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

*1938 – Freeman disincorporated and reverted to unorganized territory

*1945 – Salem disincorporated and reverted to unorganized territory

*1971 – New town of Carrabassett Valley incorporated from previously unorganized territory

*2000 – Madrid disincorporated and reverted to unorganized territory

1900

County Total: 18,444

*Farmington 3,288
*Jay 2,758
*Wilton 1,647
*Phillips 1,399
*Rangeley 961
*New Sharon 946
*Weld 738
*Chesterville 709
*Kingfield 693
*Strong 637
*New Vineyard 584
*Industry 553
*Avon 448
*Eustis 436
*Freeman 397
*Temple 394
*Carthage 334
*Madrid 326
*Salem 195

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

*Farmington 3,210
*Jay 2,987
*Wilton 2,143
*Phillips 1,423
*Rangeley 1,154
*New Sharon 955
*Kingfield 927
*Strong 720
*Chesterville 627
*Weld 574
*New Vineyard 543
*Eustis 508
*Industry 465
*Temple 403
*Avon 380
*Freeman 334
*Carthage 292
*Madrid 264
*Salem 181

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

*Farmington 3,197
*Jay 3,152
*Wilton 2,505
*Phillips 1,353
*Rangeley 1,028
*Kingfield 975
*New Sharon 885
*Strong 779
*Eustis 589
*Chesterville 586
*Weld 521
*New Vineyard 471
*Industry 431
*Temple 425
*Avon 384
*Carthage 282
*Madrid 258
*Freeman 222
*Salem 158

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

*Farmington 3,600
*Wilton 3,266
*Jay 3,106
*Rangeley 1,472
*Phillips 1,143
*Kingfield 1,024
*Strong 878
*New Sharon 750
*Eustis 601
*Chesterville 575
*Weld 493
*New Vineyard 447
*Industry 342
*Temple 315
*Avon 302
*Carthage 247
*Freeman 219
*Madrid 207
*Salem 88

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

1940

County Total: 19,896

*Farmington 3,743
*Wilton 3,228
*Jay 2,858
*Rangeley 1,464
*Phillips 1,186
*Strong 1,007
*Kingfield 860
*New Sharon 761
*Eustis 707
*Chesterville 538
*New Vineyard 486
*Weld 422
*Avon 387
*Industry 307
*Carthage 281
*Temple 252
*Madrid 214
*Salem 78

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

*Farmington 4,677
*Wilton 3,455
*Jay 3,102
*Rangeley 1,228
*Phillips 1,088
*Strong 1,036
*Kingfield 963
*Eustis 763
*New Sharon 755
*Chesterville 588
*New Vineyard 447
*Avon 391
*Weld 361
*Carthage 339
*Industry 315
*Temple 284
*Madrid 162

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

1960

County Total: 20,069

*Farmington 5,001
*Wilton 3,274
*Jay 3,247
*Rangeley 1,087
*Phillips 1,021
*Strong 976
*Kingfield 864
*New Sharon 712
*Eustis 666
*Chesterville 505
*Avon 436
*Carthage 370
*New Vineyard 357
*Weld 348
*Temple 314
*Industry 262
*Madrid 108

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

1970

County Total: 22,444

*Farmington 5,657
*Jay 3,954
*Wilton 3,802
*Strong 1,132
*Phillips 979
*Rangeley 941
*Kingfield 877
*New Sharon 725
*Chesterville 643
*Eustis 595
*Avon 495
*New Vineyard 444
*Temple 367
*Weld 360
*Carthage 354
*Industry 347
*Madrid 107

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

1980

County Total: 27,447

*Farmington 6,730
*Jay 5,080
*Wilton 4,382
*Strong 1,506
*Phillips 1,092
*Kingfield 1,058
*Rangeley 1,023
*New Sharon 969
*Chesterville 869
*New Vineyard 607
*Eustis 582
*Industry 563
*Temple 518
*Avon 475
*Carthage 438
*Weld 435
*Madrid 178
*Carrabassett Valley 132

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

1990

County Total: 29,008

*Farmington 7,436
*Jay 5,080
*Wilton 4,242
*Strong 1,217
*New Sharon 1,175
*Phillips 1,148
*Kingfield 1,114
*Rangeley 1,063
*Chesterville 1,012
*Industry 685
*New Vineyard 661
*Eustis 616
*Temple 560
*Avon 559
*Carthage 458
*Weld 430
*Carrabassett Valley 325
*Madrid 178

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

*Farmington 7,410
*Jay 4,985
*Wilton 4,123
*New Sharon 1,297
*Strong 1,259
*Chesterville 1,170
*Kingfield 1,103
*Rangeley 1,052
*Phillips 990
*Industry 790
*New Vineyard 725
*Eustis 685
*Temple 572
*Carthage 520
*Avon 504
*Weld 402
*Carrabassett Valley 399
*Madrid 173

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

*Dallas 172
*Rangeley 98
*Lang 87
*Coplin 70
*Perkins 63
*Greenvale 57
*Sandy River 21

1910

*Rangeley 190
*Dallas 166
*Coplin 81
*Sandy River 78
*Lang 62

1920

*Dallas 365
*Coplin 177
*Rangeley 159
*Lang 99
*Sandy River 97

1930

*Dallas 211
*Rangeley 79
*Sandy River 79
*Coplin 69
*Lang 45

1940

*Dallas 123
*Sandy River 88
*Rangeley 63
*Coplin 54

1950

*Dallas 81
*Coplin 64
*Sandy River 55
*Rangeley 44

1960

*Dallas 77
*Sandy River 54
*Coplin 40
*Rangeley 39

1970

*Dallas 105
*Sandy River 73
*Rangeley 52
*Coplin 50

1980

*Dallas 146
*Coplin 111
*Rangeley 69
*Sandy River 50

1990

*Dallas 161
*Coplin 120
*Rangeley 103
*Sandy River 64

2000

*Dallas 250
*Coplin 135
*Rangeley 123
*Sandy River 93

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:

*Most of the northern part of the county has never been organized. This area is for the most part quite remote, and has never had any significant population on more than a transitory basis. The northernmost organized municipality is the town of Eustis, followed by Coplin Plantation (immediately to the south of Eustis), then Dallas Plantation and the town of Rangeley (in the next range below Coplin). North and west of these four communities, there are eleven townships which have never been organized. There are also three gores (and one additional gore-like entity) along the Canadian border.

*The central part of the county has historically been a mixture of incorporated towns, organized plantations, and unorganized territory. Lower-lying areas with access to lakes and rivers have typically seen some development and are generally incorporated or organized. By contrast, more mountainous areas have often never had any significant population, and several townships have remained unorganized. These include a group of three townships along the county's western edge, south of Rangeley Plantation and north of Weld (Township No. 6, Township D, and Township E); and, further east, Redington Township (T1R2), Mt. Abram Township (T4R1) and Wyman Township (south half of T4R3). In 1971, due to the development of ski areas, two historically unorganized townships (Jerusalem Twp., T3R2, and Crockertown Twp., T4R2) incorporated as the town of Carrabassett Valley.

*The southern part of the county is mostly incorporated, but there is one small area that historically was not – a tract of land measuring about 12 square miles, bordered by the towns of Carthage, Wilton, Temple and Weld. Once part of Carthage, this area was set off in the mid 19th century and subsequently organized into two plantations (Perkins and Washington). Both had dissolved and reverted to unorganized townships by the early 20th century.

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, 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:

*North Franklin Unorganized Territory: includes everything north and west of Eustis, Coplin Plantation, Dallas Plantation and the town of Rangeley. Most of this area has never been organized. The only exception is the former Lang Plantation.

*West Central Franklin Unorganized Territory: includes the three unorganized townships along the western edge of the county, south of Rangeley Plantation and north of Weld (Township 6, Township D, and Township E). Most of this area has never been organized. The only exception was a short-lived incorporated town in the 19th century (Township 6 was briefly incorporated as the town of Berlin).

*East Central Franklin Unorganized Territory: includes the former towns of Freeman and Salem, as well as two nearby townships which have never been organized (Redington Township and Mt. Abram Township).

*South Franklin Unorganized Territory: includes the former Perkins and Washington plantations.

*Wyman Unorganized Territory: Wyman Township, which is its own Unorganized Territory because it does not border any other land that is both unorganized and within Franklin County. Wyman Township is located in the northeast corner of the county, north of Carrabassett Valley and east of Coplin Plantation.

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

*Redington Twp. (T1R2) 113
*Lowelltown Twp. (T1R8) 90
*Beattie Twp. (T2R8) 73
*Crockertown Twp. (T4R2) 35
*Jerusalem Twp. (T3R2) 35
*Wyman Twp. (south half of T4R3) 33
*Township No. 6 22
*Washington Twp. 20
*Chain of Ponds Twp. (T2R6) 5
*Mt. Abram Twp. (T4R1) 4
*Alder Stream Twp. (T2R5) 3

1910

All unincorporated territory 1,029

Organized plantations 577

Unorganized territory 452

*Lowelltown Twp. (T1R8) 173
*Perkins Twp. 67
*Wyman Twp. (south half of T4R3) 48
*Crockertown Twp. (T4R2) 46
*Jerusalem Twp. (T3R2) 27
*Washington Twp. 23
*Township No. 6 13
*Chain of Ponds Twp. (T2R6) 12
*Seven Ponds Twp. (T3R5) 10
*Alder Stream Twp. (T2R5) 8
*Stetsontown Twp. (T3R4) 8
*Redington Twp. (T1R2) 7
*Davis Twp. (T3R3) 5
*Jim Pond Twp. (T1R5) 3
*Township D 2

1920

All unincorporated territory 1,624

Organized plantations 897

Unorganized territory 727

*Alder Stream Twp. (T2R5) 265
*Stetsontown Twp. (T3R4) 133
*Lowelltown Twp. (T1R8) 101
*Redington Twp. (T1R2) 76
*Jerusalem Twp. (T3R2) 31
*Wyman Twp. (south half of T4R3) 31
*Perkins Twp. 24
*Crockertown Twp. (T4R2) 18
*Washington Twp. 15
*Township D 11
*Coburn Gore 7
*Chain of Ponds Twp. (T2R6) 6
*Seven Ponds Twp. (T3R5) 5
*Jim Pond Twp. (T1R5) 4

1930

All unincorporated territory 866

Organized plantations 483

Unorganized territory 383

*Jerusalem Twp. (T3R2) 185
*Lowelltown Twp. (T1R8) 49
*Stetsontown Twp. (T3R4) 31
*Wyman Twp. (south half of T4R3) 31
*Perkins Twp. 14
*Redington Twp. (T1R2) 14
*Coburn Gore 13
*Chain of Ponds Twp. (T2R6) 12
*Crockertown Twp. (T4R2) 10
*Davis Twp. (T3R3) 7
*Jim Pond Twp. (T1R5) 5
*Seven Ponds Twp. (T3R5) 4
*Alder Stream Twp. (T2R5) 3
*Tim Pond Twp. (T2R4) 2
*Washington Twp. 2
*Township D 1

1940

All unincorporated territory 1,117

Organized plantations 328

Unorganized territory 789

*Freeman Twp. 206
*Coburn Gore 182
*Seven Ponds Twp. (T3R5) 74
*Lang Twp. (T2R3) 63
*Lowelltown Twp. (T1R8) 61
*Kibby Twp. (T1R6) 45
*Jerusalem Twp. (T3R2) 41
*Crockertown Twp. (T4R2) 37
*Wyman Twp. (south half of T4R3) 35
*Washington Twp. 12
*Perkins Twp. 9
*Jim Pond Twp. (T1R5) 7
*Stetsontown Twp. (T3R4) 7
*Township No. 6 5
*Chain of Ponds Twp. (T2R6) 2
*Tim Pond Twp. (T2R4) 2
*Alder Stream Twp. (T2R5) 1

1950

All unincorporated territory 728

Organized plantations 244

Unorganized territory 484

*Freeman Twp. 185
*Coburn Gore 105
*Salem Twp. 67
*Lang Twp. (T2R3) 30
*Washington Twp. 19
*Wyman Twp. (south half of T4R3) 18
*Beattie Twp. (T2R8) 10
*Jerusalem Twp. (T3R2) 10
*Lowelltown Twp. (T1R8) 9
*Stetsontown Twp. (T3R4) 8
*Jim Pond Twp. (T1R5) 5
*Perkins Twp. 5
*Seven Ponds Twp. (T3R5) 5
*Crockertown Twp. (T4R2) 4
*Township E 3
*Davis Twp. (T3R3) 1

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.

*East Central Franklin Unorganized Territory 290
*North Franklin Unorganized Territory 60
*South Franklin Unorganized Territory 33
*West Central Franklin Unorganized Territory 2

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.

*East Central Franklin Unorganized Territory 351
*South Franklin Unorganized Territory 48
*North Franklin Unorganized Territory 28
*Wyman Unorganized Territory 7
*West Central Franklin Unorganized Territory 0

1990

All unincorporated territory 1,049

Organized plantations 448

Unorganized territory 601

*East Central Franklin Unorganized Territory 459
*Wyman Unorganized Territory 65
*South Franklin Unorganized Territory 56
*North Franklin Unorganized Territory 21
*West Central Franklin Unorganized Territory 0

2000

All unincorporated territory 1,308

Organized plantations 601

Unorganized territory 707

*East Central Franklin Unorganized Territory 526
*South Franklin Unorganized Territory 70
*Wyman Unorganized Territory 70
*North Franklin Unorganized Territory 41
*West Central Franklin Unorganized Territory 0

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 Canadian 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.

ee also

*United States Census
*Franklin County, Maine