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Lyman, Maine
Lyman Town Hall
Lyman Town Hall
Lyman, Maine is located in Maine
Lyman, Maine
Lyman, Maine
Location in Maine
Country United States
State Maine
County York
Incorporated 1780
Area
 • Total 40.49 sq mi (104.87 km2)
 • Land 38.99 sq mi (100.98 km2)
 • Water 1.50 sq mi (3.88 km2)
Elevation
272 ft (83 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 4,525
 • Density 116/sq mi (44.8/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (EDT)
ZIP code
04002
Area code(s) 207
FIPS code 23-41750
GNIS feature ID 0582572

Lyman is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 4,525 at the 2020 census. It is part of the PortlandSouth PortlandBiddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. Lyman, together with Alfred, is home to Massabesic Experimental Forest.

History

In 1660, John Sanders, John Bush and Peter Turbat purchased from the Abenaki sachem Sosowen and his son Fluellin what is now the township of Lyman. First called Swanfield, it was settled in 1767. While the original settlers are not known for certain, early records and deeds mention the following: William and Jacob Waterhouse (of Kennebunk), Love Roberts, Alexander Grant, Thomas Lord, Jacob Rhoades, Benjamin and Mark Goodwin (brothers who built one of the first mills at Goodwin's Mills), John Low (who served as town moderator and treasurer), John Burbank, Joseph Witten, James and William Brock, Mark Ricker, Robert Cousens, Valentine Hill, and Gershom Downs.

Swanfield would be incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court on April 24, 1780 as Coxhall, probably after Coggeshall (pronounced Coxhall) in Essex, England. On February 25, 1803, the name was changed to Lyman in honor of Theodore Lyman, a wealthy merchant who established a successful shipping firm in the 1790s at York before moving to Boston.

Farmers found the surface of the town moderately uneven, with fair soil that yielded good crops of grain, hay and apples. Watermills were established at the outlets of the larger ponds, with two sawmills at Swan Pond and another at Kennebunk Pond. Lumbering was a considerable source of income for many inhabitants. In 1782, a sawmill and gristmill were erected at Goodwin's Mills, which developed into the town's only business and trade center, despite the fact that some of the village is actually located in Dayton. The Great Fires of 1947 devastated part of Lyman. Today, the town is largely a bedroom community.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 40.49 square miles (104.87 km2), of which, 38.99 square miles (100.98 km2) of it is land and 1.50 square miles (3.88 km2) is water. Lyman is drained by the Kennebunk River.

The town is crossed by U.S. Route 202 and State Routes 5, 35 and 111. It is bordered by the towns of Hollis and Dayton to the northeast, Arundel and Kennebunk to the southeast, Alfred to the southwest, and Waterboro to the northwest.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1790 765
1800 995 30.1%
1810 1,248 25.4%
1820 1,387 11.1%
1830 1,503 8.4%
1840 1,478 −1.7%
1850 1,376 −6.9%
1860 1,307 −5.0%
1870 1,052 −19.5%
1880 1,004 −4.6%
1890 854 −14.9%
1900 687 −19.6%
1910 615 −10.5%
1920 415 −32.5%
1930 370 −10.8%
1940 385 4.1%
1950 499 29.6%
1960 529 6.0%
1970 864 63.3%
1980 2,509 190.4%
1990 3,390 35.1%
2000 3,795 11.9%
2010 4,344 14.5%
2020 4,525 4.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 4,344 people, 1,660 households, and 1,269 families living in the town. The population density was 111.4 inhabitants per square mile (43.0/km2). There were 2,067 housing units at an average density of 53.0 per square mile (20.5/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.8% White, 0.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 0.4% Asian, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.7% of the population.

There were 1,660 households, of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.6% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 23.6% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 2.91.

The median age in the town was 43.3 years. 21.5% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.3% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.7% were from 25 to 44; 34.2% were from 45 to 64; and 13.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.6% male and 50.4% female.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Lyman (Maine) para niños

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