This was interesting. The county I live in (Middlesex, Massachusetts) was apparently divided into two nearly 300 years ago. There is almost no county identity h

This was interesting. The county I live in (Middlesex, Massachusetts) was apparently divided into two nearly 300 years ago. There is almost no county identity here now - most people identify with their towns and cities and may only be vaguely aware of other towns and cities on the other side of the county. The only county services I am aware of relate to the county court system. But that's only our county. In rural parts of NY state, the counties provide important services for residents, as the towns and villages aren't always able to provide them. I sometimes see TV news from other parts of the country showing county sheriffs working side by side with local police, like in LA County. The sheriffs where I live don't have a public law enforcement role beyond transporting prisoners and dealing with court matters.