This article shows U.S. Census totals for Oxford County, Maine, broken down by municipality, from 1900 to 2000.
There are two types of incorporated municipalities in Maine, towns and cities. The tables in the New England Historical U.S. Census Totals series differentiate between towns and cities; however, there have never been any cities in Oxford County.
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 Oxford 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. Due to the large extent of unincorporated territory in Oxford 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 or unorganized entities, should yield the county total.
For more information on the New England municipal system, see New England town.
1919 – Grafton disincorporated and reverted to unorganized territory
1935 – Mason disincorporated and reverted to unorganized territory
1937 – Albany disincorporated and reverted to unorganized territory
1957 – New town of West Paris formed from Paris
1978 – Otisfield, formerly a part of Cumberland County, joined Oxford County
County Total: 32,238
Rumford 3,770
Paris 3,225
Norway 2,902
Bethel 1,835
Fryeburg 1,376
Oxford 1,331
Buckfield 1,139
Dixfield 1,052
Brownfield 1,019
Hiram 1,015
Canton 946
Waterford 917
Porter 886
Mexico 816
Woodstock 816
Sumner 802
Peru 773
Greenwood 741
Andover 727
Lovell 693
Hartford 660
Denmark 634
Albany 538
Hebron 494
Gilead 340
Newry 286
Stoneham 284
Sweden 282
Stow 270
Upton 242
Roxbury 238
Hanover 214
Byron 204
Grafton 81
Mason 67
Unincorporated territory reported 623 residents. This consisted of 352 residents in organized plantations, and 271 residents in unorganized territory.
County Total: 36,256
Rumford 6,777
Paris 3,436
Norway 3,002
Mexico 2,065
Bethel 1,930
Fryeburg 1,282
Oxford 1,221
Buckfield 1,087
Dixfield 1,056
Canton 1,013
Hiram 945
Waterford 934
Brownfield 933
Porter 864
Woodstock 808
Sumner 762
Andover 757
Peru 746
Lovell 668
Greenwood 664
Hebron 603
Denmark 596
Hartford 592
Albany 410
Roxbury 311
Upton 306
Newry 271
Sweden 266
Stoneham 253
Gilead 233
Stow 224
Hanover 196
Byron 187
Grafton 64
Mason 60
Unincorporated territory reported 734 residents. This consisted of 608 residents in organized plantations, and 126 residents in unorganized territory.
County Total: 37,700
Rumford 8,576
Paris 3,656
Mexico 3,242
Norway 2,969
Bethel 1,792
Fryeburg 1,283
Dixfield 1,134
Oxford 1,097
Buckfield 957
Hiram 921
Brownfield 835
Porter 820
Andover 767
Waterford 765
Woodstock 765
Canton 750
Peru 738
Sumner 670
Hebron 652
Greenwood 605
Denmark 576
Lovell 575
Hartford 525
Albany 360
Roxbury 276
Newry 254
Sweden 225
Byron 217
Stow 199
Gilead 196
Stoneham 196
Hanover 165
Upton 123
Mason 54
Unincorporated territory reported 765 residents. This consisted of 314 residents in organized plantations, and 451 residents in unorganized territory.
County Total: 41,483
Rumford 10,340
Mexico 4,767
Paris 3,761
Norway 3,145
Bethel 2,025
Fryeburg 1,592
Dixfield 1,521
Oxford 1,125
Buckfield 972
Porter 883
Woodstock 848
Peru 826
Hiram 813
Hebron 791
Andover 788
Canton 767
Waterford 743
Brownfield 689
Lovell 645
Sumner 567
Greenwood 548
Denmark 474
Hartford 432
Roxbury 314
Albany 309
Gilead 220
Sweden 189
Newry 188
Hanover 170
Upton 166
Stoneham 164
Stow 161
Byron 96
Mason 61
Unincorporated territory reported 383 residents. This consisted of 284 residents in organized plantations, and 99 residents in unorganized territory.
County Total: 42,662
Rumford 10,230
Mexico 4,431
Paris 4,094
Norway 3,649
Bethel 2,034
Dixfield 1,790
Fryeburg 1,726
Oxford 1,316
Peru 965
Woodstock 913
Buckfield 903
Porter 892
Waterford 836
Hiram 787
Andover 757
Brownfield 741
Canton 706
Hebron 678
Lovell 647
Greenwood 564
Sumner 541
Denmark 532
Hartford 430
Roxbury 346
Stoneham 238
Sweden 225
Hanover 178
Upton 174
Newry 167
Gilead 160
Stow 153
Byron 125
Unincorporated territory reported 734 residents. This consisted of 300 residents in organized plantations, and 434 residents in unorganized territory.
County Total: 44,221
Rumford 9,954
Mexico 4,762
Paris 4,358
Norway 3,811
Bethel 2,367
Dixfield 2,022
Fryeburg 1,926
Oxford 1,569
Peru 1,080
Porter 1,052
Woodstock 971
Buckfield 899
Hebron 829
Waterford 828
Hiram 804
Andover 756
Canton 746
Lovell 640
Brownfield 612
Greenwood 604
Sumner 526
Denmark 447
Hartford 381
Roxbury 348
Stoneham 216
Sweden 212
Hanover 211
Newry 188
Stow 147
Gilead 140
Upton 105
Byron 96
Unincorporated territory reported 614 residents. This consisted of 154 residents in organized plantations, and 460 residents in unorganized territory.
County Total: 44,345
Rumford 10,005
Mexico 5,043
Norway 3,733
Paris 3,601
Bethel 2,408
Dixfield 2,323
Fryeburg 1,874
Oxford 1,658
Peru 1,229
West Paris 1,050
Buckfield 982
Porter 975
Woodstock 930
Waterford 834
Andover 762
Canton 728
Hiram 699
Greenwood 601
Lovell 588
Brownfield 538
Sumner 481
Hebron 465
Denmark 376
Roxbury 344
Hartford 325
Newry 260
Hanover 240
Stoneham 182
Gilead 136
Sweden 119
Byron 108
Stow 108
Upton 35
Unincorporated territory reported 769 residents. This consisted of 149 residents in organized plantations, and 620 residents in unorganized territory.
County Total: 43,457
Rumford 9,363
Mexico 4,309
Paris 3,739
Norway 3,595
Bethel 2,220
Fryeburg 2,208
Dixfield 2,188
Oxford 1,892
Peru 1,345
West Paris 1,171
Porter 1,115
Woodstock 1,005
Buckfield 929
Andover 791
Waterford 760
Canton 742
Hiram 686
Greenwood 610
Lovell 607
Hebron 532
Sumner 525
Brownfield 478
Denmark 397
Hartford 312
Hanover 275
Roxbury 271
Newry 208
Stoneham 160
Gilead 153
Byron 132
Sweden 110
Stow 109
Upton 54
Unincorporated territory reported 466 residents. This consisted of 135 residents in organized plantations, and 331 residents in unorganized territory.
County Total: 49,043
Rumford 8,240
Paris 4,168
Norway 4,042
Mexico 3,698
Oxford 3,143
Fryeburg 2,715
Dixfield 2,389
Bethel 2,340
Peru 1,564
West Paris 1,390
Buckfield 1,333
Porter 1,222
Woodstock 1,087
Hiram 1,067
Waterford 1,026
Otisfield 897
Andover 850
Canton 831
Brownfield 767
Lovell 767
Denmark 672
Hebron 665
Greenwood 653
Sumner 613
Hartford 480
Roxbury 373
Hanover 256
Newry 235
Stoneham 204
Gilead 191
Stow 186
Sweden 163
Byron 114
Upton 65
Unincorporated territory reported 637 residents. This consisted of 129 residents in organized plantations, and 508 residents in unorganized territory.
County Total: 52,602
Rumford 7,078
Norway 4,754
Paris 4,492
Oxford 3,705
Mexico 3,344
Fryeburg 2,968
Dixfield 2,574
Bethel 2,329
Buckfield 1,566
Peru 1,541
West Paris 1,514
Porter 1,301
Waterford 1,299
Hiram 1,260
Woodstock 1,194
Otisfield 1,136
Brownfield 1,034
Andover 953
Canton 951
Lovell 888
Hebron 878
Denmark 855
Sumner 761
Hartford 722
Greenwood 689
Roxbury 437
Newry 316
Stow 283
Hanover 272
Stoneham 224
Sweden 222
Gilead 204
Byron 111
Upton 70
Unincorporated territory reported 677 residents. This consisted of 83 residents in organized plantations, and 594 residents in unorganized territory.
County Total: 54,755
Rumford 6,472
Paris 4,793
Norway 4,611
Oxford 3,960
Fryeburg 3,083
Mexico 2,959
Dixfield 2,514
Bethel 2,411
Buckfield 1,723
West Paris 1,722
Otisfield 1,560
Peru 1,515
Waterford 1,455
Porter 1,438
Hiram 1,423
Woodstock 1,307
Brownfield 1,251
Canton 1,121
Hebron 1,053
Denmark 1,004
Lovell 974
Hartford 963
Andover 864
Sumner 854
Greenwood 802
Roxbury 384
Newry 344
Sweden 324
Stow 288
Stoneham 255
Hanover 251
Gilead 156
Byron 121
Upton 62
Unincorporated territory reported 738 residents. This consisted of 83 residents in organized plantations, and 655 residents in unorganized territory.
As of 1900, Oxford County contained three plantations: Lincoln, Magalloway and Milton. Milton, originally formed from a gore, surrendered its organization and reverted to unorganized territory in 1944. Lincoln and Magalloway, which are both in the northern part of the county, still exist today.
Lincoln Plantation is not to be confused with the unrelated town of Lincoln, in Penobscot County. Because plantations are organized at the county level, they are allowed to duplicate the names of incorporated towns.
1900
Milton 202
Magalloway 77
Lincoln 73
1910
Lincoln 307
Milton 204
Magalloway 97
1920
Milton 148
Magalloway 86
Lincoln 80
1930
Milton 111
Lincoln 90
Magalloway 83
1940
Milton 127
Lincoln 89
Magalloway 84
1950
Magalloway 83
Lincoln 71
1960
Lincoln 99
Magalloway 50
1970
Magalloway 75
Lincoln 60
1980
Magalloway 79
Lincoln 50
1990
Magalloway 45
Lincoln 38
2000
Lincoln 46
Magalloway 37
Like all of Maine's interior counties, Oxford County contains a significant amount of unorganized territory. Most of it is in the northern part of the county, in areas which are very sparsely populated:
The entire area of the county north of Upton, Grafton, Newry and Andover has never been incorporated. Lincoln Plantation and Magalloway Plantation, which lie directly north of Upton along the New Hampshire border, are the only areas in this region which have even been formally organized into plantations. The rest of the area is for the most part quite remote, and has never had any significant population on more than a transitory basis. Most of it is divided among ten unorganized townships. There is also a cluster of three gore-like entities just to the northwest of Andover.
The central part of the county has historically been almost entirely incorporated, but there is one area that has never been—Riley Township, which lies in between Grafton and Gilead, along the New Hampshire line. In addition, while Grafton was once an incorporated town, it disincorporated in 1919 and reverted to the status of an unorganized township.
The southern part of the county was also historically almost entirely divided into incorporated towns, but there are a few gore-sized areas that were never incorporated. One gore was eventually organized as Milton Plantation, though it never incorporated as a town. Another is Batchelders Grant, which lies along the New Hampshire line in between Gilead and Stow. Batchelders Grant was once larger and has had portions included in the formation of or annexed by adjacent towns on a number of occasions over the years, but the portion that remains has never been incorporated. There was also once a Fryeburg Academy Grant in the vicinity of Batchelders Grant. After gradually losing territory to adjacent towns, it completely ceased to exist in 1913, when its remaining territory was annexed by the town of Mason.
Between 1935 and 1945, a large number of municipalities in Maine dissolved and reverted to unorganized townships. In Oxford County, this included two towns (Albany and Mason) and one plantation (Milton), all in the southern part of the county.
The areas of Oxford County that are entirely unorganized cover about 620 square miles (1,600 km2), with a population of about 650 people. This covers about 30% of the county’s land area, but includes only about 1.2% of its population. The bulk of this population appears to live in areas that were formerly organized municipalities. Albany had nearly 300 residents at the time it disincorporated, and it appears to have maintained a population level of some significance down to the present time. Albany Township and Milton Township each currently maintain a registrar and clerk, although they do not have true organized municipal governments.
Over the years, the U.S. Census Bureau has used different methods to compile data compilation 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”. Three such areas are recognized within Oxford County:
North Oxford Unorganized Territory: includes the areas in the northern part of the county which have never been organized, as well as the former town of Grafton, and Riley Township.
South Oxford Unorganized Territory: includes Batchelders Grant, and the former towns of Albany and Mason.
Milton Unorganized Territory: includes the former Milton Plantation. (Milton is its own unorganized territory because it does not border any other unorganized territory.)
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 623
Organized plantations 352
Unorganized territory 271
Batchelders Grant 173
Andover North & West Surplus 22
Richardsontown Twp. (T4R1) 21
Fryeburg Academy Grant 15
Riley Twp. (TAR1) 13
Adamstown Twp. (T4R2) 12
Lynchtown Twp. (T5R4) 8
Township C 7
1910
All unincorporated territory 734
Organized plantations 608
Unorganized territory 126
Batchelders Grant 49
Andover North Surplus 21
Fryeburg Academy Grant 14
Richardsontown Twp. (T4R1) 11
Riley Twp. (TAR1) 10
Bowmantown Twp. (T4R6) 6
Township C 5
Adamstown Twp. (T4R2) 4
Lynchtown Twp. (T5R4) 3
Parkertown Twp. (T5R3) 3
1920
All unincorporated territory 765
Organized plantations 314
Unorganized territory 451
Lynchtown Twp. (T5R4) 168
Upper Cupsuptic Twp. (T4R4) 78
Parmachenee Twp. (T5R5) 47
Richardsontown Twp. (T4R1) 42
Lower Cupsuptic Twp. (T4R3) 27
Parkertown Twp. (T5R3) 27
Adamstown Twp. (T4R2) 20
Riley Twp. (TAR1) 16
Grafton Twp. (TAR2) 15
Township C 5
Bowmantown Twp. (T4R6) 4
Oxbow Twp. (T4R5) 1
Batchelders Grant 1
1930
All unincorporated territory 383
Organized plantations 284
Unorganized territory 99
C Surplus 39
Richardsontown Twp. (T4R1) 21
Adamstown Twp. (T4R2) 19
Township C 9
Lynchtown Twp. (T5R4) 6
Grafton Twp. (TAR2) 5
1940
All unincorporated territory 734
Organized plantations 300
Unorganized territory 434
Albany Twp. 288
Mason Twp. 43
Adamstown Twp. (T4R2) 40
Grafton Twp. (TAR2) 26
Riley Twp. (TAR1) 22
Richardsontown Twp. (T4R1) 6
Lynchtown Twp. (T5R4) 4
Township C 3
C Surplus 2
1950
All unincorporated territory 614
Organized plantations 154
Unorganized territory 460
Albany Twp. 242
Milton Twp. 159
Mason Twp. 35
Grafton Twp. (TAR2) 11
Township C 8
Adamstown Twp. (T4R2) 3
Richardsontown Twp. (T4R1) 2
1960
All unincorporated territory 769
Organized plantations 149
Unorganized territory 620
The 1960 Census reported all unorganized territory in Oxford County under a single catch-all listing. No breakdown is available.
1970
All unincorporated territory 466
Organized plantations 135
Unorganized territory 331
Starting with 1970 Census, the unorganized territory in Oxford County was broken into three groups of contiguous territory (the former Milton Plantation got its own listing because it does not border any other unorganized territory).
South Oxford Unorganized Territory 184
Milton Unorganized Territory 138
North Oxford Unorganized Territory 9
1980
All unincorporated territory 637
Organized plantations 129
Unorganized territory 508
South Oxford Unorganized Territory 348
Milton Unorganized Territory 123
North Oxford Unincorporated Territory 37
1990
All unincorporated territory 677
Organized plantations 83
Unorganized territory 594
South Oxford Unorganized Territory 455
Milton Unorganized Territory 128
North Oxford Unorganized Territory 11
2000
All unincorporated territory 738
Organized plantations 83
Unorganized territory 655
South Oxford Unorganized Territory 515
Milton Unorganized Territory 123
North Oxford Unorganized Territory 17
Note: the unorganized townships in the northern part of Oxford County are on the WBKP (West of Bingham's Kennebec Purchase) grid. The rows of townships on this grid are numbered east to west, with the first three rows within the modern borders of Franklin County, and rows 4 and 5 in Oxford County, ending at the New Hampshire border. Magalloway Plantation and Richardsontown Twp. are in range 1 of the grid, with range numbers increasing as one goes north.
To the immediate south of the above grid, there were originally a series of lettered townships, starting with "A" at the New Hampshire border and continuing eastward into Franklin County, to at least "E". "A" (two ranges, Grafton and Riley townships), "B" (Upton) and "C" are within the modern borders of Oxford County.
