:Rumford, Maine

File:Bird's-eye View of Rumford Falls, ME.jpg

Originally called New Pennacook Plantation, the township was granted in 1779 to Timothy Walker, Jr. and associates of Concord, New Hampshire. Both Pennacook and Rumford are former names of Concord, from which many early settlers arrived. The first pioneers, however, were Jonathan Keyes and his son Francis in 1782 from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts. Incorporated in 1800, the town would later annex land from Peru and Franklin Plantation.{{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/n324 286]–288| url = https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_OcoMAAAAYAAJ| quote = coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859. }}

Located in the foothills of the White Mountains, Rumford is the site of Pennacook Falls, called by historian George J. Varney "the grandest cataract in New England," where the Androscoggin River drops {{convert|177|ft|m}} over solid granite. Bands of St. Francis Indians once hunted and fished here, where salmon spawn in the {{convert|13|acre|ha|adj=on}} pool below Upper Falls, a barrier that fish cannot pass. Indians also came here to trade furs brought from the lakes region. Sawmills and gristmills were built to harness water power from the falls, although Rumford would remain primarily agricultural during its first 100 years.{{Citation

| last = Varney

| first = George J.

| title = Gazetteer of the state of Maine. Rumford

| place = Boston

| publisher = Russell

| year = 1886

| url = http://history.rays-place.com/me/rumford-me.htm }}

In 1882, industrialist Hugh J. Chisholm recognized the falls' potential for the manufacture of paper. Chisholm directed construction of the Portland and Rumford Falls Railway connecting Rumford to the national rail network in 1892.{{cite book| title=The Best of Maine Railroads |author=Johnson, Ron |publisher=Portland Litho |year=1985 |pages=25–26, 41, 53, 55, 76–77&111–112}} The first paper mill began operation in 1893, drawing an infusion of people and money into the sleepy community of about 200 residents. Oxford Paper Company, owned by Chisholm, would dominate Rumford's riverfront and economy.[https://archive.org/details/historyrumfordo00laphgoog William Berry Lapham, History of Rumford, Oxford County, Maine: From Its First Settlement in 1779; published 1890].

Much of the mill town was built in the spurt of prosperity between approximately 1890 and 1920, and Rumford retains significant Victorian and Edwardian architecture. Most notable is Strathglass Park, perhaps the finest company housing in the nation at that time. Wishing to avoid the stacked slums endemic at Lowell and Lawrence, Massachusetts, Hugh Chisholm commissioned Cass Gilbert in 1900 to plan a {{convert|30|acre|ha|adj=on}} site in his company town, instructing the prominent architect that "We will build of brick and stone and slate, and we will provide not merely for a house, but for comfort, elegance and social gratification."{{cite web|url=http://rumfordfalls.blogspot.com/2007/12/history-of-strathglass-park.html|title=Historic Rumford: The History of Strathglass Park|first=Kevin N.|last=Saisi|date=December 2, 2007|website=rumfordfalls.blogspot.com|access-date=April 13, 2018}}

Named after the seat of Clan Chisholm at Strathglass Carries, Scotland, Gilbert in 1901 produced 5 different designs for 51 duplexes. The same year, Chisholm founded The Rumford Realty Company to build the oval-shaped development, its entrance marked by an imposing granite gateway. With attractive lawns and broad, tree-lined streets, all maintenance was provided by the Oxford Paper Company. Even valet service was included. Tenants paid a rent of $9.00 per month, plus $1.00 per month for electricity to the Rumford Falls Power Company, also belonging to Chisholm. In 1948 with the dissolution of the Rumford Realty Company, the existing duplex buildings were first offered for sale to the tenant of the two with the longest residency. But later, each half of the single building was sold creating two owners of each building. Recognized for unique architectural and social merit, in 1974 Strathglass Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places as a historic district. Unfortunately due to lack of maintenance since that year of private sale, and due to a general deterioration of the brick and concrete materials, as well as the fact that nearly all existing buildings are owned by two independent and generally non-collaborative owners has caused each building to look like two halves, each painted differently, each maintained and repaired differently instead of the single duplex originally designed so that the entire development has taken on the look of a run-down, slummy group of buildings. A major factor in this impression is also that the development was designed before the advent of the personal automobile, but to accommodate those automobiles since then the lawns have been converted to make-shift parking lots for multiple vehicles.

Today, much of the history of Rumford is preserved by the Rumford Historical Society.{{cite web |url=http://www.rumfordmaine.net/history/history.htm |title=The Rumford Historical Society |url-status=dead |access-date=July 27, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723004829/http://www.rumfordmaine.net/history/history.htm |archive-date=July 23, 2012 }} Founded in 1961, under the sponsorship of prominent residents Louis Thibodeau, Minerva Anderson and Jonathan Mackenzie, the society pledges to preserve the rich history of the western mill town and encourage community involvement among all.

File:Strathglass Building.jpg|The Strathglass Building in 1907

File:The Falls, Rumford Falls, ME.jpg|Pennacook Falls {{circa|1905}}

File:Public Library, Rumford Falls, ME.jpg|Public library {{circa|1907}}, a Carnegie library

File:Strathglass_Park_Rumford_Maine_Postcard_early_20th.jpg|Strathglass Park housing {{circa|1910}}

In June 1941, the cabin cruiser "The Don" sunk off of Harpswell, Maine with 34 residents of Rumford on board. It remains the largest loss of life in the town's history. The cause of the wreck was never determined but multiple theories abound as to the vessel's demise including it being sunk by a U-boat or an insurance scheme. The only communication from the boat was shortly after it left port when a radio distress call came out to nearby ships with a voice saying "If I don't get off this boat somebody's gonna get thumped."{{Citation needed|date=January 2016}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|69.85|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|68.55|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|1.30|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.{{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}} Rumford is located where the Concord, Ellis, and Swift rivers drain into the Androscoggin river. Black Mountain, elevation 2,133 feet (650 m),{{cite web|url=http://www.topoquest.com/map.asp?lat=44.58389&lon=-70.6375&datum=nad27&u=4&layer=DRG&size=l&s=50|title=Black Mountain, ME - N44.58389° W70.63750°|website=www.topoquest.com|access-date=April 13, 2018}} and Rumford Whitecap, elevation 2,197 feet (670 m), are in the north.

This climatic region has large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Rumford has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.{{cite web|url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=33771&cityname=Rumford,+Maine,+United+States+of+America&units=|title=Rumford, Maine Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase)|website=Weatherbase|access-date=April 13, 2018}}

{{Weather box

|location = Rumford, Maine, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present

|single line = Yes

|Jan record high F = 61

|Feb record high F = 62

|Mar record high F = 83

|Apr record high F = 90

|May record high F = 96

|Jun record high F = 98

|Jul record high F = 98

|Aug record high F = 100

|Sep record high F = 95

|Oct record high F = 86

|Nov record high F = 76

|Dec record high F = 67

|Jan avg record high F = 47.5

|Feb avg record high F = 49.7

|Mar avg record high F = 58.9

|Apr avg record high F = 75.5

|May avg record high F = 86.7

|Jun avg record high F = 89.9

|Jul avg record high F = 90.5

|Aug avg record high F = 89.5

|Sep avg record high F = 85.9

|Oct avg record high F = 75.4

|Nov avg record high F = 64.3

|Dec avg record high F = 51.1

|year avg record high F = 93.2

|Jan high F = 27.5

|Feb high F = 31.0

|Mar high F = 39.8

|Apr high F = 52.6

|May high F = 66.6

|Jun high F = 74.4

|Jul high F = 79.4

|Aug high F = 78.0

|Sep high F = 70.8

|Oct high F = 57.5

|Nov high F = 44.3

|Dec high F = 33.0

|year high F =

|Jan mean F = 17.1

|Feb mean F = 19.0

|Mar mean F = 28.8

|Apr mean F = 42.2

|May mean F = 54.9

|Jun mean F = 63.6

|Jul mean F = 68.6

|Aug mean F = 67.0

|Sep mean F = 59.6

|Oct mean F = 47.2

|Nov mean F = 35.3

|Dec mean F = 24.4

|year mean F =

|Jan low F = 6.8

|Feb low F = 7.0

|Mar low F = 17.8

|Apr low F = 31.8

|May low F = 43.2

|Jun low F = 52.9

|Jul low F = 57.7

|Aug low F = 56.0

|Sep low F = 48.4

|Oct low F = 36.9

|Nov low F = 26.3

|Dec low F = 15.8

|year low F =

|Jan avg record low F = -14.4

|Feb avg record low F = -12.4

|Mar avg record low F = -5.0

|Apr avg record low F = 19.3

|May avg record low F = 30.0

|Jun avg record low F = 40.1

|Jul avg record low F = 47.0

|Aug avg record low F = 44.4

|Sep avg record low F = 33.5

|Oct avg record low F = 24.7

|Nov avg record low F = 12.3

|Dec avg record low F = -3.9

|year avg record low F = -17.0

|Jan record low F = -36

|Feb record low F = -34

|Mar record low F = -23

|Apr record low F = -1

|May record low F = 23

|Jun record low F = 29

|Jul record low F = 38

|Aug record low F = 34

|Sep record low F = 25

|Oct record low F = 15

|Nov record low F = -2

|Dec record low F = -29

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation inch = 3.28

|Feb precipitation inch = 2.38

|Mar precipitation inch = 3.17

|Apr precipitation inch = 4.12

|May precipitation inch = 3.69

|Jun precipitation inch = 6.10

|Jul precipitation inch = 4.52

|Aug precipitation inch = 4.75

|Sep precipitation inch = 3.70

|Oct precipitation inch = 4.96

|Nov precipitation inch = 4.23

|Dec precipitation inch = 3.98

|year precipitation inch =

|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

|Jan precipitation days = 9.3

|Feb precipitation days = 7.5

|Mar precipitation days = 8.4

|Apr precipitation days = 9.1

|May precipitation days = 11.1

|Jun precipitation days = 11.7

|Jul precipitation days = 12.4

|Aug precipitation days = 11.2

|Sep precipitation days = 9.1

|Oct precipitation days = 10.6

|Nov precipitation days = 10.0

|Dec precipitation days = 10.6

|year precipitation days = 121.0

|Jan snow inch = 24.6

|Feb snow inch = 20.2

|Mar snow inch = 17.5

|Apr snow inch = 4.9

|May snow inch = 0.0

|Jun snow inch = 0.0

|Jul snow inch = 0.0

|Aug snow inch = 0.0

|Sep snow inch = 0.0

|Oct snow inch = 0.1

|Nov snow inch = 3.8

|Dec snow inch = 16.8

|year snow inch =

|unit snow days = 0.1 in

|Jan snow days = 6.9

|Feb snow days = 5.4

|Mar snow days = 5.1

|Apr snow days = 1.5

|May snow days = 0.0

|Jun snow days = 0.0

|Jul snow days = 0.0

|Aug snow days = 0.0

|Sep snow days = 0.0

|Oct snow days = 0.1

|Nov snow days = 1.7

|Dec snow days = 5.7

|Jan snow depth inch = 18.1

|Feb snow depth inch = 22.9

|Mar snow depth inch = 22.6

|Apr snow depth inch = 7.1

|May snow depth inch = 0.2

|Jun snow depth inch = 0.0

|Jul snow depth inch = 0.0

|Aug snow depth inch = 0.0

|Sep snow depth inch = 0.0

|Oct snow depth inch = 0.3

|Nov snow depth inch = 2.7

|Dec snow depth inch = 12.4

|year snow depth inch = 28.3

|source 1 = NOAA

{{cite web

|url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&stations=USC00177325&format=pdf&dataTypes=MLY-TMAX-NORMAL,MLY-TMIN-NORMAL,MLY-TAVG-NORMAL,MLY-PRCP-NORMAL,MLY-SNOW-NORMAL

|publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

|title = U.S. Climate Normals Quick Access – Station: Rumford 1 SSE, ME

|access-date = April 27, 2025

}}

|source 2 = National Weather Service

{{cite web

|url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=gyx

|publisher = National Weather Service

|title = NOAA Online Weather Data – NWS Gray/Portland

|access-date = April 27, 2025

}}

}}

{{See also|Rumford (CDP), Maine}}

{{US Census population

|1800= 262

|1810= 629

|1820= 871

|1830= 1126

|1840= 1444

|1850= 1375

|1860= 1375

|1870= 1212

|1880= 1006

|1890= 898

|1900= 3770

|1910= 6777

|1920= 8576

|1930= 10340

|1940= 10230

|1950= 9954

|1960= 10005

|1970= 9363

|1980= 8240

|1990= 7078

|2000= 6472

|2010= 5841

|2020= 5858

|footnote=sources:{{cite web |url=http://www.library.umaine.edu/census/townsearch.asp |title=Fogler Library - Maine Census Population Totals - Database Search Results for Minor Civil Divisions |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 }} .

}}

As of the census{{cite web|title=U.S. Census website|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=December 16, 2012}} of 2010, there were 5,841 people, 2,674 households, and 1,524 families living in the town. The population density was {{convert|85.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 3,287 housing units at an average density of {{convert|48.0|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 97.2% White, 0.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.6% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.6% of the population.

There were 2,674 households, of which 24.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.8% were married couples living together, 11.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.0% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.76.

The median age in the town was 45.5 years. 20.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21% were from 25 to 44; 30.6% were from 45 to 64; and 20.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 48.4% male and 51.6% female.

As of the census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}} of 2000, there were 6,472 people, 2,876 households, and 1,754 families living in the town. The population density was {{convert|94.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 3,280 housing units at an average density of {{convert|47.8|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 98.67% White, 0.11% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 0.26% Asian, 0.06% from other races, and 0.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.

There were 2,876 households, of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.4% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.78.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.1% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $27,639, and the median income for a family was $33,878. Males had a median income of $39,917 versus $20,632 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,701. About 12.4% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.9% of those under age 18 and 11.3% of those age 65 or over.

The University College at Rumford/Mexico{{cite web|url=http://www.learn.maine.edu/rumfordmexico|title=UC 404 - University College|website=University College|access-date=April 13, 2018}} is a part of the University of Maine system.

Mountain Valley High School is Rumford's public high school.

• Charlie Akers, Olympic biathlete
• Richard Austin, weight-lifting world record-holder
• Severin Beliveau, former Maine Democratic Party Chair and lobbyist
• Wendall "Chummy" Broomhall, cross-country skier in Olympic Games
• Mark Bryant, Maine State Representative; Maine State Senator
• Chet Bulger, offensive tackle for the 1947 champion Chicago Cardinals
• Frank Churchill, songwriter and film composer (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, The Three Little Pigs)
• Lucia M. Cormier, Minority Leader of the Maine House of Representative
• Charles Harlow, Mayor of Portland, Maine and State Representative
• Rachel A. Henderson, state legislator
• Rebecca Martin, singer and songwriter
• Edmund Muskie, US senator, Secretary of State, 64th governor of Maine
• John Patrick, Maine State Representative; Maine State Senator
• Robert W. Pidacks, cross-country skier in Olympic Games
• Eric Weinrich, professional ice-hockey player and in Olympic Games

{{Reflist|35em}}

{{commons category|Rumford, Maine}}

• [https://rumfordme.org/ Town of Rumford, Maine]
• [http://www.rumford.lib.me.us/ Rumford Public Library]
• [http://www.snowmobilerumford.com/ Rumford Polar Bears Snowmobile Club]
• [http://www.mainegenealogy.net/individual_place_record.asp?place=rumford Maine Genealogy: Rumford, Oxford County, Maine]

{{Oxford County, Maine}}

{{Androscoggin River}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Company towns in Maine

Category:Towns in Oxford County, Maine

Category:Populated places established in 1782

Category:Towns in Maine

Category:International Paper

Category:1782 establishments in Massachusetts

Category:Pulp and paper industry in Maine