Oakfield
Welcome To Historic, Friendly Oakfield, Maine!
The Story
Oakfield Maine has a rich railroad history.
Ask a local what they think of when you say “Oakfield Maine” and chance are the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad will be in the list of most common answers. The reason Oakfield stands out as a railroad town is because two very important lines were controlled from this southern Aroostook County track system. The line from Brownville to Oakfield was completed in 1893 by the B & A railroad and just a few years later another vital track system was finished from Oakfield to Ashland Maine.
From 1912 to 1961 passenger train service was available in by purchasing your ticket to ride in the town dubbed “The Switzerland of Maine” due to the gorgeous Oakfield foothills. The personel from the passenger train service shifted their role to that of railroad line maintenance after passenger service ended. The BAR depot was the beehive for 16 daily passenger trains by the 1930’s!
The town of Oakfield Maine also has wind mill electrical generators that benefit full time residents with a property tax annual check that averages around $2100. This check rolls in right around town tax time which is a big help to relieve the stress of that yearly obligation. The large blades of the wind turnbines started arriving in 2014 with construction erecting them beginning in 2015 for eventually 48 total that are 450′ up in the air. This wind farm project covers 150 acres and produced 148 megawatts of power. Renewable resource energy harnessing the wind in the Oakfield foot hills. The town check subsidy helps sweeten the interruption in the view.
More on the early history of Oakfield Maine. The township organized as a plantation first as dubbed T5 R3. The “T” stands for township, the “R” for range which was a simple grid of mostly 6×6 mile unorganized areas. And a way to refer to them before organization was needed to keep track of them in conversation and at the local county registry of deeds where title to your property is recorded. Oakfield Maine was first settled in 1831, organized in February 21, 1878. It’s organization was reconfirmed in 1895, incorporation came later on February 24th, 1897. Northern Maine is relatively young compared to other areas to the south in New England.
