Town of Medway

Medway is a town in Penobscot County, incorporated on February 8, 1875 from Medway and Pattagumpus plantations. The latter shared its name with two streams in the southeast corner of the town's current boundary: the main stream and Little Pattagumpus Stream.

The area was also known as Nicatou, or the forks, since it marks the joining of the East and West branches of the Penobscot River. Medway is midway between Bangor and the northern line of Penobscot County, hence the modern name.

Settled in the 1820's, the area organized as a plantation for local government purposes in 1852. During the lumber boom its strategic location at the forks made it an important economic center.

Between 1870 and 1880 the population nearly doubled from 321 to 628. Reflecting harder times in the forest industry, its population declined by over 19 percent in the 1990-2000 decade, setting it back to its 1970 level.

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