |
73 (23) |
65 (18) |
96 (36) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 51.5 (10.8) |
49.4 (9.7) |
59.1 (15.1) |
75.3 (24.1) |
84.8 (29.3) |
88.2 (31.2) |
89.9 (32.2) |
88.9 (31.6) |
85.5 (29.7) |
73.9 (23.3) |
64.0 (17.8) |
53.7 (12.1) |
92.0 (33.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 27.4 (−2.6) |
30.2 (−1.0) |
38.2 (3.4) |
51.7 (10.9) |
63.5 (17.5) |
73.1 (22.8) |
78.0 (25.6) |
77.1 (25.1) |
68.9 (20.5) |
55.9 (13.3) |
43.8 (6.6) |
33.5 (0.8) |
53.4 (11.9) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 19.0 (−7.2) |
21.3 (−5.9) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
41.7 (5.4) |
53.3 (11.8) |
62.6 (17.0) |
68.2 (20.1) |
66.9 (19.4) |
58.6 (14.8) |
46.7 (8.2) |
35.9 (2.2) |
25.9 (−3.4) |
44.1 (6.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 10.6 (−11.9) |
12.4 (−10.9) |
20.5 (−6.4) |
31.7 (−0.2) |
43.0 (6.1) |
52.0 (11.1) |
58.5 (14.7) |
56.6 (13.7) |
48.3 (9.1) |
37.5 (3.1) |
28.0 (−2.2) |
18.3 (−7.6) |
34.8 (1.6) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −5.2 (−20.7) |
−2.2 (−19.0) |
4.7 (−15.2) |
23.1 (−4.9) |
34.0 (1.1) |
43.3 (6.3) |
51.8 (11.0) |
48.5 (9.2) |
37.0 (2.8) |
28.6 (−1.9) |
15.5 (−9.2) |
3.0 (−16.1) |
−7.4 (−21.9) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −16 (−27) |
−19 (−28) |
−6 (−21) |
14 (−10) |
30 (−1) |
35 (2) |
45 (7) |
44 (7) |
30 (−1) |
23 (−5) |
2 (−17) |
−10 (−23) |
−19 (−28) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 3.11 (79) |
3.00 (76) |
3.67 (93) |
4.38 (111) |
3.70 (94) |
4.92 (125) |
4.00 (102) |
3.91 (99) |
3.96 (101) |
5.94 (151) |
4.42 (112) |
4.20 (107) |
49.21 (1,250) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 18.0 (46) |
20.5 (52) |
14.8 (38) |
4.2 (11) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
1.4 (3.6) |
3.8 (9.7) |
17.3 (44) |
80.1 (204.55) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.0 | 9.3 | 9.8 | 12.3 | 14.1 | 15.1 | 12.8 | 12.2 | 10.5 | 13.1 | 11.5 | 11.3 | 142.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 8.5 | 7.3 | 5.4 | 2.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 2.4 | 6.8 | 32.7 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service (mean maxima/minima 2006–2020) | |||||||||||||
People of Poland, Maine
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1800 | 2,125 | — | |
| 1810 | 850 | −60.0% | |
| 1820 | 1,353 | 59.2% | |
| 1830 | 1,916 | 41.6% | |
| 1840 | 2,360 | 23.2% | |
| 1850 | 2,660 | 12.7% | |
| 1860 | 2,746 | 3.2% | |
| 1870 | 2,436 | −11.3% | |
| 1880 | 2,442 | 0.2% | |
| 1890 | 2,472 | 1.2% | |
| 1900 | 1,648 | −33.3% | |
| 1910 | 1,382 | −16.1% | |
| 1920 | 1,399 | 1.2% | |
| 1930 | 1,503 | 7.4% | |
| 1940 | 1,441 | −4.1% | |
| 1950 | 1,503 | 4.3% | |
| 1960 | 1,537 | 2.3% | |
| 1970 | 2,015 | 31.1% | |
| 1980 | 3,578 | 77.6% | |
| 1990 | 4,342 | 21.4% | |
| 2000 | 4,866 | 12.1% | |
| 2010 | 5,376 | 10.5% | |
| 2020 | 5,906 | 9.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, there were 5,376 people living in Poland. Most of the people (97.4%) were White. About 31.5% of households had children under 18. The average age in Poland was 43.4 years old.
Education in Poland
Poland is part of Regional School Unit 16 (RSU 16).
- Poland Regional High School (PRHS) is the high school for students from Poland, Mechanic Falls, and Minot. Students from Raymond also attend. The school's sports teams are called the Knights, and their colors are blue and silver.
- Bruce M. Whittier Middle School is connected to the high school. It serves 7th and 8th graders from Poland, Mechanic Falls, and Minot.
- Poland Community School teaches students from kindergarten to 6th grade.
Both the high school and middle school opened in 1999.
Places to Visit in Poland
- Old Poland Corner Schoolhouse
- Poland Spring Preservation Society
- Range Ponds State Park
Famous People From Poland
- John Nevins Andrews: A minister, writer, and scholar.
- Augustus Burbank: A doctor who was born in Poland.
- Bert M. Fernald: A US senator and the 47th governor of Maine.
- Amos Whitney: He helped start the company Pratt and Whitney.
Images for kids
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View of Poland, looking north, c. 1905
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Home of Gov. Fernald c. 1910
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The Mansion House in 1915
See also
In Spanish: Poland (Maine) para niños
