Editing Solon, Maine

{{Short description| Town in the state of Maine, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
|official_name            = Solon, Maine
|settlement_type          = [[New England town|Town]]
|nickname                 = 
|motto                    =

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|image_skyline            = The Ferry, Solon, ME.jpg
|imagesize                = 
|image_caption            = Kennebec River {{circa|1908}}
|image_flag               = 
|image_seal               =

<!-- Maps -->
|pushpin_map              = Maine#USA
|pushpin_label            = Solon
|pushpin_label_position   = <!-- the position of the pushpin label: left, right, top, bottom, none -->
|pushpin_map_caption      = 
|pushpin_mapsize          =
|image_map                = 
|mapsize                  = 
|map_caption              = 
|image_map1               = 
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|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        = [[Somerset County, Maine|Somerset]]
|government_footnotes     = 
|government_type          = 
|leader_title             = 
|leader_name              = 
|leader_title1            = 
|leader_name1             = 
|established_title        = Incorporated
|established_date         = 1809

<!-- Area -->
|unit_pref                = Imperial
|area_footnotes           = <ref name ="Gazetteer files"/>
|area_magnitude           = 
|area_total_km2           = 105.52
|area_land_km2            = 102.69
|area_water_km2           = 2.82
|area_total_sq_mi         = 40.74
|area_land_sq_mi          = 39.65
|area_water_sq_mi         = 1.09

<!-- Population -->
|population_as_of         = [[2020 United States census|2020]]
|population_est           = 
|pop_est_as_of            = 
|population_footnotes     = 
|population_total         = 978
|population_density_km2   = 9.5
|population_density_sq_mi =

<!-- General information -->
|timezone                 = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|Eastern (EST)]]
|utc_offset               = -5
|timezone_DST             = EDT
|utc_offset_DST           = -4
|elevation_footnotes      = 
|elevation_m              = 152
|elevation_ft             = 499
|coordinates              = {{coord|44|56|26|N|69|48|27|W|region:US-ME|display=inline}}
|postal_code_type         = [[ZIP code]]
|postal_code              = 04979
|area_code                = [[Area code 207|207]]
|blank_name               = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
|blank_info               = 23-69505
|blank1_name              = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
|blank1_info              = 0582728
|website                  = 
|footnotes                = 
}}

'''Solon''' is a town in [[Somerset County, Maine|Somerset County]], [[Maine]], United States. The population was 978 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0600000US2302569505|title=Census - Geography Profile: Solon town, Somerset County, Maine|access-date=January 21, 2022}}</ref>

==History==

[[Image:Caratunk Falls, Kennebec River, Solon, ME.jpg|thumb|left|Caratunk Falls in 1909]]
The first known inhabitants were the Abenaki Indians, whom European settlers encountered in the early 1600s. At a rock ledge over the [[Kennebec River]] at Embden, 3 miles from the centre of Solon, there are Native American carvings dating to between 900-1400 CE.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Ray |first1=Roger B. |title=The Embden, Maine, Petroglyphs The Embden, Maine, Petroglyphs |journal=Maine History |date=1987 |volume=27 |issue=1 |pages=14–23 |url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/346218182.pdf |access-date=April 15, 2024}}</ref> [[Benedict Arnold|General Benedict Arnold]] and his troops camped below Caratunk Falls on October 7, 1775, before portaging their boats around the falls on the way up the [[Kennebec River]] to the [[Battle of Quebec (1775)|Battle of Quebec]]. Originally called T1 R2 EKR, the plantation was known as Spauldingtown, after Thomas Spaulding, a grantee. It was settled in 1782 by William Hilton from [[Wiscasset, Maine|Wiscasset]], who purchased {{convert|500|acre|km2}}. On February 23, 1809, it was incorporated as Solon, named after [[Solon]], a statesman and poet of [[Ancient Greece]].<ref name=Coolidge>{{Cite book  | last = Coolidge | first = Austin J. | author2=John B. Mansfield | title = A History and Description of New England| publisher = A.J. Coolidge | year = 1859| location = Boston, Massachusetts| pages = [https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ/page/n343 305]–306| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859. }}</ref>

Agriculture was the principal occupation of the inhabitants. The surface of the town is uneven, the underlying rock is slate, but the sandy and occasionally gravelly loam produced good crops of hay and grain. Solon village was established at Fall Brook, its water power used to operate [[watermill|mills]]. By 1859, when the population was 1,419, there were two sawmills, a gristmill, a shovel handle factory, two fulling and two carding machines, and two blacksmiths.<ref name="Coolidge"/> By 1886, the town's industries included a carriage manufacturer and a harness maker.<ref>{{Citation
  | last = Varney
  | first = George J.
  | title = Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Solon
  | place = Boston
  | publisher = Russell
  | year = 1886
  | url = http://history.rays-place.com/me/solon-me.htm }}
</ref>

Solon is the gateway to the Old Canada Road ([[U.S. Route 201]]), which from 1820 until 1860 served as the primary link between [[Lower Canada]] and Maine. The byway follows the Kennebec River valley through various villages and into the forests near the [[Canada–United States border|Canada–US border]].<ref>[http://byways.org/explore/byways/11510 Old Canada Road Scenic Byway]</ref>

==Geography==

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of {{convert|40.74|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|39.65|sqmi|sqkm|2}}  is land and {{convert|1.09|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name ="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/gazetteer2010.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=December 16, 2012}}</ref> Solon is drained by Fall Brook, Michael Stream and the [[Kennebec River]], where Caratunk Falls has a descent of {{convert|20|ft|m}}.

The town is crossed by [[U.S. Route 201]], 201A and [[Maine State Route 8]]. It borders the towns of [[Bingham, Maine|Bingham]] and [[Brighton Plantation, Maine|Brighton Plantation]] to the north, [[Athens, Maine|Athens]] to the east, [[Cornville, Maine|Cornville]] and [[Madison, Maine|Madison]] to the south, and [[Embden, Maine|Embden]] to the west.

==Demographics==

{{US Census population
|1800= 38
|1810= 312
|1820= 468
|1830= 768
|1840= 1139
|1850= 1415
|1860= 1345
|1870= 1176
|1880= 1013
|1890= 977
|1900= 996
|1910= 1034
|1920= 1054
|1930= 852
|1940= 773
|1950= 746
|1960= 669
|1970= 712
|1980= 827
|1990= 916
|2000= 940
|2010= 1053
|2020= 978
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2015}}</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=December 16, 2012}}</ref> of 2010, there were 1,053 people, 459 households, and 292 families living in the town. The [[population density]] was {{convert|26.6|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 657 housing units at an average density of {{convert|16.6|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 97.9% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.2% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 0.4% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.1% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 1.4% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.4% of the population.

There were 459 households, of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 5.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 36.4% were non-families. 27.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.75.

The median age in the town was 45.4 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.2% were from 25 to 44; 35.6% were from 45 to 64; and 15.1% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 52.6% male and 47.4% female.

===2000 census===

As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref> of 2000, there were 940 people, 398 households, and 257 families living in the town.  The [[population density]] was 23.6 people per square mile (9.1/km{{sup|2}}).  There were 581 housing units at an average density of 14.6 per square mile (5.6/km{{sup|2}}).  The racial makeup of the town was 98.83% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 0.43% [[Black (U.S. Census)|Black]], 0.21% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.11% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], and 0.43% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 0.43% of the population.

There were 398 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.4% were non-families. 27.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.  The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.82.

[[Image:New Caratunk, Solon, ME.jpg|thumb|right|The New Caratunk in 1907]]
In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.9% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 26.5% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who were 65 years of age or older.  The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.6 males.  For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 109.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $27,266, and the median income for a family was $32,500. Males had a median income of $25,724 versus $16,574 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the town was $13,777.  About 12.1% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 15.3% of those age 65 or over.

==Stereographic cards==

[[Stereoscopy|Stereoscopic]] photographs of Solon from the [[Victorian era]]:
<gallery>
Solon Village, by S. S. Vose.jpg|Solon village
Main Street, Solon Village, by S. S. Vose.jpg|Main Street
Residence of Thomas (?) L. Pierce, Solon, Maine, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views.jpg|Pierce residence
Residence of Mrs. H. G. Jewett, Solon, Me, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views.jpg|Jewett residence
Residence of Heman Whipple, Solon Village, Maine, by S. S. Vose.jpg|Whipple residence
7000000 logs. Carritunk (Caratunk) Falls, Solon, Maine, from Robert N. Dennis collection of stereoscopic views.jpg|Logs on Caratunk Falls
</gallery>

==Sites of interest==

* [http://www.visitmaine.com/organization/488/south_solon_meeting_house/ South Solon Meeting House (1842), with 1950s frescos by the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture]
* [http://www.oldruggedcross.org/Evergreen/Page_1x.html Evergreen Wilderness Chapel & 1800s Christian Museum -- an 1800s country church replica and Christian museum]

== Notable person ==
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· Only people who already have a Wikipedia article may appear here. This establishes notability.
· The article must mention how they are associated with Solon, 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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* [[George Washburn (baseball)|George Washburn]]; pitcher with the [[New York Yankees]], who appeared in one game, during the 1941 season

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==

{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.solon.govoffice.com Town of Solon, Maine]
* [http://www.librarytechnology.org/lwc-displaylibrary.pl?RC=19345 Coolidge Public Library]
* [http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~meocrhs/ Old Canada Road Historical Society]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080423235709/http://www.maine.gov/local/somerset/solon/ Maine.gov – Solon, Maine]

{{Somerset County, Maine}}
{{Kennebec River}}

{{Coord|44|56|58|N|69|51|30|W|type:city_region:US-ME|display=title}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Towns in Somerset County, Maine]]
[[Category:Towns in Maine]]