Swans Island
| Swans Island, Maine | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
 Swans Island, Maine
|
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| Coordinates: 44°9′8″N 68°26′36″W / 44.15222°N 68.44333°WCoordinates: 44°9′8″N 68°26′36″W / 44.15222°N 68.44333°W | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maine |
| County | Hancock |
| Area | |
| • Total | 80.81 sq mi (209.30 km2) |
| • Land | 12.41 sq mi (32.14 km2) |
| • Water | 68.40 sq mi (177.16 km2) |
| Elevation | 13 ft (4 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 332 |
| • Estimate (2012) | 331 |
| • Density | 26.8/sq mi (10.3/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (EST) (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | EDT (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 04685 |
| Area code(s) | 207 |
| FIPS code | 23-75455 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0582757 |
| Website | www.swansisland.org |
Swan's Island is an island town in Hancock County, Maine, United States. It is named after Colonel James Swan of Fife, Scotland, who purchased the island and some surrounding areas and organized their colonization in the eighteenth century. The population was 332 at the 2010 census. The town is accessible by ferry from Bass Harbor.
The island has a summertime population of approximately 1,000. There is a general store on the island, which opened in spring 2007, and at least one inn. There are also a number of small cottage-industry shops. The main industry is lobster fishing, which employs 40 people full-time and many others in part-time work.
Swan's Island is also home to the Sweet Chariot Music Festival, an annual summertime show of folk music and sea shanties.
Swan's Island was first charted in 1606 by Samuel de Champlain's expedition, and at the time was used by local Indians as a seasonal hunting ground.
James Swan purchased the island in 1786, but in 1791, David Smith, an American Revolutionary War veteran, became the first settler of European extraction on the island.
The population grew slowly to more than 1,000 by 1900. Fish processing was the dominant industry into the 1930s, when it became no longer profitable in the area. The state-run ferry, which began service in 1960, helped make Swan's Island a popular summer tourism destination. The ferry also is used to carry the mail to the island.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 80.81 square miles (209.30 km2), of which 12.41 square miles (32.14 km2) is land and 68.40 square miles (177.16 km2) is water.
There are three villages in the town: Swan's Island, Atlantic, and Minturn.
As of the census of 2010, there were 332 people, 146 households, and 99 families residing in the town. The population density was 26.8 inhabitants per square mile (10.3/km2). There were 483 housing units at an average density of 38.9 per square mile (15.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 96.1% White, 0.9% African American, 0.9% Native American, and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.3% of the population.
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