Aroostook County, Maine Genealogy
Guide to Aroostook County, Maine ancestry, family history, and genealogy birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.
| Aroostook County, Maine | |
| Map | |
 Location in the state of Maine | |
| Facts | |
| Founded | March 16, 1839 |
|---|---|
| County Seat | Caribou |
| Courthouse | |
| Address | Aroostook County Courthouse 144 Swenden Street Caribou, ME 04736 Phone: 207.493.3318 Aroostook County Website |
Contents
- 1 Description
- 2 Aroostook County, Maine Record Dates
- 3 County Courthouse
- 4 History
- 5 Places / Localities
- 6 Resources
- 7 Vital Records
- 8 Societies and Libraries
- 9 Websites
- 10 References
Description[edit | edit source]
The County was named for Indian word meaning "beautiful river". The County has Houlton as its seat and the County was created May 1, 1839. The County is located in the northeast area of the state.[1]
Aroostook County, Maine Record Dates[edit | edit source]
| Birth* | Marriage | Death* | Court | Land | Probate | Census |
| 1839 | 1892 | 1839 | 1839 | 1839 | 1839 | 1790 |
County Courthouse[edit | edit source]
- County Clerk has divorce and court records from 1839.
- Town Clerks have birth, marriage, death and burial records.
- Probate Court has probate records.
- Register of Deeds has land records. [3]
History[edit | edit source]
Parent County[edit | edit source]
- 1839 - Created 16 March 1839 from Penobscot, Somerset and Washington counties. [4]
Boundary Changes[edit | edit source]
- 1844 - Part added from Piscataquis County in 1844.[5]
Record Loss[edit | edit source]
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.
Places / Localities[edit | edit source]
Neighboring Counties
Penobscot | Piscataquis | Somerset | Washington | New Brunswick counties: Carleton | Madawaska | Victoria | York | Quebec counties: Kamouraska | L'Islet | Montmagny | Témiscouata
Populated Places[edit | edit source]
For a complete list of populated places, including small neighborhoods and suburbs, visit Hometown Locator. The following are the most historically and genealogically relevant populated places in this census area:[6]
| Cities | ||
| Towns | ||
| Unincorporated communities | ||
| Native American communities | ||
| Census-designated places | ||
| Unorganized territories | ||
|
|
|
Plantations: Cary | Cyr Plantation | Garfield Plantation | Glenwood | Macwahoc | Moro | Nashville Plantation | Oxbow | Reed Plantation (aka Wytopitlock) | Saint John Plantation | Winterville Plantation. For further details see [Maine plantations].
Extinct towns and plantations:[7] Benedicta | Connor | E Plantation | Glenwood | Letter A R2 Plantation | Maysville | Molunkus Plantation | Rockabema Plantation | Silver Ridge Plantation[8]
Resources[edit | edit source]
Cemeteries[edit | edit source]
| Tombstone Transcriptions Online | Tombstone Transcriptions in Print | List of Cemeteries in the county |
| Findagrave.com | Family History Library | Findagrave.com |
| USGenWeb | WorldCat | Billion Graves |
| USGenWeb Archives | FamilySearch Places | |
| Tombstone Project | ||
| ME Interment | ||
| Billion Graves | ||
| See Maine Cemeteries for more information. | ||
- 1620-2014 - Maine, Tombstone Inscriptions, Surname Index, 1620-2014 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1676-1918 - Maine, Veterans Cemetery Records, 1676-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1780-1999 - Maine, J. Gary Nichols Cemetery Collection, ca. 1780-1999 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- Fairmont Cemetery Located south of Presque Isle, Aroostook County, Maine. Full name searches
Census Records[edit | edit source]
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± |
| 1840 | 9,413 | — |
| 1850 | 12,529 | 33.1% |
| 1860 | 22,479 | 79.4% |
| 1870 | 29,609 | 31.7% |
| 1880 | 41,700 | 40.8% |
| 1890 | 49,589 | 18.9% |
| 1900 | 60,744 | 22.5% |
| 1910 | 74,664 | 22.9% |
| 1920 | 81,728 | 9.5% |
| 1930 | 87,843 | 7.5% |
| 1940 | 94,436 | 7.5% |
| 1950 | 96,039 | 1.7% |
| 1960 | 106,064 | 10.4% |
| 1970 | 92,463 | −12.8% |
| 1980 | 91,331 | −1.2% |
| 1990 | 86,936 | −4.8% |
| 2000 | 73,938 | −15.0% |
| 2010 | 71,870 | −2.8% |
| Source: "Wikipedia.org". | ||
- 1790 - 1790 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
- 1800 - 1800 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
- 1800-1890 - Maine, Compiled Census and Census Substitutes Index, 1800-1890 at Ancestry.com $
- 1810 - 1810 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
- 1820 - 1820 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
- 1830 - 1830 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
- 1840 - 1840 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
- 1850 - 1850 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
- 1850-1880 - Selected Federal Census Non-Population Schedules, 1850-1880 at Ancestry.com $
- 1860 - 1860 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
- 1870 - 1870 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
- 1880 - 1880 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
- 1890 - 1890 Veterans Schedules at Ancestry.com $
- 1900 - 1900 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
- 1910 - 1910 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
- 1920 - 1920 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
- 1930 - 1930 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
- 1940 - 1940 United States Federal Census at Ancestry.com $
Church[edit | edit source]
Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. For general information about Maine denominations, view the Maine Church Records wiki page.
List of Churches and Church Parishes
Court[edit | edit source]
- 1718-1957 - Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Emigration and Immigration[edit | edit source]
- 1837 - 1965 - Maine & Massachusetts Case Files of Deceased and Deserted Seamen 1837-1965 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Gazetteers[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
Land[edit | edit source]
Land and property records can place an ancestor in a particular location, provide economic information, and reveal family relationships. Land records include: deeds, abstracts and indexes, mortgages, leases, grants and land patents.
See Maine Land and Property for additional information about early Maine land grants. After land was transferred to private ownership, subsequent transactions were usually recorded at the county courthouse and where records are currently housed.
- 1718-1957 - Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Local Histories[edit | edit source]
Local histories are available for Aroostook County, Maine Genealogy. County histories may include biographies, church, school and government history, and military information. For more information about local histories, see the wiki page section Maine Local Histories.
- History of Aroostook at Ancestry.com $
- Aroostook : our last frontier : Maine's picturesque potato empire at Ancestry.com $
Maps[edit | edit source]
- FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
for more resources
Military[edit | edit source]
- 1676 - 1918 - Maine, Veterans Cemetery Records, 1676-1918 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1718 - 1957 - Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Revolutionary War[edit | edit source]
- 1835 - 1838 - Maine Revolutionary War Bounty Land Applications 1835-1838 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Civil War[edit | edit source]
Regiments. Service men in Aroostook County, Maine Genealogy served in various regiments. Men often joined a company (within a regiment) that originated in their county. Listed below are companies that were specifically formed in Aroostook County, Maine Genealogy:
Online Records
- 1862 - 1865 - Maine, Civil War Enlistment Papers, 1862-1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
World War I[edit | edit source]
- 1914 - 1950 - Maine, State Archives, World War I (WWI) Grave Cards, 1914-1950 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1917 - 1919 - Maine, World War I Draft Registration Index, 1917-1919 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Naturalization[edit | edit source]
- 1718-1957 - Maine, State Archive Collections, 1718-1957 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
- 1918-1991 - Maine, United States Naturalization Records, 1918-1991 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Newspapers[edit | edit source]
Maine Newspaper Archive. Indexes Free; Digital Page Images $ (GenealogyBank $) Twenty-two early Maine 18th and 19th century newspapers, 1785-1898 online. Indexes (free); digital images ($). These newspapers are from Augusta, Bangor, Belfast, Brunswick, Castine, Eastport, Falmouth, Hallowell, Kennebunk, Portland, Saco and Wiscasset.
Finding More Maine Newspapers[edit source]
Additional newspapers abstracts can sometimes be found using search phrases such as Aroostook County, Maine Genealogy newspapers in online catalogs like:
- WorldCat (For instructions see WorldCat Online Catalog).
- Do a Aroostook County, Maine Genealogy Place-name search for these and other records in the FamilySearch Catalog (For instructions see FamilySearch Catalog Place-name Search).
Obituaries[edit | edit source]
Probate[edit | edit source]
Online Probate Records
- 1584 - 1999 - Maine Wills and Probate Records 1584-1999 at Ancestry.com $
Taxation[edit | edit source]
Maine tax records complement land records and can be used to supplement the years between censuses. There may be gaps of several years in the records.
Vital Records[edit | edit source]
In Maine, vital records are kept by town clerks or selectmen. Although some towns have existed since the 1650s, most vital records date from about 1700. The vital statistics are often arranged by family. For more information, see the Wiki page for the town and the Wiki page, Maine Vital Records.
- 1589-1966 - Maine, United States Marriages at FindMyPast — index $
- 1670-1921 - Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use This Collection
Birth[edit | edit source]
- 1715-1922 - Maine, Birth Records, 1715-1922 at Ancestry.com $
- 1739-1900 - Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use This Collection
- 1800-1947 - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Swedish American Church Records, 1800-1947 at Ancestry.com $
Marriage[edit | edit source]
- 1670-1921 - Maine, Marriage Index, 1670-1921 at Ancestry.com $
- 1713-1922 - Maine, Marriage Records, 1713-1922 at Ancestry.com $
- 1892-1996 - Maine, Marriage Index, 1892-1996 at Ancestry.com $
Death[edit | edit source]
- 1761-1922 - Maine, Death Records, 1761-1922 at Ancestry.com $
- 1841-1910 - Maine Deaths and Burials, 1841-1910 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use This Collection
- 1960-1996 - Maine Death Index, 1960-1996 at FamilySearch.org - How to Use This Collection
- 1960-1997 - Maine, Death Index, 1960-1997 at Ancestry.com $
Societies and Libraries[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers[edit | edit source]
Family History Centers provide one-on-one assistance, free access to center-only databases, and to premium genealogical websites.
FamilySearch Affiliate Libraries have access to most center-only databases, but may not always have full services normally provided by a family history center.
Local Centers and Libraries
Caribou Maine Family History Center
67 Paris Snow Dr
Caribou, ME 04736-2252
Phone: 207-492-4381
Email: ME_Caribou@familyhistorymail.org
Website
Websites[edit | edit source]
- The Aroostook County MEGenWeb Project, an member of The MEGenWeb Project, an affiliate of The USGenWeb Project.
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Aroostook County
- The USGenWeb Archives Project for Aroostook County (backup site)
- FamilySearch Catalog for Aroostook County
- Aroostook County, Maine History and Genealogy (Genealogy Trails)
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Aroostook County, Maine" in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aroostook_County,_Maine."
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Aroostook County, Maine. Page 304-305 At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002; Alice Eichholz, ed. Ancestry’s Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources, Third ed. (Provo, Utah: Ancestry, 2004), 275.
- ↑ Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), Aroostook County, Maine page 304, At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 973 D27e 2002.
- ↑ referer=brief_results Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 181. [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ referer=brief_results Handybook for Genealogists: United States of America, 10th ed. (Draper, Utah: Everton Pub., 2002), 181. [FHL book 973 D27e 2002].
- ↑ Wikipedia contributors, "Aroostook County, Maine," in Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aroostook_County,_Maine, accessed 21 March 2019.
- ↑ Before an extinct town (or plantation) was discontinued, it created official town records of interest to genealogists. For preservation these records were usually turned over to a nearby functioning town in the same county.
- ↑ Michael J. Leclerc, Genealogist's Handbook for New England Research, 5th ed. (Boston, Mass.: New England Historic Genealogical Society, 2012), 93. At various libraries (WorldCat); FHL Book 974 D27g 2012.
