Windham, Maine

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Coordinates: 43°48′38″N 70°25′1″W / 43.81056, -70.41694
Windham, Maine
Motto: Windham Works for Maine
Windham, Maine Location within the state of Maine
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Cumberland
Incorporated	1762
Government
- Manager	Anthony Plante
Area
- Total	50.3 sq mi (130.2 km²)
- Land	46.7 sq mi (120.9 km²)
- Water	3.6 sq mi (9.3 km²)
Elevation	236 ft (72 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	14,904
- Density	319.3/sq mi (123.3/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	04062, 04082
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-86025
GNIS feature ID	0582817
Website: www.windhamweb.com

Windham, is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 14,904 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of South Windham and North Windham. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area.

1 History
2 Notable residents
3 Geography
4 Demographics
5 Education
6 Site of interest
7 References
8 External links

[edit] History

The township was granted in 1734 by the Massachusetts General Court to Abraham Howard, Joseph Blaney and 58 others from Marblehead, Massachusetts. In 1737, New Marblehead Plantation was settled by Captain Thomas Chute. By order of the Massachusetts General Court, a fort was built in spring of 1744 at the center of the settlement to offer protection during King George's War. It was equipped with 2 swivel guns, and within its stockade the town's inhabitants remained between 1745 and 1751. The last Indian attack on the town occurred on May 14, 1756. New Marblehead Plantation was incorporated on June 12, 1762 as Windham, named for Wymondham in Norfolk, England.^[1]

Most of the early inhabitants were farmers, who found the soil loamy and easily worked. Windham provided numerous sites for water power, and as early as 1738 a mill was erected at Mallison Falls. The Cumberland and Oxford Canal opened in 1832, carrying goods along the Presumpscot River between Sebago Lake and Portland. In 1859, when Windham's population was 2,380, it had 8 sawmills, a corn and flour mill, 2 shingle mills, a fulling mill, 2 carding mills, a woolen textile factory, a barrel factory, a chair stuff factory, a powder factory and 2 tanneries. By 1886, the town also produced felt, boots and shoes, wood-paper board, carriages, harness, coffins, clothing and wooden ware. On April 4, 1919, the legislature passed an act creating at South Windham the Reformatory for Men. It is now the Maine Correctional Center, a minimum to medium security facility for men and women. With its principal village at North Windham, the town is today a recreational area and Portland suburb.

[edit] Notable residents

John Albion Andrew, governor
John Anderson, congressman
Willard Mains, baseball Player

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 50.3 square miles (130.2 km²), of which, 46.7 square miles (120.9 km²) of it is land and 3.6 square miles (9.3 km²) of it (7.16%) is water. Located beside Sebago Lake, Windham is drained by the Pleasant River and the Presumpscot River.

The town is crossed by U.S. routes 202 and 302, and state routes 4, 35 and 115. It borders the towns of Standish and Gorham to the west, Westbrook to the south, Falmouth and Cumberland to the east, Gray to the northeast and Raymond to the north.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 14,904 people, 5,522 households, and 4,020 families residing in the town. The population density was 319.3 people per square mile (123.3/km²). There were 6,088 housing units at an average density of 130.4/sq mi (50.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.56% White, 0.49% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.38% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.44% of the population.

There were 5,522 households out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.2% were non-families. 20.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town the population was spread out with 24.3% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 24.1% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 103.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $46,526, and the median income for a family was $52,218. Males had a median income of $32,441 versus $26,157 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,890. About 3.5% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Education

Windham has its own school district called the Windham School Department, including Windham Primary School (K-3), Manchester School (4-5), Windham Middle School (6-8), and Windham High School (9-12).