Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-02-28

o4uf9 40 S0n4Host c00u0e0- ln008U
peace vas declared through The msdiafien
Of Geo. Seoet. yet ~ question Of de
boundary vas aos sesfjed naSil three yeass
later. In 1919, duriag President Tyiex's
administration Daniel Wehseef. Who he'd
been Secretary Of Ssats under HafSisoa,
consented 70 remain in he same position
in the Tyler Cabinet for the purpose Of
settling this boundary dispute. He con
Guided treaty with Lord Asnburson, the
Britain AmaassadoR, by which the psessas
boundary Of Maine Vas established and
the northern boundary Of the United asases
traced ~ far west - the Rocky
Mountains. Great Britain gave he
United States valuable lands on the borders
Of Lake Superior and Lake Champlain. and
the National Government gave Maine
sI5e 600 feT surrendering her claim. Maine
also received 600. 600 for expenses in
cured in the ssr, and the treaty known in
history ~ the Ashbufton treaty, was rasi-
fed by the U. g. Senate on the 10th Of
August, 1872. ard proclaimed by the Presi-
dent on the 10th Of November following.
IL will thus be seen that the Affairs Of
Aroostook once claimed the attention Of the
two great English speaking nations Of the
World and that the controversy as to her
line fences. which u one time threatened
TO embroii the two nations in bloody war.
ras finally settled by peaceful diplomacy.
OF the agricultural resources Of this vast
wilderness portion of the State Of Maine
bat little was generally known at that time
and the country vas considered chiefly
valuable for its timber. Of the unfortunate
policy pursued by the State in the DISPOSE
tioG of this magnificent domain we shall
not speak at present, bu; will merely say
ures been adopted the development
of the grand resources of the coua-
ty would have been greatly fastened
and the State would have been immeasnra-
that bad wiser and more far seeing meas
bly, the gamer In wealth and population.
By degrees the hardy pioneer commenced
20 make his way into this vast forest, to fell
and clear. and to rear his humble home.
Small settlements we're made At various
places, Honlton at the time of the treaty
being xlready thriving little town OF
these we shall speak in detail hereafter.
10 some places large farms were cleared
at long distances from any opening, sole
iy for the purpose of raising supplies for
the lumber operations and these afterwards
became the nucleus Of thriving settlements
able sites and, though rough and primstive
ia their construction, were the means of
attra citing settlers TO their vicinity In 1880
the entire population of the county was but
1898 This number was nearly uebled in
the next decade, many settlers having been
attracted hither by the excitement in rsla-
ton to the boundary dispute, and In 1910
the census showed 94l3 persons residing in
the county. For the ten years following,
the re alive increase was not so great. the
population in 1850 being IL 523. In the
fall OF 1858 a party of some thirty gentle
men, representing the principal newspapers
of the State, made an excursion to the
county and penetrated what might be
then truly be called the "Wilds
of Aroostook'' as far North as Pressure
Isle. This thriving village then
contained less than fifty dwellings, some
half dozen stores, one schoolhonse and q
hotel. Its population vas between two and
three hundred. Lumber and grist mile
were already in successful operation, and
the village boosted of the northernmost
newspaper in the United States, the Aroos-
took Pioneer, then edited by the late Hon.
Joseph 3. Hall. Ii was also the head.
quarters of the North Aroostook Agrieul-
Iural Society, and it was ostensibly by in
vtation Of this society whose Fair was to
be held in Presque Isle in October of that
year, that the excursion WAS undertaken.
The true cause however Of the Eruption of
this Press gang" into the quiet valley of
the Aroostook was to make known the re.
sources Of the county to the outside world
to attract settlers hither. and to work up
popular sentiment in favor of State aid in
the construction of a projected railroad
from Bangor to Presque Isle. We may be
allowed to say, in passing, that said rail
road is still IN its "projectedH state, never
as yet having materiaized, and to express
the opinion that had Bangor held her grip
and pushed this enterprise, and had the
State come up resolutely to its aid it would
have been the means of adding millions to
the wealth of Maine and of pouring many
golden shekels into the Golfers of the Queen
City of the East. The members of the party
were surprised and delighted with the land of
magnificent distances with its vast extent
of fertile soil, and it's grand agricultural re-
sources and its capabiiity tor supporting a
large and thriving population. Upon tier
return, glowing accounts of the advantages
offered by this garden county were publish
ed IN all the journals of the State, and, as
result. the tide of emigration was turned
in this direction and settlers began to flock
into he new region and TO bew for them
selves homes out of the primevsl forest
In 1860 the population had increased to
22,479, gain of ten thousand in round
numbers during the decade New settle
ments sprang up in many places. mills were
built on streams never before damned,
Gave by river drivers broad clearings
were made, and from many a hilltop and
valley the smoke of the settlers burn"
rose gracefully hesvenwarl and proclaimed
that the wilderness places were being con-
yerted into peaceful aud happy homes,
Then came the War of the Rebellion. which
for time greatly interfered with the settle
ment Of the county. Not only was immi-
grafton checked but many of the brave sons
of Aroostook left the pillow in the furrow
and the axe in the half felied tree. and
marched away to fight for the old flag. At
the close of the war new settlers began to
come, aud in 1870 the census showed a
total population in the county cf 30 .609.
InJuly. 1870, colony of fifty Swedes was
planted By the State in township No 10. range
snow known as New Sweden. The township
was then an unbroken wilderness. The
State gave to each head of family one
hundred acres of land, fell five acres of
trees on each lot and built a comfortable
log house. The colony proved to be sue
cess, became self sustaining in three years
and is now one of the thriving and prosper
Gus agricultural towns of Northern Aroos
took.
In the fall of 1873. the Editors of Maine
again accepted an invitation from the North
Aroostook Agricultural Society to attend
their exhibition at Presque Isle. The party
at this time numbered .ver fifty, nearly one
half of whom were ladies'. OF the origi nal
Press gang" of 1858 but nine accompanied
the second expedition In the meantime
the European and North American Railway
had been completed and had absorbed some
two hundred thousand acres of the fertile
lands of AroOstook. This road barely skirts
ong the extreme southern boundary of the
county for few miles and for TINS build
ing railroad to AroostOok' the company
received this magnificent domain which
should have remained the heritage of the
sons and daughters of Maine, or been used
to open no direct and adequate conmunica-
ton with the great county in which these
broad acres are located. The European
and North American road, which was par.
of trunk line from Bangor to Halifax
connected at McA6am, six miles beyond
the border, with the New Brunswick and
Canada road. which continued on to Wood
stock. Frem Debec Junction, eleven miles
below Woodstock, spur was run into
Houlton. From Woodstock the New
Brunswick railway, then q narrow guage,
4 IL. al. O.
As Andover, from which place branch had
been built up the Aroostook river as far IS
Caribou. By this circuitous route the
second Editorial party had an all rail trip
from Bangor to Caribou, and an oppor,u
nj ~ tn rip "a