Hancock County
“Because of the great extent of its area the County of Lincoln was
divided, June 25, 1789 by the establishment of the new counties of
Hancock and Washington. (ch. 24). The more westerly, Hancock County
was bounded o the west by the boundary line between the towns of
Thomaston and Cambden, thence running north westerly by the east line
of Thomaston, Warren, and Union, to the northeast corner of Union,
then, thence north, 22 ˝ degrees east until it intersected the north
line of the Waldo Patent, and thence north to the Highlands. The
northern boundary followed that of the District of Maine. The
easterly boundary was a line beginning at the northeast corner of
Goldsborough and the southeast corner of Township Number Seven, thence
running northerly by the east line of Number 7, and by the east line
of Number Ten, to the southeast corner of Township Number Sixteen, and
thence due north to the Highlands.
Exactly one year later the town of Cambden and two half-townships were
set off to Lincoln County (ch. 24).
Township Number Four in the first range north of the Waldo Patent, now
the town of Troy, which had been crossed by the western line of Hancock
County, was entirely set off to Kennebec County, February 28, 1799
(ch. 72): The western boundary was further adjusted by the annexation
from Somerset County of Township Number Four in the fifth range north
of the Waldo Patent (now Dexter) in 1811 (ch. 36); and Township Number
Four in the sixth range (Sangerville) in 1812 (ch. 4); Township Number
Four in the fourth range was set off to Somerset County in 1813 (ch.
85).
The northern part of Hancock County, lying north of the north line of
Waldo Patent on the west side of Penobscot River; and on the east side
of said river north of a line beginning at the river at the southwest
corner of Orrington and extending along the south side of Orrington,
Brewer and the gore east of Brewer to the west line of Bingham’s
Penobscot Purchase, to the northwest corner thereof; thence easterly
on the north line of the Purchase townships to the line of Washington
County, was set off to form the new county of Penobscot, April 1, 1816
(ch. 121).
Two adjustments in this northern boundary were made the same year:
land was sent off from Buckstown to Orrington (ch. 13), and one
estate, from the town of Frankfort, was set off to Hampden (ch.
14).
All of Hancock County lying west of Penobscot River and Bay was set
off to form part of the new county of Waldo, July 3, 1827 (Public
Laws, chs. 354, 362).
Three townships on the east boundary - number four, North Division,
and numbers forty-one and thirty five of the Middle Division- were
annexed from Washington County in 1851 (ch. 154).
A strip 2 miles wide and 6 miles from east to west, lying north of
township number two (Grand Falls Plantation) was set off to Burlington
in Penobscot County in 1835 (ch. 559).
The town of Vinalhaven, which was made up of a group of islands in
Penobscot Bay, was set off to Waldo County in 1838 (ch. 451).
Page’s Mills Settlement, a strip 2 miles wide lying north of township
number one, North Division, was set off to Lowell in Penobscot County,
February 20, 1841 (ch. 102). A tract was set off from Bucksport and
Dedham to the town of Brewer, April 10, 1841 (ch. 161).
Matincus Island was set off to Lincoln County in 1843 (ch. 118).
The Hancock-Washington line was altered, March 12, 1844, by extending
the boundary from the northeast corner of Gouldsborough southeasterly
and southerly by the middle channel of Gouldsborough Harbor to the
ocean (Public Laws, (ch. 99).
Land was set off from Bucksport to Orrington in Penobscot County in
1850 (ch. 376).
The remaining islands of the Matincus group - Hacketosh, Wooden Ball,
Nomansland, Two Bush, Ten Pound, and Matinicus - were set off to
Lincoln County in 1852 (ch. 578).
The town of Greenfield and townships number one and two of the North
Division were set off to Penobscot County in 1858 (ch. 198).
The Town of Isle au Haut was sent off to Knox County, March 12, 1913
(ch. 83).
The county of Hancock now contains the city of Ellsworth; the towns of
Amherst, Aurora, Bar Harbor, Blue Hill, Brooklin, Brooksville,
Bucksport, Castine, Cranberry Isles, Dedham, Deer Isle, Eastbrook,
Franklin, Gouldsboro, Hancock, Lamoine, Mariaville, Mount Desert,
Orland, Otis, Penobscot, Sedgewick, Sorrento, Southwest Harbor,
Stonington, Sullivan, Surry, Swan’s Island, Tremont, Trenton, Verona,
Waltham, and Winter Harbor; the plantations of Long Island, Osborn,
and Number Thirty-three; 14 townships and 21 islands classed as wild
lands.”
Source: Counties Cities Towns and Plantations of Maine A
Handbook of Incorporations, Dissolutions, and Boundary Changes. Maine
State Archives pages 31-32. |
Towns