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Maine Counties

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Maine Counties

There are16 Counties in Maine. Prior to statehood, Maine was officially part of the state of Massachusetts and was called the District of Maine. Maine was granted statehood on March 15, 1820 as part of the Missouri Compromise. Nine of the sixteen Counties had their borders defined while Maine was still part of Massachusetts, and hence are older than the state itself. Even after 1820, the exact location of the northern border of Maine was disputed with Britain, until the question was settled and the northern Counties took their final, official form by treaty in 1845. Almost all of Aroostook County was disputed land until the treaty was signed.

Androscoggin County, Maine

Androscoggin County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

County Seat: Auburn
Year Organized: 1854
Square Miles: 470

Court House:

2 Turner Street
Auburn Superior Court
Auburn, ME 04210-5978

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Androscoggin is named for the Androscoggin Native American tribe.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Androscoggin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2000 U.S. census, the county's population was 103,793. Its county seat is Auburn

History of Androscoggin County, Maine

From
A Gazetteer of the State of Maine

By Geo. J. Varney
Published by B. B. Russell, 57 Cornhill,
Boston 1886

Androscoggin County lies in the midst of the southwestern section of Maine, having its greatest length from north to south. The Androseoggin River passes through it longitudinally, dividing it into two nearly equal parts. The county derives its name from that ot the river, which is a corruption of Anasagunticook, the name of the Indian tribe which formerly occupied the region. It contains the larger proportion of the practically available water power of the Androscoggin and its tributaries, including three of the greatest powers on the main river.

The county buildings are at Auburn, where, too, the courts are held. The county was organized March 18th, 1854; having gained its territory from five other counties. Auburn, Danville (the latter since annexed to the former), Durham, Polani and Minot were taken from Cuinberland County; Livermore and Turner from Oxford County; East Livermore, Leeds, Greene, and Wales from Kennebec and Lewiston, Webster and Lisbon, from Lincoln. The county contains eleven towns and two cities, most of them thrifty and several of them exceedingly flourishing. These are the cities of Auburn and Lewiston and the towns of Durham, East Livermore, Green, Leeds, Lisbon, Livermore, Minot, Poland, Turner, Wales and Webster.

The area of the county is about 400 square miles. The population in 1870 was 35,866; in 1880, it was 45,063. The value of estates in 1870 was $17,592,555. In 1880, it was $20,776,973.

The surface of the country is in general very uneven, having many high hills, but no mountains. Its ponds, springs and rivulets are numerous. Within its limits are Auburn Lake, Androscoggin, Sabattus, Taylor, Thompson, and Trip Ponds, and the noted mineral springs of Poland, West Auburn and Lewiston. There are few extensive bogs, and there is little other waste land. The agricultural qualities of the County are not surpassed in the southern half of the State, and its manufactures are more extensive than that of any other county. Ihe Grand Trunk Railroad, with its Lewiston and Auburn branch, the Buckfield and Rumford Falls Railroad, the Maine Central Railroad, with its Androscoggin and Farinington branches, afford superior facilities for travel and commerce within and beyond its borders. Unusual interest has been taken in education. Bates College is rapidly advancing to a first-class institution ; and to it is now added a Theolagical and a fitting-school. Hebron Academy, in Hebron, has long had an excellent reputation, while the Auburn and Lewiston schools from primary to high are probably not surpassed in the State. One of the most excellent and influential newspapers of the State is published within its borders, and through its public men it has for several years had a marked influence in the nation. There is still greater development and a happy promise of the future before it....Androscoggin County

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 497 square miles (1,288 km²), of which, 470 square miles (1,218 km²) of it is land and 27 square miles (70 km²) of it (5.42%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

Franklin County, Maine - north
Kennebec County, Maine - northeast
Sagadahoc County, Maine - southeast
Cumberland County, Maine - south
Oxford County, Maine - west

Cities and Towns:

- Auburn (County Seat)	city	Incorporated Area
- Durham	town
- Greene	town
- Leeds	town
- Lewiston	city	Incorporated Area
- Lisbon	town
- Livermore	town
- Livermore Falls	town
- Mechanic Falls	town
- Minot	town
- Poland	town
- Sabattus	town
- Turner	town
- Wales	town

County Resources:

Enter County Resources and Information Here

County Resources

The history of our nation was a prolonged struggle to define the relative roles and powers of our governments: federal, state, and local. And the names given the counties, our most locally based jurisdictions, reflects the "characteristic features of this country!"

But age, size and colorful names of our counties isn't the only reason to explore counties' role in American history, or the history of county government itself. In fact, the story of county government reflects the larger meanings of American history.

Today's counties are the most flexible, locally responsive and creative governments in the US. They are the most diverse, varying in size, population, geography, and governmental structure. In their politics and policies, they express a 1990's political slogan "Think globally, act locally."