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'''Unorganized territory. ''' In Maine a '''township''' is an unorganized territory roughly the size of a town, but usually with a relatively smaller population. | '''Unorganized territory. ''' In Maine a '''township''' is an unorganized territory roughly the size of a town, but usually with a relatively smaller population. | ||
'''Fewer records. ''' No town meetings are held, and no town meeting minutes are kept in townships. It would be unusual for a township to have its own record keeping official. The township's county should have the township's land records. Nearby towns in the county also '''''may ''''' keep a few historical facts about people who live in neighboring townships. | '''Fewer records. ''' No town meetings are held, and no town meeting minutes are kept in townships. It would be unusual for a township to have its own record-keeping official. The township's county registrar of deeds should have the township's land records. Nearby towns in the county also '''''may ''''' keep a few historical facts about people who live in neighboring townships. | ||
'''Changes in status. ''' Townships can decide to organize into a town government, or a plantation. Also, from time to time, towns may choose to become townships. If a former town has a declining population, and its citizens decide to discontinue as a town, they stop holding town meetings and the former town's records are usually transferred to a nearby functioning town. | '''Changes in status. ''' Townships can decide to organize into a town government, or a plantation. Also, from time to time, towns may choose to become townships. If a former town has a declining population, and its citizens decide to discontinue as a town, they stop holding town meetings and the former town's records are usually transferred to a nearby functioning town. | ||
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'''Names. ''' Some townships have names ''such as'' • [[Hancock County, Maine|Fletchers Landing]], • [[Somerset County, Maine|Big W]], or • [[Kennebec County, Maine|Unity Township]]. Other townships are known more by their numbers ''such as'' • [[Somerset County, Maine|Township 4 R17 West of the Easterly Line of the State]], • [[Washington County, Maine|Township 37 Middle Division]], or • [[Franklin County, Maine|Township 6 North of Weld]]. | '''Names. ''' Some townships have names ''such as'' • [[Hancock County, Maine|Fletchers Landing]], • [[Somerset County, Maine|Big W]], or • [[Kennebec County, Maine|Unity Township]]. Other townships are known more by their numbers ''such as'' • [[Somerset County, Maine|Township 4 R17 West of the Easterly Line of the State]], • [[Washington County, Maine|Township 37 Middle Division]], or • [[Franklin County, Maine|Township 6 North of Weld]]. | ||
'''Township groups. ''' | '''Township groups. ''' Some counties of Maine list their townships within larger geographic locations ''such as '' [[Washington County, Maine|East Central Washington]], [[Oxford County, Maine|North Oxford]], or [[Somerset County, Maine|Seboomook Lake]]. | ||
'''Other unorganized territories. ''' In addition to township, an unorganized territory of Maine | '''Other unorganized territories. ''' In addition to township, an unorganized territory of Maine may also be called a gore, grant, island, patent, purchase, strip, surplus, territory, or tract. Such territories are similar to a township in their government and record keeping characteristics. | ||
Nevertheless, in Maine plantations are between towns and townships in their level of government organization. | '''Plantations. ''' Nevertheless, in Maine plantations are between towns and townships in their level of government organization. For examples of Maine plantations and their records, see [[Coplin, Maine|Coplin]], [[Matinicus Isle, Maine|Matinicus Isle]], or [[Monhegan, Maine|Monhegan]]. | ||
'''Statistics. ''' Maine has | '''Statistics. ''' Maine has | ||