USA > Maine > Knox County > Camden > Sketches of the history of the town of Camden, Maine; including incidental references to the neighboring places and adjacent waters > Part 2
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We need not look abroad in quest of interesting historical reminiscences when they are so rife in our very midst, and, liko scattered flowers, have only to be gathered in a cluster, in order to be appreciated and admired. Leaving the complete history of this town for the pen of its future historian, we shall conten: ourself with merely writing a few memorials, which we have obtained at sundry times from the lins of elderly witnesses, or gleaned from old records, books, and papers.
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Of all the early voyagers who visited this coast up to the year 1603, Martin Pring, an English navigator, appears to have ap- proached the nearest to Camden.
He entered Penobscot bay as far as Fox Island (which he thus named because of the silver gray foxes he saw there) and was highly pleased with the view he had of a " high country full of' great woods,"-which, it is easy to conceive, he applied to this vicinity.
Capt. George Weymouth, who was dispatched from England in 1605, under the patronage of two English noblemen, with the ostensible purpose of discovering a .N. W. passage to China, but manifestly to maintain the claims of Britain against the assumptions of France .- is the first European claimed to have visited this locality. Weymouth left Dartmouth Haven on the last day of March with a company of 29 persons,-all told, --- and on the 17th day of May be descried land. James Rosier, the journalist of the voyage, describes it as follows : " It ap- peared a mean highland, as we after found it, being an island of some six miles in compass." " About 12 o'clock that day, we came to anchor on the north side of this island, about a league from the shore." " From hence we might discern the main land from the W. S. W. to the E. N. E. and a great way, (as it then seemed and we after found it,) up into the main we might discern very high mountains, though the main seemed but low land." * The island here mentioned is con- ceded by all historiographers who have written upon the subject of late years to be Monbegan,-and from this point we enter upon controverted ground. Before resuming the thread of the narrative we will here take a cursory view of the question that the reader may the better understand the subject. Until the year 1797 the places visited by Weymouth were a matter of conjecture,-Oldmixion supposing they were in the vicinage of James River in Virginia, while Beverly affirmed the locale to have been the Hudson River, N. Y. But had they read Rosier's journal attentively, or seen "Strachey's Account," they would not have fallen into such an error. In 1797 Dr.
* Weymouth's voyage in Masa. His. Coll. vol. VIII., 152; also ditto in " Perchas bin Pilgrimes," !V., 1654. Holmes's Annala, I. 129.
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HISTORY OF CAMDEN.
Jeremy Belknap of Boston obtained the cooperation of Capt. John Foster Williams of the Revenue Service, to whom was submitted an abstract of Weymouth's voyage. and while on a cruise to this section of the State, he visited the Penobscot River and there discovered the identity of the places described by Rosier. * The opinions of Dr. Belknap, founded upon the observations of Capt. Williams, have been adhered to up to the present year. John MeKeen. Esg., of Brunswick, in a paper read before the Maine Historical Society at Augusta last March, repudiated the theory of Dr. Belknap, and contended that the Kennebec was the river up which Weymouth sailed. The latter views have been advocated by R. K. Sowall, E-q .. of Wiscasset, while another writert contends that the claim belongs to the Androscoggin River. We will here resume the account of Ro- Her, and touch upon these different opinions as we pass along, "The next day," continues the chronicler of the voyage, " be- cause we rode too much open to the sea and winds, we weighed anchor about 12 o'clock and came along to the other island, more adjoining to the main and in the road directly with the mountains, about three leagues from the first island where wc had anchored." Now by referring to a map it will be seen that the only islands " about three leagues " from Monhegan " and in the road directly with the mountains," are St. Georges. Mr. Sewall distorts the narrator's meaning by making the Damaris- cove group, which are about five leagues distant, answer for the islands alluded to, and the White Mountains of New Ilampshire are made to pass as "the mountains." In sailing over the spot a few weeks since,-where Weymouth doubtless made his observations,-we found the appearance presented, to precisely coincide with Rosier's account. The White Mountains were scarcely discernable, while Camden Heights were distinctly seen and were the first landmarks that attracted attention.
Among these "islands" they harbored, or in other words, they anchored in St. George's Island Harbor, (which they named " Pentecost Harbor,") and not Boothbay Hirbor, as Mr. Sewall contends. They afterwards " set up a cross on the shore side
· Sse Belknap's American Biography, vol. II .. page 135 to 149.
It bee Back Tribune of Aug. 11, 1537.
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apon the rocks." This incident tends to identify the place. Strachey, who details the account of the unsuccessful attempt to plant the Popham colony at Sagadahoc in 1007, says that " St. George his island " was visited by the colonists, and states that " they found a cross set up. one of the same which Capt. George Weymouth left upon this island." # Establishing the fact that St. George's island was visited by the voyager, the presumptive evidence is, that Camden Heights are the mountains meant, as we shall further demonstrate. They afterwards sailed up "a great river," which was compared by those who had sailed with Sir Walter Raleigh, to " the river Orenoque," while others decmed it superior to the Rio Grande, and some before the river Soire, Seine, and Bordeaux. They sailed up this river some 60 miles. Strachey, in his " Account," which was com- piled by him about the year 1618, states that this " great river" - was the Sagadahoe,-now known as the _Androscoggin.
The name of Sagadahoc at present, is applied to the place formed by the junction of the Androscoggin and Kennebec rivers. . It is evident that the river Strachey speaks of is the Androscoggin, and such is the view taken of it by one of the writers before alluded to. t When it is known that said river is only navigable as far as Topsham and Brunswick,-something like 10 miles above Bath-the inference is at once suggested that apon this point Strachey's evidence is only suppositive. If Strachey's account is the main prop of the argument, it will be geen how reliable it is on these premises. It might appear to be the Kennebec river, but the subjoined extract, from its connection will show that Weymouth sailed up the Penobscot, which he journalist says, he " would boldly affirm it to be the post rich, beautiful, large and secure harboring river that the world afforded." ; And it will also prove the main point for which we contend,-that the locality now embraced by Camden was visited by Wcymouth. After sheltering evidently in Goose
* "Strachey's Account;" or "Historie of Travaile into Virginia," in the Masg. His. Coll., vol. I., 4th series, p. 236; or ditto in the Me. His. Coll., vol. III., p. 206.
+ Bath Northern Tribune, Aug. 14, 1857.
t Mass. Hie, Coll , VIIT., p. 143.
HISTORY OF CAMDEN. 11
River, ( Rockport. ) they went ashore in quest of game, or to use the language of the narrator, " Ten of us with our shot, and some arined, with a boy to carry powder and match, marched up into the country towards the mountains, which we discerned at our first falling with the land. Unto some of them the river brought us so near as we judged ourselves when we landed to have been within a league of them." Of course the Kennebec or Androscoggin rivers would not bring them within a league of the White Mountains of New Hampshire ! The chronicler of the voyage continues, " but we marched up about four miles in the main and passed over three hills." The " three hills " may be considered as Amsbury's Hill, Summer street Hill, ( Rockport.) and Ogier's Hill, (Camden.) They evidently halted at the foot of the mountains, and proceeded no farther, " because the weather was parching hot, and our men in their armor not able to travel and return that night to our ship." The space over which they traveled is thus described : "In this, march we passed over very good ground, pleasant and fertil., fit for pasture, for the space of some three miles, having but little wood, and that oak like stands left in our pastures in Eng- land, good and great, fit timber for any use; some small birell, hazel and brake, which might in small time with few men be cleansed and made good arable land : but as it now is will feed cattle of all kinds with fodder enough for summer and winter. The soil is black, bearing sundry herbs, grass, and strawberries bigger than ours in England. In many places are low thicke like our copses of small young wood. And truly it did resemble a stately park wherein appear some old trees with high withered tops and other flourishing with living green boughs. Upon the . hills grow notable high timber trees, masts for ships of 400 ton ; and at the bottom of every bill, a little run of fresh water : but the farthest and last we passed ran with a great stream [un- doubtedty the Magunticook,] able to drive a mill." * This discription answers to Camden as it appeared to the early settlers 88 years ago. t From the evidence bere adduced we think it
· Mass. His. Coll., VIII , p. 143 and 150,
+ These views have been alvocuted by us in the Duth Tribune of July Outh. 1857.
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will appear quite conclusive that the locality now embraced by Camden, was visited by Capt. Weymouth in 1605.
Establishing the fact that the place now known as Camden was visited by the early voyager, the presumptive evidence is, that the " great river " must have been the Penobscot, and not the Kennebec.
A misunderstanding ensuing between Weymouth and the natives, he captured five of them, as is supposed from St. George's River, * soon after which he sailed for England.
Having thus exhibited the earliest historic claims of Camden, we will here mark the epoch of our history, and pass on to unfold the future.
* Sibley's Hist. of Union, page ".
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HISTORY OF CAMDEN.
Number II.
Strachey's Notice of Camden Mountains-Capt. Argal-Capt. John Smith's Visit-Mecaddaout-Dunbarte-Smith's Colony project-War be- tweer the Etchemins and Abenaques-Tarratines and Wawenocks-The Basheba killed-A Plague-Its Devastations-A Redection-Maj. Church's Expedition-Mathebestuck Hills-Joseph York.
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H OWEVER much this vicinity may have been visited by Europeans, between the years 1605 and 1614, we have no means of ascertaining, as there are no records avail- able to establish the fact. Our mountains, which, for many leagues' distance serve as a land mark for the mariner, have always first attracted the attention of persons approaching this coast, and are thus spoken of by Strachey in the " Account " before alluded to : * " There be three high mountaynes that iie in on the Land, the Land called Segohquet, neere about the River of Penobscot," and gives drawings of their appearance from different points of view.
Although Capt. Samuel Argal, (subsequently governor of Virginia,) visited these shores while in the pursuit of fishing and trading with the natives, about the year 1613, yet there are no memorials preserved to warrant us in classing him with our visitants.
The celebrated Capt. John Smitht is the next personage whose name flourishes in this connection. Ile sailed from Lon- don March 3, 1614, and arrived at Monhegan the last of April. Building seven boats at Monhegan, be afterwards, with eight ot his men, ranged the coast from Penobscot to Cape Cod, in
* Caput, VIII., 5.
t " In A. D. 1596, when Smith was 17 years old. he made the tour of Europe,-killed three Turnwh champions in single coudet, and was het. ored with a triumphal procession. He was a prisoner in Turkey. His life was saved in Virginia by Pocahontas. He died in Loudon, A. D 1531, aged 52."-Will. Hist. of Maine.
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making observations, and trading with the Indians. Two years afterwards, Smith published a book accompanied with a map, giving the details of his voyage, &c. In his Description of New England, page 24, he speaks of an Indian settlement at Camden, called Mecaddacut, as follows :- " The most northern part I was at, was the bay of Pennobscot, which is east and west, north and south more than ten leagues; but such were my occasions I was constrained to be satisfied of them. I tound in the bay that the river ran far up into the Land, and was well inhabited with many people, but they were from their habita- tions, either fishing among the Isles o- hunting the lakes and woods for deer and beavers. On the cast of the bay are the Tarratines, their [the tribes westward of the mountains, under Basbeba,] mortal enemies where inhabit the French, as they say, that live with the people as one nation or family. And to the north-west of Pentagoet [Penobscot bay] is Mecaldacut, at the foot of a high mountain, a kind of fortresse againt the Tar- ratines. adjoining to the high mountains of Penobscot, against whose feet doth beat the Sea. But over all the Land. Isles, or other impediments, you may well see them sixteen or eighteen leagues from their situation. Segocket is the next : then Nus. congus, l'emmaquid," &c.
Smith on his map calls Mecaddacut, Dunbarton or Dunbarte, which we account for, from the following circumstance : On sub- mitting bis map to Prince Charles-afterwards Charles I .- (at which time this section of country was called North Virginia,) he gave it the name of New England, and substituted English names for places bearing Indian appellations. The book retains the original name, while the alterations noted are made upon the map, and bence the reason of the discrepancy. The name of Dunbarte does not appear to have been recognized aside from the map, while that of New England, which was officially announced soon after in the charter to " the Council of Ply- mouth," and was ever afterward retained.
There is no vestige left to indicate the spot on which the Indian settlement was located, nor of there being any Euro- pean structures of any kind here at that time,-as some have supposed there were. The settlement probably simply con-
CAMDEN BEFORE IT WAS SETTLED.
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HISTORY OF CAMDEN.
siste of movable wigwams, the permancy of which depended upon the abundance of game and the migratory habits of the occupants.
The object Smith had in view in publishing bis book and map was to induce the people of England to form a colony, which, if his plan had succeeded, might have made this vicinity, instead of Plymouth, the nucleus of New England. But the motives perhaps that projected the settlement of Plymouth were the best to give stability to, and insure success for, our infant republic.
During the year 1615 a sanguinary and exterminating war broke out between the two great divisions of aborigines in this State-the Etchemins, and the Abenaques; the former having dominion over the eastern and the latter over the western portion. These mountains were said to be the barriers that separated between these two great confederacies. Nultonanit * was the sachem of the eastern, and Basheba the sagamore of the western Indians. The eastern tribes were headed by the brave Tarratines, and the western by the mighty Wawenocks. This war waged with fury for two years, when the Tarratines became victors by killing the Basheba. A famine ensued, followed by an unknown epidemic or pestilence, which continued from 1617 to '18, exterminating several clans, and devastating the western. tribes from the borders of the Tarratines on the east, to the Narragansetts on the west. This locality was embraced in the territory of the Wawenocks, but the Basheba's dwelling place was near Bristol, then called Pemaquid.
This glance at the history of the aborigines gives us a faint idea of the stirring events that associate themselves with this vicinity. These mountains, commanding such an extensive prospect of sight, have doubtless served as a watch tower for many an Indian scouting party : been witness to many an artful ambush, and unnumbered deadly conflicts ; while our lakes and waters have borne the canoes of contending tribes or echoed the sound of the thrilling war-whoop. Pacific scenes exercised their turn, and thus lived, and acted, the red men of the forest, who onee roamed where we now live.
We will here pass over an interval of 78 years, which will
. So says the History of Lyon.
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bring us down to the year 1696, when Maj. Benj. Church made his fourth expedition to the east.
Baron de Castine at this time exercised almost supreme control over the Tarratines who were in the service of the French, and at war with the English. Maj. Church, in the language of his instructions, was sent on this expedition "to prosecute the French and Indian enemy." On his voyage up the river be anchored abreast of " Mathebestuck " hills," which appellation then belonged to Camden mountains. They here "landed and hid their boats," but found no trace of Indian habitations. He speaks of taking in one Joseph York while on his voyage this way, and which our authority ( Drake in his ed. of 1820) says must have belonged here, but we can see no reason in the narrative for the supposition. He may have lived on the Kennebec, where early proprietors of that name resided, but we have no proof of his dwelling here. Nothing further worthy of note relating to this period connects itself with our history.
* Mathebestuck (hills) and Mecaddacut, (settlement) appear to represents the same Indian word, which is still retained, probably, in the name of Medambattec, the appellation of an elevation of land between Camden and Rockland.
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HISTORY OF CAMDEN.
Number III.
The Muscongus Grant-Its limits-It falls to President Leverett-The Ten Proprietors-The Thirty Proprietors-A difficulty-Gen. Waldo's mission -His success, and reward-Inducements offered to emigrants- Extract from one of the General's Circulars-Another version of Waldo's death-Dissolution of Partnership-The Twenty Associates' portion- The Ten Proprietors' portion-Deficiency-The Waido Patent-The "absentees "-Knox's titles confirmed-History set right-A glance at the secret history of Waldo Patent-Knox's death-NOTE.
[THE grant, or patent, in which Camden is included, demands in this connection somewhat of a notice. It was first known under the name of the Muscongus Patent, and was granted by the Council of Plymouth to John Beauchamp of London, and Thos. Leverett * of Boston, March 13, 1629. The limits of the Patent extended from the river Muscongus to Penobscot river on the sea board, and run back far enough to embrace an extent of territory equal to 30 miles square. The location of the grant would never have been known had not the nanie of " Penobscott"' and " Muscongus " occurred in the patent. ; On the death of Beauchamp, Leverett as survivor succeeded to the estate. In 1710 John Leverett, who was then president of Harvard College, representing himself as sole heir of his grandfather according to the English laws of primogeni- ture, came into possession of the whole Patent. Ile afterwards fin ling it difficult to establish his title as sole proprietor, divided , the estate into ten shares, granting one share to a son of Gov. Bradford, to extinguish some interfering claim, and one share to Spencer Phips. an adopted son of Sir Wm. Phips, ( who brought
* The name of Beauchamp is perpetuated by a point of land in Rockport known as Beauchamp Point; Leverett was formerly applied to Jameson's Point, (Clam Cove. but is now obsolete.
" An abstract of the Mascongus or Lincoln grant will be found in Hazard'a Coll. State papers, ed. 1702, p. 304; and in White's Hist. Belfast will be found the entire deed.
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into the company the Indian deed which his father had bought of Madocawando in 1694, and thus secured the title the Tarra- tines claimed in the territory,) and two shares to Elisha Cook, and one each to Nath'l Hubbard, Hannah Davis, Rebecca Lloyd, and Sarah Byefield, descendants of Thomas Leverett, and the two other shares be retained himself. These were known as the "Ten Proprietors." The same year, Jahleel Brenton and nineteen others, became associated with them, when they assumed the appellation of "The Thirty Pro- prietors."
After the treaty of Utrecht, one David Dunbar, his then Majesty's Surveyor General of the Woods, claimed a quit rent for the king. Fearing it might ultimate in the extinguishment of their claims, the Thirty Proprietors engaged the services of Brig. Sam'l Waldo to go to England and obtain a relinquish- ment of the arbitrary claim presented. After untiring applica- tion at court, he succeeded in getting Dunbar removed and in accomplishing his mission. On his return the Thirty Proprietors joined in surrendering to him for his services one half of the Patent. In 1732 Waldo caused his portion to be set off in severalty, and made preparations for extensive settlement. By sending agents to Germany and circulating documents holding out flattering inducements to emigrants, he soon formed quite a German colony-at Broad Bay. In 1.53 he sent his son to Germany, who used every endeavor for the furtherance of his father's schemes. From a translation of one of these proclama - tions, in our possession, which was published in the German Imperial Post newspaper, No. 17, March 23, 1753, we will make an extract, as we doubt whether its duplicate is to be found in America. In speaking of our .climate, &c., it says : " The climate is acknowledged to be healthy, and the soil is exceed- ingly fruitful, since the wood which grows there is mostly oak, beech, ash, maple and the like, and it yields all manner of fruit as in Germany, but hemp and flax in greater perfection. Also there is much game in the woods, and many fish in the streams, and every one is permitted to hunt and fish."
As there are several versions of the story relating to Gen. Waldo's death, which occurred May 23, 1759, it may not be
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HISTORY OF CAMDEN,
amiss if we relate one which varies somewhat from the account as currently received. We learned the tradition from an intelligent octogenarian six years since, who obtained the account from the lips of Stimson himself. Richard Stimson, afterwards one of the first settlers of Belfast, assisted in rowing the boat in which Waldo made his survey up the river. Arriving in the vicinity of Eddington Bend, Waldo ordered the boatmen to cease rowing, when he said, "Here is the bound of my Patent," and taking up a silver colored basin, or plate, and sinking it, he continued : " I will sink this here as the mark." As he finished the declaration he fell dead in the boat, supposed from an apoplexy. Among the different authorities who speak of the General's death, they all concur in saying that his last words contained the ideas attributed to him relative to ascer- taining the limits of his Patent.
A short time previous to Waldo's death, it was agreed to dissolve the partnership existing between the different parties owning the then Muscongus grant, but the necessary surveys were not made until after Waldo's demise. "The Ten Proprietors," and " Twenty Associates," by which names these two companies became designated, had agreed to accept as their proportion 100,000 acres each. The surveys were delayed from year to year, until the year 1706, when one of the 20 Associates, viz., John Jeffries, and the heirs of others, by petition obtained a warrant to call a meeting of the proprietors to be held on the 6th of Sept., 1766. When they met, 16 of the original 20 Associates were represented. At said meeting a committee was chosen to confer with the heirs of Gen. Waldo respecting the 100,000 acres belonging to the proprietors, and report. They reported that the action of said heirs was agree- ably to previous stipulations, and the following gentlemen, who were of that committee, were fully authorized and empowered to execute deeds of indenture with the heirs of Waldo, viz .; Hon. Benj. Lynde. Jas .. Bowdoin, Robt. Treat Payne, Esqrs., Henry Liddle and Nath'l Appleton. The tract selected by the 20 Associates was surveyed and set off by them the 7th of April, 1768, at which time the deed was dated. Their selection embraced Camden, Hope, Appleton, Montville, and a part of
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Liberty. The tract was to extend from the sea shore back 30 miles, and to be 5 1-4 miles wide, * and to embrace sundry islands on the coast, containing about 2000 acres. On making the survey, it was found that after running back about 20 miles (to the N. W. corner of Appleton.) it came in contact with the Plymouth Patent : so in order to make out the claim, Mont- ville and a small part of Liberty was added, which thus completed the 100,000 acres.
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