Buckfield, Maine

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Buckfield, Maine
settlement_type = Town
nickname =
motto =

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

|mapsize =
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mapsize1 =
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = United States
subdivision_type1 = State
subdivision_name1 = Maine
subdivision_type2 = County
subdivision_name2 = Oxford
government_footnotes =
government_type =
leader_title =
leader_name =
leader_title1 =
leader_name1 =
established_title = Incorporated
established_date = 1793

unit_pref = Imperial
area_footnotes =

area_magnitude =
area_total_km2 = 98.1
area_land_km2 = 97.6
area_water_km2 = 0.5
area_total_sq_mi = 37.9
area_land_sq_mi = 37.7
area_water_sq_mi = 0.2

population_as_of = 2000
population_footnotes =
population_total = 1723
population_density_km2 = 17.7
population_density_sq_mi = 45.7

timezone = Eastern (EST)
utc_offset = -5
timezone_DST = EDT
utc_offset_DST = -4
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 114
elevation_ft = 374
latd = 44 |latm = 17 |lats = 43 |latNS = N
longd = 70 |longm = 22 |longs = 2 |longEW = W

postal_code_type = ZIP code
postal_code = 04220
area_code = 207
blank_name = FIPS code
blank_info = 23-08710
blank1_name = GNIS feature ID
blank1_info = 0582376
website =
footnotes =

Buckfield is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. Buckfield is included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England City and Town Area. It is a member of Maine School Administrative District 39 along with nearby Hartford and Sumner.

History

It was first settled in 1776 by Benjamin Spaulding from Chelmsford, Massachusetts, a fur trapper. Abijah Buck and Thomas Allen moved here in spring of 1777 with their families. In 1785, the inhabitants procured a survey of the town and purchased it from Massachusetts for 2 shillings per acre. Originally called Bucktown Plantation (or Plantation No. 5), on March 16, 1793 the Massachusetts General Court incorporated it as Buckfield, named for Abijah Buck.

The surface of the town is uneven, but has deep, dark soil that yielded good crops of grain, corn and apples. The east and west branches of the Nezinscot River join at Buckfield Village, supplying water power for mills. Products included lumber, roof shingles, barrel staves, box boards, shovel handles, snow-shovels, handsleds, drag-rakes, brushes, brush blocks, powder-kegs, leather harness, cutting-blocks and men's boots. In 1870, the population of the town was 1,494. The Rumford Falls and Buckfield Railroad passed through the town. Its depot was at Buckfield Village, the business center for the area.

Notable residents

* William Berry, soldier
* John Lewis Childs, horticulturist & politician
* John Davis Long, governor
* Mark Musashi, martial artist & stuntman/actor
* Virgil D. Parris, congressman
* Thomas Phelps, naval officer
* Charles H. Prince, congressman
* Albion Woodbury Small, sociologist & educator
* Seba Smith, humorist & writer
* Buckfield Bucks, Buckfield Football Team, consisting of grades 9-12
* Kasey Robertson, Football player in the state of Bangcock.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 37.9 square miles (98.1 km²), of which, 37.7 square miles (97.6 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (0.53%) is water. Buckfield is drained by the Nezinscot River, a tributary of the Androscoggin River.

The town is crossed by state routes 117 and 140. It borders the towns of Sumner and Hartford to the north, Turner to the east, Hebron to the south, and Paris to the west and West Paris to the northwest.

Demographics

As of the censusGR|2 of 2000, there were 1,723 people, 668 households, and 476 families residing in the town. The population density was 45.7 people per square mile (17.7/km²). There were 715 housing units at an average density of 19.0/sq mi (7.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 100% [98.49% White, 0.17% Native American, 0.35% Asian, 0.12% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.41% of the population.

There were 668 households out of which 35.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.5% were married couples living together, 9.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 20.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.7% 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 2.99.

In the town the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 96.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $36,821, and the median income for a family was $40,078. Males had a median income of $28,472 versus $22,262 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,503. About 5.6% of families and 8.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 9.9% of those age 65 or over.

Landmarks

Landmarks commonly known to residents of and visitors to Buckfield include:
*Buckfield Junior-Senior High School - students from nearby Hartford and Sumner attend as well
*The Buckfield Inn - a historic bed and breakfast
*Tilton's Market - managed by Everett Tilton, a small-town grocery store, complete with deli counter
*Hart's Pizza - a pizza and sandwich shop formerly known as Charlie's pizza.
*The Buckfield Mall - a gas station and convenience store with a very tongue-in-cheek name
*The Oddfellow Theater - a small theater, run by natives Mike and Kim Miclon. Considering Buckfield's small size, the Oddfellow Theatre features an unusual variety of events, including the humorous "Early Evening Show," a monthly feature in the style of The Tonight Show, hosted by Mike Miclon himself. It also shows movies.

References

Further reading

* [http://history.rays-place.com/me/buckfield-me.htm History of Buckfield, Maine (1886)]
* [http://history.rays-place.com/me/buckfield.htm Historical Sketch of Buckfield, Maine (1889)]
* A. J. Coolidge & J. B. Mansfield, "A History & Description of New England", 1859; H. O. Houghton & Company; Cambridge, Massachusetts

External links

* [http://www.townofbuckfield.com/ Town of Buckfield]
* [http://www.zadoc.lib.me.us/ Zadoc Long Free Library]
* [http://maine.gov/local/oxford/buckfield/ Maine.gov -- Buckfield, Maine]
* [http://www.sad39.k12.me.us/ School Administrative District 39]