Gazetteer of the state of Maine, Part 12

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

USA > Maine > Gazetteer of the state of Maine > Part 12

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Bangor is situated in the southern part of Penobscot County, on the Penobscot River, about 60 miles from the sea and 30 from the head of the bay, and has a harbor deep enough to float the largest vessels. It is 250 miles from Boston and 140 miles from Portland. It is the shire town and the only city in the county. It stretches along the bank for six miles, and has an area of about 20,000 acres. The surface of the town is generally uneven. The city proper occupies the shores of the Kenduskeag and the western bank of the Penobscot at the junction of the two rivers. The latter river forms the south-western boundary, separating it from Brewer, while the

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

course of the Kenduskeag through the town is from the north-north- west.

The outcropping and underlying rocks are mostly slate. The soil is clayey loam, with small areas of gravelly loam, while there is gener- ally a hard pan of clay ; so that much of the land is relieved of water only by thorough drainage. The water power of Bangor is a marked feature. On the Penobscot, one mile above the harbor proper, is " Treat's Falls," where in the dryest time, besides the quantity required in the sluice for the passage of rafts of timber, there is available about 2,000 feet of water per second for manufacturing purposes. It is calculated that by the excellent dam of 15 feet in height, with flash-boards, the amount of flowage available in the dryest time will reach 9,000 horse powers. On the Kenduskeag the powers are,-first, "Drummond's Mills," "McQuestin's Mills," "Bruce's Mills, "Hatch's Mills," the "Four Mile Falls " and "Six Mile Falls." The power of this series may be apprehended by the fact that Bruce's Mills (now flour mill) could saw 3,000,000 feet of boards annually. Bangor stands midway between the great Maine forests and the sea. Her vesssels span the latter, while her rivers gather in their branches, and bring down the vast product of forest and mills from a wide belt extending nearly across the State. The. booms to hold the logs extend for miles along the river. Up to 1855, there had been 2,999,847,201 feet of lumber surveyed at Bangor ; be- tween 1859 and 1869, 1,869,965,454 feet of long lumber were shipped hence ; in 1868, 274,000,000 feet of short lumber (clapboards, laths and shingles) were shipped; and in 1872, there were 246,500,000 feet of long lumber surveyed here. The total lumber crop of Maine in 1872 was about 700,000,000 feet of which 225,000,000 floated down the Penob- scot. To transport these vast amounts of lumber to its markets, hun- dreds of vessels must ascend this great thoroughfare of Maine, the lordly Penobscot.

As might be supposed, many industries dependent or connected with the lumber business flourish here. There are one or more saw and water-wheel manufactures, three iron . foundries, two brass foun- dries, three machine shops; edge-tool, belting and boiler factories, ship-yards, a door, sash and blind factory, seven barrel factories, five brick-yards, a coffee and spice mill, four boot and shoe factories, three carriage factories, a broom and brush factory, etc.

Besides the lumber manufactures within her own borders, Bangor is the common shipping-place for the numerous mills and quarries up the river and its branches, and has therefore extensive exports of lumber, roofing slate and agricultural products. The city has been the second lumber mart of the world. Besides her coastwise business, she has a large commerce with the West Indies and European ports; there are large entries as well as clearances at her custom house. No other city of New England is the trade centre of so large a number of rural towns as Bangor. The head of navigation in winter is at Bucks- port, about 18 miles south,-with which Bangor is connected by the Bucksport and Bangor railroad. The city is connected with the southern interior and south-western portion of the State by means of the Maine Central railroad and its branches; with the central section of the State, embracing the slate region of southern Piscataquis County, by the Bangor and Piscataquis railroad ; with the eastern, north and south-eastern parts and with New Brunswick and the St.

BANGOR.

Lawrence valley by the European and North American railway; with Mount Desert and intermediate points, and with Portland, Boston and New York, by steamboat lines ; and with the surrounding regions by stage routes. Bangor is a central point of departure for Mount Desert, the Provinces, and Katahdin and the Maine Wilderness.

Naturally, under such conditions, much wealth would accumulate in the hands of prudent citizens, and such we find to be the case with Bangor. The numerous banks, the fine residences, the finished ap- pearance of the city, and the style of living show it. The land gradu- ally rises from the rivers, affording fine views from several points, especially from Thomas' hill, on the west side. Just at the shore of the Penobscot there are level spaces, whereon stands most of the busi- ness portion of the city ; but as it recedes from the larger river, the Kenduskeag forms a deep ravine, in which from the Valley road, and still within the compass of the city proper, are to be seen steep, woody banks and wild, almost insurmountable precipices. The heights on either side of the stream are lined with streets well-shaded with noble elms, and have many handsome residences. There are here, also, many churches of good architecture and construction. In the business part of the city are many massive and substantial buildings, conspicuous among which are Norombega Hall, a large wooden building resting on piles in the midst of the Kenduskeag. The lower part of this building is used for a market, while in the upper part is a hall capable of seating 2,000 persons. Opposite, on a bridge across the river, is the United States building, containing the Customs and Post Offices,-a neat structure of granite. Near by, in the broad, deep, quiet stream of the Penobscot, anchor the largest as well as the smallest ships, bearing the flags of all the great maritime nations ; while beside them, floating down with the current, may be a great raft of logs or of sawed lumber, come down from the Upper Penobscot for a market or the mills.

The locality of Bangor seemed to attract the early voyagers of the French, Dutch, Spanish and English nations. As early as 1539 it was spoken of under the name "Norombega," and was thought to be the site of a famous city of that name. The name is perpetuated by the principal hall of the city. Later it was known as Kenderquit, Con- deskeag, and Kenduskeag ; and in 1769, it was “Kenduskeag Planta- tion." The earliest record preserved in the archives of the city, is dated March 27, 1787. The aboriginal inhabitants of the region were known to the English as the Tarratines. Their principal seat in the vicinity was near what is now known as the Red Bridge, near Treat's Falls, where, later, was the business quarter of the early settlers. The first post-office of the town was here (established in 1800), and the post-master was Major Treat, from whom the falls have their name. Jacob Bussell, Buzzell, or Buswell, from Salisbury, Mass., was the first settler ; removing his family to the place in 1769. At this time there had been born to him nine children. His son, Stephen Bussell, with his wife, Lucy Grant, and Caleb Goodwin with his wife and eight children, from Castine, followed in 1770. In 1771-2, the settlement contained twelve families, many of them from Woolwich and Brunswick, Maine. The first physician who practiced in Bangor was John Herbert, in 1774. From this time until 1779, Dr. Herbert led the meetings as exhorter, and taught school in the plantation.

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

In 1799 and 1800, to make up a deficiency in the lands held under the Waldo patent, the General Court assigned the township to General Knox, one of the proprietors of the patent, reserving, however, 113 lots of 100 acres each to the settlers. In 1779, a portion of the broken fleet of Commodore Saltonstall was pursued and captured at the mouth of the Kenduskeag ; but the victors appear not to have harmed the inhabitants. In 1814, however, Bangor was taken possession of by a British force, ten vessels were burned ; stores, offices and deserted dwellings were pillaged ; and the inhabitants were rudely, and in some cases, outrageously treated. In 1791, having acquiredt 576 inhabi- tants, the plantation, through its representative, the Rev. Seth Noble, procured from the General Court an act of incorporation. They had chosen for it the name, Sunbury, as being descriptive of the attractive appearance of the place ; but when the speaker called for the name of his town, Mr. Noble replied, " Bangor,"-which was the name of his favorite tune,-and this accidently or otherwise became the name of the town. It was first represented in the General Court in 1806, by James Thomas. The first bridge over the Kenduskeag was built in 1807, at a cost of $4,000; the Bangor Bridge Company was incorpor- ated in 1828; and the first bridge over the Penobscot was completed by them in 1832. It was 440 yards in length, and cost $50,000. A portion of this was carried away by the great freshet of 1846, and was rebuilt in 1847. The court-house was built in 1812. Peter Edes established the first printing press in 1815; and near the close of the same year he began the publication of the first newspaper, named the " Bangor Weekly Register." He died in Bangor, March 29, 1839, aged eighty-three years, being at that time the oldest printer in the United States. The Bangor Theological Seminary received its char- ter in 1814. It was at first located at Hampden (1816), and bore the name of "Maine Charity School;" but in 1819 it was removed to Bangor. A classical school was connected with it for several years. The buildings front on a broad, grassy slope in the highest part of the city. It has five professors, about 600 alumni, and a library of 14,000 volumes. An academy was established in 1817, and the first bank in 1818. Bangor received her city charter in 1834,-the first mayor being Allen Gilman. The business of the place increased rapidly in 1833-4, and there was much speculation. In common with other parts of the country the business of Bangor received a severe check, but by 1840 it had mostly recovered. Since the latter date the busi- ness and growth of the city have been steadily augmenting. Bangor became a port of entry in 1847, and the custom house was built in 1853-6. The Bangor Orphan Asylum was organized in 1839. By the aid of a legacy left by Mrs. Mary F. Pitcher, a larger and more substantial edifice was built, and dedicated in 1869. The Bangor Gas Company was incorporated in 1850, and the Bangor and Piscataquis Slate Com- pany in 1855. The Home for Aged Women was incorporated in 1872. The Holly Water-works at Treat's Falls went into operation in July, 1876.

Among the more distinguished residents of Bangor we should men- tion, Francis Carr, member of Congress, in 1811; James Carr, son of Francis, congressman in 1815; William D. Williamson, governor of Maine in 1821, later a member of congress, and author of a history of Maine; Hannibal Hamlin, vice-president of the United States with

(CONTINUED ON NEXT LEAF.)

BANGOR HOUSE.

The hotel accommodations of the city have been considered as quite superior. The houses are the Bangor House, Penobscot Exchange, Bangor Exchange, Franklin House, and National House. The first is an elegant structure, mainly of brick, occupying an entire square. The railroad and steamboat depots are near it. Mr. F. O. Beal is proprietor of both this and the Penobscot Exchange.

Bangor furnishes the only all-land route from the westward to Mount Desert. Coaches are run daily (except Sunday), during the season, from the Bangor House to Bar Harbor, affording what is said to be one of the most beautiful drives of the country.

Here, also, is the most convenient starting point for some of the best fishing-grounds in the world ; while along the north side of the Bangor and Piscataquis railroad, which conveys the traveler to the vicinity of Moosehead Lake, is some of the wildest and most picturesque scenery of the continent, east of the White Mountains. In a grove of elms on the hillside before the Bangor House is the beautiful Unitarian church. Near by is the Opera House, with a unique front and beautifully designed interior. Music Hall is a few doors distant. A business col- lege and Crosby's School for boys supplement the excellent public schools.

The Bangor Whig, published by Boutelle and Burr, and the Com- mercial, published by J. P. Bass & Co., are the leading newspapers .. The first is Republican and the latter Democratic in politics. Each has daily and weekly editions. Other weekly journals are the Freeholder and the Messenger,-both Greenback in politics,-and the Dirigo Rural, a farm journal.

BANGOR (KENDUSKEAG PLANTATION), 1769.

...

MAIN STREET, BANGOR.

CITY OF BANGOR.

BARING.

Lincoln, collector of the port of Boston in 1865, then United States Senator, and, later, Minister to Spain ; Jonathan P. Rogers and George W. Ingersoll, once attorney-general of the State; Edward Kent, a former mayor of the city, governor of the State in 1838 and 1840, and justice of the Supreme Court from 1859 to 1873; G. Parks, a member of Congress and United States minister to Peru; Elisha H. Allen, United States congressman in 1841-2, since chancellor of the Sandwich Islands, and now representative of the Islands at Washington ; John Appleton, chief justice of the Supreme Judicial Court from 1862 to the present time; Charles Stetson, member of congress in 1849-50, Joshua W. Hathaway and Jonas Cutting, justices of the Supreme Court; Samuel F. Hersey, late United States congressman ; John A. Peters, formerly member of Congress, now a judge of the Supreme Court ; H. M. Plaisted, now gov- ernor of the State; John Godfrey, a valued citizen and local historian.

The first settled minister in Bangor was Rev. Seth Noble, who was installed by Rev. Daniel Little under an oak in 1786. He had been with Col. John Allan in Nova Scotia and Machias; and in 1791 represented the Kenduskeag plantation in the General Court. The first meeting- house was built in 1788. Mr. Noble was succeeded in 1800 by James Boyd, who resigned the next year. In 1811 Rev. Harvey Loomis was settled, and retained the office until his death in his pulpit in 1825. His successor was Rev. Swan L. Pomroy. A new meeting-house was built in 1821-2, burnt in 1830, and rebuilt in 1831. It cost $12,500 including the organ. The first Unitarian meeting house was built in 1828, and those of the Methodists and Baptists the same year. The religious societies of Bangor are now the Congregationalist, Episcopal, Baptist, Free Baptist, Methodist, Unitarian, Universalist, Christian and Catholic. The first have four church organizations and edifices ; and some of the others have excellent buildings, that of the Catholics being especially noble in its architecture.

Bangor has superior high school, and fifty-seven of a lower grade. There are thirty-six public school-houses, which together with their grounds, apparatus, etc., are valued at $125,000. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $10,036,561. In 1880 it was $8,738,605. The population in 1870 was 18,289. In 1880 it was 16,857.

Bar Mills,-a post-office in Buxton and Hollis, York County.

Baring is situated in the eastern part of Washington County. On its northern side it adjoins New Brunswick, from which it is separated by the St. Croix river. Calais bounds it on the east, Char- lotte on the south, and Meddybemps town and lake on the west. The town is about 6 miles in length, north and south, and about 4 in width. The surface is without high hills, Bunker Hill being the greatest elevation. A gray granite rock forms the ledges which crop out. The soil is clayey. Hay and potatoes are the principal crop. The forest trees are beech, birch, maple, pine, spruce, hemlock and hack- matac principally. A few elms have been set along the public ways by considerate and public spirited individuals. The Moosehorn Branch running south to Pemaquan Lake, is the principal stream. A sheet of water called " Little Lake " lies in the western part of the town. The centre of business is on the St. Croix, where a dam furnishes &

100

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

power carrying several saw mills and other machinery. The manu- factures of the town are chiefly of lumber in its various forms. The St. Croix and Penobscot railroad passes through the town and crosses the river into New Brunswick at this point.

Baring was incorporated in 1825. The name was probably adopted in honor of the Baring family, of London, a member of which married a daughter of William Bingham, of Philadelphia, who owned immense tracts of land in this and other parts of Maine. The husband of this daughter became Lord Ashburton, who, with the American Secretary of State, Daniel Webster, in 1842, settled our eastern and northern boundary.

There are Baptist and Advent societies in the town; and the former has a church and vestry. The Masonic body here have erected a monu- ment of Italian marble to those of their members who fell in the Union cause in the Rebellion. Baring has two schoolhouses. The total school property is valued at $500. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $96,169. In 1880, it was $76,316. The rate of taxation in the latter year was 21 mills on the dollar. The population in 1870 was 364. In 1880, it was 303.

Bar Harbor,-a village and post-office in Eden, Mount Desert Island, Hancock County.

Barker's Mills,-a locality in the outskirts of the city of Lewiston, Androscoggin County.

Barnard Plantation (No. 6, R. VIII)is situated in the southern part of Piscataquis county, having Sebec as its southern boundary. Williamsburg lies on the east, Bowerbank on the west, and Katahdin iron mines in the north. It has a fair quantity of land suit- able for farming, and a considerable extent of hemlock, spruce and cedar. Bear Brook and its branches pass through the town southward. On these are a saw and grist-mill, a board and shingle mills and on the west branch a saw-mill. Near this is Egery and William's slate quarry. Slate ledges are numerous, and much of the slate is of su- perior quality. There is a great quantity of excellent lumber in town, especially of spruce, hemlock and cedar.

Mark Pitman, John Thompson, Benjamin Miller and B. Bunker were the earliest settlers, having come about 1809 or 1810. Barnard was formerly a part of Williamsburg, but was separated from it and in- corporated as an independent town in 1834. A large swamp extends between the two towns, forming a division between them. The town of Barnard, by petition of its citizens, was restored to the plantation form in 1877. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $28,753. In 1880 it it was the same. The population in 1870 was 149. In 1880 it was 139.

Barter's Island,-a post office in Boothbay, Lincoln County.

Bath is situated on the Kennebec River near the centre of Saga- dahoc county, of which it is the shire town. Woolwich and Arrowsic- both separated from it by the Kennebec-bound it on the east ; West

101

BATH.

Bath, Brunswick, Topsham and Bowdoinham lie on the west,-the two latter being separated from it by Merrymeeting Bay; and West Bath and Phipsburg lie on the south. The length of the town along the river from north to south is about 5 miles, and its average width is about 1} miles. The surface is much broken by low ledgy hills. The principal eminence is North Hill, said to be several hundred feet in altitude. Lily and Mill Ponds, each about three-fourths of a mile in length, are the principal insulated sheets of water. The rocks are granite and mica schist, and the soil a clay loam. Hay is the largest agricultural product. The forest trees most abundant are beech, birch, pine, spruce and fur. Witch Spring is a mineral spring of some local note.

There are three valuable water-powers,-two on Whiskeag Stream, one of which is a tide power ; and the Winnegance Dam Company's power, lying at the south of the town, between it and Phipsburg. Its capacity is 333 horse power, of which two-thirds belong to the latter town. There are two lumber-mills on Whiskeag Stream, with a capacity of manufacturing about 500,000 feet of lumber annually. On the same stream is a grist-mill with a capacity of grinding 10,000 bushels of grain annually. Other mills are a barytes and a coffee and spice mill. In the northern part of the town, on a point projecting eastward oppo- site Lane's Island is Varney's steam saw mill, employing several small vessels in conveying the lumber to market.

The chief industry of the city, however, is ship-building; and the product of its yards is of an excellent quality. It is said to be sur- passed in the extent of this manufacture only by Boston, New York and Philadelphia, and to excel all in the number of wooden ships built. During the year ending June 30, 1852, there were forty ships, five brigs, and three schooners built here, having an aggregate of 24,339 tons. In 1854 there were fifty-six ships built, besides thirteen other vessels amounting to 58,454 tons. Following this date there was a great falling off in production. The number of vessels built in 1879 was thirty-five; aggregating 17,383 tons. In 1880, forty-one vessels were built with an aggregate measurement of 22,186 tons. There were launched this year four ships, three barks, two brigs, twenty-six schooners, two steamers and four sloops. The number of vessels now belonging in the U. S. collection district of Bath is 294, with a tonnage of 156,978. The following table gives the product of Bath in this article for the century past, including 1880 :

Number. Tonnage.

Value at $50 per ton

Ships and barks,

1,094

793,785

$39,689,250

Brigs,

669

126,357

6,317,850

Schooners,

1,068

139,031

6,951,550

Sloops,

133

8,046

402,300

Skows and barges,

1,583

79,150

Steamers,

9,357

($100 per ton)

965,700

Total

3,022

1,078,159

$54,375,800

Yearly average investment for the 100 years,

$543,758

There are also in the city manufacturers of boats, anchors and ship machinery, boilers, engines, iron, brass, rail cars, drain-pipe, bricks, carriages, clothing, sails, lumber, meal and flour. There are four ice

102

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

companies, a steam towage company, etc. The extent of the maritime business of Bath is shown by the arrival during the year previous to June 30, 1880, of 21 vessels from foreign ports, and of 1,515 vessels in coastwise business. Bath has connection with Portland and Boston by steamer, and is the terminus of a branch of the Maine Central rail- road on one hand, and of the Knox and Lincoln connecting with Rock- land on the other. The cars of the latter road are conveyed across the river by means of an immense steam ferry boat. Bath is situated on the west bank of the Kennebec, twelve miles from its mouth, but with a safe passage for all the distance, and rarely frozen over. The river is here about half a mile wide, and deep enough for the largest vessels. The compact portion of the city is stretched along the river for about three miles, having an average width of about half a mile. The site of the city is very uneven, but it has several beautiful streets, well shaded with elms, horse-chestnut and plane-trees, and with many handsome residences. There are here a substanital city hallthe county buildings, and a neat government building containing the customs and post offices. The banks are the First National, having a capital of $200,000 .; the Bath National, capital, $125,000; Lincoln National, $200,000; Marine National, $100,000; and Sadagahoc Nation- al, $100,000. The Bath Savings Institution held at the close of the fiscal year in 1879, in deposits and accrued profits, $1,275,600,48; the People's Twenty-five Cent Savings Bank, held, at the same date, de- posits and accrued profits amounting to $377,154,13. The " American Sentinel " is a long established weekly of excellent character, now pub- lished by Elijah Upton and Son. The " Bath Daily Times," issued by the same publishers, is a very convenient and reliable sheet ; · ar d cred- itable alike to its publishers and to the city which it serves.

Christopher Lawson, Robert Gutch and Alexander Thwait, were prominent in the early settlement of this town. The first obtained a right to the northerly portion and Lynde's Island at a date probably not earlier than 1640. Thwait and Gutch both obtained their titles of Robin Hood, an Indian sagamore, on May 29, 1660. Thwait's was that portion extending from Winnegance, at the southern part, to the rope walk, in the city proper. Mr. Gutch took the intermediate por- tion from the cove at the rope-walk to Harward's. He had emigrated from England, and after residing for several years in Salem, came here at about 1657. There is undoubted evidence that he was a minister of the Gospel. He was drowned in 1667, while crossing the river to keep an appointment to preach on the Sabbath. In 1738 the few fam- ilies then resident were granted town rights and privileges in a union with the older Georgetown of Arrowsic. The owners of the Kennebec purchase at length extended their claim over this town and quite to the sea ; and about 1750, while suffering from the Indian wars, the the inhabitants of this region were further distressed by litigation, leases and ejectments, by the company. An indignation meeting was at length held by the citizens, to see " what they should do to preserve their English rights and liberties ; " and a vigorous petition was sent up to the General Court and prevailed. The famous suit of Jeffries vs. Donnell was a test case under the Plymouth Company's claim. Jonathan Donnell (sometimes spelled Dwinel) held from Robert Gutch, and Jeffries from the Plymouth Company through the pro- prietors of the Kennebec purchase. The courts affirmed the right of

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Gazetteer of the state of Maine, Part 12

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