Historical U.S. Census Totals for Franklin County, Maine

This article shows U.S. Census totals for Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin 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 Franklin 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.

Note that Franklin County contains both a town and a plantation named Rangeley. While the two are adjacent to one another, they are separate and distinct municipalities.

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

Corporate changes since 1900

1900

County Total: 18,444

Unincorporated territory reported 1,001 residents. This consisted of 568 residents in organized plantations, and 433 residents in unorganized territory.

1910

County Total: 19,119

Unincorporated territory reported 1,029 residents. This consisted of 577 residents in organized plantations, and 452 residents in unorganized territory.

1920

County Total: 19,825

Unincorporated territory reported 1,624 residents. This consisted of 897 residents in organized plantations, and 727 residents in unorganized territory.

1930

County Total: 19,941

Unincorporated territory reported 866 residents. This consisted of 483 residents in organized plantations, and 383 residents in unorganized territory.

1940

County Total: 19,896

Unincorporated territory reported 1,117 residents. This consisted of 328 residents in organized plantations, and 789 residents in unorganized territory.

1950

County Total: 20,682

Unincorporated territory reported 728 residents. This consisted of 244 residents in organized plantations, and 484 residents in unorganized territory.

1960

County Total: 20,069

Unincorporated territory reported 521 residents. This consisted of 210 residents in organized plantations, and 311 residents in unorganized territory.

1970

County Total: 22,444

Unincorporated territory reported 665 residents. This consisted of 280 residents in organized plantations, and 385 residents in unorganized territory.

1980

County Total: 27,447

Unincorporated territory reported 810 residents. This consisted of 376 residents in organized plantations, and 434 residents in unorganized territory.

1990

County Total: 29,008

Unincorporated territory reported 1,049 residents. This consisted of 448 residents in organized plantations, and 601 residents in unorganized territory.

2000

County Total: 29,467

Unincorporated territory reported 1,308 residents. This consisted of 601 residents in organized plantations, and 707 residents in unorganized territory.

Plantations

As of 1900, Franklin County contained seven plantations: Coplin, Dallas, Greenvale, Lang, Perkins, Rangeley and Sandy River. An eighth plantation, Washington, had surrendered its organization and reverted to unorganized territory just a few years earlier.

Four plantations remain today (Coplin, Dallas, Rangeley and Sandy River). Perkins and Lang surrendered their organization in 1901 and 1935, respectively, and reverted to unorganized territory. In addition, Greenvale merged with Sandy River in 1905.

Rangeley Plantation is not to be confused with the adjacent town of Rangeley. Because plantations are organized at the county level, they are allowed to duplicate the names of incorporated towns.

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

Unorganized Territory

Like all of Maine's interior counties, Franklin 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:

Between 1935 and 1945, a large number of municipalities in Maine dissolved and reverted to unorganized townships. In Franklin County, this included two towns in the south central part of the county (Freeman and Salem) and one plantation in the north central part (Lang, which is west of and in the same range as Coplin). Another town, Madrid, disincorporated in 2000.

The areas of Franklin County that are entirely unorganized cover about 765 square miles (1,980 km2), with a population of about 700 people. This covers about 45% of the county’s land area, but includes only about 2.4% of its population. The bulk of this population appears to live in areas that were formerly organized municipalities. Freeman had more than 200 residents at the time it disincorporated, and it appears to have maintained a population level of some significance down to the present time. Freeman Township, Madrid Township and Perkins Township all currently maintain a registrar and clerk, although they do not have true organized municipal governments.

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, five such areas are recognized within Franklin County:

Wyman Unorganized Territory first appeared in the 1980 Census. At the time of the 1970 Census, East Central Franklin Unorganized Territory also included Wyman Township and the two townships that now make up the town of Carrabassett Valley. The incorporation of Carrabassett Valley in 1971 removed those two townships from unorganized status, and cut off Wyman Township from the rest of East Central Franklin Unorganized Territory. (Note that Madrid was still an incorporated town at the time of the 2000 Census.)

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 1,001

Organized plantations 568

Unorganized territory 433

1910

All unincorporated territory 1,029

Organized plantations 577

Unorganized territory 452

1920

All unincorporated territory 1,624

Organized plantations 897

Unorganized territory 727

1930

All unincorporated territory 866

Organized plantations 483

Unorganized territory 383

1940

All unincorporated territory 1,117

Organized plantations 328

Unorganized territory 789

1950

All unincorporated territory 728

Organized plantations 244

Unorganized territory 484

1960

All unincorporated territory 521

Organized plantations 210

Unorganized territory 311

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

1970

All unincorporated territory 665

Organized plantations 280

Unorganized territory 385

Starting with the 1970 Census, the unorganized territory in Franklin County was broken into four groups of contiguous territory.

1980

All unincorporated territory 810

Organized plantations 376

Unorganized territory 434

The incorporation of the town of Carrabassett Valley in 1971 removed two townships that had been in East Central Franklin Unorganized Territory from unorganized status. It also cut off Wyman Township from the rest of East Central Franklin Unorganized Territory; the Census added a new Wyman Unorganized Territory as result.

1990

All unincorporated territory 1,049

Organized plantations 448

Unorganized territory 601

2000

All unincorporated territory 1,308

Organized plantations 601

Unorganized territory 707

Note: Most of the unorganized townships in the northern part of Franklin County are on the WBKP (West of Bingham's Kennebec Purchase) grid. The rows of townships on this grid are numbered east to west. From Eustis northward, the baseline forms the eastern boundary of Franklin County, with the first three rows within Franklin County, and rows 4 and 5 within the modern borders of Oxford County, ending at the New Hampshire border. Rangeley Plantation, Dallas Plantation and Madrid Township are in range 1 of the grid, with range numbers increasing as one goes north. Though they cover a much smaller amount of land than a typical township, the four gore-like entities along the Canada–US border are sometimes numbered as part of this grid (Coburn Gore is T1R7).

South of Eustis, Franklin County extends eastward into another grid, BKP WKR (Bingham's Kennebec Purchase West of the Kennebec River). The rows of townships on this grid are numbered east to west, with the baseline at the Kennebec River, in Somerset County. There are seven rows of townships, with the third and fourth partially within the modern borders of Franklin County. Mt. Abram Twp. and Kingfield are in range 1 of the grid, with range numbers increasing as one goes north. Carrabassett Valley and Wyman Twp. are the only other areas of Franklin County that are part of this grid.

To the immediate south of the WBKP grid, there were originally a series of lettered townships, starting in Oxford County with "A" at the New Hampshire border and continuing eastward into Franklin County, to at least "E". "D" and "E" are within the modern borders of Franklin County. The "Township No. 6" in this area is apparently a remnant of yet another early township numbering scheme, originally suffixed AP, with all of the other townships in this sequence having long since incorporated as towns. Due to its status as the only remaining township in its numbering scheme, it is sometimes referred to as "Township 6 North of Weld" to be more specific about its location.

Notes

1910 Census

The 1920 Census reports indicate that the population of Coburn Gore was included with Chain of Ponds Twp. in 1910. It is unclear whether this also applies to earlier censuses.

1980 Census

The Census Bureau made a number of revisions to 1980 census totals subsequent to their initial release. The 1970 total for Franklin County was originally reported as 27,098; for the town of Kingfield, 1,083; for the town of Carrabassett Valley, 107; and for East Central Franklin Unorganized Territory, 2. The totals were later revised to those shown in the list above. At least part of the issue may have been an assignment error between Kingfield and Carrabassett Valley, as the collective population of the two is the same using either set of figures.

See also

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