| Jay, Maine | |
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| — Town — | |
| Androscoggin River c. 1910 | |
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Jay, Maine
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maine |
| County | Franklin |
| Incorporated | 1795 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 49.2 sq mi (127.5 km2) |
| • Land | 48.5 sq mi (125.5 km2) |
| • Water | 0.8 sq mi (2.0 km2) |
| Elevation | 653 ft (199 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| • Total | 4,985 |
| • Density | 102.9/sq mi (39.7/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP codes | 04239, 04262 |
| Area code(s) | 207 |
| FIPS code | 23-35625 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0582534 |
Jay is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,985 at the 2000 census. Jay, which includes the village of Chisholm, is the regional commercial center.
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This was once territory of the Anasagunticook (or Androscoggin) Abenaki Indians, whose main village was Rockameko, located on Canton Point. They were wiped out by smallpox in 1757. The township was then granted by the Massachusetts General Court to Captain Joseph Phipps and 63 others for their services in the French and Indian War. Called Phipps-Canada, the plantation was not settled until after the Revolutionary War. On February 26, 1795, Phipps-Canada was incorporated as Jay for John Jay, the first chief justice of the Supreme Court. In 1821, Canton was set off and incorporated as a town.[1]
Farmers found the soil to be loamy and productive, yielding great quantitites of hay, corn, wheat, potatoes, oats and apples. In 1793, a tavern was constructed at Jay Hill. On the Androscoggin River near Jay Hill was erected a toll bridge, then in 1839 a sawmill. At North Jay was built a sawmill, brickyard and granite quarry. White granite from the North Jay Granite Company, established in 1884, would be used to construct numerous important buildings throughout the country, including Grant's Tomb. East Jay had a sawmill, and Bean's Corner a carriage factory. In 1857, the Maine Central Railroad reached town.[2]
Jay had a population of 1,490 in 1870. The following years would see papermaking develop into the town's predominant industry. In 1888, industrialist Hugh J. Chisholm built at southern Jay the Otis Falls Pulp & Paper Company mill, then the 3rd largest paper mill in the country. Nearby developed the mill town village of Chisholm. In 1898, it became one of the founding mills of International Paper.[3] In 1905, International Paper built a mill on the opposite side of the river, which became known as the Otis mill. In 1978, this mill was sold to Wausau Paper. In 1965, International Paper opened the Androscoggin Mill. It is an integrated pulp and finished paper goods plant employing 990 people operating 5 paper machines. In 1987, it was site of the International Paper strike. In March 2009, Wausau Paper announced the closing of the Otis mill. Operations there stopped permanently at the end of May, 2009.[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 49.2 square miles (127 km2), of which, 48.5 square miles (126 km2) of it is land and 0.8 square miles (2.1 km2) of it (1.58%) is water. Jay is drained by Seven Mile Stream and the Androscoggin River.
The town is crossed by state routes 4, 17, 133, 140 and 156. It is bounded by the towns of Wilton to the north, Chesterville to the east, Livermore and Livermore Falls to the south, and Canton and Dixfield to the west.
As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 4,985 people, 2,019 households, and 1,449 families residing in the town. The population density was 102.9 people per square mile (39.7/km²). There were 2,155 housing units at an average density of 44.5 per square mile (17.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.91% White, 0.26% African American, 0.46% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.10% from other races, and 0.98% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.
There were 2,019 households out of which 32.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.9% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.2% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $36,746, and the median income for a family was $43,365. Males had a median income of $35,405 versus $20,897 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,123. About 8.7% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.
Jay has the only independent school department in Franklin County, and provides full public education K-12 (some independent school districts in Maine only cover K-8). The Jay school district is going to consolidate with RSU 36 in July 2011.
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