Editing Sagadahoc County, Maine (section)

===Nineteenth century===
[[Steam power]] was first used on the Kennebec as early as 1818 for propelling [[steamboat|boats]]. What became the Bath branch of the [[Maine Central Railroad]] was completed in 1849; and the [[Knox and Lincoln Railroad]] was opened in 1871. The first newspaper was published in the county in 1820.

Sagadahoc County was set off from Lincoln and incorporated in 1854, with Bath as the [[county seat]]. Its valuation in 1870 was $11,041,340. In 1880 it was $10,297,215. The polls in 1870 numbered 4,669, and in 1880, 5,182. The population in 1870 was 18,803. In 1880 it was 19,276.{{cn|date=May 2025}}

From 1880 to 2000, the county's population nearly doubled to 35,214.<ref name="CensusBureau">{{cite web | url = http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/23/23023.html | title=U.S. Census Bureau – State & County QuickFacts – Sagadahoc County | access-date=August 10, 2007}}</ref>