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''[[United States|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Maine]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]'' '''Maine townships''' | ''[[United States|United States]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]] [[Maine]] [[Image:Gotoarrow.png]]'' '''Maine townships''' | ||
'''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. Populated coastal islands outside municipal borders are also usually included in the list of townships. Most services for townships are handled by the state government.<ref name="Muni">Municipalities section of "Maine" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine (accessed 27 February 2013).</ref> | ||
'''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. | '''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. | ||
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'''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. | ||
'''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]]. Many of Maine's unorganized territories are known by both a name and and number. | ||
'''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]]. | '''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]]. Moreover, in some counties, a few of the townships are split into two of the groupings (as shown on such counties' FamilySearch Wiki maps by a bright-green line). | ||
'''Other unorganized territories. ''' In addition to township, an unorganized territory of Maine may | '''Other unorganized territories. ''' In addition to being labelled a township, sometimes an unorganized territory of Maine may instead be called a gore, grant, island, patent, purchase, strip, surplus, territory, or tract. Such units are similar to a township in their lack of government, and lack of organized record-keeping. | ||
'''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]]. | '''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 about 425 townships (unincorporated territories), 34 plantations,<ref>"List of plantations in Maine" in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_plantations_in_Maine (accessed 27 February 2013).</ref> 454 towns or cities, and three Indian reservations. The unorganized township territories include slightly over half the land area of Maine.<ref name="Muni" /> | ||
=== References === | === References === | ||