Maine Plantations

United States Maine  Maine plantations  In Maine a plantation is a form of local self-government intended to help a town-sized area with a low population to transition toward full town status as they increase their population and government services. Plantations do not have their own representative in the Maine legislature. Most have meetings and keep records of meetings. Towns and plantations maintained records of their citizens' births, marriages, and deaths from their founding until 1922, even though statewide registration began in 1892. Look for Maine plantation records the same way you look for Maine town records. Some of Maine's populated coastal islands outside the borders of a town are organized as plantations. However, most of Maine's 34 plantations are in sparsely populated forests inland. Status changes. Plantations that increase in population may become a town. Also, some plantations have lost population and been changed to unincorporated townships without meetings or record-keeping. If an ancestor lived in a plantation that became a township, look for the records of the former plantation in a nearby town in the same county.

Modern Maine Plantations (listed by county)
* Maine plantations normally referenced without using that descriptor. '''Statistics. ''' Maine has about 425 townships (unincorporated territories), 34 plantations, 454 towns or cities, and three Indian reservations. The unorganized township territories include slightly over half the land area of Maine.

Discontinued Maine Plantations
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 * Abbotstown Plantation (Franklin Co.) became Temple, Maine in 1803.
 * Allagash Plantation (Aroostook Co.) created 1885; repealed 1933; became Allagash, Maine in 1978.
 * Alva Plantation (Aroostook Co.) created 1862; became Blaine, Maine in 1874.
 * Andover North Surplus Plantation (Oxford Co.) created 1840.
 * Annsburg Plantation (Washington Co.) created 1841; became Deblois, Maine in 1852.
 * Appleton Plantation (Knox Co.) became Appleton, Maine in 1829.
 * Appleton Ridge Plantation (Knox Co.) see Appleton Plantation.
 * Argyle Plantation (Penobscot Co.) set off east part as Argyle, Maine in 1839; set off part to Old Town, Maine in 1843; became Alton, Maine in 1844.

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 * Bachelder's Grant Plantation (Oxford County) became part of Stoneham, Maine in 1834.
 * Bakerstown Plantation (Androscoggin County) existed 1779 as an area of Poland, Maine.
 * Ballstown Plantation (Lincoln County) set off east part as Jefferson, Maine in 1807; became Whitefield, Maine in 1809.
 * Bancroft Plantation (Aroostook County) created 1840; became Bancroft, Maine in 1889.
 * Barker Plantation (Aroostook County) created part of Nichols Academy Grant in 1853.
 * Barnard Plantation (Piscataquis County) created 1895.
 * Barretstown Plantation (Knox County) became Hope, Maine in 1804.
 * Beaverhill Plantation (Waldo Co.) became Freedom, Maine in 1803.
 * Belfast Academy Grant Plantation (Aroostook Co.) created 1840?; became Ludlow, Maine in 1864.
 * Benedicta Plantation (Aroostook Co.) created 1840 in T2 R5 and north half of T1 R5 (aka Golden Ridge, or Silver Ridge). Also, created 1860 from west half of T2 R5 and became Benedicta, Maine in 1873.
 * Big Lake Plantation (Washington Co.) created 1840? or 1841? (aka Grand Lake Stream, Hinkley, Number 3 R1, and Number 21).
 * Bigelow Plantation (Somerset Co.) created 1870, became Bigelow, Maine in 1895; surrendered incorporation 1940.
 * Blakesburg Plantation (Penobscot Co.) created 1824?; became Bradford, Maine in 1831.
 * Bloomfield Plantation (Franklin Co.) created 1841 (aka Copelin, Coplin, Jackson).
 * Blue Hill Bay Plantation (Hancock Co.) became Blue Hill, Maine in 1789.
 * Bostwick Plantation (Oxford Co.) became Newry, Maine in 1805.
 * Bowerbank Plantation (Piscataquis Co.) created 1888 and 1895; became Bowerbank, Maine in 1907.


 * Bridgewater Plantation ( Co.) created 1844

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 * Cambden

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 * Daigle

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 * E Plantation

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 * Fairfield

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 * Gardinerstown

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 * Hamlin

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 * Independence

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 * Jackman

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 * Katahdin Iron Works Plantation

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 * Little River Plantation (Franklin Co.) became Freeman 1808; incorporation surrendered 1937, now Freeman Township

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 * Milton Plantation (Oxford Co.) discontinued 1944, now Milton Township

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 * Number 1 Plantation (Franklin Co.) became Temple, Maine in 1803.
 * Number 6 Plantation (Franklin Co.) became Berlin 1824; incorporation repealed 1842, now Township 6 North of Weld

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 * Oakfield

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 * Page's Mills Plantation

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 * Rangeley

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 * Saint Francis Plantation

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 * Talmadge

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 * Unity Plantation (Franklin Co.) became New Sharon, Maine in 1794.

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 * Van Buren

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 * Wade