Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-12-21
our GARDEN COUNTY,
Sketches Of xeIunkus and
BeEsdIc!a.
1h. Story d Bishop FsnEIek's AEoos-
took CelsEy.
And Pictures Of these Prosperous Town.
ships as they are Today.
BY How. EDWARD wiGGINs.
BY How. EDWARD wiGsINs.

AY0ostook road and 4 Tea eiessinss farther |
north upon that road, is siil! covered With |
forsst growth and is o~red By non resilient
p,oprieiors. The old Aroosto0k .3sa, |
opened a; the time Of tia
Biaodiss. Aroo.tosk War,
starts from Molunkns and continues north |
ward threpGh No. One, Beuedic's Ard
Sherman 70 Psgs1, and iEsnce on
TO Fort Kent ~ the moath Of
Fish river. The intersection Of this
road, with tbs military road st taIs
point nsde Moluskus an important ou,i-
ness centre fer numbering operations and
FOR the moving If supplies 70 .hs country
a~sy'to the a3fth. Soon sitter the epenins
II the Aroostook road, hotel vas built At
M,luDkul, the ffrst house CT entertainment
a. nesr az We can Determine, haylas hsen
erected BY Mr.. Richard Lib5ey, eho bad
previously Kept the hotel for number Of
yeafs at MAewahoc. After remaining some
year. A. I5luasus, Mr.. Libby removed
20 Mstiavsukssg. The hotel was sitter
wards kept for some time by Nj. Samuel
Croker, Who vAs succeeded by tbs Burn
Ram Brothers Of I.'r coin, who remained
some i've years. Msssrs. George and
Joseph Lbbsy then had the house tor one
year, and we're succeeded by Mr.. E. IL.
Davis, who kept it two years. Ia 1865,
NIB F. Cobara came from Lincoln and
bough. the hotel o. Mr.. Davis aud consin-
ned in the house until last spring. when be
lessed IL TO Mr., r. A. Wig Of Mattavsm-
kesg. Mr. Melville johnson csme from
Bangor in 1870 agd bnilt the large store
opposite the hotel where be carried On q
large business in general merchandise until
last spring, when he moved to Maewahoc.
Mr.. Johnson still owns the store AID also
the fam aud residence GEAR by. The farm
contains T. aeres Of good grass land, yearly
sn c!sa;ec, with go5ds set Of baiidiogs
and good oGchsrd
Last spring Mr.. b. +. Coburn leased the
johnson store sud residence and IS DOW
Carrying on grocery ousi1ess snd having
4 good made. Hf. CobuFa also has farm
OF 2O6 scrss Of good land with 100 acres
cleared. Mr.. r. A, Wing of Msttswsnkesg
= the present lIndleEd OF the Molunkus
Exchange. This house does isrge
business and Mr.. Wing is keeping up this
excellent reputation OF the hotel so
well established Guder the manage
ment Of Mr.. Ccburu. The house is large
snd we'll appointed, The rooms pleasant and
we'll farnished aud the table boutituily sup
piled Mr.. Wing and his gen:lemsnly CLERK,
Mr.. F. r Libbey, are courteous and stten-
tive TO theit guests and Ill who have occs-
sion 10 stop At this excelle nj hotel may be
assured Of hospilabie treatment and com
Portable and pleasant entertainment Sage
passengers on the Msttasamkes9 and Pat
ton route Cine 81 this house ard the we'll
filed pages Of the daily resi'ter show ths:
the house is we'll patfocized by the many
who travel in this section for business or
pleasure. South Of Mr.. Coburn's stare
Dir. W. Shannon has 8 blacksmith shop and
small farm. and between the Aroostook
road and the east line OF the town Mr. A
Butter6eld and Mr.. A. O'Hars have farms.
la the southwest portion Of the township is
Matteseuuk Lake,
aue body OF wster some two miles
long AMI half mile wide. Two
streams Tow southwark sud empty into
this lake, the West Msttesunk being
near the vest line Of the township
and the E.st Mattesunk flowing in the more
cautral portion. A portion OF MoluDkus
lake is in the northeastern part Of the tcwn-
chip, TIRE northern portion OF the lake be-
ing in Number One sDd the southern por
ton in Ms vahoC The Psnobscot river
Pkirt. the southwestern )ruer OF Moiuukus
sud the Matteseunk lske dilc1sfges its
waters into that river. TIE MoiunkGs Ex-
change il seven miles distant from The rail
road station At Msttswsmkeag sad daily
stsges rRa from Mst.swamkesg to Pstten,
stoVpirg at this hotel for dicner. Moiu lkus
bas now no plantstion organic stioa sI1d las
but q small resident population for & point
of 80 much business importance,
Hide Through ths Woods.
Leaving the Molankus Exchange and
i5u-neyirg northgari on .Ee Arcos.ook
road, after passing number Of primitive
hsb,suous erected by new se.llers.~e enter
the forest, through which we ride for nearly
ten miles with only an occasional opening
ia tho wilderness. The road, though some
what billy in places is exceptionally good
Aud the ride ia pleasant autumn day is .
very pies ssnt one The road passes over
some very Ice ridges Of land covered with
handsome growth and capable Of being
made i1tj good farms 4 ride of LITTLE
more thar four miles EorlhEsrd from
Nollnkus briggs US TO he north line Of The
'oEnsh.p and here we enter Number one,
Range fge, timber tov1sh p lying slorg
the border Of Pancb,co: cJu1Ey. Five
miles from Molunkus We come 10 the farm
osred by Mr.. Melville Johnson of Mac
~Ahcc srd st presen. rented BY Mr.. VIM.
II Ctockef CT Mst.svsmlesg This farm
in he forest contains some IS acres of
cleared Land with good house and barr
The sol is OF AZ xcsiitns qusilty and Pre-
duCes we'll. Two miles farther on. or
seven miles from MolunkEa is .hs farm
and ho;el OF sfr. Peter MiilDors. Mr..
S ephen Cobb made clesIi1g aud built
house hsre more than fifty years ago and,
after keeping public hoase FOR number OF
years, m3ved to Michivsn. Mr. Pster
aillmore came from Bsnedicss in 1874 snd
bought the plscs and hss kspts hotel here
ever since. lie has SPEC two hurdred
acres of e-celif n: Ia I'D, lsrge portion OF
which is cleared and under good cultivi-
ton. The buildings are SC cd snd are stu
sted on \ handsome ridge of land. Mr.
James Duf, has a good farm, with COED
bulldogs. opposite Mr.. MilimoIe's. A short
distance beyond, On the ess. side Of tho
read, is the farm Of MesNs. Lai5g and
Joaes the prop1iesors OF he stage line
from Mssts~smsesg to Patteu. The Il m
has iae stable here ia which horses for
use upon the lire are kept and whore
changes are made, Fjr the remaining dis
ssnes scTe,s number one the road runs
through an almost uuhtoken forest until
the south line of Bensi,cts il reached.
Here We find marked change, the forest
hS7irg given plscs TO cultivated farms,
with neat aud comfortable residences ard
q continuous settlement reaching entirely
scfoss the town. The town Of Bensdicta
comprises the western half Of township
No ., range I've.
RI.hep Fenwieks Colony.
Nearly sixty years ago RI Rev. Benedict
Fen~iek. Cstholle Bishop OF Boston con-
eeivsd the idea Ct set.lings Catholic col
ooy upon tee cheap lands CT northern
Maine and also Of erecting ard maintaining
8 Catholic college ia connection with the
colony. The project Of establishing the
colony Was carried ous. but the idea Of the
college IL northern xsine was afterwards
Abandoned and the proposed institution ~as
located st Worcester, Mass. The half
tcsnship selected was then the property Of
tie State Of Massachusetts,. and on the
7sh dsy Of Juiy 1884, Bishop Fensick
made his contract for the lard. The town
shin bad been surveyed by Josenh G Nor
ri, aud Andrew Mcmillan in 1926. Tho1gS
Bishop Fsnwick putc1sssd the tract io
1884 he did not receive his title to il until
Nsrch alss 1876, OF which date it vas
decided TO him by George W. Coffiu. agen!
Of the General Court of Msssx chu.etss.
Soon after purchasing the half township in
1884. Bishop Eenwick commenced to take
measures TO carry out his project of estso.
ing & eaiony upon IL The township Was
In the midst OF an Amos. trackIess wilder.
ness, bu. II consisted Of good land, and
lsr1n humber orerztinss ware bsing carried