Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
Dover-Foxcroft, Maine | |
|---|---|
 Union Squarec. 1906 | |
 Seal | |
| Nickname: The Heart of Maine | |
 Location inPiscataquis Countyand the state ofMaine. | |
| Coordinates:45°11′10″N69°13′13″W/ 45.18611°N 69.22028°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maine |
| County | Piscataquis |
| Incorporated | 1812 (Foxcroft) 1822 (Dover) |
| Merger | March 11, 1922 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 71.18 sq mi (184.36 km2) |
| • Land | 67.81 sq mi (175.63 km2) |
| • Water | 3.37 sq mi (8.73 km2) |
| Elevation | 371 ft (113 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
| • Total | 4,422 |
| • Density | 65/sq mi (25.2/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5(Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4(EDT) |
| ZIP Code | 04426 |
| Area code | 207 |
| FIPS code | 23-18195 |
| GNISfeature ID | 0582445 |
| Website | dover-foxcroft.org |
Dover-Foxcroftis the largesttownin and theseatofPiscataquis County,Maine,United States.[2]The population was 4,422 at the2020 census.The town is located near the geographic center of the state.[3]
History[edit]
Dover-Foxcroft was originally two towns, Dover and Foxcroft, separated by thePiscataquis River.Dover was to the south of the river, and Foxcroft was to the north.
Dover was purchased fromMassachusettsbyBostonmerchants Charles Vaughan and John Merrick, both of whom had emigrated from England. It was first permanently settled in 1803 by Eli Towne fromTemple, New Hampshire,then incorporated on January 19, 1822. Agriculture was the principal early occupation, producing potatoes,cornand grain.[4]
Originally known as T5 R7 NWP (meaning Township 5 of Range 7 North ofWaldo Patent), Foxcroft was one of five towns conveyed by Massachusetts in 1796 toBowdoin College.It was purchased from the college in 1800 byJoseph E. FoxcroftofNew Gloucesterand settled by John, Eleazer and Seth Spaulding in 1806, when they built the firstmill.It was dubbed Spauldingtown until February 29, 1812, when it was incorporated as Foxcroft, taking its proprietor's name.[5][6]
The Piscataquis River offeredwater powersites formills.In 1859 the population of Dover was 2,500 and industries included foursawmills,shingleandclapboardmanufacturers, onegristmill,twotanneries,twocarriagemakers, and awoolenfactory.[7]
By 1859, the population of Foxcroft was 1,045, industries included two sawmills, one shingle mill, onecardingmachine, one carriage builder, one chair manufacturer, one tannery, one fork maker, twopailmakers, onemachinist,and asash,doorandblindfactory.[8] In 1866 the Hughes & Son Piano Mfg. Co. was established and ran until closed in 1921. (source: Pierce Piano Atlas 11th ed.ISBN0-911138-04-8) On March 1, 1922, the two towns merged into a single town.
Dover-Foxcroft has a notableUnited States post office muralpainted during theNew Dealera.
TheAmerican Woolen Company Foxcroft Millis a historic district of industrial buildings added to theNational Register of Historic Placesin December 2012. It contains buildings built between 1841 and 1944.[9]
Dover-Foxcroft is home to theMaine Whoopie Pie Festival,an annual one-day event which takes place in late June each year. It started in 2009 to honor thewhoopie pie.The whoopie pie became the official state treat of Maine in 2013. The 2012 festival brought 5,000 people to the town[10]while the 2014 event brought in more than 7,500 attendees.[11]
-
Blethen Housec. 1910 -
Lincoln Streetc. 1905 -
High water in 1909
Geography[edit]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau,the town has a total area of 71.18 square miles (184.36 km2), of which 67.81 square miles (175.63 km2) is land and 3.37 square miles (8.73 km2) is water.[1]Dover-Foxcroft is drained by thePiscataquis River.
The town is crossed by state routes6,7,15,16and153.It is the commercial center of the county.
Climate[edit]
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, Dover-Foxcroft has ahumid continental climate,abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.[12]
| Climate data for Dover-Foxcroft WWTP, Maine (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1973–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 57 (14) |
59 (15) |
81 (27) |
89 (32) |
93 (34) |
96 (36) |
98 (37) |
93 (34) |
94 (34) |
84 (29) |
73 (23) |
63 (17) |
98 (37) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 45.8 (7.7) |
46.6 (8.1) |
54.8 (12.7) |
71.6 (22.0) |
83.0 (28.3) |
88.2 (31.2) |
89.1 (31.7) |
87.9 (31.1) |
84.0 (28.9) |
72.9 (22.7) |
62.0 (16.7) |
50.0 (10.0) |
92.0 (33.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 26.0 (−3.3) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
38.3 (3.5) |
51.1 (10.6) |
65.3 (18.5) |
74.2 (23.4) |
79.8 (26.6) |
78.5 (25.8) |
70.8 (21.6) |
57.1 (13.9) |
44.1 (6.7) |
32.4 (0.2) |
53.9 (12.2) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 14.7 (−9.6) |
16.9 (−8.4) |
26.8 (−2.9) |
39.5 (4.2) |
52.4 (11.3) |
61.9 (16.6) |
67.4 (19.7) |
65.9 (18.8) |
57.8 (14.3) |
45.7 (7.6) |
34.4 (1.3) |
22.8 (−5.1) |
42.2 (5.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 3.4 (−15.9) |
4.5 (−15.3) |
15.2 (−9.3) |
27.9 (−2.3) |
39.6 (4.2) |
49.5 (9.7) |
55.1 (12.8) |
53.3 (11.8) |
44.7 (7.1) |
34.4 (1.3) |
24.8 (−4.0) |
13.2 (−10.4) |
30.5 (−0.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −17.3 (−27.4) |
−15.3 (−26.3) |
−7.0 (−21.7) |
16.1 (−8.8) |
27.3 (−2.6) |
37.9 (3.3) |
45.4 (7.4) |
42.4 (5.8) |
31.0 (−0.6) |
21.7 (−5.7) |
9.2 (−12.7) |
−6.3 (−21.3) |
−19.7 (−28.7) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −31 (−35) |
−29 (−34) |
−21 (−29) |
4 (−16) |
22 (−6) |
25 (−4) |
38 (3) |
32 (0) |
23 (−5) |
15 (−9) |
−3 (−19) |
−28 (−33) |
−31 (−35) |
| Averageprecipitationinches (mm) | 3.47 (88) |
2.76 (70) |
3.39 (86) |
3.65 (93) |
3.34 (85) |
4.35 (110) |
3.36 (85) |
3.67 (93) |
3.70 (94) |
4.82 (122) |
4.09 (104) |
4.07 (103) |
44.67 (1,135) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 18.1 (46) |
19.8 (50) |
15.1 (38) |
4.7 (12) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.5 (1.3) |
3.9 (9.9) |
15.1 (38) |
77.3 (196) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.01 in) | 10.5 | 9.3 | 9.8 | 11.1 | 13.0 | 13.4 | 13.2 | 12.0 | 9.9 | 12.0 | 10.9 | 12.7 | 137.8 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.1 in) | 7.3 | 7.1 | 5.2 | 1.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 6.9 | 31.2 |
| Source:NOAA[13][14] | |||||||||||||
Demographics[edit]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 1,042 | — | |
| 1840 | 1,597 | 53.3% | |
| 1850 | 1,927 | 20.7% | |
| 1860 | 1,970 | 2.2% | |
| 1870 | 1,983 | 0.7% | |
| 1880 | 1,687 | −14.9% | |
| 1890 | 1,942 | 15.1% | |
| 1900 | 1,889 | −2.7% | |
| 1910 | 2,091 | 10.7% | |
| 1920 | 1,979 | −5.4% | |
| 1930 | 3,750 | 89.5% | |
| 1940 | 4,015 | 7.1% | |
| 1950 | 4,218 | 5.1% | |
| 1960 | 4,173 | −1.1% | |
| 1970 | 4,178 | 0.1% | |
| 1980 | 4,323 | 3.5% | |
| 1990 | 4,657 | 7.7% | |
| 2000 | 4,211 | −9.6% | |
| 2010 | 4,213 | 0.0% | |
| 2020 | 4,422 | 5.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[15] | |||
2010 census[edit]
As of the census[16]of 2010, there were 4,213 people, 1,773 households, and 1,120 families residing in the town. The population density was 62.1 inhabitants per square mile (24.0/km2). There were 2,459 housing units at an average density of 36.3 per square mile (14.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 95.1%White,0.2%African American,0.6%Native American,2.3%Asian,0.3% fromother races,and 1.5% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 1.4% of the population.
There were 1,773 households, of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.8% were married couples living together, 10.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.8% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.79.
The median age in the town was 45 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.1% were from 25 to 44; 29.8% were from 45 to 64; and 20.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.
2000 census[edit]
As of the census[17]of 2000, there were 4,211 people, 1,658 households, and 1,152 families residing in the town. The population density was 61.7 inhabitants per square mile (23.8/km2). There were 2,200 housing units at an average density of 32.2 per square mile (12.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.91%Caucasian,0.21%BlackorAfrican American,0.52%Native American,0.52%Asian,0.02%Pacific Islander,0.19% fromother racesand 1.61% from two or more races.HispanicorLatinoof any race were 0.95% of the population.
There were 1,658 households, out of which 32.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.6% were married couples living together, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 25.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.91.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 36.9% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $30,164, and the median income for a family was $36,287. Males had a median income of $30,000 versus $20,613 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,544. About 13.6% of families and 15.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education[edit]
Dover-Foxcroft is a part ofRegional School Unit 68(RSU68).
RSU 68 provides primary schooling for the town and several surrounding communities at three schools in Dover-Foxcroft: SeDoMoCha Elementary School provides for Pre-K–4th grades andSeDoMoCha Middle School(named for four of the communities that attend:Sebec,Dover-Foxcroft,MonsonandCharleston) provides for grades 5–8.
Foxcroft Academyis a private secondary school that accepts all students from MSAD68 as well as others from across the state. They also have an international program and have 2 dormitories and several boarding houses in town.
Notable people[edit]
- Corey Beaulieu,lead guitarist for the metal bandTrivium
- Clarence Blethen,baseball pitcher
- Mary Mitchell Birchall,first woman to graduate from a New England college
- Alfred Eliab Buck,U.S. Representative from Alabama
- Stephen Decatur Carpenter,military officer
- Rob Derhak,bass player and vocalist for the jam rock bandMoe
- Brita Filter,drag queen and activist
- Lisa Rowe Fraustino,children's author
- Frank E. Guernsey,U.S. Representative from Maine
- Hannah Hanson Kinney,alleged serial killer
- Laurie G. Lachance,president ofThomas College
- Chad R. Perkins,state legislator[18]
- Henry Otis Pratt,minister and U.S. Representative from Iowa
- Nathaniel S. Robinson,Wisconsin legislator and physician[19]
- Ninetta May Runnals(1885–1980), Dean of Women atColby College
- Dave Schwep,director and photographer
- Douglas Smith,state legislator
- Lillian M. N. Stevens,temperance worker
- Henry M. Thompson,Wisconsin legislator and businessperson[20]
- Amasa Tracy,military officer
- Leroy M. Washburn,Wisconsin legislator
References[edit]
- ^ab"US Gazetteer files 2010".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedDecember 16,2012.
- ^"Find a County".National Association of Counties. Archived fromthe originalon May 31, 2011.Retrieved2011-06-07.
- ^"Census - Geography Profile: Dover-Foxcroft town, Piscataquis County, Maine".RetrievedJanuary 13,2022.
- ^Varney, George J. (1886),Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Dover,Boston: Russell, archived fromthe originalon April 1, 2016,retrievedJanuary 11,2010
- ^Gannett, Henry (1905).The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States.Govt. Print. Off. pp.130.
- ^Varney, George J. (1886),Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Foxcroft,Boston: Russell, archived fromthe originalon April 1, 2016,retrievedJanuary 11,2010
- ^Coolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859).A History and Description of New England.Boston, Massachusetts: A.J. Coolidge. pp.109–110.
coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.
- ^Coolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859).A History and Description of New England.Boston, Massachusetts: A.J. Coolidge. p.126.
coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.
- ^http:// nps.gov/nr/feature/weekly_features/2012/ME_12001068.pdf.RetrievedNovember 17,2014.
{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|title=(help) - ^Barber, Alex (April 12, 2013)."Maine Whoopie Pie Festival returning to Dover-Foxcroft in June".Bangor Daily News.RetrievedJune 7,2015.
- ^"Over 7,500 People Celebrate the Maine Whoopie Pie".Archived fromthe originalon June 14, 2015.RetrievedJune 7,2015.
- ^Climate Summary for Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data".National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedMay 24,2021.
- ^ "Station: Dover-Foxcroft WWTP, ME".U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991–2020).National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.RetrievedMay 23,2021.
- ^"Census of Population and Housing".Census.gov.RetrievedJune 4,2015.
- ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.RetrievedDecember 16,2012.
- ^"U.S. Census website".United States Census Bureau.Retrieved2008-01-31.
- ^"Chad Perkins (Maine)".Ballotpedia.RetrievedMarch 24,2024.
- ^'Wisconsin Blue Book 1875,' Biographical Sketch of Nathaniel S. Robinson, pg. 338
- ^'Wisconsin Blue Book 1897,' Biographical Sketch of Henry M. Thompson, pg. 685
External links[edit]
Municipalities and communities ofPiscataquis County, Maine,United States | ||
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| Unorganized territories | ||
| CDPs | ||
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| International | |
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