For other places with the same name, see Greenville.

Greenville, Maine
Greenville, Maine Location within the state of Maine
Coordinates: 45°28′40″N 69°33′53″W / 45.47778, -69.56472
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Piscataquis
Incorporated	1836
Area
- Total	46.4 sq mi (120.1 km²)
- Land	42.5 sq mi (110.1 km²)
- Water	3.9 sq mi (10.1 km²)
Elevation	1,394 ft (425 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	1,623
- Density	38.2/sq mi (14.7/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	04441, 04485
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-29535
GNIS feature ID	0582502

Greenville is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,623 at the 2000 census. The town is centered around the lower end of Moosehead Lake, the largest body of fresh water in the state. Greenville is the historic gateway to the north country and a center for outdoor recreation in the area.

History

Greenville in c. 1920

First called T9 R10 NWP (or Township 9, Range 10, North of the Waldo Patent), the land was granted about 1812 by the Massachusetts General Court to Thornton Academy in Saco. In 1824, Nathaniel Haskell of Westbrook bought the Thornton Academy Grant. With Oliver Young and John Smith, he began clearing trees that summer for farming near Wilson Pond, where the Wilson Stream would provide water power for mills.

In 1827, Haskell completed a house, and his family joined him. A sawmill was built on Wilson Stream in 1829, with a gristmill added the following year. In 1835, Henry Gower began clearing land beside Moosehead Lake for what would develop into Greenville village. There he erected the first hotel, a 2-story building called The Seboomook House, and the first store. On February 6, 1836, Greenville was incorporated from Haskell Plantation, and named for its green forests. By 1846, Greenville village included 2 houses, 2 blacksmith shops and a schoolhouse. On August 10, 1848, the town annexed land from Wilson, the remainder of which was distributed to Shirley and Elliotsville.

A small steamboat was launched in 1836 to tow logs, and in 1838 the first large lake steamer began operation. In later years, a succession of steamers by the name of Katahdin plied the waters. The current S/S Katahdin was built in 1914. In July of 1884, the Bangor and Piscataquis Railroad (later, the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad) arrived at Greenville Junction. The Canadian Pacific Railway arrived in 1888. Tourists were attracted by the region's scenic beauty, hunting and fishing. Consequently, several inns and hotels were built, including The Piscataquis Exchange Hotel, The Squaw Mountain Inn and The Moosehead Inn. Steamboat service was available across Moosehead Lake to the grand Mount Kineo House on a peninsula at Mount Kineo. Today, Greenville remains a popular resort area.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 46.4 square miles (120.1 km²), of which, 42.5 square miles (110.0 km²) of it is land and 3.9 square miles (10.1 km²) of it (8.39%) is water. Situated beside Moosehead Lake, Greenville is drained by Wilson Stream.

Located north of the 45th parallel on a line with Montreal, Greenville, in climate and vegetation, has more in common with the northernmost United States and southern Canada than it has with southern Maine.

Demographics

See also: Greenville (CDP), Maine

Squaw Mountain Inn in c. 1915

As of the census^[1] of 2000, there were 1,623 people, 731 households, and 437 families residing in the town. A resort area, Greenville's seasonal population generally exceeds 6,000. The population density was 38.2 people per square mile (14.7/km²). There were 1,378 housing units at an average density of 32.4/sq mi (12.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.77% White, 0.12% Black or African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.25% of the population.

There were 731 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.1% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 20.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.82.

Veneer Products Co. in 1914

In the town the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 4.0% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $30,365, and the median income for a family was $36,694. Males had a median income of $27,955 versus $19,712 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,638. About 8.9% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.9% of those under age 18 and 15.8% of those age 65 or over.

Sites of interest

• Moosehead Historical Society & Museum
• Moosehead Marine Museum

References

1. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.

• History of Greenville, Maine (1886)

External links

• Town of Greenville, Maine
• Shaw Public Library
• S/S Katahdin Cruises
• Moosehead Lake Region

	v â€¢ d â€¢ e State of Maine Augusta (capital)
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Largest towns	Brunswick | Cape Elizabeth | Falmouth | Gorham | Kennebunk | Kittery | Lisbon | Orono | Sanford | Scarborough | Skowhegan | Standish | Topsham | Wells | Windham | Winslow | York

Coordinates: 45°27′34″N, 69°35′26″W