The Somerset reporter., 1885-08-05
Selected.
The Counties of Maine.

Prior 10 l760 the county Of York includ.
ed the whole Of the District of Maine. In
1860 the General Court of Massachusetts
created two new counties in the District OF
Maine, viz Cumberland and Lincoln,
thus making three counties. The county
OF York was bounded on the east very
nearly a. now, and also included small
portion OF what is now Western Oxford.
The county of Cumberland as bounded
on the west by he Harpswel and Bruins
wick east line and by the Androscoggin
river for 80 miles from it's mouth and
thence north To the Canada line, with Fal-
mouth (now Portland) as the shire town
The balance of The District was erected
into the county 81 Lincoln. with Pownal-
borough (now Dresdeu) u the shire town.
Subsequently Wisoasset was made the
shire town.
In 1889 two new counties, Hancock and
Washington were formed out of the east
ern portion of Lincoln county. The east
ern boundary of Lincoln and western
boundary of Hancock was made the west
erly line of Camden and easlerly line OF
Warren and Union, thence northerly 22l
deg. east to the north line of the Waldo
patent, and thence north to the Canada
line. Castine was made the shire town of
Hancock and subsequently L lsworth.
That part of the District of Maine east of
the new county of Hancock was erected
into tho county of Washington with Ma
chias as the shire town. In 1871 Camden
was set of to Lincoln.
LIN 1899 the north part of Lincoln, iDclud-
Ing nearly all OF the present counties of
Kenuebec and Somerset, was erected into
the county of X, nnebec with Augusta as
the shire town. Litchtleld was set off
from Lincoln to Kennebec in 1885, and
Wales in 1910.
In 1905 the north part of Cumberland,
commencing at the sontherly line of Tur-
ner, and the north part of York WAS erect
ed into the new county OF Oxford, with
Paris as the shire town.
In 1909 the no thern part of Kennebec
was erected into the county OF Somerset,
with Norridgewock as the shire town.
Subsequently Skowhegan was made the
shire town.
In 1SlG, the northern part of Hancock
on the west side of the Penobscot river
and portion of the northern part east of
the river were erected into the new county
OF Penobscoi, with Bangor as the shire
town. Comma was set off from Somerset
10 Pcnobscot in 1888.
In 1927, all Of Hancock west of Penob-
scot bay and river, and Camden, Hope,
Montville, Palermo, Appleton and Mont
willie in Lincoln county, and Freedom,
Unity and Burnham in Kennetec county,
were erected into the new county of Waldo
with Belfast as the shire town.
In 1888 New Sharon, Chestervile, Will
ton, Temple aud Farmin ton in the county
of Krnuebec; Jay, Carthage, Weld, Ber-
lin, Madrid and territory north in The coun-
ty of Oxford, and Industry, New Vineyard,
Strong, Avon, Phillips Freeman, Salem,
kingfield and townships north in the coun-
tv of Somerset, were erected into the new
county of Franklin, with Pennington as
the shire town.
Iu 1888 that portion of Somerset north
of the south lines of Parkman and We'll
lington and that portion of PenobsCot
north of Dexter, etc, and east of Wilton
Kilmarnoch, etc, was erected into the
county of Piscataquis, with Dover as the
SHIRE town.
In 1889 the northerly part of Penobscot
aud Washington counties was erected into
Aroostook county, with Houlton as the
shire town.
1854 Lewiston, Lisbon and Webster In
the county of Lincoln; Auburn, Danville,
Durham, Minot and Poland IN the county
of Cumberland; Livermore and Turner In
the county of Oxford; and East Livermore
(set of from Livermore and erected into
town in lS43) Green, Leeds and Wales in
the county of kennebec, were erected In
the new county of AndroscoggiD with Au-
burn ~ the shire town.
In 1874 the towns now constituting Sag
dahoc county were set off from Lincoln
county. and erected into a pew county
(Sagadihoc,) with Bath as th shire town.
In 1860 Appleton, Camden, Hope, North
Haven and Vinalhaven in the county of
Waldo, and Gushing, Friendship, Rockland
South Thomaston, Thomaston, ST. George,
Union, Warren, Washington, Martinicns,
and Muscle Ridge in Lincoln county, were
erected into the new county Of Knox, with
Rockland as the shire town.