USA > Maine > Knox County > Warren > Annals of the town of Warren; with the Early History of St. George's, Broad Bay and the Neighboring Settlements on the Waldo patent > Part 6
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1728. George II. having succeeded to the throne, Wm. Burnet was the following year appointed Governor of the colony.
On the 28th of Nov. 1728, Capt. Gyles, commander of the garrison at St. George's Fort, received a commission as a Justice of the Peace, and was, probably, the first civil magis- trate resident on the banks of this river.t
1729. The eastern country had not, since the peace, been filling with settlements and multiplying improvements
* Willis's Jour. Rev. T. Smith, p. 65 and Editor's note.
t Gyles's Captivity.
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equal to expectation. Encouragement was not offered suffi- cient to induce settlers to leave the older towns ; and the introduction of foreigners was discouraged by burdensome restrictions.
The proprietors of the Muscongus Patent, however, renew- ed their efforts for a settlement at St. George's. They had actually engaged a minister of the gospel and 120 families to go down and settle there; but the measure was interrupted by Col. David Dunbar, who positively forbade their proceed- ing upon any other condition than that of taking deeds under him, to the acknowledgment of the invalidity of their own title .* Dunbar, a reduced and indigent colonel of the army, recently appointed surveyor of the king's woods in America, by the aid of persons inimical to the puritans, had obtained a royal order by which the entire Province of Sagadahoc was given into his hands, and he directed to settle, superintend, and govern it ; little more being required of him than to pre- serve 300,000 acres of the best pine and oak for the use of
the crown. Having secured the aid of the Governor of Nova Scotia, he took up his residence at Pemaquid, repaired the fort which he now named Fort Frederick, laid out a city near it, and, by regranting the lands without much regard to the rights of the former occupants, added to the conflicting titles which already existed in that neighborhood. The gov- ernor of Nova Scotia was called upon to take possession in opposition to the jurisdiction of Massachusetts ; and troops were sent from Annapolis to garrison the fort. Three towns were laid out and named Townshend, Harrington, and Wal- pole ; which names continued in use for many years, and are occasionally heard to this day. Settlers, many of them most valuable and estimable, were drawn thither by the offer of 100 acres of land each ; and the erection at Damaris- cotta of a grist-mill and two double saw-mills afforded an addi- tional inducement. These mills were built in 1730 by Wm. Vaughan, Esq. at that time extensively concerned in the fisheries at Monhegan and Matinicus.
1730-1. There were at this time between Muscongus and Kennebec about 150 families, probably 900 or 1000 inhabitants. Such of them as acknowledged the jurisdiction of Massachusetts, or refused to take deeds from Dunbar, who showed much firmness and ability in his office, were violently
* S. Waldo's petition in Leg. Rep. 1731.
t Now Boothbay, Bristol and Nobleboro'.
# Pemaquid papers and land claims.
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ejected from their lands ; and some complained that he had even seized their timber, burnt their houses, and threatened themselves with imprisonment. Petitions and complaints against him being presented to the General Court, a commit- tee of that body made a full report of the claims of Massa- chusetts and the conduct of Dunbar ; and a statement of the whole was ordered to be presented to the Lords of Trade and his removal solicited. Samuel Waldo of Boston, a gentleman of good capacity and great activity, having now a large interest in the Muscongus Patent, was chosen agent by the proprietors and sent to London on the same errand. The proprietors of other grants also petitioned for the removal of this troublesome officer.
The King's Attorney and Solicitor Generals, having, Aug. 11, 1731, given their opinion in favor of the claim of Massa- chusetts, Dunbar was at length, through the persevering efforts of Mr. Waldo and the colony agent, deprived of his extraordinary commission, though he still continued surveyor of the king's woods for nine or ten years, afterwards .* He returned and spent two years in the vicinity of Pemaquid after his authority was revoked. During his residence there, he erected a commodious dwellinghouset at the head of the Bay in Walpole, which he surrounded with a farm and good accommodations, and beautified with a well cultivated and tasteful garden.
Some farther provision was at this time made for the ac- commodation of the garrison at St. George's; and, at the request of Capt. Gyles, the General Court voted, that " for- asmuch as transporting of wood for the garrison in the usual manner is found too difficult, the said Gyles have liberty, at the charge of the province, to purchase one yoke of oxen, one cart and sled for that service, (the soldiers to cut and cart the wood, and get hay for keeping the oxen in the season thereof.") It was also voted, August 10, 1731, that the treas- urer " be directed to supply Mr. Thomas Pierpoint, chaplain at the blockhouse on St. George's River, to the value of ten pounds, for supplying him with sundry conveniences, as hath been heretofore accustomed for persons of his function."}
1732. In 1732 Gov. Belcher made a visit with a large retinue as far east as St. George's, having previously held a talk with the Indians at Falmouth and communicated the
* Sullivan, Williamson, &c. + Com. Rep. 1811, p. 156, &c.
* Jour. House, for June and August, 1731.
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intelligence that three missionaries of the " Society for pro- moting Christian knowledge" were intended for this Province, and that the General Court had granted them an annual salary of &100, on condition of their officiating 'as chaplains also to the garrisons. One of these was to reside at St. George's, one at Fort Richmond, and another at Cushnoc, now Augusta, where a town and church were about to be built. The Indians at this conference complained that there " was not a prudent care as to the giving out of liquor at St. George's ; they give the Indians too much rum, which makes them drunk, and we desire that care be taken to pre- vent it. They also said the smith at St. George's does not take proper care to mend our arms, but does it negligently ; and that when we come to St. George's we have not liberty to lie in any of the houses but are exposed to lie abroad in the rain and bad weather ; we therefore desire a house to lodge in." The Governor assured them that these requests should be attended to, and said complaints were made at Kennebec of damage done by their dogs not being muzzled according to the treaty ; and also of their killing Mr. Vaughan's cattle at Matinicus six years before, to the value of &30, and more recently an ox, for which no payment had been made. The Indians said the ox was killed by mistake, but agreed to give 32 pounds of beaver for it, and likewise to pay for the dam- age done to the cattle. They also complained that some "sour meal and damnified tobacco" had been dealt out to them at St. George's fort, and two of their dogs, which they valued at £10 apiece, were killed there for only barking at a cow. Being assured that restitution should be made on their giving the offenders' names, they said the damaged goods were sold in the absence of Mr. Wainwright, the superintendent at the time, and as to the dogs they thought it so light a matter they did not mention it to Capt. Gyles, and should not have done so now but for the complaints about the cattle. The Governor assured them that all their injuries, if seasonably made known, should be redressed ; and con- cluded by distributing presents among them and drinking the king's health. In a subsequent message to the Legislature, he pronounced a high eulogium upon the soil, rivers, and natural advantages of the country ; and, amongst other meas- ures, recommended the rebuilding of the fort at St. George's, which was then in a state of decay. As an additional in-
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ducement, he added that good stone and lime abounded there .*
1733-4. Peace being now well established, and likely to continue, both the government and individual proprietors turned their attention more earnestly to the formation of new settlements. Mr. Waldo, having his portion of the Muscon- gus patent, or, as it was usually called after this time, the Waldo patent, now set off in severalty, and being in exclu- sive possession of the lands on the St. George's, began the work of settlement in good earnest. Having made experi- ments upon the limestone found near the river, and finding it good, he caused a lime kiln t to be erected by Robert McIntyre, who commenced the burning of lime in considerable quanti- ties for the Boston market. From this time the manufacture began to increase and has continued to do so down to the present time. The lime was for many years put up in hogs- heads which had been used for molasses ; it being then sup- posed that casks could not be made here for the want of suitable hoops. Mr. Waldo also began to make surveys about this time, and other preparations for an extensive settlement.
This, together with similar preparations in other places, excited the jealousy of the Indians. Great complaint was made, also, that individual traders and adventurers furnished them with large quantities of intoxicating liquors, and prac- tised upon them every kind of imposition .¿ Yet, at a talk with several Sachems held by the Governor at Pemaquid in the summer of 1734, he received the most unequivocal as- surances, that notwithstanding these grievances, the Indians were peacefully disposed and determined to continue on friendly terms.
The paper currency was now reduced to nearly seventy per cent. discount ; and, as it remained a legal tender at its nominal value, it produced great confusion in business, and, to some extent, discouraged new settlements. §
1735. Not at all discouraged, however, Mr. Waldo in April, 1735, paid a visit to St. George's, and, with the aid
* See printed Indian conference of 1732 and Waldo's petition.
t The remains of this kiln are, or lately were, still to be seen on the bank of the river between the lower toll-bridge and the site of Mr. Paine's old store. The McIntyre here mentioned as the father of lime burners was the son of William McIntyre, who was afterwards one of the first settlers in the town of Warren. - Com. of A. Kel- loch, 1st, and I. Spear.
# 2 Will. Hist. p. 183.
§ Belknap's New Hampshire.
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of Captain Gyles as interpreter, held a conference with the Penobscot or Tarratine Indians, to whom he presented a friendly letter from Gov. Burnet, and gave such explanations of the intended settlement as to gain their apparent consent. A number of people, attracted from various quarters by the offer of liberal terms, met him at the fort, and, after exam- ining the place and the advantages it offered, concluded to settle on the river. Sensible of the benefits of similarity of customs and national associations, Waldo determined to locate those of the same origin in the same neighborhood ; and accordingly this company consisted wholly of natives of Ireland, or their immediate descendants. They were all from the north of Ireland, of the Protestant religion, and originally descended from Scottish families who emigrated to Ireland at an early period, usually called Scotch-Irish. Some of them came over to this country with the company that settled at Londonderry and other adjacent towns in New Hampshire in 1719. Others had been in the country a short time, residing at Pemaquid, Portsmouth, Boston and other places along the coast. But as most of them had been bred up as mechanics only, they were not very well fitted to act as pioneers in the warfare that was now to be waged with the obstacles of nature in the primeval forest. Notwithstanding this, however, a competent number of them formed the reso- lution of settling on this river. It is said that seven of them, viz. : Alex. McLean, Wm. McIntyre, James Howard, Robert Spear, and three others not recollected, had previously been deputed, by their associates in Boston and vicinity, to select a suitable place for settlement ; and that, after visiting Pema- quid, the Kennebec, and other places, they were so struck with the advantages of this river as at once to give it the prefer- once. But whether this was previous to 1729 when 120 families were engaged to settle there, or whether the present settlers had any connexion with those, we are unable to state. Certain it is, that 27 persons now entered into an agreement with Mr. Waldo, dated St. George's Fort, April 18th,* 1735, by which they engaged to settle themselves and families on St. George's river, to build on their several lots a con- venient dwellinghouse within eight months and dwell there- in three years, either in their own persons, or by their tenants or agents ; and within two years to clear and sub- due four acres of land. Mr. Waldo, on his part, agreed
* This was in the old style, and equivalent to April 29th, new style.
5
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to give to the said settlers a tract of land on the western branch* of said river, consisting of one lot of 100 acres to each settler to be laid out 40 rods wide on the river and to extend back till the quantity was completed. The tract was to begin 100 rods above the upper lime-kiln on the north side of said western branch, and extend up toward the falls, leaving a sufficient space below the same for building a mill, dam and other appendages ; and the rest of said lots were to be laid out in the same manner on the opposite side of the river. These lots were to be given without any rent or ac- knowledgment, although when he came to give deeds after the settlers had performed their part of the conditions, Mr. Waldo took care to reserve a quit-rent of " one pepper-corn per annum if lawfully demanded," which was probably intend- ed to preserve a kind of feudal claim in the family and prevent the lands from escheating to the crown. He also agreed to give them as much land in the rear of their front lots as they severally subscribed for, on condition of paying him an annual quit-rent of one penny sterling per acre. Most of them subscribed for two or three hundred acres, but so formidable was the payment of this sum that few of them ventured to take deeds. Those who did, however, as events turned out, were the most fortunate, as, from political changes or the neglect of the proprietors, the rent was never called for, and was ultimately forfeited. He also agreed that if said lots contained, on an average, less than ten acres of good marsh or meadow, the deficiency should be made up by a grant of other meadow lands in the vicinity and the same amount deducted from the rear of said front lots ; and, like- wise, that for the space of seven years the said settlers should be entitled to cut one half the hay on all Mr. Waldo's meadows in the vicinity. It was further agreed that Mr. Waldo should lay out good and commodious highways into the country, one at least to every five lots ; should build a meeting-house at his own expense and give " what he pleases" for the support of the ministry ; that he should give a lot of 100 acres to the first settled minister, two others, one for the support of the ministry, and the other for the support of a free school forever ; that he should take at con- venient landings on the river, all the cord-wood furnished by the settlers, at seven shillings New England currency, per cord, provided they could not more advantageously dispose
By the western branch was intended the main river, in contra- distinction to the mill creek, or eastern branch.
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of it ; that the settlers might dig any lime-stone on his lands not otherwise appropriated, for burning lime for their own use, but not for sale or exportation; and that the settlers should lay out a road four rods wide across their lots, or on the bank of the river, as most convenient. The quit-rent on the back lots was to commence in ten years from the 25th day of June ; and the several settlers were to draw lots for their respective farms on the 4th day of May at Pemaquid. Thither they probably repaired ; as some of them, with others of their countrymen, had, not many years before, settled in that place and at Damariscotta. The names of those who signed the contract were Henry Alexander, John North, Jr., David Patterson, John McLeen,* Samuel Boogs, Thomas Garven, James Howard, Thomas McCordy, John McCraken, Daniel Elliot, Thomas Gregg, John Malcom, Thomas Kirkpatrick, Wm. Walker, Wm. James, Daniel McCleester, Thomas Henderson, James Sprawl, David Creigh- ton, Brice Blair, Wm. Starret, Moses Young, John Young, Robert Spear, Daniel Morison, Alexander Larman and John Scot. But, as several of these had children or friends whom they wished to provide for, they contracted not only for them- selves but also in behalf of 19 others, who were either at this time absent or under age. These were John Alexander, John Hasty, John Boogs, John McFarland, Samuel Howard, Edward Sulfridge, John and Andrew Kirkpatrick, Wm, McIntyre, James Nelson, Abraham Creighton, Andrew Fos- set, Robert Lushe, Wm. Larman, Hugh Scot, Alexander McLeen, John McCordy, James Long and Simon Elliot.t
Nothing farther was done by the settlers till the following year ; but Mr. Waldo continued to make improvements, erect- ed a saw-mill on the eastern branch, since called Mill River, and caused the lots contracted for to be surveyed so far as to mark their bounds at the river and run the lines back a short distance, leaving the rest to be finished at a future time. In November he visited the place in person and held a sec- ond conference with the Indians, who appeared satisfied with his proceedings.
1736. Such was the train of events which prepared the
* His descendants spelt their name McLean, those of Mr. Boogs spelt theirs Bogs and latterly Boggs; and those of Mr. Larman changed theirs to Lermond; whilst Kirkpatrick, as he wrote his name on this occasion, seems on all others to have written it as it was uniformly pronounced, Killpatrick, - a name which in Ireland is synonymous with Kirkpatrick in Scotland.
t See the contract at large in York Records.
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way for a settlement on this river ; such were the preparations made ; such was the state of the country ; and such the men who undertook the enterprise - the original fathers of the present town of Warren. One hundred and five years had now elapsed since the first trading-house was established. on the banks of this river; yet with the exception of the mill, fort, and perhaps a few houses in its immediate vicinity, no marks of civilization existed ; no inroads were made upon that yet unbroken forest, which over the whole country sheltered the moose and the Indian, alike from the scorching. suns of summer and the howling storms of winter.
The patron of the undertaking in the agreement entered into with the settlers, styled himself Samuel Waldo of Boston, merchant ; and, from the business which he carried on in that place and the eastern country, was ready to supply them with boards, nails, provisions and other necessaries, in exchange for wood, staves, and other productions of the forest. The lots assigned to the settlers commenced with the Shibles lot in the present town of Thomaston and extended up on the eastern side of the river as far as the southern line of the Kirkpatrick lot near M. H. Smith's in Warren; then commencing opposite, they extended down on the western side till the required number was made up, omitting such as con- tained mill privileges, which were reserved to the proprietor. The original number contemplated to be settled was forty ; and so the contract reads ; but as it purported also to grant a lot to each settler and was signed by and in behalf of forty- seven persons, that was the number granted ; the proprietor probably considering, as things were, that every lot given to an actual settler was so much gained towards the accomplish- ment of his object. The forty lots originally contemplated, together with the three to be given for public uses, were sur- veyed and numbered as follows. Beginning above Oyster River with the lot now owned by Capt. D. Lermond, which was Number 1, they extended up the eastern side of the river to Number 15 at the head of the tide ; then omitting two mill lots on the other side of the river, were numbered downward, and ended at the line of the present town of Cushing, with the farm of Rufus B. Copeland, Esq. which was No. 43. This was the tract intended for the first forty settlers ; but to ac- commodate the whole number included in the contract, seven additional lots on the eastern side below Oyster River, num- bered southerly from 44 to 50, were added, extending down to within 100 rods of the old lime-kiln. The southernmost
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1
of these was the Shibles lot in the present town of Thomas- ton, the boundary line of which was near the house built by the late J. Paine, Esq. and afterwards occupied by his son, J. G. Paine .*
This was called " the upper town of St. George's." Mr. Waldo, besides making a similar contract for the settlement of " the lower town" extending to the mouth of the river, pro- posed to continue his settlements above to its source. But Mr. Pebbles having taken up the mill-lot now owned by H. Hilt, the Indians observing this and preparations for constructing mills going on, made strong remonstrances against the same, and, marking a tree on the shore at the head of tide waters, positively forbade all intrusion of the whites above it. Re- ceiving no sufficient assurances from the proprietor, they at length became so dissatisfied with the proceedings here, that they sent a delegation to the Legislature to remonstrate against them. They represented that they had never con- sented to let Englishmen build houses above the tide waters of the St. George's ; and yet Mr. Waldo and his people were encroaching upon Indians' lands and rights to a fearful extent ; and they could no longer endure the sight of such flagrant wrongs. A committee to whom their complaints were re- ferred, reported that Madockawando had assigned to Sir Wm. Phips, in 1694, the lands on both sides the river St. George's as far as the upper falls; that the chiefs, although they denied the right of Madockawando to make such assign- ment, acknowledge they have consented to have settlements made as far up the river as to the falls, or flowing of tide waters ; and the committee believed that neither " Mr. Waldo or any others" ought to be protected " in settling or improv- ing any lands on that river above the falls, until this govern- ment shall be satisfied that these lands have been fairly pur- chased."t In spite of the active opposition of Mr. Waldo, the report was accepted by the Legislature ; presents worth £100 were sent to the tribe ; and their delegates returned home well satisfied. So entirely tranquil were all the tribes, that the fort at Pemaquid, and others, were dismantled ; and the garrison at St George's was reduced to one commissioned officer and ten sentinels. On this occasion Capt. Gyles re- tired from the command of the garrison and settled at Rox- bury, Mass. where he was living in 1753.}
Old plan in possession of J. Gleason, Esq. Old deeds and tra- ditions.
t A. Kelloch, Mass. C. Records p. 359-361.
# 2 Will. Hist. p. 191.
5*
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1
Having determined their several possessions by lot, the settlers of the " upper town of St. George's" in the summer of 1736 proceeded to the place, and, after several transfers for mutual accommodation, located themselves as follows. On the southernmost lot on the eastern side of the river, marked No. 50, John Kilpatrick ; on the lot above, No. 49, Thomas Kilpatrick ; No 48, Moses Young, who was succeed- ed first by John North, Jr. and secondly by Patrick Porter- field ; No. 47, Henry Alexander ; No. 46, John Alexander ; No. 45, John McDowel; No. 44, Abraham Creighton, suc- ceeded by David Creighton, 2d. The lot above, marked No. 1, was taken by Wm. Walker; No. 2, by Joseph Giffen ; No. 3, Wm. James; No. 4, Alex. Lermond ; No. 5, John Scot, who in 1737 assigned the same to Wm. Lermond and remained at Walpole ; No. 6, Hugh Scot; No. 7, John McCraken ; No. 8, - Heinbury ; Nos 9 and 10, Thomas Henderson ; No. 11, John Young; No. 12, Robert Lushe ; No. 13, John McLean ; and No. 14, by Alex. McLean. The two mill lots on the western side of the river, and per- haps No. 15 on the eastern side, at the present Warren vil- lage, were, either at this time, or not long after, taken by
- - - Campbell, on an agreement with Waldo to erect mills there on certain conditions. There is some uncertainty respecting No. 16, but No. 17 fell to James Howard, No. 18 to Samuel Howard, No. 19 to Andrew Kilpatrick ; No. 20, Wm. McIntyre ; No. 21, Robert Spear; No. 22, Moses Rob- inson ; No. 23, Phinley Kelloch ; No. 24, Wm. Allen ; No. 25, Thomas Gregg ; No. 26, - - Mountford ; No. 27, Pat- rick Pebbles ; No. 28, - Barnard ; No. 29 was reserved for the first settled minister ; Nos. 30 and 31, for the support of the ministry and schools ; No. 32, Thomas McCordy ; No. 33, - Lincoln ; No. 31, John McCordy ; No. 35, David Patterson ; No. 36, or 37, Brice Blair ; No. 38, Wm. Star- rett ; No. 39, David Creighton ; No. 40, Archibald Gamble ; No. 41, John Walker; and No. 42, James McCarter. No. 43 was drawn by Samuel Boggs ; but disliking the soil, he re- linquished that, and, with Waldo's consent, took up three lots for himself and sons above the mill lots on the western side of the river. It will be observed that several of these names are different from those appended to the contract. This is accounted for by the fact that several of the lots werc taken for minors, whose interest might have been disposed of by their parents ; and by the supposition that some of the rest changed their minds and allowed others to settle in their stead, or, having settled, died or removed so early that we
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