USA > Maine > Gazetteer of the state of Maine > Part 48
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The business centres are Newfield village on the Little Ossipee river in the eastern part of the town, West Newfield, a little west of the centre, and North Newfield midway of the line on the northern side. At the village are two grist-mills, lumber, stave, shook and planing mills, carding machine; West Newfield has saw, grist and stave mills, one of each ; at North Newfield, the principal business is the mining and preparation of a mineral used in the manufacture of stone, earthen, porcelain and glass ware, and for polishing lustre. Silver and iron have been mined in town, but not with profit. Lime- stone is found in a few localities. The Free Baptists and Congrega- tionalists have each a church in town, and the Methodists have two. The town has eight public schoolhouses, valued at $5,000. The valua- tion of estates in 1870 was $298,895. In 1880 it was $264,577. The population at the same date was 1,493. In 1880 it was 995.
New Gloucester is situated midway on the northern line of Cumberland County, having Gray on the south-west, North Yar- mouth and Pownal on the south-east, Auburn and Danville in Andros- coggin County on the north-east, and Poland on the north-west. It was originally ordered to be laid out six miles square, but is nearly nine miles in length from N.N.W. to S.S.E., by six the other. It is 22 miles from Portland, on the line of the Grand Trunk and Maine Central railways, which cross the eastern part of the town.
The surface is beautifully diversified, and without either lofty hills
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or deep valleys, affords many pleasing prospects. Bald Hill in the northern corner of the town is the highest eminence. There is much good interval land, and the uplands are generally loamy. The hills especially, have many drift rocks of the cobble-stone size. The town is one of the best for farming purposes, and being well-wrought, has generally a thrifty appearance. There is a mineral spring of some note in the town called the Centennial Spring.
Lily Pond, about half a mile square, lies a little north of the centre of the town ; and in the north-western part is Sabbath-day Pond, two miles long by half a mile wide. The principal streams are Royal's River, Harris Brook, and the outlet of Sabbath-day Pond. The Shakers have a village at the western extremity of the town, with about 1,000 acres of excellent land, which they cultivate with their usual industry. Near by the village, on the outlet of Shaker Bog, is a small lumber and grist-mill belonging to this community. The other business centres are Upper Gloucester, New Gloucester P. O. near the centre of the town, Gloucester Hill, a mile and a half west of the last, Cobb's Station on the same line, at the eastern side of the town, and Fogg's Corners, in the southern part.
The manufactures are lumber, carriages, boots and shoes and tin- ware. Upper Gloucester occupies the side of an elevated plain, which slopes off from the village towards the south and west into miles of lowland, bog, forest and interval.
The township was granted in 1735 to 60 inhabitants of Gloucester, Mass., whence its name with the prefix "New." There were 63 equal shares, of which the odd three were respectively, as usual, for the first minister, the support of the ministry, and the schools. A number of families very soon built a dozen log-houses on Harris Hill, and a saw- mill near by,-of whom Jonas Mason was the first. It was in the autumn 1742, that the household goods of the pioneer settlers were landed at the mouth of Royal's River and poled up the stream on rafts to the bridge which had been erected in 1739. A new war with France broke out in 1744, continuing until 1751; during which the hostility of the savages caused the abandonment of the settlement.
In 1753 some of the inhabitants returned and built a block-house 100 rods south-west of the meeting-house on the lower side of the road. For six years it was a home, a fort and a church. The long slots in the walls for the guns also served as windows ; and the huge fire on the hearth cooked their food and lighted the apartment at night. [See Haskell's Centennial Address.] Ruined mills and cabins were re-built, and in 1756 a new road was cut by Walnut Hill to North Yarmouth. The first grist-mill was put up in 1758.
Colonel Isaac Parsons and John Woodman came in 1761. The erec- tion of a schoolhouse, and the arrival of the first schoolmaster and minis- ter occurred in 1764. The name of the latter was Samuel Foxcroft ; and his descendants still occupy the fine old mansion built by him. The first meeting-house was built in 1770, and stood until 1838. It was a quaint, but ambitious edifice. It had a square tower on the south- weit end, and a porch on the other. Twenty-six windows in two rows let in the light through their 8 by 10 panes. Galleries on three sides rose to the height of the preacher's eyes, as he stood in the lofty pulpit under the threatening sounding-board. Wardens with long staffs watched for sleepers, and sometimes the reminder of the knobbed
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end was far from gentle. Holes in the floor served for spittoons, and gave ample ventilation. Seats turned upon their hinges during prayer to afford space for the wide skirts of the ladies, and dropped down with a rattling chorus and many a bang at the welcome " Amen." The town's stock of powder was kept in small closets within the sacred desk, ready to be served out to the members of the congregation on Sundays and at their homes on secular days, in case of an Indian attack. If the pulpit was not the driest place in town, it was in some danger of becoming the hottest.
The town was incorporated in 1794; from 1795 to the organization of Oxford County in 1805 the courts were held here alternately with Portland ; and New Gloucester therefore early became one of the most distinguished towns in the State, much of its present elegance being due to the people thus brought into its limits. Hon. Peleg W. Chandler of Boston was a native of this town. William Pitt Fes- senden spent his boyhood hore; and his brother Hon. S. C. Fessenden, a member of the 37th Congress (1860) was born here. Their father, General Samuel Fessenden, began the practice of law in this town. The mother of Hon. W. W. Thomas, of Portland, was born in New Gloucester in 1779. She was a daughter of Judge Widgery, and a lady of great benevolence and public spirit. Elias Thomas, to whom she was married in 1802, died in 1872, being above one hundred years of age.
The religious societies in town are the Congregationalists, Bapt- ists, Free Baptists, Universalists, Shakers, each of these have churches, some of which are superior edifices. The Bailey House school at New Gloucester village is well spoken of. New Gloucester has eleven public schoolhouses, and its school property is valued at $5,000. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $848,905. The rate of taxation in 1879 was 9} mills on the dollar. The town has no debt. The population in 1870 was 1,496. In 1880 it was reported at 1,382.
New Harbor,-a post-office and small village in Bristol, Lincoln County.
New Limerick, in Aroostook County, is in the second range, and is adjoined by Houlton on the east, Ludlow on the north, Linneus on the south, Smyrna and Oakfield Plantation on the west. The town embraces a half township, and contains numerous ponds. New Limerick Lake, in the south-eastern part of the town, is about three miles in length, and one-half mile in greatest width. Drew's Lake occupies about one and a half square miles in the south-west part of the town. Cochran's and Bradbury's lakes lie in the north-west, Gould's in the midst of the western part, and others smaller are found in various quantities. Davis Stream and its branches, forming the outlets of the sheets of water mentioned, are the principal water- courses. This stream is the south branch of the Meduxnekeag River. There is on Davis Stream, in the south part of the town, a large tan- nery ; and near by is a saw-mill. On the outlet of Drew's Lake is a saw-mill and a starch-factory. This is a fertile township, and abounds in excellent timber. The rocks are granite and limestone, the latter
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of superior quality. The stage-line from Houlton to Patten passes through the town.
The Baptists have a society, and sustain preaching a portion of the time. New Limerick has five public schoolhouses; and its school property is valued at $1,000. The population in 1870 was 308. In 1880 it was 590. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $43,450. In 1880 it was $100,720.
Newport lies on the western border of Penobscot County, 25 miles west-north-west of Bangor. Corinna bounds it on the north, Stetson on the east, Plymouth on the south and Palmyra, in Somerset County, on the west. The surface is pleasantly varied by hills and valleys, but is without lofty elevations. Newport Pond lies nearly in the centre of the town. It has an area of about 8 square miles, and a circumference of about 15. This excellent reservoir receives the over- flow of Stetson Pond, lying in the next town eastward, of two ponds in Dexter, and of one in Corinna. Its own outlet forms the east branch of the Sebasticook River. The dam might readily be raised so as to give eight feet of storage on the pond, which would then afford 252 horse powers gross on the whole fall for ten hours a day, 312 days in the year, or about 10,000 spindles. The natural fall at this place is 14 feet in 78 rods. No damage has ever been done by freshets. A good quality of granite for building is abundant here. The principal centre of business is Newport village on the outlet of the pond, in the south- western part of the town. Other centres are East and North Newport and Wedgewood Corners. Newport village, and East Newport have stations on the Maine Central Railroad, which also sends a branch from Newport village to Dexter.
The manufactures at the village consist of lumber (2 mills), car- riages, meal and flour, marble, granite and slate work, iron work, boots and shoes, etc.
The soil of this town is fertile, and the main business of the inhab- itants is agricultural. The buildings generally in the rural parts of the town, as well as in the villages, show tokens of thrift. The place is likely to have a greater growth in years to come.
The settlement of this town was commenced about the year 1808. Among the earliest settlers were William Martin, Isaac Lawrence, Nathaniel Burrill, John Whiting, Daniel Bicknell, John Ireland and Elam Pratt, most of whom came from Bloomfield and purchased the land upon which to settle, of Benjamin Shepard, of that town. The settlement was called East Pond Plantation until its incorporation under its present name, June 14, 1814.
The denominations which have societies here are the Methodists and the Christian. All hold their meetings in the Union church. There is in the village a circulating library of 500 volumes. The number of public schoolhouses is ten, valued, with their appurtenances, at $8,000. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $540,927. In 1880 it was $378,168. The population in 1870 was 1,559. In 1880 it was 1,451.
New Portland lies on the western border of Somerset County, 20 miles north-west of Skowhegan. Lexington bounds it on the north, Anson on the south, Embden on the east, and Freeman, in
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Franklin County, on the west. The township is square in its form, but somewhat larger than the standard size of six miles square. The surface lies in large swells, but generally without the steepness that precludes cultivation. The soil is of granitic origin, and yields well with good dressing. Gilman Pond Mountain, rising northward from the northern border, has a considerable height. Gilman Pond lying on the northern line has an area of about one-half a square mile. Lily Pond, on the western line, is still smaller. The principal stream is Seven Mile Brook or Carabasset River, which rises about the base of Mount Abraham at the north-west, and flows into and through the town in a general south westerly course. It receives as a tributary in the eastern part of the town, Gilman Stream, flowing south from Gil- man Pond, and in the south-western part, Lemon Stream. The powers are at North New Portland, on Gilman Stream; at West New Port- land, on Lemon Stream near its junction with the Carabasset; and at East New Portland, near the junction of Gilman Stream with the Carabasset. The manufactories at these different points are as follows : at North New Portland are a lumber-mill, a grist-mill, hand-sled, salt- box, rake and carriage, canning-factories, etc. ; at East New Portland, a saw and grist-mill; at West New Portland, a saw-mill, two grist- mills, churn, cloth-dressing, carriage, boot, shoe and moccasin factories. The town has much attractive scenery, and the villages wear an ap- pearance of thrift. New Portland is on the stage-line from North- Anson, terminus of the Somerset Railroad to Dead River.
The township, with that of Freeman on its west, was granted by Massachusetts to the sufferers by the burning of Falmouth (now Port- land) by Mowatt in 1775. It was organized as a plantation in 1805, and as a town in 1808, receiving its name from the town whose mis- fortunes it partially remedied. David Hutchins, of Chelmsford, Mass., was the first settler, probably, in 1785. In 1786 Josiah Parker arrived from Groton, Mass. He had served in the fourth regiment of Mas- sachusetts militia, in the war of the Revolution, and was honorably discharged at West Point ; and he subsequently bore an honorable and arduous part in the affairs of this town. He was ninety-six years of age in 1856. Another valued citizen was Andrew Elliott, who was one of the earlier settlers, a very public spirited man, who lived to the advanced age of one hundred and three years. Ebenezer Richardson, from Sedgewick, came in the same year, and John and William Churchill, from Bingham, in 1788. Later came Eben Casley, from Gorham, Samuel and Benjamin Gould, Solomon Walker, Charles Warden, from Woolwich, and John Dennis, from Groton, N. H. The town, in 1809, voted an invitation to Beniah Pratt to become the parish minister, which he accepted, but was not settled. In 1815, Samuel Hutchins, son of the first settler, was called and settled, and had a portion of the ministerial lands. Both these divines belonged to the Free-will Baptists, who were the principal sect at first. The churches are now two Free Baptist; a Methodist, a Universalist, a Union, and a Congregational Union church. The number of public schoolhouses is sixteen, and the value of the public school property $3,500. The population in 1870 was 1,454. In 1880 it was 1,271. The valuation in 1870 was $400,590. In 1880 it was $466,250.
Newry lies in the western part of Oxford County, just north
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of Androscoggin River. It is bounded on the south by Bethel, east by Hanover and Rumford, north by Andover, north-west by Grafton and west by Riley. The town is compound in its figure, but is bounded by straight lines. Its area is 26,000 acres. Bear River crosses the midst of the town from north-west to south-east, entering the Andros- coggin River where, by a northward bend, it touches the south line of Newry. Near the line on the west side of Bear River, rises Mount Will to a height of 1,588 feet. Along the western base of this moun- tain flows Sunday River, coming from Riley at the west, then turning southward. West of this river, and near the southern line of the town is Barker's Mountain, 2,551 feet high. North-west of this is Black Mountain, with another considerable peak south of it. On the western border near the north is Stow Mountain ; north-east of this is Sunday River White Cap; south-east of White Cap is Bald Mountain ; and on the opposite side of Bear River, in the northern corner of the town, is Great Ledge Hill. In the eastern part of the town is Puzzle Moun. tain. Except where divided by the rivers all these mountains, except the last, join at their bases. Granite ledges are numerous. Along the two rivers are excellent intervals, and the hill slopes afford good pasturage. Hay is the largest crop. There is much forest, in which flourish the trees common to the State. Both the principal streams have falls suitable for small mills ; and on Bear River, near North Newry post-office, are a saw and grist-mill. Near the mouth of Bear River, on the Androscoggin, is a steam saw-mill ; but it is situated on the south side of the line in the north-western angle of Hanover. The settlements are along the streams. The stage-line between Bethel Hill and Lake Umbagog runs along the eastern bank of Bear River. The nearest railroad station is that of the Grand Trunk Railroad at Bethel village, near the centre of that town.
The first settlements were made here in 1781, by Benjamin Barker and his two brothers, from Methuen, Mass., and Ithiel Smith, of Cape Elizabeth, Me. These families were plundered by the Canada Indianc in 1782, and removed to other parts until after the establishment of peace. The first sale of the township proved abortive, and it reverted to the State. In 1794 John J. Holmes of New Jersey purchased it, taking the deed in his sister Bostwick's name, wherefore it for awhile bore her name. It was also included under the general name of Sudbury-Canada, applied to several towns about here. It was incor- porated June 15, 1805, receiving the name of Newry in deference to some of the settlers, who had emigrated from Newry, in Ireland. A person of large observation after a prolonged visit to this town in its early days said "I have travelled over a great part of Europe and the United States, and I believe the people here to be the most honest, industrious and sober of any I ever met with."
There is a Methodist Society in the town and a Union meeting- house at Newry Corner. There are six public schoolhouses ; and the school property is valued at $1,190. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $116,894. In 1880 it was $90,663. The population in 1870 was 416. In 1880 it was 337.
New Sharon is situated in the southern part of Franklin County, and is the most easterly of its towns. It is bounded on the north by Industry, west by Farmington, south by Chesterville, and by
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NEW SHARON.
Vienna in Kennebec County, and east by Mercer in Somerset County. The length of the town from north to south is about 12 miles. The area is 28,600 acres. The surface is agreeably diversified, but is with- out high hills or deep valleys. Cape Cod and Hampshire Hills are the chief elevations. The rocks are gneiss, slate, an impure lime- stone, with perhaps, some granite. In the woods are found a large variety of trees,-maple, beech, birch, ash, hemlock, fir, spruce, pine, poplar, cedar, and others. The soil is sandy in the river valleys ; next above this is a clay loam, and away from the river a sandy loam or other light soil. It is quite productive ; and numerous small fortunes have been gathered from the profits of New Sharon farms. Much of this money has gone to develop new towns and States in the West. The village of New Sharon is one of the prettiest in the State. It is situated on both sides of the Sandy River, where a natural fall is in- creased by a dam, and the stream spanned by an expensive covered bridge. The railroad station at Farmington, 9 miles distant, and the station in Belgrade, 16 miles distant, furnish the nearest railroad con- nections ; but a narrow-gauge railroad to Farmington is contemplated. There is a daily stage from New Sharon to both these places. Mc- Gurdy Pond, 1 mile long by 1} mile wide, is the largest sheet of water. The streams are Sandy River, which crosses the middle of the town toward the north-east, and Muddy Brook, running southward to Sandy River through the northern part. Gold is found near the bed of this river, but full test of the quantity has not yet been made. The vil- lages are New Sharon, on Sandy River near the centre of the town; Week's Mills, on Muddy Brook, two or three miles north of the last ; and East New Sharon, half-way from the centre to the south-east of the town. There are operated in New Sharon three saw-mills, a grist- mill, and chair, shoe, shovel-handle, carriage and clothing factories.
The township of New Sharon was granted to Prince Baker and others, by the State of Massachusetts, in 1791, and was settled so rap- idly that in 1794 it was incorporated. Mr. Baker himself was the earliest settler. He was followed by Nathaniel Tibbits, Benjamin Chambers, Benjamin Rollins, James Howes and Samuel Prescott. This township is stated by Williamson [Hist. of Maine, vol. 2, p. 514] to have been a part of the tract granted to the representatives of Capt. William Tyng and his company in consideration of their services and sufferings during a dangerous pursuit of the Indian enemy upon snow- shoes during the first winter of Queen Anne's war (1734). It was therefore first called Tyngstown. It was afterward named Unity, finally taking its present name of New Sharon.
Abel Baker built the first mills at the falls in 1801. They after- ward passed into the hands of Abel Mayhew, by whom they were re- built and much improved. The bridge across the Sandy River at this village was first erected about 1809 or 1810, and has since been rebuilt with solid stone abutments. The town hall is a substantial brick building, two stories in height.
The climate of the region is salubrious; and there reside in the town five persons who are upwards of ninety years old, eighteen who are between eighty and ninety, and sixty-three who are between sev- enty and eighty. New Sharon furnished 166 men to the Union cause, during the war of the Rebellion. George Dana Boardman, the devoted and distinguished missionary to Burmah, was a native of this town.
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GAZETTEER OF MAINE.
Dr. J. F. Pratt, a physician of Chelsea, Mass., was for a considerable time, a resident of this town. The town has a library of above 1,000 volumes.
There are four church-edifices in town, one of which belongs to the Congregationalists, one to the Methodists and two to the Free Bap- tists. New Sharon has sixteen public schoolhouses; and the total value of school property is estimated at $3,000. The estates in 1870 were valued at $481,434. In 1880 they were set at $470,917. The rate of taxation in the latter year was 36 mills on the dollar. The population in 1870 was 1,451. In 1880 it was 1,306.
New Sweden Plantation is situated in the north- eastern part of Aroostook County, 62 miles north by north-west of Houlton and 8 miles from the New Brunswick railroad station in Caribou. It is bounded on the east by K. Plantation and by Caribou, south by Woodland Plantation, west by Perham Plantation, with un- named townships on the north-west and north. It was formerly Town- ship No. 15, Range 3. The surface is little varied by hills or deep valleys ; the highest hill being Mount Barmett. The soil is fertile and free from rocks. The forests consist chiefly of maple and cedar. The crops principally cultivated are rye, potatoes and buckwheat. Bearsley Ponds, the largest containing scarcely one-fourth of a square mile, lie in the western part of the town. The streams are the Little Mada- waska, which runs south-eastward across the northern part, and Bears- ley Brook, a tributary of the river, coming from Bearsley Ponds ; the South Branch of Bearsley Brook, coming from a small pond in the south-east, and the North Branch of the Caribou, which crosses the south-west corner of the township. There are two steam shingle-mills and one water-power saw-mill, in adjoining plantations. The roads are of average goodness; and there is one bridge 300 feet and one 60 feet long.
This plantation was settled under the direction of Hon. W. W. Thomas, Jr., Commissioner of Immigration, July 23, 1870. It was organized into a plantation April 6, 1876. In 1880 the plantation numbered 517 Swedish inhabitants. The Swedish colony at this date had overrun the limits of New Sweden, and scattered over the adja- cent portions of Woodland, Caribou and Perham, numbering in all 787 souls ; an increase of 14.74 per cent. in a decade. In 1880 the colony had cleared 4,438 acres of wild land, built a church, town-house, five schoolhouses, three mills, 163 dwelling-houses, and 151 barns; and had also constructed 42} miles of road. They owned 164 horses, 659 head of horned cattle, 530 sheep, 175 swine, and 1,920 poultry. The colony is a thrifty and successful agricultural community, who have already attracted to the State 1,000 Swedish immigrants in addition to its own numbers. The members of this colony brought with them $100,000 in cash.
Mr. E. HI. Elwell, of the Portland Transcript, in his pamphlet on Aroostook, published in 1878, gives the following description of a Swedish house in this plantation, (Mr. Peterson's).
" It is one of the larger and better class of houses, and shows the Swedish style of building to good advantage. It is built of hewn logs; clap-boarded, with the interstices between the logs calked with moss-a warm and solid building.
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