Aroostook County, Maine

Aroostook County, Maine
Aroostook County Courthouse in April 2007
Seal
Location in the state of Maine
Maine's location in the U.S.
Founded	May 1, 1839
Named for	Indian word meaning "beautiful river" [1]
Seat	Houlton
Largest city	Presque Isle
Area
• Total	6,828 sq mi (17,684 km2)
• Land	6,671 sq mi (17,278 km2)
• Water	156 sq mi (404 km2), 2.3%
Population
• (2010)	71,870
• Density	11/sq mi (4/km²)
Congressional district	2nd
Time zone	Eastern: UTC-5/-4
Website	www.aroostook.me.us

Aroostook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2010 census, the population was 71,870.^[2] Its seat is Houlton.^[3]

Known locally in Maine simply as "The County," it is the largest American county by land area east of the Rocky Mountains (St. Louis County, Minnesota is larger by total area) and the largest county by total area in Maine. As Maine's northernmost county, its northernmost village, Estcourt Station, is therefore also the northernmost community in New England and in the contiguous United States east of the Great Lakes.

Aroostook County is known for its potato crops, as well as its Acadian culture. In the northernmost region of the county, which borders Madawaska County, New Brunswick, many of the residents are bilingual (English and French). The county is also an emerging hub for wind power.

History

Aroostook County was formed in 1839 from parts of Penobscot and Washington counties. In 1843, Aroostook gained land from Penobscot County; in 1844, Aroostook again gained land from Penobscot, plus it exchanged land with Piscataquis County. In 1889, Aroostook gained slightly from Penobscot, but gave back the land in 1903 when Aroostook County gained its final form.^[4] Some of the territory in this county was part of the land dispute that led to the "Aroostook War" that would eventually be settled by the Webster–Ashburton Treaty.

Children gathering potatoes on a large farm in Aroostook County, 1940. Schools did not open until the potatoes were harvested. Photo by Jack Delano.

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^[5] or in deserted areas. Friends Quaker Church near Fort Fairfield was often a final stop.^[6]

During the post World War II era, much of Aroostook County's economy was dominated by military spending. In 1947, the Limestone Army Air Field was built in Limestone, Maine. It began use in 1953 and was renamed the Loring Air Force Base. Aroostook County was chosen due to its strategic location as the closest point in the Continental United States to Europe. The 1991 Base Realignment and Closure Commission recommended closure of Loring and the Base closed in 1994.^[7]

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.^[8]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 6,828 square miles (17,680 km²), of which 6,671 square miles (17,280 km²) is land and 156 square miles (400 km²) (2.3%) is water.^[9] Aroostook County is the largest county in Maine by area, about the size of Connecticut and Rhode Island combined.

Adjacent counties and municipalities

National protected area

• Aroostook National Wildlife Refuge

Major highways

Government and politics

Although the county is more socially conservative than Maine's southern and coastal counties, it has gone consistently for the Democratic Presidential candidate in the last five elections, most recently by more than 8% of the vote.^[11] In the Maine Legislature, the county's delegation includes three Democrats and seven Republicans.^[12] In 2009 it voted 73% in favor of a referendum rejecting same-sex marriage and 54% against the Maine Medical Marijuana Act.^[13] In 2012, it voted 67% against a measure to legalize same-sex marriage in Maine.^[14]

Due to remoteness from the rest of Maine and a perceived lack of connection with Maine government, as well as a strong connection with neighboring Canada, politicians of Aroostook County, Maine, have proposed making Aroostook part of New Brunswick or spinning off the county as its own state, probably named Aroostook, since the 1990s. As recently as 2005 the question has been brought up before the state legislature.^[15]

Voter registration

Voter registration

Demographics

2000 census

As of the census^[22] of 2000, there were 73,938 people, 30,356 households, and 20,429 families residing in the county. The population density was 11 people per square mile (4/km²). There were 38,719 housing units at an average density of 6 per square mile (2/km²). 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. As of 2010, 18.0% of the population reported speaking French at home; other than speakers of English, there were no other significant linguistic groups.^[23]

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 the population was spread out with 22.60% under the age of 18, 7.90% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 26.20% from 45 to 64, and 17.00% who were 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.

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.^[24] The population density was 10.8 inhabitants per square mile (4.2/km²). There were 39,529 housing units at an average density of 5.9 per square mile (2.3/km²).^[25] The racial makeup of the county was 95.7% white, 1.7% American Indian, 0.6% black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.9% of the population.^[24] In terms of ancestry, 18.1% were English, 17.4% were Irish, 8.2% were French Canadian, 8.1% were American, and 5.2% were German.^[26]

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.^[24]

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.^[27]

Communities

Cities

• Caribou
• Presque Isle

Incorporated towns

Plantations

Census-designated places

Unorganized territories

Indian reservations

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

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Aroostook County, Maine

References

External links

Media related to Aroostook County, Maine at Wikimedia Commons

• Aroostook County Government
• Aroostook County on Maine.gov
• Aroostook County events

	Kamouraska Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada	Témiscouata Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada	Madawaska County, New Brunswick, Canada
	Montmagny Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada and L'Islet Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada		Victoria County, New Brunswick, Canada and Carleton County, New Brunswick, Canada
		Aroostook County, Maine
	Somerset County	Penobscot County and Piscataquis County	York County, New Brunswick, Canada and Washington County

Municipalities and communities of Aroostook County, Maine, United States County seat: Houlton Cities Caribou Presque Isle 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 St. Agatha St. Francis Sherman Smyrna Stockholm Van Buren Wade Wallagrass Washburn Westfield Westmanland Weston Woodland Plantations Cary Plantation Cyr Plantation Garfield Plantation Glenwood Plantation Macwahoc Plantation Moro Plantation Nashville Plantation Oxbow Reed Plantation Saint John Plantation Winterville Plantation Unorganized territories Bancroft Central Aroostook Connor Northwest Aroostook South Aroostook Square Lake CDPs Ashland Blaine Fort Fairfield Fort Kent Houlton Limestone Loring AFB (former) Madawaska Mapleton Mars Hill-Blaine (former) Mars Hill Van Buren Washburn Other villages Clayton Lake Crouseville Estcourt Station Fort Kent Mills Maine Portage Saint David Sinclair Smyrna Mills Wytopitlock

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Coordinates: 46°39′N 68°35′W / 46.65°N 68.59°W / 46.65; -68.59