Otis, Hancock County, Maine Genealogy

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 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 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: The following are Otis town records available online:


 * 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

Births

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
 * 1739-1900 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index
 * 1809-1875 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1835-1956 at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Marriages

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
 * 1771-1907 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index
 * 1835-1956 at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Deaths

 * 1670-1921 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index and images
 * 1835-1956 at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1841-1910 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index
 * 1960-1996 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index