Skowhegan, ME Facts, Population, Income, Demographics, Economy

Population (male): 3,070

Population (female): 3,227

Cost of Living: March 2019 cost of living index in Skowhegan: 87.3 (less than average, U.S. average is 100)

Poverty (overall): Percentage of residents living in poverty in 2017: 20.3%

Sex Offenders: According to our research of Maine and other state lists, there were 33 registered sex offenders living in Skowhegan, Maine as of January 15, 2021. The ratio of all residents to sex offenders in Skowhegan is 202 to 1.>

Ancestries: Ancestries: English (16.9%), French (14.4%), American (11.5%), Irish (8.7%), French Canadian (7.9%), Canadian (4.8%).

Land Area: 13.4 square miles.

Population Density:

Zip Codes: 04976

Races:
      White alone - 6,184 - 95.1%
      Two or more races - 117 - 1.8%
      Hispanic - 65 - 1.0%
      American Indian alone - 58 - 0.9%
      Asian alone - 56 - 0.9%
      Black alone - 20 - 0.3%

The first permanent European settlement of the area began in 1771.:17-19 The first settlers of the region around Skowhegan were a small group of pioneers from southern Massachusetts who traveled by ship up the Kennebec River to the head of tide near Gardiner. From there, they made their way upriver on the eastern side to Winslow, in the area of Fort Halifax. There, any semblance of roads ended and it was necessary to follow rough trails (created by the indigenous inhabitants of the region) on the eastern bank of the river about twenty-five miles to their destination. Their first place of settlement was an island in the River of about nine acres in size that was part of the property acquired by Joseph Weston through the proprietary company known as Plymouth Company or Kennebec Proprietors, a Boston-based company seeking to settle the lands along the Kennebec River. Their initial claim was established through the purchase of a grant originally made to William Bradford in 1629 from the English monarch Charles I. The settlers arrived on an island two miles south of the Great Eddy of the Kennebec in the spring of 1771. The group consisted of two families, the Heywoods and the Westons. The Heywoods included Peter Heywood of Concord, his son Asa, and Isaac Smith, who lived with the Heywoods. The Westons included Peter Heywood's brother-in-law, Joseph Weston of Lancaster, and his son Eli. They built a cabin, planted corn and potatoes, and cut hay for their cattle. In late summer, Peter and Asa Heywood and Joseph Weston returned to their hometowns, leaving Eli Weston and Isaac Smith to finish harvesting their crops and tend the livestock. Unexpected delays caused both families to wait until the following spring to return, leaving the two boys to spend the winter alone on the island. Weston and Heywood brought the rest of their families back to the small settlement in April 1772. Dr. Nathaniel Whitaker was the first minister, first doctor, and something of a lawyer, having been educated at what is now Princeton University, according to the records at the Skowhegan History House. In 1811, Revolutionary War General Josiah Locke established a tavern (inn) at the corner of Main and West Front Streets. He operated the tavern for 50 years and was postmaster for 49 years.