USA > Maine > A business directory of the subscribers to the new map of Maine, with a brief history and description of the state > Part 23
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31
31
S
151
-
212 243
304
365
10
10
S
S
100 130
159 189 220
S
224 255 285
316 346
13
S
44
72 103 133
166 196 227
S 288 319 S
16
16
47
75
110€
21
21
52
80
S 141
172 S 233 264 294 325 355
24
24
S
S
114
144
175 205
296 327 357
4
4
35
93 123 154 184
215 246 276
S 337
281 312 S
9
9
40
282 313 343
98 128
161 191
For The letter S denotes the Sundays in cach month. The above table is convenient for finding the maturity of bills or notes. The Index represents the days of the . month ; the opposite columns give the days of the year represented by such days of the month. For Example :- A note at 60 days, dated January 8th, being the 8th day of the year as is seen in the January column on a line with January in the Index, by the addition of 63 (including 3 days of grace) shows the note falls due on the 71st day of the year, which will be found on reference to the month and the Index, to be Tuesday, the 12th day of March. In like manner, a note at 60 days, dated 15th of June. falls due on the 229th day of the year, being Saturday, the 17th day of August.
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SUBSCRIBERS' BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
A SUMMARY
HISTORICAL AND STATISTICAL
VIEW OF MAINE.
BRIEF HISTORY.
The attempts to colonize the northeastern portion of the United States were first made on the coast of Maine. The early voyagers, of different nations, from Cabot in 1496, to the first permanent settlement of the country, visited this coast for discovery and commerce. But the first attempt at settlement was made by De Mont, under the French, who, having received a grant from the king of France, planted a large and well appointed colony on Neutral Island, in the St. Croix river, in 1604. The place was unfortunately selected, and was abandoned the next year. In 1605 the coast in the neighborhood of the St. George river was visited by Weymouth, and explored to a small extent, which led to the first attempts of the English to colonize the coast by sending a large colony to the mouth of the Kennebec river in 1607, under the charter of 1606. which embraced the whole country from N. lat. 34 to 44. This colony consisted of one hundred men in two ships, under command of Capt. Geo. Popham, as President, and Capt. Rawleigh Gilbert, as Admiral. They planted themselves on Hunnewell's Point at the mouth of the river. This attempt also failed from the bad location and other mischances.
The advantages of our coast had by this time become noted for the fish and fur trades, in which many ships, both English and French, were successfully engaged for many years, making their principal port at Monhegan Island.
In 1613 the French Jesuits established a mission at Mount Desert, which was destroyed by the English the next year. In 1616, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, a leading and prominent adventurer, and promoter of colonization in New England, sent his agent, Richard Vines, with a colony to Saco River, to remain through the winter, and explore the country, and test the climate. A company of fishermen was also established at Monhegan at this time by the patentees, to aid in their fishing and commercial opciations.
In 1620, a division having taken place in the grand patent, which had included Virginia and New England, the northern portion, between latitude 40 and 48, was incorporated as the northern or Plymouth colony. By this arrangement a new impulse
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was given to the efforts of colonization. In 1621, ten or twelve ships procured full cargoes of fish and fur, and in the next three years one hundred and twenty-five ships were engaged in the same trade. In 1622, Gorges and John Mason obtained a grant from the Plymouth Company of all the territory between the Merrimac and Kennebec rivers ; and the next year they planted a colony which occupied both sides of the Piscataqua River. This may properly be considered as the first permanent occupation of the mainland in Maine. In 1625, Pemaquid was occupied. In 1624, Gorges planted a colony at York, which became flourishing, and continued under the management of Godfrey and others, many years. In 1630 to 1632, settlements were commenced at Saco, Biddeford, Richmond's Island, Spurwink, Black Point, and Casco, now Portland and Falmouth. These all continued to grow and become flourishing, until their entire overthrow in the Indian war of 1675.
In 1635, the Plymouth Company surrendered their charter to the king, having first divided the territory among the principal proprietors. The eastern portion was granted to Sir Wm. Alexander, Earl of Sterling, as far westas Pemaquid. Between that and the mouth of the Kennebec, was Masonia, which belonged to John Mason ; then came Gorges' Province extending to the Piscataqua, which he named New Somersetshire from the county in which he lived. He immediately sent over his agent and nephew, Wm. Gorges, to take possession, and govern, with the aid of a council appointed by the proprietor, his province. The first court under this organization was held in March, 1636, at Saco.
In 1639, Gorges obtained from the king, Charles I., a confirmation of his grant, with more ample powers of government than were ever bestowed upon a subject, and in which for the first time appears the name the State now bears, which the charter requires to be adopted. A new government was established, which continued with various interruptions from other causes, until the heirs of Gorges sold all their rights to the colony of Massachusetts in 1677, for £1250. Gorges died in 1647. The eastern portion of the State below the Penobscot was in the hands and under the jurisdiction of the French, as part of the Province of Acadia, until the overthrow of French power on this continent in 1760. The territory between the Penobscot and the Kennebec, although claimed by the French, was generally possessed by the English ; at one time under a grant to the Duke of York, at another under proprietary titles, and lastly by Massachu- setts. The charter of 1691 to Massachusetts embraced the whole territory from the Piscataqua to the St. Croix, under the title of the Province of Maine, and her jurisdic- tion was exercised over all the portions she was able to possess. This continued through the periods of the Colony and the Commonwealth, until the establishment of Maine as a separate State in 1820.
SITUATION AND AREA.
The State lies between 42º 57' and 47° 30' N. lat., and 5° 45' and 10° 10' East long. from Washington, and embraces an area of 32,000 square miles, or 20,000,000 of acres. It is the most eastern of the United States, and larger than all the rest of the New England States. It is bounded west by New Hampshire and Lower Canada ; North by Canada ; East by New Brunswick ; and South by the Atlantic Ocean. Its greatest length on a diagonal line from the mouth of Piscataqua river to the northern angle is
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320 miles ; the greatest width from the sea to the Canada line, 160 miles ; on a straight line from Piscataqua river to Quoddy Head is 250 miles.
The surface of the State is diversified ; the north-western and central portions rising in lofty summits, the highest of which is Katahdin, 5300 ft. above the level of the sea ; Mt. Abraham in Franklin Co., 3400 feet ; Mt. Blue, in the same Co., 2800 feet; Mars Hill, in Washington Co., 2000 feet; the Highlands, at the monument on the Canada line, 2000 feet ; Streaked Mountain, at Paris, 1750 feet ; and the elevated peaks in Oxford County, Spurs from the White Mountain group, rising to the height of from 2000 to 3500 feet. On the coast are some striking eminences which greet the eye of the mariner as he approaches from his weary voyage, as the Agamenticus hills in York, rising 670 feet; the Megunticook, in Camden, 1500 feet; the highest peaks on Mt. Desert, 1500 feet. The groups of the Saddleback, Mts. Abraham and Bigelow, lie between the Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers; the Ebeme and Baker mountains between the Kennebec and Penobscot; the Katahdin group divides the two main branches of the Penobscot. Among these mountains are rich and wide-spread valleys, watered by extensive and fertilizing rivers.
RIVERS.
The principal rivers are the Saco, the Androscoggin, the Kennebec, the Penobscot, the St. John, and the St. Croix, all which, but the St. Croix, rise in the northern and northwestern parts of the State, and run in an easterly and southerly direction, fed by large lakes, and irrigating every portion of the territory. They not only enrich the soil, but furnish immense facilities for navigation, and for manufacturing and commercial purposes, equal to those of any other State.
The Saco, after entering the State in Fryeburg, has a length of 80 miles, passing through large meadows, and over numerous falls, to the sea at Saco.
The Androscoggin rises in the highlands forming the northwestern frontier near the sources of the Chaudiere. After running twenty-four miles in a southerly course, it joins a chain of lakes, through which it flows southeasterly about thirty miles, and erosses into New Hampshire at Errol. Here it receives the Magalloway, its main branch, and then passing on about thirty miles in N. H., it is turned suddenly east by the impassable barrier of the White Mountains, and enters Maine again at Gilead. Thence flowing on this course about fifty miles, it is diverged by the Highlands in Jay southerly, and reaches the Kennebec in Topsham, after its devious and rough passage over many abrupt precipices, of one hundred and eighty miles. At Brunswick, where it meets tide water, the fall is forty feet. At Rumford in the space of one mile its fall is estimated at three hundred feet ; at Berlin it is fifty feet; at the foot of these falls it is eight hundred feet above the level of the sea.
In its course it receives numerous tributaries, which increase its volume of water until it becomes one of the most copious in the State, discharging in its lowest state at Brunswick four thousand cubic feet in a second of time.
The Penobscot is the largest river of the State ; its whole course lying within it. With the Mattawamkeag and its eastern branch, it embraces the northeastern portion of the State; its northern, northwestern, and western branches extend to the sources of the Aroostook, and St. John and the Highlands of Canada. The various tributaries unite
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in the central part of the State, and pour the accumulated contributions of the remote regions they traverse into the spacious and beautiful bay which connects them with the ocean. The great western branch of this river is supplied from two sources,-the south- west and northwest branches ; one rises in the frontier near the source of Moose River on the south, and the Du Loup of Canada on the north ; the other near the southwest branch of the St. John. They unite about thirty miles from their respective sources. The river then continues in an easterly, then a northerly, and afterwards in a south- easterly direction over steep falls and long rapids, passing within a mile and a half of Moosehead Lake, expanding itself into numerous lakes, and laving the feet of Mount Katahdin, which create precipitous falls. It receives the eastern branch one hundred and twenty miles from the source of the main river, and twelve miles below the Mat- tawamkeag; then changing its course, it flows directly south to the sea, two hundred and twenty miles from the source of the western branch, which is two thousand feet above the sea level ; the eastern branch is about sixty miles long, and the Mattawam- keag eighty. The whole territory drained by the river is about eight thousand square miles.
The Aroostook flows easterly about one hundred and ten miles to its junction with the St. John, four miles east of the boundary; its branches interlocking its whole length with those of the Penobscot, the dividing ridge in some cases not exceeding eight feet. It has a gentle current, its descent averaging two and a half feet per mile in the State. After passing the line it has two falls of forty-five feet.
The Kennebec, by its two principal branches, the Dead and the Moose Rivers, rises in the northwestern highlands near the sources of the Androscoggin. Moose River, after an easterly course of about seventy miles, enters Moosehead Lake. It is boatable nearly its whole length. The Dead River branch has a longer course, and joins the main river with a channel as wide, but not as deep, about twenty miles south of the lake. The river bears the name of Kennebec only from the lake, and after a course from that point southerly one hundred and fifty iniles through a fertile and picturesque country, it joins the sea at Georgetown and Phippsburg. The tide rises to Augusta, to which it is navigable for small vessels ; to Bath ships of large draught ascend. To the forks of the Dead River the total ascent is five hundred and seventy feet, to Anson four hundred and seven, to Waterville two hundred and nineteen. At these points and some others there are rapids and falls. The level of Moosehead Lake by the measurement of Dr. Jackson is 960 feet above the sea. The territory included in the basin of this river is five thousand three hundred square miles.
The St. Croix River in its whole length forms part of the eastern boundary of the State · The northern or main branch consists in part of a chain of lakes, the remainder is rapid and broken, which renders it unfit for navigation except for logs. The western branch is formed by the Schoodic lakes, and affords an extensive channel of internal navigation. Its source is near the Passadumkeag, a tributary of the Penobscot, and between them a canal might easily be made which would give valuable connection between the waters of Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Bays. Above tide water at Calais, there are numer_ ous mill sites, many of which are largely improved in the manufacture of lumber and other products. The territory within the State watered by this river and the bay in which it discharges is fifteen hundred square miles.
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It would not be proper in this summary of the rivers of Maine to omit the St. John, although it has its estuary and a large part of its course in the Province of New Brunswick. It rises in the highlands which form the northwestern boundary of the State, and with its numerous branches occupies about ten thousand square miles, or nearly one-third part of the State. These have their fountains in close proximity to the sources of rivers flowing into the St. Lawrence, and of those crossing Maine to the Atlantic ; so that in this part of the State is a complete network of water courses; forming spacious, rich, and fertile valleys. The general course of the St. John across the State is northerly and easterly till it reaches near the Madawaska, whence it is deflected southeasterly to the boundary. The whole length of the river is four hundred and twenty miles to the Bay of Fundy, of which about two hundred and ten miles are in Maine.
The smaller rivers of the State are the Piscataqua, forming the western boundary, York River, the Presumpscot in Cumberland County, the Sheepscot, Damaris- sotta, St. George, Union, Narraguagus, Machias, and many lesser ones. These pene- trate but a short distance into the country, but furnish valuable facilities for manufac- turing purposes.
LAKES.
Besides the numerous rivers which flow over every part of the State, there are many spacious lakes. The largest of them is Moosehead, the aboriginal name of which is Orignac, which means a Stag, or Moose; it lies in Piscataquis County, and is thirty-five miles long, varying in width from four to twelve miles. Its surface above the level of the sea was computed by Dr. Jackson to be nine hundred and sixty feet.
Other large lakes occupy prominent places in every quarter of the State. In the northeast angle lie a conspicuous group called the Eagle Lakes, extending in an irregular course more than fifty miles, and discharging themselves by the Fish river into the St. John.
The northern and western branches of the Penobscot flow upon an elevated plateau through a series of lakes from eight hundred to one thousand feet above the sea level, forming spacious and fertile valleys. Among these lakes are the Chesuncook, about eighteen miles long, the Umsaskis, and substituting the English for the harsh and uncouth Indian names, the Churchill, Heron, and Chamberlain Lakes, the latter eighteen miles long by one to four miles wide; the last four measuring fifty or sixty miles in length ; the Pemadumcook and Millenoket add their contributions to the Penobscot.
On the eastern border of the State we find two spacious chains of lakes, forming the sources of the St. Croix River ; the northern branch constitutes' the boundary for a distance of twenty-five miles, passing the shores of five townships ; the western chain stretches over about forty miles to near the source of the Passadumkeag, a branch of the Penobscot, watering in its course eight townships of land, and furnishing great facilities for navigation, lumber, and fishing. Between these lie the Baskahegan, a small lake, the source of a river of the same name, forming a branch of the Mattawamkeag. On the south are the western Schoodic Lakes, and in their immediate vicinity, lie the Nickatous, Meddybemps, and other lakes forming the sources of the rivers Dennis, Machias, Narraguagus, Union, and Passadumkeag.
In the central and more cultivated parts of the State are numerous extensive ponds, which furnish many facilities for trade and intercourse to the inhabitants on their
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borders; among these are the Pushaw, Sebec, Newport, the Belgrade and Winthrop Ponds. In the County of Cumberland are numerous ponds, the largest of which is the Sebago, twelve miles long, and Long Pond ten miles; the former is two hundred and thirty-seven feet above the level of the sea, and is fed by Long and several other ponds ; in turn, from its ample bosom it feeds the Cumberland and Oxford Canal, and the never failing channel of the Presumpscot River.
On the north-western border of the State lie the long chain of the Umbagog Lakes, whose eastern extremity bathes the feet of the Saddleback mountains, whence it extends through Rangeley and six other townships into New Hampshire, a distance by its devious course of forty miles, and forming a copious source of the Androscoggin River. The elevation of this series of lakes is estimated to be twelve hundred feet above the sea level.
INDIANS.
· Of the once powerful and destructive tribes of Indians that occupied the soil of Maine and thrice destroyed the English settlements during the first century of colonization, but two tribes now remain. These are degenerate and feeble, and bear no trace of the subtle, vigorous, and vindictive race which our predecessors had to encounter to main- tain a foothold on the territory. These are the remnants of the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy tribes ; they receive an annual stipend from government, which to the Penobscot tribe in 1860 amounted to $5916, of which $2970 was the interest on a fund formed from the proceeds of their lands.
The Penobscot tribe numbers five hundred and twenty-five persons, and is seated at Oldtown, on an island of that name in the Penobscot river; they are comfortably situated, have a good chapel and the ministrations of a Catholic priest, to which church they belong. Schools are also provided for them, in which the number of pupils was fifty-four. Their agent in his report for 1861, says: "The number of the tribe has not materially changed for the last forty years ; it has increased rather than diminished ; this may be accounted for, in part, by their intermarriage with other tribes and the French."
There are about one hundred and fifty of this tribe capable of labor, of whom about one hundred engage in farming, and cultivate corn, wheat, oats, potatoes, and other vegetables. A portion of the men in winter are employed in hunting, the women work on baskets, snow-shoes, moccasins, &c. They own cattle and horses.
The Passamaquoddy tribe is established at Pleasant Point in the town of Perry on Pas- samaquoddy Bay. In May their number was four hundred and forty-two, to whom an annuity was paid. Scattered members of the tribe live at Calais, Indian township on the lake, and at some other points, where they are employed in farming, hunting, lumbering, and basket-making, from which with the government grant they have a comfortable living. They have a priest, churches, and schools. In the school on the lake there are twenty to twenty-five pupils, who make good improvement ; at Pleasant Point the school averages thirty-five. The government appropriates an annual sum to aid them in their agricultural pursuits, which renders them very essential aid in pro- " curing the means of subsistence.
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SUBSCRIBERS' BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
COLLEGES AND SCHOOLS.
The cause of education is systematically and thoroughly diffused through the State. Every town of sufficient size is divided into school districts under the supervision of agents and committees, who have power to raise and disburse monies for the accom- modation and support of schools ; a tax at the rate of sixty cents from each inhabitant is required to be raised for this purpose. Beside which, a school fund now amounting to $155,000, and constantly increasing by sales of land appropriated for the object, has been established, the income of which and the tax of one per cent upon the capital of the banks is annually distributed to the towns to aid in support of the common schools. By this patronage and the fostering care of the government and people, these schools have been elevated to a high and flourishing condition. The State appoints a super- intendent whose duty it is to visit all the schools, examine their condition, take a general oversight of the cause of common education, and make an annual report to the government.
From the report of 1861, we digest some interesting facts :
Population of the State, 1860, -
628,300
No. of towns,
- - 98
Organized Plantations,
-
243,376
Children between four and twenty-one years,
102,959
Average attendance in summer schools, 66 winter
- 118,399
No. of School Districts,
4,146
parts of Districts,
387
School-houses,
3,946
6.6
Male Teachers,
2.776 3
7,408
" Female
4,632 S
School money raised by taxation,
- $405,337
from School fund and bank tax,
81,817
local funds, -
16,678
Contributed to prolong Schools,
12,867
Amount paid for private schools, -
27,330
Aggregate expenditure for school purposes,
616,880
By these wise and liberal measures, the means of a good common education are carried to every family in the State, and of which they may partake without charge.
To meet the great demand for teachers, schools have been specially created to train a class of persons for this peculiar and important employment. Some Normal Schools for that purpose had been established; in March, 1860, the State passed an Act providing for an annual appropriation of $3600 for the establishment of Normal Schools in eighteen existing seminaries and academies which shall introduce a department into their institutions for the instruction of teachers. The conditions of this act were accepted by the institutions enumerated in the following table with the most satisfactory results ; five hundred and sixty-six persons having availed themselves of the advantages offered since the measure was adopted.
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396
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SUBSCRIBERS' BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
RETURNS OF THE NORMAL SCHOOLS, AUTUMN, 1860.
Institutions.
Location. Male Pupils. Female Pupils. Total.
Maine State Seminary,
Lewiston,
53,
18,
71,
Presque Isle Academy,
Presque Isle,
3,
10,
13,
Bridgton,
No. Bridgton, 8,
11, 19,
No. Yarmouth,
Yarmouth, 11,
10,
21,
New Sharon High School,
New Sharon,
6,
10,
16,
East Me. Conf. Seminary,
Bucksport,
12,
11,
23,
Me. Wesleyan
Readfield,
89,
49,
138,
Thomaston Academy,
Thomaston,
4,
11,
15,
Lincoln
Newcastle,
18,
26,
44,
Paris Hill,
Paris,
18,
16,
34,
Hampden,
Hampden,
23,
13,
36,
Bloomfield,
Bloomfield,
17,
24,
41,
Freedom,
Freedom,
18,
22,
40,
Calais,
Calais,
3,
10,
13,
Elliot,
Elliot,
8,
15,
23,
Limerick,
Limerick,
12,
7,
19,
Richmond
"
Richmond,
303
263
566
The average age of these pupils was 18 9-10.
But the advantages of education in the State are not limited to common schools. There are two colleges well endowed, and furnished with able instructors and suitable apparatus for an accomplished education; these are the college at Waterville, and Bowdoin College at Brunswick.
Bowdoin was incorporated in 1792, and partially endowed by the Commonwealth of which we then made part, and largely increased by individual donations, particularly by Mr. Bowdoin. It was not opened for instruction until 1802, when the first class entered and graduated in 1806, with seven members. It has now one hundred and ninety-nine undergraduates, and fifty-five students connected with the medical department, for which the college has been long distinguished. It is now proposed to add to the Institution a law department. The whole number of graduates to 1858 by the triennial catalogue of that year, was twelve hundred and eighty-four, to which about one hundred and fifty may now be added, and medical graduates seven hundred and seventy- four. The library contains twenty-seven thousand volumes. Leonard Woods, D. D., is President.
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