The Portland daily press., 1862-08-14
Historical Celebration at Fort Popham.

AT the annual meeting of the Maine Histor-
ical Society, held at Brunswick on Thursday,
August It'll, inst, resolutions were adopted for
carrying into effect the public celebration of
the first formal act of possession of the soil
and territory of New England, by the found
ing of the Popham colony, at the mouth Of the
Kennebec River, Aug. 49, 1907 70. S., which
possession and occupation, under the Royal
charter of April 10, 1906, gave to the English
race its title and dominion in the new world.
Under the auspices of the Historical Society,
the arrangements are now perfected, by the
very efficient committee appointed at the pub
lie meeting at Bath on the 18th of July last
A memorial stone, bearing a suitable inscrip-
ton, is being prepared by the Historical Soci-
ETY., to be inserted in the walls of Fort Pop
ham, near the site of which, on the Peninsula
of Sabine, the ancient Fort st. George was
erected, in the autumn of 1907, around which
clustered fifty dwellings, and in the midst of
which a small church was built.
There will be formal and public celebra-
ton at the placing of this memorial stone, at
the fort, August 20, 1862, and dinner or col
lation afterward, under the big tent engaged
for the occasion. The most distinguished men,
not only of Maine but of the United States,
are invited, and there will be delegations, or
representative men, from Canada, New Bruins
wick, Nova Scotia and the other British prov
inces. The celebration is to be historical, ra-
Their than local, and international so far as to
embrace those who speak the English language
or live under English institutions. All the ar
rangements are so far completed, as to enable
us to give an outline of the celebration.
Assembling on the parade of the works
the ground floor of the fort-at 10. A. NJ, Hon.
Charles ]. Gilman of Brunswick, chiefmar-
shall of the day, will call to order and preside,
while the Hon. William Willis of Portland,
President of the Maine Historical Society, will
read a brief historic statement, with the rea-
sons for the celebration. This will be followed
by religious services, in the same order as that
observed by the Rev. Richard Seymour, on the
Goth of August, 1907.
His Excellency, Governor Washburn, as
Chief Magistrate Of the State, will then be in
vited to take charge of the memorial stone,
and procure its insertion into its appropriate
place, accepting his trust with brief speech.
He will then request the Rev. DR.. Woods,
President of Bowdoin College, to superintend
the work. DIR. Woods, addressing Gen. Tot
ten, or the officer in charge, and receiving his
assent, invites the Masonic Order of the State
to place the stone, in manner and form estab-
lished by the most ancient rules of their order
Hon. Josiah II. Drummond, Grand Master,
places the stone, followed by appropriate mu-
sic and an Grafton.
These services completed, the company
march in procession to the Great Pavilion,
where a collation. is to be spread, at which
Judge Kent, of Bangor, Ex-Governor of
Maine, is to preside, assisted by Vice Pres
ident from each county in the State. The
Hon. George Popham Sewall, of Oldtown,
named for Governor Popham, and born on the
spot, acts as Toast-master.
Speeches in response to appropriate senti-
ments are to follow, from distinguished histo-
rians and men eminent in the various depart
ments of Literature, Law, Science, &c.
A programme viii be issued by the Commit
tee, giving all details, as soon as completed.