Gore (surveying)
Encyclopedia
A gore in parts of the northeastern United States
(mainly northern New England
), is an unincorporated area
of a county
that is not part of any town
and has limited self-government (if any, as many are uninhabited).
Historically, gores were generally the result of errors when the land was first surveyed and the towns laid out. A gore would lie in an area between two (supposedly abutting) towns but would technically be in neither. Surrounding towns have been known to absorb a gore — for example, the gore between Tunbridge
, Vermont
, and Royalton, Vermont
, was eventually attributed to Tunbridge. Some gores have become towns in their own right, such as Stannard, Vermont
.
Different states have different laws governing gores and other unincorporated territories. In Maine
, all unincorporated territories (whether townships, gores, plantations, or grants) are governed directly by the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission, a state agency. They do not, therefore, enjoy the rights and obligations of direct local self-governance of a corporate Maine municipality, via local elections of town Boards of Selectmen
, and town meeting
s that debate and approve the town budget and expenditures. Occasionally, a town will choose to become unincorporated after having been an incorporated town; a recent example of this is the town of Madrid, Maine
.
* Not considered a census-designated place
by the United States Census
, but legally considered a minor civil division
by the state of Maine
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
(mainly northern New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
), is an unincorporated area
Unincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
of a county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
that is not part of any town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
and has limited self-government (if any, as many are uninhabited).
Historically, gores were generally the result of errors when the land was first surveyed and the towns laid out. A gore would lie in an area between two (supposedly abutting) towns but would technically be in neither. Surrounding towns have been known to absorb a gore — for example, the gore between Tunbridge
Tunbridge, Vermont
Tunbridge is a town in Orange County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,309. The town consists of three village centers, all situated on Vermont Route 110 in the valley of the first branch of the White River...
, Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
, and Royalton, Vermont
Royalton, Vermont
Royalton is a town in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,603 at the 2000 census. It includes the villages of Royalton, South Royalton, and North Royalton...
, was eventually attributed to Tunbridge. Some gores have become towns in their own right, such as Stannard, Vermont
Stannard, Vermont
Stannard is a town in Caledonia County, Vermont, United States. The population was 185 at the 2000 census. The town has no paved roads.-Geography:...
.
Different states have different laws governing gores and other unincorporated territories. In Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, all unincorporated territories (whether townships, gores, plantations, or grants) are governed directly by the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission, a state agency. They do not, therefore, enjoy the rights and obligations of direct local self-governance of a corporate Maine municipality, via local elections of town Boards of Selectmen
Board of selectmen
The board of selectmen is commonly the executive arm of the government of New England towns in the United States. The board typically consists of three or five members, with or without staggered terms.-History:...
, and town meeting
Town meeting
A town meeting is a form of direct democratic rule, used primarily in portions of the United States since the 17th century, in which most or all the members of a community come together to legislate policy and budgets for local government....
s that debate and approve the town budget and expenditures. Occasionally, a town will choose to become unincorporated after having been an incorporated town; a recent example of this is the town of Madrid, Maine
Madrid, Maine
Madrid is a former town, now a part of the unorganized territory of East Central Franklin, in Franklin County, Maine, United States. The population was 173 at the 2000 census.-History:...
.
List
Some of New England's gores:| Gore | County | 2000 Population | Area in km² (mi²) | |
| http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=&_geoContext=&_street=&_county=Avery%27s+Gore&_cityTown=Avery%27s+Gore&_state=&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010 | Averys Gore, Vermont Averys Gore, Vermont Averys Gore is a gore located in Essex County, Vermont, United States. The population was 0 at the 2000 census. In Vermont, gores and grants are unincorporated portions of a county which are not part of any town and have limited self-government .Averys Gore is named for Samuel Avery, a... |
Essex County, Vermont Essex County, Vermont Essex County is the county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2010, the population was 6,306, making it the least-populous county in both Vermont and New England... |
0 | 17.6 square miles (45.6 km²) |
| http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=06000US5000902162&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US50%7C05000US50009%7C06000US5000902162&_street=&_county=Buels+Gore&_cityTown=Buels+Gore&_state=&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=060&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=DEC_2000_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry= | Buels Gore, Vermont Buels Gore, Vermont Buel's Gore is a gore in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The population was 12 at the 2000 census. In Vermont, gores and grants are unincorporated portions of a county which are not part of any town and have limited self-government .-Geography:According to the United States Census... |
Chittenden County, Vermont Chittenden County, Vermont Chittenden County is a county located in the U.S. state of Vermont. As of 2010, the population was 156,545. Its shire town is Burlington. Chittenden is the most populous county in the state, with more than twice as many residents as Vermont's second-most populous county, Rutland.Chittenden County... |
12 | 5.1 square miles (13.1 km²) |
| http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=06000US5000710300&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US50%7C05000US50007%7C06000US5000710300&_street=&_county=Warner%27s+Grant&_cityTown=Warner%27s+Grant&_state=&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=060&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=DEC_2000_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=] | Warner's Grant, Vermont Warner's Grant, , is a grant located in Essex County, Vermont, United States. At the 2010 Census, the grant had a total population of 0... |
Essex County, Vermont | 0 | 3.2 square miles (8.2 km²) |
| http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=ChangeGeoContext&geo_id=06000US5000976562&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US50%7C05000US50009%7C06000US5000976337&_street=&_county=Warren&_cityTown=Warren&_state=04000US50&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=010&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=DEC_2000_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=] | WarrenGore, Vermont | Essex County, Vermont | 10 | 11.6 square miles (30.0 km²) |
| http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=06000US5000976562&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US50%7C05000US50009%7C06000US5000976562&_street=&_county=Hibberts+Gore&_cityTown=Hibberts+Gore&_state=04000US23&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=060&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=DEC_2000_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null®=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=] | Hibberts Gore, Maine Hibberts Gore is a gore in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. As of the 2010 census, one person lived there. Ignored by surveyors who mapped Maine, it remained unincorporated as the state was demarcated.- Geography :... |
Lincoln County, Maine Lincoln County, Maine Lincoln County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 34,457. Its county seat is Wiscasset. It was founded in 1760 and named after the English city Lincoln. At its founding, it accounted for three-fifths of the State's land, and stretched east to Nova... |
1 | 2.0 km² (.77 mi²) |
| * | Blake Gore, Maine | Somerset County, Maine Somerset County, Maine Somerset County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 52,228. Its county seat is Skowhegan.-History:... |
0 | |
| * | Coburn Gore, Maine | Franklin County, Maine Franklin County, Maine Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 30,768. Its county seat is Farmington.Franklin County was established on 9 May 1838.-Geography:... |
0 | |
| * | Gorham Gore, Maine | Franklin County, Maine Franklin County, Maine Franklin County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. As of 2010, the population was 30,768. Its county seat is Farmington.Franklin County was established on 9 May 1838.-Geography:... |
0 | |
| * | Massachusetts Gore, Maine | Franklin County, Maine | 0 | |
| * | Misery Gore, Maine | Somerset County, Maine | 0 | |
| * | Veazie Gore, Maine | Penobscot County, Maine Penobscot County, Maine Penobscot County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maine. For U.S. Census statistical purposes, it is part of the Bangor, Maine, New England County Metropolitan Area . As of 2010, the population was 153,923... |
0 |
* Not considered a census-designated place
Census-designated place
A census-designated place is a concentration of population identified by the United States Census Bureau for statistical purposes. CDPs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages...
by the United States Census
United States Census
The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...
, but legally considered a minor civil division
Minor civil division
Minor civil division is a term used by the United States Census Bureau to designate the primary governmental and/or administrative divisions of a county, such as a civil township, precinct, or magisterial district...
by the state of Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
See also
- List of places with fewer than ten residents
- The Unseen (book)The Unseen (book)The Unseen is a 1990 horror/mystery novel written by Vermont author Joseph A. Citro. The book examines mysterious goings-on in the middle of the wilderness of the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. A former journalist becomes curious after an area man kills himself having witnessed something horrific in...
, which author Joseph A. CitroJoseph A. CitroJoseph A. Citro is a Vermont author and folklorist. Occasionally referred as the "Bard of the Bizarre" or "the Ghost-Master General", he has extensively researched and documented the folklore, hauntings, ghost stories, paranormal activity and occult happenings of New England.Interested in horror...
had originally titled The Gore