Medford is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

Piscataquis County Piscataquis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2020 census, its population was 16,800, making it Maine's least-populous county. Its county seat is Dover-Foxcroft. The county was incorporated on March 23, 1838, ta ...

Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...

, United States. The population was 230 at the 2020 census.

History

In 1808 James Grover was the first white settler in what is now Medford. In 1820, the state opened a road from the

Piscataquis River The Piscataquis River is a major tributary of the Penobscot River, found in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. It starts from the confluence of its East Branch and West Branch () in Blanchard. The river flows in a mostly eastern direction ...

, which helped increase settlement. In 1820, John Parker Boyd, owner of the eastern half of the town, erected a combination sawmill and shingle mill on the Piscataquis River. In 1824 the town incorporated as Kilmarnock, the name chosen by Boyd. An 1825 fire destroyed over three-quarters of the buildings in town, as well as the large stand of pine trees used to supply the sawmill and shingle mill. The mill was saved, but later closed because the burning of the nearby trees had deprived the business of a steady supply of wood. The inhabitants of Kilmarnock petitioned to change the town's name to Medford in 1856. The town surrendered its charter in 1940, and was organized as a

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. The ...

in 1942. In 1967 Medford was again organized as a town.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 254 people, 104 households, and 74 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was . There were 164 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.8%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, and 0.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 0.4% of the population. There were 104 households, of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.8% were non-families. 14.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 2.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.61. The median age in the town was 46.5 years. 18.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20% were from 25 to 44; 42.2% were from 45 to 64; and 11% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 53.5% male and 46.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 231 people, 88 households, and 69 families residing in the town. The

was 5.4 people per square mile (2.1/km). There were 135 housing units at an average density of 3.2 per square mile (1.2/km). The racial makeup of the town was 99.57%

, and 0.43% from two or more races.

of any race were 0.43% of the population. There were 88 households, out of which 38.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.2% were

living together, 4.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.5% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 2.91. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.1% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 37.2% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 124.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 114.3 males. The median income for a household in the town was $28,750, and the median income for a family was $30,000. Males had a median income of $21,667 versus $26,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $12,609. About 10.0% of families and 15.0% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 31.7% of those under the age of eighteen and none of those 65 or over.

References

External links

Town of Medford, Maine

Three Rivers Community of Maine
{{authority control Towns in Piscataquis County, Maine Towns in Maine