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Revision as of 22:28, 19 September 2008 by MarmadukePercy (talk | contribs) (→History)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Wilton is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,123 at the 2000 census. The town was originally known as Harrytown after a local Native American, then renamed Tyngtown for the captain leading expedition that killed him. In 1803 a resident who had moved from Wilton, New Hampshire paid the cost of incorporation in order to have the town named after his former residence.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.8 square miles (110.9 km²), of which, 41.3 square miles (106.9 km²) of it is land and 1.6 square miles (4.0 km²) of it (3.64%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 4,123 people, 1,667 households, and 1,148 families residing in the town. The population density was 99.9 people per square mile (38.6/km²). There were 1,882 housing units at an average density of 45.6/sq mi (17.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.45% White, 0.44% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 0.80% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.82% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.44% of the population.
There were 1,667 households out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.2% were married couples living together, 11.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.1% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $34,563, and the median income for a family was $42,679. Males had a median income of $32,175 versus $20,300 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,702. About 5.6% of families and 10.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.2% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
History
George Henry Bass (1855 - 1925) was founder of G.H. Bass & Co. and the best-known businessman in Wilton's history. Bass shoes (including those worn by Charles Lindbergh during his Atlantic crossing and Admiral Byrd in his expeditions in Antarctica) were made exclusively in Wilton for more than a century, from 1876 to 1998. But by then the Bass family had sold out, and in 1998 Bass' parent company, Phillips-Van Heusen, moved operations overseas. John Russell Bass (b. 1878), son of G.H. Bass, was treasurer for G. H. Bass & Co. and served as Maine delegate to the Republican national convention in 1920, 1944 and 1952. The Bass company built much of its success on its Bass penny weejun, introduced in 1936 and said by Bass to be based on Norwegian fisherman's shoes. The style was an instant hit, and became a staple on college campuses across the nation. The shoe was later renamed the Leavitt penny weejun; it is no longer made in Wilton.
Noted Maine architect John Calvin Stevens designed the L. Brooks Leavitt Home in Wilton. Stevens was the architect of other well-known Maine homes, including that of Winslow Homer in Prouts Neck, Maine. Leavitt, an early Wall Street investment banker and rare book collector, was an overseer of Bowdoin College and a relation of the Bass family. Well-known Maine author Robert P.T. Coffin dedicated his book "Captain Abby and Captain John" to his lifelong friend Leavitt, whom he also eulogized in a poem entitled "Brooks Leavitt" which was read at his funeral in Wilton.
Notable residents
Folk artist Ray LaMontagne was a resident of Wilton until about the spring of 2007, when he moved "Up towards Rangely (Maine)".
References
- Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums (1970). Doris A. Isaacson (ed.). Maine: A Guide 'Down East'. Rockland, Me: Courier-Gazette, Inc. pp. 284–285.
- Made in America: From Levi's to Barbie to Google, Nick Freeth, 2005
- Drawing of Leavitt Residence, Wilton, ca. 1925, Maine Memory Network mainememory.net
| Municipalities and communities of Franklin County, Maine, United States | ||
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| County seat: Farmington | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county | |