Strong, Maine Facts for Kids

Strong is a small town located in Franklin County, Maine, in the United States. In 2020, about 1,122 people lived there. Strong is famous for its yearly Sandy River Festival.

History of Strong, Maine
Geography and Location
- Neighboring Towns
- Roads in Strong
Population and People
- Understanding the 2010 Census
Notable People from Strong
See also

History of Strong, Maine

The Hotel Strong in 1905

The area where Strong is now was first called Township No. 3. It was also known as Middletown and Readstown. The first settlers arrived in 1784. One of them was William Read from Nobleboro.

How Strong Got Its Name

The town was officially created on January 31, 1801. It was named after Caleb Strong. He was one of the Founding Fathers and a governor of Massachusetts. The Maine Republican Party was started here on August 7, 1854.

Early Industries and Farming

Strong is located on a hilly area next to a large bend in the Sandy River. This made the soil very good for farming. Farmers grew crops like hay, wheat, corn, oats, and potatoes.

The northeast part of the Sandy River provided water power for mills. This helped Strong become a successful town. By 1859, the town had a population of 1,008 people. It had many businesses, including:

Sawmills (for cutting wood)
A gristmill (for grinding grain)
A fulling mill (for making cloth thicker)
A carding machine (for preparing wool)
A starch factory
A tannery (for making leather)

Growth and New Businesses

In 1879, a special narrow gauge train track called the Sandy River Railroad connected Strong to nearby towns like Farmington and Phillips. This helped businesses grow even more.

By 1886, Strong had many different industries:

A boot and shoe factory
Machine shops
Maine's very first cheese factory
A company that made clothespins
A factory that made cane seats for chairs
An excelsior factory (which made wood shavings)

Strong was known as "one of the prettiest villages in the county."

The Toothpick Capital

Strong earned the nickname "Toothpick Capital of the World." This was because of the Strong Wood Products Incorporated plant. This factory used to make an amazing 20 million toothpicks every single day!

Forster Memorial Hall (town offices and library)
Sawmill c. 1870s
Sweatland Flat
Wood Turning Co. c. 1920

Geography and Location

According to the United States Census Bureau, Strong covers about 28.94 square miles (74.95 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 28.35 square miles (73.43 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.59 square miles (1.53 square kilometers), is water.

Strong is located near a bend in the Sandy River. This river flows into the larger Kennebec River.

Neighboring Towns

Strong shares its borders with several other towns:

To the east: New Vineyard
To the south: Farmington
To the west: Temple and Avon
To the north: Freeman Township

Roads in Strong

Several state roads pass through Strong. These include Route 4, Route 145, Route 149, and Route 234. These roads help connect Strong to other places in Maine.

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1810	424	—
1820	862	103.3%
1830	985	14.3%
1840	1,109	12.6%
1850	1,008	−9.1%
1860	754	−25.2%
1870	634	−15.9%
1880	596	−6.0%
1890	627	5.2%
1900	637	1.6%
1910	720	13.0%
1920	779	8.2%
1930	878	12.7%
1940	1,007	14.7%
1950	1,036	2.9%
1960	976	−5.8%
1970	1,132	16.0%
1980	1,506	33.0%
1990	1,217	−19.2%
2000	1,259	3.5%
2010	1,213	−3.7%
2020	1,122	−7.5%
U.S. Decennial Census

Understanding the 2010 Census

The census is a count of all the people living in an area. In 2010, there were 1,213 people living in Strong. These people lived in 496 households, and 339 of these were families.

Most people in Strong were White (97.1%). A small number of people were African American, Native American, or Asian. Some people were from two or more races. About 1.2% of the population was Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Strong was about 41.5 years old.

About 22.5% of residents were under 18.
About 15.4% were 65 or older.
The town had slightly more males (51.2%) than females (48.8%).

Notable People from Strong

Many interesting people have come from Strong, Maine. Here are a few:

Elizabeth Akers Allen: A talented author, journalist, and poet.
Ben C. Eastman: He served as a US congressman for his state.
John A. Eastman: He was a Wisconsin state senator.
Julia Harris May (1833–1912): A poet, teacher, and founder of schools.
Nathaniel W. Milliken: He was a Wisconsin state assemblyman.
James Porter (1847–1876): A military officer who was part of Custer's Last Stand.

Strong, Maine facts for kids

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