Penobscot County, Maine History

Penobscot County was formed April 1, 1816 from the northern part of Hancock County (included present day Waldo County). Maine became a state on March 15, 1820. The new county was bounded on the north by the international boundary of British Claim.

Penobscot River and Penobscot County

The Penobscot River is Maine's longest river and the life of Penobscot County. Boats traveled up the Penobscot bay into the interior of Maine. Henry David Thoreau was one of the first writers to describe life on the Penobscot in his book "The Maine Woods". His descriptive accounts of 1846, 1853, and 1857 provides insight to the geography and the settlers of this area. Settlers used the river as a highway and loggers floated logs down river with logmarks for identification. Family names were associated with a logmark. The county seat is Bangor.

Mount Katahdin Piscataquis & Penobscot County

Mount Katahdin is Maine's highest mountain located in Piscataquis County in Baxter State Park boarding on the west of Penobscot County. Access to Baxter State park and Park Headquarters are in Penobscot County. .

Most of the Vital Records are contained in each town office. The Maine Archives located in Augusta does have copies of many vital records and historical documents. The towns in Penobscot County today and their original date of incorporation:
Aetna - See Etna -
Alton - 1844 -
Argyle - 1839 -
Bangor (Kenduskee Plantation) - 1791 -
Bradford - (Blakeburg Plantation) 1831 -
Bradley - (T4, Old Indian Purchase) 1835 -
Brewer - 1812
Burlington - 1832 -
Carmel - 1811 -
Carrol (Plantation # 6, R2) - (1845 - 1937) Charleston - (was New Charleston) 1827 -
Chester (River Township # 1R8) - 1834 -
Clifton - 1848 -
Corinna - 1816 -
Corinth - 1811 -
Dexter - 1816 -
Dixmont - 1807 -
Drew - (Drew Plantation) (1921- 1934)
Dutton - (Plantation No. 1, R3) (1822 - 1837) Changed to Glenburn
East Millinocket 1907
Eddington (Eddington Plantation)- 1811
Edinburg - (River Township # 1, R6) 1835 -
Enfield -1835 ( Treat's Track) -
Etna - (Formerly Aetna) 1820 -
Exeter - 1811 -
 Garland - 1811 -
Glenburn - (Formerly Dutton) 1822 -
Greenbush -1834 -
Greenfield - 1831 -
Hampden - 1794 -
Herman - 1814 -
Howland - 1826 -
Holden - 1852 -
Hudson (Formerly Kirkland)- 1825 - Census 1850 , 1860 , 1870 , 1880
Jarvis Gore - A tract, Name changed to Clifton 1849 Special 1837 Census
Lowell - 1837 -
Kenduskeag - 1852 -
Kingman (McCrillis Plantation or Independence Plantation) ( 1873 - 1935)
Kirkland (Now Hudson) (1825 - 1855)
La Grange - 1832 -
Lee -1832
Levant - 1813 -
Lincoln - 1829
Mattawamkeag 1860
Mattamiscontis - 1839 -
Maxfield - 1824 -
Medway - 1875 -
Milford - 1833 -
Millnocket 1901
Mount Chase (Mount Chase Plantation) (1864 - 1935)
Newburg - 1819 -
Newport - 1814 -
New Charleston - (now Charleston)
Old Town - 1841 -
Orono - 1806 -
Orrington - 1788 -
Passadumkeag -1835 -
Patten - 1841-
Prentis - 1858 -
Plymouth - 1826 -
Springfield - 1834 -
Stetson - 1831 -
Veazie 1852 -
Winn - 1857 -
Woodville - 1895 -
The townships and Plantations in Penobscot County today:
Carroll
Drew
Grand Falls
Lakeville
Mount Chase - 1864 -
Seboeis -1890 -
Stacyville
T2R9
Webster
and about 30 unorganized townships

Indian Reservations in Penobscot County today:
Penobscot Indian Island Reservation ( Unorganized area in Old Town)

Note that the town of Penobscot is not in Penobscot County

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