Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-08-26

HISTORIC PEMAQUID,
BY @. q. Nelson, N. D.

Among the many summer resorts on the
coast Of Maine, none excels in beauty and
historic interest Pemaquid Point in the town
of Bristol As it has been our good fortune
(released from the perplexities of pills and
powders) to enjoy with party Of friends a
vacation of one week in this old Plymouth
of the State of Maine, perhaps a few facts
connected with the early settlement of this
place would be of interest to the readers Of
the Journal. Martin Pring in the year 1902
3 touched Maine about Sagadaboc and Penn
aquid India name, winding river and the
Indians made map Of this region which
they called Moasam or Mas00shaw. Capt.
George Weym outh in his ship Archangsl,
May 18th, 1905, anchored on the north side Of
the isle of Mohegan. While in this vicinity he
visited Pemaquid Pentacott harhor (named
by HIM and the great river of Ssgsdahoc
was found and described. A survey was
made of the coast with view for English
settlements. With five Indians surreptitious-
ly taken at Pentacost harbor Capt. Wey-
mouth sailed for England. Two Of these
Indians, a chief by the name of Nahsnada
and brave called Skeedives were from
Pemsiuid. In the year 1907 two English
ships and tender under the command of
Capt, Popham, with two hundred English
emigrants, known as the Pophsm colony,
anchored at Monhegan Island harbor.
While at Monhegsn they met Skeedives who,
with the Chief Nahanada, had previously re-
turned to their native hills. From Monhegan
a boat or shallope containing fifty English
people was plotted by the savage Skeedives
to Pemaquid. On attempting to land they
found on the banks an Indian village and
one hundred braves, armed with bows and
arrow, drawn up in line of battle. They
greeted the invaders with war whoop which
brought the Englishman to stand. Nahan-
ada was the Chief, who perceving that the
company were English with Skeedives as
their pilot, and remembering English
hospitality, gave them = warm greeting
This was the first English landing at Pema-
quid Of which we have a definite record.
This WAS August 10th, 1907. thirteen years
previous to the landing of the Pilgrims at
Plymouth, and just seventy-eisht days after
the la ding of the English at jamestown,
Va.
In 1914 Capt John Smith, the celebrated
jamestown chieftxip, the Capt. Smith of
Pocahontas notoriety, sailed from London
for the purpose of trade and discovery in
America He explored the coast from Cape
Cod to Penobscot River AMI made map Of
the country to which he gave the
landed at Monhegan and Pema-
quid. and to the latter settlement gave
the name of YOUNGSTOWN" and how afterward
1t came to be called jamestown we are not
informed. During the same year (l6l4) the
Popbam heirs had here port for trade in
fish and furs. The Puritans at Plymouth
were startled one day in the early spring Of
1921 by the appears ice of a savage in their
little village. The Indian was Samoset who
cried in broken English welcome English
men, Samoset was from Pemsquid where
he had learned the English language and was
the first to welcome the Pilgrims to their
American home. A man by the name of
John Brown settled at New Hsrbor previous
to the wear 1925 Brown bought Of the In
disns all the land from Pemsquid Falls and
New Harbor to the south end of Muscongus
Island and twenty miles to the North. We
have seen a copy of this old deed said to be
the dest in New England. signed by Capt.
John Samoset (his mark and seaD and
Uunongoit (his mark and seal) Indian Saga
mores, signed and sealed in the presence of
Matthew Newman and William Cox, July rs,
1926 July 26th, 1926, Samoset and Unnon-
gcit personally appeared and acknow lodged
this to be their act and deed. Before me. Abra-
ham Shurt. Justice of the Peace at Pemaquid
Dec. &c, 1920. Received and registered by
Samuel Phipps. one of the clerks Of the
Committee Of Eastern Lands. Before 1925
q mercantile house under the firm Of Aid
worth 4 EIdridge Of Bristol England estab-
iished q branch house for the trade Of fish
and fur ct the mouth Of the Pemaquid river.
Aldworth 4 Eldridge obtained from the Eng
lish crowh patent, covering all the land in
the vicinity Of Pemaquid. Thus between the
heirs Of Brown and Aldworth L Eldridee liti-
CATION arose. which continued for nearly two
centuries, - to whom the land rightfully be-
lonsed. Finally few years before Maine
became an independent State the Massachu-
sets General Court appointeda committee to
settle this dispute. This committee recon-
mended that the State Of Massachusetts buy
the claims Of Brown and Aldvorth Ed
ridge heirs. and that the State grant DECIDE to
actual settlers onlv This report Vas accept
ed by the General Court and this controversy
put 10 an end. The fret forti6cation built
At Pemaquid was stockxdr, erected BY the
citizens in 1880 or 81, and destroyed BY the
pirate, Dixie Bull, in 1852. Sir Edmund
Andres, first Gov. rnor Of MAssachusetts,
Connecticut. New Hampshire, Maine. Ply
mouth and Rhode Island, rebuilt the foytih-
cation At Pemaquid in 1877. This vas =
strong fedoubt. Gov. Andres stationed ct
Pemaquid two companies Of sixty men each
besides thirty six veteran troops his fort
was destroyed by the Indians in Toss or
1859. The third fort called Fort VIM.
Henry was erected under the personal over
eight Of Gov. Sir WIN. Phiiipps in the year
1892. This fort vas destroyed in the year
1896 during King williams var BY . com
bined force Of indiana and French. The
following is legend Of the fight Seventy
1--we Indians under the command Of Csstine
disembafked from their canoes under the
cover Of three Preach men of-vaf in com
mand of d. Iberville. Stealthily the savages
crept up under the great rock at the South
vest corner Of the fort under the same
rock within the fort vas one Of the maya |
zines Of the fort, the walls of which on the |
north eide six feet thick and ave feet high, |
are still to be seen) under the shelter Of Tie |
old rock which has been justly styled the |
Rock Of Pemaauid. the savages shos The En- |
glishmen - they appeared At the port holes |
to man the guns The fort vas taken, he |
red ensign Of England vas handed down and |
from il place doased The tricolors Of France
and Penaguid be anne . sovereigndsy Of
France. The fourth and lase fort q Pema-