Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-12-31

bred members of the Legislature have
published an address to the colored peo-
pie of the State appointing Friday, Jan
nary IS, day of fasting and prayer for
the aeliyernce of the Governor from the
power of the kuhlnk.
seas e HISTORY or 4kGtSTd.+
q Tits work. which all interested in the af-
fairs Of our city have looked for with great
deal OF interest, is now published, and IS a
large, handsome volume. 1t was printed at
the Office of the Kennehec Jorrnal the bind
ing was done by Hartford & Smiih. The
typographical execution will compare favor
ABLY with the best workmanship of the best
publishing houses, aud the same ia true of the
binding. The paper Is Of heavy and tine
quality. Ii ha, thirty -iour illustrations AMI
twenty -oits portraits 81 our rn'-t distinguished
citizens, tie latter steel cngravings, and beau
tifully accurate and liie-like. The number OF
pages is 990. II is divided into sixteen chap
tiers. has headings and date at the top OF every
page, has foot notes and references a, the
bottom. and a full table Of contents, with APP
pendix. index and errata IL contains the
history of Augusta from the earliest settle
ment to the present time. with notices of the
Plymouth Colony and settlements on the Ken
nebec, together with biographical sketches
and genealogical register. 1t is published
BY Ciapp 4, North The author and historian
is Hon. James W. North, ono svho has seen
and been considerable par. of what he mar
rates, and who has performed his laborous
task with admirable fidelity and ability worthy
of all praise, producing work tia; records
and portrays faithfully and graphically the
past, and viii stand for generations to come
as the hest monument of the people of the
white race who have made their home here
upon the kennebee. The fact that Augusta
isthe capital of the State gives great deal
more character and Importance to the work
than it would otherwise have had. The
prominent acts Of the legislature, the leading
men Of the State, the operations of the State
government, all contribute to enrich the To-
cal history of the city, which thus becomes in
some measure the history of the State. The
history Of no other city in the State can be so
rich in records OF the men and policies that
have governed our State as this, and fortunate
it is that while Mr.. North had the research
needful to gather the general facts lie has pre-
teresting, he was also prepared from his ac-
tive association with the men and measures
that have swayed the State to speak with
more than common intelligence concerning
them. A
The history opens with some account of
Du Mont's expedition in 1901, which took
possession of the country contiguous to the
Kennebec in the name Of the King of France.
Three years afterwards Popham's colony was
planted at the mouth Of the river, but it was
not until 1925 that the river was explored,
and then by party from the colony of New
Plymouth. The Plymouth colony was char
tered in 1920 by James the First, and the
Kennebec was included in the grant Cush-
noe, the Indian name of what is now Au-
gusta, was formerly point where the Cant
bas Indians gathered in large numbers for
fishing and hunting, and was often visited by
the whites fer purposes of traffic. The Ken
nebec Patentwas purchased of the Plymouth
company in 1861, but no effort was made to
settle the lands until l149. That year Wig
0rous measures were taken for the formation
Of settlements. In 1854 Fort Western was
built within the present limits of Augusta
upon the eastern bank Of the river, and was
the first step towards settlement here. At
the end OF two years there were about two hun
dred persons belonging TO it. In III the
towns of Halloweli, marlborough, Winslow
and Winthrop were Incorporated. Hallowell
then embraced the present cities Of Augusta
and IIallowell the town OF Chelsea, and a
i large part of the towns Of Farmingdale and
Manchester. Fort Western was erected snt
sustained as means of defence against thu
French and Indians, who made the Kennebet
a thoroughfare between Quebec and this pal
Of the country in their contest with the Eng
lish for supremacy.
q Jsmss Howard, the military commander 0
Fort Western, may be considered the first set
tier at cushnoc, where he ruled almost su
prenne thiry-three years and died at the ag,
Of eighty-fye. The first marriage at Cushno
was that of Margaret Howard and Capt jaime
Patterson The first settler at the .'Hook,
wkst i nov Iiailowell, was Deacon Peas
Clark. He was accompanied by his wife, sol
n and sons wife, aud one child. They wer
obliged to sleep the first night under the bod
Of a cart turned bottom upwards which the
brought with them On the next day the
made camp of boughs for shelter, near wher
I the cotton factory now stands. This was i
l762. The life of the settlers was one of diff
Guilty and hardship. They had to guard agains
the hostility 1.-The Indians, had no roads, N
mills for some tune, and depended upon tn
scsaty products Of the soil and fishing an
hunting Tor lining, while their dresses wer
mostly Of homemade tow cloth and the skin