Can a place in Massachusetts be corrected?

Susan Cartmill Malone

There is an option for Springfield, Springfield, Penobscot, Massachusetts, as well as Springfield, Penobscot, Massachusetts... I grew up there- no such place that I ever heard of. Penobscot is a community along the coast, near the border of Mass and Maine. Springfield is in Hampden County. Prior to 1812 is was in Hampshire County. Having those kind of options available make people who are unfamiliar with the area confused.

 

Same situation with Lowell, another town in Massachusetts. You have the option for Lowell, Penobscot, Mass, but it was not in Penobscot county (which I believe was only in Maine, not Mass). Lowell is in Middlesex County.

 

If these two towns could be fixed, that would be awesome. Thanks so much.

Adrian Bruce1

Excuse a Brit trying to answer - but I suspect that the current place-names are correct. Assuming that you know that FS aims to include both current and historic place-names in its list, I suspect that the bit you are missing is that Maine didn't exist as a separate state until 1820 - prior to that it was part of Massachusetts.

 

Penobscot County was created in 1816 and therefore from creation to 1820, it was indeed in Massachusetts before moving over to Maine on Maine's creation.

 

I find that there are a couple of sites about American counties that "help". For example

https://publications.newberry.org/ahcbp/documents/ME_Individual_County_Chronologies.htm#PENOBSCOT

 

is relevant to this one - specifically:

15 Feb 1816

PENOBSCOT created by Massachusetts from HANCOCK. (Mass. Acts 1816, ch. 121, sec. 1/p. 156)

...

15 Mar 1820

PENOBSCOT became a county in the state of Maine when Maine was separated from Massachusetts and admitted to the Union. (U.S. Stat., vol. 3, ch. 19 [1820]/p. 544)

 

The Massachusetts names for those places now in Maine are, I believe, all dated before 1820 and are trying to cover that pre-separate-statehood period.

 

 

Susan Cartmill Malone

you are so awesome for trying to answer that question

 

I still believe it needs to be fixed... so I did some online searching.

 

Penobscot is about 350 miles away from Springfield- and that distance was covered with other towns and counties in Massachusetts. I can not see how it could be possible for those places to exist (Lowell Penobscot Mass and Springfield Penobscot Mass). Penobscot county Massachusetts was created in 1816 from Hancock county. It became a Maine county and eliminated from Massachusetts in 1820.

 

I guess if we are being really technical, Springfield has only been in Hampden county since it was created in 1852, since Hampden county was created in 1812. (which was even before Penobscot county)

 

Lowell, which was created in 1836, has only been in Middlesex county, which was created in 1643 (also before Penobscot county). While Lowell is much closer to Penobscot county than Springfield is (by about 100 miles), it still was never a part of Penobscot county since when it was created it was within Middlesex county limits.

 

I hope that will clarify any issues regarding correct place names for Springfield and Lowell.

Adrian Bruce1

Well, all I can say is that there really is a Springfield now in Penobscot County, Maine. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield,_Maine

And here's the map if you can read it at whatever magnification it comes in at (clicking the image seems to work)...

I've set the image to show the pre-1820 Massachusetts name. The map comes from the FS Standard Places on https://www.familysearch.org/research/places/?focusedId=4273358&searchTypeaheadInputText=springfield,%20massachusetts&text=springfield,%20massachusetts

 

Now what I don't know is when Springfield, Penobscot Co was founded, so I've no idea whether it actually existed in Massachusetts before 1820. I have seen cases where the FS Places team has projected places back in time, when jurisdictions changed but they weren't founded in the earlier jurisdictions. Foundation dates aren't always easy to tell. (Just to confuse me even more, I see that Penobscot the town isn't in Penobscot County. According to Wikipedia.)

 

And yes, Springfield-always-in-Massachusetts is yet another place. (I suspect one good reason I noticed your query is the name Springfield - I understand that The Simpsons uses the name "Springfield" because there are so many of them in the USA!)

 

There's also a Lowell now in Penobscot Co, Maine. If you can read the map... Again, no idea when it was founded, whether it was still in Massachusetts at foundation. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lowell,_Maine

 

Mark2628

There are a lot of places in Maine that have pre-statehood entries in Massachusetts, even if the place didn't actually exist when Maine was made a state.

I merged Springfield, Springfield, Penobscot, Massachusetts into Springfield, Penobscot, Maine, United States. Springfield, Maine was not settled until 1830, so it doesn't need a place name under Massachusetts:

http://history.rays-place.com/me/springfield-me.htm

Lowell was settled in 1819, just before statehood, but I'll have to research if that name was attached to the settlement while it was in Massachusetts before determining if I can delete those entries (the town was originally incorporated as Huntressville, so there's a good chance the Massachusetts entries should be under another name):

http://history.rays-place.com/me/lowell-2-me.htm

Thanks.

-MAC

Susan Cartmill Malone

Thank you so much for your help. I am so grateful.

Susan