Jonesboro, Maine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Jonesboro, Maine | |
  Jonesboro, Maine
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| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| State | Maine |
| County | Washington |
| Area | |
| - Total | 38.4 sq mi (99.5 km²) |
| - Land | 36.7 sq mi (95.0 km²) |
| - Water | 1.8 sq mi (4.5 km²) |
| Elevation | 105 ft (32 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 594 |
| - Density | 16.2/sq mi (6.3/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 04648 |
| Area code(s) | 207 |
| FIPS code | 23-35905 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0582536 |
Jonesboro is a town in Washington County, Maine, United States. The population was 594 at the 2000 census.
Contents |
[edit] Brief Introduction
In 1763, Chandler’s River Incorporated– also called Chandler’s River and The Falls - was founded. The town was named after the Chandler River, which flowed through the town and the river was named after one of the original proprietors of the town named Judah Chandler. Twelve years later, in 1775, the American Revolution had begun and quickly found the eastern coast of Maine. Only sixteen miles away, the first naval battle of the revolution was taking place in neighboring Machias. As soon as news of this battle reached Chandler’s River, the men hastily gathered their weapons, powder, and lead and set off towards the battle. However, Hannah Weston – a Chandler’s River resident - observed that they didn’t have enough supplies. She immediately gathered more supplies and headed towards Machias. Unfortunately, when she got there the battle was over and the British ship, the Margaretta, had already been captured. In 1809, Chandlers River Inc. was renamed Jonesborough in honor of John C. Jones who was one of the original men who founded the town. At that time, “Jonesborough” consisted of present-day Jonesport, Rogue Bluffs, and Jonesboro. Jonesport separated and became its own town on February 3rd, 1832 and then Rogue Bluffs became its own town on March 12th, 1891. In 1947, a terrible wildfire swept through most of Jonesboro and most of Maine as well. This fire supposedly started in a swamp and then worked its way through the wilderness into Jonesboro burning all it could, including the Grimes Mill, down to the ground. Many men became volunteer firefighters to respond to this terrible tragedy and help make a fire line – or something to keep the fire from reaching too far into Jonesboro – by chopping down all the trees within a certain measurement so that the fire wouldn’t have any fuel and therefore burn out and stop moving as rapidly as it was. Eventually, the fire just moved on past the small, quite, and then blackened and burnt town of Jonesboro leaving an incredulous amount of damage in its wake.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 38.4 square miles (99.5 km²), of which, 36.7 square miles (95.0 km²) of it is land and 1.8 square miles (4.5 km²) of it (4.55%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 594 people, 257 households, and 172 families residing in the town. The population density was 16.2 people per square mile (6.3/km²). There were 325 housing units at an average density of 8.9/sq mi (3.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.33% White, 0.17% African American, and 0.51% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.51% of the population.
There were 257 households out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.6% were married couples living together, 5.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.7% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.82.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.6% under the age of 18, 5.1% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 25.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 99.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $27,639, and the median income for a family was $36,458. Males had a median income of $31,389 versus $20,956 for females. The per capita income for the town was $14,418. About 9.6% of families and 16.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.6% of those under age 18 and 12.0% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Notable Residents
- Tom Selleck (summer home)
[edit] Government
Once a year (formerly in March but currently during June) the citizens of Jonesboro assemble for a town meeting. This town meeting performs the legislative function of the local government. In short, the meeting: passes laws that are needed for orderly governance, approves a budget, and decides the amount of property taxes to be raised. Town officers are elected in a special election prior to the meeting. Among the town officers elected are: the board of selectmen, Moderator, Assessors, Town Clerk, Treasurer. Tax Collector, three members of the School Board, Clam Warden, and Registrar of Voters. The Board of Selectmen performs the executive branch of the local government by administering, enforcing, and carrying out decisions made at the meeting. Under state law, the three selectmen on the board of selectmen have specific duties relating to town meetings and elections, finances, personnel, public works, and planning. State law also grants selectmen some legislative powers as well. These include enacting laws or ordinances regulating vehicles, public ways, and the local welfare program. The Selectmen also act as the overseers of the poor for Jonesboro. The Moderator heads the town meeting and other town meetings that may be held for special reasons. He/she may also throw out any unruly people attending the meeting. The town clerk does all the other services of the town such as giving out permits, registering cars, typing up town reports, etc. The Treasurer regulates the town’s money and the Tax Collector collects this money from the citizens of Jonesboro. The three members of the School Board regulate the rules, money, fundraisers, and etc. for the local school. The Clam Warden acts as a Forest Ranger for the clam-flats. He makes sure that all rules and guidelines for clamming in the town of Jonesboro are followed (these rules and guidelines are set by the town ordinance) and he can also arrest any violators of these rules and guidelines. The Registrar of Voters registers any town citizen who wishes to vote in the town of Jonesboro. He/she is also always at the elections in Jonesboro to register new/late voters and counts the votes.
[edit] Hannah Weston
Communications were very slow between towns in 1775 so when news of the arrival of the British ship the Margaretta came to Jonesboro (then called Chandler’s River), it was quickly spread from house to house. The men of the town (women were not allowed to fight in a war during those times) hastily equipped themselves with whatever supplies that they had on hand and gathered at the home of one man which had always been a leader among them: Josiah Weston (Hannah Weston’s husband). There they quickly made arrangements for the journey of sixteen miles to Machias. However, Hannah Weston saw when the men left her husband’s house that they didn’t have enough supplies. Hastily collecting all the powder, lead, and pewter that she and her sister-in-law Rebecca Weston could find, the two girls - ages seventeen (Hannah) and nineteen (Rebecca) - set off on March 12th, 1775 for the Battle of The Margaretta, which later became known as the first maritime battle of the American Revolution. It was a strange and rough journey with only a few blazed trees to use as markers (the men that had come before them blazed the trees so as not to lose their way back to Chandler’s River) and the two girls quickly became lost and started to go through the area of present-day Whitneyville. They traveled on but Rebecca grew more and more tired and found the journey was all she could bear without carrying her share of the powder, pewter, and lead (together, their load totaled about forty pounds). Driven to get to the men at the battle, Hannah took on the double load and carried it on the lengthened journey all the way to the battle site. The men had the happy news to tell of the capture of the Margaretta when Hannah and Rebecca arrived at Machias. Even though they were late, they received the generous words of appreciation from the citizens of Machias and especially from the soldiers, who had fought in the battle. Later on, both Hannah and Rebecca received twelve yards of fabric as a slight token of appreciation for what they had done. Hannah Watts Weston’s grave overlooks her small town even today in the 21st century. However, her character, patriotism, and great story still lives on today to make sure that no Jonesboro resident will ever think that their town was unimportant to the rest of the world.
[edit] Economy
Throughout the years, Jonesboro has had a large variety of businesses and other economic pursuits. The following are businesses that either were once in Jonesboro or are currently in Jonesboro: · Clyde’s Motel Cabins (formerly on U. S. Route 1, now replaced by the Blueberry Patch Motel) · Maine Blueberry Growers Inc. Cannery (no longer in business) · C. E. Fish Clam Company (on the Rogue Bluffs Road) · Rose Hill Cemetery (on the Rose Hill Cemetery Road) · Forest Hill Cemetery (on Cemetery Road, just off the Station Road) · Village Cemetery (on Whitney Street) · Looks Point Cemetery (just off the Look’s Point Road) · Jonesboro Union Church (on the Look’s Point Road) · C. F. Look (contractor) · Gay Brothers Inc. – fruit dealers (formerly on U. S. Route 1) · Look Brother’s General Store (formerly on U. S. Route 1, where Tracy’s Place used to be) · Bridgham’s Store/Dairy Dream (formerly on U. S. Route 1) · Guy L. Look (insurance agent, no longer in business) · Edwin Varney (insurance agent, no longer in business) · M + M Metals (on U. S. Route 1) · Varney’s Poultry Farm (formerly on the Station Road) · Look Brother’s Quarry (successor of Bodgewell Granite Inc.’s Quarry, no longer in business) · Bodgewell Granite Inc. (formerly on U. S. Route 1, where Tracy’s Place/Looks Brother’s General store used to be) · Grench & Ellis’s Quarry · Whitehouse Restaurant (on U. S. Route 1) · Chandler River Lodge Gourmet Dining (on U. S. Route 1) · Jonesboro High School (formerly on U. S. Route 1, where the Grange Hall is now) · White School (formerly on U. S. Route 1, where the campground is now) · Looks Point School (formerly on Look’s Point Road) · Lower End School (formerly on Rose Hill Road) · The Neighborhood School (formerly on the Station Road) · Grammar School (formerly on Station Road, where Town Office is now) · Jonesboro Elementary School (on School Street) · Jonesboro Telephone Company (formerly on Look’s Point Road) · Maine Freightways · Schoppee’s Garage (formerly on U. S. Route 1) · Zachry’s (on U. S. Route 1) · Barren View Golf Course (on U. S. Route 1) · By “Us” Company (on U. S. Route 1) · C. F. Look Construction (on U. S. Route 1) · Green Thumb Greenhouse (on Mason’s Bay Road) · Jonesboro Sand & Gravel (on Hanscom Pit Road) · Doug Norton (electrician) · Jonesboro Fire Department (on Old U. S. Route 1) · Pat’s Beauty Salon (on Look’s Point Road) · Garden Side Herd (on Look’s Point Road, at the Roos’s) · Blue Bird Ranch Trucking (on Blue Bird Ranch Dive) · Apple Blossom Greenhouse (formerly on Blue Bird Ranch Drive) · Hatch Knoll Blueberries (on the Hatch Knoll Road) · Tracy’s Place (formerly on U. S. Route 1) · Strout Real Estate (formerly on U. S. Route 1) · Blueberry Patch Motel (on U. S. Route 1) · J. J. Trucking & General Contractors (on U. S. Route 1) · Alley’s Trap Shop (on the Evergreen Point Road) · Chandler River Log Homes (on U. S. Route 1) · Dr. Candace Croft – chiropractor (on U. S. Route 1) · Fletcher Granite Inc. Quarry (behind the Varney’s) · Frazier Seafood (on U. S. Route 1) · Jonesboro Milling Company (on Rogue Bluffs Road) · Tide Mill Creek Conservation Land (on Rogue Bluffs Road, across from the Seeley’s) · T. A. B. U. Enterprises (on U. S. Route 1) · Weownit Cranberry Company (formerly on the Mason’s Bay Road) · American Tower (on U. S. Route 1, the radio tower) · Maine Shore Contractors · Jonesboro Custom Finish Shop (on U. S. Route 1) · Sunrise County Wild Blueberry · Ultrasystems Western Constructors · Babcox & Wilcox construction Company · III Enterprises · Cindy Gagnon Certified Public Accountant · Sunrise Campground (on U. S. Route 1) · Blueberry Bliss (on U. S. Route 1) · Pan Angling Hunting & fishing Services (formerly on U. S Route 1) · Means Investment Company (on U. S. Route 1) · Orrin White Jr.’s Wreathing (on U. S. Route 1) · Gary Alley’s Wreathing (on the Look’s Point Road) · Patrick Mawhinney’s Wreathing (on the Rogue Bluffs Road) · Evelyn’s Evergreens (formerly on the Hanscom Pit Road) · United States Post Office (on U. S. Route 1) · Orrin White Jr.’s Used Cars (on U. S. Route 1) · Palosky’s Used Cars (on U. S. Route 1) · WordshedLLC · The Grimes Mill (formerly on Whitney Street)
Jonesboro’s economy also varied by the seasons many years ago. In the winter, the men would go to the logging camps and either cut trees for lumber, be cooks or cookees, or be general maintenance. Also, they often cut ice from the frozen river and sold it to various suppliers. In the spring, the men would drive the logs (cut in the winter) downstream to the mill and then cut them into lumber. In the summer, they could dig clams, rake blueberries, fish, or lobster fish. Finally, during the fall, they made wreaths or may have hunted and sold the meat and/or skins to various people.
[edit] The Clam War
On November 3rd, 1969, a large number of Jonesport-Beals clam diggers went to court for digging clams on Jonesboro’s clam-flats without the appropriate licenses. At that time, Jonesboro required all residents and non-residents of the town to purchase a 25 cent license from the town before digging any clams. This was in addition to the state license fee of $3.00. However, non-residents were permitted to take only 1 peck of clams per day and a new license must have been issued each day. This would have eliminated any possibility of an outsider digging on Jonesboro’s flats for commercial purposes. Jonesboro Town Clerk Mrs. Theone Look further contended that since Jonesboro cared to carry out a state supervised clam control program, and other communities didn’t, that Jonesboro and other participating communities should have been able to reap the sole fruits of their labors. But Jonesport’s diggers – led by William O. Alley - claimed that if the digging area could have been spread out by eliminating restrictive town ordinances, then all diggers would have had an equal opportunity to take clams from any open flats. In the end, the judge ruled that the ordinance stood and that the Jonesport-Beal’s clam diggers’ actions were in a direct violation of it. Therefore, the diggers were fined and the stream running through the clam flats became a dividing line. Everything to the west of it was Jonesport’s and everything to the east of it was Jonesboro’s.
