Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-05-19
AROOSTOOK--Xn.
1 Typical Areostoek TOM
Hevn Ont Of The Woods
By Sturdy Hands,
III land n Honor Of IsPasl vasl-
bars. lains's vU ceIsslef.


barn, nale's vtl coIHIW.
By Hon Bdwsrd Wigeap
The main stream of Salmon Brook
rises in beausifui little lake in the
northern part Of tue tosa Of Per
ham sad fov ng in sea,hesstsrly cnurse
ense.s the toss of Washburp near its
north vest eefser. The east branch Of Sal
mon Br sok rises in the eastern part Of Per
ham AMI noviss sou heAsssris across the
south uest Coz. ef Of the torn Of Woodland.
enters washSsrn through It's sorfhern Dor
der, xboar . mile and . half from tae
northwest corner OF the tosn. These fse
fIne s1eams doving 10 soarneriy difecfion
through the eastern part OF the town OF
WAshbarn. gradually conversins. uai'e 10
one strong flowing stream about . mile
.bove Ess ja ,ctioD, with tine oeAusifoi Afoos-
took river On the western bang VI thts
stream is lovely pisia rising gradually -
il recedes from the vster until lt tefmi
mates in fringe Of green for est . the top
of the gentle slope. Ga the eastern side Of
the stream. below the mouth Of the east
branch, the land rises somewha, more
b. Idly, bus by no mean steep. and pre- cents
. clean. smoo b. verdsnt elope. - il 10 seen
from the opposite side. On the beautiful
plain upoa the west side of Salmon Book
stream 10 situated the principal part Of the
pleasant village Of Wa.hburn. though the
recent growth Of the village has extended
scross the stream which 70 spsnned By two
bridges, and many hsndso ne residences
and some business establishments are new
located on the eastern bark. Beautiful for
situation 10 this inland village and no finer
location could have been selected for the
site Of busy, prosperous and thriving town
From the higher land IN the rear Of the
village may be seen the broat Ar0oste0k
river which flows through - fertile val
ley - the sun snines up0g, ard in every
direction appears . GRAM landscape OF
forest an clearing of broad farms and
comfortab buildings interspersen with
wide greenwood tracts, while here and
there on the far horizon rises some lofty
hill to break the mono;ony Of the view and
add to the picturesque beauty of the scene
The town OF Wa hbufn was formerly
known IS Township No. ID, X. 3, W. E
L. s. 1t il single township, six miles
square, and 10 bounded by Woodland on
the north, Caribou on the east, Wade Plan
tstiou on the west, and has Mapleton for
its neighbor On the southern border. The
first settlers on the township like those Of
nearly all the towns along the AroostOOk
river came up the river from New Bruins
wick many years ago and settled along the
river bank. The Aroostook river enters
the town through its western border alb ,ut
q mile and half from the southwest cor
ner Of the town. For nearly . mile it flows
IN no,theasterly direction. dividing here
and enclosing = beautiful large island. then
bending gracefully it sweeps around in a
| broad curve and flows in southeasterly
direction entirely across the town, leaving
it at the extreme southeast corner and en-
tering the old town of Msysvi lie. now thu
northern half Of the town Of PresQue Isle.
After crossing the Maysvilie line it flow, in a
more southerly direction nearly to the north
| line of the original town of Pressure Isle
when it again makes q wide curve and
strikes of in due north course for twelve
miles until it reaches the village Of Carl
bou Bending again it flows southessterly
across Caribou and Fort Fairfield then
curving to the northeast crosses the New
Brun. xick line. dashes over the 70 ky falls
and surges through narrow, cliff bound
gorge. emerging with am fiecked bosom
and pours il. grand volume into the majes-
tic st. John through which it sends its glad
| tribute to the broad Atlantic.
| Such is the noble Aroostook, and in oil
its many winlings through this fair and
fertile valley it passes few fairer plains
than that upon which settled the early
pioneers of Washburn who made q home
along its banks some four miles from the
site Of the present thriving village. The
Oldest settler of whom we can obtain any
account and probably the first white man
who made home in what is now the town
of Washburn was Nathaniel Churchill who
came with his family from New Brunswick
in IS IS, and settled on what is now called
! the Stratton fat nesr the mouth of Salmon
Brook He remained there some five years
when he moved far her down the river and
settled on Cakes island. He continued al
this place until 1888 when mis- wife died and
he returned with his children to New Bruins
wick. In 1889, having married again, he
ca ne back up the river with his family and
settled on the lot where his son job
Churchill now lives, some four miles down
| the river from the village of Washburn
When Mr.. Churchill returned . number oil
settlers had taken up lots along the river
and he was no longer slsne in the wilder
ness. In 1887, Thomas Mcdonald came
| from Mirimichi and settled on the north side
of the Aroostook, about . mile below the
mouth of Salmon Brook. His son, Mr.
John L. Mcdonald. still resides upon the
lot which is now q handsome farm witt
commodious buildings and fertile fields
| Soon after that Wilder Stfatton settled or
the lot first taken up by Nathaniel Churchill
and his children still occupy the farm, hav
ing beautiful residence on the height soms
distance back from the river. Mrs. A W
| Stratton an accomplished writer and wei
known contributor to numerous publication,
10 at present living there.
The first settler in what 10 now the vii
lage of Washbura, and the pioneer busine u
man of the town WAS Isaac Wilder who
came to Aroossook from the town Of Penn
broke, in Washington county about the veal
ls40 Mr. Wilder remained for time Al
Fort Fairfield. where he worked on the bar
racks ~ a carpenter, then pushing on NJ
the river, he built saw mill in the dense
At that time the only settlers upon the towr
were the few who were located on tbs
Aroostook river in the southwest portion OF
| tuc toWbshtp- ms lasc - lott, III tue TT
port of the Commissioners of Maine and
Massachusetts, sho in that year visited thu.
section to adjust the settlers claims, We
find mention Of but twelve of these settler.
along the river bank in ID, r. 8, now
Washburn. These were Peter Ball, Nath.
aniel Churchill, Jabez 8. Currier, Joshua
Dunn, John Hicky, Lawrence Farrell
Wilder Stratton. Elizabeth. widow Of viii.
liam Mamford, Joshua Christie, job
Churchill, Stephen Harris and Ebenezel
Esty.
The State Of MASSACHUSETTS then owned
the town, a. the mother State still held
| each alternate township in this eastern
wilderness. At the time of Mr.. Wilder's
coming there was no road in the township,
the river being the only thoroughfare. TIE
mill contained an up and down saw aui
clapboard machine. The boards and other
long lumber were rated in the water, and
upon these were piled the clapboards. and
tine RATS were foated down the stream to
the Aroostook river, thence down to the
Aroostook Falls, where the lumber had to
be taken from the water. hauled BY the
falls, RATED again below and thence noat,
out into the St. John and down the river TO
Fredericton. With Isaac Wilder, came his
brother Charles Wilder, who settled
and commenced . clearing near the
mouth of the ,tream In 1913. Charles O..
Stoddsrd came from Perry. in Washington
county, and settled on the bank of the Sal
mon Brook stream short distance belo =
the mill. In the same year Robert Wilder,
brother Of Isaac, came from Pemb, oke and
made q clearing next above Stoddsrd, and
With him from the same town, came Sam.
uel Bugbee who settled on the adjoining 10,