Editing Calais, Maine

{{Short description|City in Maine, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Calais, Maine
| settlement_type    = City
| nickname           = 
| motto              = 
<!-- Images -->
| image_skyline      = Calais ME.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = 
| image_flag         = 
| image_seal         = 
<!-- Maps -->
| pushpin_map        = Maine#USA
| pushpin_label_position = left <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
| pushpin_map_caption = Location within the state of Maine
| pushpin_mapsize    = 
| pushpin_relief     = yes
| image_map          = 
| mapsize            = 
| map_caption        = 
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = 
<!-- Location -->
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Maine]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Maine|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Washington County, Maine|Washington]]
| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Shawn Lyons
| leader_title1      = City Manager
| leader_name1       = Michael Ellis
| established_title  = Settled
| established_date   = 1779
| established_title1 = Incorporated
| established_date1  = June 16, 1809
<!-- Area -->
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_23.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=April 8, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 103.88
| area_land_km2      = 88.90
| area_water_km2     = 14.98
| area_total_sq_mi   = 40.11
| area_land_sq_mi    = 34.32
| area_water_sq_mi   = 5.79
<!-- Population -->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
| population_est     = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| population_footnotes = 
| population_total   = 3079
| population_density_km2 = 34.64
| population_density_sq_mi = 89.71
<!-- General information -->
| timezone           = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = 
| elevation_m        = 13
| elevation_ft       = 43
| coordinates        = {{coord|45.16|-67.23|region:US-ME|display=inline,title}}
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]
| postal_code        = 04619
| area_code          = [[Area code 207|207]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 23-09585
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 0563341
| footnotes          = 
| website            = {{URL|http://www.calaismaine.org/}}
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
}}

'''Calais''' {{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|æ|l|ɪ|s}}<ref>{{Citation| author = The Canadian Press| author-link = The Canadian Press| title = The Canadian Press Stylebook| place = Toronto| publisher = [[The Canadian Press]]| edition = 18th| year = 2017}}</ref> is a city in [[Washington County, Maine]], United States. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], it had a population of 3,079, making Calais the largest municipality by population in Washington County, but the third least-populous city in Maine (after [[Hallowell, Maine|Hallowell]] and [[Eastport, Maine|Eastport]]).<ref name="Census 2020">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US2309585|title=Census - Geography Profile: Calais city, Maine |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 8, 2022}}</ref> The city has three [[Canada–United States border|Canada–US border]] crossings (also known as [[Port of entry|ports of entry]]) over the [[Saint Croix River (Maine – New Brunswick)|St. Croix River]] connecting to [[St. Stephen, New Brunswick]], Canada.

Calais has been a city of commerce and is recognized as the primary shopping center of eastern Washington County and of [[Charlotte County, New Brunswick]]. Retail, service, and construction businesses are the primary components of the Calais economy.

==History==

This area was occupied for thousands of years by indigenous peoples. The historic [[Passamaquoddy]], an Algonquian-speaking people of the [[Wabanaki Confederacy]], was predominant in this area at the time of European encounter and settlement.

The St. Croix River and its area were first explored by the French [[Samuel de Champlain]] when he and his men spent a winter on [[Saint Croix Island, Maine|St. Croix Island]] in 1604. The first permanent settler was Daniel Hill of [[Jonesboro, Maine|Jonesboro]], who arrived in 1779 during the [[American Revolutionary War]], when this was still part of Massachusetts. With other settlers, he built the first [[sawmill]] in 1782. On June 27, 1789, the [[Massachusetts General Court]] sold the township to Waterman Thomas for 19¢ an acre (0.4 hectares) (approx. $2.86 an acre in 2018 dollars). Early occupations in the settlement included [[farming]], [[hunting]] and [[ship building]].<ref name=Coolidge>{{Cite book  | last = Coolidge  | first = Austin J.|author2=John B. Mansfield  | title = A History and Description of New England| year = 1859| location = Boston, Massachusetts| pages = 81–82| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=OcoMAAAAYAAJ&q=coolidge%20mansfield%20history%20description%20new%20england%201859&pg=PA81}}</ref>

On June 16, 1809, Plantation Number 5 PS was incorporated as Calais after [[Calais]], [[France]], in honor of [[France in the American Revolutionary War|French assistance]] during the [[American Revolutionary War|American Revolution]]. The river provided the [[mill town]] with [[water power]] for industry, which included sawmills, [[Clapboard (architecture)|clapboard]] and [[roof shingle|shingle]] mills, two [[planing mill]]s, a [[saw]] factory, two [[axe]] factories and four [[grain]] mills. There were [[foundry|foundries]], [[machine shop]]s, [[granite]] works, [[shoemaking|shoe factories]] and a [[Tanning (leather)|tannery]]. Other businesses produced [[brickmaking|bricks]], [[bedstead]]s, [[broom]]s, [[carriage]]s and [[plaster]].<ref>{{Citation
  | last = Varney
  | first = George J.
  | title = Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Calais
  | place = Boston
  | publisher = Russell
  | year = 1886
  | url = http://history.rays-place.com/me/calais-me.htm
  | archive-url = https://archive.today/20130201040332/http://history.rays-place.com/me/calais-me.htm
  | url-status = dead
  | archive-date = February 1, 2013
  }}</ref>

The relationship between Calais and the neighboring Canadian town of St. Stephen has been remarkably close, over a period of many years. As evidence of the longtime friendship between the towns a likely apocryphal<ref>{{Cite web |title=International Festival 50th Anniversary {{!}} St. Croix Historical Society |url=https://stcroixhistorical.com/international-festival-50th-anniversary/ |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=stcroixhistorical.com}}</ref> story is told that during the War of 1812, the British military provided St. Stephen with a large supply of gunpowder for protection against the enemy Americans in Calais, but St. Stephen's town elders gave the gunpowder to Calais for its Fourth of July celebrations.<ref>"PM opens new crossing". Saint Croix Courier, January 12, 2010.</ref>

Calais is the home of the first railroad built in the state of Maine, the Calais Railroad, incorporated by the state legislature on February 17, 1832.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M0YKAAAAIAAJ |title=Railroads and Canals of the United States of America |author=Henry V. Poor |year=1860 |page=35|publisher=John H. Schultz & Co |location=New York }}</ref> It was built to transport lumber from a mill on the St. Croix River opposite [[Milltown, New Brunswick]], {{convert|2|mi|0}} to the tidewater at Calais in 1835. In 1849, the name was changed to the Calais & Baring Railroad, and the line was extended {{convert|4|mi|0}} farther to [[Baring Plantation, Maine|Baring]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M0YKAAAAIAAJ |title=Railroads and Canals of the United States of America |author=Henry V. Poor |year=1860 |pages=21–2|publisher=John H. Schultz & Co |location=New York }}</ref> In 1870, it became part of the St. Croix & Penobscot Railroad.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/1880a_v4.zip |title=Report on the Agencies of Transportation in the United States 1880 |year=1883 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |location=Washington DC }}</ref>

Calais was incorporated as a city on August 24, 1850. On July 18, 1864, [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] agents crossed the border from [[New Brunswick]] and attempted to rob a bank in Calais.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.musarts.net/provincial/confed.htm |title=Confederates Downeast |author=Mason Philip Smith |publisher=The Provincial Press |access-date=September 1, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723212941/http://www.musarts.net/provincial/confed.htm |archive-date=July 23, 2011 }}</ref>

The [[Calais Free Library]] was designed by [[Boston]] architect [[Arthur H. Vinal]] and opened on July 4, 1893. The [[Romanesque Revival architecture|Romanesque Revival]] building was listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 2001.

Other places in Calais listed on the National Register of Historic Places are the Calais Historic District, Calais Residential Historic District, Devils Head Site, [[Gilmore House (Calais, Maine)|Gilmore House]], [[Thomas Hamilton House (Calais, Maine)|Thomas Hamilton House]], [[Hinckley Hill Historic District]], [[Holmes Cottage]], [[Dr. Job Holmes House]], [[Theodore Jellison House]], [[Pike's Mile Markers]], [[St. Anne's Episcopal Church (Calais, Maine)|St. Anne's Episcopal Church]], [[George Washburn House]] and [[Whitlocks Mill Light]].

<gallery>
File:Main Street, Calais, ME.jpg|Main Street in 1913
File:Calais Avenue, Calais, ME.jpg|Calais Avenue {{circa|1905}}
File:International Bridge, Calais, ME.jpg|International Bridge in 1913
File:Looking East from Bridge, Calais, ME.jpg|Looking east from bridge in 1908
</gallery>

==Geography==

{{wide image|Calais.JPG|1800px|Calais viewed from St. Stephen across the St. Croix River}}
<!-- Calais is located at {{Coord|45|9|58|N|67|14|33|W|type:city}} (45.166045, −67.242434).<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref> -->

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|40.10|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|34.32|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|5.78|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web |title=US Gazetteer files 2010 |url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=2012-11-23 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120702145235/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt |archive-date=2012-07-02 }}</ref> Calais is located at the [[head of tide]] on the [[Saint Croix River (Maine – New Brunswick)|St. Croix River]].

Recently,{{when|date=March 2022}} the City of Calais acquired Devil's Head. The site comprises {{convert|318|acre|ha}} of land, {{convert|1|mi|km|adj=on}} of frontage on the St. Croix River estuary, and {{convert|0.6|mi|km}} of frontage on [[U.S. Route 1 in Maine|U.S. Route 1]]. Significant features on the property include a {{convert|340|ft|m|adj=on}} high granite headland towering over the estuary, a low-tide sand and boulder beach, upland forest, and abundant wildlife. Trail construction was completed in 2003.

Calais is the northern terminus of the [[East Coast Greenway]], which has its southern terminus in [[Key West, Florida]].

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1810= 372
|1820= 418
|1830= 1686
|1840= 2934
|1850= 4749
|1860= 5621
|1870= 5944
|1880= 6173
|1890= 7290
|1900= 7655
|1910= 6116
|1920= 6084
|1930= 5470
|1940= 5161
|1950= 4589
|1960= 4223
|1970= 4044
|1980= 4262
|1990= 3963
|2000= 3447
|2010= 3123
|2020= 3079
|footnote=sources:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.library.umaine.edu/census/townsearch.asp|title=Minor Civil Division Population Search Results|access-date=September 1, 2010|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110929135907/http://www.library.umaine.edu/census/townsearch.asp|archive-date=September 29, 2011}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name ="wwwcensusgov">{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=2012-11-23}}</ref> of 2010, there were 3,123 people, 1,403 households, and 771 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was {{convert|91.0|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 1,737 housing units at an average density of {{convert|50.6|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 95.5% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.5% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.3% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.6% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.4% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.7% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 1.4% of the population.

There were 1,403 households, of which 25.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.8% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.9% had a male householder with no wife present, and 45.0% were non-families. 39.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.12 and the average family size was 2.80.

The median age in the city was 45.3 years. 19.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20% were from 25 to 44; 29.9% were from 45 to 64; and 20.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female.

==Government==
{{see also|List of mayors of Calais, Maine}}

The City of Calais operates under the [[council-manager government|council-manager]] form of government.  The current city manager is Michael Ellis.  Some past city managers include: [[William Bridgeo]], Nancy Orr, Nicholas Mull, Linda Pagels, [[Mark Ryckman]], Diane Barnes and James Porter. The current city mayor is Marcia Rogers.<ref>{{Cite web |url= https://calaismaine.org/mayor-and-council/ |title= Mayor and Council |access-date= 2023-06-16 |publisher= City of Calais, Maine}}</ref>

==Education==

===Public schools===
Calais has an [[elementary school]], a [[middle school]], a [[High school (North America)|high school]], and a [[technical school]].
* [[Calais High School]]
* St. Croix Regional Technical School

===Higher education===
Calais is home to a two-year [[community college]].  The nearest four-year [[university]] is located in [[Machias, Maine]].
* Washington County Community College

==Infrastructure==

===Transportation===
Calais is located at the junction of [[U.S. Route 1 in Maine|U.S. 1]], a major north-south highway that runs along the [[East Coast of the United States|Eastern Seaboard]], and [[Maine State Route 9|Route 9]], which crosses the state from east to west. Since [[New Brunswick Route 1#4-lane construction|October 25, 2012]], the city also has had direct access to [[New Brunswick Route 1]], a controlled-access [[freeway]] that begins at the [[Canada–United States border|Canada–US border]] and runs east through [[Saint John, New Brunswick|Saint John]] to a junction with the [[Trans-Canada Highway]].  West's Bus Service operates a bus service between Calais and [[Bangor, Maine|Bangor]].<ref>[http://www.westbusservice.com/ West's Transportation: The Coastal Connection]</ref>

===Healthcare===
Calais Regional Hospital (CRH) currently has 15 acute care beds and 10 swing beds, in addition to a 24-hour physician staffed emergency department.  It serves northeastern Washington County with an approximate population of 14,000 from [[Topsfield, Maine|Topsfield]] to the north, [[Wesley, Maine|Wesley]] to the west, and [[Eastport, Maine|Eastport]] to the south.  CRH is the largest employer in Calais, employing more than 200 people.  The hospital is licensed by the State of Maine.
* [http://www.calaishospital.com Calais Regional Hospital] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100418060013/http://www.calaishospital.com/ |date=2010-04-18 }}

===Public safety===
Calais has a full-time [[police]], [[fire department|fire]], and [[Emergency medical services|EMS]] department.

== Notable people ==
<!-- Note:
· Only people who already have a Wikipedia article may appear here. This establishes notability.
· The article must mention how they are associated with Calais, whether born, raised, or residing.
· The fact of their association should have a reliable source cited.
· Alphabetical by last name please.
· All others will be deleted.
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* [[Nehemiah Abbott]], U.S. congressman
* [[Lyn Mikel Brown]], academic, author
* [[Ron Corning]], television anchorman
* [[Edwin Grant Dexter]], educator
* [[Thomas Fuller (Maine)|Thomas Fuller]], US congressman
* [[Andrea Gibson]], spoken word artist, poet, activist
* [[Elijah Dix Green]], merchant and founder of Calais' Second Baptist Church
* [[Roger Lyndon]], mathematician
* [[Anne Perry]], politician
* [[Frederick A. Pike]], US congressman
* [[James Shepherd Pike]], journalist<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Mielewczik |first=Michael |last2=Jowett |first2=Kelly |last3=Moll |first3=Janine |year=2019 |title=Beehives, Booze and Suffragettes: The “Sad Case” of Ellen S. Tupper (1822–1888), the “Bee Woman” and “Iowa Queen Bee” |url=http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.34657.04962 |journal=Entomologie heute |volume=31 |pages=113–227}}</ref>
* [[Mary Newmarch Prescott]], magazine writer and poet
* [[Henry Milner Rideout]], author
* [[Tim Sample]], humorist
* [[Harriet Elizabeth Prescott Spofford|Harriet Prescott Spofford]], author
* [[Ellen Smith Tupper]], beekeeper, editor<ref name=":0" />
* [[Amos Parker Wilder]], journalist and diplomat
* [[Horatio Nelson Young]], naval hero

==International border crossings==
[[File:Sign at International Border between United States and Canada - August 2019.jpg|thumb|right|Sign at the [[international border]] between Calais, Maine, United States (left) and [[St. Stephen, New Brunswick]], Canada (right)]]
The [[Ferry Point International Bridge]] and the [[Milltown International Bridge]] connect Calais to [[St. Stephen, New Brunswick]], Canada. Construction began in 2008 on a third bridge and [[Port of entry]] (POE) to connect the two communities. Referred to as the [[International Avenue Bridge]], this bridge and POE opened on November 16, 2009, and serves commercial, cargo, [[Truck driver|trucking]], passenger vehicles, campers, RVs, and buses.  However, both the Ferry Point and Milltown crossings remain in use for passenger vehicles and pedestrians.<ref>[http://www.blairheritageinn.com/wp/2007/02/27/us-gives-go-ahead-to-third-bridge/ "U.S. gives go ahead to third bridge"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080927215444/http://www.blairheritageinn.com/wp/2007/02/27/us-gives-go-ahead-to-third-bridge/ |date=2008-09-27 }}, ''St. Croix Courier'', September 26, 2006.</ref>

The new inspection facility alleviates traffic congestion from downtown Calais and the neighboring towns in Canada. It is equipped with state-of-the-art security equipment that allows for efficient processing of both commercial and passenger vehicles. The new facility is occupied by [[U.S. Customs and Border Protection]] (CBP), the [[U.S. Food and Drug Administration]] (FDA) and [[U.S. General Services Administration]] (GSA). This facility was built as part of GSA's high-performance green building program and has received the [[Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design]] (LEED) Gold certification for comprehensive use of [[sustainable design]] and technology. Recycled, reused, and local materials were used during the construction. The facility conserves energy by bringing natural light into every occupied space, and conserves water by using low-flow fixtures that consumes 40 percent less water than traditional plumbing. The Calais port of entry, designed by [[Robert Siegel Architects]], provides six lanes of non-commercial inspection and three lanes of commercial inspection.

==Sites of interest==
*[[St. Anne's Episcopal Church (Calais, Maine)|St. Anne's Episcopal Church]]
*[[Milltown Dam (St. Croix River)|Milltown Dam]]
*[[Whitlocks Mill Light]]
*[[Calais Observatory]]
*[[Devils Head Site]]

==References==
{{EB1911 poster|Calais (Maine)}}
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.calaismaine.org/ City of Calais official website]
* [http://www.calais.lib.me.us Calais Free Library]
* [http://thecalaisadvertiser.com/ ''The Calais Advertiser''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110830194921/http://thecalaisadvertiser.com/ |date=2011-08-30 }}, Calais news
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20030112062518/http://www.calaisalumni.org/History/history.htm Calais History and Photos]}}

{{Washington County, Maine}}
{{MELargestCities}}
{{Maine}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Calais, Maine| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Maine]]
[[Category:Cities in Washington County, Maine]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1779]]
[[Category:1779 establishments in the Province of Massachusetts Bay]]