Everything about Augusta Maine totally explained
Augusta is the
capital of the
U.S. state of
Maine,
county seat of
Kennebec County, and
center of population for Maine
(External Link
). The city's population is 18,560 (July 2006 est.). Located on the
Kennebec River at the
head of tide, it's home to the
University of Maine at Augusta.
History
The area was first explored by members of the ill-fated
Popham Colony in September
1607. It was first inhabited by
English settlers from the
Plymouth Colony in
1629 as a
trading post on the
Kennebec River. The settlement was known by its
Indian name -- Cushnoc (or Coussinoc or Koussinoc), meaning "head of tide."
Fur trading was at first profitable, but with Indian uprisings and declining revenues, the Plymouth Colony sold the Kennebec Patent in 1661. Cushnoc would remain empty for the next 75 years.
A hotbed of
Abenaki hostility toward British settlements was located further up the Kennebec at
Norridgewock. In 1722, the tribe and its allies attacked Fort Richmond (now
Richmond) and destroyed
Brunswick. In response, Norridgewock was sacked in 1724 during
Dummer's War, when English forces gained tentative control of the Kennebec. In 1754, a
blockhouse named
Fort Western (now the oldest wooden fort in America), was built at Cushnoc on the eastern bank. It was intended as a supply depot for
Fort Halifax upriver, as well as to protect its own region. In 1775,
Benedict Arnold and his 1100 troops would use Fort Western as a staging area before continuing their journey up the Kennebec to the
Battle of Quebec.
Cushnoc was incorporated as part of
Hallowell in 1771. Known as "the Fort," it was set off and incorporated by the
Massachusetts General Court in February 1797 as Harrington. In August, however, the name changed to Augusta after Augusta Dearborn, daughter of
Henry Dearborn. In 1799, it became county seat for newly created Kennebec County.
Maine became a state in 1820, and Augusta was designated its capital in 1827. The
Maine State Legislature continued meeting in
Portland, however, until completion in 1832 of the new
Maine State House designed by
Charles Bulfinch. Augusta was chartered as a city in 1849.
Excellent soil provided for
agriculture, and
water power from streams provided for
industry. In 1837, a
dam was built across the Kennebec where the
falls drop 15 feet at the head of tide, and by 1838 10
sawmills were contracted. With the arrival of the Kennebec & Portland Railroad in 1851, Augusta became a
mill town. In 1883, the property of A. & W. Spague Company was purchased by the Edwards Manufacturing Company, which erected extensive brick mills for manufacturing
cotton textiles. Other Augusta firms produced
lumber,
sash,
doors,
shutters,
broom handles, stone cutters' tools,
shoes,
cemetery monuments,
ice and
furniture. The city developed as a
publishing and
shipping center. Today, government and post-secondary education are important businesses.
Image:U. S. Post Office, Augusta, ME.jpg|Post Office in c. 1915
Image:Water Street, Looking North, Augusta, ME.jpg|Water Street in c. 1920
Image:Hotel North, Augusta, ME.jpg|Hotel North in 1906
Image:Bridge & City Hall, Augusta, ME.jpg|Kennebec River in 1909
Notable residents
- James G. Blaine, Secretary of State/presidential nominee
- Horatio Bridge, U.S. Navy officer
- Richard Dysart, American stage, film and television actor
- Melville Fuller, Illinois politician
- John F. Hill, Maine governor
- George Huntington Hartford, American businessman
- Eastman Johnson, American artist
- George W. Ladd, United States congressman
- Dorianne Laux, American poet
- Rachel Nichols, American actress
- Frederick G. Payne, Maine politician
- David Peoples, U.S. athlete/golfer
- John F. Potter, United States congressman, judge
- Luther Severance, American publisher, congressman & senator
- Olympia Snowe, United States Senator (Republican-Maine)
- Manch Wheeler, U. S. football player
- Reuel Williams, Maine politician
- Willard G. Wyman, American military officer (General)
Geography
Augusta is located at , making it the easternmost state capital in the
United States. According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 58.3
square miles (150.9
km²), of which, 55.4 square miles (143.4 km²) of it's land and 2.9 square miles (7.5 km²) of it (4.98%) is water. Augusta is drained by Bond's Brook, Woromontogus Stream and the
Kennebec River.
Augusta borders the towns of
Manchester to its west,
Sidney and
Vassalboro to its north,
Windsor to its east,
Chelsea to its south, and the city of
Hallowell ot its southwest.
Demographics
As of the
census of 2000, there were 24,260 people, 8,565 households, and 4,607 families residing in the city. The
population density was 335.1 people per square mile (129.4/km²). There were 9,480 housing units at an average density of 171.2/sq mi (66.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.21%
White, 0.50%
Black or
African American, 0.48%
Native American, 0.35%
Asian, 0.01%
Pacific Islander, 0.16% from
other races, and 3.0% from two or more races.
There were 8,565 households out of which 24.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.1% were
married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.2% were non-families. 38.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.10 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the city the population was spread out with 20.5% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 28.3% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $25,921, and the median income for a family was $42,230. Males had a median income of $31,209 versus $22,548 for females. The
per capita income for the city was $14,145. About 14.4% of families and 19.0% of the population were below the
poverty line, including 26.2% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.
Education
There are seven public schools, three private schools, one college (the University of Maine at Augusta), and two public libraries in Augusta.
(External Link).
Sites of interest
Children's Discovery Museum
Kennebec Historical Society & Museum
Kennebec River Rail Trail -- 6.5 mile riverside trail to Hallowell, Farmingdale and Gardiner
Maine Military Historical Society Museum
Maine State House
Maine State Museum
Old Fort Western
Pine Tree State ArboretumFurther Information
Get more info on 'Augusta Maine'.
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