Windham, Maine

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Windham, Maine
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
motto = Windham Works for Maine

imagesize =
image_caption = Main Street, South Windham in c. 1910


image_

|pushpin_

pushpin_label_position =left
pushpin_map_caption =Location within the state of Maine
pushpin_mapsize =

|mapsize =
map_caption =


mapsize1 =
map_caption1 =

subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Maine
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Cumberland
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title = Manager
leader_name = Tony Plante
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title = Incorporated
established_date = 1762

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 130.2
area_land_km2 = 120.9
area_water_km2 = 9.3
area_total_sq_mi = 50.3
area_land_sq_mi = 46.7
area_water_sq_mi = 3.6

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 14904
population_density_km2 = 123.3
population_density_sq_mi = 319.3

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 72
elevation_ft = 236
latd = 43 |latm = 48 |lats = 38 |latNS = N
longd = 70 |longm = 25 |longs = 1 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP codes
postal_code = 04062, 04082
area_code = 207
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 23-86025
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0582817
website = www.windhamweb.com
footnotes =

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.

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. [cite book | last = Rolde | first = Neil | title = Maine: A Narrative History | publisher = Harpswell Press | date = 1990 | pages = 84-85 | id = ISBN 0-88448-069-0 ]

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.

Notable residents

* John Albion Andrew, governor
* John Anderson, congressman
* Jeff Donnell, actress
* Willard Mains, baseball Player

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.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|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.

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).

ite of interest

* [http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~mewhs/ Windham Historical Society & Museum]

References

External links

* [http://www.windhamweb.com/ Town of Windham, Maine]
* [http://www.windhamsportspages.com.com/ Windham Sports Pages Newspaper]
* [http://www.independentpub.com/ Windham Independent Newspaper]
* [http://www.windham.lib.me.us/ Windham Public Library]
* [http://www.maine.gov/local/cumberland/windham Maine.gov -- Windham, Maine]
* [http://www.sebagolakeschamber.com/ Sebago Lakes Region Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=2419 Epodunk Town Profile]
* [http://www.history.rays-place.com/me/windham-me.htm History of Windham, Maine (1886)]