During the Civil War, the State of Maine provided aid to the families of soldiers. In 1862, 257 families were supported. In 1863, 269 families were supported. In 1864, 263 families were supported. Lastly, in 1865, 221 families were supported.
The amount of Maine State bounty paid to volunteers, drafted men, substitutes, and all other recruits for the army and navy, between April 12, 1861, and December 31, 1865, was $4,584,636. Biddeford paid servicemen $145,497 and Saco paid servicemen $105,749.
City Farm (Poor Farm), Biddeford, ca. 1910
McArthur Public Library
The high cost of soldier's bounties paid by the cities, had an overall negative economic impact upon Biddeford and Saco.
The war years in the city were difficult; high taxes, city debt, and layoffs. The ensuing joblessness and poverty took their toll. The cities faced a huge debt crisis and many citizens refused to pay the tax assessments imposed by the city government.
Layoffs were common for mill workers, many of which were forced to rely on the city's Poor Farm for Assistance program. In the 1861-62 Annual Report, the Overseer of the Poor stated that 873 people were assisted either on or off the farm, and a second house had to be procured to house all the destitute people in the city.