Brownville, Maine

Brownvilleis atowninPiscataquis County,Maine,United States. The population was 1,139 at the2020 census.The town includes the villages of Brownville, Knight's Landing andBrownville Junction,near which passes the100-Mile Wildernessof theAppalachian Trail.

Brownville, Maine
Town
General viewc. 1910
Location inPiscataquis Countyand the state ofMaine.
Coordinates:45°20′42″N69°2′10″W
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Piscataquis
Incorporated	1824
Communities	Brownville Brownville Junction Knights Landing
Government
• Type	Board of Selectmen
Area
• Total	44.62 sq mi (115.57 km2)
• Land	44.03 sq mi (114.04 km2)
• Water	0.59 sq mi (1.53 km2)
Elevation	781 ft (238 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	1,139
• Density	26/sq mi (10.0/km2)
Time zone	UTC-5(Eastern (EST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-4(EDT)
ZIP codes	04414, 04481
Area code	207
FIPS code	23-08325
GNISfeature ID	0582374

History

The area was a part of theWaldo Patentpurchased by Moses Brown and Major Josiah Hill ofNewburyport,Massachusetts,who initiated its settlement. In 1806, they built adamandwatermillson thePleasant River.First known as township T5 R8 NWP, the community was organized in 1819 as Brownville Plantation. It was named for Francis Brown (nephew of Moses Brown), who was a mill owner and trader fromNewbury,Massachusetts. In 1824, the town was incorporated as Brownville.

Early settlers were given 50 acres (200,000 m²) to clear and cultivate. Farms producedhay,oats,potatoes,wheatand gardenvegetables.Water powerfrom the Pleasant River attracted industry, includingsawmills,clapboardmills,gristmills,a shovel handle factory and acarriagefactory.Quarrieswere established to extract the region's abundantslate,the quality of which won first prize at the 1876Centennial Exposition.In 1843, the Bangor & Piscataquis Slate Company opened with 60 employees. It sent out 8,000-12,000 squares of roofing slate annually. The Merrill Quarry opened in 1846 with approximately 80 employees, producing 30,000 squares of roofing slate annually. The Highland Quarry opened withWelshemployees, recruited because they were accustomed to working in slate. The last quarry closed in 1917.

Iron orewas discovered at the foot of Ore Mountain. TheKatahdin Iron Workswas established in 1843, when roads were cut out and ablast furnaceerected. A hotel and several houses were built for workers.Charcoalwas made in 14kilns,consuming 10,000cordsof wood per year. The company and land were sold in 1845, and the new owners operated it until 1856, the year it produced 2350 tons of iron. However, shipping it toBangorwas expensive. TheBangor and Katahdin Iron Works Railway(B&KIW) was constructed to Brownville in 1881, then connected north to the Katahdin Iron Works in 1883.

In 1889 theInternational Railway of Mainewas constructed by its ownerCanadian Pacific Railway(CPR), extending the CPR's transcontinental mainline east fromMontreal,QuebectoSaint John, New Brunswick.The CPR line passed three miles north of Brownville, where it crossed the B&KIW at a location that was namedBrownville Junction.In 1891, the B&KIW merged into theBangor and Aroostook Railroad(BAR) after the Katahdin Iron Works closed the previous year.The BAR line as well as the CPR line west of Brownville became part of theMontreal, Maine and Atlantic Railwayand are now part of theCentral Maine and Québec Railway.In 2019, theCanadian Pacific Railwaypurchased theCentral Maine and Québec Railway,once again, giving the railway access to thePort of Saint Johnrunning trains fromBrownville JunctiontoNew BrunswickviaNew Brunswick Southern Railway.

Local historian Bill Sawtellhas documented many facets of the history of Brownville as well as the surrounding area. He has published numerous books with subjects such as Katahdin Iron Works, the Highland Quarry, the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad, andPenquis Valley High Schoolbasketball.

• 
  Street scene in 1910
• 
  Community Churchc. 1905
• 
  B. & A. R. R.yardc. 1912

Geography

According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the town has a total area of 44.62 square miles (115.57 km²), of which 44.03 square miles (114.04 km²) is land and 0.59 square miles (1.53 km²) is water.Situated between Sebec and Schoodic lakes, Brownville is drained by thePleasant River.

Climate

Thisclimaticregion is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to theKöppen Climate Classificationsystem, Brownville has ahumid continental climate,abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1830	402		—
1840	568		41.3%
1850	787		38.6%
1860	793		0.8%
1870	860		8.4%
1880	896		4.2%
1890	1,074		19.9%
1900	1,570		46.2%
1910	1,808		15.2%
1920	1,743		−3.6%
1930	1,910		9.6%
1940	1,914		0.2%
1950	1,964		2.6%
1960	1,641		−16.4%
1970	1,490		−9.2%
1980	1,545		3.7%
1990	1,506		−2.5%
2000	1,259		−16.4%
2010	1,250		−0.7%
2020	1,139		−8.9%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of thecensusof 2010, there were 1,250 people, 527 households, and 347 families living in the town. Thepopulation densitywas 28.4 inhabitants per square mile (11.0/km²). There were 738 housing units at an average density of 16.8 per square mile (6.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.3%White,0.6%African American,0.2%Native American,0.5% fromother races,and 1.4% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinopeople of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 527 households, of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% weremarried couplesliving together, 9.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 8.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 34.2% were non-families. 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.82.

The median age in the town was 44.5 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.4% were from 25 to 44; 32.1% were from 45 to 64; and 17.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 52.8% male and 47.2% female.

2000 census

As of thecensusof 2000, there were 1,259 people, 555 households, and 360 families living in the town. The population density was 28.4 inhabitants per square mile (11.0/km²). There were 726 housing units at an average density of 16.4 per square mile (6.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.09%White,1.03%Native American,0.08%Asian,0.24% fromother races,and 0.56% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinopeople of any race were 0.87% of the population.

There were 555 households, out of which 25.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% weremarried couplesliving together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.0% were non-families. 31.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.80.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.8% under the age of 18, 6.1% from 18 to 24, 25.6% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $28,167, and the median income for a family was $35,446. Males had a median income of $31,141 versus $18,382 for females. Theper capita incomefor the town was $14,774. About 12.1% of families and 13.6% of the population were below thepoverty line,including 12.5% of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

External links

• Town of Brownville, Maine
• Three Rivers Community of Maine