Sanford, York County, Maine Genealogy

Description
Sanford, Maine at Wikipedia

Sanford is a small city located in York County in the state of Maine. It is situated on land originally purchased in 1661 from the Abenakis, a Native American tribe, by Major William Phillips. On February 27, 1768, Sanford was first incorporated as a town and remained a town for 245 years. In 2012, voters in Sanford gave approval to re-incorporate the town as a city with a mayor, which took effect in January of 2013. As of the 2010 census, Sanford is the seventh largest municipality in the state of Maine.

Sanford was originally known as the “Phillipstown Tract” after Major William Phillips who purchased the land from the Native Americans. Later it was renamed Sanford; this name came from the son of Major Phillips’ third wife, Bridget Hutchinson Sanford. Settlement of Sanford was delayed until 1739 by the French and Indian Wars, and the town was not incorporated until 1768.

Situated within the borders of Sanford is a section of the Mousam River which soon became the source of power for industry. The first sawmill was built by Captain Market Morrison above Springvale, a village within the town of Sanford. Textile manufacturing, including carpets, cotton and woolen goods, became the dominant industry after the Civil War. Shoe manufacturing was another large industry in the town. Thomas Goodall, a British-born industrialist, established the Goodall Mills in 1867 beside the Mousam River. This mill manufactured carriage robes and blankets and later expanded to make plush railroad seat upholstery, carpets, drapes, fabrics for automobiles, military uniform fabrics, and summer fabrics for suits. Because of this manufacturing, the town’s population swelled in the thirty years from 1880 to 1910. Textile manufacturing was the dominant industry until 1954, when Burlington Mills purchased the Sanford Mills and moved the looms to its southern plants in Georgia, closing the mills in Sanford and leaving one-third of Sanford’s population unemployed. Some of the buildings have been removed while others now house other industries.

In 1965, Sanford was called “the town that refused to die” by Life magazine because of its efforts to attract new industries. Sanford attracted diversified industries for a time, including manufacturing aircraft parts. Today, Sanford focuses on its quality of life and its natural assets of being situated close to the Atlantic Ocean, nearby lakes, and the mountains in New Hampshire.

Go to Archive.org to find published materials for this town.

Populated Places
Includes Neighborhoods, Villages, Unincorporated Communities, Districts, and Census-Designated Places:

Adjacent Towns
York Co.:  Lebanon | Newfield | Sanford | Shapleigh | Carroll Co.:  Wakefield | Strafford Co.:  Milton

Town Records
In New England most original vital records of birth, marriage, and death can be found at the town clerk's office

Births

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1739-1900 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1769-1892 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1849-1860 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1852-1860 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1874-1892 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Marriages

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1769-1892 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1771-1907 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1849-1860 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1852-1860 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1874-1892 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1977-Onward Maine, Marriages at MyHeritage — index & images ($)

Deaths

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1769-1892 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1841-1910 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index
 * 1849-1860 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1852-1860 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1874-1892 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1960-1996 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index

Town Reports
The town of Sanford kept annual town reports. These reports often contained birth, marriage, and death information. Below is a list of years when Sanford kept town reports. (NOTE: Occasionally, these town reports missed vital statistic information from the end of the year. If you don't find your ancestor's vital information, check the following year's town report to see if your ancestor's information was recorded later.)

Resources
For more County and State resources see:

Cemeteries

 * Sanford Cemeteries List at FindAGrave
 * at FamilySearch Catalog
 * York County Cemeteries at FamilySearch Places
 * Oakdale Cemetery, 127 Twombley Road, Sanford, Maine 04073
 * St. Ignatius Catholic Cemetery, Berwick Road, Sanford, Maine 04073; 207-324-6040
 * Southern Maine Veterans Cemetery, 83 Stanley Road, Springvale, Maine 04083; 207-459-7394
 * Notre Dame Cemetery, Pine Street, Springvale, Maine 04083; 207-324-6040

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 Sanford, 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 Sanford:
 * 1734-1907 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; index & images
 * 1735-2006 (*) Allen County Public Library at FamilySearch Catalog - images only
 * Maine Church Records

City Directories

 * 1893-1963 U.S., City Directories, Sanford at Ancestry - index and images ($), some years may be missing
 * 1915-1916 Maine, U.S., City Directories, Sanford at Ancestry - index and images ($), some years may be missing
 * Various Dates U.S. City Directories, 1860-1960 at MyHeritage - index and images ($) some towns and years may be missing

Land Records
The following are online land records for the town of Sanford:
 * 1642-1737 (*) John T. Hull, Book with Digital Images at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1642-1905 (*) Register of Deeds at FamilySearch Catalog index & images
 * 1661-1782, 1804-1826 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1661-1782, 1804-1826 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1733-1800 (*) by Benjamin Lake Noyes at FamilySearch Catalog - images
 * 1824-1861 (*) Manuscript on Film; Maine Land Office at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1824-1964 (*) Manuscript on Digital Images; Maine State Archives at FamilySearch Catalog - images only
 * 1825-1874 (*) Maine Land Agent; Maine State Archives at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1832-1853 (*) Maine Land Agent at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1835-1838 at FamilySearch — How to Use this Collection; index and images
 * 1841-1884 (*) Maine Land Agent; Maine State Archives at FamilySearch Catalog - images only
 * Maine Land and Property

Maps

 * Boundary Map of Sanford at HomeTownLocator
 * McConnell's Historical Maps of the United States at Library of Congress
 * Old Maps of Maine at Old-Maps.com
 * Sanford at FamilySearch Places
 * Sanford at Google Maps
 * Sanford at Maine.gov
 * Sanford at Mapcarta
 * Maine Maps State Page

Military
Some Records are Searchable by Town

Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
For more Revolutionary War Military Records see:
 * Maine Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783
 * United States Military Records - Revolutionary War, 1775-1783

Civil War, 1861-1865
For more Civil War Military Records see:
 * Maine Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865
 * United States Military Records - Civil War, 1861-1865

World War I, 1917-1918
For more World War I Military Records see:
 * Maine Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918
 * United States Military Records - World War I, 1917-1918

World War II, 1941-1945
For more World War II Military Records see:
 * Maine Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945
 * United States Military Records - World War II, 1941-1945

Newspapers

 * 1977-1978 Journal Tribune
 * 1980-1981 https://springvale.advantage-preservation.com/search?t=40608&i=t&d=01/01/1895-12/31/1981&bcn=1 The Sanford News(1980-1980)].
 * 1899-1977 Sanford Tribune.
 * 1923-1950 Sanford Tribune And Advocate.
 * 1895-1899 https://springvale.advantage-preservation.com/search?t=29591&i=t&d=01/01/1895-12/31/1981&bcn=1 Sanford Weekly Tribune].
 * 1905-1921 Springvale Advocate.
 * 1784-2023 York County, Maine Newspaper Archive at York Public Library - index & images

Other 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: The following are Sanford town records available online:
 * 1661-1782, 1804-1826 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1661-1782, 1804-1826 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1769-1892 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1806 to 1892 (*) at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Probate Records
In Maine, most probate records are kept at the town level. The following are online probate records for the town of Sanford:
 * 1584-1999 Maine, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1584-1999 at Ancestry - index & images ($)
 * 1640-1760 Maine: Early Wills and Deeds, 1640-1760 at American Ancestors — index & images ($)
 * 1640-1760 (*) Compiled and Edited with Notes by William M. Sargent at FamilySearch Catalog - index & images
 * 1690-1917 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection - images
 * 1760-1979 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection; images only
 * Maine Probate Records

Libraries
Louis B. Goodall Memorial Library 952 Main Street Sanford, ME 04073 Phone: 207-324-4714 Email: [mailto:info@lbgoodall.org info@lbgoodall.org] Website Springvale Public Library 443 Main Street Springvale, ME 04083 Phone: 207-324-4624 Email: [mailto:spl@springvalelibrary.org spl@springvalelibrary.org] Website

FamilySearch Centers & Affiliate Libraries

 * Exeter New Hampshire FamilySearch Center
 * Portland Maine FamilySearch Center
 * Wolfeboro New Hampshire FamilySearch Center
 * Kennebunk Free Library - an affiliate library
 * Scarborough Public Library - an affiliate library
 * Springvale Public Library - an affiliate library

Societies
Sanford-Springvale Historical Society P.O. Box 276 505 Main Street Springvale, ME 04083 Phone: 207-324-2797 or 207-490-1028 Email: [mailto:heastman@metrocast.net heastman@metrocast.net] Website