A Look at Maine’s 20 Least Populated Towns Based on 1920 Census Records

Who doesn't love some good old-fashioned Maine history? Well, thanks to this new invention called the "Internet," I managed to luck into a fun document to peruse.

I stumbled upon some old Census data, which ended up being rather significant. The form is the official 1920 Census Bulletin for every county and town in Maine. It's a fascinating look at where Mainers called home and how different those pockets look today.

A lot has changed in 100+ years, and many of those changes directly affected county and town populations. Whether it was mill closures, the birth of suburbia, revitalization, commercial development, economic recessions, shifts in manufacturing, or military base openings and closures, all have played their own part in affecting growth.

I decided to chart the 20 least populated towns from 1920. I was curious to see how different it was compared to today.

The majority of places on the list are still very small towns. In fact, many are still some of the tiniest in the state. The fact that most towns come from the more remote counties, like Washington and Oxford, was fully expected.

The most interesting fact is that six of the towns aren't even designated as towns anymore. These destinations have either become townships, plantations, or unorganized territories.

You can find the complete Top 20 below. Current populations are listed as well, to show the positive (and sometimes negative) growth for these municipalities over the generations.

How many have you visited?