Editing Franklin County, Maine

{{short description|County in Maine, United States}}
{{Distinguish|Franklin, Maine}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Franklin County
 | state                = Maine
 | seal                 = 
 | founded date         = May 9
 | founded year         = 1838
 | seat wl              = Farmington
 | largest city wl      = Farmington
 | city type            = town
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 1743
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 1697
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 47
 | area percentage      = 2.7%
 | census yr            = 2020
 | pop                  = 29456
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       = 30828 {{gain}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | named for            = [[Benjamin Franklin]]
 | web                  = franklincountymaine.gov
 | ex image             = Franklin County Courthouse Farmington 5.JPG
 | ex image cap         = Franklin County Courthouse
 | district             = 2nd
 | time zone            = Eastern }}

'''Franklin County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] located in the [[U.S. state|state]] of [[Maine]], United States. As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the population was 29,456,<ref>{{cite web|title=Census - Geography Profile: Franklin County, Maine|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=0500000US23007|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=November 21, 2021}}</ref> making it the second-least populous county in Maine. Its [[county seat]] is [[Farmington, Maine|Farmington]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=National Association of Counties |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> The county was established on May 9, 1838, and named for [[Benjamin Franklin]].<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ | title=The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States | publisher=Govt. Print. Off. | author=Gannett, Henry | year=1905 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_9V1IAAAAMAAJ/page/n120 131]}}</ref>

==History==
Franklin County was formed on May 9, 1838, from portions of Kennebec, Oxford and Somerset counties. Smaller adjustments were made during the following fourteen years.<ref>[https://maineanencyclopedia.com/franklin-county/ Maine – An Encyclopedia: Franklin County]. Accessed February 20, 2023.</ref>

==Geography==
According to the [[U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has a total area of {{convert|1743|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|1697|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|47|sqmi}} (2.7%) is water.<ref name="GR1">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_23.txt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140909034104/http://www.census.gov/geo/maps-data/data/docs/gazetteer/counties_list_23.txt |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 9, 2014 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=September 7, 2014 |date=August 22, 2012 |title=2010 Census Gazetteer Files }}</ref>  The county is crossed by some of the northernmost parts of the Appalachian Mountain range, with the terrain also including several lakes and ponds, including Rangely Lake, the Chain of Ponds and part of Mooselookmegantic Lake. The county high point is [[Sugarloaf Mountain (Franklin County, Maine)|Sugarloaf Mountain]], the ski mountain in [[Carrabassett Valley, Maine|Carrabassett Valley]] whose elevation is {{convert|4237|feet}}.

===Adjacent counties and municipalities===
*[[Somerset County, Maine|Somerset County]] – northeast
*[[Kennebec County, Maine|Kennebec County]] – southeast
*[[Androscoggin County, Maine|Androscoggin County]] – south
*[[Oxford County, Maine|Oxford County]] – southwest
*[[Le Granit Regional County Municipality, Quebec]] – northwest

===Major highways===
*{{Jct|state=ME|US|2}}
*{{Jct|state=ME|ME|4}}
*{{Jct|state=ME|ME|16}}
*{{Jct|state=ME|ME|17}}
*{{Jct|state=ME|ME|27}}
*{{Jct|state=ME|ME|133}}
*{{Jct|state=ME|ME|142}}
*{{Jct|state=ME|ME|156}}
*{{Jct|state=ME|ME|236}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1840= 20801
|1850= 20027
|1860= 20403
|1870= 18807
|1880= 18180
|1890= 17053
|1900= 18444
|1910= 19119
|1920= 19825
|1930= 19941
|1940= 19896
|1950= 20682
|1960= 20069
|1970= 22444
|1980= 27098
|1990= 29008
|2000= 29467
|2010= 30768
|2020= 29456
|estyear=2023
|estimate=30828
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 3, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 7, 2014}}</ref><br />1790–1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=September 7, 2014}}</ref> 1900–1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/me190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 7, 2014}}</ref><br />1990–2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100327165705/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf |archive-date=March 27, 2010 |url-status=live|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 7, 2014}}</ref> 2010–2016<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/23/23007.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=August 19, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606152006/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/23/23007.html|archive-date=June 6, 2011}}</ref>
}}

===2015===
As of 2015 the largest self-reported ancestry groups in Franklin County, Maine are:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_5YR/DP02/0500000US23007|title=American FactFinder - Results|publisher=United States Census Bureau|website=factfinder.census.gov|access-date=April 18, 2018|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213035529/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_5YR/DP02/0500000US23007|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
! Largest ancestries (2015) !! Percent 
|-
| [[English Americans|English]] {{flagicon|England}} || 22.4% 
|-
| [[French Americans|French or French Canadian]] {{flagicon|FRA}} {{flagicon image|Drapeau Franco-Américain.svg}} || 19.1%
|-
| [[Irish Americans|Irish]] {{flagicon|Ireland}} || 14.9%
|-
| [[Americans|"American"]] {{flagicon|USA}} || 8.5% 
|-
| [[German American|German]] {{flagicon|Germany}} || 6.1% 
|-
| [[Scottish American|Scottish]] {{flagicon|Scotland}} || 5.0% 
|-
| [[Italian American|Italian]] {{flagicon|Italy}} || 4.2% 
|-
| [[Scots-Irish American|Scots-Irish]] {{flagicon|Ulster}} || 1.7% 
|}

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]]<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref> of 2000, there were 29,467 people, 11,806 households, and 7,744 families living in the county. The [[population density]] was {{convert|17|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|people&nbsp;|people}}. There were 19,159 housing units at an average density of {{convert|11|/mi2|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the county was 97.96% [[Race (United States Census)|White]], 0.24% [[Race (United States Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.37% [[Race (United States Census)|Native American]], 0.43% [[Race (United States Census)|Asian]], 0.02% [[Race (United States Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.17% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.81% from two or more races. 0.54% of the population were [[Race (United States Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Race (United States Census)|Latino]] of any race. 26.3% were of [[English people|English]], 13.8% [[United States]] or American, 12.2% [[French people|French]], 9.2% [[Irish people|Irish]], 7.9% [[French Canadian]], and 5.3% [[Scottish American|Scottish]] ancestry according to [[Census 2000]]. 95.7% spoke [[English language|English]] and 2.9% [[French language|French]] as their first language.

There were 11,806 households, out of which 29.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.40% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 9.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.40% were non-families. 25.80% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.50% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.88.

In the county, the population was spread out, with 23.50% under the age of 18, 11.10% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 24.80% from 45 to 64, and 14.20% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.20 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $31,459, and the median income for a family was $37,863. Males had a median income of $30,475 versus $20,442 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the county was $15,796. About 10.70% of families and 14.60% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 17.90% of those under age 18 and 9.50% of those age 65 or over.

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States Census]], there were 30,768&nbsp;people, 13,000&nbsp;households, and 8,129&nbsp;families living in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US23007
  |title=DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data
  |access-date=January 21, 2016
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213033925/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US23007
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref> The population density was {{convert|18.1|PD/sqmi}}. There were 21,709 housing units at an average density of {{convert|12.8|/sqmi}}.<ref name="census-density">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US23007
  |access-date=January 21, 2016
  |title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213191911/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY07/0500000US23007
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 97.3% white, 0.4% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.2% from other races, and 1.4% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 23.3% were [[English people|English]], 14.2% were [[Irish people|Irish]], 7.7% were [[French Canadian]], 7.5% were [[Germans|German]], 6.4% were [[Scottish people|Scottish]], and 5.0% were [[Americans|American]].<ref name="census-dp2">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US23007
  |title=DP02 Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
  |access-date=January 21, 2016
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213011108/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US23007
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

Of the 13,000&nbsp;households, 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 37.5% were non-families, and 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.76. The median age was 43.4 years.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median income for a household in the county was $39,831 and the median income for a family was $48,634. Males had a median income of $38,563 versus $30,024 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,838. About 10.2% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 21.2% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.<ref name="census-dp3">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US23007
  |title=DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
  |access-date=January 21, 2016
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213023021/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US23007
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
  |url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

==Politics==
Historically, like much of Maine, Franklin County was strongly [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]. For over 100 years after the founding of the Republican Party in 1854, the county voted against the Republican nominee for President just once, in 1912 when [[Bull Moose Party|Progressive]] [[Theodore Roosevelt]] (a former [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]) carried the county. It voted for Democratic nominee [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] in [[1964 United States presidential election|1964]] as part of his major landslide victory. It would also go Democratic in [[1968 United States presidential election|1968]], an election in which Democratic nominee [[Hubert Humphrey]] chose Maine Senator [[Edmund Muskie]] as his running mate. The county snapped back to the Republicans for every election from [[1972 United States presidential election|1972]] to [[1988 United States presidential election|1988]], before voting Democratic for each election between [[1992 United States presidential election|1992]] and [[2012 United States presidential election|2012]]. The county backed the statewide winner in every election from [[1916 United States presidential election|1916]] to [[2012 United States presidential election|2012]].

In [[2016 United States presidential election|2016]], the county deviated from the state as whole for the first time in over 100 years by voting for Republican [[Donald Trump]] even as the state was carried by Democrat [[Hillary Clinton]]. This trend continued in [[2020 United States presidential election|2020]], with the county again backing Trump even as the state voted for [[Joe Biden]], and in 2024 Trump won the county again by an even larger margin of over 8 points.<ref>{{citation |url= https://ballotpedia.org/Pivot_Counties_in_Maine |title= Pivot Counties in Maine |work= [[ballotpedia.org]] |access-date= 2024-09-20 }}</ref>

===Voter registration===
{| class=wikitable
! colspan = 6 | Voter registration and party enrollment as of March 2024<ref name="Maine SOS">{{cite web |author1=Bureau of Corporations, Elections & Commissions |title=Registered & Enrolled Voters Statewide |url=https://www.maine.gov/sos/cec/elec/data/data-pdf/r-e-active.pdf |website=Maine SOS |access-date=April 9, 2024 |date=March 29, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| {{party color cell|Republican Party (United States)}}
| [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| align = center | {{formatnum: 7439}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |7439 |20776 |2}}
|-
| {{party color cell|Independent Party (United States)}}
| Unenrolled
| align = center | {{formatnum: 6210}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |6210 |20776 |2}}
|-
| {{party color cell|Democratic Party (United States)}}
| [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| align = center | {{formatnum: 5985}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |5985 |20776 |2}}
|-
| {{party color cell|Green Party (United States)}}
| [[Maine Green Independent Party|Green Independent]]
| align = center | {{formatnum: 924}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |924 |20776 |2}}
|-
| {{party color cell|No Labels}}
| [[No Labels]]
| align = center | {{formatnum: 166}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |166 |20776 |2}}
|-
| {{party color cell|Libertarian Party (United States)}}
| [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian]]
| align = center | {{formatnum: 52}}
| align = center | {{Percentage |52 |20776 |2}}
|-
! colspan = 2 | Total
! align = center | {{formatnum: 20776}}
! align = center | {{Percentage |100}}
|}
{{clear}}

{{PresHead|place=Franklin County, Maine|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=April 18, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Republican|9,459|7,990|387|Maine}}
{{PresRow|2020|Republican|8,754|8,069|567|Maine}}
{{PresRow|2016|Republican|7,918|7,016|1,554|Maine}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|6,369|9,367|546|Maine}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|6,627|10,113|438|Maine}}
{{PresRow|2004|Democratic|7,378|9,465|418|Maine}}
{{PresRow|2000|Democratic|6,459|7,593|1,396|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|3,757|7,759|3,080|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|4,608|6,739|5,176|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|7,180|5,960|116|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|8,330|4,954|65|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|5,680|4,979|1,469|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|5,799|5,140|445|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|5,958|2,988|14|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1968|Democratic|4,127|4,307|162|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|2,887|5,784|2|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|6,136|3,304|0|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|6,307|1,680|0|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|5,885|2,137|14|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|3,741|2,135|44|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|4,127|2,646|4|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|4,548|3,224|7|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1936|Republican|4,957|2,859|112|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1932|Republican|4,521|3,171|41|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|4,923|1,487|22|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|3,389|1,123|169|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|3,820|1,668|38|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|1,988|1,908|89|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|668|1,421|1,714|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|2,173|930|74|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|2,135|755|65|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|2,235|1,085|67|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|2,578|886|87|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1892|Republican|1,964|1,456|119|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1888|Republican|2,485|1,518|74|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1884|Republican|2,387|1,375|368|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1880|Republican|2,390|2,178|74|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1876|Republican|2,116|1,559|0|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1872|Republican|2,187|924|0|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1868|Republican|2,429|1,407|0|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1864|Republican|2,248|1,790|0|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1856|Republican|2,529|1,358|21|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1852|Democratic|997|1,310|596|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1848|Democratic|886|1,431|810|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1844|Democratic|1,132|1,609|392|Maine}}
{{PresRow|1840|Democratic|1,848|2,058|22|Maine}}
|}

==Government==
Franklin County is governed by a three-member county commission. Commissioners meet at 10am on the first and third Monday of each month and are elected in the November general election, serving four year terms. Currently, the three commissioners are:<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.franklincounty.maine.gov/#!commissioners/jcrtw|title=franklincountyme-gov|website=franklincountyme-gov|access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref>

'''District One:''' Gary McGrane (Jay, Wilton, Temple, Carthage)

'''District Two:''' Charles Webster (Farmington, Chesterville, New Sharon)

'''District Three:''' Clyde Barker (Avon, Carrabassett Valley, Coplin Plantation, Dallas Plantation, Eustis, Industry, Kingfield, New Vineyard, Phillips, Rangeley Plantation, Rangeley, Sandy River Plantation, Strong, Weld, and unorganized territories of East Central Franklin, North Franklin, South Franklin, West Central Franklin and Wyman)

Commissioner Charles Webster was appointed by Governor [[Paul LePage]] in 2015 to serve out the rest of Fred Hardy's term, who died on July 4.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://bangordailynews.com/2015/08/10/news/lewiston-auburn/lepage-appoints-charlie-webster-as-franklin-county-commissioner/|title=LePage appoints Charlie Webster as Franklin County commissioner|last1=Perry|first1=Donna M.|last2=Journal|first2=Sun|website=The Bangor Daily News|date=August 10, 2015 |access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref> Webster and Barker are members of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], while McGrane belongs to the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]].

Franklin County belongs to Maine Prosecutorial District Three, which is composed of Franklin, Oxford and Androscoggin Counties. The current district attorney is Andrew S. Robinson, of [[Farmington, Maine|Farmington]] who was elected to his first term in 2014. The deputy district attorney is James A. Andrews, who was appointed to that post by Robinson in 2015.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.franklincounty.maine.gov/#!district-attorney/gdame|title=franklincountyme-gov|website=franklincountyme-gov|access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref>

The current county treasurer is Pamela Prodan. She was elected to that position in 2014 and will serve a four term through December 2018. Prodan succeeded Mary Frank, who decided to retire instead of running for a second term. The duties of county treasurer include: overseeing fiscal accounting matters, including paying bills, collecting amounts owed the county, reserve/investment accounts, maintaining the county's financial records and other matters related to the county's finances.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.franklincounty.maine.gov/#!treasurer/rnlp1|title=franklincountyme-gov|website=franklincountyme-gov|access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref>

==Law enforcement==
Only five municipalities in Franklin County have their own police department (Carrabassett Valley, Farmington, Jay, Rangeley, and Wilton). The Franklin County Sheriff's Department is responsible for patrol and emergency calls in the remaining communities in the county without their own agency. The current sheriff is Scott Nichols, of [[New Sharon, Maine|New Sharon]]. Nichols was elected to that post in November 2012, defeating incumbent sheriff, Dennis Pike. Pike had spent 46 years in Franklin County law enforcement prior to being defeated by Nichols.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.centralmaine.com/2012/12/29/after-46-years-pike-hits-the-road_2012-12-29/|title=After 46 years, Franklin County Sheriff Dennis Pike hits the road|last=Schroeder |first=Karen|date=December 30, 2012|website=Central Maine|access-date=May 24, 2016}}</ref>

The status of the Franklin County Jail has been contentiously debated issue within the county and state for several years. In 2008, Governor [[John Baldacci]] signed into law a bill which consolidated county jails in an effort to reduce costs. As a result, the Franklin County jail was designated a 72-hour holding facility. Any inmates who needed to be held longer than the three-day maximum had to be transported to the [[Somerset County, Maine|Somerset County]] Jail in East Madison, which county jail officials said was a waste of department time and money. Jail consolidation has also led to jail overcrowding statewide.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.pressherald.com/2015/01/19/overcrowding-intensifies-problems-at-county-jails/|title=Overcrowding intensifies problems at Maine's county jails - The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram|date=January 19, 2015|website=The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram|language=en-US|access-date=May 26, 2016}}</ref> When the Somerset Jail reached its maximum capacity, inmates were forced to be transported to another jail within the state, sometimes hours away which Franklin County officials again said wasted time and money.

In 2012, the Somerset County Commissioners voted not to accept any more inmates from outside the county as the state Board of Corrections withheld its third quarter payment. While the vote allowed current inmates to stay at the jail, it required all future inmates to be sent to Two Bridges Regional Jail in Wiscasset. In 2013, the Maine Legislature's Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee voted 11–0 to allow the Franklin County jail to return to full service status.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailybulldog.com/db/features/bill-to-return-local-jail-to-full-service-fails-somerset-county-refuses-franklin-countys-detainees/|title=Bill to return local jail to full service fails; Somerset County refuses Franklin County's detainees {{!}} Daily Bulldog|website=www.dailybulldog.com|date=April 2, 2013 |access-date=May 26, 2016}}</ref>

In 2014, the Franklin County Commissioners voted to withhold all payments to the state for jail inmates. Public outrage over the jail issue also pressured the state to give the county full service rights. In 2014 an 800-member Facebook group was created and several protests were staged in front of the county courthouse. In 2015, the State Board of Corrections voted to grant the county a fully operational jail, officially ending the seven year conflict between the county and the state.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.centralmaine.com/2015/01/13/franklin-county-jail-to-be-full-time-lockup/|title=Franklin County jail to return to full-time lockup status|last=Schroeder|first=Kaitlin|date=January 13, 2015|website=Central Maine|access-date=May 26, 2016}}</ref>

==Communities==
[[File:Smalls Falls.jpg|thumb|Smalls Falls Rest Area on Route 4 just south of [[Rangeley, Maine]]]]

===Towns===
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*[[Avon, Maine|Avon]]
*[[Carrabassett Valley, Maine|Carrabassett Valley]]
*[[Carthage, Maine|Carthage]]
*[[Chesterville, Maine|Chesterville]]
*[[Eustis, Maine|Eustis]]
*[[Farmington, Maine|Farmington]]
*[[Industry, Maine|Industry]]
*[[Jay, Maine|Jay]]
*[[Kingfield, Maine|Kingfield]]
*[[New Sharon, Maine|New Sharon]]
*[[New Vineyard, Maine|New Vineyard]]
*[[Phillips, Maine|Phillips]]
*[[Rangeley (town), Maine|Rangeley]]
*[[Strong, Maine|Strong]]
*[[Temple, Maine|Temple]]
*[[Weld, Maine|Weld]]
*[[Wilton, Maine|Wilton]]
{{div col end}}

===Plantations===
*[[Coplin Plantation, Maine|Coplin Plantation]]
*[[Dallas Plantation, Maine|Dallas Plantation]]
*[[Rangeley Plantation, Maine|Rangeley Plantation]]
*[[Sandy River Plantation, Maine|Sandy River Plantation]]

===Census-designated places===
*[[Chisholm, Maine|Chisholm]]
*[[Farmington (CDP), Maine|Farmington]]
*[[Kingfield (CDP), Maine|Kingfield]]
*[[Rangeley (CDP), Maine|Rangeley]]
*[[Wilton (CDP), Maine|Wilton]]

===Unorganized territories===
*[[East Central Franklin, Maine|East Central Franklin]]
*[[North Franklin, Maine|North Franklin]]
*[[South Franklin, Maine|South Franklin]]
*[[West Central Franklin, Maine|West Central Franklin]]
*[[Wyman, Maine|Wyman]]

===Unincorporated communities===
*[[Dryden, Maine|Dryden]]
*[[East Dixfield, Maine|East Dixfield]]
*[[East Wilton, Maine|East Wilton]]
*[[Farmington Falls, Maine|Farmington Falls]]
*[[Freeman Township, Maine|Freeman]]
*[[Macy, Maine|Macy]]
*[[Madrid, Maine|Madrid]]
*[[Mooselookmeguntic, Maine|Mooselookmeguntic]]
*[[North Jay, Maine|North Jay]]
*[[Oquossoc, Maine|Oquossoc]]

==See also==
*[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, Maine]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{citation |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/gazetteerofstate00varn/page/238/mode/2up |chapter= Franklin County |title= Gazetteer of the State of Maine |author= George J. Varney |year=1881 |publisher=B.B. Russell |location=Boston |via=Internet Archive }}

==External links==
* http://www.franklincountymaine.org/ Franklin County Chamber of Commerce
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071113155143/http://www.maine.gov/local/franklin/ Franklin County] on Maine.gov
* Digital Maine Repository. Items related to [https://digitalmaine.com/do/search/?q=%22Franklin%20County%22 Franklin County]
* [[Core.ac.uk]]. Assorted items related to [https://core.ac.uk/search/?q=%22Franklin+County%22+Maine Franklin County]
* [[Digital Public Library of America]]. Assorted materials related to [https://dp.la/search?q=%22Franklin+County%22+Maine Franklin County]

{{Geographic Location
| Centre    = Franklin County, Maine
| North     = 
| Northeast = [[Somerset County, Maine|Somerset County]]
| East      = 
| Southeast = [[Kennebec County, Maine|Kennebec County]]
| South     = [[Androscoggin County, Maine|Androscoggin County]]
| Southwest = [[Oxford County, Maine|Oxford County]]
| West      = 
| Northwest = [[Le Granit Regional County Municipality]], [[Quebec]] {{flagicon|Canada}}
}} 
{{Franklin County, Maine}}
{{Maine}}
{{Authority control}}
{{coord|44.98|-70.44|type:adm2nd_region:US-ME_source:UScensus1990|display=title}}

[[Category:Franklin County, Maine| ]]
[[Category:Maine counties]]
[[Category:1838 establishments in Maine]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1838]]