Penobscot
County
is one of
the larger geographic counties with a total land
mass of 3396 square miles.
Its population in the 2002 census was 144,919
people, averaging 42.7 persons per square mile.
It is located in Central Maine and extends into
Northern Maine, bordering
Aroostook
and
Piscataquis
Counties
to the North.
Penobscot
County
originally was part of Hancock
County
and was the ninth of 16 counties to be formed. It
was the last county established in Maine, on
April 1, 1816
, since Maine separated from Massachusetts on
February 15, 1816.
Penobscot
County is comprised of 53 towns, three cities,
and several plantations or unorganized
territories.
The county
seat is located in Bangor, a city of
31,000-plus, according to the 2002 census.
The County
Courthouse, District and
Superior Courts, and the
Federal
Building
are located in Bangor, which is the metropolitan
hub of the county. It contains the largest
population of the region with the adjoining
towns of Brewer, Hampden, Veazie, Hermon,
Glenburn, Orono, Old Town, Orrington, Holden and
the University of
Maine. It is also the home of
two medical hospitals, Eastern
Maine
Medical
Center and St Joseph Hospital,
as well as
Acadia
Hospital, an accredited mental
health facility. Much of Penobscot County is
rural in nature and is supported by small
business, farming, lumbering, manufacturing,
construction, and the paper mill industry.
The Penobscot and
Piscataquis
Rivers flow through the county on their way to
the nearby Atlantic Ocean. The
Penobscot River is the longest
flowing river in the state of Maine and was the
subject of writings of Henry David Thoreau
in 1846, "The Maine Woods." The areas are known
for recreational activities, such as fishing,
snowmobiling, hiking, hunting, ATVing, and
golfing.
Majestic Mt. Katahdin is located in
Baxter
State Park
in the Millinocket region and is well known for
camping and hiking.
County
Government-
The County
Commissioners are responsible
for the operation of County Government and are
the fiscal agents of the county.
Three Commissioners sit on the Board of
County Commissioners. Each
Commissioner is elected for a four-year term and
represents a district of the County as defined
by the Legislature. The current County
Commissioners are Thomas Davis of Kenduskeag,
Richard Stanley of Medway, and Peter Baldacci of
Bangor. The County
Administrator is William Collins of Orrington.
Commissioners meet every Tuesday at 9 a.m. at
the County Building at 97 Hammond Street.
Correspondence
may be addressed to:
William Collins, County
Administrator or/ Chairman, Penobscot County
Commissioners
97 Hammond Street
Bangor,
Maine
04401
Telephone (207)942-8535
Fax (207)945-6027
(E-mail address) bcollins@midmaine.com
Penobscot County Sheriff's Office