Town of Moscow

Moscow, a town in Somerset County, was incorporated on January 30, 1816 from township T1 R2, BKP, EKR.

Originally a part of the Bingham Purchase, it was settled by families named Baker beginning in 1773 and was known as Bakerstown.

The petitioners for incorporation in 1812 were impressed by Napoleon's capture of, and eventual retreat from, the Russian city of Moscow; thus the name.

The town hosts the impressive Wyman Dam and its consequence: Wyman Lake, a bulge in the Kennebec River extending about six miles to the north between Moscow and Pleasant Ridge. At that point the river narrows and bends to the northwest.

Bingham and Moscow constitute a single population center at the junction of U.S. Route 201 (leading north to the Province of Quebec) and Maine Route 16 (branching east to Piscataquis County and the town of Guilford.

From Maine: An Encyclopedia (www.themaineencyclopedia.com)