Somerset County was incorporated on March 1, 1809, having been split off of Kennebec County. However, sections of the county were later taken to form Franklin and Piscataquis counties. Norridgewock was the county seat until about 1870, when a new and more elegant brick building, including a courtrom and offices, were presented to the county by the Honorable Abner Coburn, on the condition that Skowhegan be named its shire town.
The early industries of Somerset County were chiefly agricultural, due to its good soil. Farmers did well, and cattle and sheep were also raised in large numbers. Today, there is some farming, but Somerset County has become one of the top maple syrup producing counties in the United States. Recreational tourism has also grown as the county offers skiing, rafting, hiking, fishing, and other outdoor activities.
Somerset County is centrally located in Maine, bordering Kennebec County at its southern tip, and Canada at its northern tip, which is about ninety miles from the Canadian city of Quebec.
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