Saco ( ) is a city in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 20,381 at the 2020 census. It is home to Ferry Beach State Park, Funtown Splashtown USA, Thornton Academy, as well as Saco Valley Shopping Center. General Dynamics Armament Systems (also known by its former name, Saco Defense), a subsidiary of the defense contractor General Dynamics. Saco sees much tourism during summer months due to its amusement parks, Camp Ellis Beach and Pier, Ferry Beach State Park, and proximity to Old Orchard Beach. Saco is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area. Saco's twin-city is Biddeford.

History

This was territory of the Abenaki tribe whose fortified village was located up the Sokokis Trail at Pequawket (now Fryeburg). There was a settlement at the mouth of the Saco river, with homes and permanent cultivation, at the time of contact with Europeans in the early 1600s. In July 1607, 500 warriors led by ''sakmow'' ( Grand Chief) of the Mi'kmaq

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

Henri Membertou attacked the village at present-day Saco, killing 20 of their braves, including two of their leaders, Onmechin and Marchin, leading to conflict that lasted until 1615. In 1630 the Plymouth Company granted Thomas Lewis and Richard Bonython a charter to establish a town at Saco, with a deed that extended along the sea, by inland. Settled in 1631 as part of Winter Harbor (as Biddeford Pool was first known). The government of Maine, under Ferdinando Gorges, was based in the town from 1636 to 1653. It would be reorganized in 1653 by the

Massachusetts General Court The Massachusetts General Court, formally the General Court of Massachusetts, is the State legislature (United States), state legislature of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts located in the state capital of Boston. Th ...

as Saco, which would be renamed Biddeford in 1718. The settlement was attacked by Indians in 1675 during

King Philip's War King Philip's War (sometimes called the First Indian War, Metacom's War, Metacomet's War, Pometacomet's Rebellion, or Metacom's Rebellion) was an armed conflict in 1675–1678 between a group of indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodland ...

. Settlers moved to the mouth of the river, and the houses and mills they left behind were burned. Saco lay in contested territory between

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

and

New France New France (, ) was the territory colonized by Kingdom of France, France in North America, beginning with the exploration of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence by Jacques Cartier in 1534 and ending with the cession of New France to Kingdom of Great Br ...

, which recruited the Indians as allies. In 1689 during King William's War, it was again attacked, with some residents taken captive. Hostilities intensified from 1702 until 1709, then ceased in 1713 with the Treaty of Portsmouth. The community was rebuilt and in 1718 incorporated as Biddeford. Peace would not last, however, and the town was again attacked in 1723 during Dummer's War, when it contained 14

garrison A garrison is any body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it. The term now often applies to certain facilities that constitute a military base or fortified military headquarters. A garrison is usually in a city ...

s. In August and September 1723, there were Indian raids on Saco, Maine and

Dover, New Hampshire Dover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 32,741 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the most populous city in the New Hampshire Seacoast Region (New Hampshire), Seacoast region and ...

.William Williamson, p. 123 But in 1724, a

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

destroyed Norridgewock, an Abenaki stronghold on the

Kennebec River The Kennebec River (Abenaki language, Abenaki: ''Kinəpékʷihtəkʷ'') is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed June 30, 2011 natural river within the U.S. state of Ma ...

organizing raids on English settlements. The region became less dangerous, especially after the French defeat in 1745 at the Battle of Louisburg. The French and Indian Wars finally ended with the 1763 Treaty of Paris. In 1762, the northeastern bank of Biddeford separated as the District of Pepperrellborough, named for Sir William Pepperrell, hero of the Battle of Louisburg and late proprietor of the town. Amos Chase was one of the pioneers of Pepperrellborough. He was chosen as a selectman at the first town meeting, and served as the first deacon of the Congregational Church. Dea. Chase was one of the area's largest taxpayers, and was prominent in civic affairs during the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

, serving on the town's Committee of Correspondence and Committee of Inspection. The district was incorporated as the Town of Pepperellborough in 1775. Inhabitants found the name to be cumbersome, so in 1805 it was renamed Saco. It would be incorporated as a city in 1867. Saco became a center for

lumber Lumber is wood that has been processed into uniform and useful sizes (dimensional lumber), including beams and planks or boards. Lumber is mainly used for construction framing, as well as finishing (floors, wall panels, window frames). ...

ing, with log drives down the river from Little Falls Plantation (now

Dayton Dayton () is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of cities in Ohio, sixth-most populous city in Ohio, with a population of 137,644 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. The Dayton metro ...

, Lyman, Hollis and part of Limington). At Saco Falls, the timber was cut by 17

sawmill A sawmill (saw mill, saw-mill) or lumber mill is a facility where logging, logs are cut into lumber. Modern sawmills use a motorized saw to cut logs lengthwise to make long pieces, and crosswise to length depending on standard or custom sizes ...

s. In 1827, the community produced of sawn lumber, some of which was used for

shipbuilding Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other Watercraft, floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation th ...

. On Factory Island, the Saco Iron Works began operation in 1811. The Saco Manufacturing Company established a

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

mill in 1826, and a

canal Canals or artificial waterways are waterways or engineered channels built for drainage management (e.g. flood control and irrigation) or for conveyancing water transport vehicles (e.g. water taxi). They carry free, calm surface ...

was dug through rock to provide water power. The mill burned in 1830, but was replaced in 1831 by the York Manufacturing Company. With the arrival of the Portland, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad in 1842, Factory Island developed into a major

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

manufacturing center, with extensive brick mills dominating the Saco and Biddeford waterfronts. Other businesses included foundries, belting and harnessmaking, and

machine shop A machine shop or engineering workshop is a room, building, or company where machining, a form of subtractive manufacturing, is done. In a machine shop, machinists use machine tools and cutting tool (machining), cutting tools to make parts, usua ...

s. But the New England textile industry faded in the 20th century, and the York Manufacturing Company would close in 1958. The prosperous

mill town A mill town, also known as factory town or mill village, is typically a settlement that developed around one or more List of types of mill#Manufacturing facilities, mills or factories, often cotton mills or factories producing textiles. Europe ...

era, however, left behind much fine

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

in the Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival and Victorian styles. Many buildings are now listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

. In 1844, Laurel Hill Cemetery was established on of land. Still in operation, it is one of the earliest examples of the Rural cemetery movement. Saco has taken steps to make the city more environmentally friendly. In early 2007 a small wind turbine was erected near the water treatment plant at the foot of Front street. Another larger wind turbine was erected on the top of York Hill in December 2007, and was expected to generate power for the new train station for Amtrak's '' Downeaster'', although this was torn down in 2018 as the wind turbine never came close to generating the amount of energy promised. Saco also has two growing business parks. File:Amos Chase house, 144 Ferry Road, Saco, ME.JPG, Amos Chase house on Ferry Road; built File:York Mills, Saco, ME.jpg, York Manufacturing Co. in 1916 File:Eastman_Park,_Saco_Maine.jpg, Civil War memorial in Eastman Park File:Saco_Maine_City_Hall.jpg, Saco City Hall File:Masonic_Hall_Saco_Maine.jpg, Masonic Hall

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 city has a total area of , of which is land and is water. Situated beside Saco Bay on the Gulf of Maine, Saco is drained by the Saco River. Saco borders the city of Biddeford, as well as the towns of Scarborough, Buxton,

and Old Orchard Beach.

Terrain

Saco contains a wide variety of landforms, including beaches, fields, forests, bogs, and urban areas. The beachfront Camp Ellis section of the city has been eroding since the Army Corps of Engineers built a jetty in the 1860s at the mouth of the Saco River that stopped sediment from feeding the Camp Ellis beaches. This has been exacerbated by rising sea levels and climate change in Maine. This is a
archive of documents
related to erosion issues in the Camp Ellis section of Saco.

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 18,482 people, 7,623 households, and 4,925 families residing in the city. 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 8,508 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.7%

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 ...

, 0.7%

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 ...

, 0.2% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.4% 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 1.3% of the population. There were 7,623 households, of which 28.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.2% 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, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.7% had a male householder with no wife present, and 35.4% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.88. The median age in the city was 41.9 years. 21.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.6% were from 25 to 44; 30.5% were from 45 to 64; and 14.3% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 16,822 people, 6,801 households, and 4,590 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 7,424 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 97.91%

, 0.32%

, 0.15% Native American, 0.51% Asian, 0.09%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.10% from other races, and 0.93% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.58% of the population. There were 6,801 households, out of which 33.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.3% were

living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.5% were non-families. 25.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.1% 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 2.93. In the city, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males. The median income for a household in the city was $45,105, and the median income for a family was $52,724. Males had a median income of $35,446 versus $25,585 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 city was $20,444. About 7.1% of families and 8.2% 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 9.4% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics

Saco is divided into 7 voting wards, represented by: Ward 1 Councilor Douglas Edwards, Ward 2 Councilor Joshua Parks, Ward 3 Councilor Joseph Gunn, Ward 4 Councilor Michael Burman, Ward 5 Councilor Phil Hatch, Ward 6 Councilor Tricia Huot, and Ward 7 Councilor Nathan Johnston. On November 7, 2023, Saco Elected former city councilor Jodi MacPhail as its first female Mayor. Mayor MacPhail was sworn in at a historic inauguration ceremony held on December 4, 2023, at Saco City Hall. Voter registration

Education

List of schools

* Governor John Fairfield School (K–2) * Young School (K–2) * C.K. Burns School (3–5) * Saco Middle School (6–8) * Thornton Academy (9–12) * Saco Transition Program (6–12) * Elsie. J Parquette School (K-12) * Saco Island School (9–12)

Previous schools

* Notre Dame de Lourdes School (K–8) – Closed in 2009 due to budget constraints and lack of students.

Higher education

* University College has a campus located in Saco.

Infrastructure

Transportation

The Saco Transportation Center provides transportation between Portland and

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

via the '' Downeaster'' passenger train. Saco is accessible from

Interstate 95 Interstate 95 (I-95) is the main north–south Interstate Highway on the East Coast of the United States, running from U.S. Route 1 (US 1) in Miami, Florida, north to the Houlton–Woodstock Border Crossing between Maine and the ...

, U.S. Route 1 and Interstate 195. State routes 5, 9, 112, and 117 also serve the city. Taxis serve the Tri-City Area (Saco, Biddeford, and Old Orchard Beach). The Portland International Jetport is about north of Saco. The ShuttleBus and Zoom Bus provide local transportation.

Environmental contamination

Since 1960, the City of Saco has owned and operated the Saco Municipal Landfill . The site consists of four distinct disposal areas, the fourth of which is a recently closed landfill that accepted household waste and tannery sludge containing chromium and other heavy metals, as well as

volatile organic compound Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are organic compounds that have a high vapor pressure at room temperature. They are common and exist in a variety of settings and products, not limited to Indoor mold, house mold, Upholstery, upholstered furnitur ...

s. In February 1990 the site was placed on the National Priorities List. From 1992 to 1994, EPA studied the groundwater contamination. in September 1996, EPA started capping the landfill. In 2000, institutional controls were established, which restrict site uses.

Notable people

* Henry A. Barrows, actor * Liberty Billings, Florida senator * Samuel Brannan, businessman and pioneer * Amos Chase, Saco pioneer * Justin Chenette, Maine state representative * Richard Cutts, U.S. congressman * Arthur P. Fairfield, naval officer * John Fairfield, U.S. congressman and senator; 16th governor of Maine * Rory Ferreira, musician better known as Milo * George Lincoln Goodale, botanist * Charles Henry Granger, painter * Elizabeth Deering Hanscom, English professor * Bryan Kaenrath, Maine state representative * Cyrus King, U.S. congressman * Slugger Labbe, crew chief with

NASCAR The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. It is considered to be one of the top ranked motorsports organizations in ...

* James Felix McKenney, actor * Isaac Lawrence Milliken, 16th mayor of Chicago * Edith Nourse Rogers, U.S. congresswoman * Emery J. San Souci, 53rd governor of Rhode Island * John Fairfield Scammon, U.S. congressman * Ether Shepley, Maine state congressman, U.S. senator and jurist * George F. Shepley, general in the Union Army and 18th Governor of Louisiana * John Wingate Thornton, lawyer, historian, and author

Sites of interest

* Dyer Library * Funtown Splashtown USA * Saco Heath Preserve * Ferry Beach State Park

References

External links

*
Biddeford Saco Chamber of Commerce
{{Authority control 1631 establishments in the Thirteen Colonies Cities in Maine Cities in York County, Maine Populated coastal places in Maine Populated places established in 1631 Portland metropolitan area, Maine