Gardiner, Maine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gardiner is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,198 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] History
Located at the head of navigation on the Kennebec River, Gardiner was founded in 1754 as "Gardinerstown Plantation" by Dr. Sylvester Gardiner, a prominent Boston physician. Dr. Gardiner had made a fortune as a drug merchant, and became a principal proprietor of the "Kennebec Purchase" within the old Plymouth Patent. He proved a tireless promoter for his development, which once comprised over 100,000 acres (400 km²).
Dr. Gardiner induced a gristmill builder, a saw millwright, a house carpenter and a wheelwright to settle here. Houses, mills, a church and a blockhouse were built. Situated at the confluence of the Kennebec River and Cobbesseeconte Stream, which has falls that drop 130 feet over a mile, the location was recognized by him as ideal for water-powered mills. "Gardinerstown," set off from Pittston in 1760, soon became center of the regional economy.
The wilderness toils of Dr. Gardiner would end, however, with the Revolution. Loyal to the Crown, he fled Boston in 1776 when the British army evacuated. But his settlement lived on without him, and in 1803 was incorporated as the town of "Gardiner." From the early 1800s until the Civil War, shipbuilding, ice harvesting and trade were primary industries. Gardiner would become a city in 1849, at which time 10 large riverfront wharves served shipping. Lumber, in vast quantities, passed through Gardiner. Tanneries and shoe factories prospered.
Gardiner was well known around the world for its ice exports. During the winter season men would cut large blocks of ice out of the Kennebec River and store them in large warehouses. The ice was then covered with sawdust to keep it frozen well into the summer months. Throughout the year ice would be loaded on large vessels to be carried to different points around the United States, and other countries world wide. Gardiner was well known for its ice harvesting mainly because of the pristine quality of the frozen Kennebec ice, and that Gardiner was the last stop on the Kennebec River that large vessels could reach.
In 1851, the city was connected by railroad. One of the first workable steam automobiles in America was built in Gardiner in 1858. Beginning in the 1860s, paper mills flourished, as did a commercial ice industry between the 1880s and 1920s. By the 1960s, however, many mills suffered decline and closure. The former mill town is now largely a bedroom community for people who work in Augusta, the state's capital, as well as Bath Iron Works in Bath. Some residents even commute as far as the Portland area.
Notable Inhabitants:
- Henry Dearborn, general
- Julia Ward Howe, social activist and poet
- Laura E. Richards, author and poet
- Edwin Arlington Robinson, poet
- John Frank Stevens, chief engineer on the Panama Canal and railroad construction engineer[1]
- Dorothy Clarke Wilson, author
[edit] Geography
Gardiner is located at (44.205963, -69.791998)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 43.0 km² (16.6 mi²). 40.6 km² (15.7 mi²) of it is land and 2.5 km² (0.9 mi²) of it (5.72%) is water. Gardiner is drained by the Cobbesseeconte Stream and Kennebec River.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 6,198 people, 2,510 households, and 1,603 families residing in the city. The population density was 152.7/km² (395.6/mi²). There were 2,702 housing units at an average density of 66.6/km² (172.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.90% White, 0.39% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.81% of the population.
There were 2,510 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% 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 2.97.
In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,103, and the median income for a family was $42,750. Males had a median income of $33,069 versus $25,399 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,033. About 11.4% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.2% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] External links
- City of Gardiner, Maine Official Website
- Gardiner Main Street, A Main Street Maine Community
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
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[edit] References
- ^ Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums (1970). in Doris A. Isaacson: Maine: A Guide 'Down East'. Rockland, Me: Courier-Gazette, Inc., 158-160.
