Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-12-01
NO. 2s7.
Miseellaneous.
Ancient PittstOn.

| the last 10 De Incorporated by the Generai
Court under the royal charter.
The plantation was called Gardinerston, for
DIR. Sylvester Gardiner, by whose efforts the
region was finally settled, after previous at
tempts had failed from Indian persecution.
But after all his labors, and though the great
er part of the territory was his own property,
| the sturdy patriots refused to have the town
called by the same name, for the reason that
he espoused the British cause. 1t was named
for the Pitts family, which aided in settling
| the place. 4 member of the family brought
in the bill of incorporation. Twenty-four
years after the town was divided, and the pOr-
ton on the west side of the Kennebec was
then given the name of Gardiner.
| The first settler of which there is record
was Alexander Brown, who must have come
| about 1910. lie was murdered in 1876, dur
ing King Phillips war. All the white popu-
lation below his home was swept away. No
other permanent occupancy is known for
eighty-four years after.
About l75f DIR. Gardiner began to lay those
plans that resulted in the settlement of Pitts
ton. He received various claims, and at one
time owned 100, 900 acres. The proprieteis
were anxious to obtain settlers, and for a
good farm the conditions were that the settler
build a dwelling house, clear and prepare u
certain number of acres for tillage within a
given number of years, and dwell thereon
during said time, which varied from three to
ten years, and pay from five to ten shillings.
The first settlers sailed from Falmouth in the
fall of l760. They were, builder of grist-
mills, a sawmill wright, a house carpenter, q
wheelwright, and four others. -Four of these
men brought their families. The wife of Mr..
Winsow and his little daughter went ashore,
being the first white females known to have
stepped on Pittston soil. Mrs. Winslow's
son, born the next March was the first native
white child. These settlers threw up log huts
and spent the winter preparing for the coming
summer. The spring was so backward that
they hauled logs on the crust the 9th of
March. When the season opened they erect
ed grist mill. For several years this was
resorted to by the northern settlers, even from
Norrdgewock and Canaan. They also COM
menced building a mansion known as the
Great House. 1t was erected by DIR. Gardi-
ner for an inn for which purpose it was used
until 1927, after this occupied by stores and
private families. An Indian alarm in the fall
of 1866 caused the settlers to flee to block
house. Thirty OF forty families assembled
there. The men going out in companies,
well armed harvested their crops, but gradu-
ally left for their homes. the alarm evidently
being false.
Game and fish were so abundant that none
need suffer for food. Jonathan Winslow used
to relate that he caught sixteen fine salmon
one morning before breakfast. A Mrs.
Philbrook, being in want of spinning wheel,
one day took dip net and caught seven bar
rels of alewives in the Togus: taking two
barrels in a canoe she padded them down to
Mr.. Winslow's where she exchanged them for
a wheel. Alewives were so abundant that
they were crowded ashore by thousands.
Refnra tho Rpyolutinu II was n cOmnou
sight to see two or three moose together cross
ing stream or pond
White oaks and pines abounded. One oak
which was measured was eighteen and half
feet in circumference. The years 176l-62
were very dry. The woods on every side
were on fire. Almost all vegetation was
burned. There was no rain from June to the
last of August.
During this time the population had been
steadily increasing. In 1863 Martin Haley
bought "a lot in what is now the southwestern
portion of the town; on this land he raised
the first English hay ever cut in the place.
In Pittston, John Hancock witnessed for the
first time, the operations of saw-mill. His
excellency gave the mill-man a dollar for the
pleasure.
Physicians had small practice. A German
was the first to come, about 1863; others fol-
lowed; but the people we're too healthy or too
poor to afford them a living. Mrs. James
WinslOw was the only one in whom the set
tiers believed and she had the chief practice
for years. The first who practiced for any
length of time was DIR. Parker. In IS02-3
malignant fever prevailed, supposed by some
to be imported yellow fever. Many died, but
DR.. Parker combatted it with remarkable
success. His weapons were large doses of
jalap and calomel.
supply of vegetable food was exhausted.
Dried moose meat supplied the place of bread.
Near 40 the army worms first appeared,
devouring all before them. Houses did not
divert them from their course; they went
over them instead of around.
In l775 the settlers felt the need of some
defence against the British. Their "Com-
mttee of Safety sent petition to the Pro-
vinca Congress of the Massachusetts Bay in
New England, praying for the grant of pow
der out of the colony stock and wrote apollo
getically, "Its with pain we Give you This
Trouble when we know how much business
of Vast Consequence you have on your
hand"
In l775 large band of Indians camped
here awhile. They were eager to fight against
the British, and about thirty left for Cam
bridge under the command of Major Colburn.
Their squaws rowed them down to Merry
meeting Bay whence they proceeded on foot.
But Washington cvilly refused their offered
aid A great event to the settlers was Ar
nod's expedition as it came up the Kennebee
on the way to Quebec. There were eleven
hundred men. Here batteaux were built to
carry the troops up river beyond tide water.
sufficient number was built to transfer pro-
vision ammunition, and half the troops, the
remaining half marching on the bank of the
river. The people were very Jealous during
the revolution, also during the war of
1912. The town gave a goodly proportion to
the service. They erected Liberty pole
before the ''Great House" and held their
meeting there. Their sympathy with the
Boston tea acts was such that they caused
each person to place the right hand on the
flagstaff and swear not to buy, sell, give,
drink, eat or taste tea, and to be true to the
American oath. VIM. Gardiner was obsti-
nate he would drink tea. Preparations were
made to tar and feather him. large can
vas was covered with tar, and feathers we're
collected, but being warned, he escaped.
Back of the Great House stood whipping
post to this were sentenced many unruiy
members of the community. Benz. Shaw,
the arresting constable, had an unique way
| of summoning Whenever he wished to ar