Oakland, Maine

Coordinates: 44°32′39″N 69°43′43″W / 44.54417°N 69.72861°W / 44.54417; -69.72861
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Oakland, Maine
FIPS code
23-54560
GNIS feature ID0582645
WebsiteTown website

Oakland is a town in

capital. Waterville and Augusta are service centers for Oakland, and many Oakland residents commute
to jobs in those areas.

History

The area that is now Oakland was first settled in about 1780 by

Messalonskee Stream was useful for manufacturers. The area was incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court in 1771 as part of Winslow. In 1802, the area of Winslow west of the Kennebec River was incorporated as Waterville
.

The

machinery, woolens, lumber, coffins, leather, boots and shoes. There was a granite quarry.[3]

In the 1870s, manufacturers in the western section of Waterville, unhappy with taxation in the town, petitioned the

Maine State Legislature to designate their industrial district as a separate town. In 1872, Oakland became the southern terminal of the Somerset Railroad, connecting first to North Anson, then to Bingham, and finally to Moosehead Lake.[3] On February 26, 1873, the area was incorporated as West Waterville. In 1883, it was renamed Oakland.[4]

The town's ponds and lakes are home to a number of summer camps. Downtown contains some notable architecture, including Memorial Hall, built in 1870, and the Oakland Public Library, a Carnegie library built between 1913 and 1915. Both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The completion of Interstate 95 in the 1960s increased Oakland's relationship with the Augusta area, and to some extent the Greater Portland and Bangor areas.[5]

  • Messalonskee Stream c. 1906
    Messalonskee Stream
    c. 1906
  • Depot Square in 1908
    Depot Square in 1908
  • Oakland Public Library c. 1920
    Oakland Public Library c. 1920
  • Memorial Hall c. 1920
    Memorial Hall c. 1920

Geography

According to the

Messalonskee Lake and Stream
.

The town is crossed by Interstate 95, and state routes 11, 23, 41 and 137. It borders the towns of Belgrade to the southwest, Smithfield to the northwest, Fairfield to the north, Waterville to the southeast, and Sidney to the south.

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18801,647—
18902,04424.1%
19001,913−6.4%
19102,25718.0%
19202,4739.6%
19302,6647.7%
19402,7302.5%
19502,679−1.9%
19603,07514.8%
19703,53515.0%
19805,16246.0%
19905,5958.4%
20005,9596.5%
20106,2404.7%
20206,230−0.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[6]
See also: Oakland (CDP), Maine

2010 census

As of the

Latino
of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 2,543 households, of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.6% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 29.5% were non-families. 22.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.4% 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 2.83.

The median age in the town was 42.3 years. 22.8% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.9% were from 25 to 44; 32.5% were from 45 to 64; and 13.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.5% male and 51.5% female.

2000 census

As of the

Latino
of any race were 0.52% of the population.

There were 2,352 households, out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 54.9% had married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% had non-families. 23.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.53, and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was spread out such that 26.9% were under the age of 18, 7.5% from were between 18 and 24 years, 30.2% were between 25 and 44 years, 24.4% were between 45 and 64 years, and 11.0% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.8 males. For every 100 females aged 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $34,934, and the median income for a family was $43,654. Males had a median income of $33,382, and females had a median income of $24,286. The

poverty line
, including 11.4% of those under age 18 and 4.9% of those aged 65 or over.

Oakland is also home to R.S.U. 18 – the local school district. There is Messalonskee High School, which enrolls around 700 students, and has an 826-seat J. Duke Albanneese Performing Arts Center.

Sites of interest

References

  1. ^ a b "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  2. ^ "Census - Geography Profile: Oakland town, Kennebec County, Maine". Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Historical Sketch of Oakland, Maine" (1889)
  4. ^ George J. Varney, "History of West Waterville (Oakland), Maine" (1886)
  5. ^ The History of Oakland, Maine
  6. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  7. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  8. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Oakland,_Maine&oldid=1219890704"