Cary Plantation hand several legislative organizations as a plantation, in 1849, 1854, and 1859 under the name T11 R1. In 1883, the name was changed to Cary in honor of Shepard Cary, a prominent local lumberman and state Legislator. Its organizational status as Cary Plantation was confirmed on March 5, 1895.
Cary Plantation is bordered on the east by New Brunswick, Canada and is split by U.S. Route 1 approximately ten miles south of Houlton.