Kingfield, Maine
Kingfield, Maine Location within the state of Maine
Coordinates: 44°58′26″N 70°10′3″W / 44.97389, -70.1675
Country	United States
State	Maine
County	Franklin
Incorporated	1816
Area
- Total	43.6 sq mi (112.9 km²)
- Land	43.4 sq mi (112.5 km²)
- Water	0.2 sq mi (0.4 km²)
Elevation	1,030 ft (314 m)
Population (2000)
- Total	1,103
- Density	25.4/sq mi (9.8/km²)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	04947
Area code(s)	207
FIPS code	23-37025
GNIS feature ID	0582541

Kingfield is a town in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,103 at the 2000 census. Kingfield is the principal gateway to Sugarloaf/USA, a major ski resort, and is headquarters to Maine Huts and Trails.

History

Kingfield Dam in 1909

The area was first known as township T3 R1 BKP WKR, or Plantation No. 3, Range 1 of Bingham's West Kennebec Purchase. It was first settled in 1806 by John W. Dutton, Nathaniel Kimball and their families, who built homes at the foot of Voss Mountain. In 1807, Plantation No. 3 was bought by William King, temporary resident and future governor of Maine, in partnership with three others.^[1] On January 24, 1816, the township was incorporated as Kingfield, named after William King.

Farms produced hay, potatoes, apples and pears. The confluence of the West Branch and Cassabassett rivers at the town's center provided 20 places for water power of industry. Kingfield businesses included sawmills, a shingle mill, gristmill, carding mill, rake factory, carriage factory and tannery. In 1895, the town became headquarters to the Kingfield and Dead River Railroad, a narrow gauge line which would be merged with others to form the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad. But with the Great Depression, industry in Kingfield began to decline, although the 2 mills of the Wing Spool & Bobbin Company remained in operation until the late 1950s. In the early 1950s, a local partnership organized Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Development, which transformed Sugarloaf Mountain into a ski resort. Sugarloaf/USA is today one of the most successful ski resorts in New England, and an important part of the Kingfield economy.

Notable residents

• Chansonetta Emmons, photographer
• William King, governor
• Francis E. Stanley, inventor
• Freelan O. Stanley, inventor & hotelier

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 43.6 square miles (112.9 km²), of which, 43.4 square miles (112.5 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (0.37%) is water. Situated in the Carrabassett River valley, Kingfield is drained by the Carrabassett River.

Demographics

Bandstand and Common in 1907

As of the census^[2] of 2000, there were 1,103 people, 454 households, and 304 families residing in the town. The population density was 25.4 people per square mile (9.8/km²). There were 659 housing units at an average density of 15.2/sq mi (5.9/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.37% White, 0.09% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.27% from other races, and 1.00% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.18% of the population. 24.8% were of English, 18.0% American, 12.1% Irish, 8.0% French, 6.5% German, 5.3% French Canadian and 5.0% Finnish ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 454 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.5% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 24.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.43 and the average family size was 2.90.

Old High School in c. 1908

In the town the population was spread out with 26.8% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $29,250, and the median income for a family was $37,614. Males had a median income of $27,059 versus $20,547 for females. The per capita income for the town was $15,954. About 5.1% of families and 9.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 14.9% of those age 65 or over.

Sites of interest

• Kingfield Historical Society Museum
• Stanley Museum

References

• History of Kingfield, Maine

External links

• Town of Kingfield, Maine
• Kingfield Travel Guide

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Coordinates: 44°57′33″N, 70°09′14″W