Starks is a town in Somerset County,

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, United States. The town was named after General

John Stark Major-General John Stark (August 28, 1728 – May 8, 1822) was an American military officer who served during the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. He became known as the "Hero of Bennington" for his exemplary service at the Ba ...

of the Revolutionary War. The population was 593 at the 2020 census.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 640 people, 273 households, and 167 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 395 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.6%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.3% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 0.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.6% of the population. There were 273 households, of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.8% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.8% were non-families. 29.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age in the town was 42.1 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.5% were from 25 to 44; 30.7% were from 45 to 64; and 14.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 51.7% male and 48.3% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 578 people, 224 households, and 159 families living in the town. The

was 18.4 people per square mile (7.1/km). There were 321 housing units at an average density of 10.2 per square mile (4.0/km). The racial makeup of the town was 98.27%

, 0.17%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.35% Native American, 0.17% Asian, and 1.04% from two or more races. There were 224 households, out of which 33.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.8% were

living together, 6.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.6% were non-families. 22.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.58 and the average family size was 3.01. In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.3% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 31.7% from 45 to 64, and 8.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 110.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $30,313, and the median income for a family was $33,462. Males had a median income of $30,208 versus $20,357 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $13,764. About 12.1% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 19.1% of those under age 18 and 17.4% of those age 65 or over.

Marijuana legalization

In 1992, the town of Starks made the first legal vote for

marijuana legalization The legality of cannabis for medical and recreational use varies by country, in terms of its possession, distribution, and cultivation, and (in regards to medical) how it can be consumed and what medical conditions it can be used for. The ...

since the 1970s. Two ordinances written by Dave Wilkinson from neighboring Chesterville were voted on by thirteen Maine towns in the spring of 1992, an event which dominated the local news for a few weeks. One ordinance required that helicopters should not fly lower than 2000 feet over the town except in emergency. The other permitted the cultivation and possession of two pounds' dry weight of cannabis. Don Christen and Maine Vocals lobbied hard for votes. When Starks became the only town to pass both ordinances, it became national news. Wilkinson and other activists went to New York to appear on the "

Faith Daniels Faith Daniels is an American television news anchor, reporter, and talk show host. Early life Daniels was born to an unwed mother and lived eight months in a Catholic orphanage before being adopted by Steven A. Skowronski, a sheet metal worker, ...

Show," the high point of the media attention. The following year, the ordinances were repealed. Starks continues to serve as a focal point among proponents of marijuana legalization in

New England New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...

. A local farmer, Harry Brown, has hosted weekend festivals, concerts, and rallies to support the repeal of

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae that is widely accepted as being indigenous to and originating from the continent of Asia. However, the number of species is disputed, with as many as three species be ...

prohibition Prohibition is the act or practice of forbidding something by law; more particularly the term refers to the banning of the manufacture, storage (whether in barrels or in bottles), transportation, sale, possession, and consumption of alcoholic b ...

on his hillside since 1991.

Notable person

* Edwin F. Ladd,

U.S. senator The United States Senate is a chamber of the bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and House have the authority under Article One of the ...

from

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

References

{{authority control Towns in Somerset County, Maine Towns in Maine