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Miscellaneous Information

Although we found mention of Branch Mills during our research, we have little information about it.<1> Given the context of how Branch Mills was mentioned, we believe that it was a community rather than a locale or some type of landmark. We have done a cursory search and if it was a community, we haven't been able to find any evidence that it still exists..

Various Identification Codes ...

FIPS Codes ...

In a past effort, various federal agencies created a set of codes with a purpose similar to the GNIS codes. These codes are called the Federal Information Processing Standard (or the FIPS 55 codes). Although they are still used by some organizations, the FIPS codes are obsolete and will ultimately be replaced by the GNIS codes.

The following FIPS codes apply to Branch Mills:

Place (Community) Code:	06750
State Code:	23 (Maine)
County Code:	011 (Kennebec County)

Since the Place and County FIPS codes are not unique and can be repeated in other States, it's necessary to combine the State code with the Place and County FIPS codes to uniquely identify them - for example:

State/Place Code:	23/06750
State/County Code:	23/011

Regional Codes ...

For statistical purposes, the US Census Bureau has divided the country into four Regions. Branch Mills is located in Region #1 (the Northeast Region).

In turn, the US Census Bureau has further divided each Region into Divisions. Branch Mills is located in Division #1 (the New England Division).

The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has created ten Federal Regions. Branch Mills is located in Region I (Region 1).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has created ten Management Regions. Branch Mills is located in Region I (Region 1).

ZIP Codes ...

While some people have used a ZIP code to identify a community, the purpose of the ZIP code was to make mail delivery more efficient by grouping addresses together. Although the ZIP Code doesn't specifically identify a community like Branch Mills, it does identify addresses that are in (or near) Branch Mills. It's important to remember that the boundaries of a ZIP Code are defined by the needs of the USPS and can be changed, re-assigned or overlapped with other ZIP Codes.

The ZIP code for Branch Mills: 04926<2>

Referenced FIPS Records ...

FIPS Code: 23/06750 (Place Name: Branch Mills)

County: Kennebec (FIPS State/County: 23/011 Count/Seq: 02/01)

Class: U8

Identifies a populated place (in this case, Branch Mills) located wholly or substantially outside the boundaries of an incorporated place or CDP (Census Designated Place) but whose name has not been verified as authoritative by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Footnotes ...

<1>

If we encounter the name of what might be a community, our methodology is to add that name to our Gazetteer. For example, we might find a sentence like "He went north past Branch Mills and then turned west". While Branch Mills could be some kind of landmark, we think that it's more likely to be a community. We've added Branch Mills as a placeholder with the hope that we'll be able to add more information in the future.

Just as a reminder: Our definition of a community is rather broad and includes those places (or areas) where several families lived and had a name which identified that place. For example, you might hear somebody say that they are going over to Mile's to see Pete ... Mile's is just a gas station and a couple of homes at the crossroads. While it might not be on the map, everybody in the area knows it by that name.

Places of interest include buildings at a crossroad, several families clustered in a hollow or maybe the location of a way station. It also includes places like mines, lumber camps, ferry crossings, etc. The community might still exist, is now gone or only existed for just a short period of time.

Also keep in mind that Branch Mills could have been on the original document by mistake, misspelled, the original/alternate name of a community that we've listed elsewhere or was placed in the wrong county. Sometimes a post office or train station would have a different name than the community where it's located, so two names might be referring to the same community - we're working to straighten it all out.

Since confusion between counties is common, we searched and weren't able to find another Maine community named Branch Mills.

<2>

When looking for a ZIP Code, whether Branch Mills or elsewhere, it's always best to check the website of the United States Postal Service (USPS).