Gardiner, Maine
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Gardiner is a city located in Kennebec County, Maine. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 6,198.
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History
Image:Main Street, Gardiner, ME.jpg Located at the head of navigation on the Kennebec River, Gardiner was founded in 1754 as "Gardinerstown Plantation" by Dr. Sylvester Gardiner, a prominent Boston physician. Dr. Gardiner had made a fortune as a drug merchant, and became a principal proprietor of the "Kennebec Purchase" within the old Plymouth Patent. He proved a tireless promoter for his development, which once comprised over 100,000 acres.
Dr. Gardiner induced a gristmill builder, a saw millwright, a house carpenter and a wheelwright to settle here. Houses, mills, a church and a blockhouse were built. Situated at the confluence of the Kennebec River and Cobbesseeconte Stream, which has falls that drop 130 feet over a mile, the location was recognized by him as ideal for water-powered mills. "Gardinerstown," set off from Pittston in 1760, soon became center of the regional economy.
Image:Paper Mills, Gardiner, ME.jpg The wilderness toils of Dr. Gardiner would end, however, with the Revolution. Loyal to the Crown, he fled Boston in 1776 when the British army evacuated. But his settlement lived on without him, and in 1803 was incorporated as the town of "Gardiner." From the early 1800s until the Civil War, shipbuilding, ice harvesting and trade were primary industries. Gardiner would become a city in 1849, at which time 10 large riverfront wharves served shipping. Lumber, in vast quantities, passed through Gardiner. Tanneries and shoe factories prospered.
Gardiner was well known around the world for its ice exports. During the winter season men would cut large blocks of ice out of the Kennebec River and store them in large warehouses. The ice was then covered with sawdust to keep it frozen well into the summer months. Throughout the year ice would be loaded on large vessels to be carried to different points around the United States, and other countries world wide. Gardiner was well known for its ice harvesting mainly because of the pristine quality of the frozen Kennebec ice, and that Gardiner was the last stop on the Kennebec River that large vessels could reach.
In 1851, the city was connected by railroad. One of the first workable steam automobiles in America was built in Gardiner in 1858. Beginning in the 1860s, paper mills flourished, as did a commercial ice industry between the 1880s and 1920s. By the 1960s, however, many mills suffered decline and closure. The former mill town is now largely a bedroom community for employees at the nearby state capitol, Augusta, as well as the Bath Iron Works in Bath. Some even commute to Portland.
Notable Inhabitants:
- Henry Dearborn, general
- Julia Ward Howe, social activist and poet
- Laura E. Richards, author and poet
- Edwin Arlington Robinson, poet
Geography
Gardiner is located at 44°12'21" North, 69°47'31" West (44.205963, -69.791998)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 43.0 km² (16.6 mi²). 40.6 km² (15.7 mi²) of it is land and 2.5 km² (0.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 5.72% water. Gardiner is drained by the Cobbesseeconte Stream and Kennebec River.
Demographics
Image:Fountain, Gardiner, ME.jpg As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 6,198 people, 2,510 households, and 1,603 families residing in the city. The population density was 152.7/km² (395.6/mi²). There were 2,702 housing units at an average density of 66.6/km² (172.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 96.90% White, 0.39% African American, 0.66% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.24% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. 0.81% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 2,510 households out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.9% 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 2.97.
Image:Brunswick Avenue, Gardiner, ME.jpg In the city the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 29.7% from 25 to 44, 24.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $35,103, and the median income for a family was $42,750. Males had a median income of $33,069 versus $25,399 for females. The per capita income for the city was $18,033. 13.5% of the population and 11.4% of families were below the poverty line. 17.2% of those under the age of 18 and 14.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
External links
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