Solon, Maine
| Solon, Maine | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
Kennebec River c. 1908
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 Solon, Maine
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| Coordinates: 44°56′26″N 69°48′27″W / 44.94056°N 69.80750°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maine |
| County | Somerset |
| Incorporated | 1809 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 40.74 sq mi (105.52 km2) |
| • Land | 39.65 sq mi (102.69 km2) |
| • Water | 1.09 sq mi (2.82 km2) |
| Elevation | 499 ft (152 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,053 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 1,061 |
| • Density | 26.6/sq mi (10.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 04979 |
| Area code(s) | 207 |
| FIPS code | 23-69505 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0582728 |
Solon is a town in Somerset County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,053 at the 2010 census. Solon is a picturesque village containing historic architecture.
The first known inhabitants were the Abenaki Indians, whom European settlers encountered in the early 1600s. There are petroglyphs that have been said to be 5,000 years old or more, but more than likely came about after 1620. General Benedict Arnold and his troops camped below Caratunk Falls on October 7, 1775 before carrying their boats around them on the way up the Kennebec River to the Battle of Quebec. Originally called T1 R2 EKR, the plantation would known as Spauldingtown after Thomas Spaulding, a grantee. It was settled in 1782 by William Hilton from Wiscasset, who purchased 500 acres (2.0 km2). On February 23, 1809 it was incorporated as Solon, named after Solon, a statesman and poet of Ancient Greece.
Agriculture was the principal occupation of the inhabitants. The surface of the town is uneven, the underlying rock slate, but the sandy and occasionally gravelly loam produced good crops of hay and grain. Solon village was established at Fall Brook, its water power used to operate mills. By 1859, when the population was 1,419, there were two sawmills, a gristmill, a shovel handle factory, two fulling and two carding machines, and two blacksmiths. By 1886, the town's industries included a carriage manufacturer and a harness maker.
Solon is the gateway to the Old Canada Road (U. S. Route 201), which from 1820 until 1860 served as the primary link between Lower Canada and Maine. The scenic byway follows the Kennebec River valley through antique villages into forests near the Canada–US border.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 40.74 square miles (105.52 km2), of which, 39.65 square miles (102.69 km2) of it is land and 1.09 square miles (2.82 km2) is water. Solon is drained by Fall Brook, Michael Stream and the Kennebec River, where Caratunk Falls has a descent of 20 feet (6.1 m).
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