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88-602: The Allagash issues from Churchill Lake (formerly known as Heron Lake) at Churchill Depot in northern Piscataquis County . In its natural state, it also drained Allagash, Chamberlain, and Telos lakes, but in the 1840s dams were built which diverted their drainage into the East Branch of the Penobscot River , to facilitate the shipping of logs south to coastal Maine. Lock Dam drains some water from Chamberlain Lake into

176-471: A Democrat won the county in a Presidential election. 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. 45°50′N 69°18′W  /  45.84°N 69.30°W  / 45.84; -69.30 Maine Maine ( / m eɪ n / MAYN ) is a state in the New England region of

264-593: A difference of 11 votes, confirmed after a recount. In the Maine gubernatorial election, 2010 , Republican candidate Paul LePage received the most votes in Piscataquis County with 48.4%. Three Independent candidates ran in this election: Eliot Cutler received the second most Piscatquis votes with 36.5% of the total, Shawn Moody received 3.1% and Kevin Scott, 1%. Democratic candidate, Libby Mitchell received

352-521: A family was $ 43,821. Males had a median income of $ 34,575 versus $ 28,014 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 19,870. About 12.3% of families and 16.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 24.9% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over. Piscataquis County has one of the lowest rates of religious adherence in the United States. The county ranks at 3,085 of 3,148 counties (lowest 2%), with 20.5% of

440-565: A quarter of the population of Lewiston, Waterville , and Biddeford are Franco-American. Most of the residents of the Mid Coast and Down East sections are chiefly of British heritage. Smaller numbers of various other groups, including Irish , Italian , Swedish and Polish , have settled throughout the state since the late 19th and early 20th century immigration waves. Today there are four federally recognized tribes in Maine, including

528-400: A recorded maximum of 40,900 cubic feet per second (1,160 m/s) and minimum of 87 cubic feet per second (2.5 m/s). Annual maximum flows occur during the spring snow melt and minimums in the fall. Piscataquis County, Maine Piscataquis County ( / p ɪ ˈ s k æ t ə k w ɪ s / pih- SKAT -ə-kwiss ) is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine . As of

616-475: A someone other than the Republican candidate five times since 1880 — voting for Bull Moose Party nominee Theodore Roosevelt (a former Republican) in 1912 , Democrats Lyndon B. Johnson and Hubert Humphrey in 1964 and 1968 respectively, independent Ross Perot in 1992 , and Democrat Bill Clinton in 1996 . Since 2000, Piscataquis County has maintained its strong Republican lean, continuing to be

704-547: Is evident with migratory birds like piping plovers , American oystercatcher , and northern harrier , as well as resident species like black-capped chickadees , blue jays , and barred owls . Wetlands provide habitat for amphibians such as spotted salamanders , wood frogs , and toads. Freshwater habitats support fish species like brook trout , landlocked salmon , and multiple gamefish , while marine life in offshore waters includes Atlantic puffins , harbor seals , minke whales , and lobster . Maine's abundance of lobster makes

792-533: Is forested or unclaimed, the most forest cover of any U.S. state . In the wooded areas of the interior lies much uninhabited land, some of which does not have formal political organization into local units (a rarity in New England). The Northwest Aroostook unorganized territory in the northern part of the state, for example, has an area of 2,668 square miles (6,910 km ) and a population of 10, or one person for every 267 square miles (690 km ). Maine

880-667: Is in the temperate broadleaf and mixed forests biome . The land near the southern and central Atlantic coast is covered by the mixed oaks of the Northeastern coastal forests . The remainder of the state, including the North Woods , is covered by the New England–Acadian forests . Maine has almost 230 miles (400 km) of ocean coastline (and 3,500 miles (5,600 km) of tidal coastline). West Quoddy Head in Lubec

968-467: Is now Odanak . The other Abenaki tribes suffered several severe defeats, particularly during Dummer's War , with the capture of Norridgewock in 1724 and the defeat of the Pequawket in 1725, which significantly reduced their numbers. They finally withdrew to Canada , where they were settled at Bécancour and Sillery , and later at St. Francis, along with other refugee tribes from the south. Maine

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1056-531: Is part of a cultural region known as Acadia that goes over the border into New Brunswick . Along with the Acadian population in the north, many French-Canadians came from Quebec as immigrants between 1840 and 1930. The upper Saint John River valley area was once part of the so-called Republic of Madawaska , before the frontier was decided in the Webster-Ashburton Treaty of 1842. Over

1144-537: Is the easternmost point of land in the 48 contiguous states. Along the famous rock-bound coast of Maine are lighthouses, beaches, fishing villages, and thousands of offshore islands, including the Isles of Shoals which straddle the New Hampshire border. There are jagged rocks and cliffs and many bays and inlets. Inland are lakes, rivers, forests, and mountains. This visual contrast of forested slopes sweeping down to

1232-479: Is the most densely populated with nearly 40% of Maine's population. This area spans three counties and includes many farms and wooded areas; the 2016 population of Portland proper was 66,937. Maine has experienced a very slow rate of population growth since the 1990 census; its rate of growth (0.57%) since the 2010 census ranks 45th of the 50 states. In 2021 and 2022, however, Maine had the highest proportion of arriving residents to departing residents of any state in

1320-464: Is to the north and northeast, and the province of Quebec is to the northwest. Maine is the northernmost and largest state in New England, accounting for almost half of the region's entire land area. Maine is the only state to border exactly one other American state. Approximately half the area of Maine lies on each side of the 45th parallel north in latitude . Maine is the easternmost state in

1408-402: The 2020 census , its population was 16,800, making it Maine's least-populous county . Its county seat is Dover-Foxcroft . The county was incorporated on March 23, 1838, taken from the western part of Penobscot County and the eastern part of Somerset County . It is named for an Abenaki word meaning "branch of the river" or "at the river branch." Originally, the county extended north to

1496-409: The 50 U.S. states , it is the 12th-smallest by area , the 9th-least populous , the 13th-least densely populated , and the most rural. Maine's capital is Augusta , and its most populous city is Portland , with a total population of 68,408, as of the 2020 census . The territory of Maine has been inhabited by Indigenous populations for about 12,000 years, after the glaciers retreated during

1584-676: The Canada–US border , but in 1844 its northern portion was annexed by Aroostook County . In terms of 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) that meet Frederick Jackson Turner 's requirements for "frontier" country – that is, having fewer than six inhabitants per square mile,

1672-645: The Confederate Army during the Battle of Gettysburg . Four U.S. Navy ships have been named USS Maine , most famously the armored cruiser USS  Maine  (ACR-1) , whose sinking by an explosion on February 15, 1898, precipitated the Spanish–American War . To the south and east is the Gulf of Maine , and to the west is the state of New Hampshire . The Canadian province of New Brunswick

1760-483: The Contiguous United States both in its extreme points and its geographic center. The town of Lubec is the easternmost organized settlement in the United States. Its Quoddy Head Lighthouse is also the closest place in the United States to Africa and Europe. Estcourt Station is Maine's northernmost point, as well as the northernmost point in New England. (For more information see extreme points of

1848-493: The Eastern white pine . Coastal regions are characterized by hardy sea milkwort , sea-blight , bayberry , and the invasive rugosa rose . Maine's terrestrial fauna comprises mammals such as moose , black bears , and white-tailed deer , along with smaller species like red squirrels , snowshoe hares , and raccoons . Maine has the largest populations of moose and black bears in the contiguous United States. Avian diversity

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1936-798: The Kennebec River and St. Croix River notionally became Cornwall County, Province of New York under a 1664 grant from Charles II of England to his brother James , at the time the Duke of York . Some of this land was claimed by New France as part of Acadia . All of the English settlements in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Province of New York became part of the Dominion of New England in 1686. All of present-day Maine

2024-539: The Missouri Compromise , Maine was admitted to the Union as the 23rd state. Today, Maine is known for its jagged, rocky Atlantic Ocean and bay-shore coastlines, mountains, heavily forested interior, and its cuisine, particularly wild lowbush blueberries and seafood such as lobster and clams . Coastal and Down East Maine have emerged as important centers for the creative economy , especially in

2112-624: The Province of Maine in a 1622 land patent. The part of western Maine north of the Kennebec River was more sparsely settled and was known in the 17th century as the Territory of Sagadahock . A second settlement was attempted in 1623 by English explorer and naval Captain Christopher Levett at a place called York , where he had been granted 6,000 acres (24 km ) by King Charles I of England. It also failed. The 1622 patent of

2200-588: The United States , and the northeastern most state in the Lower 48 . It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and northwest, and shares a maritime border with Nova Scotia . Maine is the largest state in New England by total area, nearly larger than the combined area of the remaining five states. Of

2288-652: The United States House of Representatives elections in Maine, 2012 , incumbent Democratic candidate Michael Michaud received the most Piscataquis County votes with 53% of the total. Republican candidate, Kevin Raye received 47%. Michael Michaud was reelected to the House. In the United States Senate election in Maine, 2012 , Independent candidate and former Maine governor, Angus King received

2376-687: The Wabanaki Confederacy , aiding the Wampanoag of Massachusetts and the Mahican of New York . Afterwards, many of these people were driven from their natural territories, but most of Maine's tribes continued, unchanged, until the American Revolution . Before this point, however, most of these people were considered separate nations. Many had adapted to living in permanent, Iroquois -inspired settlements, while those along

2464-593: The last ice age . At the time of European arrival, several Algonquian -speaking nations governed the area and these nations are now known as the Wabanaki Confederacy . The first European settlement in the area was by the French in 1604 on Saint Croix Island , founded by Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons . The first English settlement was the short-lived Popham Colony , established by the Plymouth Company in 1607. A number of English settlements were established along

2552-493: The 1970s to the 1990s, paper companies' land in the county was heavily harvested. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 4,378 square miles (11,340 km ), of which 3,961 square miles (10,260 km ) is land and 417 square miles (1,080 km ) (9.5%) is water. It is the second-largest county in Maine by area. The largest lake in the county is Moosehead Lake (the state’s largest) at 120 square miles (310 km ). The highest natural point in

2640-468: The Allagash, located 3 miles (4.8 km) above the river's mouth near Allagash, Maine ( 47°04′14″N 69°04′51″W  /  47.07056°N 69.08083°W  / 47.07056; -69.08083  ( Allagash, Maine ) ), at which point the watershed is 1,479 square miles (3,830 km). The river's discharge (flow) at this gauge averages 1,967 cubic feet per second (55.7 m/s), with

2728-763: The American Revolution and the War of 1812, with the British occupying eastern Maine in both conflicts via the Colony of New Ireland . The territory of Maine was confirmed as part of Massachusetts when the United States was formed following the Treaty of Paris ending the revolution, although the final border with British North America was not established until the Webster–Ashburton Treaty of 1842. Maine

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2816-526: The Piscataquis vote. John Baldacci was reelected governor. In the Maine gubernatorial election, 2002 , Democratic candidate John Baldacci received the most votes in Piscataquis County with 50.4%. Republican candidate Peter Cianchette received 42.9% of the county vote and Green Party candidate, Jonathan Carter received 5.1%. John Baldacci was elected governor. In the Maine gubernatorial election, 1998 , Independent candidate Angus King received

2904-585: The Province of Maine was split at the Piscataqua River into the Province of New Hampshire to the south and New Somersetshire to the north. A disputed 1630 patent split off the area around present-day Saco as Lygonia . Justifying its actions with a 1652 geographic survey that showed an overlapping patent, the Massachusetts Bay Colony had seized New Somersetshire and Lygonia by force by 1658. The Territory of Sagadahock between

2992-470: The U.S. federal government. Although the wild designation of the river is normally applied to free-flowing streams, the designation left in place the wooden Churchill Dam for historic reasons. In the 1990s, with the dam failing, the citizens of Maine authorized a concrete replacement for the dam to preserve the nearby recreational facilities on the river. The rebuilding of the dam was highly criticized by environmentalists . The expansion of recreational access to

3080-546: The United States ) Maine's Moosehead Lake is the largest lake wholly in New England, since Lake Champlain is located between Vermont , New York , and Quebec . A number of other Maine lakes, such as South Twin Lake , are described by Thoreau in The Maine Woods (1864). Mount Katahdin is the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail , which extends southerly to Springer Mountain , Georgia , and

3168-452: The United States. According to the 2010 census , Maine has the highest percentage of non-Hispanic White of any state, at 94.4% of the total population. In 2011, 89.0% of all births in the state were to non-Hispanic White parents. Maine also has the second-highest residential senior population. According to HUD 's 2022 Annual Homeless Assessment Report , there were an estimated 4,411 homeless people in Maine. The table below shows

3256-683: The Unorganized Territories of Atkinson , Barnard, Ebeeme, Katahdin Iron Works, Orneville , Williamsburg and Northeast Piscataquis County. In the 2012 Piscataquis County Commissioner District 2 election, Republican candidate James Annis received 52% of the vote. Democratic candidate Susan Mackey-Andrews received 48%. In the District 3 election, Republican incumbent Frederick Trask received 50.2% (1,282 votes) and Democratic candidate Donald Crossman received 49.8% (1,271 votes) –

3344-406: The age of 18 living with them, 50.1% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.8% were non-families, and 30.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.70. The median age was 48.1 years. The median income for a household in the county was $ 34,016 and the median income for

3432-428: 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

3520-467: 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

3608-472: The coast of Maine in the 1620s, although the rugged climate and conflict with the local Indigenous people caused many to fail. As Maine entered the 18th century, only a half dozen European settlements had survived. Loyalist and Patriot forces contended for Maine's territory during the American Revolution . During the War of 1812 , the largely undefended eastern region of Maine was occupied by British forces with

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3696-406: The coast tended to move from summer villages to winter villages on a yearly cycle. They would usually winter inland and head to the coasts by summer. European contact with what is now called Maine may have started around 1200 CE when Vikings are believed to have interacted with the native Penobscot in present-day Hancock County , most likely through trade. If confirmed, this would make Maine

3784-412: The country, with 1.8 arrivals for every departure. The modest population growth in the state has been concentrated in the southern coastal counties; with more diverse populations slowly moving into these areas of the state. However, the northern, more rural areas of the state have experienced a slight decline in population from 2010 to 2016. As of 2020, Maine has the highest population age 65 or older in

3872-511: The county and the state of Maine is Mount Katahdin at 5,271 feet (1,607 meters), while the geographic center is Greeley Landing in the Town of Dover-Foxcroft. As of the 2000 census , 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 (1.5 people/km ). There were 13,783 housing units at an average density of 4 per square mile (1.5/km ). The racial makeup of

3960-414: The county in 2016 while greatly improving on Romney's performance. He won it again in 2020 with 62% of the vote, marking the first time a presidential candidate from any party won Piscataquis County with over 60% of the vote since Ronald Reagan in 1984 . In 2000 , 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 ,

4048-541: 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. As of the 2010 United States census , there were 17,535 people, 7,825 households, and 4,948 families residing in the county. The population density was 4.4 inhabitants per square mile (1.7 inhabitants/km ). There were 15,340 housing units at an average density of 3.9 units per square mile (1.5 units/km ). The racial makeup of

4136-437: The county was 96.9% white, 0.7% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 0.3% black or African American, 0.3% from other races, and 1.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 21.4% were English , 16.5% were Irish , 13.6% were American , 8.7% were German , 5.5% were Scottish , and 5.3% were French Canadian . Of the 7,825 households, 23.6% had children under

4224-523: 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

4312-486: 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 1996, Bill Clinton carried the county with 48.7% of the vote, the first Democrat to do so since 1968, an election in which the Democratic Vice Presidential nominee was Mainer Edmund Muskie . 1996 is also the last time

4400-644: The disputed areas containing land. Also in this easternmost area in the Bay of Fundy is the Old Sow , the largest tidal whirlpool in the Western Hemisphere . Maine is the least densely populated state east of the Mississippi River . It is called the Pine Tree State due to its largest distribution and presence of pine , including Pinus strobus and Pinus resinosa . Over 80% of its total area

4488-618: The early 1700s to Kahnewake , a Catholic Mohawk village near Montreal , where some were adopted and others ransomed. After the British defeated the French in Acadia in the 1740s, the territory from the Penobscot River east fell under the nominal authority of the Province of Nova Scotia , and together with present-day New Brunswick formed the Nova Scotia county of Sunbury , with its court of general sessions at Campobello. American and British forces contended for Maine's territory during

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4576-526: The entire length of the sound. These features also have made it attractive for boat builders, such as the prestigious Hinckley Yachts . Bubble Rock, a glacial erratic , is a large boulder perched on the edge of Bubble Mountain in Acadia National Park . By analyzing the type of granite, geologists discovered that glaciers carried Bubble Rock to its present location from near Lucerne , 30 miles (48 km) away. The Iapetus Suture runs through

4664-653: The following year, keeping a balance between slave and free states. Maine's original state capital was Portland, Maine's largest city, until it was moved to the more central Augusta in 1832. The principal office of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court remains in Portland. The 20th Maine Volunteer Infantry Regiment , under the command of Colonel Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain , prevented the Union Army from being flanked at Little Round Top by

4752-476: The goal of annexing it to Canada via the Colony of New Ireland , but returned to the United States following failed British offensives on the northern border, mid-Atlantic and south which produced a peace treaty that restored the pre-war boundaries. Maine was part of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts until 1820 when it voted to secede from Massachusetts to become a separate state. On March 15, 1820, under

4840-416: The international border with New Brunswick . The relatively unspoiled nature of the river has long made it a popular destination for canoe trips . In 1857 Henry David Thoreau , along with his Concord friend Edward S. Hoar and Penobscot guide Joseph Polis , made a canoe journey which led him to the source of the river, i.e. Heron Lake. His account of the excursion called "The Allegash and East Branch"

4928-542: The late spring and summer months are usually driest—a rarity across the Eastern United States. Maine has fewer days of thunderstorms than any other state east of the Rockies , with most of the state averaging fewer than twenty days of thunderstorms a year. Tornadoes are rare in Maine, with the state averaging two per year, although this number is increasing. Most severe thunderstorms and tornadoes occur in

5016-597: The melting of heavy glacier ice caused a slight rebounding effect of underlying rock; this land rise, however, was not enough to eliminate all the effect of the rising sea level and its invasion of former land features. Much of Maine's geomorphology was created by extended glacial activity at the end of the last ice age . Prominent glacial features include Somes Sound and Bubble Rock, both part of Acadia National Park on Mount Desert Island. Carved by glaciers, Somes Sound reaches depths of 175 feet (50 m). The extreme depth and steep drop-off allow large ships to navigate almost

5104-487: The most relevant evidence being the Maine Penny , an 11th-century Norwegian coin found at a Native American dig site in 1954. The first European confirmed settlement in modern-day Maine was in 1604 on Saint Croix Island , led by French explorer Pierre Dugua, Sieur de Mons . His party included Samuel de Champlain , noted as an explorer. The French named the entire area Acadia , including the portion that later became

5192-449: The most reliably Republican county in Maine, and New England. In 2008 , Piscataquis was the only county in New England to vote for John McCain , who won the county by a margin of 355 votes or 3.8% over Barack Obama , with Obama winning Maine by a 17.3% margin over McCain. In 2012 , Piscataquis was only one of five counties in New England to support Republican candidate Mitt Romney , and the only county in Maine to do so. Romney received

5280-469: The most votes in Piscataquis County with 45.7% of the vote. Republican candidate, Charlie Summers received 40.1% and Democratic candidate Cynthia Dill received 10.4%. Stephen M. Woods received 136 votes, Andrew I. Dodge received 126 votes and Danny F. Dalton, 76 votes. Angus King was elected to the Senate. Piscataquis County is one of the most reliably Republican counties in New England, only voting for

5368-491: The most votes in Piscataquis County with 50.2%. Republican candidate James Longley, Jr. received 26.6%, Democratic candidate Tom Connolly received 10.7%. Other candidates split 12.5% of the vote. Angus King was elected governor. Piscataquis County is entirely within Maine's 2nd congressional district , which comprises 80% of the state and is the largest district by land area east of the Mississippi River. In

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5456-401: The most votes in Piscataquis County with 50.6%. Democratic incumbent Barack Obama received 46.3%. Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson received 1.5% and Green Independent candidate Jill Stein received 1.24%. There were a total of 30 "write in" votes; 29 of these were for Ron Paul and 1 for Rocky Anderson . Barack Obama was reelected President. Republican candidate Donald Trump carried

5544-671: The north and west of the state, being underlain by the ancient Laurentian terrane , and the south and east underlain by the Avalonian terrane . Acadia National Park is the only national park in New England. Areas under the protection and management of the National Park Service include: Lands under the control of the state of Maine include: Maine has a humid continental climate ( Köppen climate classification Dfb ), with warm and sometimes humid summers, and long, cold and very snowy winters. Winters are especially severe in

5632-541: The northern and western parts of Maine, while coastal areas are moderated slightly by the Atlantic Ocean , resulting in marginally milder winters and cooler summers than inland regions. Daytime highs are generally in the 75–85 °F (24–29 °C) range throughout the state in July, with overnight lows in the high 50s   °F (around 15   °C). January temperatures range from highs near 30 °F (−1 °C) on

5720-552: The other being Hamilton County, New York . Baxter State Park , a large wilderness preserve, is located in Piscataquis County. In June 1799, near Piscataquis County's three major rivers, people started clearing land and settling there. In 1883, the Monson Railroad , a two-foot gague commoner railroad, began operating in the county. It would be the last operating railroad of its type in North America. From

5808-425: The population regularly attending congregations or claiming religious membership. In Maine, Piscataquis County ranks tenth of the 16 counties in percentage of religious adherents. The State of Maine has the lowest percentage of religious adherents in the United States at 27%. The following individuals hold county offices: Piscataquis County is administered by three County Commissioners, each representing one of

5896-562: The racial composition of Maine's population as of 2016. According to the 2016 American Community Survey , 1.5% of Maine's population were of Hispanic or Latino origin (of any race): Mexican (0.4%), Puerto Rican (0.4%), Cuban (0.1%), and other Hispanic or Latino origin (0.6%). The six largest ancestry groups were: English (20.7%), Irish (17.3%), French (15.7%), German (8.1%), American (7.8%) and French Canadian (7.7%). People citing that they are American are of overwhelmingly English descent, but have ancestry that has been in

5984-557: The region for so long (often since the 17th century) that they choose to identify simply as Americans. Maine has the highest percentage of French Americans of any state. Most of them are of Canadian origin, but in some cases have been living there since prior to the American Revolutionary War . There are particularly high concentrations in the northern part of Maine in Aroostook County , which

6072-568: The river through new roads and docks has remained a controversial topic in recent years. Development in much of the area surrounding the Allagash Wilderness Waterway is restricted by the Seven Islands Land Company , a private land management company that owns approximately 1 million acres (4,000 km) of forest in northern Maine. The United States government maintains one stream gauge on

6160-484: The sea has been summed up by American poet Edna St. Vincent Millay of Rockland and Camden , in "Renascence": All I could see from where I stood Was three long mountains and a wood; I turned and looked the other way, And saw three islands in a bay. Geologists describe this type of landscape as a "drowned coast", where a rising sea level has invaded former land features, creating bays out of valleys and islands out of mountain tops. A rise in land elevation due to

6248-450: The site of the earliest European discovery in the entire US. About 200 years earlier, from the settlements in Iceland and Greenland , the Norse first identified America and attempted to settle areas such as Newfoundland , but failed to establish a permanent settlement. Archeological evidence suggests that Vikings in Greenland returned to North America for several centuries after the initial discovery to trade and collect timber, with

6336-623: The south end of Eagle Lake , which then flows out through the Allagash as it naturally would. Extending the flowline of the Allagash River to Lock Dam on Chamberlain Lake gives a total length to the mouth of the Allagash at the Saint John River of 86 miles (138 km). The Allagash flows generally northeast, passing through a chain of natural mountain lakes. It joins the Saint John from the south at Allagash, Maine , near

6424-469: The southern coast to overnight lows averaging below 0 °F (−18 °C) in the far north. The state's record high temperature is 105 °F (41 °C), set in July 1911, at North Bridgton. Precipitation in Maine is evenly distributed year-round, but with a slight summer maximum in northern/northwestern Maine and a slight late-fall or early-winter maximum along the coast due to " nor'easters " or intense cold-season rain and snowstorms. In coastal Maine,

6512-404: The southern terminus of the new International Appalachian Trail which, when complete, will run to Belle Isle , Newfoundland and Labrador . Machias Seal Island and North Rock , off the state's Downeast coast, are claimed by both Canada and the Maine town of Cutler , and are within one of four areas between the two countries whose sovereignty is still in dispute , but it is the only one of

6600-403: The southwestern interior portion of the state, where summer temperatures are often the warmest and the atmosphere is thus more unstable compared to northern and coastal areas. Maine rarely sees the direct landfall of tropical cyclones , as they tend to recurve out to sea or are rapidly weakening by the time they reach the cooler waters of Maine. In January 2009, a new record low temperature for

6688-632: The state of Maine. The Plymouth Company established the first English settlement in Maine at the Popham Colony in 1607, the same year as the settlement at Jamestown, Virginia . The Popham colonists returned to Britain after 14 months. The French established two Jesuit missions: one on Penobscot Bay in 1609, and the other on Mount Desert Island in 1613. The same year, Claude de La Tour established Castine . In 1625, Charles de Saint-Étienne de la Tour erected Fort Pentagouet to protect Castine. The coastal areas of eastern Maine first became

6776-438: The state the largest producer of lobster in the United States. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that the population of Maine was 1,344,212 on July 1, 2019, a 1.19% increase since the 2010 United States census . At the 2020 census , 1,362,359 people lived in the state. The state's population density is 41.3 people per square mile, making it the least densely populated state east of the Mississippi River . As of 2010, Maine

6864-620: The state was set at Big Black River of −50 °F (−46 °C), tying the New England record. Annual precipitation varies from 35.8 in (909 mm) in Presque Isle to 56.7 in (1,441 mm) in Acadia National Park. Maine exhibits a diverse range of flora and fauna across its varied landscapes, including forests, coastline, and wetlands. Forested areas consist primarily of coniferous and deciduous trees, such as balsam fir , sugar maple , and its state tree,

6952-465: The third most votes in the county with 10.9% of the total. Paul LePage was elected governor. In the Maine gubernatorial election, 2006 , Republican candidate Chandler Woodcock received the most votes in Piscataquis County with 37.7%. Democratic candidate, incumbent governor John Baldacci received 34.5%. Independent candidate Barbara Merrill received 19.7%, Green party candidate Pat LaMarche received 7.4%, and Phillip Morris NaPier received .63% of

7040-718: The three county districts. They are elected for four-year terms. A term of office begins on January 1 following the election in November. County Commissioner meetings are typically held on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month at the County Courthouse in Dover-Foxcroft . The meetings begin at 8:30 a.m. and continue until the agenda for the meeting has been addressed. County Commissioners: District 1:Eric P. Ward District 2:James D. Annis District 3:Frederick Trask County Districts: District 1 includes

7128-416: The towns of Abbot , Beaver Cove , Greenville , Guilford , Kingsbury Plt , Monson , Parkman , Shirley , Wellington and the Unorganized Territories of Blanchard , Elliotsville and Northwest Piscataquis . District 2 includes the towns of Dover-Foxcroft , Sangerville and Willimantic . District 3 includes the towns of Bowerbank , Brownville , Lake View Plt , Medford , Milo , Sebec and

7216-470: The vicinity of Portland , which has also brought gentrification to the city and its metropolitan area. The earliest known inhabitants of the territory that is now Maine were Algonquian-speaking Wabanaki peoples, including the Passamaquoddy , Maliseet , Penobscot , Androscoggin , and Kennebec. During the later King Philip's War , many of these peoples would merge in one form or another to become

7304-436: The war and refused to defend Maine from British invaders. In 1819, Massachusetts agreed to permit secession, sanctioned by voters of the rapidly growing region the following year. Formal secession from Massachusetts and admission of Maine as the 23rd state occurred on March 15, 1820, as part of the Missouri Compromise , which geographically restricted the spread of slavery and enabled the admission to statehood of Missouri

7392-555: Was also the most rural state in the Union, with only 38.7% of the state's population living within urban areas. As explained in detail under "Geography", there are large tracts of uninhabited land in some remote parts of the interior of the state, particularly in the North Maine Woods . The mean population center of Maine is located in Kennebec County , just east of Augusta. The Greater Portland metropolitan area

7480-612: Was much fought over by the French , English, and allied natives during the 17th and 18th centuries. These natives conducted raids against settlers and each other, taking captives for ransom or, in some cases, kidnapped for adoption by Native American tribes. A notable example was the early 1692 Abenaki raid on York , where about 100 English settlers were killed and another estimated 80 taken hostage. The Abenaki took captives taken during raids of Massachusetts in Queen Anne's War of

7568-538: Was physically separate from the rest of Massachusetts. Longstanding disagreements over land speculation and settlements led to Maine residents and their allies in Massachusetts proper forcing an 1807 vote in the Massachusetts Assembly on permitting Maine to secede; the vote failed. Secessionist sentiment in Maine was stoked during the War of 1812 when Massachusetts pro-British merchants opposed

7656-559: Was published posthumously as the third chapter of The Maine Woods (1864). In 1966, the citizens of Maine voted to protect the river by authorizing a $ 1.5 million bond that would "develop the maximum wilderness character" of the river. Much of the river was subsequently designated as the Allagash Wilderness Waterway . In 1970 the waterway became part of the National Wild and Scenic River program of

7744-516: Was unified as York County, Massachusetts under a 1691 royal patent for the Province of Massachusetts Bay . Central Maine was formerly inhabited by the Androscoggin tribe of the Abenaki nation , also known as Arosaguntacook. They were driven out of the area in 1690 during King William's War . They were relocated to St. Francis , Canada, which was destroyed by Rogers' Rangers in 1759, and

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