Orono () 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 ...

Penobscot County, Maine Penobscot County is a county in the U.S. state of Maine, named for the Penobscot Nation on Wabanakik. As of the 2020 census, the population was 152,199. Its county seat is Bangor. The county was established on February 15, 1816, from part of ...

, United States. Located on the

Penobscot The Penobscot (Abenaki: ''Pαnawάhpskewi'') are an Indigenous people in North America from the Northeastern Woodlands region. They are organized as a federally recognized tribe in Maine and as a First Nations band government in the Atlantic pr ...

and Stillwater rivers, it was first settled by

American colonists The colonial history of the United States covers the history of European colonization of North America from the early 17th century until the incorporation of the Thirteen Colonies into the United States after the Revolutionary War. In the ...

in 1774. They named it in honor of Chief

Joseph Orono Joseph Orono (25 November 1688 — 5 February 1801) was a Penobscot Indian chief or sachem who lived on the Penobscot River in present-day Maine. The town of Orono, Maine, which contains the University of Maine, is named for him. By the time Orono ...

, a sachem of the indigenous

nation who long occupied this territory. In the nineteenth century, the town became a center of the lumber industry. Sawmills on the rivers were powered by the water, and logs were floated downriver on the Penobscot for shipping and export from coastal ports. Since 1865 it has been the location of the

University of Maine The University of Maine (UMaine or UMO) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Orono, Maine. It was established in 1865 as the land-grant college of Maine and is the Flagship universities, flagshi ...

, established as a land-grant institution and the state's flagship educational institution. In the fall of 2018, the university enrolled 11,404 students at Orono. Not including university residents, the town's population was 11,183 at the 2020 census.

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. The town is divided by the Stillwater River, a branch of the

Penobscot River The Penobscot River (Abenaki: ''Pαnawάhpskewtəkʷ'') is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 22, 2011 river in the U.S. state of Maine. Including the river's We ...

. It occupies part of Marsh Island, as well as some smaller islands such as Ayers Island, which is surrounded by the Penobscot and the Stillwater rivers, and the remainder of the town is on the mainland. The

Orono Dam The Orono Dam is a hydroelectric dam on the Stillwater River at its confluence with the Penobscot River in Orono, Penobscot County, Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders ...

impounds the Stillwater River at its confluence with the Penobscot River near downtown Orono.

Climate

This

climatic Climate is the long-term weather pattern in an area, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorologic ...

region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. Orono has a warm-summer

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

, according to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

system is "''Dfb''", thus abbreviated ed in on climate maps.Climate Summary for Orono, Maine
/ref>

Conservation

The Orono Land Trust operates a number of protected areas in Orono. Piney Knoll Conservation Area, situated alongside the Penobscot River, is known for its walking trails and bird-watching. The

also owns a considerable amount of protected land in the town. Prominent parcels include Dwight B. Demeritt Forest.

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 10,363 people, 2,831 households, and 1,229 families living 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 3,089 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 93.7%

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 ...

, 1.2%

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 ...

, 1.1% Native American, 1.9%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.4% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.7% 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 1.5% of the population. There were 2,831 households, of which 17.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.9% 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, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 56.6% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.77. The median age in the town was 21.8 years. 8.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 55.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 12.2% were from 25 to 44; 13.1% were from 45 to 64; and 10.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.8% male and 48.2% female.

Notable people

* Charles J. Dunn, Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court *

Wallace Rider Farrington Wallace Rider Farrington (May 3, 1871 – October 6, 1933) was an American journalist who served as the sixth Territorial Governor of Hawaii, serving from 1921 to 1929. Prior to his term, he was editor of ''The Honolulu Advertiser'' and '' H ...

, territorial governor of Hawaii *

Merritt Lyndon Fernald Merritt Lyndon Fernald (October 5, 1873 – September 22, 1950) was an American botanist. He was a respected scholar of the taxonomy and phytogeography of the vascular plant flora of temperate eastern North America. During his career, Fernald pub ...

(1873–1950), botanist *

Constance Hunting Constance Hunting (1925 – April 5, 2006) was an American poet and publisher, widely known in the Northeastern United States. She taught English literature and creative writing at the University of Maine at Orono until her death on April 5, 2006. ...

, poet, publisher *

Frances Laughton Mace Frances Laughton Mace ( Frances Parker Laughton; pen name: Inez; January 15, 1836 – July 20, 1899) was an American poet. Her poems first appeared in ''The Journal of Commerce''. She was best remembered for the poem and hymn "Only Waiting", ...

, poet *

Jonathan Norcross Jonathan Norcross (April 18, 1808 – December 18, 1898) was elected in 1850 as the fourth Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia, serving the customary term at the time of one year. Dubbed the "Father of Atlanta" and "hard fighter of everything" by publi ...

, inventor, 4th

mayor of Atlanta Here is a list of mayors of Atlanta, Georgia. The mayor is the highest elected official in Atlanta. Since its incorporation in 1847, the city has had 61 mayors. The current mayor is Andre Dickens who was elected in the 2021 election and took of ...

* Ralph Perkins, state legislator *

Elizabeth Schneider Elizabeth Schneider (born 1962) is an American politician from Maine. Schneider served as a Democratic State Senator from Maine's 32nd District, representing part of Penobscot County, including the population centres of Orono and Lincoln. She ...

, state senator * Joseph B. Treat, Wisconsin politician *

Nathaniel Treat Nathaniel Treat, Sr. (December 29, 1798 – February 4, 1894) was a member of the Maine House of Representatives. Biography Treat was born in Frankfort, Maine on December 29, 1798. He was a descendant of Robert Treat. In 1823, Treat married ...

, Maine politician *

Nathaniel B. Treat Nathaniel B. Treat (March 12, 1839December 26, 1930) was an American businessman, banker, and Republican politician. He served four years in the Wisconsin State Assembly, representing Green County. During the American Civil War, he served as a ...

, Wisconsin politician * Eva Valesh (1866–1956), labor journalist * Israel Washburn Jr., US congressman, a founder of the

Republican Party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

, 29th Governor of

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 ...

Dorothy Clarke Wilson Dorothy Clarke Wilson (May 9, 1904 – March 26, 2003) was an American writer, perhaps best known for her novel ''Prince of Egypt'' (1949), which was a primary source for the Cecil B. DeMille film, ''The Ten Commandments'' (1956). Early life D ...

, novelist, playwright

Points of interest

* Fay Hyland Botanical Plantation *

Lyle E. Littlefield Ornamentals Trial Garden 300px, thumbThe Lyle E. Littlefield Ornamentals Trial Garden (6.5 ha) is located on the University of Maine campus in Orono, Maine, United States. It consists of two parts: the Littlefield Garden, housing the permanent collection of woody and her ...

Old Fire Engine House The Old Fire Engine House is a historic fire station on North Main Avenue in Orono, Maine. Built in 1892, it is a well-preserved example of a late-19th century wooden fire station. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Sept ...

* Pat's Pizza *

Jeremiah Colburn House The Jeremiah Colburn House is a historic site located at 68 Main Street in Orono, Maine, Orono, Maine, United States, which is named for one of Orono's two original settlers, Jeremiah Colburn. The structure was built in 1840 and served as the home ...

Notes

References

External links

Town of Orono Official WebsiteUniversity of MaineOrono High SchoolAsa Adams Elementary School
{{Authority control Populated places established in 1774 Towns in Penobscot County, Maine 1774 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies