Census Population: Turner, Maine
| Year |
Population |
|---|
| 1790 |
356 |
| 1800 |
704 |
| 1810 |
1128 |
| 1820 |
1726 |
| 1830 |
2218 |
| 1840 |
2479 |
| 1850 |
2537 |
| 1860 |
2682 |
| 1870 |
2380 |
| 1880 |
2285 |
| 1890 |
2016 |
| 1900 |
1842 |
| 1910 |
1708 |
| 1920 |
1382 |
| 1930 |
1362 |
| 1940 |
1415 |
| 1950 |
1712 |
| 1960 |
1890 |
| 1970 |
2246 |
| 1980 |
3539 |
U.S. Census Information for Turner, 1790-1980
One of the best ways to gain all sorts of insights into the history of any community is to study the U. S. Censuses, which have been taken every ten years since 1790 by the Federal Government.
To the right is a compilation of the total census population of Turner from 1790 to 1980. Notice the dramatic decline in population from 1860 and 1930. This same decline occurred in much of rural Maine during this time period.
You can see that Turner enjoyed a comeback in population after 1960. This was largely due to the growth of the DeCoster Egg Farm, which became one of the largest egg producers in the East, employing as many as 500 people by 1980. Better highways made it easy to commute to and from small towns and larger cities, and Turner attracted many new residents who enjoyed living in a small town while working in cities such as Lewiston and Portland.
The most recent Federal census was taken for the year 2000. Every household in the United States was contacted, and every person in the United States should have been accounted for.
Special Censuses
In addition to the regular population schedule, the U. S. government collected information for three separate schedules: Products of Agriculture, Products of Industry, and a compilation of social statistics that enumerated the number of churches, schools, and newspapers that were active in each town, as well as the amount of money spent on pauper relief and similar town expenditures.
The Mortality Schedule
In 1870, the Government also collected data about the deaths that occurred in each town during the preceding year. It was commonplace for families to lose one or more children in infancy, or as a result of epidemics of diseases such scarlet fever, typhoid fever and diphtheria. When were such diseases eradicated? How?
Atlas and History of Androscoggin County
In 1873, three years after the census was taken, the Atlas and History of Androscoggin County, Maine was published by Sanford Everts & Co., of Philadelphia, Pa. The Atlas contains a detailed map of each community in Maine, showing each inhabitant's residence or farm, and the location of sawmills, gristmills and other features.
