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Land Office Records
In the Maine State Archives
Maine Land Office History
Although the origin of land titles in Maine may be traced back to Seventeenth
Century royal charters, proprietary grants and Indian deeds, the derivation
of the Maine Land Office begins with the creation of the Massachusetts
Committee for the Sale of Eastern Lands in 1783. By encouraging the settlement
of the frontier wilderness of Maine, the Massachusetts General Court hoped
to generate revenues to counter the financial chaos left by the Revolution.
It is significant that during this period, the Confederation Congress was
also evolving a far-reaching national land policy that would shape the
settlement of the Western frontiers for years to come. There are striking
similarities between the objectives of the Massachusetts General Court
and those of Congress.
The Committee for the Sale of Eastern Lands undertook surveys
of the unorganized portions of the State; and under various authorizations
of the Massachusetts General Court, assumed the responsibility for disposing
of lands either by direct sale or by lottery. In 1794, the Committee for
the Sale of Eastern Lands, on the failure of the lottery, sold over 2,000,000
acres eventually acquired by William Bingham of Philadelphia. The Massachusetts
General Court also authorized the granting of land for settlement of debts
incurred by the State, in lieu of pensions to veterans of the American
Revolution and the War of 1812 or their widows, and in payment of various
State improvements. In 1803, the General Court authorized the appointment
of a Land Agent "to inspect & take care of the Public Lands in the
District of Maine, to ascertain their bounds & situation where necessary,
to superintend the preservation of all masts, timbers and trees thereon,
to inquire into all trespasses & intrusions on the said lands, and
give information thereof to the Solicitor General.." A similar office was
created by the Maine Legislature in 1824.
Shortly after Maine sepereated from Massachusetts in 1820, a committee
authorized under the Act of Seperation to represent the two States proceeded
to divide all public lands within the District of Maine between the respective
States. It was not until 1853 that an agreement was finally reached by
which Maine purchased some 1,198,300 acres of land belonging to Massachusetts
for $362,500.
By 1874, the Maine Legislature had determined to expedite the
final disposition of remaining public lands. Auctions were held under the
supervision of the Governor and Council in 1874-1875; and by 1891, it was
reported that all such lands had been disposed of through Legislative action.
In that year, the Office of the Land Agent was discontinued. The duties
and title of the Land Agent were tranferred to the Forest Commissioner
and held by him until 1923 when the title itself was abolished. The Forest
Commissioner continued to administer the public lots (the reserved sections
of townships that had originally been set aside for the benefit of schools,
academies and for "ministerial" purposes).
The original purpose of the Maine and Massachusetts public land
policy - to encourage settlement and the growth of prosperous communities
on the Maine frontier was, of course, never realized; for the harsh environment
of the interior wilderness could not compete with the lure of the American
West. In 1870, the Legislature, disturbed by the steady decline of the
State's population, fostered a movement to encourage the immigration of
Swedish settlers into Aroostook County in the hopeful belief that those
who came from what was throught to be a similar climate would be likely
to remain in Northern Maine. The project met with only moderate success.
The most significant utilization of the wildlands of Maine has
therefore been the harvesting of its timber resources, which continues
to be of great economic consequence to the State. In recent years, however,
the potential of the reserved or public lots has assumed a new importance,
as both the government and interested citizens have sought to develop a
land use policy that will allow the continued administration and development
of the public domain for the best interest of Maine's people and their
posterity.
Records of the Maine Land Office
The following selected list summarizes the principle series contained in
the records of the Maine Land Office.
Deeds and Related Materials, 1749-1949
Massachusetts Deeds, 1794-1828
Records of Deeds of Confirmation, 1841-1843
Treaty Deeds, 1868-1879 (Maine lands confirmed under the Webster-Ashburton
Treaty of 1842)
Records of Deeds, 1828-1940
Deeds of Land Sold for Taxes, 1848-1854; 1909-1945
Records of Land and Settlers' Certificates, 1842-1884
"Miscellaneous" Records of Deeds, 1798-1949
Revolutionary War Land Grants, 1830's
Field Notes, 1803-1890
The field notes give information about boundary lines, forest growth, topography,
distances, and related information about the areas surveyed. They frequently
contain information about hardships or unusual occurrances encountered
during the survey.
Maps
The maps prepared by the Massachusetts and Maine Land Offices, or accumulated
by those agencies and the Maine Forestry Department represent various surveys
and lottings of boundary lines undertaken since the Eighteenth Century.
From time to time, the Maine Legislature authorized funds for the copying
of early maps of Maien held by Massachusetts for the benefit of the Land
Office. Other maps included in this series were prepared by various private
concerns and acquuired by the Forestry Department. A comprehensive index
to the maps is arranged by the various counties of the State; and thereunder
by town, township or plantation.
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March 20, 2000.
