Aroostook County, Maine

Etymology

The name Aroostook comes from the Wolastokwey (or Maliseet) word Woolahstook, referring to the Saint John River or "Wolastoq", which means "beautiful river".

History

Named for the Wolastoq River, Aroostook's bounds fall completely within Maliseet Country, natively called Wolastokuk. Confederated with neighboring nations like the Mi'kmaq and Abenaki, the Wolastoqiyik (or Maliseet) Nation and their country comprised and still comprises one part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. This confederation covering several countries across Dawnland (what is now New England and the Canadian Maritimes) came together and confederated during the European and British colonization of the Americas.

The sparsely populated North Maine Woods, roughly defined as the headwaters of the Saint John, Penobscot and Kennebec Rivers, was populated during the colonial era by refugees fleeing oppressive governments. Native Americans, particularly Dawnlanders, (retreating from hostile European colonists, and smugglers trading with them, and between English Massachusetts and French Acadia) lived in small communities along the Atlantic coast on the disputed border between those colonies. As England dominated the Gulf of Maine following the French and Indian Wars, these occupants of the border region retreated up the large rivers into the interior, joined by Acadians escaping the Acadian Expulsion. Most Acadians and Wolastoqewiyik found refuge in Canada's Madawaska county, but several communities stayed in what would become the United States, including the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, also known as the Metaksonekiyak Wolastoqewiyik. Although the survivors might have preferred to remain independent, surrounding governments dividing their refuge, considering Aroostook County as the west bank of the Saint John River drainage basin upstream of Canada. Under United States control, the area was initially dominated by lumber manufacturing interests, although agriculture became important as population increased. Transportation along the Saint John River, and early rail connections into New Brunswick, created strong business ties with Canada, until the county was connected to the United States rail network by the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad in 1894. Aroostook County residents retain an independent cultural identity established during their history of isolation on the border frontier.

Aroostook County was formed, in 1839, from parts of Penobscot and Washington counties. Between 1843 and 1844, the county gained more land from Penobscot County, and further exchanged land with Piscataquis County. In 1889, Aroostook gained a small amount of Penobscot land, subsequently giving it back in 1903, when Aroostook County took on its current form. Some of the territory in the county was part of the land dispute that led to the "Aroostook War", a dispute which would be settled by the Webster–Ashburton Treaty.

The county was also part of a route on the Underground Railroad, and was one of the last stops before entering Canada. Slaves would meet and hide just outside Aroostook or in deserted areas. Friends Quaker Church near Fort Fairfield was often a final stop.

Much of Aroostook County's economy was dominated by military spending through the Cold War. Limestone Army Air Field was built in Limestone, Maine, in 1947. It was renamed Loring Air Force Base (AFB) in 1953 as the home of the Strategic Air Command (SAC) 42d Bombardment Wing operating Convair B-36 Peacemaker bombers. Aroostook County was chosen due to its strategic location as the closest point in the Continental United States to the Middle East and Europe including the Soviet Union west of the Ural Mountains. Loring AFB could accommodate one hundred of these large bombers; and had both the largest fuel storage capacity, at 9,200,000 gal, and the largest weapons storage capacity, at 4700 tonnes NEW, of any SAC base. The 42d Bombardment Wing at Loring operated Boeing B-52 Stratofortress bombers until the 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended closure and the base closed in 1994.

The 2014 Acadian World Congress was held along the Canada–United States border, co-hosted by Aroostook County and a number of neighboring counties in Canada (Témiscouata in Quebec, and Victoria, Madawaska and Restigouche in New Brunswick). Organizers planned a Tintamarre that was held in the town of Madawaska, Maine, as well as a giant tug of war across the Saint John River.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 6828 sqmi, of which 6671 sqmi is land and 156 sqmi (2.3%) is water. Aroostook County is Maine's largest county by area, about the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined. The county high point is Peaked Mountain, elevation 2230 ft, whose western slopes are in the north east corner of Piscataquis County.

Adjacent counties and municipalities

• Washington County – southeast
• Penobscot County – south
• Piscataquis County – south
• Somerset County – southwest
• Montmagny Regional County Municipality, Quebec – west
• L'Islet Regional County Municipality, Quebec – west
• Kamouraska Regional County Municipality, Quebec – northwest
• Témiscouata Regional County Municipality, Quebec – north
• Madawaska County, New Brunswick – northeast
• Victoria County, New Brunswick – east
• Carleton County, New Brunswick – east
• York County, New Brunswick – southeast

National protected area

• Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge
• Aroostook State Park

Major highways

Government and politics

Although the county is more socially conservative than Maine's southern and coastal counties, it was won by the Democratic presidential candidate in the six elections from 1992 to 2012 before going for Republican Donald Trump in 2016, 2020 and 2024. In the Maine Legislature, the county's delegation in 2013 included three Democrats and seven Republicans. In 2009, it voted 73% in favor of a referendum rejecting same-sex marriage and 54% against the Maine Medical Marijuana Act. In 2012, it voted 67% against a measure to legalize same-sex marriage in Maine.

Voter registration

Demographics

|align-fn=center 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2016

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, there were 67,105 people, 29,784 households, and 38,303 housing units.

Of the residents, 19.0% were under the age of 18 and 25.3% were 65 years of age or older; the median age was 48.9 years. For every 100 females there were 97.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.4 males. 14.4% of residents lived in urban areas and 85.6% lived in rural areas.

There were 29,784 households in the county, of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 25.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 33.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 38,303 housing units, of which 22.2% were vacant. Among occupied units, 70.9% were owner-occupied and 29.1% were renter-occupied, with a homeowner vacancy rate of 3.0% and a rental vacancy rate of 9.8%.

The racial makeup of the county was 93.2% White, 0.7% Black or African American, 1.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.6% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 0.4% from some other race, and 3.3% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 1.4% of the population.

The most commonly reported ancestries were English (28.4%), French (15.3%), Irish (11.8%), German (4.4%), Scottish (3.3%), and French Canadian (2.6%).

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States census, there were 71,870 people, 30,961 households, and 19,578 families residing in the county.{{cite web |access-date=January 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213034248/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US23003 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=January 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213185310/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US23003 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |access-date=January 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213011322/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US23003 |archive-date=February 13, 2020

In 2010, 18.0% of the population reported speaking French at home; other than speakers of English, there were no other significant linguistic groups.{{cite web |access-date=August 23, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130815140430/http://www.mla.org/cgi-shl/docstudio/docs.pl?map_data_results |archive-date=August 15, 2013

Of the 30,961 households, 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 36.8% were non-families, and 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.79. The median age was 45.3 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $36,574 and the median income for a family was $47,114. Males had a median income of $37,222 versus $28,244 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,251. About 10.6% of families and 15.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.4% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.{{cite web |access-date=January 21, 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213015041/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US23003 |archive-date=February 13, 2020

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 73,938 people, 30,356 households, and 20,429 families residing in the county. The population density was 11 /mi2. There were 38,719 housing units at an average density of 6 /mi2. The racial makeup of the county was 96.80% White, 0.38% Black or African American, 1.36% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.80% from two or more races. 0.60% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 22.6% were of French, 15.4% United States or American, 14.6% English, 14.3% French Canadian and 10.2% Irish ancestry.

There were 30,356 households, out of which 28.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.60% were married couples living together, 8.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.70% were non-families. 27.60% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.10% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the county, 22.60% of the population was under the age of 18, 7.90% was from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% was 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 95.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.70 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $28,837, and the median income for a family was $36,044. Males had a median income of $29,747 versus $20,300 for females. The per capita income for the county was $15,033. About 9.80% of families and 14.30% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.20% of those under age 18 and 16.00% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

Cities

• Caribou
• Presque Isle

Incorporated towns

• Allagash
• Amity
• Ashland
• Blaine
• Bridgewater
• Castle Hill
• Caswell
• Chapman
• Crystal
• Dyer Brook
• Eagle Lake
• Easton
• Fort Fairfield
• Fort Kent
• Frenchville
• Grand Isle
• Hamlin
• Hammond
• Haynesville
• Hersey
• Hodgdon
• Houlton
• Island Falls
• Limestone
• Linneus
• Littleton
• Ludlow
• Madawaska
• Mapleton
• Mars Hill
• Masardis
• Merrill
• Monticello
• New Canada
• New Limerick
• New Sweden
• Oakfield
• Orient
• Perham
• Portage Lake
• Saint Agatha
• Saint Francis
• Sherman
• Smyrna
• Stockholm
• Van Buren
• Wade
• Wallagrass
• Washburn
• Westfield
• Westmanland
• Weston
• Woodland

Plantations

• Cyr Plantation
• Garfield Plantation
• Glenwood Plantation
• Macwahoc Plantation
• Moro Plantation
• Nashville Plantation
• Reed Plantation
• Saint John Plantation
• Winterville Plantation

Census-designated places

• Ashland
• Blaine
• Eagle Lake
• Fort Fairfield
• Fort Kent
• Grand Isle
• Houlton
• Island Falls
• Limestone
• Madawaska
• Mapleton
• Mars Hill
• Oakfield
• Patten
• Van Buren
• Washburn

Unincorporated communities within towns

• California
• Clayton Lake
• Crouseville
• Daigle
• Estcourt Station
• Fort Kent Mills
• Portage
• Saint David
• Sinclair
• Smyrna Mills
• Wytopitlock

Unorganized territories

• Bancroft (formerly a town)
• Cary
• Central Aroostook
• Connor
• Northwest Aroostook
• Oxbow
• Sinclair
• South Aroostook
• Square Lake

Indian reservations

• Aroostook Band of Mi'kmaq Indians Reservation, located in Presque Isle
• Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians Reservation, located in Houlton

Education

K-12 school districts include the following:

• Bridgewater School District
• Caswell School District
• Eagle Lake Public Schools
• Easton School District
• Glenwood Plantation School District
• Grand Isle School District
• Macwahoc Plantation School District
• Madawaska School District
• Moro Plantation Public Schools
• Nashville Plantation School District
• New Sweden School District
• Orient School District
• Reed Plantation School District
• Westmanland School District
• Winterville Plantation Public Schools
• Woodland School District
• School Administrative District 01
• School Administration District 10
• School Administrative District 14
• School Administrative District 20
• School Administrative District 24
• School Administrative District 27
• School Administrative District 29
• School Administrative District 32
• School Administrative District 33
• School Administrative District 42
• School Administrative District 45
• School Administrative District 70
• Regional School Unit 39
• Regional School Unit 50
• Regional School Unit 89

There is also a single elementary school district, Limestone Public Schools.

There is also the Aroostook Unorganized Territory, The Maine Department of Education takes responsibility for coordinating school assignments in the unorganized territories. The department operates one school, Connor Consolidated School, in Connor Township. It previously operated another school in the unorganized territory, Patrick Therriault School in Sinclair Township.

When Bancroft was a town, it was under the Bancroft School District. When Oxbow was a plantation, it was directly under the School Administrative District 32.

References

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