Porter, Maine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Porter, Maine
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Old Porter Meeting House (built 1828), c. 1922
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 Porter, Maine
Location in Maine
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| Country | United States |
| State | Maine |
| County | Oxford |
| Incorporated | 1807 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 32.87 sq mi (85.13 km2) |
| • Land | 31.50 sq mi (81.58 km2) |
| • Water | 1.37 sq mi (3.55 km2) |
| Elevation | 466 ft (142 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,600 |
| • Density | 51/sq mi (19.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP code |
04068
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| Area code(s) | 207 |
| FIPS code | 23-60405 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0582682 |
Porter is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. It is included in the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford, Maine metropolitan New England City and Town Area. Porter includes Porter village and part of Kezar Falls. The population was 1,600 at the 2020 census.
History
The land was once territory of Pequawket, the Abenaki village at what it now Fryeburg. It was purchased from the Massachusetts General Court in September 1795 by Dr. Aaron Porter of Biddeford and others. Terms of the grant offered 100 acres (40 ha) to each man who settled before January 1, 1784. First called Portersfield Plantation, it was incorporated as a town on February 20, 1807, named for its principal proprietor. Land was set off to Brownfield in 1831, 1832 and 1855.
Although farmers found the town's surface uneven, the hillsides offered excellent pasturage for cattle. Porter became noted for its orchards. Outlets of ponds provided sites for mills, with the best water power on the Ossipee River at Kezar Falls, where part of the village lies in Parsonsfield. The town had numerous sawmills, a gristmill, furniture factory, bobbin factory and a boot and shoe factory. In 1870, the population was 1,104.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 32.87 square miles (85.13 km2), of which, 31.50 square miles (81.58 km2) of it is land and 1.37 square miles (3.55 km2) is water. Porter is drained by the Ossipee River.
The town is crossed by state routes 25 and 160. Porter borders the towns of Eaton and Freedom, New Hampshire to the west, Brownfield to the north, Hiram to the east, and Parsonsfield to the south.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1810 | 292 | — | |
| 1820 | 487 | 66.8% | |
| 1830 | 841 | 72.7% | |
| 1840 | 1,133 | 34.7% | |
| 1850 | 1,208 | 6.6% | |
| 1860 | 1,240 | 2.6% | |
| 1870 | 1,104 | −11.0% | |
| 1880 | 1,095 | −0.8% | |
| 1890 | 1,015 | −7.3% | |
| 1900 | 886 | −12.7% | |
| 1910 | 864 | −2.5% | |
| 1920 | 820 | −5.1% | |
| 1930 | 883 | 7.7% | |
| 1940 | 892 | 1.0% | |
| 1950 | 1,052 | 17.9% | |
| 1960 | 975 | −7.3% | |
| 1970 | 1,115 | 14.4% | |
| 1980 | 1,222 | 9.6% | |
| 1990 | 1,301 | 6.5% | |
| 2000 | 1,438 | 10.5% | |
| 2010 | 1,498 | 4.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,600 | 6.8% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
2010 census
As of the census of 2010, there were 1,498 people, 621 households, and 416 families living in the town. The population density was 47.6 inhabitants per square mile (18.4/km2). There were 816 housing units at an average density of 25.9 per square mile (10.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.2% White, 0.8% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 0.1% from other races, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population.
There were 621 households, of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.3% were married couples living together, 11.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.0% were non-families. 25.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.83.
The median age in the town was 44.4 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.6% were from 25 to 44; 33.6% were from 45 to 64; and 15.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.5% male and 49.5% female.
Sites of interest
- Parsonsfield-Porter Bridge, a 2 span covered bridge built in 1876
- Parsonsfield-Porter Historical Society & Museum
- Maine Teen Camp
- Old Porter Meeting House
Notable people
- Samuel W. Gould, US congressman
- Harry Lord (1882–1948), baseball player for the Boston Red Sox
See also
In Spanish: Porter (Maine) para niños
