Surry is a town in
Hancock County,
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 ...
, United States. The population was 1,632 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 t ...
, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.
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 meteorological ...
region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. 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, Surry has a
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 ...
, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.
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 in ...
of 2010, there were 1,466 people, 673 households, and 429 families residing in the town. The
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), 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 ...
was . There were 1,119 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.3%
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 o ...
, 0.2%
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 ...
, 0.5%
Native American, 0.8%
Asian, 0.1% 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 1.1% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...
or
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 0.7% of the population.
There were 673 households, of which 23.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were
married couples living together, 7.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.3% were non-families. 28.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.18 and the average family size was 2.64.
The median age in the town was 49 years. 17.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.5% were from 25 to 44; 34.2% were from 45 to 64; and 21.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.7% male and 50.3% female.
2000 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 in ...
of 2000, there were 1,361 people, 551 households, and 404 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 913 housing units at an average density of 24.5 per square mile (9.5/km). The racial makeup of the town was 96.84%
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 o ...
, 0.15%
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 ...
, 0.59%
Native American, 0.37%
Asian, 0.07% 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 1.98% from two or more races.
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, 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 viceroyalties forme ...
or
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 0.37% of the population.
There were 551 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.8% were
married couples living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.84.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 4.6% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 31.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,932, and the median income for a family was $41,324. Males had a median income of $30,871 versus $22,100 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 $19,199. About 11.4% of families and 14.6% 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 22.5% of those under age 18 and 9.5% of those age 65 or over.
History
The following information derives from George J. Varney's ''A Gazetteer of the State of Maine'', published in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1886:
Surry is situated on the west bank of Union River Bay, in Hancock County. On the north-east it is bounded by Ellsworth, on the south-west, by Blue Hill, on the west, by Orland and
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 ...
. The town has an area of about . Toddy Pond forms part of the boundary between Surry and Penobscot, and on the line between Surry and Ellsworth are the two Patten ponds whose outlet is Patten Stream. Fishways were constructed to these ponds in 1872, and the ponds have since been stocked with
alewives
The alewife (''Alosa pseudoharengus'') is an anadromous species of herring found in North America. It is one of the "typical" North American shads, attributed to the subgenus ''Pomolobus'' of the genus ''Alosa''. As an adult it is a marine spe ...
and salmon. The surface of the town is considerably broken. The land generally is valuable for tillage. The majority of the surface soil is so intermingled with comminuted quartz, or siliceous sand, that cranberries grow in the grass fields. The cultivation of this crop is receiving increased attention. A large deposit of nearly pure silica in the town may prove of much value for glass and other ware. A few years ago, a bleak profusion of granite boulders lay over miles of surface on the Toddy Pond road. Today those boulders are seen in every stage of ruin. On every hand they are smitten with decay, and here and there a patch of unworn gravel is all that remains of a once great boulder. A few miles beyond these is a field of immense boulders, still uncrumbled, lying in wild confusion boulder on boulder.
The manufactories of Surry are a lumber, shingle, spool and two stave mills. Formerly there was a large business done in building small vessels, but it is now very much reduced. Surry has two mining companies: the Blue Hill Bay and the East Surry Company.
Surry was Township No. 6, in the grant to Marsh and others. It was first occupied by the French at Newbury Neck. The first English settlers were Symonds, Weymouth and James Flye. The next settlers were John Patten, a Mr. Hopkinson, Andrew Flood, Wilbrahim Swett, Matthew and James Ray, Samuel Joy, Isaac Lord, Hezekiah Coggins and Leonard Jarvis. Mr. Jarvis represented the eastern district in Congress from 1831 to 1837.
Up to 1820, about had been secured to settlers and by quiet possession titles, when Mr. Jarvis bought the remainder. In 1800, Surry included that portion of Ellsworth known as Ward 5; but in 1829 it was re-annexed to Ellsworth. There was a population of 289 as early as 1790. In 1874, a small quantity of silver coin was found at Weymouth Point. Surry furnished 135 men to the Union cause in the war of the Rebellion!
The Baptist, Free Baptist and Methodist denominations have churches in town. There are nine public schoolhouses, and the school property is valued at $3,400. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $207,137. In 1880 it was $177,534. The population in 1870 was 1,242. In 1880 it was 1,185."
[From George J. Varney's ''A Gazetteer of the State of Maine'', published in Boston, Massachusetts in 1886:]
Recent
The National Weather Service in
Caribou established a cooperative weather station at East Surry in July 2007. The NWS station, named Ellsworth-3SSW, serves as an official meteorological recording site, providing daily weather and climate information to the (NWS) National Weather Service, (NCDC) National Climatic Data Center, CoCoRaHS (Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network), and CWOP (Citizens Weather Observer Program). The station (Ellsworth-3SSW) continues the climate history of
Ellsworth dating back to the 1930s. The cooperative station is located at an elevation of 105 feet, approximately two miles east of Surry village.
The NWS in Caribou renamed the station East Surry on July 1, 2011. This station begins a new climate history for East Surry, as it was found to be incompatible to the old ELLSWORTH POLL CONTROL station. The new data set begins on June 1, 2007, from the East Surry location.
References
External links
Town of Surry Website*
{{authority control
Towns in Hancock County, Maine
Towns in Maine
Populated coastal places in Maine