Medford is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Piscataquis County,

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, 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 dir ...

, 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 Plantations are farms specializing in cash crops, usually mainly planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations, centered on a plantation house, grow crops including cotton, cannabis, tob ...

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

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

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

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

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

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing 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 geog ...

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 chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.8%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, and 0.4% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino 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 recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

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.

or Latino 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 average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

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 ...

, 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