These were the 25 biggest cities and towns in Maine 150 years ago

Biggest cities in Maine 150 years ago

After the completion of the 1860 census and the election of President Abraham Lincoln, America imploded. Eleven southern states seceded from the Union in 1861, instigating four bloody years of the Civil War and fundamentally altering the social history of the U.S. The estimates of deaths caused by the Civil War begin around 600,000, but some claim as many as 750,000 individuals died throughout the conflict.

With so many families looking for a new start after combat finally ended and approximately 4 million Black Americans emancipated from slavery, it was time for many Americans to look for a new home to put down roots. The obvious choice for many was to move west, where there was more land to buy, settle, and cultivate. Many traveled by covered wagon, spending months on the dusty trail. Others who could afford better accommodations took a 25-day ride by stagecoach. All of them picked new cities and towns to make their homes, spreading the U.S. population more evenly across different states and territories.

On May 10, 1869, the first transcontinental railroad route across the United States was completed, ushering in a new era of transportation. The project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget, though with the loss of many lives, including those of the many Irish and Chinese immigrants hired to work 12-hour days in the hot western sun. Riding by steam engine, passengers could cross the entire country in four days, enabling waves of Americans and immigrants to quickly occupy land that would otherwise take months to settle.

The years of Civil War reconstruction, coupled with wagon, stagecoach, and railroad passengers finding new lives across the U.S., made the urban development reflected in the 1870 census incredibly interesting. Stacker compiled a list of the biggest cities in Maine from 150 years ago using data from the U.S. Census Bureau. By transcribing Table XXV of the Ninth Census of the U.S., which was previously only available as a PDF, it’s easy to explore what the urban landscape looked like less than a decade after the end of the Civil War as America healed and grew.

The largest city in Maine ranked #41 among all cities nationwide in 1870. Of the 100 largest cities in the U.S., 2 were in Maine. Keep reading to find out more about the historic metropolitan landscape in your home state or check out the data on your own on our site, GitHub, or data.world.

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#25. Gorham, Cumberland County

– Total population: 3,351 (#1,181 nationwide)
— Male population: 1,678
— Female population: 1,673
— Child population, ages 5-18: 852

#24. Deer Isle, Hancock County

– Total population: 3,414 (#1,129 nationwide)
— Male population: 1,777
— Female population: 1,637
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,087

#23. Bucksport, Hancock County

– Total population: 3,433 (#1,115 nationwide)
— Male population: 1,718
— Female population: 1,715
— Child population, ages 5-18: 894

#22. Eastport, Washington County

– Total population: 3,736 (#910 nationwide)
— Male population: 1,805
— Female population: 1,931
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,073

#21. Skowhegan, Domerset County

– Total population: 3,893 (#853 nationwide)
— Male population: 1,907
— Female population: 1,986
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,094

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#20. Waldoborough, Lincoln County

– Total population: 4,174 (#743 nationwide)
— Male population: 2,095
— Female population: 2,079
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,105

#19. Gardiner, Kennebeg County

– Total population: 4,497 (#649 nationwide)
— Male population: 2,199
— Female population: 2,298
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,103

#18. Camden, Knox County

– Total population: 4,512 (#642 nationwide)
— Male population: 2,228
— Female population: 2,284
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,231

#17. Oldtown, Penobscot County

– Total population: 4,529 (#633 nationwide)
— Male population: 2,494
— Female population: 2,035
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,138

#16. Brunswick, Cumberland County

– Total population: 4,687 (#586 nationwide)
— Male population: 2,176
— Female population: 2,511
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,324

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#15. Waterville, Kennebeg County

– Total population: 4,852 (#554 nationwide)
— Male population: 2,359
— Female population: 2,493
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,350

#14. Cape Elizabeth, Cumberland County

– Total population: 5,106 (#504 nationwide)
— Male population: 2,699
— Female population: 2,407
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,582

#13. Ellsworth, Hancock County

– Total population: 5,257 (#476 nationwide)
— Male population: 2,717
— Female population: 2,540
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,589

#12. Belfast, Waldo County

– Total population: 5,278 (#474 nationwide)
— Male population: 2,563
— Female population: 2,715
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,469

#11. Saco, York County

– Total population: 5,755 (#405 nationwide)
— Male population: 2,697
— Female population: 3,058
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,463

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#10. Calais, Washington County

– Total population: 5,944 (#388 nationwide)
— Male population: 2,949
— Female population: 2,995
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,862

#9. Auburn, Androscoggin County

– Total population: 6,169 (#364 nationwide)
— Male population: 3,008
— Female population: 3,161
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,497

#8. Westbrook, Cumberland County

– Total population: 6,583 (#327 nationwide)
— Male population: 3,267
— Female population: 3,316
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,619

#7. Rockland, Knox County

– Total population: 7,074 (#294 nationwide)
— Male population: 3,467
— Female population: 3,607
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,867

#6. Bath, Sagadahoc County

– Total population: 7,371 (#277 nationwide)
— Male population: 3,566
— Female population: 3,805
— Child population, ages 5-18: 2,089

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#5. Angusta, Kennebeg County

– Total population: 7,808 (#258 nationwide)
— Male population: 3,736
— Female population: 4,072
— Child population, ages 5-18: 1,776

#4. Biddeford, York County

– Total population: 10,282 (#174 nationwide)
— Male population: 4,549
— Female population: 5,733
— Child population, ages 5-18: 2,791

#3. Lewiston, Androscoggin County

– Total population: 13,600 (#113 nationwide)
— Male population: 5,819
— Female population: 7,781
— Child population, ages 5-18: 3,766

#2. Bangor, Penobscot County

– Total population: 18,289 (#85 nationwide)
— Male population: 8,856
— Female population: 9,433
— Child population, ages 5-18: 4,941

#1. Portland, Cumberland County

– Total population: 31,413 (#41 nationwide)
— Male population: 14,755
— Female population: 16,658
— Child population, ages 5-18: 7,849

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