Yarmouth, Maine
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Yarmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, located approximately ten to fifteen miles north of Portland, the state's largest city. Its population was 8,360 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 59.0 km² (22.8 mi²). 34.6 km² (13.3 mi²) of it is land and 24.4 km² (9.4 mi²) of it (41.44%) is water.
Yarmouth is nearly square in form, and is divided through the middle by the Royal River. Cousins River separates it from Freeport to the north-east, and the latter with Pownal bound it to the east, North Yarmouth to the north, Cumberland to the west and Casco Bay to the south. Also included as part of the town are Cousins Island, Lane's Island, Great and Little Mosier, Littlejohn and Crab islands.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 8,360 people, 3,432 households, and 2,306 families residing in the town. The population density was 242.0/km² (626.7/mi²). There were 3,704 housing units at an average density of 107.2/km² (277.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.49% White, 0.37% Black or African American, 0.04% Native American, 0.36% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.59% of the population.
33% of the households had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 7.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.96.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $58,030, and the median income for a family was $73,234. Males had a median income of $48,456 versus $34,075 for females. The per capita income for the town was $34,317. About 4.0% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
When settlers arrived at Yarmouth's site in 1640, they found a fort already built. The fort had for some time been occupied by George Felt, who had in turn purchased it from John Phillips, a Welshman. In 1646, William Royall purchased a farm on the river which has ever since borne his name (minus the second L). This stream and its vicinity were called by the Indians, Wescustogo - a name preserved by the Westcustogo Inn on Route 88. John Cousins had arrived a year or more earlier than Royall, occupying the neck of land between the branches of the stream which has since been called Cousin's River, and owning the island now bearing his name.
In 1688, while the inhabitants on the eastern side of the river were building a garrison, they were attacked by Indians, and attempted a defense. They continued the contest until night, when the Indians retired. It was not long before they appeared again, in such force that the thirty-six families of the settlement were forced to flee, abandoning their homes.
It was not until about 1713 that settlers revisited their homes, when they found their fields and the sites of their habitations covered by a young growth of trees. Among the new proprietors at the time were descendants of the Plymouth pilgrims. Until after the year 1756 the Indians were again very troublesome. In 1725 William and Matthew Scales and Joseph Felt were killed, and the wife and children of the latter carried into captivity. A grandson of Felt, Joseph Weare, became a noted scout, pursuing the Native Americans at every opportunity. In August, 1746, a party of thirty-two Indians secreted themselves near the lower falls for the apparent purpose of surprising Weare's garrison, in the process killing Philip Greely, who came upon them. This was the last act of resistance by the indigenous people which occurred within the limits of the town.
Yarmouth constituted the eastern part of North Yarmouth until 1849, when it was set off and incorporated as an independent town; this split occurred because of a dispute over the purchase of a fire wagon. Unable to resolve this difference, the two halves of the town split, and have been separate ever since.
[edit] Yarmouth today
Modern-day Yarmouth is mostly residential in character, with commercial development scattered throughout the town, particularly along Route 1 and Main Street (State Route 115). The town has four schools: two elementary (William H. Rowe School and Yarmouth Elementary School), one middle school (Harrison Middle School), and one high school (Yarmouth High School), as well as North Yarmouth Academy, a private college preparatory school established in 1814. Yarmouth's two elementary schools are unique in that the William H. Rowe School caters to students in kindergarten and the first grade, while Yarmouth Elementary educates second through fourth graders. Yarmouth High School was named #297 in the 1,000 Best High Schools in the US by Newsweek in 2005 and #289 in 2006. Yarmouth is also the home of DeLorme, the large map-making company.
[edit] The Yarmouth Clam Festival
The Yarmouth Clam Festival has been held annually in Yarmouth since 1965. It runs for three days over the third weekend of July. The festival attracts both Mainers and out-of-state tourists, and features a carnival, various fried foods (especially fried clams), music, dancing, a parade as well as a five-mile race and other attractions.
[edit] Transportation
Interstate 295 runs through Yarmouth and has two exits (15 and 17) in the town. US Route 1 and State Route 115 run through the town. The town also has two railroad junctions, Royal Junction and Yarmouth Junction. The two railroads passing through the town are Guilford Rail System's Maine Central Railroad, and the St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad, formerly Grand Trunk Railway.
[edit] Notable residents
- Charles Augustus Aiken - served as a pastor of the Congregationalist Church here from 1854 through 1859. [1]
- Travis Roy, motivational speaker and author of the memoir Eleven Seconds.
- Leon Leonwood Bean, founder of L.L. Bean
- Hanley Denning, founder of Safe Passage
- Pat LaMarche, Green Party candidate for Maine Governor, 2006, Green Party Vice-Presidential candidate 2004
[edit] Media
Yarmouth news is reported regularly in a number of different newspapers including The Portland Press Herald, The Community Leader, The Notes and The Northern Forecaster.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
