Houlton, Maine

The area was occupied for thousands of years by varying cultures of indigenous peoples. In historic times, these were the Algonquian-speaking Maliseet people. When Maine was part of Massachusetts, parcels of land were dealt out to schools and colleges. The area that was to become Houlton was deeded to the Academy of New Salem, Massachusetts. Thirteen men from New Salem bought the land from the academy, though only three settled there.{{cite book|last=Hamlin|first=Helen|title=Pine, potatoes and people : the story of Aroostook|url=https://archive.org/details/pinepotatoesandp000102mbp|year=1948|publisher=W.W. Norton}}

Decades after the American Revolutionary War, Anglo-American pioneers Aaron Putnam and Joseph Houlton started a village. They named it for Houlton, who had moved to Maine in 1807 from the more populated part of Massachusetts.{{cn|date=April 2025}} Maine separated from Massachusetts in 1820 and became an independent state.{{cn|date=April 2025}}

In 1828 the United States government established Hancock Barracks, a military post, in the area. Houlton was officially incorporated as a town in 1831. When the Aroostook War flared in 1839 over the border with Canada, three companies of the 1st Artillery Regiment manned Hancock Barracks under Major R. M. Kirby. Major Kirby helped to restrain the twelve companies of militia that Maine sent there from starting a shooting war. The Webster-Ashburton Treaty settled the boundary dispute in 1842, and the Army abandoned Hancock Barracks in 1847.{{cite book |last= Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums |editor=Doris A. Isaacson |title=Maine: A Guide 'Down East' |year=1970 |publisher=Courier-Gazette, Inc. |location=Rockland, Maine | pages = 183–188 }}

The U.S. Army installed its first transatlantic{{Cite book| title=Cryptologic Quarterly | date=January 2014 | page=40 | first=Betsy Rohaly | last=Smoot | chapter=Farmhouse Field Station Houlton, Maine: The U.S. Army’s First Fixed Field Site | url=https://www.nsa.gov/portals/75/documents/about/cryptologic-heritage/historical-figures-publications/publications/cryptologic-quarterly/cryptologic-quarterly-2014-01.pdf | access-date=November 13, 2021}} radio intelligence station 1.5 miles east of the town center of Houlton, Maine,{{cite web|url=http://david-kahn.com/articles-charles-mendelsohn-envy.htm|title=MI-8|access-date=August 13, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927195716/http://david-kahn.com/articles-charles-mendelsohn-envy.htm|archive-date=September 27, 2007}} during World War I. The Houlton Radio Intelligence Station intercepted German diplomatic communications, primarily from its Nauen Transmitter Station. MI-8 created the Radio Intelligence Service, using selected Signal Corps personnel for the sole purpose of supporting strategic intelligence through radio intercepts during World War I. The United States intelligence services built Houlton as the first unit of its type, and its success helped to lay the foundation for many more United States long-range radio-intercept stations.

File:Bell telephone magazine (1922) (14569732060).jpg (left) and radio receiver (right) at Houlton, from a 1920s magazine]]

On January 7, 1927, AT&T initiated the first transatlantic commercial telephone service,http://www.smecc.org/general_electric_computers/Houltonrepeater06123partial.jpg {{Bare URL image|date=March 2022}} linking New York and London. The AT&T Transoceanic Receiver Station was located at the end of Hand Lane, {{Coord|46.1270|N|67.8841|W|type:landmark_region:US-ME}}, two miles west of the town center. The massive receiving beverage antenna,http://www.smecc.org//general_electric_computers/HoultonTelephone2.jpg {{Bare URL image|date=March 2022}} over three miles long and two miles wide, straddled what is now Interstate 95 in Maine four miles west of the center of Houlton. The receiver station worked with the large long-wave transmitting facility of AT&T located at RCA{{cite book|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo1.ark:/13960/t88g95j7b;view=1up;seq=352|title=The Book of Radio--Radio Central chapter|year=1922|pages=312–327|author=Charles William Taussig|publisher=D. Appleton and company }} in Rocky Point, New York. The receiver station received the longwave telephone signal from the British General Post Office Rugby transmitting station near Rugby, England.{{cite web|url=https://www.subbrit.org.uk/sites/rugby-radio/|title=Rugby Radio – Subterranea Britannica|website=www.subbrit.org.uk}} The Rugby Radio Station ceased operations in 2007. On its site is a new large-scale housing development, which has also been named Houlton, in honour of the historic links with its American namesake.{{cite web |title=Welcome to Houlton - Rugby's new neighbourhood named in honour of town's radio heritage |url=https://rugbyobserver.co.uk/news/welcome-houlton-rugbys-new-neighbourhood-named-honour-towns-radio-heritage/ |publisher=Rugby Observer |access-date=16 October 2022 |date=27 October 2016}}

The US Army established Houlton Army Air Base in 1941 immediately adjacent to the Canada–US border.{{cite web|url=http://www.mainememory.net/bin/Detail?ln=13526|title=Maine Memory Network - Site of the Houlton Army Air Base|work=Maine Memory Network}} Prior to the United States' entry into World War II, American army pilots flew planes to the base. They could not fly the planes directly into Canada, a member of the British Commonwealth, because that would violate the official United States position of neutrality. Local farmers used their tractors to tow the planes into Canada, where the Canadians closed the Woodstock highway so that aircraft could use it as a runway.

A Royal New Zealand Air Force pilot, officer George Newall Harrison,{{cite web|url=http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2719765|title=CWGC - Casualty Details|author=Reading Room Manchester}} died on December 5, 1942, when he crashed 500 yards south of the runway while ferrying a Hudson Bomber to Britain.{{cite web |url=http://www.mewreckchasers.com/List1.html |title=Maine Military Crash List |access-date=August 1, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080331094200/http://www.mewreckchasers.com/List1.html |archive-date=March 31, 2008 }} Survivors buried his body in the Evergreen Cemetery plot for veterans. Few other New Zealand casualties from World War II were buried in the United States of America. His 19-year-old radio operator, Sergeant Henry Bordewick,{{cite web|url=http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2719764|title=CWGC - Casualty Details|author=Reading Room Manchester}} also died and was buried there; he was from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The American Legion post in Houlton maintains both these Commonwealth war graves.

The Houlton Army Air Base closed in July 1944. In 1944, the Army adapted a major part of the Houlton Army Air Base for use as prisoner of war internment in Camp Houlton. At its peak, the internment camp held 3,700 German prisoners of war. Forcing prisoners of war to work violated the Geneva Convention; however, they could volunteer to work. Camp Houlton provided laborers for local farms to harvest peas, pick potatoes, and do other labor. For security reasons, the government did not allow every prisoner of war to work on the farms. Most prisoners selected to work did not want to harm their captors or cause trouble. Many farmers came to consider the prisoners of war who worked their fields as good laborers rather than enemy soldiers. They paid the prisoners $1/day in scrip, which the prisoners could spend at the post exchange, the base store, to buy toiletries, tobacco, chocolate, or beer. After the prisoners repatriated, the Army closed Camp Houlton in 1946. The site was redeveloped as Houlton International Airport.

Houlton was the easternmost point of totality in the United States during the solar eclipse of April 8, 2024. The town spent two years preparing a three-day festival leading up to the event. Due to poor weather in much of the country, turnout was greater than expected. Attendance was estimated at 20,000 people or more, over three times the town's population.{{cite news|url=https://www.mainepublic.org/maine/2024-04-08/total-eclipse-maine-2024-houlton-totality|title=Eclipse in Maine: Visitors from across the country, world travel to Maine to experience totality|date=April 8, 2024|work=Maine Public|access-date=11 April 2024}} A large banner was unveiled, celebrating Houlton as the "Great American Eclipse's final destination" proclaiming, "The End is Here." The town's masonic bust of George Washington was outfitted with a pair of oversized eclipse glasses. After the eclipse, the thousands of visitors left the town, resulting in a miles-long traffic jam on I-95 South.{{cite news|url=https://thecounty.me/2024/04/09/arts/houlton-cleans-up-and-declares-eclipse-event-surpassed-expectations/|title=Houlton cleans up after eclipse event that 'surpassed expectations'|last=Tomaselli|first=Kathleen Phalen|date=April 8, 2024|work=The County|access-date=11 April 2024}}

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|36.73|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|36.71|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.02|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|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121220032143/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/gazetteer2010.html|archive-date=December 20, 2012|url-status=dead}} Houlton is drained by the Meduxnekeag River.

Interstate 95 has its northernmost two exits in Houlton. The Houlton/Woodstock Border Crossing, located to the east of downtown Houlton, marks the northern terminus of Interstate 95. The town is also crossed by U.S. Route 1 and U.S. Route 2, which have a brief concurrency in the center of town.

Typically for Maine, Houlton has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) with warm summers and cold, snowy winters comparable to Fargo. The coldest month between 1971 and 2000 was January 1994 with a mean temperature of {{convert|0.7|F|C|disp=or}}, though data from nearby stations suggest the Januaries of 1920 and 1925 were equally cold.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; [http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/cag/time-series/us/17/01/tavg/1/01/1895-2015?base_prd=true&firstbaseyear=1895&lastbaseyear=1976&trend=true&trend_base=10&firsttrendyear=1976&lasttrendyear=2015&filter=true&filterType=binomial Maine Climate division 1 January Average Temperature] Snow depth typically reaches {{convert|14|in|m|2|disp=or}} in February, and has been as high as {{convert|71|in|m|2|disp=or}} at the close of January 1998. Temperature extremes range from −41 °F (−41 °C) on January 4, 1981, up to 99 °F (37 °C) on August 2, 1975.

{{Weather box

| location = Houlton, Maine (Houlton International Airport) 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1948–present

| single line = y

| Jan record high F = 58

| Feb record high F = 62

| Mar record high F = 79

| Apr record high F = 86

| May record high F = 96

| Jun record high F = 97

| Jul record high F = 97

| Aug record high F = 99

| Sep record high F = 93

| Oct record high F = 82

| Nov record high F = 73

| Dec record high F = 60

| year record high F = 99

|Jan avg record high F = 46.1

|Feb avg record high F = 44.5

|Mar avg record high F = 53.6

|Apr avg record high F = 70.4

|May avg record high F = 82.6

|Jun avg record high F = 87.5

|Jul avg record high F = 89.4

|Aug avg record high F = 88.5

|Sep avg record high F = 83.2

|Oct avg record high F = 72.3

|Nov avg record high F = 61.1

|Dec avg record high F = 49.9

|year avg record high F = 91.6

| Jan high F = 23.2

| Feb high F = 26.3

| Mar high F = 36.0

| Apr high F = 49.3

| May high F = 63.6

| Jun high F = 72.5

| Jul high F = 78.1

| Aug high F = 76.7

| Sep high F = 68.3

| Oct high F = 54.5

| Nov high F = 41.3

| Dec high F = 29.6

| year high F = 51.6

| Jan mean F = 12.9

| Feb mean F = 14.8

| Mar mean F = 25.5

| Apr mean F = 38.6

| May mean F = 51.2

| Jun mean F = 60.2

| Jul mean F = 66.1

| Aug mean F = 64.4

| Sep mean F = 56.2

| Oct mean F = 44.3

| Nov mean F = 33.1

| Dec mean F = 20.9

| year mean F = 40.7

| Jan low F = 2.6

| Feb low F = 3.2

| Mar low F = 15.0

| Apr low F = 27.9

| May low F = 38.9

| Jun low F = 48.0

| Jul low F = 54.1

| Aug low F = 52.1

| Sep low F = 44.0

| Oct low F = 34.0

| Nov low F = 24.8

| Dec low F = 12.2

| year low F = 29.7

|Jan avg record low F = -22.5

|Feb avg record low F = -20.8

|Mar avg record low F = -11.7

|Apr avg record low F = 12.3

|May avg record low F = 25.5

|Jun avg record low F = 33.0

|Jul avg record low F = 41.1

|Aug avg record low F = 38.1

|Sep avg record low F = 27.7

|Oct avg record low F = 19.1

|Nov avg record low F = 5.1

|Dec avg record low F = -12.2

|year avg record low F = -25.2

| Jan record low F = −41

| Feb record low F = −36

| Mar record low F = −31

| Apr record low F = −13

| May record low F = 18

| Jun record low F = 26

| Jul record low F = 32

| Aug record low F = 30

| Sep record low F = 20

| Oct record low F = 10

| Nov record low F = −14

| Dec record low F = −34

| year record low F = −41

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch = 2.65

| Feb precipitation inch = 1.95

| Mar precipitation inch = 2.67

| Apr precipitation inch = 2.94

| May precipitation inch = 3.46

| Jun precipitation inch = 4.04

| Jul precipitation inch = 3.63

| Aug precipitation inch = 3.52

| Sep precipitation inch = 3.40

| Oct precipitation inch = 4.04

| Nov precipitation inch = 3.61

| Dec precipitation inch = 3.37

| year precipitation inch = 39.28

| Jan snow inch = 22.8

| Feb snow inch = 20.9

| Mar snow inch = 19.0

| Apr snow inch = 6.3

| May snow inch = 0.1

| Jun snow inch = 0.0

| Jul snow inch = 0.0

| Aug snow inch = 0.0

| Sep snow inch = 0.0

| Oct snow inch = 0.7

| Nov snow inch = 6.5

| Dec snow inch = 19.6

| year snow inch = 95.9

| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

| Jan precipitation days = 11.4

| Feb precipitation days = 9.8

| Mar precipitation days = 11.0

| Apr precipitation days = 12.2

| May precipitation days = 13.4

| Jun precipitation days = 13.7

| Jul precipitation days = 13.0

| Aug precipitation days = 11.8

| Sep precipitation days = 10.7

| Oct precipitation days = 12.6

| Nov precipitation days = 11.7

| Dec precipitation days = 12.6

| year precipitation days = 143.9

| unit snow days = 0.1 in

| Jan snow days = 11.9

| Feb snow days = 10.7

| Mar snow days = 8.6

| Apr snow days = 3.7

| May snow days = 0.1

| Jun snow days = 0.0

| Jul snow days = 0.0

| Aug snow days = 0.0

| Sep snow days = 0.0

| Oct snow days = 0.8

| Nov snow days = 4.5

| Dec snow days = 10.4

| year snow days = 50.7

| Jan humidity =91

| Feb humidity =91

| Mar humidity =91

| Apr humidity =83

| May humidity =76

| Jun humidity =78

| Jul humidity =78

| Aug humidity =79

| Sep humidity =80

| Oct humidity =82

| Nov humidity =83

| Dec humidity =88

| year humidity =

| Jand sun =3.2

| Febd sun =2.6

| Mard sun =3.8

| Aprd sun =5.8

| Mayd sun =7.4

| Jund sun =8.1

| Juld sun =9.3

| Augd sun =9.6

| Sepd sun =7.4

| Octd sun =5.8

| Novd sun =4.2

| Decd sun =3.5

| yeard sun =

| Jan light = 9.1

| Feb light = 10.4

| Mar light = 12.0

| Apr light = 13.6

| May light = 15.0

| Jun light = 15.7

| Jul light = 15.3

| Aug light = 14.1

| Sep light = 12.5

| Oct light = 10.9

| Nov light = 9.4

| Dec light = 8.7

| year light=

| Jan uv =1

| Feb uv =1

| Mar uv =1

| Apr uv =3

| May uv =4

| Jun uv =5

| Jul uv =5

| Aug uv =4

| Sep uv =3

| Oct uv =2

| Nov uv =1

| Dec uv =1

| year uv =

| source 1 = NOAA (snow recorded at Houlton 5N weather station){{cite web

| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=car

| title = NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = May 23, 2021

| archive-date = August 5, 2021

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210805104352/https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=car

| url-status = dead

}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00014609&format=pdf

| title = Station: Houlton Intl AP, ME

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = May 23, 2021}}{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00173944&format=pdf

| title = Station: Houlton 5N, ME

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = May 23, 2021}}

|source 2 = Weather Atlas (UV and humidity){{cite web

| url = https://www.weather-atlas.com/en/maine-usa/houlton-climate

| title = Climate and monthly weather forecast Houlton, ME

| access-date = August 18, 2022}}

}}

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

{{US Census population

|1820= 115

|1830= 579

|1840= 1597

|1850= 1453

|1860= 2035

|1870= 2850

|1880= 3228

|1890= 4015

|1900= 4686

|1910= 5845

|1920= 6191

|1930= 6865

|1940= 7771

|1950= 8377

|1960= 8289

|1970= 8111

|1980= 6766

|1990= 6613

|2000= 6476

|2010= 6123

|2020= 6055}}

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 6,123 people, 2,556 households, and 1,563 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|166.8|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 2,822 housing units at an average density of {{convert|76.9|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the town was 91.0% White, 0.7% African American, 5.8% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 1.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.1% of the population.

There were 2,556 households, of which 30.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.2% were married couples living together, 13.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.8% were non-families. Of all households, 33.9% were made up of individuals, and 17.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.87.

The median age in the town was 43.2 years. 22.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.9% were from 25 to 44; 27.6% were from 45 to 64; and 19.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 46.4% male and 53.6% female.

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,476 people, 2,677 households, and 1,654 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|176.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,994 housing units at an average density of 31.5 persons/km² (81.5 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 94.19% White, 0.29% African American, 4.23% Native American, 0.48% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 0.09% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. 0.43% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 1,677 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.4% were married couples living together, 11.0% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 38.2% were non-families. Of all households, 34.3% were made up of individuals, and 18.0% 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 2.94.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 23.7% under the age of 18, 7.1% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 21.9% from 45 to 64, and 21.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 82.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $26,212, and the median income for a family was $34,812. Males had a median income of $27,623 versus $20,991 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,007. 17.7% of the population and 13.5% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 21.0% are under the age of 18 and 15.8% are 65 or older.

Houlton High School is the public high school in the town.

Image:North Side Market Square, Houlton, ME.jpg

Image:Cary Library, Houlton, ME.jpg designed by John Calvin Stevens]]

• Amazeen House, built in 1882 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places
• Aroostook County Courthouse and Jail
• Aroostook County Historical & Art Museum
• Blackhawk Putnam Tavern
• Cary Library
• Edward L. Cleveland House
• Market Square Historic District
• Unitarian Church of Houlton
• Walter P. Mansur House

• Charles P. Barnes, 17th Chief Justice of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court and 67th Speaker of the Maine House of Representatives
• Ralph Botting, pitcher for the California Angels
• Michael E. Carpenter, Maine Attorney General and state legislator
• Shepard Cary, US congressman
• Marcus Davis, mixed martial arts fighter with the Ultimate Fighting Championship
• William Dufris, original voice of Bob the Builder in North America
• Ira G. Hersey, US congressman
• Stan Hindman, defensive lineman for the San Francisco 49ers
• Debra Lee Hovey, Connecticut State Representative
• Jean E. Howard, George Delacorte Professor of the Humanities at Columbia University
• Frank M. Hume, colonel; commanding officer of the 103rd Infantry, 26th Division during World War I
• Happy Iott, Major League Baseball outfielder
• Natalie Kalmus, influential Technicolor engineer who was born in Houlton
• Alton Kelley, psychedelic poster artist
• Lester D. Mallory, diplomat
• Henry Clay Merriam (1837–1912), Civil War-era general, awarded the Medal of Honor
• Bern Porter (1911–2004), artist, writer, and scientist
• Samantha Smith (1972–1985), child peace activist
• Gregory Swallow, state legislator
• Danny Wilde, guitarist, singer, and founding member of pop group The Rembrandts
• Eliza Tupper Wilkes (1844–1917), Unitarian Universalist minister, suffragist

{{Reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category}}

{{Wikivoyage|Houlton}}

• [https://www.houlton-maine.com/ Town of Houlton, Maine]
• [https://www.greaterhoulton.com/ Greater Houlton Chamber of Commerce]
• [https://www.mainememory.net/search/more?loc_headings=Houlton&active_tab=core Historical photographs of Houlton] at the Maine Historical Society's [https://www.mainememory.net/ Maine Memory Network]

{{Aroostook County, Maine}}

{{Saint John River}}

{{Maine county seats}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:1807 establishments in Maine

Category:County seats in Maine

Category:Populated places established in 1807