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Sebago, Maine
Sebago Community Church
Sebago Community Church
Location in Cumberland County and the state of Maine.
Location in Cumberland County and the state of Maine.
Country United States
State Maine
County Cumberland
Incorporated 1826
Villages East Sebago
Hillside
Long Beach
North Sebago
Sebago Center
West Sebago
Area
 • Total 48.93 sq mi (126.73 km2)
 • Land 32.76 sq mi (84.85 km2)
 • Water 16.17 sq mi (41.88 km2)
Elevation
410 ft (125 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 1,911
 • Density 58/sq mi (22.5/km2)
Time zone UTC−5 (Eastern (EST))
 • Summer (DST) UTC−4 (EDT)
ZIP Code
04029
Area code(s) 207
FIPS code 23-66775
GNIS feature ID 0582717

Sebago is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,911 at the 2020 census. It is part of the PortlandSouth PortlandBiddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.

History

Originally called Flintstown, it was granted in 1774 by the Massachusetts General Court to survivors of Captain John Flint's company of soldiers from Concord, Massachusetts. It replaced a grant of 1735 that awarded them Township No. 3 (now Walpole, New Hampshire), but which was ruled invalid when the border between Massachusetts and New Hampshire was redrawn to satisfy prior claims by the descendants of John Mason. On June 23, 1802, Flintstown was incorporated as Baldwin. Then on February 10, 1826, Sebago was set off from Baldwin and incorporated as a separate town. It took the name of Sebago Lake. Land was annexed from Denmark in 1830, and taken in 1834 to help form Naples.

Hillcrest Lodge, Sebago Lake, ME - 1917
Hillcrest Lodge, Sebago Lake, ME – 1917

Lumberjacks and woodsmen were the first European inhabitants of the area, but they left as soon as the first growth of pine was cut. It 1790, Joseph Lakin from Groton, Massachusetts, built a cabin, then returned with his family and possessions. The surface of the town is very uneven and generally rocky, so it was hard work to clear a farm for cultivation. But the soil was good and yielded abundant crops. Mills were built at water power sites, and products included long and short lumber, shooks, and boots and shoes. In 1832, the Cumberland and Oxford Canal opened, increasing trade between Sebago Lake and Portland. In the early 1870s, the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad carried tourists and freight to Sebago Lake Station in Standish, where steamboats took them to various landings around the lake. Inns, hotels and summer camps opened, and the town became a recreation area, which it remains today.

In 1906, the Order of Sir Galahad, an Episcopal youth organization, established Camp O-AT-KA in East Sebago.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 48.93 square miles (126.73 km2), of which 32.76 square miles (84.85 km2) is land and 16.17 square miles (41.88 km2) is water. Situated beside Sebago Lake, Sebago is drained by the Northwest River and Mill Brook. Douglas Mountain has an elevation of 1,416 feet (432 m) above sea level, the highest point in both the town and southwestern Maine.

The town is crossed by state routes 11, 107 and 114. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgton to the north, Naples to the northeast, Baldwin and Standish to the south, and Denmark and Hiram to the west.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1830 586
1840 707 20.6%
1850 850 20.2%
1860 958 12.7%
1870 803 −16.2%
1880 808 0.6%
1890 681 −15.7%
1900 576 −15.4%
1910 536 −6.9%
1920 541 0.9%
1930 470 −13.1%
1940 518 10.2%
1950 577 11.4%
1960 546 −5.4%
1970 708 29.7%
1980 974 37.6%
1990 1,259 29.3%
2000 1,433 13.8%
2010 1,719 20.0%
2020 1,911 11.2%
U.S. Decennial Census

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,719 people, 724 households, and 484 families living in the town. The population density was 52.5 inhabitants per square mile (20.3/km2). There were 1,464 housing units at an average density of 44.7 per square mile (17.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.1% White, 0.3% African American, 0.9% Native American, 0.2% Asian, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.3% of the population.

There were 724 households, of which 26.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.1% were non-families. Of all households 25.8% were made up of individuals, and 7.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 2.80.

The median age in the town was 44.7 years. 20.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.5% were from 25 to 44; 33.7% were from 45 to 64; and 15.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.2% male and 48.8% female.

Sites of interest

Notable people

  • George Herbert Babb, state legislator
  • Vinal G. Good, state legislator and insurance agent

See also

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

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