Gardiner History
Located at the head of navigation on the Kennebec River, Gardiner was founded in 1754 as Gardinerstown Plantation by Dr. Sylvester Gardiner (1707 - 1786), 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. 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 Dr. Gardiner as ideal for water-powered mills. Indeed, Gardinerstown soon became center of the regional economy.
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. He went first to Halifax, and eventually to Peele, England. His name appeared in the proscription and banishment act. His considerable landholdings were confiscated and sold at auction, although heirs would later fight to win them back. Returning to America in 1785, Dr. Gardiner resided in Newport, Rhode Island until his death the following year.
But his settlement lived on without him, and in 1803 incorporated as a town. From the early 1800s until the Civil War, shipbuilding and trading 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. In 1851, Gardiner was connected by railroad. Beginning in the 1860s, paper mills flourished, and between the 1880s and 1920s, a commercial ice industry thrived.
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
- Edwin Arlington Robinson, poet
Gardiner Geography
Gardiner is located at 44°12'21" North, 69°47'31" West (44.205963, -69.791998).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 Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 6,198 people, 2,510 households, and 1,603 families residing in the city. The population density is 152.7/km2 (395.6/mi2). There are 2,702 housing units at an average density of 66.6/km2 (172.5/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 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 are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 2,510 households out of which 32.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% are married couples living together, 10.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% are non-families. 29.4% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.41 and the average family size is 2.97.
In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $35,103, and the median income for a family is $42,750. Males have a median income of $33,069 versus $25,399 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,033. 13.5% of the population and 11.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 17.2% of those under the age of 18 and 14.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Gardiner,_Maine".