Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1890-04-07
VI.
History and Industries Of the
Town Of Caribou.
Mills, Stores, Schools, Churches, Homes,
and the
Largest Starch Factory In the World!
Ro Ron Edward WiSRin
By Hon Edward Wiggin.

FsihVS, as iAfRt part u thr thlthiy stN'ie'
portion Of the town is located upon the slop-
log hills a hich rise from the river and stream
and give to the village q most besuiiful
ba * ground as one views it on enterli y BY
the road from Pre.que Isle. The village is
tnated on the Carbon stream a short dis
lance above the point Of its confluence with
he Aroosrook. The town Of Caribou, ike
Pressure I.le and Fort Fairfield compr ses
two full Townships and embraces an area of
twelve miles .Ong by ak miles wide. The
township in which tie village is situated
was originally known as IL. Range
2 The Aroostook river enters this
town on its southern border and
dosing completely across the town
makes an abrupt turn near the line between
II and L., Rage 2, and doubling upon it.
8. Ii forms one of the "ox bows" so com
mon on this toriuous river, and leaves the
town on its eastern line flowing into Fort
Fairfield and thence 10 the ST. John. A
strip containing 10 900 acres on the east
sid of this township, H., was years ago
granted by the State of Massachusetts 10
Gen. Eaton Of that State for meritorious
services ndered during the war with
fripoi, and this strip was known for a long
time as Eaton Grant, and was afterwards
Organized as Eaton Plantation. That part
OF II living on the west side of the AroOs-
took river was Incorporated ss the town OF
Lyndon. Eaton sull remaining plantation
There was also a strip of land between the
Ar0ostook river and Eaton Grant, which
was not included in either organization
rhi. territory was afterwari organized for
election purposes, or as 80 ne or the
old settlers used to say for electioeer-
ing purposes, as the plantation of
Sheridan ami 80 remained until 1888
when the present town If Caribou was
Incorporated. including Lyndon, Sheridan
and Eaton Grant in II K. 2, and also the
tow ship of !, X. 2, lying Immediately
north, which had been previously organized
is the plantation of Forestyille As near
a We eau determine the FIRST settler IN the
town of Caribou was Ivory Harrison,
y no came in 1889 aud sealed On what is
now kuawn as the Fish farm on the Pressure
Isle road, abou. three miles from the vii
lage of Caribou, aud bdit the log house
which is still standing. In March 1874,
Hon. Samuel w. Collins and w
Vaughan came from Calais and bought of
the State four lots each, including the pres
cut mill site and also the site of the
Vaughan Hotel. They paid for this land
one dollar per acre, three-fourths of the
price being paid in road labor and on 'ous
N cash. A blacksmith blythe name of Will
hams then had chopping OF about four
acres near where the village buryIng
ground now is, and David +. Adams
had small clearing on what is now the
Moses Thomas farm. There was also
small clearing near the mouth of Caribou
stream. With the exception of these few
openings, the territory nov comprised IN
he village and vicinity was an unbroken
wilderness AT that time Alexander Coch
ran had a small mill with one run of stones
~ the mouth of Caribou Stream Winslow
Hall lived where bis son MIR. G. c. Hall
nov lives anl had ten acres cleared and a
small log house built. There was then no
store uearer than Towle's at Piesque Isle,
Immediately upon arriving and locating
their land, Collins and Vaughan CON-
menced clearing away the forest near where
tie grlst mill now stands, and hewing the
timber upon the spot, before the snow was
! fl the ground had the frame of the pres
cnt grist mill up ard ready for boarding
As soon as the ice left the river they towed
a raft of boards up from Fort Fairfield and
ini.hed the mill. They had two run of
stones and a cleanser. They hauled one
set of stones from Lincoln to Ashland,
where they placed them on raft and tloated
them down the Aroostook river 10 the mill
The other set was towed on q raft up the
st John and Aroostook rivers from New
Brunswick. They commenced grinding IN
the fall of 1913. They also opened store
IN 4 room 10 the grist mill. at first hauling
their goods from B,ngor, and afterwards
bringing them in boats up the ST. John and
Aroostook. the New Brunswick legislature
having passed law allowing goods to come
through in bond, Among the first settlers
who came after Collins and Vaughan were
George and Cephss Sampson and Mr.. Wat
son Starbird. In 1913 Collins and Vaughan
built on the ste of the present mill large
mil with one up and down saw and .
rlapboard machine. This mill was burnt IN
the winter of le4S and rebuilt in the follow
ing year. In 1868 the mill was again de-
s'roysd by fire and the present fine mill was
bu during the a ne year. The frs school
taught in Caribou was a private school
star ed IN log house in lS48 by Miss
Mary Ann Harrison. lister to Jacob Hardi-
son aud TO Mrs s W Collins The first
sch pol house was built in 1851 on the spot
here tle present village school house
stands In 1852. Collins s Vaughan built
isnnery on the Caribou stream below the
grist mill This tannery was operated by
William Farrell, vino bought hides of the
farmers aud also of the lumbermen who
sometimes drove beef cattle into the woods
10 be slaughtered. Mr. Farrell also manu-
featured the leather into thick boots for the
lumber trade. Collins 4 Vaughan also
built blacksmith shop the same year and
employed Benz. Annis, Who vas the first
blacksmith in the town.
They also built the first store In Caribou
in 1855. The building is still standing and
is now occupied b, MIR. John Anderson as
a boot snd shoe shop. No meeting house
WAS built until 1860, when the Union house
was erected. but religious meetl3gs had
previously been hell in the school house.
Ia 1853, :, lvester Ws.hburn built a sash
and blind factory near where the present
factory ia located. II was afterwards de-
slroyei by IRE and rebuilt. The next
year Mr. Washburn built the house
afterwards occupied as 4 hotel by J. w.
Gary and Harry Small. THIS house was
+ burned some seven years ago, and has not
J been rebuilt. The second store erected in
/ Caribou was built BY d. F. Adams about
the year 1860 soon after which another
store WAS opened by Mr.. Nathaniel Bart
/ lett In 1862 John : Arnold built the
/ store now owned by Mr.. Alba Holmes, and
( 10 1867 Savin league started in trade
! They FIST opened ! store in the old tannery
! building. and sfterxar1s moved into the
large new store built by Mr.. W. A
/ Vaughan and now occupied bv Samuel
/ rss lor. Since that time the number of
/ stores has increased until there are some
I thing over thirty IN he village today
The first bridge across the Aroostook river
/ at Caribou was built in 1868. TheState ap-
! proprit,ed one half OF the cost and the CIT
{ izens contributed the other half In ls1,
Mr.. Alba Holmes started the first po'a,o
/ starch factory in Aroostook The build
ing was built BY Mr. J. c. Barnes of Fort
, Fair field for a wooden mill, but was never
used f that purpose carding machine
was run in the building until Mr.. Holmes
purchased il and converted it into the largest
starch factory in the United States if not in
the word Mr.. Holmes still continues the
business of manufacturing starch and dis
tributes among the farmers q large amount
OF money esch year for potatoes. He also
does a lal ge business in the Manufacture of
cedsr shingles and his enterprise adds
much TO the business ACTIVITY of this thriy-
ing town There are two other starch fac.
t0rie. in the town, one owned by Howe &
Taylor. and the other by F. NJ. York. Esq
Alb lut 500 tons of starch was manufactured
in the three factories last year. This was
light make as the high price of potatoes
for shipping prevented the factories from
receiving as large stock As usual In 1872
Rev. W. T. Sleeper commenced the publi-
cation of the North Star At Caribou. Mr. |
Sleeper at once undertook the work of
making known the resources Of the |
Aroostook Valley and, seeing the need