Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-04-06
eastern Gimes.
BATH, APRIL 6, 1854.
Sagadahock County.


BY an act of the Legislature, new Coun-
tv by the above name has been incorporated.
Il includes the towns of Arrowsic, Bowdoin,
Bowdoinham, Georgetown, Perkins, Phips-
burg, Richmond, Topsham, West Bath, Wool
witch and the city of Bath, formerly compris-
ing part of the county of Lincoln. The
population of the county, according to the
census Of 1885, was 81 1926, and is now esti-
mated at $4,000. The valuation in 1850,
was 1854, 7lO, and now supposed to be
about $1,000 900. The Presidential vote of
1852, was, for Scott, l76I; for Pierce 1894
for Hale 3O5.
The bill provides that the act shall take eff
feet on the first day of April. The Courts
are to be holden at Bath, until the first Mon
day of October next, at which time the legal
voters of the County shall determine by ballot
which of the towns shall be the SHIRE and all
County offices are to be established at Bath
until suitable buildings are prepared. Terms
of the Supreme Judicial Court for the trial of
civil and criminal cases, are to be holden on
the first Tuesday.of April and third Tuesday
of August, and a term for the transaction of
December. The Court of County Commiss-
toner's is to be holden on the first Tuesday of
March, first Tuesday of July, and first Tues
day of November. The Court of Probate is
to be holden at such times and places as the
Judge shall designate. The County forms
part of the Middle Judicial District
The bill provides that all actions now pend
ing in the Courts of Lincoln County, wherein
the plaintiffs reside in SagadahocI County,
shall be transferred to the Courts of that coun-
ty. All officers for the county are authorized
to commit prisoners or debtors, TO Jail in Wis
casset; or the county Commissioners are en-
. powered to make an agreement with the coun-
ty of Kennebec for the use of the Jail at Au-
gusta. For the election of Representatives to
Congress, Senators and Representatives to the
Legislature the districts remain the same as
by the apportiOnment of 1852.
We congratulate the people on the forma-
ton of the new County. The matter has been
agitated for twenty-five years, and two or
three times has been before the Legislature.
But the present accumulation of business
made it imperatively necessary that Lincoln
should be divided. 1t was the most 3opulous
county, with the exception of Cumberland,
In the State, and embraced large extent of
territory on the seaboard the towns of which
arc rapidly growing, and hence increasing
the County business. Our new county is not
large in extent Of territory, but very compact,
and conveniently located for the transaction of
its business. The old county of Lincoln was
Incorporated by the Provincial government of
Massachusetts in I761, nearly or about the
same time Cumberland was incorporated, York
having been constituted at an earlier period.
The Courts for Lincoln county were holden
at Pownalboro'. The old Court House is
now standing on the banks of the river in
Dresden. Hancock and w ashington counties
were taken from Lincoln The Courts for
Lincoln were holden annually at Warren,
Wiscasset, and Topsham, until 1913, when
by an act of the Legislature, all the Courts
were established TO be holden at Wiscasset
There are many pleasant associations, political /
and social, connected with old Lincoln. We |
have always prided ourselves that we hailed |
from that respectable old county, and it is
with not little feeling of regret that we are
separated from her like dutiful child we
shall ever revere our old parent, and wish her
abundant prosperity. We can but hope if
there has been any jealousy or hard feelings
entertained towards her ambitious offspring,
they may be forgotten. We leave Lincoln
largely democratic, and hope she will roll up
her majority by thousands.
The bill was originally reported as the
county of King, but amended in the House.
There has been some dissatisfaction man
ifested at the change of the name But
there is-a desire on the part of many, to re-
tain as far as possible, the Indian names of
different locations, and we think highly prop
er in this case. Sagadahock was the original
name of nearly all the territory embraced
within the limits of the County. and the more
proper name of that part of the Kennebec river
from Merry-meeting Bay, at the confluence of
the Kennebec and Androscoggin, to the sea,
running directly through the County. We
were satisfied with the name of King. It
would have been highly appropriate, in that
way to have kept alive the memory of our dis
tingulshed townsman, the first Governor of
the State,-one whose name is SO familiar in
the early history of the State, and especially
of this city.