Dealing with unorganized township records

By Nancy Battick

I recently had a query regarding unorganized township records. Maine has 424 unorganized townships and territories with more than 9,000 residents in 12 counties, mainly in the northern half of the state. 

Also included are some islands, Baxter State Park, and towns such as Atkinson in Piscataquis County. 

Unorganized townships usually opt to become unorganized mainly due to the tax burden of supporting local government. The smaller the population the more expensive it becomes to provide services to its citizens. In the case of territories, which always have a T followed by a Range, such as T7-R5 in Penobscot County, there is usually too small a population to form a township. 

This leads to the question of where vital or property records are held when there’s no town office. The answer is it’s a mix of county and state governmental agencies.

Usually, residents of unorganized townships pay property taxes directly to the state. These are public records and you can access these records which include valuations of property online. Deeds are usually found at the appropriate county courthouse along with probate records and court cases. 

Excise taxes on cars or boats are managed by a designated neighboring town or in some cases an appointed individual when there is no nearby organized township.

Couples seeking a marriage license are usually directed to a nearby organized township and they can marry anywhere in the state once the license is issued.

What about vital records which are always of interest to genealogists? Or cemetery records? I researched this question recently and found that some vital records are supposedly held at the county level. Also, vital records such as birth, marriage, death, adoptions, and others are held at the Maine State Department of Health and Human Services at 11 State House Station, 220 Capitol Street in Augusta. You can find forms to request records on their website. You’ll either need a state issued Researcher Card or proof of relationship to obtain copies of these and there is a fee. Most records are copies, but you can also get certified records.

Earlier town vital records are held at the Maine State Archives in Augusta, and these records can also be found on Ancestry.com, FamilySearch.org, or other online genealogical resources. These records range from the years 1841-1910 or later. Some go to the 1920s.

Cemetery records are likely held at the county level. Find-a-Grave also is a useful resource for locating gravesites, but the content is submitted by volunteers and may not have information on all the cemeteries in an area. Also, if the gravestone is missing the volunteer probably will not catalog the grave. 

I always recommend researchers start their searches locally which can mean a different town then the one you’re seeking. As more small towns vote to disorganize keeping track of where their records go is a good move. If your ancestors or relatives have roots in an unorganized township like Atkinson, it’s wise to stay on top of where records are kept. 

Columnist Nancy Battick of Dover-Foxcroft has researched genealogy for over 30 years. She is past president of the Maine Genealogical Society, author of several genealogical articles and co-transcribed the Vital Records of Dover-Foxcroft. Nancy holds an MA in History from UM. Reader emails are welcome at nbattick@roadrunner.com.