Androscoggin County, Maine

Androscoggin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of the 2010 census, the county's population was 107,702. Its county seat is Auburn.Androscoggin County comprises the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area and partially included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine, Metropolitan New England City and Town Area. It is also a part of the Portland-Lewiston-South Portland, Maine Combined Statistical Area.Bates College is located in the Androscoggin County city of Lewiston.HistoryDemand for a new county emerged when the residents of the rapidly growing town of Lewiston complained of the long distance they had to travel to reach Wiscasset, the county seat of Lincoln County, in which county Lewiston was originally located. It was also an impractical circumstance as Lewiston's neighbor, Auburn, was part of Cumberland County. As the growing partnership of the two towns emerged, the case for the towns to be in the same county grew. Different plans were discussed, including Lewiston joining Cumberland County. Eventually, the idea of a new county came to the table. The debate then became over which town would be the center of the new county. Bath, Brunswick, and Lewiston each desired the distinction. Lewiston would eventually win the debate. Androscoggin County was created in 1854 from towns originally in Cumberland County, Lincoln County, Kennebec County, and Oxford County.