Historical United States Census totals for Somerset County, Maine

This article shows U.S. Census totals for Somerset County, Maine, broken down by municipality, from 1900 to 2000.

There are two types of incorporated municipalities in Maine, towns and cities. The tables in the New England Historical U.S. Census Totals series differentiate between towns and cities; however, there have never been any cities in Somerset County.

Most areas of New England are entirely divided into incorporated municipalities, with no unincorporated territory. In the three northern New England states, however, some unincorporated territory does exist, generally in areas that are very sparsely populated. Maine contains significantly more unincorporated territory than the other states, with the bulk of it in interior and northern counties, including Somerset County.

Some unincorporated territory in Maine is organized into a third type of town-level municipality unique to Maine, called a plantation (considered to be “organized”, but not incorporated), while some is entirely unorganized. Due to the large extent of unincorporated territory in Somerset County, separate sections with detailed historical census totals for such areas follow the main tables below. For any census, adding up the totals for each town-level municipality, including any plantations or unorganized entities, should yield the county total.

For more information on the New England municipal system, see New England town.

Corporate changes since 1900

1900

County Total: 33,849

Unincorporated territory reported 2,707 residents. This consisted of 2,468 residents in organized plantations, and 239 residents in unorganized territory.

1910

County Total: 36,301

Unincorporated territory reported 3,362 residents. This consisted of 2,826 residents in organized plantations, and 536 residents in unorganized territory.

1920

County Total: 37,171

Unincorporated territory reported 3,827 residents. This consisted of 3,087 residents in organized plantations, and 740 residents in unorganized territory.

1930

County Total: 39,111

Unincorporated territory reported 3,291 residents. This consisted of 2,582 residents in organized plantations, and 709 residents in unorganized territory.

1940

County Total: 38,245

Unincorporated territory reported 3,204 residents. This consisted of 2,253 residents in organized plantations, and 951 residents in unorganized territory.

1950

County Total: 39,785

Unincorporated territory reported 2,981 residents. This consisted of 1,682 residents in organized plantations, and 1,299 residents in unorganized territory.

1960

County Total: 39,749

Unincorporated territory reported 1,485 residents. This consisted of 469 residents in organized plantations, and 1,016 residents in unorganized territory.

1970

County Total: 40,597

Unincorporated territory reported 1,264 residents. This consisted of 460 residents in organized plantations, and 804 residents in unorganized territory.

1980

County Total: 45,049

Unincorporated territory reported 1,056 residents. This consisted of 425 residents in organized plantations, and 631 residents in unorganized territory.

1990

County Total: 49,767

Unincorporated territory reported 1,041 residents. This consisted of 348 residents in organized plantations, and 693 residents in unorganized territory.

2000

County Total: 50,888

Unincorporated territory reported 1,114 residents. This consisted of 333 residents in organized plantations, and 781 residents in unorganized territory.

Plantations

As of 1900, Somerset County contained sixteen plantations. Six still exist today. Three of the plantations in existence as of 1900 have since incorporated as towns (Moose River, Jackman and Caratunk). The remaining seven have all surrendered their organization and reverted to unorganized territory: Carrying Place (apparently sometime in the 1920s; see the notes to the 1930 Census below), Long Pond (1929), Mayfield (1937), Lexington (1939), Bigelow (1940), Flagstaff (1951) and Dead River (1951). The last two dissolved after the area in which they were located was flooded due to dam construction.

In addition to those already listed, the former town of Concord operated as a plantation for about four years following its disincorporation as a town, from 1935 to 1939. It then surrendered its organization and reverted to unorganized territory.

Brighton, Lexington and Mayfield were all incorporated as towns in the 19th century, but had disincorporated and changed to a plantation form of government prior to 1900.

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

Unorganized Territory

Like all of Maine's interior counties, Somerset County contains a significant amount of unorganized territory. Most of it is in the northern and central parts of the county, in areas which are very sparsely populated. Historically, only about the southern third of the county has been incorporated or organized. The general divider between the organized and unorganized parts was the northern boundary of Highland Plantation, Pleasant Ridge Plantation, the town of Moscow, and the former town of Mayfield. All territory south of that line was historically organized, with all but Highland and Pleasant Ridge once incorporated as towns (Note that Brighton, Lexington and Mayfield were all towns at one time but had changed to plantations prior to 1900). North of that line, the vast majority of the county was never organized; up until the 1950s there were never any incorporated towns, just a few scattered plantations. The only areas north of the line that have ever been organized are in three clusters:

Most of the northern part of the county is quite remote and has never had any significant population on more than a transitory basis. The distinction between a “township” and a “gore-like entity”, etc. in Somerset County is not always clear, as there are a number of surveyed townships labeled as “gores” or “grants”. There are at least sixty townships in the county which have never been organized, however, along with a number of additional gore-like entities. Note that there are oddly two different unorganized townships in the county commonly known as Bald Mountain Township.

Between 1935 and 1945, a large number of municipalities in Maine dissolved and reverted to unorganized townships. In Somerset County, this included one community which had historically been a town (Concord), and three which had historically been plantations (Lexington, Mayfield and Bigelow). In 1951, two additional plantations in the Dead River valley (Flagstaff and Dead River) dissolved and reverted to unorganized territory due to the impending construction of a dam.

The areas of Somerset County that are entirely unorganized cover about 2,600 square miles (6,700 km2), with a population of about 800 people. This covers about two-thirds of the county’s land area, but includes only about 1.5% of its population. One unorganized community of particular note is Rockwood Strip (sometimes called Rockwood Township, or just “Rockwood”). Located on the west shore of Moosehead Lake, Rockwood has a significant enough population base to have its own post office and telephone exchange, but it has never organized as a plantation or incorporated as a town. It currently maintains a registrar and clerk, but has never had a true organized municipal government.

Over the years, the U.S. Census Bureau has used different methods to compile data for unorganized territory in Maine. From 1900 to 1950, data was tabulated for each individual unorganized entity. In 1960, a single catch-all “Unorganized Territory” listing was provided for each Maine county, generally with no further breakdown. Since 1970, the Census has grouped contiguous areas in each county into one or more “unorganized territories”. As of the 2000 Census, four such areas are recognized within Somerset County:

When the Unorganized Territories were first created for the 1970 Census, there were just two in Somerset County: Central Somerset and North Somerset. Central Somerset was the same as it is currently (Lexington and Concord townships). North Somerset was all other unorganized territory in the county (the entire area north of Highland, Pleasant Ridge, Caratunk, The Forks, West Forks and Brighton, except for Dennistown, Jackman and Moose River). For the 1980 Census, North Somerset was broken up into Northeast Somerset, Northwest Somerset, and Seboomook Lake.

The listings below provide population figures for 1) all unincorporated territory, including plantations; 2) organized plantations, for which breakouts are available in the main tables above; and 3) unorganized territory, with any available breakouts provided.

1900

All unincorporated territory 2,707

Organized plantations 2,468

Unorganized territory 239

1910

All unincorporated territory 3,362

Organized plantations 2,826

Unorganized territory 536

1920

All unincorporated territory 3,827

Organized plantations 3,087

Unorganized territory 740

1930

All unincorporated territory 3,291

Organized plantations 2,582

Unorganized territory 709

1940

All unincorporated territory 3,204

Organized plantations 2,253

Unorganized territory 951

1950

All unincorporated territory 2,981

Organized plantations 1,682

Unorganized territory 1,299

1960

All unincorporated territory 1,485

Organized plantations 469

Unorganized territory 1,016

The 1960 Census reported all unorganized territory in Somerset County under a single catch-all listing. No breakdown is available.

1970

All unincorporated territory 1,264

Organized plantations 460

Unorganized territory 804

Starting with the 1970 Census, the unorganized territory in Somerset County was broken into groups of contiguous territory. Two such entities were recognized in 1970.

1980

All unincorporated territory 1,056

Organized plantations 425

Unorganized territory 631

For the 1980 Census, the former North Somerset Unorganized Territory was broken into three entities, for a total of four recognized within the county.

1990

All unincorporated territory 1,041

Organized plantations 348

Unorganized territory 693

2000

All unincorporated territory 1,114

Organized plantations 333

Unorganized territory 781

Note: the unorganized townships in Somerset County are on four different grids:

Notes

1910 Census

Notes in the 1920 Census reports indicate that the 1910 population of Caratunk Plantation includes the adjacent Bald Mountain Twp. (T2R3 BKP EKR) as well as a “Spaulding” Twp. It is unclear whether this also applies to earlier censuses.

1920 Census

The 1920 Census reports contain a single listing for Bald Mountain Twp., combining the two townships by that name in Somerset County, even though they are not adjacent. The 1930 Census reports show the 1920 population of each broken out separately. These separate figures for 1920 are shown in the tables above.

1930 Census

The 1930 Census reports show Long Pond as a plantation. The 1940 reports show it as an unorganized township, with no explanation of when or how its status changed. Other sources consulted indicate that Long Pond Plantation surrendered its organization in 1929, however. This article assumes that the 1929 date is correct and the Census showed Long Pond as a plantation in error in 1930.

Carrying Place appears to have been organized as a plantation for a time in the late 19th century and early 20th century, but the author of this article has been unable to locate a date for its surrender of organization. One source shows it as a plantation as of 1895, and the Census listed it as a plantation in every census from 1880 to 1930, though typically with population levels that were very small for an organized plantation; it actually reported no population at all in 1930. The 1940 Census reports show it as an unorganized township, with no explanation of when or how its status changed. Until more definite information is discovered, this article lists it as a plantation through 1920, the last census for which it was both listed as a plantation and reported any population.

1980 Census

The 1980 Census reports show Caratunk as a plantation, changing to a town for the 1990 Census. The author of this article was only able to locate one source containing a year of incorporation for Caratunk, which indicated 1977. Until information to the contrary is discovered, this article assumes that the 1977 date is correct and that Caratunk should have been shown as a town in 1980.

See also

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