Saco (Maine)

Saco
Location in Maine
Saco
Basic data
Foundation :	1811
State :	United States
State :	Maine
County :	York County
Coordinates :	43 ° 31 ′  N , 70 ° 27 ′  W Coordinates: 43 ° 31 ′  N , 70 ° 27 ′  W
Time zone :	Eastern ( UTC − 5 / −4 )
Residents :	18,482 (as of 2010)
Population density :	185.4 inhabitants per km 2
Area :	101.9 km 2  (approx. 39 mi 2 ) of which 99.7 km 2  (approx. 38 mi 2 ) are land
Height :	20 m
Postal code :	04072
Area code :	+1 207
FIPS :	23-64675
GNIS ID :	0574646
Website :	www.sacomaine.org
Mayor :	Roland L. Michaud

Saco is a city in the US state of Maine in the United States of America with a population of 18,482 (according to the 2010 census). It is opposite the town of Biddeford on the north bank of the Saco River and forms a double parish with it.

geography

Geographical location

Saco is located about four kilometers west of the confluence of the Saco River in the Atlantic on the north bank of the river.

Neighboring communities

• Biddeford
• Sandy Brook
• Old Orchard Beach
• Portland / Lewiston

history

The area was first settled by non-residents through the efforts of the Plymouth Company , a development company owned by the King of England for the New World, in 1623 as part of the region's "Winter Harbor"; The place became an independent municipality on July 5, 1653. The origin of the name is not entirely clear; While there are derivations of different words from the Sokokis Indians who lived here at the time, it is also clear that an early explorer, Esteban Gomez, named "Bahia Saco", or "Sack Bay", as early as 1525. But the name of the local Sokokis Indians could also have been namesake in a twisted form.

The parish was originally part of Biddeford on the opposite bank, was renamed "Pepperellborough" in 1762 and finally baptized in 1805 with its current name. In 1867 Saco received city rights.

During the Indian Wars from 1675, Saco was overrun several times and burned down at least once. In 1689, some residents were even kidnapped as hostages. Only when the city was subsequently developed into a military city (with 14 garrisons in 1723) was the area pacified. Saco developed, together with Biddeford, into a center of the timber industry.

From 1811 heavy industry, a cotton mill and an ironworks were built in the village; a cotton-based textile industry quickly established itself here. Nevertheless, from around 1850 onwards, the city turned more and more into a resort that also attracted some well-known American poets. Nowadays Saco's economy is almost entirely based on tourism. Several nature reserves, a protected, extensive sandy beach and two amusement parks are attractions for those looking for relaxation from the wider area.

Culture and sights

Museums

The Saco Museum was founded in 1866 and since then has 11,000 exhibits, particularly paintings, local landscape graphics, and items of clothing. The museum is located in the old town mile.

The MacDonald's Mineral Museum archives a large number of geological finds from the area.

Buildings

Saco has a contiguous old town along Main Street that has a number of old structures. Particularly noteworthy are the Solomon Coit House , built in 1785 in the Georgian style, and the Emma Hall House, built in 1892, which is a fine example of the Queen Anne style .

Parks

The Ferry Beach State Park is located on the banks of the Saco River and is well served by transport. It is a combined nature reserve and local recreation area.

The Goosefare Brook nature preserve is another nature reserve on the banks of the city.

Economy and Infrastructure

media

Two weekly newspapers appear in the Biddeford / Saco area: the Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier and The Journal Tribune .

education

Schools of all levels can be found in Saco; a branch of the University of New England is located in neighboring Biddeford.

In addition, the Thornton Academy , a private high school, has been located in Saco since 1811 . It was originally founded as the "Saco Academy" and renamed in 1821 after a sponsor. Schools were interrupted between 1848 and 1884. As a special feature of this school, it should be noted that they teach their classes in shifts every two days (but then with twice as long teaching time) so that the students only have to make the long way to school half as often.

Personalities

• Nicholas Fessenden (1847–1927), American politician

Web links

Commons : Saco, Maine  - Collection of images, videos, and audio files

• History of Saco until around 1880 (in English)
• Location and weather data and codes for nearby airports (in English)
• Local news on the website of one of the two local newspapers (in English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Population data from the 2010 US Census in the American Factfinder