Gazetteer of the state of Maine, Part 42

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

USA > Maine > Gazetteer of the state of Maine > Part 42

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).

Littleton, in Aroostook County, joins Houlton on the north of that town. It is bounded on other sides by Monticello on the north, letter B. Township on the west, and Wilmot, in New Bruns- wick, on the east. The area is 22,040 acres. The northern half was granted to Framingham Academy by the Massachusetts Legislature in 1801, and was surveyed in the following year. The southern half is the northern part of a township granted to Williams College in 1800, the southern half of which now forms the northern half of Houlton. It was located in 1801 by Park Holland. Though settlements began so early, it did not until 1856 contain a sufficient number of inhabit- ants to obtain the act of incorporation, which it then first received. The most of the lots are now occupied. Littleton post-office is near the centre of the town. The stage-line from Houlton to Upper Aroos- took passes this point.

The surface of the town is diversified by swells and forest tracts.

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GAZEETER OF MAINE.

The land is fertile, and yields well of the crops suitable to the latitude. The Meduxnekeag River crosses the north-east part of the town, furnish- ing several good water-powers. Big Brook, which comes from the north- west through the town to the Meduxnekeag, also has some good powers.

The Methodists and Free Baptists both have organizations in the town. The number of public schoolhouses is seven, having, with ap- purtenances, the value of $800. The value of estates in 1870 was 894,257. In 1880 it was $126,289. The population in 1870 was 700. In 1880 it was 904.

Livermore, the north-western town of Androscoggin County, was incorporated in 1795. It was originally a grant from Massachusetts to certain persons for services in the expedition against Port Royal about the middle of the century, whence its early name of Port Royal. The Androscoggin River, the division between it and East Livermore and Leeds on the east and south-east, on the south is Tur- ner, on the west Hartford and Canton, and on the north Canton and Jay. It contains about 17,800 acres of land. Long and Round ponds, in the northern part of the town, and separated by a few rods only, are the largest. Bartlett's Pond is near the centre, and Brettun's is in the south-westerly part of the town. Livermore constitutes the high middle ground between the hills of Oxford and the more moderate elevations of the Kennebec. Its highest hills are Hamlin's (or Mount Seir), But- ler's and Birch. These afford extended views toward the White Mountains, the Penobscot River and the sea. The soil, though stony, is strong and productive. Apples and dairy products form the largest items for the market. There are mills for lumber, and turned wooden- boxes, and a cheese-factory at Brettun's Mills (Livermore Village P. O.); a tannery, cheese-factory, two mills, and a grist-mill at North Livermore ; and a saw-mill near Livermore Falls.

Deacon Elijah Livermore and Major Thomas Fish were the first settlers. removing to the place in 1779. Major Fish perished in a snow storm in the following winter while on the way home from Winthrop, where he had been to visit the lady to whom he was engaged. Deacon Livermore built the first mill in town in 1782 or 1783 near Long Pond. Saw, fulling, card and grist mills have since been operated on the out- let of this pond. Early in the century Deacon Livermore built a grist and saw mill at the outlet of Brettun's Pond. The first church was of the Baptist denomination, and was organized in 1793. The Methodists organized a society in 1802, under the direction of Rev. Joshua Soule, afterward a bishop of that church. The town has now Universalist, Methodist, and Baptist and Free Baptist churches. There are seven- teen schoohouses in the town, worth about $4,000. The estates in 1870 were valued at 8524,267. In 1880 they were $430,709. The popu- lation at that date was 1,467. In 1880 it was 1,262. Among the noted citizens were General David Learned, Jonathan G. IIunton, subse- quently governor of Maine ; Reuel Washburn, judge of Probate for An- droscoggin ; Dr. Cyrus Hamlin, Israel Washburn, and others. Natives of the town who haveobtained eminence are Israel Washburn, Jr., LL.D., member of Congress and governor of Maine ; Elihu B., member of Con- gress for Illinois, secretary of state in 1869, and later United States min- ister to France; Cadwallader C., member of Congress from Wisconsin,

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RUSSELL -RICHARDSON-SC

LIVERMORE FALLS, LIVERMORE, ME.

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GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

major-general of volunteers, and subsequently governor of Wisconsin . Charles A., United States minister in Paraguay, and author of a his- tory of that country ; Samuel B., once a shipmaster, later captain of a marine force in the war of the Rebellion ; William D., an extensive manufacturer and surveyor-general of Minnesota, all brothers ; Han- nibal Hamlin, LL.D., formerly Senator and Vice-President of the United States, and others. Livermore has had two centenarians, -Captain David Hinkley, who died in 1867, aged one hundred and two years, lacking a few days; and Sarah Kidder, who was born in 1771, and was living at last accounts, when she was above one hundred and one years. The town had 98 men in service during the war of the Rebellion, among whom was Col. Lee Strickland. E. B. Haskell, of the Boston Herald, is a native of this town.

Locke's Mills, a small village and post-office in Green- wood, Oxford County.

Long Island Plantation, in Hancock County, is situated 40 miles south of Ellsworth, and 15 south of Tremont, on Mount Desert Island, with which it is connected by boat. It consists of Long, Harbor, Crow, John's, Two Sisters, two Green, two Duck, East Black, Plasentia, West Black, Calf, Pond, Sheep, and Ram islands. The occupation of the inhabitants is fishing and farming. The principal crops are hay and potatoes.

The plantation has one Baptist church. There is one public school- house, and this, with other school property, is valued at $700. The valuation of estates in 1880 was $22,291. The rate of taxation was 8 mills on the dollar. The population in 1870 was 177. In 1880 it was 150.

Long Pond, a post-office in Hancock County.

Lovell is situated in the southern part of Oxford County, but north of Fryeburg, and having Stowe between it and the New Hamp- shire line. On the north-west and north-east it is bounded by Stone- ham, east by Waterford, and south-east by Sweden. The area is 24,000 acres. Upper Kezar Pond nearly divides the town into eastern and western parts, being 8 miles long by about 1 broad. The surface of the town is uneven, especially on the eastern side of the Pond, where it is mountainous. Some names of the eminences are Amos Mountain, Mount Reho, McDaniel's Hill, Sebatos Mountain, and Chris- tian and Sheriff hills. Kezar River, the outlet of ponds of that name in Waterford, runs southward through the eastern part of the town to the Saco .* At Lovell Village, on this stream, near the southern part of the town, are several mills. There are also mills near the centre on the outlet of a small pond ; and at North Lovell there is a steam-mill, manufacturing spools and long lumber. Other manufactures of the town are shooks, axe-handles and ox-goads, carriages and sleighs, cab net work and coffins, boots and shoes, harnesses, etc. The small centres in Lovell, other than the p :¿.. cipai ones Already mentioned, are " Slab City," "Sucker Brook " (the ~utlet of Horse-shoe Pond), an.]

· The name Kezar occurring so frequently in this region, is the name of an old hunter who dwelt here.

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LOWELL.

" Cushman's Mills," on the outlet of Andrew's Pond. The soil in this town is very good, yielding well of all the usual crops. The forests are

well diffused, containing many trees of large size. There is much beautiful scenery in the town.

The first settlements here were made in 1777, and bore the name of New Suncook until their incorporation in November 15, 1800. The present name was adopted in honor of John Lovell (Lovewell) the hero of the decisive fight in 1725 against the Pequaket tribe of Indians who occupied this region. The township was granted to the officers and soldiers engaged in that battle and their heirs. Sweden was set off from Lovell in 1813. The names of several of the first settlers are Noah Eastman, Stephen Dresser, John Stearns, Captain John Wood, Oliver Whitney, Joseph and Annias McAllaster, Benjamin Stearns, Josiah Heald, Levi Dresser, John Whiting, Abel Butters and James Kilgrave.

Lovell has two Congregationalist churches, and one each of the Methodists, Universalists, and Christians. The number of public school- houses is twelve ; and the school property is valued at $3,200. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $305,764. In 1880 it was $305,632. The population in 1870 was 1,018. In 1880 it was 1,077.

Lowell is an agricultural town of Penobscot County, lying east of the Penobscot River, 48 miles N.N.E. of Bangor. It is bounded on the north by Enfield and Lincoln, east by Burlington, south by township No. 1, of the Bingham Purchase, and west by Passadumkeag. Some portions of Coldstream Pond, at the north-west corner, lie within the town; and on the eastern line lies Eskulassis Pond, whose outlet, flowing southward to the Passadumkeag, in the southern part of the town, furnishes five water-powers. The latter stream also has four falls and descents. The principal powers in town bear the names "Passa- dumkeag Rips," "Little Falls," "High Ledge," "Lighting Rips," " Varney's Mills," "Porter's grist and saw mill " and " Woodman's Mill." There is also a tannery.

The surface of the town is uneven and in parts broken. There are several considerable hills in the northern part. The uplands, though stony, are fertile and excellent for grazing. Along the streams are large tracts of meadow-land, which yield heavy crops of hay. The principal business centre is in the vicinity of Lowell post-office, in in the south-west part of the town. The European and North-Ameri- can Railway station at Passadumkeag, about 8 miles west of Lowell post-office, affords the nearest railroad connection.

Alpheus Hayden and Levi Done were the first settlers, having begun their residence hore in March, 1819. The lands of these and other early settlers were purchased of the State. Mary C. Dean (subsequently the wife of Stephen Kimball, Esq., of Bangor) was the first school teacher, and Rev. Pindar Field, the first minister of the plantation. They were so highly esteemed that the name of the plantation, which had previously been called " Page's Mills," was changed to Deanfield, thus joining the memory of both in a word. The settlement was incorporated February, 1837, under the name of Huntersville. This was changed the next year to Lowell, in honor of the first person born in town, Lowell Hayden, son of Alpheus, one of the two first settlers. In 1841 a tract called the "Strip," lying north of township No. 1,

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Bingham's Penobscot purchase, was annexed to Lowell. The settlers of this tract purchased their lands of the Bingham heirs. In 1842 the Coldstream settlement was annexed.

There are considerable numbers of Congregationalist, Baptist and Free Baptist people in the town, who meet with their brethren in churches in adjoining towns. The number of public schoolhouses in in Lowell is eight; and the school property of the town is valued at $1,350. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $72,126. In 1880 it was 865,496. The population in 1870 was 448. In 1880 it was 433.

Lubec embraces the most south-easterly part of Washington County, of the State of Maine and of the United States ; and Quoddy Head is the south-easterly point of all these. This point is marked by a lighthouse, with a brick tower painted in red and white stripes, the lamp having a flashing, white light. This town is bounded on the north by Perry and Pembroke, from both of which it is separated by Lubec Bay and its passages ; on the west by Trescott, and on the south and east by the ocean. Campo Bello Island lies on the east of Lubec, separated only by a narrow passage of the sea, and Grand Menan, on the south- east at a minimum distance of about 5 miles. Both of these belong to Great Britain. Lubec has a large and admirable harbor, of sufficient depth for the largest vessels, and is never obstructed by ice, is easy of access, and well protected from rough seas by points and islands. The principal place of business is at the end of a point of land jutting into and dividing the harbor,-the situation being very beautiful. The whole eastern shore north of Quoddy Head is thickly settled ; and so also is that part of the interior of the town lying along an arm of the sea, at whose western point is West Lubec.

There is at this point a good tide-power, which is improved by a saw-mill. The largest power in the town is at Lubec Mills, where is a tide-power of about 15 feet fall, and a pond of over 100 acres, equal to about 100 horse-power. This was formerly occupied by plaster-mills. Lubec has two ship-yards, three boat-builders, three sail-makers, and the other small manufactures common to villages. The Lubec lead mines are situated near the northern part of the town. The principal business of the inhabitants, is agriculture and fisheries. The town is on the stage-line from East Machias, 23 miles distant, and steamboat- line from Eastport, 3 miles distant.

The first settlers of Lubec were French people, who came from Nova Scotia in 1758, but after remaining a short time removed to the upper parts of the St. John River, or to Lower Canada. The per- manent settlement of the place was commenced in 1776 by Col. John Allan and several others, patriot fugitives from Cumberland County, Nova Scotia. It may well be supposed that some Germans also had settled here, since when the town was incorporated it was named for the good old German city, Lubeck. Louis F. Delesdernier and Nehe- miah Small were the first settlers and also the first traders on "Flagg's Point," where Lubec Village now stands; they having come hither from Eastport in 1814, when the British occupied that placc.

There was a Congregational church organized here in 1820, under the labors of Rev. Elijah Kellogg. Rev. Andrew Bigelow was, in 1821, ordained as the first pastor. The churches in the town now consist of one each of the Methodists, Baptists and the Disciples, and two of the

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LYMAN.

Christians. The number of public schoolhouses is ten. The school property of the town is valued at $5,100. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $309,406. In 1880 it was $310,818. The population in 1870 was 2,136. In 1880 it was 2,109.

Ludlow, in Aroostook County, is a half township adjoining the northern part of Houlton on the west. New Limerick bounds it on the south, and Smyrna on the west. Moose River and Mill Brook are the principal streams. The surface is somewhat varied by swells, but is without high hills. Birch, beech, maple, spruce and hemlock constitute the forests. The rock is chiefly slate. The soil is slaty in some parts and a gravely loam in others. Hay, oats, wheat and pota- toes are the chief crops, and yield well. The plantation has two saw- mills, each capable of sawing 5m. feet per day. The buildings are generally in good repair, giving due evidence of thrift. The nearest railroad station is at Houlton, 5 miles distant. White's mineral spring in this town has some local reputation.

Ludlow has four public schoolhouses, and its school property alto- gether is valued at $700. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $57,888. In 1880 it was $109,657. The population in 1870 was 371. In 1880 it was 468.

Lyman, in York County, joins Alfred at the west corner, while an angle nearly opposite touches the western corner of Bidde- ford. The form of the town is nearly that of a regular rhomboid, its greatest diameter being from north to south. Dayton bounds it on the north-east, Kennebunkport on the south-east, Alfred on the south- west, and Waterborough on the north-west. The number of acres of land contained is 14,244 acres. The surface is moderately uneven. Grant Hill, near Kennebunk and Swan ponds, is probably the highest elevation of land in town. The soil is fair, producing good crops of grain and grass, and of apples. The chief bodies of water consist of the two ponds named, near the centre of the town, Barker Pond, at the east, Bunganut Pond, at the north-west, and Tarwater Pond midway of the northwestern line of the town. There are seven considerable streams in town, of which the largest is Kennebunk River, which is formed by the outlet of Kennebunk Pond. The principal business centre is Good- win's Mills, a neat little cluster of buildings in the south-eastern part of the town, which has borne its present name since 1782. There are here saw and grist mills. The line of Dayton passes through the vil- lage, dividing it between the two towns. A conspicuous monument near the Baptist Church honors the memory of one of the earliest merchants and valued citizens of the place,-Benjamin Dudley.

On the outlet of Swan Pond are two powers, each utilized for a saw-mill, and there is also a saw-mill on the eastern outlet of Kenne- bunk Pond, lumbering being still a source of considerable income to the inhabitants.

The nearest railroad station is at Biddeford, with which there is daily stage connection.

John Sanders, John Bush and Peter Turbat, in 1660 purchased of the Indian sagamore Fluellen, a tract of land embracing nearly the present limits of the town; and the titles are from this source and from Massachusetts. The proprietors sold their title, in 1668, to Har-

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lackindine Symonds, who conveyed his right to Roger Haskins and thirty-five others, and under the proprietorship of these the town was settled in 1767. John Low was a leading man in town affairs for many years, representing them in General Court. Ichabod Dam was another of the trusted early citizens, and several years a member of the General Court from his town. Nathaniel Low was secretary of the Maine Senate in 1826. Robert Swansen, remembered by the older in- habitants as Master Swansen, was a surveyor, and a prominent man in the town affairs. William Waterhouse, a school-teacher, with his family removed to this town between 1764 and 1775. Pierce Murphy, who served in the Revolution, settled in the town after its close. John Burbank was another Revolutionary soldier, and was captured in the privateer "Dalton " and carried to England in 1777. In 1779 he was master-at-arms on board the " Bonne Homme Richard," and was in the action with the "Serapis " and " Countess of Scarborough," in Septem- ber of that year, under John Paul Jones. He spent his last years in Lyman with his son-in-law, Joseph Taylor. Jacob Rhoades, Richard Thomson, Joseph Roberts, the Hills, Smiths, Warrens, Emmons, Lit- tlefields, and Cuffs were likewise respected citizens of the early times.

The town was first incorporated in 1778 under the name of Coxhall, which it retained until 1803, when it was changed to Lyman, in honor of Theodore Lyman, of Boston, formerly of York.

The first house of worship was built in 1788, about one and a quar- ter miles north-west of Goodwin's Mills. In 1798 the Baptists in town were exempted from paying a tax to support the ministry on condition of settling one of their own. The Congregationalists, Bap- tists, Free Baptists and Methodists now have each a church in town. Lyman has ten public schoolhouses, valued at $3,500. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $345,346. In 1880 it was $273,739. The popu- lation at the same date was 1,052. In 1880 it was 1,004.

Lyndon, a post-office in Caribou, Aroostook County.

Machias, the shiretown of Washington County, is situated midway of the south shore of the county, on the Machias River, near its mouth. The western portion extends southward to Little Kenne- bec Bay. Machiasport bounds it on the south-east, also on the east with East Machias and Marshfield. The latter also bounds it on the north, and Whitneyville and Jonesboro on the west. The surface of the town is uneven, but fertile. The rocks along the river are tran but there is an extensive granite quarry within three miles of the falls. The water-power of this town consists of a series of falls on the Ma- chias River, at the head of navigation, six miles above the river's mouth, and three above its junction with the East Machias River. The gross power of the falls is that of about 937 horses. Vessels of 600 tons receive cargoes within 300 feet of the mills. Freshets do no harm, hence mill machinery is secure. Within this town are eight saw-mills manufacturing long and short lumber, a sash, blind and door factory, one or more ship-yards, an iron-foundry and machine-shop, two grain- mills, a carding-mill, canned-food factories, carriage-factories, sail-loft, two printing establishments, a tow-boat company, silver mining com- pany, etc. The Machias Savings Bank held, at the beginning of the fiscal year of 1880, in deposits and profits, the sum of $339,708.36.

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MACHIAS.

The town has a connection with Portland by a steamboat-line, and with Bangor and Calais by a line of stages. A railroad for freight connect- ing Machiasport and Whitneyville passes through the town.

Machias was incorporated June 23, 1784 ; then embracing territory now constituting the towns of East Machias, Whitneyville, Machias- port and Marshfield. It was the first town incorporated between the Penobscot and the St. Croix. East Machias was set off Jan. 24, 1826; Whitneyville, Feb. 10, 1845 ; Machiasport, Jan. 24, 1826; and Marsh- field, June 30, 1846. The English first became acquainted with the place in 1633, when Richard Vines established a trading-post there. A fierce contest was at this time going on between France and England, and in the following spring, La Tour, the French commander in the region, made a descent upon it from his seat at Port Royal, killing two of its six defenders, and carrying the others away with their merchan- dise. No persistent attempt was again made to hold this point by the English or French for upwards of 120 years. In 1704, Major Church found and captured here John Bretoon, of Jersey, with his wife and child, and M. Lattre, with his wife and three children. In 1734 the place was visited by the Governor of Massachusetts. In 1762, on ac- count of the scarcity of hay arising from the drought, Isaiah Foster, Isaac Larabee, and others from Scarborough, visited the place in search of grass, finding a great quantity of it in the marshes. Quite a num- ber of persons settled here the following year, and having thus become acquainted with the avantages of the place, 80 persons of whom no less than 54 were from Scarborough, petitioned the General Court for a grant of this vicinity for settlement, which was allowed in 1770. Among those who became residents in 1763 were S. and S. Scott, T. D. and G. Libby, S. and J. Stone, W. B. and J. Larabee, D. and J. Hill, D. Fogg, and J. Foster, most of whom located at the West Fall, and Messrs. Munson, Foster, Levey and Scott, settled at East Falls. Morris O'Brien and his sons, in 1765, built a double saw-mill at the former place. Hon. Stephen Jones settled here in 1768. His son was for many years a judge of the Common Pleas and judge of Probate in Washington County. In 1770, many others having come in, several mills were erected on East and West Rivers, and one on Middle River.

It fell to the lot of the Machias people to initiate the Revolution- ary struggle on the sea, as the people of Lexington and Concord had done upon the land. Capt. Ichabod Jones, of Boston, obtained leave to send a small vessel with provisions to Machias on condition of re- turning with a cargo of wood and lumber. Accordingly his sloop, convoyed by the armed English schooner Margaretta, commanded by Lieutenant Moore, arrived here on the 9th of May, bringing the first intelligence of the bloody conflicts at Lexington and Concord. It was not many days before the inhabitants made known their sentiments by the erection of a liberty pole at a prominent point in the settlement. Lieutenant Moore, learning the significance of the pole, ordered it to be removed, under a threat of firing on the town. By the influence of Mr. Jones, the British commander was induced to delay the execution of his threat from day to day, while several meetings were held by the inhabitants to consider the matter ; but they every time voted not to take down the pole. The final meeting was to be held on Monday, and on the previous Sunday, a plot was laid to capture Lieutenant

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Moore at the meeting-house as the service closed : but seeing through the window some armed men crossing the river above, he took the alarm, sprang through the open window, and escaped to his vessel. An armed company of the settlers followed down to the shore, when the Margaretta, after firing a few shots over the settlement, slipped down the river. Early the next morning, Benjamin Foster, Jeremiah O'Brien and his five stalwart brothers, and some others, gathered at the wharf, and took possession of Jones' wood sloop ; then by shouts they gathered the men of the settlement on board. A plan of captur- ing the Margaretta was made known, the timid were allowed to go ashore, while the bolder spirits, a few only armed with muskets, others with pitchforks and axes, sailed down the river to attack the British schooner. Another company, in a small coaster, followed them. They found the schooner in the bay, and run alongside with the intention of boarding. She received them with a discharge of several guns, muskets and hand grenades, by which several were killed. The vessels fell apart, only John O'Brien, one of the six brothers, having got on board the enemy. Several of the British instantly fired at him, but not a bullet touched him. Then they charged upon him with their bayonets ; but before they could reach him he was overboard, and swimming towards the sloop, which he reached without other harm than a wet- ting. The only cannon possessed by the patriots was a wall piece, which they balanced on the rail, and fired with destructive effect. The muskets, also, did good service, and the decks of the Margaretta were cleared. Several of the enemy had fallen, including the comman- der, and when the vessels were brought together again, the officer in command fled below in terror, and the crew yielded at once. .

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Gazetteer of the state of Maine, Part 42

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