Houlton is a town in Aroostook County, incorporated on March 8, 1831, from Houlton Plantation. In 1834 it annexed land from the Williams College Grant. As the shire town (county seat) of Aroostook County, Houlton hosts the County offices, including the Superior Court, and serves as a commercial and professional center for southern Aroostook County.  As with many communities, its traditional downtown shares development with strip commercial areas along its highways. This small city is surrounded by forests and farms where the potato industry remains an important economic asset. — Maine, An Encylopedia