Historical United States Census totals for Washington County, Maine

This article shows U.S. Census totals for Washington County, Maine, broken down by municipality, from 1900 to 2000.

There are two types of incorporated municipalities in Maine, towns and cities. The tables below differentiate between towns and cities.

Most areas of New England are entirely divided into incorporated municipalities, with no unincorporated territory. In the three northern New England states, however, some unincorporated territory does exist, generally in areas that are very sparsely populated. Maine contains significantly more unincorporated territory than the other states, with the bulk of it in interior and northern counties, including Washington County.

Some unincorporated territory in Maine is organized into a third type of town-level municipality unique to Maine, called a plantation (considered to be “organized”, but not incorporated), while some is entirely unorganized. Washington County also contains two Indian reservations, which are considered to be distinct entities independent from any municipality, although this has not always been the case in the past. Due to the large extent of unincorporated territory in Washington County, separate sections with detailed historical census totals for such areas follow the main tables below. For any census, adding up the totals for each town-level municipality, including any plantations, unorganized entities and Indian reservations (when recognized as independent entities), should yield the county total.

For more information on the New England municipal system, see New England town.

Corporate changes since 1900

1924 – Forest City disincorporated and reverted to unorganized territory
1925 – New town of Beals formed from Jonesport
1938 – Edmunds disincorporated; may have been briefly subsequently organized as plantation, but ultimately reverted to unorganized territory
1939 – Marion disincorporated and reverted to unorganized territory
1940 – Topsfield disincorporated and reverted to unorganized territory; subsequently organized as a plantation, but later reverted to unorganized territory
1942 – Baring disincorporated and reverted to unorganized territory
1942 – Brookton disincorporated; may have been briefly subsequently organized as plantation, but ultimately reverted to unorganized territory
1945 – Trescott disincorporated and reverted to unorganized territory
1960 – Topsfield re-incorporated as a town
2004 – Centerville disincorporated and reverted to unorganized territory

1900

County Total: 45,232

Calais (city) 7,655
Eastport (city) 5,311
Lubec 3,005
Jonesport 2,124
Machias 2,082
Milbridge 1,921
Cherryfield 1,859
Pembroke 1,652
East Machias 1,521
Perry 1,245
Machiasport 1,218
Harrington 1,165
Princeton 1,094
Danforth 1,092
Addison 1,059
Steuben 901
Robbinston 844
Jonesboro 606
Columbia Falls 569
Cutler 565
Vanceboro 550
Columbia 516
Edmunds 492
Dennysville 482
Trescott 463
Whitneyville 424
Whiting 399
Alexander 333
Charlotte 315
Brookton 285
Topsfield 282
Baring 231
Marshfield 227
Baileyville 215
Cooper 207
Wesley 198
Roque Bluffs 168
Meddybemps 154
Forest City 151
Waite 135
Northfield 126
Crawford 112
Marion 95
Talmadge 93
Centerville 91
Beddington 86
Deblois 73

Unincorporated territory reported 841 residents. This consisted of 611 residents in organized plantations, and 230 residents in unorganized territory.

1910

County Total: 42,905

Calais (city) 6,116
Eastport (city) 4,961
Lubec 3,363
Machias 2,089
Jonesport 2,074
Milbridge 1,550
Cherryfield 1,499
East Machias 1,392
Pembroke 1,378
Danforth 1,295
Machiasport 1,218
Perry 1,153
Baileyville 1,137
Princeton 1,091
Harrington 1,020
Addison 985
Steuben 890
Robbinston 691
Columbia Falls 663
Vanceboro 623
Edmunds 616
Cutler 585
Columbia 564
Jonesboro 519
Trescott 461
Dennysville 459
Alexander 374
Whiting 368
Charlotte 290
Topsfield 259
Whitneyville 258
Brookton 237
Baring 228
Cooper 190
Marshfield 178
Wesley 172
Waite 162
Meddybemps 124
Crawford 114
Marion 114
Roque Bluffs 105
Talmadge 100
Centerville 91
Northfield 81
Forest City 79
Deblois 69
Beddington 58

Unincorporated territory reported 862 residents. This consisted of 670 residents in organized plantations, and 192 residents in unorganized territory.

1920

County Total: 41,709

Calais (city) 6,084
Eastport (city) 4,494
Lubec 3,371
Baileyville 2,243
Machias 2,152
Jonesport 2,129
East Machias 1,353
Cherryfield 1,304
Milbridge 1,196
Pembroke 1,168
Danforth 1,201
Machiasport 1,117
Perry 1,046
Harrington 1,024
Princeton 934
Addison 838
Robbinston 747
Steuben 714
Columbia Falls 658
Vanceboro 585
Cutler 584
Columbia 536
Edmunds 520
Jonesboro 461
Trescott 435
Dennysville 434
Whiting 374
Alexander 371
Charlotte 289
Topsfield 272
Baring 227
Brookton 216
Whitneyville 210
Cooper 197
Marshfield 187
Waite 186
Wesley 146
Crawford 119
Meddybemps 106
Centerville 104
Marion 100
Roque Bluffs 98
Northfield 83
Talmadge 80
Deblois 75
Forest City 65
Beddington 40

Unincorporated territory reported 836 residents. This consisted of 623 residents in organized plantations, and 213 residents in unorganized territory.

1930

County Total: 37,826

Calais (city) 5,470
Eastport (city) 3,466
Lubec 2,994
Baileyville 2,017
Machias 1,856
Jonesport 1,641
Danforth 1,467
East Machias 1,257
Milbridge 1,213
Cherryfield 1,112
Perry 992
Princeton 985
Pembroke 965
Addison 867
Harrington 865
Machiasport 851
Vanceboro 713
Steuben 684
Columbia Falls 583
Robbinston 583
Beals 524
Cutler 492
Jonesboro 468
Dennysville 443
Columbia 409
Edmunds 395
Trescott 366
Whiting 327
Alexander 312
Charlotte 250
Brookton 240
Whitneyville 229
Topsfield 224
Baring 204
Marshfield 197
Wesley 170
Waite 165
Cooper 153
Crawford 120
Roque Bluffs 108
Meddybemps 99
Marion 77
Northfield 73
Centerville 65
Deblois 62
Talmadge 46
Beddington 35

Unincorporated territory reported 992 residents. This consisted of 490 residents in organized plantations, and 502 residents in unorganized territory.

1940

County Total: 37,767

Calais (city) 5,161
Eastport (city) 3,346
Lubec 3,108
Baileyville 2,018
Machias 1,954
Jonesport 1,745
Danforth 1,348
Milbridge 1,318
East Machias 1,183
Cherryfield 1,046
Pembroke 1,029
Princeton 1,009
Harrington 918
Machiasport 818
Addison 805
Perry 713
Steuben 690
Robbinston 637
Vanceboro 627
Columbia Falls 596
Beals 513
Cutler 481
Jonesboro 479
Dennysville 424
Columbia 399
Trescott 395
Whiting 358
Alexander 292
Charlotte 292
Brookton 273
Whitneyville 262
Baring 190
Cooper 178
Marshfield 173
Wesley 157
Waite 152
Crawford 136
Roque Bluffs 120
Meddybemps 101
Centerville 86
Northfield 57
Deblois 55
Talmadge 50
Beddington 31

Unincorporated territory reported 1,716 residents. This consisted of 725 residents in organized plantations, and 991 residents in unorganized territory. An additional 328 residents lived on an Indian reservation.

1950

County Total: 35,187

Calais (city) 4,589
Eastport (city) 3,123
Lubec 2,973
Machias 2,063
Baileyville 1,821
Jonesport 1,727
Milbridge 1,199
Danforth 1,174
East Machias 1,101
Pembroke 998
Cherryfield 904
Princeton 865
Harrington 853
Addison 846
Steuben 784
Machiasport 781
Perry 613
Beals 590
Robbinston 554
Columbia Falls 550
Vanceboro 497
Cutler 483
Jonesboro 459
Whiting 354
Columbia 352
Dennysville 345
Alexander 282
Charlotte 252
Whitneyville 227
Marshfield 221
Wesley 149
Cooper 128
Waite 117
Meddybemps 109
Crawford 83
Roque Bluffs 80
Northfield 75
Centerville 63
Talmadge 66
Deblois 59
Beddington 26

Unincorporated territory reported 2,298 residents. This consisted of 520 residents in organized plantations, and 1,778 residents in unorganized territory. An additional 354 residents lived on an Indian reservation.

1960

County Total: 32,908

Calais (city) 4,223
Lubec 2,684
Machias 2,614
Eastport (city) 2,537
Baileyville 1,863
Jonesport 1,563
East Machias 1,198
Milbridge 1,101
Machiasport 980
Pembroke 871
Princeton 829
Danforth 821
Cherryfield 780
Addison 744
Harrington 717
Steuben 673
Cutler 654
Beals 640
Perry 564
Robbinston 476
Columbia Falls 442
Jonesboro 428
Vanceboro 389
Whiting 339
Dennysville 303
Marshfield 267
Charlotte 260
Whitneyville 229
Alexander 220
Columbia 219
Roque Bluffs 152
Wesley 145
Cooper 106
Meddybemps 86
Crawford 83
Northfield 79
Waite 73
Talmadge 58
Centerville 47
Deblois 26
Beddington 14

Unincorporated territory reported 2,081 residents. This consisted of 376 residents in organized plantations, and 1,705 residents in unorganized territory. An additional 330 residents lived on an Indian reservation.

1970

County Total: 29,859

Calais (city) 4,044
Machias 2,441
Baileyville 2,167
Eastport (city) 1,989
Lubec 1,949
Jonesport 1,326
Milbridge 1,154
East Machias 1,057
Princeton 956
Machiasport 887
Danforth 794
Addison 773
Cherryfield 771
Pembroke 700
Steuben 697
Beals 663
Cutler 588
Perry 571
Harrington 553
Jonesboro 448
Robbinston 396
Columbia Falls 367
Dennysville 278
Whiting 269
Vanceboro 263
Marshfield 227
Charlotte 199
Topsfield 177
Alexander 169
Columbia 162
Whitneyville 155
Roque Bluffs 153
Wesley 110
Cooper 88
Meddybemps 76
Crawford 74
Waite 70
Northfield 57
Beddington 32
Talmadge 25
Deblois 20
Centerville 19

Unincorporated territory reported 1,522 residents. This consisted of 524 residents in organized plantations, and 998 residents in unorganized territory. An additional 600 residents lived on Indian reservations.

1980

County Total: 34,963

Calais (city) 4,262
Machias 2,458
Baileyville 2,188
Lubec 2,045
Eastport (city) 1,982
Jonesport 1,512
Milbridge 1,306
East Machias 1,233
Machiasport 1,108
Addison 1,061
Princeton 994
Cherryfield 983
Steuben 970
Pembroke 920
Harrington 859
Danforth 826
Perry 737
Cutler 726
Beals 695
Jonesboro 553
Columbia Falls 517
Robbinston 492
Marshfield 416
Alexander 385
Whiting 335
Charlotte 300
Dennysville 296
Columbia 275
Whitneyville 264
Vanceboro 256
Roque Bluffs 244
Topsfield 240
Wesley 140
Waite 130
Meddybemps 110
Cooper 105
Northfield 88
Crawford 86
Deblois 44
Talmadge 40
Beddington 36
Centerville 28

Unincorporated territory reported 1,746 residents. This consisted of 728 residents in organized plantations, and 1,018 residents in unorganized territory. An additional 972 residents lived on Indian reservations.

1990

County Total: 35,308

Calais (city) 3,963
Machias 2,569
Baileyville 2,031
Eastport (city) 1,965
Lubec 1,853
Jonesport 1,525
Milbridge 1,305
East Machias 1,218
Cherryfield 1,183
Machiasport 1,166
Addison 1,114
Steuben 1,084
Princeton 973
Harrington 893
Pembroke 852
Cutler 779
Perry 758
Danforth 710
Beals 667
Jonesboro 585
Columbia Falls 552
Robbinston 495
Alexander 478
Marshfield 461
Columbia 437
Whiting 407
Dennysville 355
Charlotte 271
Whitneyville 241
Topsfield 235
Roque Bluffs 234
Vanceboro 201
Wesley 146
Meddybemps 133
Cooper 124
Waite 119
Northfield 99
Crawford 89
Deblois 73
Talmadge 62
Beddington 43
Centerville 30

Unincorporated territory reported 1,641 residents. This consisted of 484 residents in organized plantations, and 1,157 residents in unorganized territory. An additional 1,189 residents lived on Indian reservations.

2000

County Total: 33,941

Calais (city) 3,447
Machias 2,353
Baileyville 1,686
Lubec 1,652
Eastport (city) 1,640
Jonesport 1,408
East Machias 1,298
Milbridge 1,279
Addison 1,209
Machiasport 1,160
Cherryfield 1,157
Steuben 1,126
Princeton 892
Harrington 882
Pembroke 879
Perry 847
Danforth 629
Cutler 623
Beals 618
Columbia Falls 599
Jonesboro 594
Robbinston 525
Alexander 514
Marshfield 494
Columbia 459
Whiting 430
Charlotte 324
Dennysville 319
Roque Bluffs 264
Whitneyville 262
Topsfield 225
Meddybemps 150
Vanceboro 147
Cooper 145
Northfield 131
Wesley 114
Crawford 108
Waite 105
Talmadge 70
Deblois 49
Beddington 29
Centerville 26

Unincorporated territory reported 1,757 residents. This consisted of 442 residents in organized plantations, and 1,315 residents in unorganized territory. An additional 1,316 residents lived on Indian reservations.

Plantations

As of 1900, Washington County contained six plantations: Codyville, Kossuth, Grand Lake Stream, Lambert Lake, Plantation No. 14, and Plantation No.21 (the last two were in an area originally laid out as sequentially numbered townships, and had simply kept their numbers when they organized as plantations). Kossuth had been incorporated as a town for a time in the 19th century, but had disincorporated and changed to a plantation form of government prior to 1900.

Of the six plantations in existence in 1900, only two remain today, Codyville and Grand Lake Stream. Kossuth and Lambert Lake apparently dissolved during the 1920s, while No. 21 did so in 1983 and No. 14 in 1986. On the other hand, an additional plantation has been added: the former town of Baring, which organized as a plantation in 1961 (Baring had disincorporated as a town in early 1940s). Topsfield also operated as a plantation for a brief period following its disincorporation as a town in 1940; it was reported as a plantation in the 1940 Census, but surrendered its organization as a plantation the following year (1941). Some sources also suggest that Edmunds and Brookton may have briefly operated as plantations following their disincorporations as towns; if they did, their existence as plantations must have been very brief, and did not last long enough for them to be reported as such in a decennial census.

1900

Grand Lake Stream 221
Lambert Lake 113
No. 21 86
No. 14 77
Codyville 68
Kossuth 46

1910

Grand Lake Stream 290
Lambert Lake 104
No. 14 82
No. 21 81
Codyville 69
Kossuth 44

1920

Grand Lake Stream 231
Lambert Lake 119
Codyville 80
No. 21 79
No. 14 74
Kossuth 40

1930

Grand Lake Stream 240
Codyville 89
No. 21 88
No. 14 73

1940

Topsfield 221
Grand Lake Stream 216
No. 21 110
No. 14 99
Codyville 79

1950

Grand Lake Stream 294
No. 21 84
No. 14 80
Codyville 62

1960

Grand Lake Stream 219
No. 14 63
No. 21 56
Codyville 38

1970

Grand Lake Stream 186
Baring 181
No. 21 83
Codyville 45
No. 14 29

1980

Baring 308
Grand Lake Stream 198
No. 21 127
No. 14 52
Codyville 43

1990

Baring 275
Grand Lake Stream 174
Codyville 35

2000

Baring 273
Grand Lake Stream 150
Codyville 19

Unorganized Territory

Like all of Maine's interior and northern counties, Washington County contains a significant amount of unorganized territory. Most of the unorganized territory in Washington County is in areas which have historically been very sparsely populated. The southern and southeastern parts of the county, along the coast, were historically fully incorporated. Further inland, lower-lying areas with access to lakes and rivers have generally been incorporated or organized, while more mountainous or remote areas have often never had any significant population and have remained unorganized. The area along the western edge of the county, bordering Hancock County, is largely unorganized, down to a point just a few towns away from the coast.

Historically, about two-thirds of the county’s land area was incorporated or organized, leaving the remaining one-third unorganized. There are approximately 25 townships in the county which have never been organized, along with a few others which never advanced beyond the plantation stage. Washington County saw one town disincorporation as early as 1895 (Kossuth), followed by another in 1924 (Forest City).

Between 1935 and 1945, a large number of municipalities in Maine dissolved and reverted to unorganized townships. In Washington County, this included six communities which had historically been towns (Edmunds, Marion, Topsfield, Baring, Brookton and Trescott). Since that time, Piscataquis County has both gained and lost municipalities. In the 1960s, Topsfield re-incorporated as a town, and the former town of Baring organized as a plantation. In the 1980s, two plantations dissolved (No. 14 and No. 21), and in 2004 the town of Centerville disincorporated.

The areas of Hancock County that are entirely unorganized cover about 1,000 square miles (2,600 km²), with a population of about 1,300. This covers about 40% of the county’s land area, but includes less than 4% of its population. Six unorganized townships have large enough populations to maintain a registrar and clerk to conduct elections for state and federal offices, although they do not have true organized municipal governments: Brookton, Centerville, Edmunds, No. 14, No.21 and No. 27. All except No. 27 were incorporated towns or organized plantations at one time.

Over the years, the U.S. Census Bureau has used different methods to compile data for unorganized territory in Maine. From 1900 to 1950, data was tabulated for each individual unorganized entity. In 1960, a single catch-all “Unorganized Territory” listing was provided for each Maine county, generally with no further breakdown. Since 1970, the Census has grouped contiguous areas in each county into one or more “unorganized territories”. As of the 2000 Census, two such areas are recognized within Hancock County:

North Washington Unorganized Territory: the bulk of the historically unorganized territory in the county, covering much of the northern and western parts of the county. The Territory is irregularly shaped and encompasses approximately 29 unorganized townships. This includes the former towns of Brookton, Forest City and Kossuth, as well as the former Lambert Lake Plantation and Plantation No. 21. The former town of Centerville was also added when it disincorporated in 2004.
East Central Washington Unorganized Territory: a group of six unorganized townships in the east central part of the county: the former towns of Trescott, Edmunds and Marion; the former Plantation No. 14 (also known as T14 ED); T18 ED; and T19 ED. The Territory is irregularly shaped, and completely surrounded by organized municipalities except for an ocean boundary in the former town of Trescott.

The roster of Unorganized Territories in Washington County has not changed since Unorganized Territories were first created for the 1970 Census.

The listings below provide population figures for 1) all unincorporated territory, including plantations; 2) organized plantations, for which breakouts are available in the main tables above; and 3) unorganized territory, with any available breakouts provided.

1900

All unincorporated territory 841

Organized plantations 611

Unorganized territory 230

Indian Twp. 87
Forest Twp. (T10R3) 46
Dyer Twp. (T1R2) 30
T31 MD 18
T18 ED 15
T19 MD 9
T27 ED 8
T11R3 7
T5 ND 6
T6 ND 2
Devereaux Twp. (T29 MD) 2

1910

All unincorporated territory 862

Organized plantations 670

Unorganized territory 192

Indian Twp. 94
Forest Twp. (T10R3) 48
T5 ND 12
T11R3 8
T6R1 7
T31 MD 7
T18 ED 6
T27 ED 5
Devereaux Twp. (T29 MD) 5

1920

All unincorporated territory 836

Organized plantations 623

Unorganized territory 213

Indian Twp. 136
Forest Twp. (T10R3) 57
T5 ND 11
T18 ED 5
Devereaux Twp. (T29 MD) 2
T31 MD 2

1930

All unincorporated territory 992

Organized plantations 490

Unorganized territory 502

Indian Twp. 154
Lambert Lake Twp. (T1R3) 126
Forest Twp. (T10R3) 80
Forest City Twp. (T9R4) 70
Kossuth Twp. (T7R2) 54
T18 ED 9
T5 ND 5
T31 MD 3
Devereaux Twp. (T29 MD) 1

1940

All unincorporated territory 1,716

Organized plantations 725

Unorganized territory 991

Edmunds Twp. 342
Indian Twp. 195
Lambert Lake Twp. (T1R3) 172
Marion Twp. 89
Forest Twp. (T10R3) 69
Kossuth Twp. (T7R2) 48
Forest City Twp. (T9R4) 47
T18 ED 29

1950

All unincorporated territory 2,298

Organized plantations 520

Unorganized territory 1,778

Trescott Twp. 362
Edmunds Twp. 288
Topsfield Twp. 231
Indian Twp. 221
Brookton Twp. (T9R3) 206
Lambert Lake Twp. (T1R3) 158
Baring Twp. 157
Marion Twp. 57
Forest Twp. (T10R3) 47
Forest City Twp. (T9R4) 26
Kossuth Twp. (T7R2) 10
T18 ED 6
Dyer Twp. (T1R2) 5
T27 ED 2
T31 MD 2

1960

All unincorporated territory 2,081

Organized plantations 376

Unorganized territory 1,705

The 1960 Census reported all unorganized territory in Washington County under a single catch-all listing. No breakdown is available.

1970

All unincorporated territory 1,522

Organized plantations 524

Unorganized territory 998

North Washington Unorganized Territory 500
East Central Washington Unorganized Territory 498

1980

All unincorporated territory 1,746

Organized plantations 728

Unorganized territory 1,018

East Central Washington Unorganized Territory 625
North Washington Unorganized Territory 393

1990

All unincorporated territory 1,641

Organized plantations 484

Unorganized territory 1,157

East Central Washington Unorganized Territory 661
North Washington Unorganized Territory 496

2000

All unincorporated territory 1,757

Organized plantations 442

Unorganized territory 1,315

East Central Washington Unorganized Territory 768
North Washington Unorganized Territory 547

Note: the unorganized townships in Washington County are on several different grids:

Most of the southern part of the county was originally part of Bingham’s Penobscot Purchase, which was divided into a series of sequentially numbered townships designated ND (North Division), MD (Middle Division), SD (South Division) and ED (East Division). This numbering scheme also covered a significant portion of Hancock County, and extended into southern Penobscot County as well. Many of the remaining unorganized townships in Washington County are in the MD or ED sequences. The MD townships, which can be found in the southwestern part of the county, are numbered row-by-row south to north, then west to east within each row. For example, T18 MD is to the north of the town of Columbia; T30 MD is further north; and T42 MD even further directly north. The ED townships, further to the east, are numbered column-by-column east to west, then south to north within each column. The former plantations No. 14 and No. 21 were in the ED sequence. There are also two ND townships in Hancock County, to the north of the MD area (T5 ND and T6 ND). Most of the unorganized townships in these sequences are identified only by their survey numbers and have never developed informal township names.
To the northeast of the territory that was originally surveyed as part of Bingham’s Penobscot Purchase, a handful of townships were originally surveyed as part of Titcomb’s Survey (TS). A few of these remain unorganized, including T1R1 (also known as Fowler Twp.), T1R2 (also known as Dyer Twp.), and T1R3 (also known as Lambert Lake Twp.).
The area to the northwest of the territory that was originally surveyed as part of Bingham’s Penobscot Purchase, as well as the last few rows of townships at the northern edge of the county, were originally part of the NBPP (North of Bingham’s Penobscot Purchase) grid. This grid also extends into Penobscot County. The numbering of these townships is somewhat irregular, but all of the unorganized townships on this grid in Washington County are in rows 6 through 11 (numbered west to east) and in rows 1 through 4 (numbered south to north).

Indian Reservations

Maine contains three federally recognized Indian reservations. Two of these are in Washington County, both under the jurisdiction of the Passamaquoddy tribe. These are the Passamaquoddy Indian Township Reservation and the Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation. Maine currently treats Indian reservations as distinct entities, not part of any organized municipality or unorganized entity. This has not always been the case in the past; at one time, present-day reservation land was regarded as part of the municipalities or unorganized entities within which it is geographically located.

The Pleasant Point Reservation, the smaller of the two reservations, is an enclave in the town of Perry, with a short border with the city of Eastport. It covers less than half of a square mile. The larger Indian Township Reservation occupies an entire survey township, bordered by Grand Lake Stream Plantation and the towns of Waite and Princeton, along Grand Falls Lake. It has a land area of about 37 square miles (96 km²).

Treatment of the reservations by the State of Maine, and by the Census Bureau, has varied over time. The Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation was first recognized in the 1940 Census, where it was referred to simply as the “Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation”. The Census began referring to it by its present name in 1970. Prior to 1940, the population of the present-day reservation appears to have been included with the town of Perry.

Passamaquoddy Indian Township Reservation was first recognized by the Census under that name in 1970. Because it covers an area originally considered to be an entire survey township, however, its population can be tracked for all censuses from 1900 to 1950, though it was being treated as an unorganized township at the time, not as an Indian reservation (it was usually referred to in Census listings as “Indian Township” or “Indiantown Township”). See the “Unorganized Territory” section for population totals. In 1960, a separate breakout for Indian Township was not provided, as the Census had discontinued the practice of publishing totals for each individual unorganized township.

The population of the reservations has been recorded as follows:

1940

Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation 328

1950

Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation 354

1960

Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation 330

1970

Total: 600

Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation 307
Passamaquoddy Indian Township Reservation 293

1980

Total: 972

Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation 549
Passamaquoddy Indian Township Reservation 423

1990

Total: 1,189

Passamaquoddy Indian Township Reservation 617
Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation 572

2000

Total: 1,315

Passamaquoddy Indian Township Reservation 676
Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation 640

Notes

1970 Census

The Census Bureau made a number of revisions to 1970 census totals subsequent to their initial release:

The original 1970 Census reports did not provide breakouts for either of the Indian reservations in Washington County. The Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation was included in the total for the town of Perry (which was originally reported as 878), while Passamaquoddy Indian Township Reservation was included in the total for North Washington Unorganized Territory (which was originally reported as 793). The totals were later revised to break out the two Indian reservations, and the totals for Perry and North Washington Unorganized Territory were revised to those shown in the lists above.
The original 1970 Census Reports reported Baring as “Baring Unorganized Territory”. This appears to have been in error, as sources indicate that Baring had organized as a plantation in 1961. (Baring had previously disincorporated as a town; had Baring in fact been an unorganized township as of 1970, it would have been logical for it to be treated as its own unincorporated territory, as it did not border any other land within Washington County that is unorganized.) The 1980 Census reports note that Baring had been reported as an Unorganized Territory in 1970 but provide no further explanation.
The original 1970 Census reports did not contain a breakout for the Town of Topsfield, apparently treating it as part of North Washington Unorganized Territory. This appears to have been in error, as sources indicate that Topsfield had re-incorporated as a town in 1960. Later Census reports were revised to include a 1970 population total for Topsfield (177). Oddly, however, the total for North Washington Unorganized Territory was not adjusted to reflect this change. As a result, in the list above, adding together the totals for each municipality, Unorganized Territory and Indian reservation does not yield the county total, but comes out to 177 more (30,036). It would appear that the county total shown above (29,859) is in fact correct, and that the total for North Washington Unorganized Territory should actually be 177 less than what is shown above (323 instead of 500). The 1980 Census reports note that Topsfield had “reorganized” but provide no further explanation.

1990 Census

The 1990 Census reports show Baring as a town. This appears to have been in error, as both the 1980 and 2000 Census reports show Baring as a plantation, the 1990 Census reports make no other reference to this change, and the author of this article has found no other evidence suggesting that Baring was a town around the time of the 1990 Census. Until information to the contrary is discovered, this article assumes that Baring should have been shown as a plantation in 1990.

Corporate changes since 1900

1900

1910

1920

1930

1940

1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

Plantations

Unorganized Territory

Indian Reservations

Notes

See also