York County, ME Summer Camps

About York County, ME

York County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine . In 2010, the population was 197,131. Its county seat is Alfred . Founded in 1636, it is the oldest county in Maine and one of the oldest in the United States. York County is part of the Portland-South Portland-Biddeford metropolitan area .

History of York County, ME

1622 patent The first patent establishing the Province of Maine was granted on August 10, 1622, to Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason by the Plymouth Council for New England , which itself had been granted a royal patent by James I to the coast of North America between the 40th and the 48th parallels "from sea to sea". This first patent encompassed the coast between the Merrimack and Kennebec rivers, as well as an irregular parcel of land between the headwaters of the two rivers. In 1629, Gorges and Mason agreed to split the patent at the Piscataqua River , with Mason retaining the land south of the river as the Province of New Hampshire . Gorges named his more northerly piece of territory New Somersetshire . This venture failed, however, because of lack of funds and colonial settlement. Also failed was a venture by Capt. Christopher Levett , an agent for Gorges and a member of the Council for New England. With the King's blessing, Levett embarked on a scheme to found a colony on the site of present-day Portland. Levett himself was granted 6,000 acres of land, the first Englishman to own the soil of Portland. There he proposed to found a settlement name York after the city of his birth in England.

York County, ME Summer Camps