USA > Maine > The history of the state of Maine; from its first discovery, A. D. 1602, to the separation, A. D. 1820, inclusive, Vol. I > Part 3
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* In Lat. 46deg. 30. It is 1500 feet higher than the tide waters in the St. Lawrence.
t The Grand Fourche is 131 miles above the monument.
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SECT. I.] OF MAINE.
secure to their governments respectively the whole of those rivers N. and E. which emptied themselves in their own territories, else would they The dispute. line. have made provision for the mutual navigation of them : that ac- cording to Gov. Pownal's topographical description, published in 1776, " all the heads of Kennebec, Penobscot and Passamaquod- dy rivers, are on the heights of land running east-northeast"-an- swering to the highlands from Mars Hill westward ; and Mr. Sul- livan under the commission of 1798, described the line as running " from the source of St. Croix to the highlands"-Mars Hill being the highest land between the Monument and the St. Law- rence : that by the " Secret Journal of Congress," the American Ministers were instructed to negociate a boundary line " drawn along the middle of St. John river from its source to its mouth in the bay of Fundy"-otherwise to have it "adjusted by Commis- sioners, according to such line as should be by them settled ;" evidently having in mind only the highlands southerly of the St. John : and that, in fine, all the waters mentioned fall either into the Atlantic or the St. Lawrence, except the Restigouche and the St. John, which fall into bays spacious and well known by name and not into the " Atlantic" in contemplation of those who framed the treaty.
Each Commissioner made to his own government a long and elaborate report of facts and arguments, of which the preceding is a very concise synopsis .* The territory in dispute is about 10,705 square miles, viz. south of St. John river 5,592, and north of that river 5,113, being nearly a third part of the whole State of Maine.t
* These proceedings, including, the surveys, journals, arguments and re- ports-are very voluminous, and in manuscript,-now in the office of Sec'y of State, at Washington, covering near a thousand pages.
Moses Greenleaf, Esq. in his " Survey of Maine"-pp. 70-85-has given many correct and interesting particulars relative to the northern waters, rivers, and streams of this State; which the compiler of this History believes it inexpedient to repeat.
t To settle the controversy, agreeably to the 5th article of the treaty of Ghent, the subject was referred, January 12, 1829, to William, king of the Netherlands, who gave it as liis opinion, Jan'y 10, 1831, that the boun- dary line be drawn due north from the source of the river St. Croix to the point where it intersects the channel of the river St. John ; thence ascend- ing the same channel to the point where the river St. Francois empties itself into that of the St. John; thence ascending the channel of the St. Francois to the source of its southwesternmost branch; thence, a line
20
THE WATERS AND COAST
[INTRODUC.
The greatest width of the State, on the parallel of latitude from Quoddy-head to New-Hampshire, is about 198 miles ; from the Eastern Monument, directly west across the State to Canada line, a little north of Mile Tree, is about 130 miles only ; while the greatest length of Maine, transversely through it from Kittery point to its northeast angle, or 144 Mile Corner," is estimated to be no less than 360 miles.
NOTE .- Madawaska settlement is composed of ancient French Neutrals and others who endeavoured to escape from the English government of Nova-Scotia-being joined from time to time by their own countrymen. In A. D. 1820, it contained 1,114 souls. A British military post was formerly established at the Grand falls-3 miles below where the line crosses the St. John : and the American military post, was first established at Houlton, in the summer of 1828.
SECTION II. Face of the Country, Seacoast, Islands, Rivers, Mountains, and Soils.
THE face of the country through this extensive State exhibits Face of the the varieties of nature. Upon the Atlantic coast, it has several Country. deep bays; a great number of harbors, promontories, and islands ; and several salt marshes. The northern interior em- braces the sources and tributaries of the river St. John ; and im- bosoms four other considerable rivers, which are borne through the territories of the State to the ocean. Skirting these waters and the streams that enlarge them, are innumerable vallies, swells, and ridges ; some hills and rugged heights ; and a few mountains. The country however is rather elevated than mountainous ;- free of miry bogs, barren heaths and sandy deserts ; and favored with a diffusion of waters convenient for all the purposes of life.
A view of the water and land.
But a knowledge of particulars can only be acquired by a descriptive view of the shores, the waters, the islands, and the highlands of the State, which are now to be considered. We shall begin on the western borders and proceed eastward, and in- tersperse collateral facts as they occur. The whole Seaboard may be divided into four parts,-1st, The Western Coast, between
drawn due west to the point where it unites with the line, claimed by the United States, " delineated on the map A. ; thence said line to the point at which, according to said map, it coincides with that claimed by Great Britain ; [probably mile tree] and thence the line traced on the map by the two powers, to the northwesternmost source of Connecticut river."
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OF MAINE.
SECT. II.]
division of
Piscataqua and Portland ; 2d, Casco Bay; 3d, The Middle A fourfold Coast, from Cape Small Point to Penobscot; and thence, 4th, the coast. The Eastern Coast, to Passamaquoddy. There are, it is said, 365 Islands on the coast and in the bays of this State ; about 300 of which are mentioned in the following pages; the others are very small, or mere rocks.
THE WESTERN COAST.
The Piscataqua* river in its whole length, forms a part of the Western western boundary of Maine. Its head is a pond, the body Coast. of which is in Wakefield, on the New-Hampshire side, and the river. Piscataqua end in Shapleigh. It is fed by two other ponds; and the three are called Salmon Fall pond, the Northeast pond, and Lovell's pond. The river runs a S. S. E. course about 40 miles to the sea. From the ponds to Quampeagan falls, near the mouth gan falls. Quampea- of Great-works river, at the head of the tide, the distance Salmon fall is 26 miles ; and that part of the river, being only a large mill river. stream, is called Salmon Fall river, from the abundance of salmon formerly taken from its waters. It is said, fishermen anciently, when standing on the rocks, could spear them in great numbers, though not one has been seen there for an age past. Within the space of ten miles above Quampeagan are three waterfalls ; the upper are about the point where Berwick and Lebanon angle on the river, and are called the Stair falls. Four miles below are the Great falls, where mills are worked with great profit and convenience. Not far from these two falls, are the mouths of two inconsiderable streams, Little river and Wor- cester's river, both in Berwick.t
Near the angle, (at the river,) between Old and South-Berwick, are Salmon falls, a mile and a half above Quampeagan, well covered with useful mills, and affording eligible places for machine- ry. Hereabouts are caught frost-fish and smelts in great plenty, and also some alewives.
Quampeagan falls are ripples or descents of a mile long, wash- ed by the tide nearly to their head ; and the river is navigable from the foot of them, 14 miles to its mouth. Against these, on the east side, empties the river Great-works or Chadbourn's river, works river. Great-
* Piscataqua is of Indian origin, and means " right angles."
+ MS. Letter from Berwick.
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THE WATERS AND COAST
[INTRODUC.
Doughty's Falls.
which issues from Bonnebeag pond, a mile long and half a mile wide, in the northeast part of old Berwick, 30 miles from its mouth. In this river are Doughty's falls, 5 miles from the pond, and others still greater a mile above its mouth. Here [in South- Berwick] were the celebrated mills of ancient days, erected by one Ledgors, who is said to have had 18 saws moved by one wheel ; which, however, required too much head of water to work them with advantage. Here also Mr. Chadbourn, a first settler, purchased lands of the natives in 1643, and formed a noted stand and frontier.
ing.
At Quampeagan, so called by the natives, (because fish were Great land- taken here with nets,) is the great landing place, whence immense quantities of lumber have been rafted or shipped to market ; and where are now many mills of different kinds.
From Quampeagan to the junction of Cocheco, Oyster, Exe- ter and New-Market rivers, on the New-Hampshire side, a run Newicha- wanneck river. of four miles, the river is called Newichawannock, and is suf- ficiently large to bear vessels of an hundred tons burthen near to the falls. Thence to the sea, 8 or 9 miles, the course is from S. Piscataqua. to S. E. and the river itself has the name of Piscataqua, com- modious for navigation and too salt and too rapid to freeze.
Sturgeon creek. Spruce creek.
6 Islands.
Where the river changes its name from Newichawannock to Piscataqua, on the eastern side, is Sturgeon creek. Lower down on the same side, is Spruce creek, which makes up into Kittery, northeasterly around the point, three miles or more ; and here, in water two or three fathoms deep, is the harbour. On the N. and E. side of the channel, in proceeding to the sea, are Rising Castle, Furnal's or Navy, Seavey's, Bager's, Trefethin's, and Clark's Islands, all which are small except Seavey's, which lies opposite Spruce creek and may be 3-4ths of a mile across either way ; and Furnal's, or NAVY ISLAND of 58 acres, which has been purchased by the United States, at the cost of $5,500, for a ship-yard, in which several war ships have been already built.
Navy Island.
Gerrish's and Cutis' Islands.
Southeastwardly of Kittery point are Gerrish's and Cutts' Islands,* which are separated from the main by a very small strait only boatable, and which two together may contain an area equal to a league square ; poor and uninhabited, belonging to the town of Kittery. West of the former and north of Great Island is the Pool.
* " Brave boat harbour," is N. E. of these Islands, next to the main.
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OF MAINE.
SECT. II.]
The celebrated Isles of Shoals, which are often mentioned and The Isles of partially described in the succeeding History, lie nine miles south- shoals. erly from the mouth of Piscataqua harbour, and are seven in number,-three (besides Anderson's rock,) on the west and four on the east side of the line ; the former belonging to New- Hampshire and the latter to Maine. Here is a good naval road with moorings ; where ships sometimes take shelter in bad weather. Formerly the inhabitants were engaged in the cod- fishery to great advantage ; and on one of the Islands, saltworks have been erected, which yielded salt of a most excellent quality for curing fish.
The most conspicuous of them is Star Island, which forms Star Island. the town of Gosport, and is on the New-Hampshire side of the line. It is 3-4ths of a mile long from N. W. to S. E. and half a mile wide; and has a meeting-house fronting the west, painted white, with 12 feet walls and a steeple in the middle, about 30 feet in height. It may be seen 25 miles distant in almost any direction. It bears from the western Agamenticus south 1-2 east ; -the buildings are on the north end of the Island.
White Island* is a mass of rocks 3-4ths of a mile in length White from N. W. to S. E. and is the southwesternmost one of the Island.
cluster. It is one mile and 3-4ths from Star Island meeting- house. In the tower of the lighthouse is a bell of 300lbs. tolled by machinery.
The northernmost of all on the N. H. side is Londoner's or Londoner's Lounging Island, which has rugged rocks projecting in every di- Island. rection ; about half way between which and Star Island lies a rock, bare at low water. This Island is 5-8ths of a mile in length, and one third of a mile from Star Island, and lies south- west of Hog Island.
On the Maine side of the line are Duck Island, Hog Island, Smutty-nose Island, and Cedar Island.
Island
Duck Island, which is north of all the others, is an ill-shapen, Duck low, rocky Island, the most dangerous one of the whole seven, as the rocks project on all sides, and from the N. W. part, a ledge runs off half a mile. It is 7-8ths of a mile in length from N. W. to S. E. and a league from Star Island meeting-house.
Hog Island, at its east end, bears from the meeting-house N. Hog Island,
* The Lighthouse is 67 feet in height above highwater mark, containing
15 patent lamps with reflectors, on a revolving triangle.
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THE WATERS AND COAST
[INTRODUC.
N. E., 7-8ths of a mile distant, and is about one mile in length from E. to W. ; and 5-8ths of a mile across. It is much the largest one of the seven.
Smutty-nose or Hayley's Island.
South of Hog Island is Smutty-nose or Hayley's Island, which has an artificial dock, constructed with great labour and expense by Mr. Hayley, for the accommodation of fishing vessels. It is a mile long from E. to W. and nearly half a mile wide. It has a windmill on its northerly part, and Hayley's cove at the west end, where 15 or 20 small vessels may lie safely from all winds, and where the buildings are situated. The east end of this Isl- and bears E. N. E. 5-8ths of a mile distant from the meeting- house.
Cedar Isl- and.
Cedar Island, one third of a mile in length from E. to W., small in territory, is situate between Star and Smutty-nose Isl- ands ; its east end bears E. 1-4th N. 3-8ths of a mile distant from the meeting-house. Between this and the latter Island, the channel is crooked, and a rock lies off the S. E. end .* Some- times vessels passing between Casco bay and Boston, run within side of these Islands.+
York river.
Over land from Spruce creek to Agamenticus or York river, the distance is only four miles; whereas it is nearly as many leagues around by water to the mouth of that river, where it forms a good harbour. The river itself receives no considera- ble supply from its short fresh water stream above the head of the tide, and therefore is indebted to the ocean for its existence. Its length of flood-tide is seven miles ; its harbour, which is narrow and crooked at its entrance, can receive vessels of 200 tons bur- then.
Cape Ned- dock.
Along the coast, four miles distant, a part of which is a most beautiful beach of white sand, empties Cape Neddock river, which is a stream flowing from the foot of Mount Agamen- ticus. It receives its waters from the sea ; has a bar of sand at its mouth, and is so small of itself as to be fordable at half tide
* MS. Let. Hon. M. Dennet.
+ It was on these Islands that the dun fish was cured in so celebrated a manner as to be known in Spain and other places in the Mediterranean. In 1745, a quintal of it would sell for a guinea, when other articles of food were low. The fish is caught in the summer season, cured on the rocks by drying them slowly and very carefully without much salt. It was an art thought to be peculiar to the Isle of Shoals, but is now known else- where.
į Hon. D. Sewall.
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OF MAINE.
SECT. II.]
It is never navigable more than a mile from the ocean at high water. On the southwest of the river, and at the upper end of Long-sands-bay, is the Nubble, which is nothing more than a Nubble. small hillock.
This Nubble is the nearest main land to Boon Island,* which is 1-4th of a mile in length and six or seven miles distant, in a S. E. direction. It is an Island of rocks, and one league east from it, is Boon Island ledge, very dangerous. It is so low and Boon Island. small an Island, that sometimes in gales and storms, the waters drive the resident family to the second story of the Lighthouse.t
Between Cape Neddock and the river Mousom, there are no Islands except a few which are mere appendages of the main ; but here we find the extensive salt marshes of Wells, the river Negunket, anciently Oguntiquit, the first boundary between York and Wells; and a few miles east of it the harbour of Wells, tol-
* Upon this Island is a dwellinghouse and a Lighthouse. It is 5 or 6 leagues S. E. from Agamenticus.
t On the 11th of Dec. 1710, the Nottingham Galley, of 120 tons burthen, with ten guns and 14 men, under John Deane, master, bound to Boston from London, was driven by a tremendous gale, accompanied with rain, hail and snow, upon Boon Island. It was in total darkness when their suf- ferings commenced there :- They being wet, cold, fatigued, and hungry- without shelter, light or food. In so dreadful a night, some soon died. The next day they could make no signal to be noticed from the shore, and after a few days, two of them attempted to get to York on a raft, but they were drowned. The best and only food of these forlorn sufferers, were shreds of a raw hide, a few muscles and rockweed. For several days they prayed frequently to God for relief, and treated each other with condolence and kindness.
But through extreme famine, and distress, they thought upon the duty of preserving their lives, if possible, by eating some flesh of a wretched man whose body lay lifeless before their eyes. They deliberated, sighed, and chose at last, this, as a less evil than death ; yet, having no fire, they were obliged to swallow it, loathsome as it was, raw. Their dispositions immediately underwent a total change; quarrels and profanity ensued ; they viewed themselves forgotten of their Maker, and prayed to him no more. Such were these unhappy mariners, the most wretched objects of despair, when they were discovered and taken off, the 3d of January, 1711, emaciated to mere skeletons and unable to walk.
In 1811, a Lighthouse was built there of stone, which cost the United States $2,590, and the next year the Island was ceded to that government, which pays the keeper $450 annually. Here he takes abundance of sea- fowl which furnishes him with food and feathers.
VOL. I. 3
26
THE WATERS AND COAST
INTRODUC.
erable for small vessels, where they were oftentimes attacked in the Indian wars.
Mousom.
The Mousom, formerly called Cape Porpoise river, or Magun- cook, which issues from ponds of that name in Shapleigh, 20 miles remote, turns several mills, but has no good harbour by na- ture. It is only two miles and a half from that of Wells' :* And, because the entrances into the harbours of this section were obstructed by sand bars,+ a corporation under a Legislative act, passed June 29, 1792, stopped the natural course of the Mou- som, by a dam across it ; and thence opened a canal through a salt boggy marsh and a narrow beach to a cove of the sea. It is through this canal, twenty feet wide, seven deep and two hun- dred rods in length, the waters of the river now find their outlet.
Kennebunk river.
Two miles further east, and still west of Cape Porpoise, at the mouth of Kennebunk river, which is smaller than the Mou- som, is a good harbour for small vessels ; the river is the divid- ing line between Kennebunk and Kennebunk-port, [lately Arun- del,] and turns mills which have cut great quantities of lumber. The village of Kennebunk is 3 or 4 miles from the sea, on the the river Mousom.
Cape Porpoise.
Cape Porpoise, which is seven leagues N. E. of Cape Neddock, is a difficult and narrow harbour, though safe from winds; the entrance into which, an hundred yards from the sea, is between five Islands, three on the right and two on the left. There a vessel which draws ten feet will be aground at low water and can hardly turn on the flood. At the mouth of Kennebunk river har- bour are two piers, one on the eastern and the other on the west- ern side of the channel.
Wood Island.
Three leagues N. E. of Cape Porpoise is Wood Island, at the mouth of Saco river, 70 or 80 rods from the main land. The entrance into the harbour is on both sides of the Island ; at the westward however, there is a long bar of 1-4th of a mile and some rocks ; and on the eastern side the water over the bar is only fourteen feet in depth at high tides. The celebrated place, called Winter Harbour,¿ which is above Wood Island, is six
Winter harbour.
* Hon. N. Wells' description.
t Depth of water on the bar, at low water, is only 2 or 3 feet : tides 8 or 9 feet. The "fishing Rocks" lie off this harbour.
# So called after an ancient inhabitant there by the name of Winter.
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OF MAINE.
SECT. II.]
miles below Saco bridge, and the head of the tide; the place of anchorage is near Stage Island, on the Biddeford side. In the " Pool," vessels lie safely from all winds. This is without the bar, on the west side of Saco river, and is formed by a peninsula called Fletcher's neck and the main land. A short canal across would connect the Saco with the Pool. There is no channel between Wood and Negro Islands.
Wood Island, of 10 or 12 acres, is high even land, and cover- ed with trees. The United States erected a Lighthouse there Lighthouse. with a repeating light, in 1808, at the cost of $4,898 80, and has since paid the keeper of it $300 by the year; his is the only family on the Island.
Saco Rivert in its course is about 140 miles in length, rapid and Saco river. clear ; and at the lower falls it is an hundred yards in width. Its head is in the White Mountains of New-Hampshire, at the western pass called the Notch ; and Ellis River, another branch of it, rises at the eastern pass. Near the former is a source of Connecticut river ; and within ten feet of the latter, Peabody river rises, which is a branch of the Androscoggin.
The river Saco, after running in a southeasterly direction be- tween 30 and 40 miles and receiving several small tributaries, enters Maine across the dividing line of Conway and Frye- burg. It then meanders north 15 miles, quite to the north line of the latter town ; there, after receiving Cold river and the waters of a small pond at the north, and forming a bow, runs south and separates Denmark from Brownfield. The serpentine windings of this river, thirty-six miles in length, within the single town of Fryeburg, forming fine intervales and progressing only 4 miles, is a natural curiosity. But to avoid this circuity in part, a canal more than three miles long, was in 1817-18, cut across about four miles below the extreme curve of the bend, through Bear and Bog ponds, and this laid the bed of the bow above entirely dry. Three miles below the canal, between Fryeburg Academy and the Saco, is the celebrated Lovell's pond, half a league in length, though less than a mile in width at any place. It was
+ Anciently " Sawocotuck," " Sawahquatook," Prin. An. 55, 63. Smith's Hist. 214. " Sockhigones," Gorges. Folsom's Hist. of Saco and Biddeford, 13, 14.
28
THE WATERS AND COAST
[INTRODUC.
Saco river. through this, the natives used to pass in their excursions up and down the river.
This beautiful section of country was anciently called Peg- Pegwacket. wacket*, one of the principal and most favourite lodgements of the Sokokis tribe; and also the theatre of a desperate battle, with the Indians. Here are curious mounds of earth, one is 60 feet in circumference, artificially raised by them, either as receptacles of the dead or fortifications of the living ; of which no tradition nor conjecture can give any satisfactory account.t
Great falls.
From this place the river runs sixty miles S. S. E. before it gives its waters to the Atlantic. In Brownfield it forms a fine intervale ; and at Hiram it exhibits the Great falls, where the water plunges down a ledge of ragged rocks seventy-two feet.
Thirty-five miles from its mouth it is joined by the Great Ossipee Little Ossi- from the west, which issues out of Great Ossipee pond, in New- Great and pee. Hampshire, about eighteen miles distant, and separates Porter and Hiram from Parsonsfield and Cornish, and also forms the divid- ing line between the counties of York and Oxford. This river though a short one, contributes to the Saco a third part of its waters.
Steep falls. Salmon falls.
Above the mouth of the Little Ossipee, at Limington, are the Steep falls, of twenty feet; and below, at Buxton, ten miles above Saco falls, are Salmon falls, of thirty feet, giving views variously to engage the eye of the curious observer, and afford- ing conveniences to the ingenious machinist.}
Little Ossipee springs from Balch pond, of 1000 acres, lying each side of the line dividing the two States ; and after separating Newfield from Shapleigh, empties itself into the Saco, between Limington and Hollis. It is a fine mill stream, but is not one fourth so large as the Great Ossipee.§
Saco falls.
The Main river, having received many other streams, descends to the head of the lower or Saco falls, where it is divided by Indian Island, containing 30 acres, and on each side tumbles over a precipice of rocks, forty-two feet, and mixes with the tide. From the east side of that Island, which is fertile and pleasant, the appearance of these falls is majestic. ||
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