Plantations New England town

in addition towns , cities, maine has third type of town-like municipality not found in other new england state, plantation. plantation is, in essence, town-like community not have enough population require full town government or services. plantations organized @ county level, , typically found in sparsely populated areas. there no bright-line population divider between town , plantation, no plantation has more 300 residents. plantations considered organized not incorporated. not counties have them; in southern counties, territory sufficiently populated covered town or city.

in colonial times, massachusetts used term plantation community in pre-town stage of development (maine got term massachusetts, maine part of massachusetts until 1820, when became state via missouri compromise). term plantation had not been used in massachusetts since 18th century. massachusetts once had districts, served same purpose. considered incorporated, lacked full privileges of town. maine , rhode island known have made limited use of district concept. districts have not been @ common since first half of 19th century, , there have not been districts anywhere in new england in on century. maine new england state has significant amount of territory not sufficiently populated support town governments, new england state still has need plantation type of municipality.

for historical example in new hampshire, see plantation number four.