The whole territory of this county is on the polar side of the 45th parallel of north latitude, so it has a right to the cold in winter and temperate in summer. Early frosts and long winters with deep snows, are usual, though good and ripe crops of corn, grain, and other farm products, save in exceptionally cold seasons, richly repay the husbandman. When first entered, this territory wa.s included in Hancock and Kennebec Counties, but when Somerset County was incorporated (in 1800), the western portion, amounting to three tiers of townships, was embraced in this new county, Norridgewock then being the shire town. In 1810, when Penobscot County was incorporated, all but the three western tiers of townships above mentioned, were included in that county, having Bangor for its shire town.
In 1838 Piscataquis County was incorporated, taking four tiers of townships from Penobscot, and three from Somerset County, the most western tier being from the Bingham Purchase. It then extended, in its full width, to Canada line; but in 1844, its northern portion, embracing about sixty townships, was annexed to Aroostook County.
In its present extent, it is bounded, north by Aroostook, east and south by Penobscot, and west by Somerset Counties, containing more than one hundred full townships, with an area of 3,780 square miles.
These townships are generally six miles square, lying in regular ranges, which are numbered from the north line of the Waldo Patent (now a part of the north line of Waldo County), and the most southern tier in Piscataquis County is the sixth range in this numeration. Nearly two-thirds of these townships are now covered with forests, wholly unoccupied by inhabitants, but more or less entered by those in pursuit of timber. In its length, north and south, it includes sixteen townships, and in its width, seven townships.
But the lakes and ponds embraced within its limits, make up quite an extensive waste of waters; and its mountains, though far less than in many parts of our state, materially reduce the quantity of its settling lands.
