F 19 .K14 Copy 1 ::a Iff e fl IB 1 m itl^l^l^i^f> GEOGRAPHY of MAINE Copyright - 1910 by J. O. Kaler ©CiA First Settlement. The first settlement in Aiaine was under com na;:d of George Popham, who arrived from England Aug. 8, 1GU7, with a company of about one hundred persons, and began to build homes where is now the town of Phippsburg. During the year IGO.S two Jesuit missionaries settled on the island of Mount Desert, having come there from the French colony at Port Royal wMth the purpose of converting the Indians to Chris- tianity. They remained at that place five years. Samuel Argall visited the coast about the year IGIO, having come from Virginia. He landed on a small, rocky island at the entrance to Penobscot Bay. Finding there a large number of seals, he gaye the name Seal Rock to the island, by which it is now known. In September of the same year wdien Argall came, Sir George Somers landed on the coast near Sagadahock, stopping there on his voyage to Bermuda. In 1611 Edward Harlow, on a voyage of dis- covery, anchored ofif Monhegan, where he captured three Indians who had come on board to trade with him. One leaped overboard and swam ashore ; but the other t^', o \,ere carried to England in conpany with three others who were stolen at Cape Cod. Mount Desert. Siiassaye, the agent of a Frencii lady who had come into possession of the grant to Pierre de Gast, arrived at Mount Desert with twenty-five colonists, who built houses and a fort, a -id named the island St. Saviour. This was in May, loi3. The found- ing of such settlement did not please the people of Virginia, who claimed that the island of Mount Desert was included in their charter from the English king, and a fleet of fourteen fishing vessels, carrying sixty soldiers and fourteen cannons, under command of Samuel Argall, was sent to drive the Frenchmen away, all of which they did with but little difficulty, after killing one and wounding several. In April, 1G14, Captain John Smith arrived at Monhegan for purpose of trading with the natives and exploring the coast. He came with two vessels carrying forty-five men, and immediately after anchoring set about building seven small boats in which to make his voyages of trading and discovery. War Among the Indians. Then hostilities broke out among the Indians of which mention has been made, and a most bloody war ensued, probably from 1615 until 1618, the Tarratines coming off victors. At about the close of the war, perhaps shortly before, a fatal sickness came upon the savages. Some writers have be- Heved it was the small pox, while others claim that it must have been yellow^ fever. The Indians died in great nuiubers, and so rapidly, that in later years the English, on visiting the country, found the bones of the victims yet unburied. To Sir Fernando Gorges and Captain John Alason, the Plymouth Council, in the year U)22, granted all the country between the Merrimac and Sagada- hock rivers, and the territory thus conveyed was called "The Province of Laconia." Settlements were made in several places, and Monhegan Island was colonized. Early Settlements. As early as 1G23 a permanent settlement was commenced at Saco, and at about the same time land at Sagadahock, Sheepscot, Damariscotta, Pema- quid, on the banks of St. Georges River, and Arrow- sick Island, was occupied by white people. At Pemaquid a fort was built, and the village increased gradually until the beginning of the first Indian war. At Castine a trading house was built that the white men might barter goods for furs with the Tarratine Indians. It was the first English post of the kind in this section of America. Royal Patents. As time passed the land was divided into patents, plantations, or settlements, each having a distinct name, and extending from Cape Sable to the Plymouth Colony. Trouble arose as to the gov- ernment of these patents, and in 1G39, April 3, Gorges received from King Charles I, a charter of the lands from the mouth of the Piscataquis River "north-eastward along the coast to the Sagada- hock," and thus on in the language of the sarveyors, until in fact this charter was supposed to cover all the territory, including islands, from Cape Cod to the Sagadahock. The country was to be known as the "Province of Maine," and Gorges was made "Lord Proprietor" of the whole. It was in 1G51 that the Massachusetts Colony laid claim to the Province of Maine, alleoino- that it was situated within the bounds of their grant, and, Gorges being dead, one year later Massach i- setts took formal possession of all that land east- ward from Cape Cod to Clapboard Island, which last lay "three miles to the eastward of the Casco peninsula." Then, gradually, all the province was brought within the jurisdiction of Alassachusetts, even so far to the eastward as Passamaquoddy. A grandson of Sir Fernando Gorges petitioned to the king, claiming that he was being deprived of his lawful rights, and there was much legal con- tention regarding the territory until 1G77 when Massachusetts bought from the heirs of Gorges, for the sum of twleve hundred and fifty pounds, all claim to the province. Maine Admitted to the Union. Not until 18^0 was Maine admitted to the Union as a state. It is the easternmost territory of the United States; about 3U0 miles in length, with a breadth of 28o miles, and an area approximately of 33,040 square miles. When admitted to the Union its capitol was Port- land ; but in 1831 Augusta was designated as the seat of government. The northern boundary of Maine was for a long time in dispute, the controversy growing so bitter that in 1839 the legislature placed $800,000 at the governor's disposal for defence. The matter was settled by the Ashburton treaty of 1842. The name of "Pine Tree" state was given to Maine when a large proportion of her territory was covered with pine trees: but the enormous con- sumption of pine lumber, together with the wasteful methods of taking it from the forest, has so reduced the supply that the hills are no longer ''pine clad." There yet remain, however, millions upon millions of trees to serve the needs of man, and the lumber- ing operations in the northern and eastern parts of the state are of great magnitude. Such wood as poplar, which a few years ago was held to be worthless for any purpose, is now an important factor in the industry of the state, being utilized for pulp from which paper is made. The white or silver birch is converted into spools, toothpicks, fruit-boxes, and other small articles, and there i^ no longer any species, of tree in the forest which may not be used for the benefit of man. Industries of Maine. The forests afford fine hunting, with moose and deer abounding, while the many lakes and streams are teeming with game fish, therefore it is that thousands of visitors are attracted each year, in the early spring and late fall, from all parts of the country, while during the heat of the summer resi- dents of other states come to Alaine for pleasure in great numbers, thus making the caring for such travelers an important industry. The fisheries of Maine bring into the state many million dollars yearly. Cod, haddock, mackerel, and other food fish are shipped to the neighboring cities either fresh or salted. The taking of menhaden for their oil and value as a fertilizer, adds much to the wealth of the state, while that industry which is called "sardine packing", has become of consider- able importance. Ice cutting is an extensive and important industry in Maine, as is the quarrying of granite, slate and limestone. Agriculture ranks only second or third in the resources of the state, while it may truthfully be said that manufacturing is the chief industry. There are sixteen counties in Maine, with an area nearly equal to the other five New England states combined. In the state are 20 cities, 420 towns, 67 planta- tions, and 9,123,195 acres of so-called wild lands. Government. The constitution of 1820, with subsequent amend- ments, is the basis of the state government. The legislature consists of a senate, composed of 31 members and a house of representatives of 151 mem- bers, all of whom are elected every two years. The executive officers are- a governor, who is assisted by a council of seven members, secretary of state, treasurer, attorney general, adjutant gen- eral, auditor, and superintendent of public schools. The judiciary consists of a supreme judicial court, composed of eight judges appointed by the governor and council for a term of seven years, the superior courts of Cumberland and Kennebec counties, a probate court in each county, municipal and police courts, and trial justices. Maine has two senators and four representatives in Congress, and six votes in the electoral college. Institutions. The National, State and Educational institutions are : Maine General Hospital at Portland. Central Maine General Hospital at Lewiston. Eastern Maine General Hospital at Bangor. Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary at Portland. Maine Hospital for the Insane at Augusta. State Prison at Thomaston. State School for Boys at South Portland. Maine Industrial School for Girls at Hallo well. Military and Naval Asylum for Orphans at Bath. National Home for Disabled X'olunteer Soldiers at Togus. United States Marine Hospital at Portland. United States Navy Yard at Kittery. University of Maine at Orono. State Normal Schools at Farmington, Castine, Gorham and Presque Isle. Madawaska Training School at Fort Kent. Maine School for the Deaf at Portland. Bowdoin College at Brunswick, incorporated 1794. Colby College at Waterville, incorporated 1813. Bates College at Lewiston, incorporated 18G4. Maine Wesleyan Seminary at Readfield, incorpo- rated 1821. Bangor Theological Seminary at Bangor, incorpo- rated 1814. Cobb Divinity School at Lewiston, established 1870. College of Law (University of Maine) at Bangor. College of Pharmacy (University of Alaine) at Orono. Medical School of Maine at Brunswick. Penobscot River. The largest river in Maine is the Penobscot, the west branch of which rises not far from the north- western shore of Moosehead Lake, while the east branch has its source in Mattawamkeag and Pleasant lakes. The two branches unite at Matta- 11 wamkeag, the main river running easterly and southerly to Penobscot Bay. A large amount of timber is cut near this river and its tributaries, a portion of which is converted into paper above tide waters, and the remainder rafted to Bangor, which city is at the head of ship navigation, at the junction of the Kenduskeag stream with the river, and about sixty miles from the ocean. Mere are many large sawmills for cutting the logs into lumber, and nearby on the banks of the river are huge buildings for storing the ice which is cut each winter. Bangor is the second largest city in the state. It is the point of departure for tourists, hunters and fishermen who visit the northern section. Trains run from Bangor to St. John in New Bruns- wick ; to many parts of Aroostook County, and across the state to Boston. In this city is located the Bangor Theological Seminary, the University of Maine's College of Law, and the Eastern Maine General Hospital. The Indian name of Bangor was Kenduskeag. Prior to 1(35(5 a fort was built here by the French, and called Norombega. The town was settled by the English in 1769, and was plundered by the British in 1814, when the kind's troops took possession of Eastport, afterward land- ing at Hampden, six miles below Bangor, where a skirmish took place with the local militia, when one man was killed. Twelve miles north of Bangor, on the Penobscot, is Old Town, where is a government reservation on 12 which hve the descendants of the Penobscot or Tar- ratine Indians. Large kimbering operations are carried on from here, and here also are factories for the building of canoes, in which industry many men are employed. Hunters intending to go into the forest get Indian guides at this place, of which there are many who work as lumbermen during such seasons of the year as the killing of game animals is forbidden by law. Five miles south of Old Town is Orono, where is located the University of Maine with its College of Pharmacy. The town gets its name from one of the chiefs of the Tarratine tribe. Eighteen miles below Bangor is Bucksport, oppo- site which town is Fort Knox, a fortification of the old type, which was completed at the beginning of the Civil War. Penobscot Bay. Stockton Springs, the seaboard terminal of the Bangor & Aroostook railroad, eight miles south- west of Fort Knox, is on Penobscot Bay. Here it was that the Massachusetts Bay Colony built a fort in 1759, giving it the name of Pownal. Nearly opposite, on the other side of the bay, is Castine, formerly known as Bagaduce, or 'Biguy- duce. Here it was that the first English trading post in Maine was established by the Plymouth Company. In 1635 a Frenchman by name of D'Aulhey settled in Bagaduce, intending to found a village. He was driven away by the English, who in turn were compelled by the Dutch to aban- don the place. In the year 1G()7 Baron Jean \'in- cent de St. Castine came to this place and built a home, makings his possession the more secure by marrying the daughter of Aladockawando, chief of the Tarratines. The town was occupied by the British for nearly a year during the War of 1812. At Castine is located one of the State Xormal schools. Again crossing the bay, one arrives at the city of Belfast, which was incorporated as a town in ITTo. The inhabitants were driven away by the British in 1779, and did not return in any numbers until five years later. In 1S15 it was occupied by the king's troops, who held possession nearly a year. On the westerly side of the entrance to Penob- scot Bay is the city of Rockland, locally famous for its manufacture of lime, and the many large granite quarries nearby. Kennebec River. The second largest river is the Kennebec, having its source near the westerly shore of Moosehead lake, and its mouth in Merrymeeting Bay. It is navigable from the sea as far as Augusta, the capitol, the Indian name of which was Cushnoc. Here it was, about the year 1716, that a Doctor Noyes of Boston built a stone fort as protection against the savages, and, because of such place of refuge in time of danger, settlers were encouraged 14 to build homes in that vicinity. This same Doctor Noyes embarlced in tne sturgeon hshery on what was then cahed '"the several brancnes of the Sagada- hock River," employing no less than twenty vessels to carry the rish to England as well as to the people of Massachusetts Bay. At Augusta is an United States Arsenal. There are factories for the making of cotton goods, wood pulp for paper, and other industries. Thirty-nine miles north of Augusta, on the Ken- nebec, is the town of Skowhegan, an Indian name meaning "a place in which to watch," so-called be- cause there the savages watched fur the coming of fish up the river. The chief industry is lumber- ing. Eighteen miles north of Augusta is the city of Waterville, where is located Colby College and the Coburn Classical Institute. Waterville has large cotton mills, and is the location of the Maine Central railroad car shops. On the opposite side of the river is Winslow, where are paper and pulp mills. Four miles south-east of Augusta, on the east side of the river, is the United States Military Reservation known as Togus, where is located the Eastern Branch National Home for Disabled Vol- unteer Soldiers, the first institution of the kind established in this country. Two miles below Augusta, on the same side of the river, is the city of Hallowell, where are large 15 granite quarries, and where is located the State In- dustrial School for Girls. Four miles below Hallowell where the Cobbos- seeco:itee River enters the Kennebec, is the city of Gardir.er, with its manufactories of paper pulp, furniture and boots and shoes. Sagadauock Rixer. The Kennebec unites with the Androscoggin, forming what is sometimes called the Sagadahock River, and was formerly known as "the chops," meaning the waters of the two rivers as they "mer- rily meet and form Merrymeeting Bay. Twelve miles from the ocean is the city of Bath, where are large ship-building plants. Here also is located the Military and Naval Assylum for Or- phans. Bath is said to have been first visited by George Weymouth, in 1G05, and the land on which it is situated was purchased by the Rev. Robert Gutch of Salem, Massachusetts, in KJGO, from an Indian sachem called Robin Hood. Large quantities of logs are rafted down the Kennebec in the spring, and during the winter seas: n the harvesting of ice gives employment to many hundred men. It was during his unsuccessful expedition to Quebec in 1775 that Benedict Arnold led his troops up the Kennebec as far as Dead River, and from there to the Chaudiere. August 11, 1607, George Popham landed near the mouth of the Sagadahock River, and erected dwell- 16 ings and a fort. Sir George Somers halted at the same place on his way to Bermuda in 1610, and Captain John Smith made his headquarters in this vicinity while exploring the coast in 1611:. In 1626 the people of Plymouth sent a shallop loaded with corn up the Kennebec River, exchanging the cargo for furs, and two years later they established a trading post, probably above Merrymeeting Ray. Androscoggin River. The third river of importance is the Androscog- gin, which rises near Parmachenee Lake, and runs in its irregular course about one hundred sixty miles, affording water-power to the factories and mills along its way, until it unites with the Kenne- bec at IMerrymeeting Bay. This river crosses the boundary line of New Hampshire, running through Umbagog Lake and beyond a distance of nearly twenty-five miles, after which the remainder of its course is in Maine. At Rum ford are two falls which supply an enormous water-power, while at Lew^ston and Auburn are large factories that harness the swiftly- running river to their machinery. At Lewiston, where is located Bates College, the Cobb Divinity School, and the Central Maine Gen- eral Hospital, the chief industry is the making of cotton and woolen goods, while at Auburn, on the opposite side of the river, the manufacture of boots and shoes is of the most importance. Eight miles down the river from Auburn is Lis- 17 bon, where are pulp, fibre, cotton, grist and s.iw mills. Yet further on, situated twenty-five miles north- east of Portland, is Brunswick, the original na ne of wdiich w^as Pejepscot, w^here is located Bowdoin College and the Medical School of Maine. Saco River. The fourth river is the Saco, which rises in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and runs about one hundred forty miles to Saco Bay. This river is fed in part through Lovewell's P^ond in Fryeburg where. May 19, 1725, a most desperate battle was fought between the Indians and settlers under command of Captain John Lovewell. On this river is sit.iated the city of Biddeford, wdiere are large mills for the manufacture of cotton goods, and opposite, on the other side of the river, is the city of Saco, w^ith its woolen and cotton mills, machine shops, and store-houses for ice. It is probable that Martin Pring sailed up this river as far as the present location of the two cities, in 1G03, when he was exploring the coast. It is also believed that Richard Vines spent the winter of 1617 or 1618 on this river, w^hen the Indians were smitten by a plague, the exact nature of which is not known. As early as 1(523 a permanent settlement was commenced at W' inter Harbor, then called the plan- tation of Saco. The first orq-anized 2;overnment established with- 18 in the limits of the now State of Maine, was ai Saco in 1G36, under Governor Gorges. Bays, Mountains and Lakes. The three largest bays on the coast of Elaine are: Penobscot Bay, situated nearly on the center of the coast-line, with Casco Bay on the west, and Passa- maquoddy Bay on the east. The highest mountain is Katahdin, standing in the north central part of the state about seventy miles north-west from the head tide of the Penob- scot River. It is the southernmost of nine lofty ridges. In the early days of the white men's com- ing, the Indians did not dare climb to the top of this mountain, believing there lived, during the summer season, an evil spirit, by name Pamola, who had the head and face of a man, and the body and feet of an eagle. The legend amcng the savages was that Pamola destroyed every red man who dared invade his home. Of lakes and ponds there are about 1501) in the state, Moosehead being the largest. Minerals. Iron ore to considerable amount is found about fifty miles south-west from Mt. Katahdin. A mine was worked there with profit during several years. It is now abandoned. Gold in very small quantity is found in the state ; but not to such amount that it can be taken out with advantage to the miner. At Swift River, in the 19 town of Byroii, gold is washed from the saiul, a;i industrious man being able to gather from one to two dollars' w^orth per day. Feldspar is found at Topsham, Auburn, Minot and other localities. Extensive granite quarries are at Frankfort, lial- lowell, Jay and in the vicinity of Rockland. From Paris Hill, Auburn, Hebron and Stow come tourmaline, amethysts, beryl, garnets, and many other se:ni-precious stones. Slate is quarried at Monson, Brownville and other places. Plumbago is found throughout Oxford County. Mica in marketable size is mined at Canton, Paris Hill and Hebron. Portland. Portland, situated at the head of Casco Bay, the largest city in the state, was the capitol from 1820 w^hen Maine was admitted to the Union, until 1831, when the seat of government was removed to Augusta. When that part of the state now known as Port- land, Stroudwater, Westbrook,Cape Elizabeth, South Portland, Falmouth and the islands of Casco Bay was first settled, the entire territory w^as called Fal- mouth by the white people, and by the Indians, Machigonne. The peninsula upon which the city is built, went by the name of Casco Neck. The first settler was Christopher Leavitt, who built a house on one of the islands in the bay. probably that 20 one which is now known as Great Hog Island, and this building was erected during the winter of lG2o- 24:. At that time Richmond's or Richman's Island, at the mouth of the Spurwink River, had been settled by Walter Bagnall, w^ho took up his abode there three years before Boston town was begun. In 1032 Richard Tucker and George Cleaves settled on the peninsula, and Arthur Mackworth built a home east of the Presumpsc^t River, near its mouth. The plantati( n grew with reasonable rapidity until 1G7G, when it was attacked by the savages, and the white people either killed or driven away. Two years later, after peace had been agreed upon by the red and wdiite men, the town was once more occupied, and the inhabitants re- mained unmolested until the outbreak of wdiat is known as the Second Indian War, when, the savages of Maine being again on the war path, Major Ben- jamin Church of Plymouth w^as sent by the Massa- chusetts Colony to subdue them. A pitched battle was fought ; but no decisive victory gained. In 1090 Falmouth was attacked by the French and Indians, and once more was it laid waste. Again Major Church came from Massachusetts and gave battle to the enemy, who were holding possession of the peninsula when, as Williamson writes, "a smart engagement ensued." Not until 1699 did the settlers return to their farms, and then Falmouth once more "took on the look of a village." In 1703 the Third Indian War broke out, durinij 21 v.hich a garrison was maintained at P\ilmoLith, Lul the settlers abandoned the place and did n^t return to till the land until the year 1708 or 1709, from which time they continued to hold possession, al- thoug-h sulfering much from the depredations of the Indians. The town was burned by a British force October 18, 1775. September 5, 1813 the British brig Boxer was captured off Portland harbor by the American brig Enterprise. A large trade between Canada and England is carried on throtigh Portland when the St. Law- rence River is ice-bound. In this city is located the Maine General Hospital the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary, the Maine School for the Deaf, and the United States Marine Hospital. Across the harbor, in South Portland, once known as Pan:o- duck, is the State School for Boys. Portland has one of the best harbors on the Atlantic coast, where the largest ships may ride in safety. MONHEGAN AND PeMAQUID. The island of Monhegan is situated n.ine miles south-east from Pemaquid Point, and sixteen miles from Boothbay Harbor. It is about one mile wide and two and one-half long. The island has been a landmark for sailors since the day in 1(J05 when George Weymouth landed there, giving it the name of Pentecost. George Popham came to anchor off Monhegan in ir)07 before proceeding to the mouth of the Sagadahock. When Edward Harlow visited Monhegan in irai, it had already become "a noted 22 mart for trade with the natives." It was perma- nently peopled about liJ22, being a halting place for all who sailed along the coast. In 162o the people of Plymouth, claiming to own the island by virtue of their grant from the king, sold it for fifty pounds sterling. Pemaquid is now included in the town of Bristol. The earliest settlements on Pemaquid River were made probably in 1G23 or 1G24. A fort was built there about that time, and taken by pirates under the leadership of Dixy Bull in 1()32. It has been stated that in 1G30 "there were eighty-four families, besides fishermen, about Sheepscot, Pemaquid and St. Georges." Machias was, in 1633, a trading post established by Richard Vines ; but the French under la Tour destroyed it during the following year. An unsuc- cessful attempt at a settlement was made by the French in 1644. It was permanently settled in 1763, and in 1775 the inhabitants captured two British armed vessels, carrying their crew^s in triumph to the American camp at Cambridge. The tow^n is situated on Old Stream River, north-west from the head of Machias Bay; its chief industries are lum- bering and shipbuilding. Bar Harbor, the celebrated summer resort, is in the town of Eden on that same island of Mount Desert where the Jesuit Missionaries settled in 1608, with the hope of Christianizing the savages. There are many noted watering places on the island, but none so popular as Bar Harbor. 23 Eastport, formerly called Moose Island, and given its present name because of being the most easterly seaport in the United States, is situated on .Aloose Island in Passamaquoddy Bay. During the War of 1S12 it was taken possession of by the British. Its important industries are the fisheries and ship- building. Westbrook, on the Presumpscot River, is six miles north-west of Portland, and among other industries, has a large factory exclusively for the manufacture of silk goods. Readfield is situated twelve miles west of Au- gusta, and is the seat of the Maine Wesleyan Sem- inary and Woman's College. The seminary was established 1821, and the college chartered 1859, The chief industry of the town is the manufacture of woolen cloth. Gorham, the seat of one of the State Normal Schools, lies ten miles west of Portland. The town- ship was originally granted to those soldiers who served during King Philip's War. THE EAGLE PRESS PORTLAND LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 013 995 285 6 4 LIBRAF 00 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 013 995 285 6 Q