Otis, Hancock County, Maine Genealogy

United States Genealogy

Maine

Hancock County

Otis

Modern town borders of Otis in Hancock County, Maine.

Brief History

In 1805, Isaac Frazier and Nathaniel M. Jellison from Union River Plantation, now a part of Ellsworth, and James Gilpatrick, Allen Milliken, from Thorndike (the land now called Trenton) felt the call to explore inland and moved to Otis.

Over the next 28 to 30 years, more and more people moved into the area. Some were drawn by the lumbering business, others were drawn to the land and built farms and supported themselves off the land. A close-knit community was developed. The settlement was named Plantation 8 by the government and included the towns that are now called Dedham and Otis.

Additional data on Otis, Maine can be found in WikiPedia: the Free Encyclopedia.

Church Records

Historically, the largest religious groups in Maine were the Congregational, Baptist, Roman Catholic, and Methodist churches. For general information about Maine denominations, view the Maine Church Records wiki page.

To see the churches in Otis, visit FamilySearch Places.

Church records and the information they provide vary significantly depending on the denomination and the record keeper. They may contain information about members of the congregation, such as age, date of baptism, christening, or birth; marriage information and maiden names; and death date. The following are church records available online for the town of Otis:

Land Records

The following are online land records for the town of Otis:

• 1835-1838 Maine Revolutionary War Bounty Land Applications, 1835-1838 at FamilySearch — How to use this collection - index and images

Maps

The following are online maps of the town of Otis:

Probate Records

In Maine, most probate records are kept at the town level. The following are online probate records for the town of Otis:

• 1584-1999 Maine, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1584-1999 at Ancestry ($) — index and images
• 1760-1979 Maine, County Probate Records, 1760-1979 at FamilySearch.org - How to use this collection - images

Town Records

In Maine, most records are kept at the town level and generally began being kept at the founding of the town. These records may include the following:

Births Marriages Deaths Burials Cemetery records Appointments Earmarks Estrays (stray animals) Freemens' oaths (men eligible to vote) Land records Mortgages Name changes Care of the poor School records Surveys Tax lists Town meeting minutes Voter registrations Warning outs (of town)

The following are Otis town records available online:

• 1835-1956 Town and vital records 1835-1956 at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Town Clerk

The town clerk is responsible for these records, and so most originals can be found at the town clerk's office.

Town of Otis Town Clerk
132 Otis Road
Otis, ME 04605
Phone: (207)537-2211
Otis Website

Vital Records

Births

• 1670-1921 Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
• 1739-1900 Maine Births and Christenings, 1739-1900 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index
• 1809-1875 Otis, Hancock, Maine computer printout ; births or christenings, 1809-1875 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1835-1956 Town and vital records 1835-1956 at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Marriages

• 1670-1921 Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
• 1771-1907 Maine Marriages, 1771-1907 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index
• 1835-1956 Town and vital records 1835-1956 at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Deaths

• 1670-1921 Maine Vital Records, 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
• 1835-1956 Town and vital records 1835-1956 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
• 1841-1910 Maine Deaths and Burials, 1841-1910 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index
• 1960-1996 Maine Death Index, 1960-1996 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index