Gazetteer of the state of Maine, Part 11

Author: Varney, George J
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Boston Russell
Number of Pages: 648

USA > Maine > Gazetteer of the state of Maine > Part 11

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West Auburn village is, situated upon a broad elevated ridge on the west side of Auburn Lake, about 5 miles from Lewiston Falls. It was settled in 1789. The first meeting-house in town was erected at this place in 1805. During the lifetime of Jonathan Scott, the first minister, it was occupied exclusively by the Congregationalists. After his death in 1819, the house was used by the Baptists and Universalists, also, according to the amount owned in it by each.

East Auburn situated about 3 miles from the Falls, at the outlet of Lake Auburn, was settled in 1797, by William Briggs. The first grist mill in town was built at this place before 1793, when a saw mill was built. A second grist mill was built in 1799. The first Baptist meet- ing-house was built in 1819. The first school was taught by Daniel Briggs in 1798.

The southern portion of the present city of Auburn was incorporated in 1802 as the town of Pejepscot. It was included in the Pejepscot purchase, except a gore of about 4,000 acres, sometimes called the Little Gore. In 1819 its name was changed to Danville. In 1852 it re- ceived a small addition of territory from the eastern part of Poland. Later the whole was absorbed in Auburn, as has been stated. The first settlement in Pejepscot is reputed to have been by one family in 1764, and the Gore in 1777 by James Wagg, from Brighton, England. Mr. Rowe came in from Cape Ann in 1780. Thomas Bailey built a saw mill on the Little Androscoggin River in 1780. It has been known as Nason's mill; and it supplied the inhabitants with lumber for 52 years. Hon. Robert Martin, born in New Gloucester in 1800, came into Poland-now Auburn-in 1809 with his parents, and settled on the place he now occupies. IIe has therefore lived in two states, two counties, three towns, and one city, without change of residence.

Ir the war of the Rebellion, Auburn sent into the army of the Union 430 real flesh and blood men, and also paid for 5 " paper men."

INSANE HOSPITAL, AUGUSTA, ME.

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

All these real men were obtained by voluntary enlistment except 15 who were drafted. Of the 15 drafted, 4 entered the service, 4 fur- nished substitutes, and 7 paid each $300 commutation money. Seven residents of Auburn enlisted in the navy. Of the whole number fur- nished by Auburn, only 13 are known to have been killed in battle, but there were some missing after battles who have never been accounted for. One man lost a leg another an arm. Twenty died while in the army, or soon after getting home, of disease contracted in the army. The town paid in bounty money $62,365.60 for enlistments, and to drafted men 82,376,91. The portion of Auburn which was then Danville, sent into the army, according to the Adjutant-General's re- port, 148 men.

Auburn has in the central village, Baptist, Free Baptist, Congrega- tional, Methodist and Universalist churches, three or more of them being imposing edifices. A public library in the city has about 4,000 volumes. The number of public school-houses in town is twenty- eight. The estimated value of the school property is $86,200. The total amount of money actually expended for schools by the city in the in the year commencing April 1, 1878 to April 1, 1879, was $13,507. The valuation of estates in Auburn in 1870, was $2,918,101. In 1880 it was 85,099,446. The rate of taxation in the latter year was 17} mills on a dollar. The population at the same date was 6,169; in 1880, 9,568. The city has two national and two savings banks. A news- paper called the "Greenback Labor Chronicle " has been published in the city for a few years. Its publishers have recently changed. Its day of publication is Thursday. (See Lewiston.)

Augusta, the capital of the State and shire town of Ken- nebec County, is situated upon both sides of the Kennebec River, its north-western part being near the centre of the county of Kennebec. The towns of Sidney and Vassalboro form its northern boundary, Windsor, the eastern, Chelsea and Hallowell the southern and Man- chester the western. The territory extends about 10 miles from east to west, and 6 from north to south. Its principal streams are Kennebec River, Bond Brook, and Woromontogus Stream. The pond of the same name in the eastern part of the town, is the largest of the ponds, containing 12 square miles. Others are Three-cornered Pond, Spectacle, Dam, Tolman, Greely, Little Togus, and several smaller. The surface of the town is uneven, but there are no high hills. The underlying rock is granite. The soil is productive, and the town has long been noted for the excellence of its agriculture, and the fine qual- ity of its domestic animals. There is but one village. The Maine Central (formerly Kennebec and Portland) railroad follows the river on the west side from Brunswick to the principal station, then crosses the river diagonally on a graceful iron bridge, and ascends on the east side. The two parts of the town are also connected by a free bridge 450 feet in length. It is of wood, but of large timbers well put to- gether, and kept in the best repair.

The chief manufactures of Augusta are, cotton cloths, lumber, sash, doors and blinds, broom-handles excelsior steam engines, railroad cars, stone cutters' tools, shoes, butter-salt, box-tubing, cemetery monuments, furniture, flour and meal, etc. Water is the principal motive power, but three or more factories use steam power. The

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RUSSELL -RICHARDSON-SG

KENNEBEC DAM, AUGUSTA, ME.

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

water-power is furnished by B .d's Brook, which enters the Kennebec at this place, and from a fall of 15 feet in the Kennebec, which forms the head of the tide. The volume of water passing the fall, as measured in 1866, was 175,000 cubic feet per minute for the mean run through the summer.

The Freeman's National Bank, in this city, has a capital stock of $100,000. The capital of the Granite National Bank is $150,000. Augusta Savings Bank at the commencement of the fiscal year of 1880, held in deposits and profits, $2,877,529,41. The Kennebec Savings Bank held at the same time $334,644,73.

Several newspapers and weekly journals are published at Augusta. Of these, the "Maine Farmer," "Gospel Banner," and " Kennebec Journal" are the oldest, and each is excellent in its department. The last has also a daily edition throughout the year. The two first are neutral in politics, the latter republican. The " Home Farm " is a new eight page paper, devoted, as its name indicates, to the improvement and profit of the home and farm. It is an attractive sheet for a small price, and is published weekly by Boardman and Owen. The leading democratic paper is the "New Age." Others are the popular "People's Literary Companion," published weekly by E. C. Allen & Co., and devoted chief- ly to stories; the " Illustrated Family Herald," which has some very good points,-published monthly by True & Co .; the "Fireside Visitor," a pleasing paper for the winter evenings, another monthly, published by P. O. Vickery ; the " Illustrated Monthly," and "Illustrated Family Mag- azine,"-published monthly by Shaw & Co.,-both excellent in their way. The "Maine Farmer's Almanac" is now published here by Chas. E. Nash,

The public buildings of Augusta are the State House, an imposing edifice of white granite, on a commanding site; the State Insane Asylum, the county court-house and the jail, both of granite,-the latter of an elegant architecture. Among the handsome private build- ings are St. Catherine's Hall (the building of the Episcopal School), the Augusta House, Granite Block, Meionaon Hall, and several notable private dwelling-houses. The finest business edifices in the city are those constituting the publishing establishment of E. C. Allen & Co., illustrations of which are given. The main building is hand- some and very substantially built. Its ground dimensions are 65 by 53 feet. The addition-completed a few months since-is of equal size and height. It is constructed of granite, brick and iron, the walls being two feet thick. Though over 100 tons of rapid machinery are in it, yet scarcely the slightest tremor can be perceived. Each story is supplied with a fire apparatus, and sufficient water can be instantly turned on to extinguish any fire that can originate in the building. A steam elevator runs from the bottom to the top capable of carrying a Load of five tons from the first floor to the sixth story in thirty seconds. The buildings contain sixteen presses ; seven of which are Hoe's largest and most rapid machines, being capable of printing over five tons of paper daily. In these buildings are also composing rooms, a bindery and a superior electrotype foundery. The machinery is run by three engines, one of which is a Corliss machine weighing. some 50,000 pounds, and costing $10,000. The cost of the buildings and machinery has been about $300,000. Nearly 500 persons are employed in connection with this establishment. The steam whistle upon the top of the extension, which calls the employés to their labor and releases them from it, is sounded

THE PUBLISHING HOUSE OF E. C. ALLEN & CO., AUGUSTA, ME. (See view of Extension on next page.)

EXTENSION OF E. C. ALLEN & CO.'S PUBLISHING HOUSE, AUGUSTA, ME.

AUGUSTA.

on perfect time, wherefore the clocks for many miles around are quite generally regulated by it.

Handsome shade trees of all sizes and ages adorn the streets, and groups and even groves of them are here and there seen clustering about some ancient mansion. The village of Augusta occupies the successive terraces on each side of the river, so that the business portions are little above the surface of the river, while others seem at an almost mountainous elevation. That part of the city proper lying on the western bank of the river is supplied with water by two aqueducts,-one of them fed wholly by boiling springs. The upper terraces along the river are regarded as very healthy localities. There are many persons living the city who are between eighty and ninety years of age, and some above the latter age.

Among the objects of interest in the town is a portion of old Fort Western, on the east side of the river, a short distance below the bridge. This was built in 1754 by the proprietors of the Plymouth pur- chase, to whom the ownership of the grant of territory to the Ply- mouth colony had finally come. This grant was made to the Plymouth colony, North Virginia (or New England) Company in 1629. They immediately made use of it for the fur trade; and as early as 1629 had erected a trading house at Cushnoc-now Augusta. A powerful sub- tribe of the Canibas Indians then resided in the vicinity. In the second Indian war all the improvements on the river were laid waste After the peace of 1713, a stone fort, said to be the strongest then in the country, was built under the direction of Dr. Noyes. The succeeding wars again devastated the place; and so little was left of the stone fort that Fort Western was constructed wholly of wood. Though in 1675 there were reckoned to be 100 inhabitants on the Kennebec-many of whom must have been at Cushnoc-the place was desolate so many years that James Howard, who commanded Fort Western, is con- sidered by local historians as the first settler. Others of the early set- tlers were James Page and Moses Greely, Ephraim Cowan and Daniel Hilton, Williams, Hamlin, Sewall, Titcomb, Bridge, Fuller, Robin- son, Flagg, Cony, Stone, Ingraham, Dillingham, Smith, North, Savage, Church, Rice, Gage, Chandler, Emery, and Dorr. The place was incorporated as a part of Hallowell in 1771, but was set off and in- corporated under the name of Harrington in 1797, the change to the present name (Augusta) being made the same year. It became the shire town of the county in 1798, and the capital of the State in 1828. The capitol was finished in 1832, the Insane Asylum in 1840, and the corner stone of the Arsenal was laid. in June, 1828. The dam of the river at this point was completed in 1838, and the first cotton mill erected in 1845. In 1849, Augusta was incorporated as a city, Alfred Reddington being the first mayor. Subsequent mayors have been J. A. Pettengill, Samuel Cony, Joseph W. Patterson, Albert G. Dole, James W. North, Sylvanus Caldwell, Win. T. Johnson, Daniel Wil- liams, Samuel Titcomb, J. J. Eveleth, Daniel A. Cony, and Chas. E. Nash, and Peleg O. Vickery.

Many eminent persons have been natives or residents of Augusta. Hon. Reuel Williams, a native and resident, was twice chosen a mem- ber of the national Senate. Luther Severance, founder of the " Ken- nebec Journal," served with marked ability as representative in Con- gress. Hon. James W. Bradbury, a native of Parsonsfield, but a resi-

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

dent of Augusta for about fifty years, has filled with ability prominent positions under the State government, served a term in the national Senate. Lot M. Morrill, formerly governor of the State and national Senator, became a resident in early manhood. Hon. James G. Blaine, became a resident when a young man, represented the district in Con- gress for several terms, and served as speaker of the House with dis- tinguished ability. He was one of the principal candidates for the presidency of the nation in 1876, and was in the same year elected to the Senate. Hon. R. D. Rice, formerly a judge of the Supreme Court of the State, is a resident of Augusta. Among present eminent citizens are Hon. Artemas Libbey, a judge of the same court, Ilon. James W. North, historian and, for several terms, mayor of the city ; Hon. William P. Whitehouse, judge of the Superior Court ; Hon. Joseph H. Williams, once governor of Maine ; Hon. John L. Stevens, formerly minister to Paraguay and later minister resident at Stockholm; and Hon. Selden Connor, a brigadier-gen'. eral in the war of the Rebellion, and governor of Maine for three terms. Edward Stanwood, Esq., managing editor of the "Boston Advertiser," was a native of this town. Augusta sent about 1,000 men into the army during the war of the Rebellion, of whom some 200 were lost. Their monument consists of a bronze figure of Liberty mounted upon a granite pedestal. Upon the faces of the latter are bronze dies representing the career of the volunteer soldier, and bronze emblems of State and Nation. The total height of the monument is about forty-eight feet.

The leading denominations all have church edifices, and sustain regular preaching. The granite church of the Congregationalists is a noble building and occupies ample and attractive grounds. The de- nomination sustained meetings long before there was a church edifice in town.

The educational facilities of the city are supplied by the Dirigo Business College, and a graded system of public schools. The school- houses belonging to the city number 33, and are valued at $55,000.

The valuation of Augusta in 1870 was $4,881,135. In 1880 it was $5,168,964. The rate of taxation in 1880 was 21 mills on the dollar. The population in 1870 was 7,808. In 1880 it had increased to 8,667.

Aurora is situated on a branch of Union River, in the northern part of Hancock county. It is on the " Air Line" road, 24 miles from Ellsworth, and 25 from Bangor. The territory is six miles square, giving an area of 23,040 square miles. Its soil is a gravelly loam, and can be worked earlier in the spring than than that of any other town on Union River. Wheat is the principal crop. The pre- vailing rock is a coarse granite, which is decomposed by infiltration, and is used to "gravel" the highways. Spruce Mountain is the greatest eminence. In the eastern part of the town is one of those alluvial ridges known as "horsebacks," bearing the name of Whale's Back. The " Air Line " road passes over it for a distance of 33 miles. The longest bridge in town-100 feet-is of stone. The roads run over the hardwood hills, which were principally occupied by the first settlers, and afford pleasant views. The woods are generally of pine, spruce and hemlock. The " Middle Branch Ponds " are about a mile in length by half a mile in width.

BAILEYVILLE.

Aurora was one of the " Lottery Townships," and was organized as Plantation No. 27 in 1822, and incorporated as a town in 1831. Its name is from the mythological name for morning. Its first settlers were four brothers, Samuel, Benjamin, David and Roswell Silsby, who took up their abode in the township in 1805. Aurora furnished 27 soldiers in the war for the Union, paying bounties to the amount of $1,983. There are two public schoolhouses, one of which is of brick ; both having the value of $600. The valuation of estates in 1870 was

$32,052. In 1880, it is $41,953. The rate of taxation in the latter year was 19 mills on the dollar. The population in 1870 was 212. In the census of 1880, it was 218.

Avon is a central town in the southern part of Franklin County. Phillips bounds it on the north, Strong on the east, Weld on the west, and Temple on the south. The form of the town is nearly square, having an angle toward the N.N.E. Across this northern part, nearly from west to east, runs Sandy River. At the south-west corner of the town, with its precipitous southern front in Temple, stands Mount Blue, whose summit is 2,804 feet above the ocean. Near it, at the north-west, is Little Blue Mountain. From Mount Blue a line of peaks extend eastward, decreasing in height until it terminates in the steep bluff of Stubb's Mountain, forcing a right angle in the course of Sandy River. Spruce Mountain is also in this line. South of Stubb's is Day's Mountain, also on the border of the town. Temple Stream rises on the southern slope of the range. Solitary eminences in other parts of the town bear the names of Bald Hill, which rests on the north- western angle; Phillip's Hill, south of the former; and Sylvester Hill, E.S.E. of the last. By the side of Sylvester Hill is the principal pond in the town. There is no considerable village, and the nearest post- offices are those in Strong and Phillips, not far from the town border. There are two saw mills in the town, manufacturing all kinds of house timber, plank, boards, joists, clapboards and shingles.

Avon is 15 miles north-west of Farmington. The Narrow Gauge railroad from the latter town to Phillips passes through Avon.

The surface of the town is very uneven in the southern part. The principal forest trees are maple, white birch, poplar and spruce. The principal crop for market is hay.

Avon was settled soon after the Revolution, the first settlers being Captain Joshua Soule and Captain Perkins Allen. These were soon followed by Moses Dudley, Ebenezer Thompson, Mark Whitten, Thomas Humphrey, Charles Dwelley, and Samuel and Jesse Ingraham. The town was incorporated in 1802. Avon has eleven public school houses ; and the school property is valued at $2,200. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $149,693. In 1880, it was $149,347. The rate of taxation in the latter year was 5 mills on a dollar. The population in 1870 was 610. In 1880, it was 571.

Bagaduce, the early name of the peninsula and region about Castine, in Hancock County.

Baileyville is situated midway of the eastern side of Wash- ington county, on the west bank of the St. Croix river. It is bounded on the south by Baring, west by Princeton, and east by New Bruns-

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

wick. In dimensions it is about 15 miles in length north and south along the river, and about 4 miles in width. The St. Croix and Per- obscot railroad, connecting with Calais, runs across it from north-east to south-west. The southern part of the town is 35 miles north of Machias, on the stage-line from that place to Calais. There is a bridge across the St. Croix here about 200 feet in length.

The principal sheet of water in the town is Robbin's Pond, having an area of about 1 acre. Wapskehagan Mountain is the greatest cle- vation of land, having an altitude of about 300 feet. The rock in the town is granitic in character. The soil is divided between clay and gravelly loam. Oats, wheat, potatoes, yield good crops. Trees of hemlock, beech and gray birch constitute most of the forests.

William Anderson and Richard Lawler were prominent and esteemed citizens of Baileyville. Hon. William Delesdernier once re- sided for some time in this town.

The principal religious society in town is the Baptist. Baileyville has six public schoolhouses, and expends about $700 per year in support of schools. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $53,641. In 1880 it was $53,061. The rate of taxation in the latter year was 3 per cent. The population in 1870 was 377. In 1880 it was 376.

Baileyville, a small village in Winthrop, Kennebec County.

Baldwin is situated on the south-western shore of Lake Sebago, and constitutes the south-western corner of Cumberland County. The town of Sebago bounds it on the north, Standish on the east and south-east; Hiram, in Oxford County, on the west; and Cor- nish and Limington, in York County, on the south. The Saco river, in a curving line, forms almost the entire western, south-western and southern boundary-line. Saddle-back Mountain is the principal emi- nence, being about 2,000 feet in height. It affords fine views of Sebago Lake, its islands, and distant shores, with other ponds and mountains. Upon it is a striking precipitous rock, 300 or 400 feet in perpendicular height. The surface of the town is considerably broken, but the soil is favorable to the growth of grass and grain. Much attention is paid to the cultivation of fruit. At East Baldwin there has recently been put in operation a factory for drying apples. There is also a corn factory at this place which does considerable business. The stock-farm of Colonel Mattocks is an establishment of much value to the town, and of interest to visitors.

Baldwin has several small bodies of water, none exceeding half a square mile in extent. The largest are Sand, Ingalls and Half-Moon ponds. Quaker, Dug Hill and Break Neck brooks, respectively at the southern, middle and northern parts of the town, next Saco, furnish power for one or more board, stave and shook mills, each; and there is a fine power on the Saco, called " Highland Fall," at about the middle of the north line of Limington adjoining. West Baldwin and, at the south, Baldwin Corner, are the principal villages. Along near the Saco river, for the whole length of the town, runs the Portland and Ogdensburg railway. At Baldwin Station this connects with stages for Cornish, Kezer Falls, Porter and Freedom-the latter in New Hampshire. At East Baldwin there is a flag station, and at West Baldwin is a telegraph office.

BANGOR.

The township of Baldwin, together with that of Sebago, was granted in 1774 to the survivors of Captain Flint's company, of Con- cord, Mass. The town was incorporated in 1802, being named in honor of Loammi Baldwin, one of the early settlers. It had previously been called Flintstown, for the leader of the company before men- tioned. Something was done for the establishment of religion and edu- cation as early as 1800, but religious meetings were not frequent or permanent until some twenty-four years later, when Rev. Noah Emer- son was settled as pastor of the Congregational Church. At the same time, the Methodists formed themselves into a society, and claimed a part of the ministerial fund of the town, but the court decided adversely to them. Each of these denominations, also the Baptist, has its church edifice-the Congregationalists at East Baldwin, and the Methodist at West Baldwin. The town has twelve public school- houses, valued at $2,700. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $256,225. In 1880 it was $312,101. The rate of taxation in 1880 was about 1} per cent. The population in 1870 was 1,101. By the census in 1880 it was 1,123.

Bancroft Plantation is situated in the south-eastern part of Aroostook county, 30 miles south-south-east of Houlton. The township is irregular, but about 6 miles square. The Matta- wamkeag runs through the township in a general north-east to south- west course; receiving on its way Brattle Brook, Baskahegan Stream, and Hawkins Brook. The European and North American Railway runs across the southern part of the township, having a station at Ban- croft village in the south-eastern part.

The principal occupations of the people are farming and lumbering. The forests have the usual varieties of woods. Kelly Hill is the princi- pal eminence, having an altitude of about 1,000 feet. The soil is loamy in some parts and sandy in others. Hay, wheat, oats and potatoes yield good crops.

The first settlement was by Charles Gellerson, from Brighton, Me., in 1830. The plantation was organized in 1840-being named in honor of George Bancroft, the historian. The Methodist denomination is the only one that has a church in the plantation. There is a public library of about 100 volumes. There are three public school-houses ; these, with other school property being valued at $1,000. The valua- tion of estates in 1870 was $35,093. In 1880, it was $48,961. The rate of taxation in the latter year was one cent on a dollar. The population in 1870 was 177. In 1880, it was 247.

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Gazetteer of the state of Maine, Part 11

Author: Varney, George J Publication date: 1886 Publisher: Boston Russell Number of Pages: 648

Author: Varney, George J
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: Boston Russell
Number of Pages: 648