Piscataquis County, Maine
Encyclopedia
Piscataquis County is a county located in the U.S. state
of Maine
. In 2010, its population was 17,535, making it Maine's least-populous county. Its county seat
is Dover-Foxcroft
.
Piscataquis County was incorporated on 23 March 1838, taken from parts of adjacent Penobscot and Somerset counties. It is located at the geographic center of Maine. Originally it extended north to the Canadian border, but in 1844 its northern portion was annexed by Aroostook County
. In land area, Piscataquis is one of the largest U.S. counties east of the Mississippi River
. It is also one of two counties in the Northeast (and seven counties east of the Mississippi River http://www.raconline.org/maps/mapfiles/frontier.png)that meets Frederick Jackson Turner
's requirements for "frontier" country - that is, having fewer than six inhabitants per square mile, the other being Hamilton County, New York
.
Piscataquis is an Abenaki word meaning "branch of the river" or "at the river branch."
Baxter State Park
, a large wilderness preserve, is located in Piscataquis County.
at 120 square miles (310.8 km²). The highest natural point in the county and the state of Maine is Mount Katahdin
at 5,271 feet (1,606 meters), while the geographic center is Greeley Landing in the Town of Dover-Foxcroft.
of 2000, there were 17,235 people, 7,278 households, and 4,854 families residing in the county. The population density
was 4 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 13,783 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.84% White
, 0.21% Black
or African American
, 0.52% Native American
, 0.27% Asian
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
, 0.14% from other races
, and 1.00% from two or more races. 0.52% of the population were Hispanic
or Latino
of any race. 23.6% were of English
, 16.4% French
, 15.3% United States
or American and 11.5% Irish
ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.9% spoke English
and 2.0% French
as their first language.
There were 7,278 households out of which 28.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.10% were married couples
living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.30% were non-families. 27.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.40% under the age of 18, 5.70% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 27.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,250, and the median income for a family was $34,852. Males had a median income of $28,149 versus $20,241 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $14,374. About 11.20% of families and 14.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.80% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.
County Manager: Marilyn Tourtelotte
Sheriff: John Goggin
District Attorney: R. Chris Almy
Judge of Probate: James R. Austin
Registrar of Probate: Judith Raymond
Registrar of Deed: Linda Smith
Treasurer: J. Paul Raymond
In the 1992 presidential election
, independent Ross Perot
won a plurality 36.8% in the county, one of three counties he won in the state. In 1996
, Bill Clinton
carried the county with 48.7% of the vote, the first Democrat to do so since 1968
.
Since 2000, though, Piscataquis County has generally been the most reliably Republican county in Maine, and by extension New England. In the 2000 U.S. Presidential election
, George W. Bush
carried the county by an 11.9% margin over Al Gore
, with Gore carrying the state by a 5.1% margin over Bush. In 2004
, the county was one of only two in Maine to vote for Bush over John Kerry
. Bush won by a 9% margin over Kerry, with Kerry winning the state by a virtually even margin over Bush. In 2008
, Piscataquis was the only county in New England to vote for John McCain
, by a margin of 355 votes or 3.8% over Barack Obama
, with Obama winning Maine by a 17.3% margin over McCain.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
. In 2010, its population was 17,535, making it Maine's least-populous county. Its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
is Dover-Foxcroft
Dover-Foxcroft, Maine
Dover-Foxcroft is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States, and the county's largest town and county seat. As of the 2000 census, the population was 4,211.-History:...
.
Piscataquis County was incorporated on 23 March 1838, taken from parts of adjacent Penobscot and Somerset counties. It is located at the geographic center of Maine. Originally it extended north to the Canadian border, but in 1844 its northern portion was annexed by Aroostook County
Aroostook County, Maine
Aroostook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, its population was 71,870. In land area, it is the largest county in the state and the largest U.S. county east of the Mississippi River. Its seat is Houlton...
. In land area, Piscataquis is one of the largest U.S. counties east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. It is also one of two counties in the Northeast (and seven counties east of the Mississippi River http://www.raconline.org/maps/mapfiles/frontier.png)that meets Frederick Jackson Turner
Frederick Jackson Turner
Frederick Jackson Turner was an American historian in the early 20th century. He is best known for his essay "The Significance of the Frontier in American History", whose ideas are referred to as the Frontier Thesis. He is also known for his theories of geographical sectionalism...
's requirements for "frontier" country - that is, having fewer than six inhabitants per square mile, the other being Hamilton County, New York
Hamilton County, New York
Hamilton County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. It is named after Alexander Hamilton, the only member of the New York State delegation who signed the United States Constitution in 1787 and later the first United States Secretary of the Treasury. Its county seat is Lake Pleasant...
.
Piscataquis is an Abenaki word meaning "branch of the river" or "at the river branch."
Baxter State Park
Baxter State Park
Baxter State Park is a large wilderness area permanently preserved as a state park, located in Piscataquis County in north-central Maine. The Park was established by 28 donations of land, in Trust, from Park donor Percival P. Baxter between the years of 1931 and 1962, eventually creating a Park of...
, a large wilderness preserve, is located in Piscataquis County.
Geography
According to the 2000 census, the county has a total area of 4377.36 square miles (11,337.3 km²), of which 3966.22 square miles (10,272.5 km²) (or 90.61%) is land and 411.14 square miles (1,064.8 km²) (or 9.39%) is water. The largest lake in the county is Moosehead LakeMoosehead Lake
Moosehead Lake is the largest lake in the U.S. state of Maine and the largest mountain lake in the eastern United States. Situated in the Longfellow Mountains in the Maine Highlands Region, the lake is the source of the Kennebec River. Towns that border the lake include Greenville to the south and...
at 120 square miles (310.8 km²). The highest natural point in the county and the state of Maine is Mount Katahdin
Mount Katahdin
Mount Katahdin is the highest mountain in Maine at . Named Katahdin by the Penobscot Indians, the term means "The Greatest Mountain". Katahdin is the centerpiece of Baxter State Park: a steep, tall mountain formed from underground magma. The flora and fauna on the mountain are typical of those...
at 5,271 feet (1,606 meters), while the geographic center is Greeley Landing in the Town of Dover-Foxcroft.
Adjacent counties
- Aroostook County, MaineAroostook County, MaineAroostook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. In 2010, its population was 71,870. In land area, it is the largest county in the state and the largest U.S. county east of the Mississippi River. Its seat is Houlton...
- north - Penobscot County, MainePenobscot County, MainePenobscot County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. For U.S. Census statistical purposes, it is part of the Bangor, Maine, New England County Metropolitan Area . As of 2010, the population was 153,923...
- southeast - Somerset County, MaineSomerset County, MaineSomerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 52,228. Its county seat is Skowhegan.-History:...
- west
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 17,235 people, 7,278 households, and 4,854 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 4 people per square mile (2/km²). There were 13,783 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (1/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 97.84% White
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.21% Black
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or African American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.52% Native American
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.27% Asian
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.02% Pacific Islander
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, 0.14% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.00% from two or more races. 0.52% of the population were Hispanic
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
or Latino
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of any race. 23.6% were of English
English people
The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...
, 16.4% French
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
, 15.3% United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
or American and 11.5% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 96.9% spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
and 2.0% French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
as their first language.
There were 7,278 households out of which 28.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.10% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.40% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.30% were non-families. 27.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the county the population was spread out with 23.40% under the age of 18, 5.70% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 27.50% from 45 to 64, and 17.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females there were 96.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $28,250, and the median income for a family was $34,852. Males had a median income of $28,149 versus $20,241 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $14,374. About 11.20% of families and 14.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 17.80% of those under age 18 and 13.90% of those age 65 or over.
Government and politics
County Commissioners: Eric Ward (District 1, Greenville); Tom Lizotte, Chair (District 2, Dover-Foxcroft); Fred Trask (District 3, Lakeview Plantation)County Manager: Marilyn Tourtelotte
Sheriff: John Goggin
District Attorney: R. Chris Almy
Judge of Probate: James R. Austin
Registrar of Probate: Judith Raymond
Registrar of Deed: Linda Smith
Treasurer: J. Paul Raymond
In the 1992 presidential election
United States presidential election, 1992
The United States presidential election of 1992 had three major candidates: Incumbent Republican President George Bush; Democratic Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton, and independent Texas businessman Ross Perot....
, independent Ross Perot
Ross Perot
Henry Ross Perot is a U.S. businessman best known for running for President of the United States in 1992 and 1996. Perot founded Electronic Data Systems in 1962, sold the company to General Motors in 1984, and founded Perot Systems in 1988...
won a plurality 36.8% in the county, one of three counties he won in the state. In 1996
United States presidential election, 1996
The United States presidential election of 1996 was a contest between the Democratic national ticket of President Bill Clinton of Arkansas and Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee and the Republican national ticket of former Senator Bob Dole of Kansas for President and former Housing Secretary Jack...
, Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
carried the county with 48.7% of the vote, the first Democrat to do so since 1968
United States presidential election, 1968
The United States presidential election of 1968 was the 46th quadrennial United States presidential election. Coming four years after Democrat Lyndon B. Johnson won in a historic landslide, it saw Johnson forced out of the race and Republican Richard Nixon elected...
.
Since 2000, though, Piscataquis County has generally been the most reliably Republican county in Maine, and by extension New England. In the 2000 U.S. Presidential election
United States presidential election, 2000
The United States presidential election of 2000 was a contest between Republican candidate George W. Bush, then-governor of Texas and son of former president George H. W. Bush , and Democratic candidate Al Gore, then-Vice President....
, George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
carried the county by an 11.9% margin over Al Gore
Al Gore
Albert Arnold "Al" Gore, Jr. served as the 45th Vice President of the United States , under President Bill Clinton. He was the Democratic Party's nominee for President in the 2000 U.S. presidential election....
, with Gore carrying the state by a 5.1% margin over Bush. In 2004
United States presidential election, 2004
The United States presidential election of 2004 was the United States' 55th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 2, 2004. Republican Party candidate and incumbent President George W. Bush defeated Democratic Party candidate John Kerry, the then-junior U.S. Senator...
, the county was one of only two in Maine to vote for Bush over John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
. Bush won by a 9% margin over Kerry, with Kerry winning the state by a virtually even margin over Bush. In 2008
United States presidential election, 2008
The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
, Piscataquis was the only county in New England to vote for John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
, by a margin of 355 votes or 3.8% over Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, with Obama winning Maine by a 17.3% margin over McCain.
Municipalities
- AbbotAbbot, MaineAbbot is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 714 at the 2010 census. It was named for the treasurer of Bowdoin College, John Abbot.-Geography:...
- AtkinsonAtkinson, MaineAtkinson is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The town was named after Judge Atkinson, a landholder. The population was 323 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Beaver CoveBeaver Cove, MaineBeaver Cove is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 91 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
- BowerbankBowerbank, MaineBowerbank is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 123 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
- BrownvilleBrownville, MaineBrownville is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,259 at the 2000 census. Brownville includes the villages of Knight's Landing and Brownville Junction, near which passes the 100-Mile Wilderness of the Appalachian Trail....
- Dover-FoxcroftDover-Foxcroft, MaineDover-Foxcroft is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States, and the county's largest town and county seat. As of the 2000 census, the population was 4,211.-History:...
- GreenvilleGreenville, MaineGreenville is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,623 at the 2000 census. The town is centered around the lower end of Moosehead Lake, the largest body of fresh water in the state. Greenville is the historic gateway to the north country and a center for...
- Guilford
- Kingsbury Plantation
- Lake View Plantation
- MedfordMedford, MaineMedford is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 231 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
- Milo
- MonsonMonson, MaineMonson is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a population of 666. The town is located on Route 15 which is a somewhat major route north to the well known Moosehead Lake Region, to which Monson is sometimes considered a gateway...
- ParkmanParkman, MaineParkman is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The town was named after Samuel Parkman, a proprietor. The population was 811 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- SangervilleSangerville, MaineSangerville is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 1,270 at the 2000 census. The town was named after Colonel Calvin Sanger, a landowner...
- SebecSebec, MaineSebec is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 612 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
- ShirleyShirley, MaineShirley is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The town was named after Shirley, Massachusetts. The population was 183 at the 2000 census...
- WellingtonWellington, MaineWellington is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The town was named for Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington. The population was 258 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- WillimanticWillimantic, MaineWillimantic is a town in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 135 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water....
Territories
- BlanchardBlanchard, MaineBlanchard is an unorganized territory in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 83 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Southeast PiscataquisSoutheast Piscataquis, MaineSoutheast Piscataquis, also known as Orneville, is an unorganized territory in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 254 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Northeast PiscataquisNortheast Piscataquis, MaineNortheast Piscataquis is an unorganized territory in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 347 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
- Northwest PiscataquisNorthwest Piscataquis, MaineNorthwest Piscataquis is an unorganized territory in Piscataquis County, Maine, United States. The population was 159 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
Notable residents
- Max SchubelMax SchubelMax Schubel is an American composer of contemporary classical music. He is best known for being the founder and owner of Opus One records, a company dedicated to the recording of new music....
, composer - Sir Harry Oakes, philanthropist Harry OakesHarry OakesSir Harry Oakes, 1st Baronet was an American-born British Canadian gold-mine owner, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist. He earned his fortune in Canada and moved to the Bahamas in the 1930s for tax purposes. He was murdered in 1943 under notorious circumstances in the Bahamas...
- David MallettDavid MallettDavid Mallett is a singer-songwriter best known for his authorship of the popular tune "Garden Song," made famous by John Denver and Arlo Guthrie. He has recorded for independent record labels for most of his career. A resident of Maine for most of his life, in the 1980s he relocated to Nashville,...
, Singer-Songwriter
External links
- Official website of Piscataquis County
- History of Piscataquis County, Maine: From Its Earliest Settlement to 1880. By Amasa Loring. Published 1880.
- Piscataquis County Economic Development Council
- Piscataquis Chamber of Commerce
- Moosehead Lake Region Chamber of Commerce
- Three Rivers Community Alliance
- University of Maine Cooperative Extension Piscataquis County Office