Piscataquis County, Maine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Piscataquis County
|
|
|---|---|
|
|
Location within the U.S. state of Maine
|
|
 Maine's location within the U.S. |
|
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Maine |
| Founded | March 23, 1838 |
| Named for | Piscataquis River |
| Seat | Dover-Foxcroft |
| Largest town | Dover-Foxcroft |
| Area | |
| • Total | 4,378 sq mi (11,340 km2) |
| • Land | 3,961 sq mi (10,260 km2) |
| • Water | 417 sq mi (1,080 km2) 9.5%% |
| Population
(2020)
|
|
| • Total | 16,800 |
| • Density | 3.837/sq mi (1.482/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional district | 2nd |
Piscataquis County (pronounced pih-SKAT-ə-kwiss) is a county located in the state of Maine, United States. In 2020, it had 16,800 people. This makes it Maine's least populated county. Its main town, or county seat, is Dover-Foxcroft. The county was created on March 23, 1838. It was formed from parts of Penobscot County and Somerset County. The name "Piscataquis" comes from an Abenaki word. It means "branch of the river" or "at the river branch."
The county originally reached all the way to the Canada–US border. But in 1844, its northern part became part of Aroostook County. Piscataquis County is one of the largest counties east of the Mississippi River in terms of land area. It is also considered a "frontier" county. This means it has very few people living there, less than six people per square mile.
Baxter State Park, a huge wilderness area, is located in Piscataquis County.
Contents
History of Piscataquis County
People started settling in the Piscataquis County area in June 1799. They began clearing land near the county's three main rivers.
In 1883, the Monson Railroad started operating in the county. This was a special type of small railroad. It was the last of its kind to operate in North America.
From the 1970s to the 1990s, large paper companies owned much of the land. They harvested a lot of trees during this time.
Geography of Piscataquis County
Piscataquis County covers a total area of about 4,378 square miles. About 3,961 square miles of this is land. The remaining 417 square miles (9.5%) is water. This makes it the second-largest county in Maine by area.
The biggest lake in the county is Moosehead Lake. It is also the largest lake in the entire state of Maine, covering about 120 square miles. The highest point in the county and in Maine is Mount Katahdin. It stands at 5,271 feet tall. The center of the county is near Greeley Landing in Dover-Foxcroft.
Neighboring Counties
- Aroostook County – to the north
- Penobscot County – to the southeast
- Somerset County – to the west
Population of Piscataquis County
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 13,138 | — | |
| 1850 | 14,735 | 12.2% | |
| 1860 | 15,032 | 2.0% | |
| 1870 | 14,403 | −4.2% | |
| 1880 | 14,872 | 3.3% | |
| 1890 | 16,134 | 8.5% | |
| 1900 | 16,949 | 5.1% | |
| 1910 | 19,887 | 17.3% | |
| 1920 | 20,554 | 3.4% | |
| 1930 | 18,231 | −11.3% | |
| 1940 | 18,467 | 1.3% | |
| 1950 | 18,617 | 0.8% | |
| 1960 | 17,379 | −6.6% | |
| 1970 | 16,285 | −6.3% | |
| 1980 | 17,634 | 8.3% | |
| 1990 | 18,653 | 5.8% | |
| 2000 | 17,235 | −7.6% | |
| 2010 | 17,535 | 1.7% | |
| 2020 | 16,800 | −4.2% | |
| 2023 (est.) | 17,486 | −0.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010–2016 |
|||
2010 Census Information
In 2010, there were 17,535 people living in Piscataquis County. There were 7,825 households, which are groups of people living together. The population density was about 4.4 people per square mile.
Most of the people living in the county were white (96.9%). A small number of people were of Asian, American Indian, or African American descent. About 1% of the population was of Hispanic or Latino origin.
About 23.6% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average age of people in the county was 48.1 years old.
Communities in Piscataquis County
Towns
Plantations
Census-Designated Places
Survey Townships
- T1-R9 WELS
Unorganized Territories
Notable People from Piscataquis County
- Berenice Abbott, a famous photographer
- David Mallett, a singer and songwriter
- Sir Hiram Stevens Maxim, an inventor
- Sir Harry Oakes, a generous giver (philanthropist)
- Roxanne Quimby, a businesswoman
- Max Schubel, a composer
- Oswald Tippo, a botanist (someone who studies plants)
See also
In Spanish: Condado de Piscataquis para niños
