Gazetteer of the state of Maine, Part 3

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

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GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

rian or Devonian age; second, of Devonian rocks ; third, slates similar to first. These run south-west until they meet the granite tract about Mount Katahdin. On the east of the Trappean rocks of the Allegash Lakes is also a tract of Devonian rocks, occupying the most of four or five townships. North-west of Katahdin begins a belt of Oriskany sandstone, which sweeps southwest forming the shores of the northern third of Moosehead Lake. After passing the lake the belt broadens, disappearing shortly before reaching Spencer stream, a northern branch of the Dead River.

Between the Kennebec and the New Hampshire line, from Mount Bigelow southward to Piscataqua River and the sea, the rock is chiefly syenite, gneiss and mica and talcose schists,-which alternate with each other to a confusing degree.

Sweeping across the State nearly from the eastern border to the Kennebec in a south-west direction, on the south of Katahdin and Moosehead is a belt of clay slate several townships in width. It is from this that our product of roofing slate comes. Its middle section is also highly metalliferous. This belt is, however, cut across by another of argillo-micaceous schist, which comes up from the Penobscot about Bangor, reaching nearly to Moosehead lake. Almost all our coast, also, is of granite and allied rocks. From Rockland to Lewiston tracts of calcareous rock crop out here and there, alternating in this course, with granite, gneiss and mica schist.

On all sides of the Cheputneticook Lakes, except the western, is a tract of granite. Adjoining this at the north, is a broad belt of mica schist, which extends north-east to St. John's River, and in the oppo- site direction continues to Lee, in Penobscot county. The same is also found on the south of the Cheputneticook Lakes, intruded upon by a belt of granite from the south of the lake that narrows to a point in Topsfield; but the tract of schist continues to the Schoodic Lakes. A broad band of calcareous slates extends from St. Croix River south- west to and across the middle portion of the Schoodic Lakes.

South of this is a belt of mica schist, extending in the same direc- tion, which is succeeded by a broad band of granite, extending from St. Stephen's, in New Brunswick, south-west toward the Penobscot. In the northern part of Mount Desert, and at some points on the main- land is found porphyritic granite.

Unstratified gravel and clays, in which is usually mingled smoothed and striated boulders, are found everywhere in our State underlying the finer stratified materials. It is the earliest alluvial deposit; and in the present order of things, always rests upon the solid rock.

Bowlders of the Oriskany sandstone are found all over the region south of that belt nearly to the sea. It is quite safe to say that their is not a mountain in Maine of which fragments will not be found scat- tered over to the country to the south or south-east. The granite of Mount Katahdin, in boulders of every size, is scattered over the southern part of Penobscot county, and the familiar rocks of mounts Abraham and Blue are recognized among the bowlders of Kennebec county. No bowlders from any eminence are found to the north of it in Maine. We can usually trace them for one hundred and fifty miles from their source. In the east part of Avon is a bowlder of granite which measures 30 by 20 by 15 feet, equal to 9,000 cubic feet, and 643 tons in weight. It was probably derived from the Mount Abraham

THE STATE OF MAINE.

range of mountains, several miles north. There are doubtless larger bowlders than this in Maine.

Another remarkable effect of the drift action is seen in the smooth- ing, rounding, scratching and furrowing of the ledges. In Maine, almost invariably, the rocks on the north side of the eminences are smoothed and grooved, while the south side is without either. Often, indeed, both sides are covered with drift material and deposits, so that the rocks are hidden.

There have been alternate depressions and elevations of our whole territory in the past ages. The first which we can trace was at the close of the drift period, when there was a sinking of the land below its present level,-when the waters sifted out the finer materials of the drift, and formed beds of clay and stratified sand. Again, there was a sinking of the land to a greater depth ; and, it is quite likely, to a greater depth in some regions than others. Marine shells have been found in the clays all over the State, showing that for many centuries there were depressions of some 25 feet, and then of a 150 ; and perhaps others to a greater depth.

Then there was an elevation of the land. The river beds, then full of sand, clay and gravel, were washed out by the dividing flood, as the land emerged from the sea. These sweeping floods gave place, after centuries to many a series of lakes, whose waters, cutting their way through their alluvial barriers, gradually formed the rivers that drained them. These, wearing deeper and deeper into their beds with each successive season, constantly narrowed their streams as the reservoirs diminished. Thus the successive beds of the river became terraces on their shores, forming sandy plains or rich intervals.

There are various minor details of surface geology in Maine not often observed to which we have not space to allude. Of these, the most notable and common are the "horsebacks," to which allusion was made in the article on Valleys.

Economic geology must have a little attention. Iron ores in quan- tities that would yield a profit to the miner are found at several points in the State. The Katahdin iron works on Pleasant River in Piscata- quis County, have long produced an excellent metal from an extensive deposit of bog iron ore found in the vicinity. Dr. Jackson discovered a fine bed of red hematite iron ore in Waite Plantation, Aroostook County. Similar beds are found in Hodgdon and Linneus. There is a bed of bog ore in New Limerick, adjoining the former towns; also in other parts of the State, in the towns of Newfield, Shapleigh, Ar- gyle, Clinton, Williamsburgh, Bluehill, Lebanon, Union, Canton, Paris, Jewell's Island, Thomaston, Bristol, Buckfield, Dixfield, Dover, Farm- ington, Greenwood, Jay, Rumford and Winslow. Magnetic iron ore is found on Marshall's Island and in Buckfield.

Lead ores are found in Lubec (where it is mined) at Kezar Falls, Parsonsfield, in Denmark, Dexter, Corinna, St. Albans and other places. In the middle section of the State small boulders of this ore are rich in silver. Zinc and copper ores are found with the lead at Lubec, West Quoddy Head, in Cutler, and other towns in the southern portions of Washington and Hancock Counties, and in Carroll and at some other points in the eastern part of the Aroostook County.

Tin is found at Bluehill in the ore called wolfram, and the metal itself at Mount Mica in Paris. Manganese is found in Thomaston,

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

Bluehill, Paris, Dover, Mount Agamenticus, on the east branch of the Penobscot, Hodgdon, Linneus, Waite, Matagmnon lake, and numer- ous other places.

Arsenic is found in arsenical and iron pyrites at Bluehill, Fairfield, Greenwood at Owl's Head in Thomaston, on Bond's Mountain in Newfield, on Titcomb's Hill in Farmington, and other towns.

Gold is found native on Sandy River and its branches, chiefly in the alluvium. It is apparent that the metal must exist in situ in the rocks in the northern part of Franklin county and in the western portion of Somerset. Free gold has also been found in small quantities in Bailey- ville and Baring, on the New Brunswick line, in Washington County also in Cherryfield, Columbia and Harrington, in the same county. Some of the silver ores found at Bluehill and Hampden are auriferous.

Iron pyrites occur in valuable beds in Brooksville, Hancock Coun- ty, Jewell's Island, Casco Bay, Troy, Anson, Farmington, New Limer- ick, and other localities.

Granite and gneiss-more or less excellent-are found in every region of the State. Freestone is obtained from the Devonian sandstones,- Perry and Machiasport being its chief localities in the southern part of the State. Mica schist is found of good quality for flagging stones at Phipsburg, Winthrop, Acton, Lebanon, and other towns. Of roof ing slate, a grand belt is found, extending from the Kennebec river at Caratunk nearly to the Penobscot river, a distance of 80 miles. Other deposits of this material exist in the northern and southern portions of the State, but the only quarries which have been worked profitably are in the belt above-mentioned.

Some of the limestones of the Thomaston belt are fine enough to be termed marbles; but the use of this stone for making lime is found to yield a surer return than marble quarrying. Union, Sidney, and other places south, yield dolomitic and Lower Helderburg marbles ; while bowlders of very fine statuary marble have been found on the east branch of the Penobscot.

Serpentine and steatite are found in Der Isle, Harpswell Neck, Orr's Island, and Vassalborough. Water lime or cement may be made from the upper Silurian limestones found about Lubec and Pem- broke, and westward in various localities to Michias.

Of soils, we have all varieties from pure sand to richest loam. Sandy and gravelly loams are the most common, while clayey loam is frequent, and the intervales of Upper Kennebec, Penobscot and St. John (particularly the latter ) abound in rich vegetable loams.

RAILROADS AND TELEGRAPHS.

The first railroad in the State for the running of carriages by steam power was the Bangor and Oldtown, or Veazie's Railroad, built in 1836. In the same year a charter was issued for the Portland, Saco and Portsmouth road ; which, however, was not opened for business until 1842.

According to the last report of the railroad commissioners (for 1879), we now have 31 railroads (several being branches operated by the larger roads) within the State, whose total length of road is upward of 1,000 miles, which is about 1 mile of railroad to each 33

THE STATE OF MAINE.

square miles of territory, to each $230,000 of property, and every 644 of the population. The total capital stock of the roads is $20,412,- " 874,04,-of which $15,906,505,00 is owned outside of the State. These roads employ nearly 3,500 persons.

The Aroostook River Railroad runs from the State line, New Bruns- wick, a distance of 15 miles. The guage is 3} feet. The road was opened 1875-6, and is leased and operated by the New Brunswick Railway Company.

The Atlantic and St. Lawrence Division of the Grand Trunk Railway extends from Portland to Montreal, and thence by connecting roads to Detroit, Michigan. The company has a capital stock of $5,484,000,00. Eighty-two and one-half miles of its line are in Maine. The construc- tion was begun in 1848, and the road was opened to travel in 1853.

The Bangor and Piscataquis Railroad extends from Oldtown to Blanchard, a distance of 63 miles. It is the only route from Bangor to Moosehead Lake, and affords the nearest railroad communication from any point, not only with the lake, but with Katahdin iron works, and the principal slate quarries. The capital stock is $357,148,50. It was commenced in 1869, and completed in 1877.

The Boston and Maine Railroad, extending from Portland to Bos- ton, has 44 miles in Maine. The capital stock is $6,921,274,52. Its construction was begun in 1836, and completed in 1873.

The Bucksport and Bangor Railroad connects the two places men- tioned, the distance being 18 8-10 miles. The guage is 3 feet. Neither the capital stock nor date of building is given in the last report of the railroad commissioners.

The European and North American Railway connects Bangor in this State with Frederickton in New Brunswick. It has 114 miles in Maine, that being the distance along its line from Bangor to Vance- boro, where it crosses the boundary. It was commenced in 1868, completed in 1871.

The New Brunswick and Canada Railroad runs from Woodstock to St. Stephens, in New Brunswick, with a branch from Debec Junc- tion, to Houlton, in Maine,-only 3 miles of the road being within this State; and a branch from McAdam Junction to Vanceboro, of which three fourths of a mile only are within the limits of this State; also a branch from Watt Junction to St. Andrew. The Houlton branch was built in 1869, and the Vanceboro branch in 1879.

The Knox and Lincoln Railroad connects Bath with Rockland, and is 49 miles in length. Its capital stock is $364,580,00. It was built in 1871.

The Lewiston and Auburn Railroad connects Lewiston with the Grand Trunk Railway at Danville Junction. Its length is 5} miles. It is leased and operated by the Grand Trunk Railway. It was built in 1873.

The Consolidated Maine Central Railroad, comprises the Portland and Kennebec Railroad, running from Portland by way of Brunswick to Angusta, and the branch from Brunswick to Bath ; the Somerset and Kennebec Railroad from Augusta to Skowegan ; the Androscoggin and Kennebec Railroad from Danville to Waterville ; the Penobscot and Kennebec Railroad from Waterville to Bangor; the extension from Danville to Cumberland ; the Androscoggin Railroad, from Brunswick to Leeds Junction, with a branch from Crowley's to Lewiston ; the

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

Leeds and Farmington Railroad from Leeds Junction to Farmington The leased roads are the Belfast and Moosehead Lake, from Belfast to Burnham, and the Dexter and Newport Railroad from Dexter to New- port ; making in all 355 miles of railroad under one management, or 3073 miles of consolidated and 47} miles of leased roads. Some part of the road was opened as early as 1848, and the whole in 1870. Its capital stock is $3,620,100.00.

The Androscoggin Railroad, consolidated with the Maine Central, extending from Brunswick to Farmington, and having a branch from Crowley's Junction to Lewiston, has in all 70} miles of road. This railroad was opened in 1861, and consolidated with the Maine Central in 1871. The Bath Branch Railroad, connecting Bath with the Maine Central at Brunswick, is 9 miles in length.

The Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad extends from Belfast to Burnham, 333 miles, and is leased and operated by the Maine Central Railroad. The Dexter and Newport Railroad, 14 miles long, is leased by the Maine Central Railroad.

The Norway Branch Railroad, 1} miles long, connects Norway with the Grand Trank Railway at South Paris. It was built in 1879.

The Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad extends from Portland to Lunensburg, Vermont; 51 miles of its length being in this State. It was chartered in 1870, and the road completed in 1875. Its capital is $1,052,185.55.

The Portland and Rochester Railroad is 52 miles in length, 49} miles being in Maine. It was commenced in 1853 and completed in 1871. Its capital stock is $636,011.86.

The Portland, Saco and Portsmouth Railroad, connecting the . places forming its name, is 52 miles long, and of these 51 are in Maine. It was built in 1842. Its capital stock is $1,500,000. The road is leased and operated by the Eastern Railroad Company.

The Portsmouth, Great Falls and Conway Branch Railroad extends from Breck's Crossing in South Berwick, Maine, to Conway, New Hampshire,-72 miles, of which 4} miles are in Maine. The road is controlled and operated by the Eastern Railroad Company.

The Rumford Falls and Buckfield Railroad extends from Canton to Mechanic Falls, where it connects with the Grand Trunk. Its length is 27₺ miles. It was rebuilt in 1878.

The Somerset Railroad connects North Anson village with the Maine Central Railroad at West Waterville. Its length is 25 miles, and its capital stock, $377,573.61. It was built in 1874-5.

The St. Croix and Penobscot Railroad extends from Calais to Princeton, a distance of 22 miles. It was commenced in 1852 and completed in 1856. Its Capital stock is $100,000.00.

The Sandy River Railroad is 18 miles in length, extending from Farmington to Phillips, 18 miles. Its guage is 2 feet. The last re- port of the railroad commissioners gives the expense of constructing the road at $100,000.00, but does not state whether this includes buildings and rolling-stock, nor give amount of capital stock. The road was built in 1879.

The Whitneyville and Machiasport Railroad, connects the mills in the first named town with a shipping point on tide water of Machias- port. Its length is 74 miles. It is used for the transportation of freight alone.

THE STATE OF MAINE.

There are on these roads within the limits of the state, 188 stations. Several of the roads operate a telegraph line in connection with their stations. The Atlantic and St. Lawrence (Grand Trunk) Railway own and operate 149} miles of line; the Belfast and Moosehead Lake, Boston and Maine, and the Bucksport and Bangor railroads operate 195 miles of line, of which, however, they own but 29. The European and North American Railway operates 114 miles ; the Maine Central, 216; the Portland and Rochester, 522 ; and the Rumford Falls and Buck- field road, 27} miles. The total miles operated by the railroads of the State is 757} miles. There is in the State about 40 telegraph sta- tions, having a continental connection, beside those on the railroad lines. Of the lines having a general connection, the Western Union Telegraph Company is the chief proprietor. There are also numerous Telephone lines in the State; but these rarely exceed a few miles in length. The Portland Railroad was the first horse-railroad in the State run for the use of the public. Lewiston and Auburn now have a horse- railroad.

CIVIL DIVISIONS AND POPULATION.

Maine is divided into sixteen counties ; viz. : Androscoggin, Aroos- took, Cumberland, Franklin, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Sagadahoc, Somerset, Waldo, Wash- ington and York.

The cities in the order of their population are,-Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, Biddeford, Auburn, Augusta, Bath, Rockland, Saco, Calais, Belfast, Ellsworth, Gardiner and Hallowell. The cities are governed by a mayor, a board of aldermen, and a common council, who are chosen annually by the people.

The whole number of towns, exclusive of the fourteen cities, as given in the State valuation report, 1880, is 412 ; and the number of organized plantations 56. The towns, like the cities, choose their officers annually. The principal officers are three selectmen, a treasurer and collector, a clerk, a supervisor or a committee to super- intend the schools, and usually a number of citizens as overseers of the poor, a road surveyor, and other minor officers. At the annual meeting in the spring when the officers are elected, it is usual also to fix upon a sum of money to be raised by taxes upon the property owned in the town, in addition to the usual head tax, for the payment of the town's part of the State and National tax, for the salaries of town officers, the payment of school teachers, the support of the indigent, and other expenses. For school purposes the towns are sometimes divided into districts ; and for voting purposes, the cities are divided into wards. The town or city is, however, the unit of civil authority ; the lesser divisions being dependent upon it, and the town or city only being responsible to the State. Our town municipal system allows more freedom to the citizen than any other form of government in ex- istence. The officers of a plantation are the same as the principal ones of a town, with the exception that there is a board of three assessors instead of selectmen ; but the powers of a plantation are more limited than those of towns.

At the time of the admission of Maine as an independent member of the National Union, it had a population of 298,335, and 59,606 taxable

GAZETTEER OF MAINE

polls. The number of incorporated towns was 236; and the rateable property was valued at $21,000,000. The first state tax was $50,000. The increase of population has been as follows :- by the census of 1830 it was 399,455; 1840, 501,793 ; 1850, 583,169; 1860, 628,279; 1870, 626,915 : 1880, 648,945. Of the latter number 160,569 are tax- able polls.

GOVERNMENT, FINANCES, AND MILITARY ORGANIZATIONS.

The government of the State has three departments,-the execu- tive, the legislative and the judicial. The executive department con- sists of a Governor, seven Councillors, a Secretary of State, Treasurer, Attorney-General and Adjutant-General.

The Governor is chosen by the people once in two years (annually heretofore) on the second Monday in September ; all other executive officers are elected by the Legislature.

The legislative department consists of a Senate not less than twenty nor more than thirty-one members, and a House of Representatives, of one hundred and fifty-one members, who are chosen by the people at the same time with the Governor, and hold office for two years follow- ing the first Wednesday in January ; at which time the session of the Legislature commences.

A bill or resolve, in order to become a law, must receive a majority of the votes in both House and Senate, and receive the signature of the governor-unless he shall fail to return such bill or resolution within five legislative days, in which case it becomes a law without his signature ; or if it should receive his veto, it may still become a law by receiving two- thirds of the votes of each branch of the Legislature. The two United States senators to which the State is entitled are chosen by the Legislature.

The Judicial Department consists of a Supreme Judicial Court, having a Chief Justice and seven Associate Justices. Each county has a Probate Court and a County Commissioner's Court ; and cities and large towns have Municipal and Police courts. Portland and Augusta, in addition to the Police Court, have each a Superior Court, for the trial of cases of higher importance than comes within the jurisdiction of the Police Court,-thus relieving the Supreme Judicial Court of many of its less important cases. The jurisdiction of the Superior Court extends also over certain adjacent towns. There are in every town trial justices for the settlement of petty cases, and for preliminary action in criminal cases. All the judges are appointed by the Governor, and those of the Supreme Court hold their office for a term of seven years.

Maine has five congressional districts, cach sending a representative to the lower house of Congress. The first district comprises the counties of York and Cumberland ; the second, the counties of Oxford, Franklin, Androscoggin and Sagadahoc; the third, the counties of Kennebec, Somerset and Lincoln, together with the towns of Washing- ton, Union, Warren, Friendship, Cushing, St. George, Thomaston, and the islands of Matinicus, Muscle Ridge, Otter and Cranberry, in Knox county ; the fourth is composed of the counties of Penobscot, Piscata- quis and Aroostook ; and the fifth, of the counties of Waldo, Hancock and Washington, together with the towns of Rockland, South Thomas-

THE STATE OF MAINE.

ton, Camden, Hope, Appleton, Vinalhaven and North Haven, in Knox county.

Maine has seven votes in the electoral college for the choice of President of the United States. The Legislature of the State first met in the court-house in Portland, May 21, 1820, and its sessions continued to be held there until 1832. The act fixing the permanent seat of government at Augusta was passed February 24, 1827. The present Capitol was first occupied by the Legislature on January 4, 1832. The building and furniture cost a little over $125,000, ahout one-half of this being paid from the proceeds of the sale of ten townships of land. The architect was Charles Bulfinch of Boston. The material is the excellent white granite for which the vicinity is noted.

The total valuation of the State in 1880 was : real estate, $165,908,- 182 ; personal, $62,122,474; total estates, #228,030,656. The number of polls was 160,569. The amount of shipping owned in the State as shown in the valuation of 1880 was, in tonnage, 471,068, having a value of $8,678,093. Of cotton mills, the number of spindles was 641,102, and the value $9,261,245. The number of oxen owned in the State was 34,847, valued at $1,420,464; of cows, 141,006, valued at $2,953,644; of young cattle, 147,716, valued at $1,799,902; horses, 87,345, valued at $5,037,398 ; colts, 16,654, valued at $559,758; sheep, 466,626, valued at $1,316,052 ; swine, 44,927, valued at $249,935.

The number of savings banks on November 3, 1879, was 56, and their deposits amounted to $23,052,663. In 1880 there was a net in- crease of $1,968,183. The number of national banks at the beginning of 1880 was 69, and their capital stock amounted to $10,388,000.

The Commissioner of Internal Revenue has recently prepared a table showing the amount of collection of internal revenue returned from the several States for a number of years. The returns from Maine were $75,531 for 1879, against $76,767 for 1880. The number of depositors in savings banks in Maine is 75,543 with $20,978,140 deposited, or $278 to a depositor. The value of imports at Portland, for 1880, was $1,391,086, and exports $3,569,351.

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Gazetteer of the state of Maine, Part 3

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