USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Harpswell > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 9
USA > Maine > Cumberland County > Brunswick > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 9
USA > Maine > Sagadahoc County > Topsham > History of Brunswick, Topsham, and Harpswell, Maine, including the ancient territory known as Pejepscot > Part 9
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The town of North Yarmouth formerly embraced the peninsula of Mair Point and Harpswell Neck, with Sebascodegan and the lesser islands within the limits indicated by these points. When the town of Harpswell was formed, all the larger islands intended to be set off from Yarmouth for the new town of Harpswell were named in the Act of Incorporation, with the exception of the one now under considera- tion. The omission was probably unintentional ; yet this island - nearly the most remote of all -still remained the legal territory of North Yarmouth. This anomaly among the islands led to its acquire- ment of the name of the town to which it belonged. At a later period it was annexed to Harpswell.
DAMARISCOVE ISLAND, now called " Haskell's Island," lies opposite Potts's Point. In the Act of Incorporation of Harpswell it was called Damariscove Island, but assumed its present name after its purchase by a Mr. Haskell.
FLAG ISLAND is said to derive its name from the fact that large quantities of flags grew upon it.
WHALE-BOAT ISLAND is, perhaps, so called from its fancied resem- blance in shape to a whale-boat. It lies west of the lower part of the Neck.
GOOSE ISLANDS- two of them -lie west of the middle of the Neck. At the southeast of the lower one are a pair of small islands called " The Goslings."
SHELTER ISLAND, in Middle Bay, probably received its name from its affording a place of refuge for the settlers on Mair Point and vicinity in times of Indian hostility. Tradition says that, this island was for many years the resort of smugglers, who obtained their goods in the British provinces, and stored them on this island if so fortu- nate as to escape the customs officers along the coast. The name was probably given by the smugglers.
BIRCH ISLAND, between Mair Point and the Neck, was doubtless so named for its abundant growth of birch-trees.
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HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSIIAM, AND HARPSWELL.
WHITE'S ISLAND, near Mair Point, was named for Nicholas White, who occupied it as early as the year 1675.
POTTS'S POINT, at the lower extremity of the Neck, was named for Richard Potts, its first occupant, who settled there previous to 1672.
THE PRONGS are the three points at the lower end of the Neck, which bears a resemblance to the form of a fork.
LOOKOUT POINT, on the western shore of the Neck, is so called because it affords an extended view of the bay. The scenery at this locality is very picturesque.
CONDY'S POINT is the southeastern extremity of Great Island, and, with the adjacent harbor, takes its name from William Condy, who settled there in 1733.
BOYLE'S POINT is the northeastern extremity of Orr's Island. It was probably named for the Reverend Matthew Byles, who had one hundred acres of this island set off to him by Joseph Orr, in lieu of his previous claim as heir to Honorable William Tailer.
The following are the names of the smaller islands of Harpswell. which are mostly uninhabited. There are a few others, without estab- lished name hy which they might be recognized, and of which we therefore have made no special record.
ROGUE ISLAND is southeast of Condy's Point.
JENNY'S ISLAND is south of North Yarmouth Island.
LONG LEDGE is south of Jenny's Island.
POLE ISLAND, SMALL ISLAND, and SNOW ISLAND are situated in the eastern part of Quahaug Bay.
ELM ISLAND is east of the lower part of Orr's Island.
RAW ISLAND is east of the north part of Bailey's Island.
CEDAR LEDGES, five in a row, - seven or more in all, -- are east of Raw Island.
POND ISLAND is east of the middle of Bailey's Island.
RAGGED ISLAND is east of the lower part of Bailey's Island. Its municipal connection has been disputed.
JAQUES'S ISLAND, south of Bailey's Island, receives its name from Lieutenant Jaques, who resided on the Neck opposite, and who was one of the officers in the final expedition against the Indians at Norridge- wock.
TURNIP ISLAND is west of Jaques's Island.
GREAT MARK ISLAND is south of Haskell's Island.
LITTLE MARK ISLAND is south of Great Mark Island.
EAGLE ISLAND is west of Haskell's Island.
LITTLE BIRCH ISLAND is southwest of west prong of Harpswell Neck.
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BOUNDARIES AND NOTABLE FEATURES.
HORSE ISLAND is east of Little Birch Island.
BARNE'S ISLAND is between the west prong of the Neck and Great Whale-Boat Island.
LITTLE WHALE-BOAT ISLAND is northwest and near Great Whale- Boat Island.
IRONY ISLAND is east of the Goslings.
BRAINING'S LEDGE is between the Goose Islands.
LOOKOUT ISLAND is adjacent to Point Lookout.
LITTLE BIRCH ISLAND is northeast of Birch Island.
SCRAGG ISLAND is east of White's Island.
LITTLE IRONY ISLAND is south by southwest of Scragg Island.
CROW ISLAND is southwest of New Wharf, at head of Middle Bay. CLARKE'S ISLAND is east of New Wharf.
BOMAZEEN ISLAND is between Brunswick and Great Island.
Other localities in Harpswell are : -
HIGH HEAD, on the east side of the northern part of the Neck, and JAQUES'S HARBOR, at the southern extremity of Bailey's Island.
HARPSWELL HARBOR is on the east of the Neck, between it and Great Island and Orr's Island.
CONDY'S HARBOR is on the east side of the point of the same name, south of Great Island.
QUAHAUG BAY extends into Great Island from the south and nearly divides the island.
ASH COVE is west of Potts's Point, between the eastern and middle prongs of the Neck.
MILL-POND BASIN is between the western and middle prongs of the Neck. It furnishes a tide power of great value, from its accessibility by sea, the depth of water admitting the passage of vessels of sev- eral hundred tons, quite to the dam. Upon it there is now a large grain mill.
LONG REACH is an extensive cove in the western side of Great Island, opening northward.
LONG COVE nearly divides the northern half of Orr's Island.
LOWELL'S COVE is on the southeast side of Orr's Island.
MACKEREL COVE is on the southern part of Bailey's Island.
WILL GUT is the passage between Orr's and Bailey's Islands.
THE GURNET is the name of the point in Brunswick opposite to Great Island, Harpswell. Between the point and island is the Gurnet Bridge.
In the English Channel there are several headlands bearing the name, having taken it, probably, because of the number of gurnet fish found in the neighborhood, and it is probable that the name was given
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HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
to the point in Brunswick from a fancied resemblance to one of the English headlands referred to.
FAUNA.
From the varied character of the region about Brunswick Falls, comprising sea-shore and forest, sandy plains, granite hills, and rich intervales, this narrow territory, prior to its occupation by the English, must have drawn a numerous representation of almost the entire fauna of the State. Among the MAMMALIA formerly found here were bears, wild-cats, loup cerviers, wolves, moose, beaver, and otter. Cathance Pond is said to have been once a great resort for the latter, while traces of beaver-dams are found on almost every stream. Of the car- nivora, wolves were the most common. The town many times voted bounties for the destruction of these animals, which prowled about the premises of the settlers in search of food, and sometimes even fol- lowed the settlers themselves.
About the year 1786, Mrs. Thomas, wife of Lewis Thomas, walked from Harpswell to Brunswick, bearing her baby in her arms, and in addition carrying half a quintal of fish. While coming through the woods near Middle Bay, she was followed by wolves. . With remark- able presence of mind, she threw down a single fish, which the pursu- ing pack stopped to devour, while she pressed forward as rapidly as possible. The animals soon resumed the pursuit, and she threw down another fish, and again they stopped to make a quarrelsome meal. This operation was repeated at intervals until she reached her home. Ephraim Thomas was the name of the man who, when a babe, made this dangerous journey. He died in Greene, Maine, in 1849, at sixty- three years of age.
In 1792 Samuel Stanwood, who then lived on the site of the present residence of Mrs. Joseph McKeen, had a saw mill at Maquoit at which he worked during the day, carrying his dinner with him. One day, desiring to accomplish all he could and not feeling very hungry, he did not stop to eat the dinner which he had brought with him, but took it back with him when he started for home at night. When he reached Mair Brook, a wolf came out of the thicket, looked at him a moment, then went back and uttered his hideous yells, which soon brought four or five others of his species to the scene. Stanwood, finding he was pursued, threw out a handful of meat, and while the wolves were fighting over it he hastened forward, soon, however, to be over- taken by the animals, to whom he again threw fragments of food. This operation was repeated until, when nearly to his home, the last
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BOUNDARIES AND NOTABLE FEATURES.
fragment of food was gone and the wolves were in hot pursuit of him. He screamed to his wife to open the door. Fortunately she heard him and flung open the door, just in time to secure his escape from the wild beasts at his heels.
Mr. Dean Swift says that when he was a boy and living with his parents in the house which is now the residence of Mrs. Rodney For- saith, on Maine Street, he has many a night heard the wolves howling a short distance east of the house, in the woods which then extended to Federal Street.
Reverend Samuel Veazie, in 1767, purchased the farm adjoining the old Harpswell Island Meeting-House, and cleared a place for the erection of his dwelling. Back of his house there was a dense growth of wood, and in this the wolves sometimes collected in large numbers during the winter season, making the night hideous with their howls. The wolves would remain on the island until just previous to the breaking up of the ice, when they would leave it for the mainland. It is stated that they never failed to make the removal before the breaking up of the ice, seeming in this matter to show an intelligence akin to reason.1
Bears, never so troublesome as the wolves, have hardly been heard of within the limits of our three towns for many years. Some time in the last century Johnson Stover pastured hogs at Goose Island, and one day, hearing an unusual squealing, he found a bear holding one of the pigs in his paws, and occasionally nipping it with his teeth.
Alcot Stover once, while lying on his bed, saw one looking in at the window, but before he could get his gun his wife accidentally fright- ened it away.
About 1775 a woman, known as Granny Young, went to Bomazeen Island after berries. After filling her dishes, she started for home, having only a stave for a paddle. Hearing a noise in the water behind her she turned, and saw that a large bear was swimming after the boat. She plied her awkward paddle as vigorously as possible, but the bear overtook the boat and attempted to upset it. She fought hin with the stave, striking him upon the head and nose until he was stunned ; then she held his head under water until he was dead, when she towed him ashore.
The latest appearance of bears in Harpswell, of which we have the date fixed, was in 1800, when three were killed on the farm now owned by W. S. Purinton.
1 Mrs. Price, ninety-two years old ; formerly a resident of the island.
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HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
The common red deer must have been quite numerous in this region at the time of settlement. Even now they are occasionally met with. As late as 1858 two were seen in Brunswick, - one, a full-grown animal, at New Meadows ; the other, a fawn, on the old Freeport road. On Oct. 20, 1859, three were shot on Topsham Plains. Some sixteen years ago caribou were seen at the western border of Brunswick by . several persons, and in two instances some pursuit was made.
Raccoons are still caught every year in one quarter or another of the town. A live one was found in the Factory yard in Brunswick in 1844.
The wild-cat, though heard of occasionally in neighboring towns, has not been reported within our limits for many years. The " luci- fee " (loup cervier), or Canada lynx, is believed still to haunt, occasion- ally, the extensive woods at the west of the town.
Foxes are alternately numerous, then rare, and seem to be some- what migratory, according as mice, grouse, and hare are plenty.
The rabbit exists in favorable situations through the towns, but is not common enough to do much damage to the crops. A few young trees are each spring found with the bark gnawed from the trunk near the ground, but this has usually been laid to the mice.
Both the common and the star-nosed moles are occasionally met with, but are not sufficiently numerous to be regarded in any degree a pest, as in some localities southward. Gray, red, and striped squirrels are frequent, but not troublesome. The flying squirrel is not often seen, but still haunts the old woods. The weazel is infrequent ; and its cousin, the mink, puts in an appearance in the vicinity of brooks with just sufficient frequency to incite the boys to unprofitable attempts at trapping. The muskrat seems equally, but sparingly diffused The skunk still taints the air with his mephitic odor each season, in many localities. Woodchucks are rare, but here and there a farmer complains of their ravages among his early bean-plants.
BIRDS.
Probably a list of the birds occurring in this vicinity, a century or two ago, would not differ from one of to-day, except in a few instances. It is certain, however, that certain species were vastly more numerous. The golden eagle is said to have been found upon our coast in the earlier days of its settlement ; but the bird is not now known here, even as a visitant. On the other hand, there is not, that we are aware, any evidence that the eider duck was found upon our shores a century since, while it is now quite regularly a winter sojourner. Yet the
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BOUNDARIES AND NOTABLE FEATURES.
seasons have not been growing colder, neither can we think them to have grown greatly warmer, though another bird associated with a higher temperature has become a habitué of this vicinity, as well as of other localities in the State. It has been said that the Baltimore oriole was an unknown bird until within a few years, yet it may be that the change of the country by human occupancy, rather than any change of climate, is the cause of its immigration. The scarlet tanager, also regarded as an inhabitant of mild climates, is occasionally seen here as early as May.
Among winter visitants are the grosbeaks, -the pine and the rose- breasted, - the pine finch. the Arctic or snowy owl, the Canada jay, and perhaps one or two others. The common birds are, no doubt, the same here as in most other portions of the State. The cuckoo is said to have been unknown in Aroostook until within three or four years. but here it has been observed for a generation, at least. It is, however, reported to have become more numerous in this vicinity of late. This, if a fact, may be owing to an increase of its insect food, for it is believed by some to feed largely on the caterpillar. Another bird, one of the woodpeckers, known as the sapsucker, has become rather rare of late years, from the relentless war waged upon it by the guardians of young fruit orchards. The crow, the pest of cornfields, in scornful disregard of public opinion, persists in making itself very much at home among the farms. Hawks in the usual variety, though reduced in numbers, are found in all the more rural quarters of the towns.
The several sorts of owls common in the State are met with here, their number in any locality seeming to depend more on the frequency of hollow trees, which afford them congenial shelter, than on any other condition. The blue jay, eminent for its disagreeable voice, its striking appearance, and remarkable foresight, is a frequent inhabi- tant. Ruffed grouse (here commonly called partridges) are frequent, but not numerous. Woodrocks, from their retired habits, are an almost unknown bird to our people, yet are really much more plentiful than grouse The plovers, sandpipers, suipes, and quails are not usu- ally numerous. Wild pigeons are frequent, but not to the hundredth part of their former numbers.
Of the birds that seek the neighborhood of human habitations we have the usual variety, the common dove, three or more kinds of swal- lows, and the martin. The last has diminished in number, the others appear to have increased. The robin is, perhaps, more numerous than any other single variety. Others of this family are the wood- thrush, whose vocal expression is the long, pensive, but musical
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HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
whistle and trill heard in almost every wood in early summer ; and Wilson's thrush, which is less common. Another songster, the brown thrush, or the brown mocker, is found, it is said, in only one locality of our towns, and this is in the western part of Brunswick.
The song sparrow, that frequents cool ravines, and sings all through the season, and the white-throated sparrow, are familiar to the ears of our inhabitants, if not well known to the eye. The chickadee, or black-cap titmouse, and the kingbird, are also quite common. Some- thing like the last in appearance and voice is the kingfisher, present on most of our larger streams during the summer.
About the marshes on these streams the great blue heron is some- times seen, but it is more frequent about the salt marshes and sea- shore. Around the sea-shore the coot is more numerous than any other of the large birds. Our water-fowl generally are not different from those found in other sections of the State. On our fresh-water ponds, as well as on the salt-water, are found in spring and autumn the wild goose, the black duck, teal, sheldrake, and merganser, while the wood-duck and the pintail or whistler, make their habitat all over our territory ; yet they are not abundant. There is a tradition that at the period of settlement, wild fowl sometimes congregated in certain localities in our vicinity in such numbers, and made so much noise in the night, that the settlers were unable to sleep until they had driven the intruders away. It is said that to accomplish this they sometimes found it necessary to fling firebrands among them. Merrymeeting Bay was formerly a great resort for wild geese. The middle portion of the bay was, at low water, a sand-bed covered with a species of reed, on the roots of which the geese were supposed to subsist from about the first of September until the extreme cold weather sent them southward. The loon is met with at the proper season ; the gulls and fish-hawks are quite common, and the white-headed eagle is frequently seen.
Of INSECTS, the chief food of our feathered friends, but often the bane of our orchards and growing crops, we probably have the same variety that is to be found in the rest of the State. Our list of REP- TILES and AMPHIBIANS is not extensive. Turtles are not often met with, except the variety found in muddy ponds. Our serpents are the striped snake, the little brown snake, the green snake, the black snake, the inilk snake, and the water snake. The water snakes are believed to have poison fangs ; in regard to the brown and milk snakes we have no knowledge ; the others mentioned are not deemed venomous.
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BOUNDARIES AND NOTABLE FEATURES.
The bull-frog, pickerel-frog, and green frog inhabit all our fresh waters, and the leopard-frog is to be found in the meadows, and the delicate, pale brown wood-frog is of frequent occurrence in our forests. The common toad is found in all cultivated lands, and tree toads in all our localities. There are few persons who have not listened to the multitudinous cry of the latter during hot summer nights.
We have no lizards; the creature sometimes called so is the sala- mander. There are several species, varying much in size and color. They are found only in moist places, while some are amphibious.
Of CRUSTACEANS, our principal species are the king crab (or horse- shoe), the common crab, and the common salt-water lobster, the last abundant and of well-known value.
Our chief MOLLUSKS are the fresh-water clam (unio) and the vari- ous snails ; the common clam, abundant in our salt-water flats, and familiar as an article of diet ; the hen, or sea clam, found only at unusually low tides ; and the quahaug, infrequent, except in Qualiaug Bay, in Great Island.
Of the MARINE MAMMALS, the seal is quite frequent in our bays, and sometimes ascends the rivers for short distances. In 1868, one was seen near the Toll Bridge, and being pursued in boats, was captured near Cow Island. It weighed two hundred pounds. The porpoise is quite common, frequently disturbing the schools of various fish upon which the fisherman counts for his gain. Whales are rarely seen, but not unknown. The blackfish, or round headed dolphin, is common off shore in its season. It was probably this species about which the Androscoggin Free Press gave the following account : -
"On Monday, Oct. 6, 1828, a shoal of dolphins, called by the sailors ' blackfish,' seventy or eighty in number, made their appear- ance near Orr's Island. The inhabitants, to the number of twenty- one inen, in nine boats, armed with muskets and axes, went out to attack, and, if possible, catch them. After four or five hours of hard fighting they had been able to despatch but six or seven, but they had learned that the dolphins could be driven with as much facility as a flock of sheep. It was finally decided to attempt to drive them into a narrow cove which penetrated to the distance of a mile into the interior of Orr's Island, and which there terminated in a cir- cular basin. In this design they were successful. All of the boats pressed closely upon their retreat and cut off all possibility of escape.
"Captain John Curtis, being in advance of the little fleet, caused liis boat to be rowed alongside one of the largest dolphins, himself standing with one foot braced on the bows of the boat and the other
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HISTORY OF BRUNSWICK, TOPSHAM, AND HARPSWELL.
on the back of his antagonist. He had taken this position to make the attempt of splitting open the head of the fish; but, the boat veering in its course, he must either fall into the water or jump upon the back of his intended victim. He did the latter, and in the next moment the company saw their gallant captain riding off astride upon the back of the dolphin. A full quarter of a mile was the hero thus borne over the water by this novel mode of navigation, when he safely alighted upon a vehicle of a more artificial construction.
" Captain Curtis did not, however, like Arion, entertain his dol- phin with harmonious strains of godlike music. So far from this, in fact, he was constantly inflicting blows with his axe deeply into the monster's blubber.
" As the tide ebbed away, the dolphins began to drag themselves heavily through the mud, and it became advisable to find some more expeditious way of destroying them. Before sunset the whole number were despatched. About one hundred and thirty barrels of oil were obtained from the fish, realizing about $2,000.
" This singular fish is not the common dolphin, but the round- headed dolphin, being much larger. Those captured at Harpswell varied much in size. The largest was twenty-three feet long and eighteen feet in circumference. There were some that measured not more than six or seven feet in length. These were probably pups, as some of the females yielded large quantities of milk, resembling very much cow's milk."
The FISHES, inhabiting the salt water of our bays and off our shores, are the cod, haddock, hake, pollock, cusk, mackerel, blue-fish, herring, menhaden or porgy, sun-fish, sword-fish, rock-cod, sculpin, ling, flounder, cunner, frost-fish, and tom-cod. Our fresh waters contain brook-trout, pickerel, perch, chub, sucker, bream or kiver, bull-head, and others of lesser note. Among the fish that frequent both the fresh and salt water are the smelt, alewife, salmon, and sturgeon. In early times the last two were very abundant in the Androscoggin, but their number has greatly diminished. Since the construction of fishways in the dams a few years ago, there has. however been a manifest increase in the number of salmon, and it is to be hoped that by careful diversion from the waters of all matters deleterious to fishes, the river may again become abundantly stocked.
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BOUNDARIES AND NOTABLE FEATURES.
GEOLOGICAL FEATURES.1
The universal underlying rock of this region, extending to unknown depths, is gneiss. This is easily distinguished from granite, which consists of the same minerals, - mica, quartz, and feldspar, - by its appearance of stratification.
The layers or strata of gneiss are curiously bent and twisted, as if, while in a soft and plastic condition, at some early period of the earth's history, they had been crumpled like pieces of cloth by some gigantic force. This folding of the strata is well exhibited in a railroad cut on the Topsham shore, near the Lewiston bridge. In general, however, they dip to the southeast.
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