Gazetteer of the state of Maine, Part 70

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

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At Waterford Flat are a tannery and Shattuck's Hygienic Institu- tion; at North Waterford are a lumber-mill, a sash-mill, a grist- mill and a tannery ; at South Waterford are a lumber and grist-mill, a stave-mill, a salt-box, dry-bucket and carriage factories.

The surface of the town is uneven and has much beautiful scenery, especially about the the southern ponds. The roads are excellent, and nowhere are more enjoyable drives to be found than in this town. It is 13 miles from the Grand Trunk Railroad station at South Paris, on a stage-line from that place to Fryeburg.

Waterford was surveyed in 1774. The first settler was David Mc- Wayne, who took up his residence here alone in 1775. So fond was he of utter solitude that he appeared very much annoyed when, three years later, a clearing was commenced on what is now known as Paris Hill, 12 or 15 miles away. Eleazer Hamlin, father of Dr. Cyrus, and grand-father of Hon. Hannibal Hamlin, was an early settler, as were

TICONIC FALLS, WATERVILLE AND WINSLOW, ME.

571

WATERVILLE.

also his three brothers. Five or six Brown brothers, and the four fam- ilies of Jewett, Saunders, Chaplin and Greene also came early. Prof. William W. Greene, M.D., distinguished as a surgeon, was a native of Waterford. The titles to the lands were principally from Jonathan Houghton, Henry Gardiner, David Sampson, Jonathan Whitcomb, chief proprietors.

The town was incorporated March 2, 1797. An Orthodox minister was settled in 1799, and a militia company formed in the same year. At present there are two Congregational churches and one Methodist church in the town. The number of public schoolhouses is fourteen ; and the school-property is valued at $7,000. The population in 1870 was 1,286 ; polls, 333. In 1880 it was 1,161, with 349 polls. The valu- ation in 1870 was $403,651. In 1880 it was $338,987.

Waterville lies on the western bank of the Kennebec River, adjoining Fairfield, in Somerset County, on the north. Winslow lies opposite on the east side of the river, Sidney forms the southern bound- ary, and West Waterville, the western. The town is 6 miles long, and about 2 in width. West Waterville was formed from it in 1873. The eastern and western lines of the Maine Central railway form a junction at the village ; and extensive repair shops of the railroad company are there located. The principal stream in town is the Messalonske, which furnishes power near the village for several manu- factories, among which are a grist-mill, a sash and blind factory, a shovel-handle factory, a tannery, a boot and shoe-shank factory, etc. On the Kennebec are two large cotton factories of the Lockwood Com- pany, and one or two saw-mills.

The surface of the town is little varied by hills, the soil being largely alluvial. The village itself is built along rambling streets shaded by elms on a broad plain above the river, where are many pleasant res- idences, and several with park-like grounds. Near the railway station, are the buildings of Colby University, two of them elegant structures of stone, and the remainder of brick. The grounds, which descend to the river in successive terraces, are well shaded about the buildings by elms, and below by native trees and shrubbery. The flowing river, and the high shore opposite form an attractive background The new building for the scientific department is of granite ; and, with the usual illustrative cabinets, it has a fine one of birds. It is believed that its collection of native birds is the best in the State. On the other wing of the line of buildings is the stone chapel, of variegated colors and surmounted by a tower. The lower part of the edifice is occupied by an excellent modern library of some 18,000 volumes. The upper floor, termed the Memorial Hall, is used as a chapel. It is ornamented with an adaptation in marble, by Milmore, of Thorwaldsen's Lion at Lucerne. The work is wrought from a single marble block, and rep- resents a lion at the mouth of a cave pierced by a spear. The counte- nance of the king of beasts shows an agonizing appearance, which bor- rows much of its expression from the face of the human being. Below this beautiful work is a marble tablet containing the names of twenty former students who fell in the war for the Union. This institution was first organized and incorporated in 1813, and was endowed in that year by the State with two townships of timber land on the Penobscot. In 1820 the institution was granted collegiate powers, and being located

Coburn Hall.

Gymnasium.

Chaplin Hall.

Champlin Hall.

South College.

Memorial Hall.

Library.

COLBY UNIVERSITY, WATERVILLE, ME.

573

WAYNE.

at Waterville, took the name of Waterville College. The first grad- uates were George Dana Boardman and Ephraim Tripp, the former becoming a missionary to India. Having in 1867 received a large endowment from Gardner Colby, a wealthy gentleman of Boston, an act of legislation was procured, changing its name to Colby University. The institution is under the control of the Baptist denomination. Rev. Dr. J. T. Champlin was its president for many years, and its present flourishing condition is largely due to his untiring efforts. He is worthily succeeded by Henry E. Robins, D.D. The principal fitting school for Colby University is the Classical Institute in this village, which has long been considered one of our best academies.

Waterville was formerly a part of Winslow, but was set off and incorporated in 1802, the dividing line being the Kennebec River. The locality of the falls was known to the Indians and early inhab- stants as Tacconnet, since become the more euphonious Ticonic. The first mill was erected here on the lower fall in 1784 by Samuel Reding- ton ; a portion of the funds for this enterprise being furnished by the heirs of Dr. John McKechnie, formerly of Winslow, and a part by Mr. Gatchell, the father of Mr. Redington's wife. Another early settler was James Stackpole, who married a daughter of Dr. McKechnie.

Waterville has three national banks, the Ticonic, Merchant's and People's National ; and one Savings-bank. The Waterville Mail, pub- lished every Friday by Maxham and Wing, has long been reputed and deservedly, as being a sheet of sterling value. The Colby Echo, pub- lished every month by the students of the University, well sustains its place among college publications. The "Sentinel" is new and newsv.

There are now congregations of Baptists, Congregationalists, Uni- tarians, Methodists, Universalists, Episcopalians and Roman Catholics in town, most of whom own good houses of worship. Waterville has nine public schoolhouses, valued at $20,000. The valuation of estates in 1870 was $1,904,017. In 1880 it was $2,612,496. The population in 1870 was 4,852. By the census of 1880 it was given at 4,672.

Wayne is one of the most wealthy towns in Kennebec County. It is bounded by Readfield and Winthrop on the east, Fayette on the north, Monmouth on the south, and by Leeds, in Androscoggin County on the south and west. The form of the town is triangular, being broadest at the northern part. About one-third of its surface is water, there being partly or wholly within its limits six ponds of considerable size. The largest of these, Androscoggin Pond, lying on the south- west side, contains 5.75 square miles. Wing's Pond, near the middle of the town, has an area of about one square mile. The Androscoggin Pond empties into the Androscoggin, and is the last of a series of more than a dozen ponds, the first of which lie in the northern part of Vienna. Wilson's Pond, having an area of .90 of a square mile, forms a part of the south-eastern boundary of the town. At North Wayne, on the stream connecting Lovejoy's with Wing's Pond, are the mills of the North Wayne Paper Company ; which, with the dwelling-houses and other buildings belonging to the company, constitute a pleasant little village. At Wayne village, on the stream connecting Wayne and Androscoggin ponds, are a woollen factory, a grist-mill, a shovel handle factory, and a sash and blind factory. Other manufactures at this place are carriages and tinware, machinery and harrows, and marble

574

GAZETEEER OF MAINE.

and granite works. The place is connected by a stage-line with the Maine Central railway at Winthrop.

In the north the soil is sandy, in some parts clayey ; in the south the soil is gravelly and the surface hilly. The prevailing rock is granite. The town abounds in bowlders, some of great size. The principal crop is hay. The roads over Morrison's Hill affords some fine views. At points on the western side the scene afforded by a drive is most impressive and beautiful. At some points the hill rises far and steep above the road while on the other it descends with equal steepness down hundreds of feet to the waters of the pond, here dark and shadowy, there glowing with colors or sparkling with wavelets. Of the two small islands in the pond, one is known to have been an Indian burial place.

Job Fuller, who is believed to have been the first settler, made im- provements here as early as 1773. The eastern part was included in the Plymouth proprietary, but the titles of the residue were from Massachusetts. Among the early settlers were the Fullers, Wings, Norrises, Besses, Lawrences, Sturdevants, Washburnes, Maxims, Dex- ters, Frosts and Bowles. The place was first named Pocasset, and afterward New Sandwich, until its incorporation, in 1798. It was then named for Anthony Wayne, one of Washington's generals. The famous songstress, Annie Louise Cary, was formerly a resident of the town.

The Methodists have two churches, and the Baptists and Free Bap- tists, one each. Wayne has a high-school ; and her public school- houses number nine, and are valued at $6,500. The valuation in 1870 was $344,692; in 1880, 338,802. The population in 1870 was 938; in 1880, 950.

Webb's Mills,-a post-office and village in Casco, Cum- berland County.

Webster is situated in the south-eastern side of Androscog- gin County, and joins Lewiston on the west. Lisbon bounds it on the south, Bowdoin on the east, and Wales and Litchfield on the north. The town is nearly square, and has an area of about 12,000 acres. A portion of Sabattus Pond lies in its northern part, and its outlet bear- ing the same name runs through the western part of the town. This stream has several falls within the limits of the town, which are im- proved as water-powers. At Sabattusville near the pond are two woollen-factories, an excelsior-mill, and two lumber-mills. The first mill at this point appears to have been the saw and grist mill built by Robert HI. Niles and Robert Ross above eighty years ago. These were rebuilt in 1844, by Messrs. Lombard and Watts.

Sabattusville is the only village, except a small cluster of houses at Webster Post-Office, in the southern part of the town. The Andro- scoggin division of the Maine Central Railroad runs through Sabattus- ville and along the pond at the north-western angle of the town. The surface of the country is much varied by hills and valleys, but there are no lofty eminences. Robinson and Hedgehog "mountains " and Pettengill, Jordan and Oak hills are the chief of these. The last, con- tinning southward, takes the name of Lisbon Ridge. At the centre of the town is Sutherland's Pond; a mile north-east is Loon Pond, fol-

575

WEBSTER PLANTATION.

lowed in range by Curtis Bog. Ross Brook, drawing its supplies prin- cipally from these ponds, is the principal tributary of the Sabattus River. About half a mile south of Sabattus Pond, in a hollow in a high plateau or broad "horse-back " is a small body of clear water which has no apparent outlet; but the nature of the soil of the plateau -in large part sand and coarse gravel-and the swamp at a lower alti- tude than the pond, and yet higher than the neighboring Sabattus Pond, show the manner of the water escape. In the days of super- stitious mysteries and geological ignorance this quiet little sheet of water bore the discreditable name of " The Devil's Washbowl."

The land-titles in town are from the Plymouth Proprietors. Web- ster was originally a part of the town of Bowdoin, but was included in the territory separated and incorporated as Thompsonborough, af- terward re-named Lisbon. This territory was divided in 1840, and the northern portion incorporated as the town of Webster. The first settler was Robert Ross, who came from Brunswick, and located on the brook that bears his name, in 1774. Timothy Wey- mouth moved in soon after, and built the first mill in town for Jesse Davies. The first justice of the peace was Samuel Tebbetts, and the next was Noah Jordan. The first resident physician was Dr. Ithamar Bellows; the first lawyer who remained permanently was Jacob Hill, a graduate of Brown University, and sometime editor of the Portland Advertiser. Benjamin Burgess, another resident, was a major-general in the militia, and subsequently sheriff of Lincoln County. Hon. Freeman H. Morse, sometime member of Congress from the second district, and later United States consul at London, was a native of Webster. At the close of the Revolutionary war, a number of the soldiers settled in Webster, of whom were Alexander Gray, Abel Nutting, Aaron Dwinel, Paul Nowell, Simeon Ricker, Foster Wentworth, Elias Stover, Phineas Spofford, Jesse Davies, Captain James Curtis and Samuel Simmons. The latter was one of the first school teachers in town, and was the ancestor of Frank Simmons, the sculptor, who is a native of Webster. In the war of the Rebellion the town furnished its full quotas under all the calls.

The first religious society formed in Webster was of the Baptist persuasion and arose from the labors of Rev. Ichabod Temple, of Bowdoin. Their church was built upon the elevated land in the north-western part of the town. The first minister settled over it was Rev. Mr. Hooper. Their new house is at Sabattusville. The Free Baptists built their church in 1840 ; the bell being a gift from Captain Luther L. Lombard. These, together with a church at the southern border of the town built by Baptists and Universalists, constitute th ; present visible fortifications of the town against the hosts of Satan.

Webster has eleven public schoolhouses, valued at $2,400. The valuation in 1870 was $406.434. In 1880 it was $445,353. The pop ulation in 1870 was 939. In 1880 it was 980.

Webster Plantation is situated in the eastern part of Penobscot County. Kingman bounds it on the north, Prentiss on the east, Winn on the west and Springfield on the south. The nearest railroad stations are those of the European and North American rail- way, at Kingman and Winn, the first being but 6 miles distant. The predominant rock is granite. The soil is quite fertile and yields well

576

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

of all the crops suitable to the climate. Hay forms the chief crop. The most numerous forest trees are maple, beech and hemlock.

This plantation was settled in 1843, and organized Sept. 1, 1856 ; previous to which tin it was No. 6, of Range 3. It was named for . the principal owner and valued citizen, Col. E. Webster. The planta- tion sent six soldiers to the defense of the Union, in the war of the Rebellion, of whom two were lost.

There is one public schoolhouse valued at $100. The valuation of estates in 1860 was $24,727. In 1880 it was $36,129. The rate of taxation was 43 mills on the dollar. The population in 1870 was 28. In 1880 it was 118.

Week's Mills,-a post-office in China, Kennebec County.

Weld is situated in the south-western part of Franklin County, having as boundaries, Phillips and Number Six on the north, Avon and Temple on the east, Carthage and Perkins Plantation on the south. The area is 48 square miles. The town is almost surrounded by mountains, either within its limits, or just outside. There is a group of three at the north-east corner, of which the highest is Black Mountain. In the eastern part are Centre and Hedgehog hills, with other high hills in the southern and western portion. Just over the eastern border are Blue Mountain and Little Blue, the former 2,804 feet in height. In the broad plain-like valley forming the middle por- tion of the town is Webb's Pond, whose outlet is Webb's River, emptying into the Androscoggin at Dixfield village. The scenery of the town, by reason of these features, is very beautiful and noble. The rock is principally gneissic. The soil, in general, is a gravelly loam. In the forests thrive the usual variety of trees native to the middle region of Maine. Corn, potatoes, wheat and oats are all cultivated profitably, and apple orchards are numerous and prolific.

The town has two villages, Weld Upper Village, near the head of the pond, and Weld Lower Village, about two miles distant nearer the foot,-both on the eastern side. Both partake of the general beauty of the town. In these places are a spool-factory, employing about 25 hands in summer and 40 in winter ; five saw-mills, employing about 20 hands, and three box-mills, with 25 hands most of the year. Both steam and water-power are used. Other manufactures are fork and shovel-handles, butter-tubs, harnesses, tinware, etc. The villages are about 16 miles west of Farmington, and are connected by stage with the Maine Central Railroad at Wilton, about 12 miles distant from the lower village.

Weld was settled about 1800. Nati ... niel Kittredge, Caleb Holt, James Houghton, Abel Holt, Joseph and Abel Russell were of the first settlers. The township was surveyed by Samuel Titcomb, for the State. It was lotted by Philip Bullen in 1797. Jonathan Philips, of Boston, was the purchaser from the State. Jacob Abbot and Ben- jamin Weld, in 1815, purchased Mr. Philip's unsold lands in Maine, and commenced the sale to settlers. Mr. Abbott also engaged in the settlement of other towns, and procured the location of the Coos road, by the State. It ran from Chesterville through Wilton, Carthage and Weld, passing the notch by Mount Metallic, thence through Byron and East Andover to New Hampshire. Mr. Weld was of Boston ;

577

WELLS.

Mr. Abbot was from Wilton, N. H., but removed to Brunswick, Me., where he died in 1820, aged seventy-four years. He was succeeded in the business of settling his lands by his son, Jacob Abbot, who died in Farmington in 1847, at the age of seventy. Weld is the birth-place of the publisher of this work, who still cherishes a warm regard for his childhood's home, shown by his kindly interest in all that relates to the town.

The town was incorporated in 1816, and derived its name from Mr. Weld, one of the owners. It had previously been known as Webb's Pond Plantation.

Dr. L. Perkins was one of the most esteemed of the former citizens. The first preaching appears to have been by Rev. Lemuel Jackson of Greene, in 1804; and a Baptist church was constituted in 1809. There are now a Congregational church, and one occupied by both the Free Baptists and Methodists. Weld has eleven public schoolhouses, valued with other school property at $4,000. The valuation in 1870 was $245,260. In 1880 it was $231,911. The population in 1870 was 1,130. In 1880 it was 1,040.

Wellington is the south-western town of Piscataquis County. The towns about it are Kingsbury on the north, Parkman in the same county and Cambridge on the east, Harmony on the south, and Brighton on the west,-the three last being in Somerset County. Its area is 23,120 acres. The town is quite uneven, with several high hills,-the highest of which is Ball Mountain, situated in the northern part. Higgin's Stream, which runs through the northern part of the town, has four mill privileges, of which three are improved by saw and grist-mills. A branch of this stream also has a mill, and Carle- ton's Brook near the north-east corner of the town is made use of for running one or more.

The territory of Wellington was a part of the Bingham Purchase. Until its incorporation the plantation was called Bridgetown, from an early proprietor. The first settler was James Knowles, who moved into the western part of the township in 1814. David Staples came soon after, and the next year J. B. Porter and John Ward joined them. In 1819 or 1820 a settlement was begun on the east side of the town- ship, adjoining Parkman, and in 1821 came Mr. Isaac Hutchings, ever after a prominent citizen. At quite an early period John Davis built a saw-mill at Wellington Corner, adding a grist-mill soon after. John and Cotton Weeks also put up a mill on the same stream, and in 1826 Henry Carleton built a saw-mill on the brook still bearing his surname. In 1828 the town of Wellington was incorporated, and Mr. Carleton was town clerk and selectman for several years.

There is a flourishing Free Baptist society in town. Wellington has eight schoolhouses, valued at $600. The valuation of the town in 1870 was $119,269; in 1880, $116,712. The population in 1870 was 683. In 1880 it was 647.

Wells, situated upon the sea-coast, in York County, was first settled by persons from Exeter, N.H., about the year 1640. Its name is supposed to have come from Wells in England. In regard to land titles, Folsom says that an Indian named Thomas Chabinoke, devised all his title and interest to Namps-cas-coke (being the greatest part

578

GAZETTEER OF MAINE.

of Wells) to John Wadlow or Wadleigh, upon condition that he should allow one bushel of Indian corn annually to " Old Webb," his mother. This title proved valid. In 1641, Sir Ferdinando Gorges presented 5,000 acres of it to Thomas Gorges, deputy-governor of his Province of Maine and mayor of Gorgeana, for a manory. He chose a tract near Ogunquit River in the south-west part of the town. About 400 or 500 acres of this was conveyed by deputy Gorges, in 1643, to Rev. John Wheelwright (brother-in-law of the noted Ann Hutchinson), who had been banished from Massachusetts for his Antinomian principles. Another grant was made by Gorges, July 14, 1643, to Wheelwright, Henry Boad and others. When Wheelwright settled here about 1643, Edmund Littlefield had already erected a saw-mill, on Webhannet River.

The town was incorporated in 1653, being the third in Maine. Its Indian name was Webhannet. It included Kennebunk until 1820, when that portion was set off. It then acquired its present bound- aries, having Sanford and Kennebunk on the north, the latter and the ocean on the east and south-east, York and South Berwick on the south, and South Berwick and North Berwick on the west. The number of acres of land is stated in the county atlas at 22,300. The settlement went steadily on until the Indian wars. The adversities which the people met for nearly three-fourths of a century seem to) have been too much for human endurance. Their suffering were greatest in the wars commencing in 1792 and 1703. During the first of these there was fought on its soil one of the most remarkable battles of the Indian war. Five hundred French and Indians under French officers attacked the garrison of Joseph Storer,-a place of refuge which he had built at his own expense for all who, driven from their homes, might come to him. There were within it 15 soldiers only under Cap- tain Converse ; and about a mile distant, at the landing, were two coasters under captains Gooch and Storer, having on board 14 addi- tional men for the garrison. Every means were tried by the enemy against the fort and vessels, but all their machinations were ineffectual ; and after two days of uninterrupted conflict, they were compelled to abandon the enterprise, with the loss of Labocree, their commander.

It was during this bloody war that Rev. George Burrows, who was then residing near Salem, became the victim of the terrible witchcraft delusion, and perished on the scaffold. He was a graduate of Harvard college, and had been an esteemed minister in the vicinity of Wells, and was at the time of his arrest devoting himself to obtain aid for the suffering people of the east, who like himself had been driven off by by the Indians, or were endeavoring heroically to hold their ground against them.

In an attack in August, 1703, Wells was again attacked, and with such desperation that in a short time 39 of its inhabitants were killed or made prisoners, besides many wounded. This war did not end until 1713, during which time many more of the inhabitants were murdered, many houses burned, farms laid waste and cattle killed. Ten years later another war let loose again the savage hordes ; but the towns had grown stronger. In 1745 occurred the memorable and suc- cessful siege of Louisburg. Believing that the French had been the inciters of most of the Indian wars, the people of Maine entered upon that expedition with great earnestness; and it is believed that fully one-third of the able-bodied men of Wells were engaged in that enter-

579

WELLS.

prise. The people were right in the belief, and Wells was little troubled by the Indians after the fall of the eastern stronghold of the French.

The people of Wells entered into the Revolutionary war with such zeal that at least one-third of the able-bodied men were in the service during a portion of the struggle, if not constantly. Colonel Joseph Storer, Major Daniel Littlefield, Captain James Hubbard, Captain Daniel Wheelwright, Captain Samuel Sawyer, died in the war. Gen- eral Noah M. Littlefield, Major Nathaniel Cousens, Major Isaac Pope, Captain James Littlefield, Ensign John Littlefield, and others, were in active service. No other town had such a number of officers in the war. The bounties required to fill their quota exhausted their finances to such an extent that some were obliged to take the feathers from their beds, and procure their sale in Boston, to meet their proportion of these public burdens.

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Gazetteer of the state of Maine, Part 70

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