Weld, Maine

Weld, Maine
Town
Webb Lake and Mount Blue
Weld, Maine Location within the state of Maine
Coordinates: 44°42′27″N 70°26′13″W / 44.70750°N 70.43694°W / 44.70750; -70.43694
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Franklin
Incorporated	1816
Area^[1]
• Total	62.87 sq mi (162.83 km²)
• Land	59.50 sq mi (154.10 km²)
• Water	3.37 sq mi (8.73 km²)
Elevation	676 ft (206 m)
Population (2010)^[2]
• Total	419
• Estimate (2012^[3])	418
• Density	7.0/sq mi (2.7/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	04285
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-81300
GNIS feature ID	0582798

Weld is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 419 at the 2010 census. Set beside Webb Lake and almost surrounded by mountains, Weld is noted for its scenic beauty. It is home to Mount Blue State Park, Camp Kawanhee for Boys, and Camp Lawroweld.

History

Originally called No. 5 (or Webb's Pond Plantation), it was first settled in 1800 by Nathaniel Kittredge and his family from Chester, New Hampshire. The town was part of an extensive tract purchased about 1790 from the state of Massachusetts by Jonathan Phillips of Boston. Phillips was an investor whose agent, Jacob Abbott of Wilton, New Hampshire, resold parcels of the land to settlers. Together with Benjamin Weld of Boston, Abbott and his brother-in-law Thomas Russell Jr. in 1815 bought what remained of the Phillips tract.^[4]

Incorporated on February 8, 1816, the town was named for its proprietor, Benjamin Weld, a member of the Weld family.^[5] Inauspiciously, 1816 was the Year Without a Summer, when unusually cold weather threatened northeastern communities with famine.

A longtime resident of Weld was Pomp Russell, an African-American man born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, in 1765. Russell served at the Battle of Bunker Hill as a young boy, and was later caught spying behind British lines. Russell was lined up to be shot when he managed to escape. Following the Revolutionary War Russell moved to New Hampshire, and then to Weld, the home of the Russell family, into which he had been adopted at age five, when Thomas Russell paid £5 for him. Pomp Russell was raised as a member of the Russell family, was awarded his freedom at age 21, and ultimately settled on land at Weld given him by Abel and Joseph Russell, sons of Thomas. Pomp Russell married Margaret Southwick of Charlestown, and he was a farmer.^[6]

Weld is located on a fairly level area of gravelly loam almost surrounded by mountains, some of which are beyond the town's limits. Farmers cultivated corn, potatoes, wheat and oats. Weld was noted for numerous and prolific apple orchards. Streams provided water power for mills, which included 5 sawmills, 3 box mills, a gristmill and a carding machine. It also produced fork and shovel handles, butter tubs, harness and tinware. Other industries were a starch factory, blacksmith and tannery.^[4] By 1870, the population was 1,130.^[7]

Bird's-eye view c. 1915
The Square c. 1906
Webb Lake c. 1908
Mount Blue Trading Post

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 62.87 square miles (162.83 km²), of which, 59.50 square miles (154.10 km²) of it is land and 3.37 square miles (8.73 km²) is water.^[1] Weld is situated beside Webb Lake, which is drained by the Webb River, a tributary of the Androscoggin River.

The town is crossed by state routes 142 and 156. It borders the town of Phillips and Unincorporated Township No. 6 to the north, Avon and Temple to the east, and Carthage and Perkins Plantation to the south.

Weld is home to Spruce Mountain and Hurricane Mountain, and considered home to several summits outside the town's boundaries, including Tumbledown Mountain and Mount Blue.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1820	489		—
1830	765		56.4%
1840	1,045		36.6%
1850	995		−4.8%
1860	1,035		4.0%
1870	1,130		9.2%
1880	1,040		−8.0%
1890	885		−14.9%
1900	738		−16.6%
1910	574		−22.2%
1920	521		−9.2%
1930	493		−5.4%
1940	422		−14.4%
1950	361		−14.5%
1960	348		−3.6%
1970	360		3.4%
1980	435		20.8%
1990	430		−1.1%
2000	402		−6.5%
2010	419		4.2%
Est. 2014	413	^[8]	−1.4%
U.S. Decennial Census^[9]

2010 census

As of the census^[2] of 2010, there were 419 people, 194 households, and 138 families residing in the town. The population density was 7.0 inhabitants per square mile (2.7/km²). There were 632 housing units at an average density of 10.6 per square mile (4.1/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.9% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.2% of the population.

There were 194 households of which 15.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.4% were married couples living together, 2.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 28.9% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.46.

The median age in the town was 54 years. 11% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 14% were from 25 to 44; 45.1% were from 45 to 64; and 23.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.3% male and 48.7% female.

2000 census

As of the census^[10] of 2000, there were 402 people, 176 households, and 132 families residing in the town. The population density was 6.7 people per square mile (2.6/km²). There were 691 housing units at an average density of 11.6 per square mile (4.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.01% White, and 1.99% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.50% of the population.

There were 176 households out of which 29.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.1% were married couples living together, 3.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.0% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.60.

In the town the population was spread out with 20.6% under the age of 18, 2.0% from 18 to 24, 29.1% from 25 to 44, 31.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44 years. For every 100 females there were 112.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $37,250, and the median income for a family was $41,250. Males had a median income of $27,708 versus $21,875 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,796. About 14.1% of families and 14.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under age 18 and 13.0% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

C. J. Stevens, author

References

1 2 "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-16.
1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-12-16.
↑ "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
1 2 Coolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859). A History and Description of New England. Boston, Massachusetts. pp. 347–348.
↑ E. J. Foster, Early Settlers of Weld, Maine Historical and Genealogical Recorder
↑ E. J. Foster, "Early Settlers of Weld," Maine Historical and Genealogical Recorder
↑ George J. Varney, History of Temple, Weld & Wilton, Maine; Boston, Massachusetts 1886
↑ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2014". Retrieved June 4, 2015.
↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
↑ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-01-31.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Weld, Maine.

Municipalities and communities of Franklin County, Maine, United States

County seat: Farmington

Towns	Avon Carrabassett Valley Carthage Chesterville Eustis Farmington Industry Jay Kingfield New Sharon New Vineyard Phillips Rangeley Strong Temple Weld Wilton

Plantations	Coplin Plantation Dallas Plantation Rangeley Plantation Sandy River Plantation

Unorganized territories	East Central Franklin North Franklin South Franklin West Central Franklin Wyman

CDPs	Chisholm Farmington Wilton

Other villages	Farmington Falls Madrid Mooselookmeguntic Oquossoc

Androscoggin River Watershed

Tributaries	Alder River Bear River Cathance River Chickwolnepy Stream Clear Stream Concord River Cupsuptic River Dead Cambridge River Dead Diamond River Dead River (ME) Dead River (NH) Dead River (Sabattus) East Branch Cupsuptic River East Branch Dead Diamond River East Branch Nezinscot River East Branch Pleasant River East Branch Swift River Ellis River First East Branch Magalloway River Kennebago River Little Androscoggin River Little Dead Diamond River Little East Branch Cupsuptic River Little Magalloway River Little River Magalloway River Middle Branch Dead Diamond River Middle Branch Little Magalloway River Mollidgewock Brook Moose Brook Moose River Muddy River Nezinscot River Peabody River Pleasant River Rangeley River Rapid River Rattle River Sabattus River Sanborn River Second East Branch Magalloway River South Branch Little Dead Diamond River South Branch Sunday River Sunday River Swift Cambridge River Swift Diamond River Swift River Third East Branch Magalloway River Webb River West Branch Dead Diamond River West Branch Ellis River West Branch Little Dead Diamond River West Branch Little Magalloway River West Branch Magalloway River West Branch Nezinscot River West Branch Peabody River West Branch Pleasant River West Branch Swift River Wild River

Lakes	Akers Pond Androscoggin Lake Lake Auburn Aziscohos Lake Echo Lake Greenough Pond Mooselookmeguntic Lake Parker Pond Pontook Reservoir Rangeley Lake Richardson Lakes Thompson Lake Success Pond Umbagog Lake Webb Lake

Towns	Albany Andover Auburn Berlin Bethel Bowdoin Brunswick Buckfield Byron Cambridge Canton Carthage Chesterville Dixfield Dummer Durham Errol Fayette Gilead Gorham Greene Greenwood Hanover Hartford Hebron Jay Leeds Lewiston Lisbon Livermore Livermore Falls Mechanic Falls Mexico Minot Monmouth Mount Vernon Newry Norway Otisfield Oxford Paris Peru Pittsburg Poland Randolph Rangeley Readfield Roxbury Rumford Sabattus Shelburne Stewartstown Sumner Topsham Turner Upton Vienna Wales Wayne Weld Wentworth's Location West Paris Woodstock

Landmarks	Brown Company Maine Central Railroad Old Speck Mountain Rumford Mill St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad White Mountains

Coordinates: 44°41′55″N 70°25′17″W / 44.69861°N 70.42139°W / 44.69861; -70.42139

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